Upper Adams School District

161 N. Main Street

Biglerville, PA 17307

(717) 677-7191

FAX (717) 677-9807

District website: www.upperadams.org

Upper Adams School District Mission

The Upper Adams School District provides challenging and inspiring educational opportunities, empowering each student to be a responsible and productive individual.

Upper Adams School District Vision

All Students College and Career Ready.

Welcome 2023! Best wishes for a healthy and Happy New Year!

Winter weather brings with it the potential for closures/delays of our Upper Adams School District (UASD) schools.

For a superintendent, making the decision to keep schools open or delay/close schools due to weather is always a lose-lose situation – the decision never makes everyone happy. But, as a parent myself, I know that these decisions must be made – and that understanding how these decisions are made may assist your own family with planning for a possible school delay or cancellation this winter.

How The Decision is Made To Delay/Close School Due to Weather
Over the years, many of you reading this article may have asked, “How are decisions made to delay or close a school district?” First and foremost, these decisions always center on what is best for student and adult safety.

The superintendent makes decisions based on multiple sources of information and a number of variables at specific times. All of that information is then reviewed and factors into the final decision on how safe it will be to provide in-person education.

Here is some insight into the steps our UASD administrative team takes when determining whether to delay or close school due to weather.

1) Reviewing Weather Reports/Forecasts
The decision to delay or close a school district starts with the superintendent and administrative team members tracking storms and reviewing the most recent reports on weather from multiple sources.

2) Gathering Information from Our Neighbors/Communities
While checking the various weather reports/predictions, we gather information from surrounding districts, as we share some similar geographical locations. UASD covers about 90 square miles and some of our weather impacts our roads differently in lower elevations compared to higher elevations. Since our district has a variety of elevations, this sometimes impacts decisions the superintendent makes at UASD compared to other relatively lower elevation districts.

3) Checking The Roads in Real Time
On the morning of the predicted weather event (usually at 4AM), the Director of Transportation and Superintendent will check the weather and listen to feedback from road crews. Road crews are able to assist with current and predicted conditions in various geographical locations in UASD. The Director of Transportation and Superintendent have also driven roads at times to help make final decisions.

4) Understanding the Time Needed Before Roads Will Be Safe to Travel
We also gather information from our townships and state crews who are out tending to the various roads. This feedback is first-hand information. This helps us learn how much time it will take for the district, township, and state crews to remove snow or treat roads to make travel as safe as possible.

5) Determining When to Communicate with Staff & Families
Decisions need to be made in a timely fashion for appropriate communication time to our transportation contractors and parents/guardians. This assists in everyone’s planning process. The decision is made with the information at the moment the communication is made and there have been times when the weather changes after a decision is made.

Please know, our goal is to be in-person for instruction as much as possible, but there are times when road conditions mean we are unable to bring in our students and staff out of concern for their safety.

We will continue to strive to communicate with you as soon as decisions related to schedule changes are made, as we understand the impact these have on our families.

Thank you for your continued support, and please do not hesitate to share questions or feedback with me that I could address directly or in a future article.

Best wishes for a safe winter!

Wesley T. Doll, Ed.D.

Superintendent

Please take note of the following schedule changes for all district buildings:

Friday, February 17, 2023 - Make Up Day with Early Dismissal/Teacher In-Service

UAMS/BHS will dismiss at 10:45 a.m.

Elementary Buildings will dismiss at 11:45 a.m.

NO LUNCH WILL BE SERVED

Wednesday, April 5, 2023 - Make Up Day - All Schools in Session

If you have questions about your student's schedule, please reach out to the building office where your child attends classes.

The public can view the meetings of the Board of Directors via YouTube. The YouTube link can be found on the district website at www.upperadams.org at the bottom right of the homepage under the Quick Link Section.

If you have questions about the meetings or if you would like to be placed on a future agenda to speak to the board during public comment, please contact the following email address: Questions4Board@upperadams.org by 4:00 p.m. on the Monday prior to a board meeting.

The Upper Adams School District Policy Book is available on line by clicking on the link below. You can also view policy by going to the district website at www.upperadams.org.

UASD Board Policies

The BHS girls and boys soccer teams combined efforts to host a Pink Out event on October 10th to raise money for Pink Out Inc. Pink Out Inc is a non-profit organization, managed by UPMC in Hanover. The teams reached out to local businesses for sponsorship and ran a pink shirt fundraiser. Players also took turns running a table for donations and fundraising during the games. Thanks to the support of local businesses, community members, and fans, the teams raised $2,130 for Pink Out Inc!

We extend our congratulations to Nicole Starner, Biglerville High School Teacher, and Shawn Heiges, Biglerville Elementary School Teacher, on on their recognition by the Shippensburg School Study Council as Outstanding Teachers. Both Nicole and Shawn were nominated for this award by their principals after they received the Unger-Stock Teacher of Excellence Award earlier this year.

Pictured from left to right: Jamie Kerstetter, Principal, Biglerville Elementary School; Beth Graham, Principal, Biglerville High School, Nicole Starner, Outstanding Teacher-Secondary; Shawn Heiges, Outstanding Teacher-Elementary; Wesley Doll, Superintendent and Joseph Albin, Director of Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment

The artwork on the cover of the 2022 holiday greeting card was designed by Ryan Jackson and the inside cover was designed by Cody Epperson. Both students are 8th graders in the Unified Art Class at Upper Adams Middle School. Unified Art is designed to meet the needs of life skills and autistic support students with the help of regular education students. Students are paired together to make art and learn various skills and strategies through use of different mediums and techniques. Regular education students learn what is needed to design and implement appropriate art activities for students with life skills and autistic support needs. Together the students build friendships and collaborate creatively.

Pictured above (left to right): Heather Sefcheck, Unified Art Teacher; Ryan Jackson, Front Cover Artist; Cody Epperson, Inside Cover Artist; Dr. Wesley Doll, Superintendent

2021-2022 Audit

At the voting board meeting on January 17, 2023, the School Board directors accepted the final audit document ending June 30, 2022, for the 2021-2022 fiscal year, with no reported findings and good financial health of the District. The audit was completed by Kochenour Earnest Smyers-Burg.

For a more in-depth explanation of the information shared above, please refer to our YouTube channel from the December 6, 2022 board meeting found here: Board Meeting 12/6/2022

Budget 2023-2024

On January 17, 2023, the Upper Adams School District Board of Directors approved not to raise taxes more than 5.7% for 2023-2024 fiscal year. Preliminary budget for 2023-2024, will be available after the May 16, 2023 board meeting. Final adoption of the 2023-2024 budget will be voted on June 20, 2023. For updated information on the 2023-2024 budget, please visit: https://www.upperadams.org/Page/4363

Tax Office

Effective February 1, 2023, the Adams County Court House, Treasurer Office, will be collecting taxes as it relates to the Bendersville Borough. Any questions from residents in Bendersville should be directed to the Treasurer’s Office.

If you have questions regarding your tax bill, please reach out to your tax collector as noted below.

Arendtsville Borough

Adams County Court House

Treasurer Office

117 Baltimore Street, Suite 101, Gettysburg, PA 17325

717-337-9833

Bendersville Borough

Adams County Court House

Treasurer Office

117 Baltimore Street, Suite 101, Gettysburg PA 17325

717-337-9833

Biglerville Borough

Beth Corson

28 Ditzler Ave, Biglerville, PA 17307

717-677-0465

biglervilletaxcollector@gmail.com

Butler Township

Garry Fair

1800 Table Rock Rd, Gettysburg, PA 17325

717-677-0777

garry_fair@yahoo.com

Menallen Township

Ellen Black

39 West Point Rd., Aspers, PA 17304

717-677-7974

eblack@centurylink.com

Tyrone Township

Joanne Reed

PO Box 125, Gardners, PA 17324

717-677-0624

tyronetaxcollector@yahoo.com

The discount period to pay your tax bills are from 7/1/2022 to 8/31/2022.

The face period to pay your tax bills are from 9/1/2022 to 10/31/2022.

The penalty period to pay your tax bills are from 11/1/2022 to 4/15/2023.

Note: Payment must be received by the tax collector prior to the end date to have the appropriate payment applied to your account.

Free Breakfast

Free breakfast will continue for the remainder of the 2022-2023 school year. This was announced by Governor Wolf on September 9, 2022 and began on October 1, 2022.

Students will be required to pay for lunch daily, unless they qualify under the free/reduced meal application process. We strongly encourage families to complete the free/reduced meal application so it does not impact any current or future benefits that you are receiving. Families can apply online at Online Free/Reduced Meal Application, https://www.compass.state.pa.us, or for a printed copy please visit: Free/Reduced Meal Application (English) or Free/Reduced Meal Application (Spanish). Please contact your local building for a printed copy, if needed. If students wish to purchase additional items during breakfast or lunch, they must have the funds available to purchase.

If a student’s cafeteria account has a negative balance, the student will be offered a standard lunch, as defined by the National School Lunch/Breakfast Program (NSLP, SBP).

No charges will be allowed for extra items, such as a-la-carte options, drinks, or second meals.

All foods available in district schools during the school day will be offered to students with consideration for promoting student health and reducing childhood obesity. Foods provided through the National School Lunch or School Breakfast Programs will comply with federal nutrition standards under the School Meals Initiative. All competitive foods and beverages available to students in district schools during the school day will comply with the Nutritional Standards for Competitive Foods in Pennsylvania Schools.

The cafeteria operates under strict state and federal regulations governing the preparation and serving of foods. Menus for each building are available at: https://upperadams.nutrislice.com/.

Note: Chartwells may experience difficulty in purchasing food items or receiving partially filled items from the shortages in manufacturing. Chartwells may need to change the menu to reflect items that are available for purchase. Our goal remains the same: to serve delicious and nutritious meals to all students every day.

Account Balance Information

MYSCHOOLBUCKS.COM: The Upper Adams School District is pleased to offer an online option for families to pay for student lunches. Our Food Service Department accepts payments for school meals through MySchoolBucks.com – an online payment service. MySchoolBucks.com offers a secure transaction gateway that accepts all major credit cards/debit cards as a means of adding money to your child’s meal account. Note: there is a service fee to use this service.

(IMPORTANT: The District participated with MySchoolBucks.com to provide parents/guardians the opportunity to view their child’s account 24/7. Setting up and viewing the account is free. Making a payment to their account online is optional)

If a payment by personal check is returned to the School District, marked “Non-Sufficient Funds” (NSF), the School District will reverse the credit to the student’s account in the amount of the original check. A $25.00 fee will be assessed for NSF checks returned to the School District. This may result in a negative balance in the account and the procedures listed below will be followed for charging meals and paying the overdue balance.

Negative Balance Information

If your student has a negative balance, please pay the outstanding balance prior to the end of the school year. Payment may be made using MySchoolBucks, https://www.myschoolbucks.com/ver2/login/getlogin or by sending a check in with your student to be applied to their account.

The initial collection of negative balances will be communicated to the parents/guardians by the 15th of every month. If at the end of the school year, June 1, 2023, if the student continues to have a negative balance, the negative balance may be referred to a collection agency.

Parent Reminders from Transportation

If changes need to be made to your student’s bus stop, it is important that you contact the Transportation Department at 717-677-7191 ext. 2711 or email Shelley Hobs at s.hobbs@upperadams.org.

Students need to be at the bus stop 5-10 minutes earlier than their regularly scheduled pick-up time.

Drivers Needed

The Upper Adams School District is in need of bus drivers for district field trips, sporting events and band activities. If you are interested, please contact Kim Smith at the number and email listed above.

Keeping Your Child Safe When They Are Using Apps

The Upper Adams School District realizes that Smartphones are an integral part of the lives for our students and their families. Apps can make our lives easier, more productive, and can provide some entertainment as well. New apps are being developed continuously and our students are often the first ones to know and use the latest app on their phone.

As a parent or caregiver, it can feel overwhelming to determine if apps or helpful or harmful to your children. We encourage everyone to follow some best practices to keep your devices and your family safe and protected from potential risks while downloading or using apps.

Reminders:

· Some apps can exploit your device. This is more likely if the app is from a less reputable (or unknown) source.

· Always download apps from official app stores and avoid apps from unauthorized sources. In addition, research apps and check reviews before downloading them.

· Some apps provide content ratings. These help you to judge whether an app is appropriate for children.

· When you download an app, it will often ask whether it can access certain systems or data on your device. App developers should only request data and features that are important for the app to work. However, some apps may ask for more, unnecessary permissions.

· To protect your personal information, read permission requests carefully. Make sure you are comfortable with the information you allow the app to use. If you are uncomfortable with the requested permissions, deny the request or search for another app.

· Many apps, both free and paid for, offer optional extras at a cost. These are known as in-app purchases. Some mobile devices allow you to turn off in-app purchases altogether.

· Filling your device with dozens of apps can affect its performance. Not only do they take up space, but some apps run constantly in the background which can slow down your device and drain its battery. Go through your apps and remove any that you don't use anymore.

· Keep the apps you regularly use up to date, as this may fix performance or security issues.

Federal Grants Support Curriculum: Congress passed three (3) stimulus bills that provided financial support under the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund (ESSER) to local educational agencies (school districts) throughout the country. These funds provide emergency financial assistance to address the impact that COVID-19 has had, and continues to have, on elementary and secondary schools. The funds are separated into three (3) different grants known as ESSER I, II and III. In Pennsylvania, the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) & the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime & Delinquency (PCCD) are responsible for managing and allocating the funds to public school districts, including the Upper Adams School District. Each of the grants has a different spending timeline with ESSER I expiring in September 2022, ESSER II expiring in September 2023, and ESSER III expiring in September 2024. The funds are to be used for the preparedness and response to COVID-19, which includes a wide variety of items and services, such as sanitization supplies, mental health services, staffing and services to address learning and the educational needs of students, facility improvements, access to technology, and additional classroom supplies. Recently, the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime & Delinquency (PCCD) has made available another grant to specifically address mental health and school safety. The Upper Adams School District has applied for this grant and will be utilizing the funding to support a school social worker position in the school district as well as several school safety projects.

Title I: Most educators, parents and community members have heard the term Title I. Being able to answer what is a “Title 1” school, as established by the U.S. Department of Education, however, is more difficult. Title I is the nation’s oldest and largest federally funded program, according to the U.S. Department of Education. It provides funding to students at risk of failure and living at or near poverty. Originally, the idea of Title I was enacted in 1965 under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. This policy committed to closing the achievement gap between low-income students and other students. The policy was rewritten in 1994 to improve fundamental goals of helping at-risk students. With the implementation of No Child Left Behind, schools were required to make adequate yearly progress on state testing and focus on best teaching practices in order to continue receiving funds.

What is the Purpose of Title 1 Funding? According to the U.S. Department of Education the purpose of Title 1 funding, “is to ensure that all children have a fair, equal, and significant opportunity to obtain a high-quality education and reach, at minimum, proficiency on challenging state academic achievement standards and state academic assessments.” The basic principles of Title I states that schools with large concentrations of low-income students will receive supplemental funds to assist in meeting student’s educational goals.

Comprehensive Plan: The new year is the perfect time to reflect on the accomplishments of the fall and to look forward to the exciting things that are yet to come this school year. Over the past four months the Upper Adams School District began to unpack the contents of our new Comprehensive Plan and initiated specific steps to move our plan forward in the areas of academics, communication, and school climate. Each school building is working on reviewing current assessments and screening tools for academic and behavioral benchmarking, developing ways to improve and continue their communication efforts, and developing a positive environment where students feel safe and want to learn. In addition to the building level initiatives, the Upper Adams School District is working on reviewing a district-wide survey to all stakeholders on how best to communicate information in the future.

Thank you to the many students from Biglerville High School for their work on the Apple Mural display at the 2023 Pennsylvania Farm Show. Students from BHS assembled the wooden panels to replicate a map of Pennsylvania and students from the National Art Honor Society completed the mural by adding locally grown apples to the map. Thank you to the following teachers for their help with the display: Mr. Scott Howell, Mr. Bob Dwyer and Mrs. Shawn Heiges.

There are a number of organizations who have events happening across the district. Please visit our district website and view the Community Public Events Page for all the latest information.

The following information is due to the district Nurses' Offices at the beginning of the school year.

Dental Exams for Kindergarten, 3rd Grade and 7th Grade Students

Physicals for Kindergarten, 6th Grade and 11th Grade Students

Immunization updates are needed for students entering Kindergarten, 7th Grade and 12th Grade. They include the following:

7th Grade - Tdap and Meningitis is required by the first day of school

12th Grade - Second dose of Meningitis is required by the fifth day of school

If you are in need of Dental Exam or Physical Exam paperwork or have questions regarding the required information including immunizations, please contact the School Nurse in your student's building.

Sally Jones, School Nurse, Biglerville High School & Upper Adams Middle School

s.jones@upperadams.org

Jenna Glass, School Nurse, Upper Adams Intermediate School

j.glass@upperadams.org

Heather Then, School Nurse, Biglerville Elementary School

h.then@upperadams.org

Upper Adams School District Position Openings through Kelly Educational Services

Wilson Reading Instructional Assistant at Upper Adams Intermediate School

Learning Support Instructional Assistant at Biglerville High School

Personal Care Assistant at Biglerville Elementary School

5th Grade Long-term Substitute Teacher (needed now through a date to be determined)

Kindergarten Long-term Substitute Teacher (assignment begins on or around 3/16/2023 through the end of the 2022-2023 school year)

To apply for any of the positions above please go to the Kelly Education Services application by clicking here . Be sure to indicate the position you are interested in. You may also contact Tina Fair, Human Resources Coordinator at 717-677-7191 extension 2721 or by email at t.fair@upperadams.org .

For updated employment opportunities at Upper Adams School District, please visit our website at https://www.upperadams.org/domain/111 and click on the appropriate sublink on the left-hand side of the page.

If interested in employment opportunities with one of our contractors, please reference the chart below for positions and who to contact.

Contractor Employment Opportunities and Contact Information

Aramark

Custodial

Substitute Custodial

https://www.aramark.com/careers

Positions are available now!

Chartwells

Food Service Worker

Substitute Food Service Worker

www.compassgroupcareers.com

or Mike at 717-677-7191 x2510

Positions available now!

Jacoby Transportation*

Bus drivers

Van drivers

Substitute bus drivers

Substitute van drivers

Website: https://www.jacobytransportation.com/careers/

Rolling Hills Transit/Folium Inc.

Van drivers

Substitute van drivers

Website: https://foliuminc.com/current-opportunities

Weaver Transportation*

Bus drivers

Substitute bus drivers

Contact: weaversbusservice@gmail.com or Matt at 717-968-2340

Kelly Education Services

Substitute Teachers

Substitute Instructional Assistants

Contact: Michael Tressa, Client Manager, at 412-925-8985

or email him at micheal.tressa@kellyservices.com

*Paid training maybe available