Happy fall y'all to my fellow West Shore families and staff!

 

Listed below you will find important reminders and dates for the month of October.

National Hispanic American Heritage Month continues through October 15. In addition, October is National Bullying Prevention Awareness Month and we are excited to share that our school community will once again be celebrating Unity Day on Wednesday, October 20. 

 

Unity Day was started by PACER’s National Bullying Prevention Center and provides us with an opportunity to stand united against bullying and in support of kindness, acceptance, and inclusion. On Wednesday, October 20, all West Shore students, teachers, administrators, secretaries, bus drivers, food service staff, parents, and community members are invited to get involved and wear the color orange.
 
Choose something orange you already own (ex. shirt, pants, tie, wristband, scrunchie, socks) or create something orange like a bracelet from ribbon or construction paper. By coming together and wearing orange, we hope to send a unified message to our children that they aren’t alone. Thank you in advance for participating! 

As we strive to ensure all our schools provide a safe, supportive, and inclusive learning environment for our students, we want to learn more about the experiences of our school community. This month we are inviting parents, students, and staff to participate in the Pennsylvania School Climate survey.  The survey, provided by the Pennsylvania Department of Education, includes questions about student support, social and emotional learning, and school safety. Please check your email on October 7, for additional details. 

Rather than bringing students in for a half day with a condensed early dismissal schedule, the 2021-2022 calendar incorporates scheduled Remote Learning Days for students with professional and support staff members using the day for staff development, data analysis, and collaboration. These scheduled days are not COVID related and students will not have scheduled Zoom sessions.   

 

STUDENT WORK: Teachers will provide asynchronous work for students equal to a half day of instruction. Assignments will be posted in Seesaw (K-5) and Schoology (6-12) and may be completed on Friday, or anytime over the weekend, and submitted at the start of school day on Tuesday, October 12. Students/parents should email their teacher if they have a question regarding the work assigned and he/she will respond as time allows. On Remote Learning Days, although teachers do have dedicated planning time in the morning and afternoon, they will be engaged in Staff Development throughout most of their work day.

ATTENDANCE: On a scheduled Remote Learning Day, students do not need to sign in to PowerSchool or any other learning platform for attendance. All students will be marked present, unless reported as absent by the parent or guardian. If your child is sick on the Remote Learning Day, please follow the regular procedures for absence notification. Standard make-up procedures will apply if your child is absent.    

VO-TECH: Transportation will be provided to Cumberland Perry Area CTC for those students who have registered. If you did not sign up for transportation and would like to be added, please contact Miss Pepperman, Supervisor of Transportation.

 

Monday is a Staff Development Day. District offices will be open.

 

Please contact your child's counselor for details.

 

Final Grades for the first marking period will be available in PowerSchool on November 15.  

Come out to see the West Shore Marching Band, 16 additional high school bands, and the Shippensburg University Band perform! Gates open at 4 p.m. Tickets are $10. 

The West Shore Foundation provides financial support for the enrichment of Academics, Arts, Athletics, Technology, and Leadership in the District. You do not need to attend the Gala to bid on the silent auction items. Oil paintings, a hand-crafted table, gift baskets, and experiences with District staff are all available!  Click here to see a complete listing of this year's auction items, and be sure to check out #72!

 

The District's Special Education Department is hosting a Parent Information Session. During the session, members of the Special Education Department will provide an overview of the programs offered in our District and will be available to answer parent questions related to special education services. To assist in our planning for the evening, please RSVP by Thursday, October 14, if you will be joining us, please click here to register.

 

On Wednesday, October 20, all West Shore students, teachers, administrators, secretaries, bus drivers, food service staff, parents, and community members are invited to get involved and wear the color orange.  See information above under October Celebrations for more details. 

October 8, 7 p.m. - Patriots will play Mifflin County at the West Shore Stadium

October 9 - A Night Under the Stars, outdoor event from 7-10 p.m. at Red Land with dancing, food trucks, and games. 

 

October 15, 7 p.m. - Colts will play Palmyra at the West Shore Stadium 

October 16 - A Night in Paris, indoor dance at Cedar Cliff with freshman and sophomores from 5-7 p.m. & juniors and seniors from 7:30-9:30 p.m. 

All meetings are held at the Administration Center for Education and open to the public. For information about in person and remote attendance, public and electronic comments, and meeting accommodations, please click here.
 
School Board Meetings
Thursday, October 14, 2021, 6:30 p.m.
Thursday, October 21, 2021, 6:30 p.m. 

We have a variety of immediate openings for teachers, building aides, secretaries, paraprofessionals, food service staff, technology department technicians, and custodial/maintenance team members. Check out our employment page for current vacancies.

 

Additionally, First Student, the District’s Transportation Contractor, has immediate openings for part-time bus and van drivers. First Student is currently offering $19.17 hour with $2,000-$3,000 sign bonuses. To learn more, please call 717-938-8788 or click here to apply online. 

 

I hope you were able to easily access the links above and found the information included this month helpful. For additional building specific events and cycle days, please refer to the District’s online calendar.

 

Have a great weekend!

 

Rhonda Fourhman

Coordinator of Community Relations

#WestShoreProud