The District welcomes students with disabilities and attempts to place all students in schools close to their homes. Transportation services will be provided by the District in a manner that meets their unique needs and ensures their safety. All West Shore middle and high schools are wheelchair accessible. In addition, the following elementary schools have wheelchair accessibility: Fairview, Highland, Hillside, Newberry, Red Mill, Rossmoyne, and Washington Heights.

All students transferring within the District, from one building to another, must complete a transfer form at the District’s Registration Office located on the first floor at the Administration Center for Education, 507 Fishing Creek Road, Lewisberry. Transfers may be completed Monday through Friday by appointment. It is necessary for parents to show proof of their new residence. Preferred acceptable documentation includes a copy of the lease, deed, or settlement agreement and a valid driver’s license with the same address. However, if you do not have a copy of the above-mentioned items, the District will accept a property tax bill, PennDOT identification card, or military housing letter.

Parents of students moving from the District are asked to notify their student’s building principal and complete the necessary withdrawal forms with the date they are moving and, if known, the name and address of the new school. If requested, a transfer card will be given to the student to present to his/her new school.

 

Students enrolling in a home education, private school, or charter school (including cyber charter schools) are not considered withdrawn from the District until their program and acceptance is approved. Students are expected to continue to attend school until notified of their last day as a District student. Students who have been removed from the District attendance rolls, but are not attending an accredited educational program, will be regarded as unlawfully absent. Unlawful absences result in a citation from the District and will be prosecuted by the local magistrate.

The District is not responsible for personal articles brought onto school property or to school activities held off school property, whether or not the articles are used in school activities. The District offers lockers, coat racks, and other facilities for storage of personal articles but does not assume any liability for articles stored in the facilities. The District may supply locks for student use, but makes no warranty as to their fitness or effectiveness and accepts no liability for their use.

The District offers an English Language Development Program (ELD) for students in grades K-12 who require such services. Students are identified through various assessments and are placed in programs to address their individual needs. Services may include direct ELD instruction, support in core academic subjects, or monitoring of academic progress. Students in the ELD Program are afforded the opportunity to participate in all District programs. Concerns regarding the ELD Program and/or student issues may be addressed to the building principal either verbally or in writing. If a satisfactory resolution is not achieved through a conference with building administration, concerns may then be filed with the Director of Federal Programs.

At the beginning of each school year, all families are asked to confirm emergency contact information in PowerSchool. The completion of this requested information in its entirety assists District administrators in contacting parents in the event of illness or emergency. It is critical to the everyday operations of the District that this information be completed. The requested information includes mother’s and father’s names, names of parents’ employers, and the parents’ daytime phone numbers. Parents are also asked to list, in priority order, up to three (3) adults who may act in the absence of the parent in an emergency if the building principal is unable to contact the student’s parent or legal guardian. 

 

An emergency is defined as injury at school that may require medical attention, building or grounds evacuation, and the removal and transportation of the student from school in the event of a student’s illness. The principal or school nurse will act in the absence of the parent if an accident or illness requires emergency transportation to a hospital or medical facility. 

 

A student will be released to an individual listed as an emergency contact only when an emergency exists. If a parent would like his or her student released to an individual listed as an emergency contact in a non-emergency situation, it is necessary to include that person’s name on a separate letter listing all individuals permitted to pick up or transport the student from school. 

 

A release letter may use the following format.

 

 

Release letters will be honored through the end of a current school year. A new letter is required for each school year.

ExCEL (Expanded Choices for e-Learners) Virtual Learning Academy is a learning option designed to meet the dynamic needs of students who are finding success learning online in a non-traditional setting. ExCEL offers both full-time and blended virtual learning options with flexible pacing and on-site supports to help each student achieve ExCELlence in school and after graduation. For more information, please visit the District website at www.wssd.k12.pa.us/excelacademy.aspx.

Flex period is designed as a time to allow high school students to focus on homework, silent reading, studying, tutoring, performance arts, and club activities. Students are to be involved in an academically oriented activity during this time. 

Each secondary student is provided with an identification card after their photographs have been taken for the school year. Students are required to carry their card and must be used when paying for their lunches through the Point of Sale program. If a card is lost, the District will give the first replacement card free, but will charge a fee for any additional replacement cards. Students should notify the office when a replacement card is needed.

The District’s Kindergarten Acceleration Program (KAP) is an extended-day kindergarten program which provides students with the opportunity to preview information and build on their prior knowledge, increase background information, and acquire the vocabulary necessary to understand new concepts and skills. Student progress reports will be shared three times a year for students enrolled in KAP.

Before and after school care is available in each of the District’s elementary schools through Best Friends Daycare, LLC. If interested in enrolling, please contact Best Friends Daycare at (717) 774-3923. 

 

The latchkey program will be open before school from 6:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. and after school from 3:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Alternate care may also be offered on scheduled school day closings, emergency related closings, early dismissals, and two-hour delays. Please consult with the day care providers for specific information about alternate care.

Lost items such as jewelry, wallets, cameras or smaller type items are stored in the office. Students should return found items to the designated lost and found collection area. Articles unclaimed after a reasonable period will not be retained. 

A modified kindergarten schedule was developed to address the need for morning kindergarten students to obtain necessary instructional hours when the District calls a two-hour delay. 

 

When a two-hour delay is announced, morning kindergarten students arrive at school at 10:45 a.m. with their fellow elementary students and remain in school until 12:45 p.m. The modified schedule does not impact afternoon kindergarten. 

Obligations include lost or damaged items related to academic supplies (library books/fines, textbooks, lab equipment, computers, chargers, etc.), school meal balances, unreturned athletic equipment, disciplinary actions (detentions, suspensions, etc.), property damage, and other financial obligations the student has incurred.

 

Students and their family are responsible for the satisfactory settlement of all obligations. Notification of obligations will be given to the student throughout the school year.

 

Students with outstanding obligations may not be permitted to participate in activities (i.e., homecoming dance, prom tickets, class events) and will not be issued a parking pass. Athletes with obligations will be prohibited from participating in their sport(s).

Conferences are held so parents and teachers may evaluate together the progress the student has made. Sharing responsibilities, working together, and exchanging valuable information is helpful to the teacher and parent, as well as the student. Conferences for the purpose of discussing a school problem can be held at the close of the school day, or during the school day by appointment. Classes cannot be interrupted for this purpose. Parents wishing to discuss a problem with a teacher should call in advance either the teacher or the school office and arrange a time that will be mutually agreeable. If the parent and teacher cannot solve the problem, an appointment should be made with the principal for a conference. 

Invitations to private parties (ex. birthday parties) may not be passed out at school unless all students in the class are invited to attend. Schools/teachers cannot give out phone numbers, addresses, or email addresses for students for any reason, including party invitations.

For health and safety reasons, pets are not permitted on school grounds. This includes our playground area and while waiting to pick up students. Pre-approval from the principal is necessary for any special instructional purposes. This approval will be based on the educational value, and more importantly, on the safety and health concerns of those involved.

The District’s physical education program for elementary students includes swimming instruction at the West Shore School District Natatorium located at Red Land High School. Students in second and fourth grade participate in the “Learn to Swim Program” during the school year. Swimming schedules will be provided by your student’s school.

No standard uniform is specified or required. For safety’s sake, students must wear sneakers during class activities. Sneakers must be properly laced and tied. Slides or slip-on shoes that do not cover the heel are unacceptable. During inclement weather when boots are worn, please remember to bring a pair of sneakers for Physical Education (PE). 

 

If your student needs to be excused from physical education class, send a doctor’s note which specifies the reason and duration of non-participation. In the event a doctor’s note cannot be secured, a letter from the parent should accompany the student to class. Keep in mind, if your student is excused from physical education class, he/she will not be participating in the same types of activities at recess.

 

All students in the secondary schools will be required to take physical education unless excused by a physician’s certificate. In order that there may be uniformity of dress in the physical education classes, a gym suit may be required by the physical education department. For safety’s sake, students must wear sneakers during class activities. Sneakers must be properly laced and tied. Students are strongly encouraged to place any clothing or other items of value in a locked gym locker during each physical education class or practice. Each year locks for gym lockers are sold to students new to the building. Locker use is subject to Board Policy 226.

Our District’s student information system, PowerSchool, offers you an opportunity to have online access to information regarding your student. The only prerequisites for access to PowerSchool are a computer with internet access and a PowerSchool login and password. With an active account, you will be able to see your student’s class schedule, attendance, demographics (address, phone number, etc.), class grades, and failing progress reports. In order to set up an account, please contact your student's school.

Students are reminded that school is a public place and proper decorum must be exhibited at all times. As such, physical displays of affection are unacceptable. Inappropriate displays of affection are subject to appropriate disciplinary consequences depending on the severity of the action.

The creation, manufacture, or dissemination of any booklet, pamphlet, magazine, periodical or other publication in or on the premises of the West Shore School District is prohibited without prior approval by the administration for approval five school days before the intended distribution. A copy of the proposed publication or a copy of the format of the proposed publication shall be submitted to the administration. Should the publication be intended for one building, it shall be submitted through the building principal. Approval of a periodical shall continue in force until withdrawn or otherwise noted.

The business of the District is to educate students and not to preside over domestic disputes. It is, therefore, up to parents and the judicial system to see that custody and visitation orders are obeyed. If there are any court ordered custody orders in effect, the District should be provided a copy of the most recent order so we can assist in ensuring students are released to the proper custodial parent/guardian.

 

If a parent/guardian does not want a relative, friend, or non-custodial parent to communicate with or pick up a student at school, this needs to be communicated with the principal in writing. However, it is important to note, if an individual has legal access to the student, the principal cannot prevent them from interacting with them at school.

There are scheduled days during the school year when students will work a half day from home. Student work may be completed on the remote learning day, or anytime over the weekend/vacation, and submitted the next day school is in session.

For yearly school records, each student will have his/her picture taken whether or not the picture packet is purchased. More information will be sent home with your student prior to picture day.

All schools in the West Shore School District use a six-day cycle for scheduling. Starting with the first day of school, days will be called Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, Day 4, Day 5, and Day 6. This pattern will keep repeating throughout the school year. In the event school is canceled due to inclement weather, or there is a scheduled school holiday, the next school day will be the next number in the six-day cycle.

 

Six-day cycles allow more flexibility in scheduling and prevent students from missing certain classes on holidays that fall on the same day of the week. Cycle day numbers are printed on activities calendar and posted on the online calendar available on the District website.

The telephones within the schools of the West Shore School District have the capability of caller identification (ID) and customer operated tracing. Threatening or harassing calls will be reported to the telephone companies and the local police department. Threatening or harassing telephone calls will be prosecuted in the courts by the District’s administration to the fullest extent of the law. Additionally, the office telephone may not be used by students for personal calls, except in emergency situations. Forgetting homework assignments, books, projects, gym uniforms, or athletic team gear, etc. are not considered emergencies. Students who need to make emergency calls must request permission from the office staff to do so. All calls must be made from the office. 

 

Teachers or students will not be called from classes to the telephone. Parents should not call the school to talk to their students unless it is an emergency. If a message must be given to a student, it may be given to the secretary answering the telephone who will, in turn, see that the message reaches the student.

Textbooks for courses are on loan to the student. At the beginning of the year, the teacher will record the book number and its condition. Until the book is returned to the teacher, the student is responsible for the textbook. At the end of the course, the number and the conditions of the book are checked with the teachers' record. If the book is lost, damaged, or unduly worn, the student must pay the cost of the replacement or repair of the damages. Teachers may require that students keep a book cover on all textbooks to avoid unusual wear. Textbooks are the property of the District.

There needs to be a strong commitment from the home, the school, and the student to make learning successful. West Shore School District is committed to supporting the home efforts in education. The District has a parent/school compact. It is the compact used for our students who receive instructional support through Title 1 services in the elementary buildings. Parents of Title I schools may request a copy of the Parent and Family Engagement Policy.

Toys or other items that may distract a student from learning should remain at home.

Students should realize the importance of walking on the sidewalk, staying out of the streets, keeping off lawn areas, and crossing streets at patrol-protected or other designated crossings. Skateboards are not permitted on school property nor are they to be ridden to school. Walkers are accountable for violations of school rules while walking to and from school.

All students between the ages of 14 and 17 are required by Pennsylvania School Law to secure an employment certificate, known as "Working Papers," before they may begin to work.

 

Working papers will be issued at the high school office for all students residing in the West Shore School District. When seeking working papers, the student should always bring with him/her a birth certificate and must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. This is the starting point for all applications.