August 22, 2022

 

 

Good afternoon West Shore students, staff, and families,

 

As we prepare for the start of the 2022-2023 school year, the safety and well-being of our students, staff, and families remain at the forefront of our work. To that end, I am providing an update on our Health & Safety Plan, procedures for home football games, and details on our CharacterStrong Curriculum. I also have some important reminders regarding transportation for the first few weeks of school. 

 

This is a lengthy message; however, it is my hope you will find all the information useful as we countdown the days to the start of the school year.

 

As we did last year, I want to assure you we will continuously monitor and assess health information pertaining to COVID-19; requirements received from PDE, DOH, or any other regulatory agency; and information from local health care providers to determine best practices moving forward and to guide our decision making. I encourage you to visit our website for information and answers to frequently asked questions related to our plans for this school year (click here to view). 

 

On August 18, Administration and the School Board continued the discussion from the Special Meeting held in April relative to School Resource Officers at the high schools and School Security Guards at the middle schools. Given the challenge we have faced in implementing School Security Guards through outside vendors, at this time we are pursuing the option to hire five District employees as School Security Guards to serve all five secondary schools. Our intent is to hire and train these new employees so they can begin working this fall. We will also continue working with Fairview and Lower Allen Townships through the School Resource Officer process. Please visit our website to view the most recent safety presentation and for more information on Safety and Security in general (click here to view). 

Last school year we made some changes to procedures for home football games at the West Shore Stadium which we found were effective in decreasing inappropriate behavior. As a result, again this school year we will be requiring all elementary and middle school students be accompanied and supervised by an adult during football games. Unaccompanied elementary and middle school students will not be permitted to enter the stadium.

Please remind your children that school sporting events are school functions, and student behavioral expectations are the same as when they are in school. Fighting, profanity, bullying, and harassment will not be permitted. Those joining us at the West Shore Stadium should be there to watch the game and to support the football players, cheerleaders, and the West Shore Marching Band. 

 

For additional information regarding these expectations and information about our Stadium Bag Policy, please click here.  

 

We are happy to announce that the District will utilize the CharacterStrong curriculum for elementary and middle school students this school year.  

 

Through the use of this curriculum, we have an opportunity to help our children learn the value of empathy, service, and connection. Along with strong academics, our goal is to teach students to be capable, compassionate people, and to empower them to become the best versions of themselves. 

 

We believe this curriculum will have a powerful and positive impact on the climate and culture of our school, and it is our hope that families will join us in this work to build a kinder school culture and, ultimately, a kinder world. Additional information regarding CharacterStrong can be found on our website (click here to view). 

 

I hope I can count on your patience in regards to transportation during the first few weeks of school. As new bus drivers learn routes, traffic increases with the addition of student drivers, and families take a few extra seconds to take a picture or hug their child before they get on the bus, there could be delays in the morning schedule. In the afternoon, school staff and drivers work together to ensure each student is loaded safely onto the correct bus and dropped off at the appropriate location. As these new routines are established, this extra care to make sure all students are safe can result in delays. 

 

To help things run smoothly, please take a few moments to review your child’s bus information available on the PowerSchool website. We have had several new students enroll in the District since PowerSchool opened on August 15, so your child’s bus arrival time may have changed. In addition, I’d ask you to please stay alert when driving past students at bus stops or walking to school, and reduce your speed in our school zones. 

 

As I do each fall, I look forward to the return of our students and staff to our schools and can’t wait to see many of you in our annual First Day Video. 

 

Best wishes for a great first day!  

Todd B. Stoltz, Ed.D.
Superintendent

#WestShoreProud