#ThisIsCheltenham
Sunday, June 14, 2020
In this school year's final edition of #ThisIsCheltenham, CSD Superintendent Dr. Wagner Marseille hosts town hall meeting about reopening schools in the fall, commencement and move up / promotion events, seniors take final trip down memory lane at senior parade of schools, Culture and Resource Center video series promotes summer reading, and Elkins Park PTO End-of-Year Wrap-Up Video to EP Students.
"Upcoming Meetings/Events" features Tuesday's virtual special meeting of the board and the ensuing educational affairs committee and flyers.
To update your contact information, visit cheltenham.org/updatemyinfo. For updates throughout the week, be sure to visit cheltenham.org or the Cheltenham School District Facebook, Twitter or Instagram pages. If you know someone who would like to receive the weekly news share, direct them to the eNEWS icon at cheltenham.org to register.
Town Hall Meeting
On Thursday, June 11, CSD Superintendent Dr. Wagner Marseille hosted a virtual town hall meeting about reopening schools in the fall. During the 90-minute event, Marseille shared some of the guidance the district has received from various authorities, including the Pennsylvania Departments of Education and Health, and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and allowed families the space to ask questions, make comments, and raise concerns.
More than 300 individuals participated in the Zoom webinar and more than 200 questions, comments and concerns were submitted. After a short presentation, Marseille answered questions ranging from what age students are expected to wear masks to breaking down the several scheduling options the district has under consideration, including one- and two-day rotations, A/B weeks, elementary face-to-face and secondary distance learning, and full online. In a poll launched during the webinar, the A/B weeks option came out on top by almost 2:1. Not all questions were addressed, but Marseille and his staff will vet, categorize and answer as many as possible in the coming days and weeks.
As part of CSD's plan to reopen, Marseille will establish committees to focus on curriculum and instruction, health and wellness, operations (facilities - transportation - technology - meals) and extra-curricular activities. He will be reaching out to several of the district's advocacy groups to seek recommendations for individuals to fill spots on these committees.
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Commencement and Move Up / Promotion Events
After five days of commencement filming, late this week, the focus turned to the move-up / promotion ceremonies for CSD's fourth, sixth and eighth graders. Even in the midst of a pandemic, school staffs celebrated the “graduates” as they deserved. See below for links to commencement photos and videos from each of our schools celebrating their students moving on to their next school.
Select commencement candid photos: Day four> | Day five>
Move Up / Promotion videos: Cheltenham Elementary | Glenside Elementary | Myers Elementary | Wyncote Elementary | Elkins Park School | Cedarbrook Middle School
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Seniors Take Final Trip Down Memory Lane at Senior Parade of Schools
Cheltenham High School seniors took one final trip down memory lane at the inaugural CHS Parade of Schools on Wednesday, June 10. With signs and noisemakers, teachers, staff and administrators packed the bus loops at all seven of CSD’s schools to cheer on members of the Class of 2020 as they paraded by in cars. In their caps and gowns and waving “thank you” and other signs, seniors started the parade at their elementary schools, then made their way through the township with stops at Elkins Park School, Cedarbrook Middle School and Cheltenham High School. The students were met with fanfare at each stop, including piano and vocal performances of their school songs at Cheltenham and Myers elementaries. Due to coronavirus, the parade replaced the traditional “Senior Walk” through the students’ lower schools and offered teachers and students one final opportunity to say goodbye.
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Culture and Resource Center Video Series Promotes Summer Reading
To help Cheltenham High School students access resources and stay engaged throughout the summer, the Joseph W. Rodgers Culture & Resource Center has connected with the Cheltenham Township Library System to create a short series of instructional and tutorial videos to help students learn what resources are available and how to access them. The CRC has more than 20,000 eBooks and audiobooks available, in addition to the thousands more available through the Cheltenham Township Library System. Don’t let summer boredom hold you back. Read, engage and learn! View videos>
Additionally, families should check out the summer reading lists from Elkins Park, Cedarbrook and Cheltenham High School.
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Elkins Park PTO End-of-Year Wrap-Up Video to EP Students
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Calendar Reminders
Below are the final days of the 2019-2020 school year for students and teachers:
- K-11 Students: Monday, June 15
- Teachers: Wednesday, June 17
For more events, visit the Cheltenham School District Calendar>
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New Student Registration for the 2020-21 School Year
Registration page and click on the 2020-21 New Student Registration Portal. Families can begin scheduling virtual registration appointments on Friday, June 19. Registration runs Monday, June 22 through Thursday, Aug. 27 from 8:30 a.m. – 3 p.m. Registrants must be Cheltenham Township residents. Contact the Office of Student Services at 215-881-6330 with questions. Click through for required registration documents. If any required documents are missing, the registration will be considered incomplete.
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CSD School Board Seeks Applicants for Vacated Seat
The Cheltenham School District Board of School Directors is seeking applications to fill an open seat on the school board. Service on the school board is voluntary and requires a consistent commitment to reviewing materials in a timely fashion, participating in all committee meetings deemed "committee of the whole" and potentially participation in one of the smaller committees. The work and responsibilities of the school board require a firm commitment over the course of the term which expires on December 6, 2021. Applicants must be residents of Cheltenham Township and must submit applications to cmance@cheltenham.org by Wednesday, June 17 at 5 p.m. Read more>
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Notice of Special Board Meeting - Tuesday, June 16
The Board of School Directors of the Cheltenham School District has scheduled a special board meeting to approve the final budget for the 2020-2021 school year on Tuesday, June 16 at 6:15 p.m. This meeting will occur immediately prior to the Educational Affairs Committee meeting.
The public is encouraged to join the meeting and ask questions through the Q&A interface at cheltenham.org/zoom. Meeting will be streamed at Cheltenham.org/stream and broadcast on Comcast Ch. 42 and Verizon Ch. 1960.
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Weekly Coronavirus Update from Superintendent Dr. Wagner Marseille
Dear Cheltenham Families and Staff,
We are in the final lap of the 2019-20 school year. Days were sprints and months marathons. These past few months have reminded me of a Walter D. Wintle quote my high school track coach Mrs. Mackey used to keep us motivated to hold strong and finish:
If you think you are beaten, you are;
If you think you dare not, you don’t;
If you’d like to win, but think you can’t,
It’s almost a cinch you won’t.
If you think you’ll lose, you’re lost,
For out in the word we find
Success begins with a fellow’s will,
It’s all in the state of mind.
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Pennsylvania Governor Wolf Announces Return to Athletics
This past week, Governor Wolf released guidelines to resume high school and other summer sports. Per the guidelines, pre-K to 12 school sports under the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association and the Pennsylvania Independent Schools Athletic Association are permitted to resume in counties designated in the Yellow (where Montgomery County sits for now) and Green phases, in alignment with the PDE Preliminary Guidance for Phased Reopening of Pre-K to 12 Schools and the CDC Considerations for Youth Sports. The decision to resume sports-related activities, including conditioning, practices and games, is the discretion of a school entity’s governing body. Each school must develop and adopt an “Athletics Health and Safety Plan” prior to conducting sports-related activities. Read more>
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CSD Nurses' "Healthy Thoughts" Newsletter - Tips for Families in 2020-2021
In light of the coronavirus, the American Academy of Pediatrics is urging families to stay up-to-date on pediatric vaccines and well child visits to protect children and teens from 16 different diseases. Please contact your doctor for specific guidance. Read more>
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Panther Academy - Summer 2020
Summer school opportunities are available via online courses offered by the Montgomery County Intermediate Unit through the Montgomery Virtual Program (MVP). All registration and payment is through MVP. Credit recovery courses are $280 and accelerated learning courses are $399. If you are a student who is part of the free/reduced lunch program, you can register for subsidized cost through the district online payment center for $150 per course. Be sure to put the student name and course in the text box under the cost.
Three teachers will be available virtually from 8 a.m. to noon Mondays through Thursdays to support students with their course work. An online orientation is included with each course. The courses run June 22 through August 14. Course registration runs June 26. Courses start on June 22. Direct questions to vice principal Christine Zubairu or your guidance counselor.
Accelerated Learning Information> | Credit Recovery Information>
Special Board Meeting
The Board of School Directors of the Cheltenham School District has scheduled a special board meeting to approve the final budget for the 2020-2021 school year on Tuesday, June 16 at 6:15 p.m. This meeting will occur immediately prior to the Educational Affairs Committee meeting.
The public is encouraged to join the meeting and ask questions through the Q&A interface at cheltenham.org/zoom. Meeting will also be available at cheltenham.org/stream, Comcast Ch. 42 and Verizon Ch. 1960.
Tuesday, Jun 16, 2020, 06:15 PM
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Educational Affairs Committee
Strategic Plan Progress
The public is encouraged to join the meeting and ask questions through the Q&A interface at cheltenham.org/zoom. Meeting will also be available at cheltenham.org/stream, Comcast Ch. 42 and Verizon Ch. 1960.