#ThisIsCheltenham
Friday, March 16
Welcome to the CSD weekly News Share — a District recap of the recent week's top stories, updates, initiatives and NEED TO KNOW INFORMATION. Do you know a community member who would like to receive this directly? Invite them to visit cheltenham.org and click on the eNEWS icon on the front page to register. #thisischeltenham
CHS Students Peacefully Protest During National School Walkout
High School and Cedarbrook Central students gathered on the CHS football field Wednesday, March 14 at 10 a.m. in solidarity with many other school districts around the country as part of a national school walkout intended to pressure Congress to approve gun control legislation after the massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla. During the 17-minute protest, High School student council members spoke about the importance of registering to vote and how to contact elected representatives to express their opinions surrounding gun control. The protest started and ended in a peaceful and safe manner.
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Don't Miss Out: Walkup Tickets Available for Saturday's "James and the Giant Peach" Performance
Walkup tickets are available for Saturday's performance of Cedarbrook Theatre's production of the musical "James and the Giant Peach." Performances are tonight and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. in the CHS Little Theatre. Tickets are $10 each. Enjoy this promotional slideshow with pictures by Kenny Moss.
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Joint Resolution to Improve School Safety through Firearms Regulation
At the monthly Legislative Board meeting on Tuesday, March 13, the Board of School Directors of the Cheltenham School District, Cheltenham Educators’ Association, Business Employees’ Council, Cheltenham Association of School Supervisors and Administrators and CHS Student Council issued a joint resolution to support action and legislation to improve safety in our schools by better regulating firearms including an assault weapons ban. Read the resolution>
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District Launches Web Portal Showcasing Mindfulness and Positive Education Initiative
With the goal of showcasing the District’s ongoing work on the “Holistic Experiences” pathway of its strategic plan, providing resources for staff and families and the community who wish to try and/or adopt these strategies, Cheltenham School District is proud to announce the launch of its Positive Psychology website. CSD Mindfulness and Positive Psychology Coach Cindy Goldberg teamed with CSD Digital Content Specialist Dana Walker to create this evolving site, which is scheduled to launch on Monday, March 19.
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Cedarbrook Student Named Scholastic Arts & Writing National Medalist
Eighth-grader Rowan Margerum has been named a Scholastic Arts & Writing National Medalist, earning a Silver Medal for her novel “The Blood Red Rose.” She describes the novel as follows: In the cold North of the Glacier Mountains, a wolf pack is torn apart. Sleet, a young and loyal she-wolf, is cast out of her home for a treason that she did not commit. This injustice begins to rule her life and clouds her sight. With bitterness and hatred fueling her on, she embarks on a journey of vengeance; only to find that all she needed was to bring her true self to light.
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Elkins Park Holds Day of Kindness
Elkins Park hosted a Day of Kindness Wednesday, March 14, to stand in solidarity with those who participated in the National School Walkout. Students wore red in support of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, created a kindness garden during lunch, and wrote letters of kindness to teachers and staff, and letters to local representatives discussing their concerns as students. The Kindness Garden remains standing in the main lobby.
CHS February Students of the Month
Congratulations to the February "Students of the Month" honored Thursday, March 15 for achievement in physical education.
9th Grade: Molly O'Neill, Jaquan Paige
10th Grade: Elijah Leighton, Nancy Sohlberg
11th Grade: Carson Hood, Nia Turner
12th Grade: Max Baldwin, Quadiar Berry
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Seniors Named National Merit Scholar Finalists
Congratulations to National Merit scholarship finalists Jessica Knapp and Lila Harmar (L to R flanking CHS Principal Ray McFall). CSD is proud of both girls and wishes them the best of luck as they continue their education at MIT and Princeton, respectively. Established in 1955, National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC) conducts the National Merit Scholarship Program, an annual academic competition for recognition and college undergraduate scholarships. Since its founding, NMSC has recognized more than 3 million students and provided more than 414,000 scholarships worth over $1.6 billion.
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Black Student Union Hosts Soul Food Dinner
The Black Student Union (BSU) hosted more than 200 individuals for a Soul Food dinner Friday, March 9 at the High School. Cheltenham graduate Chef Z, who was a contestant on Season 16 of Chef Gordon Ramsay’s Fox reality show Hell's Kitchen, catered the event with an expansive menu that included BBQ chicken, pulled pork, fried fish, mac' n cheese, red beans and dirty rice, sweet and spicy cabbage, collard greens and cornbread. BSU Students and sponsor Arielle Brown provided the desserts. The program included singing and poetry by high school students, the African dancers and drummers from Elkins Park, step performances from Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc. and Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Inc. Dr. Darren Libscomb, Delaware County Community College Director of Outreach, Recruitment and Enrollment Services, offered the keynote address and participated in some of the step performances.
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Alumna Visits Biology Classes
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CHS Singers Perform in ACDA Eastern Honor Choir
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Broadway's “Once on This Island” Associate Director Holds Master Class for Cheltenham Music Theatre Students
The nearly 50 Cheltenham High School students mounting the spring musical of the timely, salient production “Once on This Island” received inside information about how to best present the show when they hosted David Perlow, associate director of the current Broadway production of the same show, for a master class. Read more>
Now in its 55th year, Cheltenham Music Theatre stages “Once on This Island” April 10 – 12. Once on This Island tells the story of love’s triumph over prejudice and hate. Based upon Rosa Guy's novel My Love, My Love; book and lyrics by Lynn Ahrens; music by Stephen Flaherty. Tickets available online>
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Chamber Orchestra Earns Perfect Score
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Unified Bocce Competes at Montgomery County Championships
The Cheltenham Unified Panthers wrapped up their second season at the Montgomery County bocce championship against the North Penn Knights and Souderton Indians Tuesday, March 6 at Souderton Area High School. The games were closely contested and competitive to the last frame. In the end, Souderton proved too mighty and unseated the reigning Montgomery County Champion Unified Panthers. “Courage, bravery and an indomitable spirit defined our season. Our Unified Athletes continue to influence CHS with their amazing spirit and love for sport and competition,” said Coach Gus Ekhardt. “Collectively, the Bocce team and CHS Unified athletes continue to represent the best of what is desired in a great school community.” Congratulations to the following for a great season: Lucy Mackenzie, Paige Defebbo, Kimmy Villafuerte, Julian Mendohlson, Sara Davis, Isaiah Miller-Jatta, Isaiah Jones, Andre Templeman, Morgan Michael, Mariah Cedeno, Faith Olumbe, Olivia Daniels, Becky Moser, Ibrahim Kasumu.
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Eastern Creates Scholarship in Cheltenham Grad’s Memory
Cheltenham senior Aminah Johnson weighed in on the gun debate on National Public Radio's "Morning Edition."> The story ran in nearly 50 markets across the country.
During the news brief segment of National Public Radio's "Morning Edition" CHS junior Eve Glazier was quoted about student council's letter writing and voter registration campaigns. > The story ran in more than 50 markets across the country.
U.S. Senator Bob Casey's March 2 visit to CHS received coverage in the Times Chronicle.>
Start of School Year Reminder
Please note, Cheltenham School District kicks off its 2018-19 school year before Labor Day. First day of classes is Monday, Aug. 27, 2018. View Calendar>.
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Schedule Reminders & Spring Break
- Elementary schools - 2:45 p.m.
- Elkins Park School - 2:37 p.m.
- Cedarbrook - 2:03 p.m.
- CHS - 1:25 p.m.
Students will be released for Spring Break on March 23 at the following times:
- Elementary schools - 1 p.m.
- Elkins Park School - 1 p.m.
- Cedarbrook - Noon
- CHS - 1:52 p.m.
Schools will be closed for spring break Monday, March 26 - Friday, March 30. Classes resume on Monday, April 2. Administrative offices will be open Monday through Thursday.
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Kindergarten Registration
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2018 PSSA Schedule and Guide
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Stay Informed | March 2018 Facilities Report
The Facilities Committee met on Tuesday, March 6. Director of Facilities Dr. Ray Bavi provided an update on the Cedarbrook construction status and reviewed policy No. 707, Use of Facilities. View complete presentation. The next committee meeting will be on Tuesday, April 3 at 7 p.m. in the Administration Building. The meeting is open to Cheltenham township residents.
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EP to Present “Trashion Show” to Recognize Earth Day
In recognition of Earth Day and in an attempt to remind students about the importance of recycling by engineering creative new uses for discarded items, Elkins Park is hosting its second annual “Trashion” show on Friday, April 20. The “Trashion Show” has just two rules: Each Science class will be responsible for finding its own materials; and all the resources must come from the trash. At the end of the week, following an environmental presentation by the science teachers, student models will “walk the runway” in Kircher Hall to display their “trashions.” If you wish to be a part of the fun at Elkins Park on Earth Day, contact Linda Jephson.
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Project Based Learning Info Night | March 19
Rising freshmen can take their English, Social Studies and Biology courses within CHS's Project Based Learning (PBL) program. PBL is an instructional approach in which students identify real-world problems and innovate solutions to those challenges as a means to learning content connected to skills they need for 21st century careers. Families are invited to tour the renovated PBL space at CHS, learn about PBL and engage in Q&A at on Monday, March 19 at 6:30 p.m. Enter through the Cedarbrook Central doors across from the high school tennis courts. For those who already know that PBL is a good fit for them, don't forget to apply.
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Future Problem Solving Bowl | March 21
The Future Problem-Solving Bowl for grades 4-12 is March 21 at Elkins Park School from 2:30 - 6:30 p.m. Issues students are tackling this year include the spread of infectious disease, toxic materials, philanthrocapitalism and cloud storage. Awards ceremony follows the presentations at 7 p.m.
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MakerMom March Madness | March 22
In honor of Women's History Month, Wyncote is inviting the moms and women of the community, as well as other STEAM-related individuals who can inspire WES students. Anyone in the fields of science, technology, engineering, arts or math is welcome to come share knowledge and hands-on experiences with the students. It could be a display, activity, demonstration or hands-on exploration. Please contact Amy Flynn or Crystal Clark for any questions or ideas. More information>
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Once Upon a Playground Playground Fundraiser
Support repairs and maintenance to the Once Upon a Playground at Wall Park by purchasing a personalized, engraved fence picket. Donations are managed through the 501(c)3 Cheltenham Township Community Development Corporation. Download brochure> | Donate now>