Lower School Newsletter
Monday, March 5, 2018
Upcoming Events
Monday, March 5 - Chipotle fundraising night to benefit "Seussical"
Tuesday, March 6 - "Suessical the Musical" preview at 1:30. No morning chapel for LS.
Saturday, March 10 - Mother-Son night - Movie in the gymnasium at 6:00pm (not 6:30!)
March 22-24 - "Seussical, The Musical"
From the Principal's Desk....
Our Read Across America celebration week is here! I hope that your child enjoys all the activities planned for each day. We will see a preview of our Upper School musical-Seussical the Musical on March 6th at 1:30. You are welcome to join us in the sanctuary. Please enjoy another reading article that promotes literacy in the home.
Promoting Family Literacy: Raising Ready Readers
The research is clear: Children raised in homes that promote family literacy grow up to be better readers and do better in school than children raised in homes where literacy is not promoted. We know that promoting family literacy is important to future reading and school success, but does that mean parents should be prepared to read 100 books a week to their preschoolers? Of course not. While family literacy activities are often based in reading, there are lots of other ways families can conduct literacy activities at home through picture books, songs, poetry and storytelling.
Family literacy is defined as home literacy activities that provide literacy skill-building opportunities for young children while enhancing literacy skill development in all members of the family. While researching family literacy you will often come across terms like, "literacy-rich homes," "family-focused reading" and the importance of building strong "home-school communication." All these components are essential for promoting family literacy activities and raising ready readers. Here is an idea for promoting family literacy in your home that go beyond reading storybooks.
Books: Key Members of Your Family
One of the easiest ways to show your child the importance of reading is to make a special place to store your child's books. Assigning a place for your child's books shows your child that books are special and deserve an organized storage place all their own. Making room on a bottom shelf of the family bookcase or placing books in a drawer within your child's reach are great ways to create a home library. Parents and family members should model how to organize books on the shelf and teach children how to handle books as a way to promote ownership of the library.
Have you ever flipped through a friend's photos and imagined a story to go along with them? Young children love to use their imaginations to create stories to go along with pictures. One of the earliest literacy skills children develop is the concept of sequencing or telling a story from start to finish in order. One way to practice this skill at home is to create your own picture books, or books without words. Using photos, pictures from magazines or your child's drawings, books can be created and placed in the home library for easy access. Family members can "read" the story with the child by asking
him or her to take them through the story. As the child gets older, family members should have the child dictate the story to them, so they can write it down and then move on to encouraging the child to write the words themselves. (GetttingReadytoRead.Org)
Yours in Christ,
Mr. Shirvinski
The Transformed Heart- What Does It Mean to Love God and One Another?
Question for this week: What does God say about our enemies?
Verse for this Week: Luke 6:35 "But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked."
"Seussical, The Musical" Tickets
Tickets are now on sale! Please visit www.itickets.com/wsca to purchase tickets. Tickets can also be purchased at the door, with cash or check. Please share our Seussical graphic and ticket information with your friends and family! If you can hang up an advertising poster at your workplace or a business you frequent, please email lvanhart@westshorechristian.org.
Substitute Nurse and Substitute Teachers
We are looking for a substitute nurse, who can help out once in a while when Mrs. Krouch and Mrs. Hoover cannot come to WSCA. We are also looking for additional substitute teachers, PreK-12th grade. Please fill out an application on our website and help us spread the word!
Open Houses for Prospective Families
We have now entered "open enrollment" time at WSCA, meaning that we are accepting applications from new families to join our WSCA family. Please help us advertise our upcoming Open Houses:
Sunday, March 18, 2:00pm, PreK-12th grade open house
Tuesday, April 10, 6:30pm, PreK-12th grade open house
If you have any questions about re-enrollment, enrollment for new families, or how you can best help advertise our school to prospective families, please contact our admissions director, Mary Beth Gilge, at mbgilge@westshorechristian.org. For starters, share events and posts from the WSCA facebook page to your personal page!
Mother-Son Movie Night
Please note that our movie night starts at 6:00pm on Saturday, March 10. Don't forget to RSVP using the 'ticket' that was sent home and turn in $5 per family, so our CATS team planning the event can prepare for a fun evening!
Continuous Enrollment Update
We are excited that 96% of WSCA families have chosen to participate in continuous enrollment for 2018-2019. We have learned there is one thing you must do to activate your automatic payment for the continuous enrollment fee, which has been billed in FACTS.
1. Log in to your FACTS account at www.factsmgt.com.
2. Click "actions" next to Incidental Expenses (below the payment plan and billing box).
3. Select "enroll in auto pay."
4. On the next page, confirm your method of payment and click "enroll."
Once you complete these steps, the funds will be withdrawn in three equal payments on Feb. 15, March 15, and April 15. Thank you for your continued commitment to WSCA!
Business Office Update
Please note the deadline to apply for financial aid for the 2018-2019 school year is March 1st, 2018. You will need to have the FACTS application completed and all required forms submitted by the deadline. This deadline is earlier than past years since we want to announce the award decisions by April 15th.
If you have any questions about the application process, please contact CSAGH Controller, Amy-Jo Walborn, ajwalborn@harrisburgchristian.com, or WSCA's Admissions Director, Mary Beth Gilge, mbgilge@westshorechristian.org.
Beginning on January 1, 2018, 529 plans can be used for K-12 private school tuition up to $10,000 annually. To use your 529 plan to pay for tuition, contact your financial advisor or plan administrator.
Financial Policy Update:
WSCA has assumed the following CSAGH financial policy as it relates to early withdrawal:
Early Withdrawal Fee: When a family withdraws a student(s) after enrolling for the school year, an Early Withdrawal Fee is assessed. While a student might leave the school for unavoidable reasons (illness, job transfer, etc), the school continues to bear the costs of the student(s) with no tuition income. Families must pay one month's tuition, in addition to all tuition expenses up to and including the final month of the student's attendance, as an Early Withdrawal Fee. If a family has not paid their Withdrawal Fee within 30 days of the student's withdrawal, the Withdrawal Fee amount will be automatically deducted from the family's bank account on file in FACTS.
Withdrawal Prior to June 15: Withdrawal Fee is one month's tuition (enrollment fee is not refundable).
Withdrawal Prior to August 1: Withdrawal Fee is one month's tuition plus the tuition payment for the month of July (enrollment fee is not refundable).
Lower School Intramural Sports Program
Who: After school sports program open to all students in grades 1st-5th grade.
What: After school intramural program for students interested in basketball or soccer. The first day of the week (Monday or Tuesday) will be instructional time while the second day (Wednesday or Thursday) will be a game day atmosphere. Program led by WSCA Athletic Director Jen Cornetto. Coaches will be comprised of current WSCA coaches and other possible special guests.
When: After school from 3:00-4:30pm for 6 weeks beginning April 3rd & April 4th concluding May 9th/10th.
Basketball - (Mon. & Wed.)
Soccer (Tue. & Thur.)
Where: WSCA home fields & courts
Cost: $45 per student (or $65 for both Soccer and Basketball) Registration opens February 16th & includes a t-shirt & ball for each student. Cash or checks made out to WSCA must be submitted by March 12th. Brochure and registration form will be sent home with students the week of February 12th. Please submit forms and money back to the lower school main office (with attention to Jen Cornetto) by March 16th in order to be accepted.
Volunteer Cashier Needed
We are in need of a cafeteria cashier volunteer. If you, or someone you know, is interested in ministering to our school and students in that way, please contact Sandy Berry at sberry@westshorechristian.org. Volunteer clearances will need to be completed prior to starting.
WSCA Lower School Yearbook Orders
Go to treering.com/validate to purchase your student’s yearbook. Your Lower School passcode is 101495056158615. There is an option to personalize two pages with your student’s favorite photos at NO additional cost. If you start designing the two pages and then decide against completing them, it will automatically revert to a standard yearbook.
Please note, if you have students in both Upper and Lower Schools, you will need a different passcode for the Upper School yearbook. If you have any questions email Yearbook@westshorechristian.org or call 717-737-3550 x134. See the attached PDF (at the bottom of the newsletter) for additional information on how to purchase, customize pages and download app if desired.
West Shore Christian Academy
Email: info@westshorechristian.org
Website: www.westshorechristian.org
Location: 201 West Main Street, Shiremanstown, PA, United States
Phone: 717.737.3550
Facebook: www.facebook.com/westshorechristian
Twitter: @WSCA1