Wednesday Roundup | 9.20.23
Spotlight Image: Our staff have spirit, too! Pictured are Winding Creek Elementary School's Mrs. Jacobs and Miss Smith, who donned red and white for "Dress the Color of Your (school) House" spirit day.
Calendar Reminders
- September 22 - Salute to Service
- October 2 - School Board Meeting
- October 4 - Grade 4 Agventure Day
- October 6 - Homecoming game
- October 7 - Homecoming dance
- October 9 - NO SCHOOL for students (Staff Act 80 day)
- October 16 - School Board Meeting
- October 25 - End Marking Period 1 (secondary)
- October 27 - Elementary Fall Socials (Gr. K-5)
- November 1 - High School Band, Choir, Orchestra, PRISM Concert
- November 2 - CVHS Financial Aid Night
* All events subject to change. Not an all-inclusive list.
News & Announcements
Hampden Earns National Blue Ribbon Designation
Hampden Elementary School is one of only 353 schools from across the country to earn the designation as a 2023 National Blue Ribbon School. They proudly join Shaull Elementary School (2009) and the former Good Hope Middle School (now Mountain View) (2017) as three of the less than 10,000 schools nationwide to have earned the coveted honor in the last 40 years.
Principal Todd Franze said that the National Blue Ribbon designation is something tangible to validate the hard work and efforts of our school community.
"Receiving the National Blue Ribbon designation is a valuable recognition that acknowledges the tireless efforts and hard work put in by our students and staff. When you walk into the doors of Hampden, you immediately get the feeling that Hampden is a special place - and not just because of our outstanding academic achievement," said Mr. Franze. "The passion and selflessness of our staff resonate throughout our building. Our students are not only committed in the classroom but continuously display their authentic kindness and empathy every day. We pride ourselves on our unwavering commitment to excellence and now it is validated by receiving this prestigious award.”
According to the National Blue Ribbon website, the U.S. Department of Education works annually with state education departments to "identify and nominate outstanding schools for this coveted award based on student academic achievement measures and progress toward closing achievement gaps. Through a rigorous review process, the U.S. Department of Education awards several hundred outstanding schools annually, to celebrate their achievement. This prestigious award serves not only as a symbol of exemplary American schools, but also as inspiration for schools across the nation. It affirms the hard work of students, educators, families, and communities in creating safe and welcoming schools where students thrive."
- Click here to watch a brief video from the announcement ceremony and celebration at Hampden on September 19, 2023.
- Our friends at PennLive also posted a great story by Zack Hoopes and Sue Gleiter, and photos by Dan Gleiter.
Congratulations, Hampden Elementary School!
Meet Our National Merit Semifinalists!
Congratulations to 11 Cumberland Valley High School students who have been named as semifinalists in the highly-competitive 2024 National Merit Scholarship program.
Muntahie Ammad | Sahil Barapatre | Ari Callahan | Chinmay Govind | Suhaas Lakunde | Srihari Rajesh | Akash Sarode | Shreya Satheesh | Ayush Tripathi | Soha Vahora | Ethan Works
Finalists will be announced in the Spring of 2023.
Photo courtesy Dr. Allison LaKari, Dean of Students, CVHS
Fable character Medio Pollito (the Little Half Chick) recently stopped by Mrs. Shaffer’s 1st grade class at Silver Spring Elementary School. This visit was part of a CKLA Knowledge unit.
Photos courtesy Silver Spring teachers Kristin Shaffer and Abby Mallow.
Congratulations to CV FFA students Evan Patterson, Jacob Smith, and Jack Ham, who took first place in the Marketing Plan Career Development’s Marketing Plan Team competition at the Eastern States Exposition. CV’s FFA chapter represented the Pennsylvania FFA in the competition. These students display amazing communication, confidence, problem solving, and critical thinking skills during their competitions.
The team is pictured with Agricultural Science teacher and FFA advisor Darla Romberger.
Portrait of an Eagle: Student Spotlight
Our Sporting Hill Bulldogs put together a video spotlighting a few of the many ways that they are responsible in school. Sporting Hill's Principal, Mrs. Shaddock, proudly presented the video to the Board of School Directors on Monday evening, September 18, 2023. They are a Portrait of an Eagle!
School Board News
Upcoming School Board Meetings
Unless otherwise advertised, all meetings begin at 7 p.m. and will take place in the District Office Board Room (6746 Carlisle Pike, Mechanicsburg)
- Monday, October 2, 2023
- Monday, October 16, 2023
- Monday, November 6, 2023
A full list of School Board and committee meeting dates is available by clicking here.
Quick Access
Board Agendas - Posted a minimum of 24 hours in advance of the meeting.
Committee Assignments - 2023 Board committee/advisory group assignments.
Meeting Minutes - Posted once approved by the Board of School Directors.
Watch Live - School Board meetings are live streamed to our website.
Job Opportunities
Cumberland Valley School District is recruiting candidates to join our (amazing!) team of Educational Assistants and Life Skills Paraprofessionals.
- Full time, Monday through Friday, daytime positions available.
- Excellent benefits package to include health insurance, retirement, and paid time off.
- Increased starting salary in 2023-24.
To learn more and apply at www.cvschools.org/jobs.
Additional Reminders
Reminder: Salute to Service
The second annual Salute to Service, honoring our military and first responders, will be held at Cumberland Valley High School's Chapman Stadium on Friday, September 22, 2023. The ceremony begins at approximately 6:50 p.m., just prior to the start of the home football game vs. Harrisburg High School.
- Free admission to the game + VIP seating for all active duty & retired military personnel, veterans, and first responders (in uniform or with valid ID).
- Unfurling of the flag by Cumberland Valley High School students.
- Kona Ice on site and will donate a portion of proceeds to the CVHS Patriots Club.
Reminder: CV You Day needs YOU!
Cumberland Valley High School will host its 3rd annual CV You Day on Thursday, November 16, 2023. The day combines an interactive college and career fair with captivating presentations and workshops about a variety of professions and opportunities.
The day is successful because of those who volunteer their time and talents, and share their expertise throughout the day. Workshops are 30 minutes in length, and are typically limited to 25 students per session.
Reminder: School Safety Drills
The information below was shared via email with all families on September 7, 2023
As part of our school safety and security process, and as mandated by law, students and staff in each of our buildings will participate in a school security drill between now and the end of September. We recognize that it is critically important to prepare our school community for any potential real-life security incidents by providing our students and staff with these mandated training opportunities.
As always, please do not hesitate to reach out to your child’s building principal should you have any questions.
Please note: Students and staff will continue to practice fire drills on a regular basis throughout the school year.
Reminder: Emergency Contact/Health Information, Signoffs in Skyward
At the start of each school year, we ask families to please update important student/emergency contact information and complete annual signoffs in Skyward.
If you have not already done so, we ask that you please take a few moments to complete this information for each of your students.
Signoffs include information regarding publicity/directory releases, handbooks, and more. It is important that you please take a moment to complete all of these sign-offs by logging into your Skyward Parent Family Access Center and clicking the “parent signoff” tile. The tile will be marked as completed once this information is submitted.
In addition, we ask that you ensure emergency contact and health information is accurate and up to date in Skyward. Please note that you may also update this information throughout the year should contact/health information change.
Please utilize the "Guardian Information Update" form should you need to change your email address and/or phone number throughout the school year.
Please note that you can only access and complete Skyward forms through a web browser (not the Skyward mobile app).
If you are having difficulty logging into Skyward, please use the “forgot username/password” link, which will send an automated email with your username and link to reset your password. When logging in to change your password, please be certain to use the username exactly as listed in the automated email. If that does not work, please submit a Technology HelpDesk ticket. Please reach out to your child's school should you have specific questions about the sign-offs.
Reminder: 1:1 Device Insurance
Device Insurance: We would like to take this opportunity to remind you of the details of our 1:1 Device program and of the annual device insurance option that is available to you and your student.
It is the belief of the District that supplying a device for all students in grades K-12 is essential to their learning and development. Consistency in grade-level devices is essential to the implementation of our curriculum, instruction, and assessment, while also allowing for sufficient support operations. After reading this entire email, please review more specific information about the program on the Technology section of our website under the 1:1 Technology Program page and its subpages.
The District owns and values each device and requires students to follow usage guidelines and to use care and caution in handling the device. These guidelines are on the 1:1 Technology Program Device Care and Support webpage. The devices do have a manufacturer warranty to cover any manufacturer defects or malfunctions. Students and families will be responsible for the full cost of any loss or damage to their device unless you purchase insurance through the District at a cost of $25 per student/year. This optional insurance will help to decrease the out-of-pocket expenses families may have related to device damage.
Cost waivers are in place for families facing economic hardship and families with four or more students. If you are a family facing economic hardship and have been approved through the free/reduced lunch program, you must still add the optional insurance in Skyward. The discount will take place after the optional fee is added. If it does not, you should verify your free/reduced lunch application status through our Food Service Department. If you are a family of four or more students, you should add the optional insurance for all of your students, but only pay for three of them in Revtrak. After completing the payment, please email Kerry Johnson at kjohnson@cvschools.org with the name(s), grade(s), and building(s) of the additional student(s) so the fee can be waived in Skyward.
Reminder: Reaching CV by Telephone
As previously shared, our Technology Department completed an important and necessary upgrade to our districtwide telephone system over the summer. As part of this upgrade, some of the direct-dial telephone numbers for specific buildings/departments/staff may have changed. You may reach any of our buildings or departments by calling 717-697-8261 and following the prompts. You may also contact our schools directly at the following numbers:
CV High School: 717-506-3555
CV9: 717-506-3372
CVVA: 717-697-8261
Eagle View Middle School: 717-506-3955
Mountain View Middle School: 717-697-1960
Green Ridge Elementary School: 717-766-4911
Hampden Elementary School: 717-737-4513
Middlesex Elementary School: 717-249-5586
Monroe Elementary School: 717-697-0028
Shaull Elementary School: 717-506-3415
Silver Spring Elementary School: 717-506-3755
Sporting Hill Elementary School: 717-761-5052
Winding Creek Elementary School: 717-620-2525
Reminder: Emergency Notifications, Text Messaging, Official Channels
Emergency Notifications: In cases of an emergency in a specific building or across the district, CV will issue communication to the appropriate stakeholders through telephone, email, text message, and/or website alert. Parents/Guardians should ensure that their contact information is always up-to-date in Skyward, as this is where we will pull information for our notifications and alerts. Notification to schedule changes due to inclement weather will also be issued via the above mentioned methods.
Register to Receive Text Messages: Cumberland Valley School District uses text messaging (for parents/guardians and staff) as a mode of communication during inclement weather, emergencies, bus delays, and more. If you are a parent/guardian who is new to the District or if you have not previously signed up to receive text alerts, please sign into your Skyward Family Access account and complete the “Text (SMS) Notifications” form. For step-by-step directions, please click the "How do I register" link below.
Official Communication Channels: It is important to ensure that you look for communication via our official channels. Please click here to visit our website for a chart illustrating the various ways our stakeholders can connect through our official channels with individual staff, a specific school building, and the district.
FIND US ON SOCIAL MEDIA:
Facebook: www.facebook.com/CVschools | Twitter: www.twitter.com/CVSDnews
Additional Quick Access Links
Technology HelpDesk
- Staff and Students - Please go to https://helpdesk.cvschools.org to sign in and create a Technology helpdesk ticket.
- Parents/Guardians may click here to create a Technology helpdesk ticket, as needed.
OUR SHARED VISION:
All students will develop the knowledge, skills, and dispositions necessary to enroll, enlist, or employ.
#CVPROUD