Lower School Newsletter
Monday, January 22
Upcoming Events
Monday, January 22 - CSAGH Association Meeting, 7:00pm, at Harrisburg Christian School
Wednesday, January 24 - Early childhood open house for prospective families, 9:00am
Wednesday, January 31 - Continuous enrollment ends for current families
Thursday, February 1 - Open enrollment begins for new families
Saturday, February 3 - All day Robotics tournament at WSCA gymnasium
Tuesday, February 6 - Baby Bottle Blast fundraiser at Chick-fil-A, 5:00-8:00pm
Friday, February 16 - Trindle Bowl field trip for K, 1st, and 2nd graders
Tuesday, February 20 - US Spotlight Night for current 5th and 8th graders - details TBA
Friday, February 23 - Olympic Skating field trip for 3, 4, and 5th graders
Friday, February 23 - CATS sponsored Father-Daughter Dance
From the Principal's Desk....
Dear Lower School Families,
We are at the middle of our school year and a lot of wonderful things are happening. Please be sure to check the newsletter and email for upcoming events at our school. I appreciate all your support for what we do at WSCA.
The Transformed Heart- What Does It Mean to Love God and One Another?
Question for this week: What must happen before I can love others?
This week’s Bible verse is…
1 John 3:23 “And this is his command: to believe in the name of His Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us.”
Yours in Christ,
Mr. Shirvinski
CSAGH Annual Association Meeting - Jan. 22 - 6:30/7:00pm
We hope to see you tonight at the Annual CSAGH Association Meeting to be held at 7:00pm on January 22 at Harrisburg Christian School’s Fine Arts Center (2000 Blue Mountain Parkway, Harrisburg, PA 17112). Please come early for a "meet and greet" at 6:30pm.
This meeting will provide updates on the CSAGH Strategic Plan, review of CSAGH’s Financial Plan and Tuition Schedules for 2018-2019, and the election of new CSAGH Board Members. For information about CSAGH’s Board of Directors and Board Code of Conduct please go to either of the following links:
WSCA: http://westshorechristian.org/about/csagh-board-constitution-requirement-code-of-conduct
Girls on the Run Volunteer Needed
We are hoping to host a Girls on the Run team this year. Former teacher Jen Warden is going to be one of the coaches this year, but in order to host the program, we need a parent volunteer who has participated by running in a race or event, or anyone who has an interest in running. The club will run after school for 90 min. two days a week. Practices can be scheduled around the adults running the program. Volunteers must be on our cleared volunteer list.
Registration opens soon, and the program runs for 10 weeks beginning Feb. 12th. The cost is $150.00 per participant, however they do have scholarships available. Running with your daughter, or as a special friend, is an experience you will always remember. Please email Mr. Shirvinski at jshirvinski@westshorechristian.org if you are interested if assisting our 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade girls.
Inclement Weather - Updated on Jan. 18
School closings, delays, and early dismissals are posted on the home page of www.westshorechristian.org, via all-school email, Facebook, and on local news media: WHP (580 AM), WGAL (Channel 8), WHP (Channel 21), WHTM (Channel 27). Please remember that WSCA watches other local districts, then we make our own decision about inclement weather, so watch for our name on media sites, especially if you see other local school districts taking action. Please note that as of right now, we will not be making an all-school phone call, due to problems with our calling service. On a two hour delay, parents transporting students should have them at school by 10:00 a.m. Students and staff should not arrive to school before 9:30. The cafeteria will be closed - please pack a lunch to eat in classrooms.
Please sign up for text alerts for WSCA emergency and inclement weather plans, as outlined in Mr. Beardmore's email on January 12. To sign up, text the message Follow WSCA_ Alerts to the number 40404. The message is case sensitive. There were a few bugs with our texting system. We are working them out, but in the meantime if you did not get a text, please sign up again. For some reason that has seemed to correct the problem.
If you are a bus family, please know that each school district handles closings, delays, and early dismissals differently. Please refer to the PDF (updated 1/9/18) at the bottom of the newsletter. There are a few clarifications in BOLD. It's ready for you to print your page and put on your fridge as a reminder! Please email lvanhart@westshorechristian.org with any bussing questions. We appreciate your patience on early dismissal days - it is very busy and the phone rings off the hook! Our number one goal is your child's safety.
Baby Bottle Blast
We are again supporting the Capital Area Pregnancy Center by collecting change in large baby bottles in each classroom through February 14. Checks and paper money is accepted, but the idea is "spare change can help change a family's life." Our classes get creative - watch for fundraising activities, including a tentative night at Chick-fil-A! The CAPC offers services for pregnancy, parenting, and guidance with a pro-life mindset. We encourage you to check out their ministry at www.capc4u.org.
Van Supplies Needed
We are thankful to own three school vans, and they are used frequently for sports and field trips. Can you help us fill a tote with emergency supplies? Supplies needed for each van are: a storage tote with locking lid, jumper cables, first aid kit, flashlight, tarp, and windshield washer fluid. Please contact Chris Cornetto (ccornetto@westshorechristian.org) if you can donate supplies or a WalMart gift card for our vans. Thanks!
Bill: WSCA-0001
During our Winterim class on government, our students voted to have extra dress down days. They are on January 24 and 31, and we added February 7. Students can wear jeans, sweatpants, and any style shirt. And of course, they are always welcome to dress up! Thank you to our government teacher, Mrs. McDonald, for teaching us how a bill becomes a law, complete with the Schoolhouse Rock video!
Operation Christmas Child
Attendance
If your child is going to be tardy or absent for medical reasons, please call the Lower School office first thing in the morning. You can also write an email to both Mrs. VanHart and your child's teacher so it can be printed as their written excuse, which is required. Mrs. VanHart is going to start calling or emailing parents if we haven't heard from you by 8:30am. If your family is going out of town, please fill out an Educational Field Trip Request Form (as a PDF below) two weeks before your trip so that Mr. Shirvisnki can approve the absence.
CATS Newsletter
Recess Information
It is usually colder and windier on our playground than it is at your house, so please make sure your children are dressed warm! Please dress them in coats and gloves for outdoor recess. Students will not be permitted to go outside if they are not wearing a coat. As a general rule, we stay inside if the temperature is below 17 degrees.
Dress Code Reminders
Please make sure your students are following the WSCA dress code. If not, we will ask them to change clothes from the uniform room. If your child is growing, we have plenty of free clothes! Mrs. VanHart will gladly pack a bag for you to try on at home. We will be sending home reminders to students not fully in dress code.
Here are a few reminders:
-If there is a logo on the polo, it needs to be the same color as the shirt.
-Dresses/skirts/jumpers need to be no shorter "just a little above the knee," even while wearing leggings.
-Knit pants do not qualify as uniform pants, even if there are pockets sewn on. Uniform pants should be cotton, Docker's style, pants. If the pants are too tight, we will ask the student to change clothes.
-On Fridays, students may wear jeans with WSCA shirts.
-On dress down days (you might have received a RFE coupon), students may wear jeans or windpants. Girls may not wear tight knit pants/leggings.
-4th and 5th graders have been issued a PE uniform: They should be wearing black WSCA shorts and any WSCA t-shirt. If it's cold, students are welcome to wear leggings underneath their shorts. If you need a new PE uniform, please email jcornetto@westshorechristian.org. She also accepts outgrown ones to reissue to other students!
Chick-fil-A Free Breakfasts!
It's BACK!!! Chick-fil-A is kicking off 2018 with a MYSTERY FREE BREAKFAST ENTREE on Wednesdays from 6:00am-10:00am on Wednesday, January 24 and 31. Don't miss out!Drive thru or Dine in and ask for your mystery entree and we will have one ready for you. *offer is for one surprise entree per person per day. Valid at the Mechanicsburg, PA location only. Entree is subject to change. We are thankful that Chick-fil-A supports WSCA (like those yummy milkshake Christmas coupons!) and we hope you will support their business.
Chick-fil-A Supports Baby Bottle Blast
CATS Prayer Team Update
We have changed the day that we gather as parents in prayer for our school to Tuesday afternoons from 2:00 to 2:45 in the Lower School Conference Room. We pray for staff members, teachers, and students by name and any special requests for that week. If you aren't available on Tuesday afternoons you can get the prayer requests via email each week to commit to pray at home. For more information contact Gretchen Carvella at CatsPrayerTeam@westshorechristian.org . Thanks for lifting our WSCA community before the Lord in prayer!
Here's a link to a prayer calendar which all of us can use to pray each day for our children, our children's friends, their teachers, and all who are in the WSCA family. Just follow the date, no matter which day of the week it falls on each month -
http://www.motherhoodonadime.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/September-Prayer-Calendar1.pdf (Copyright Bob Hostetler (www.bobhostetler.com). Used with the permission of the author. Also available as an iPhone/iPad app in the iTunes app store.)
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