Good News & Important Information
April 2024 Update from Dr. Chekan
It is hard to believe that Spring Break is here! I hope you and your family are enjoying a peaceful and relaxing break, filled with fun, friends and family. As a reminder, buildings are closed for Spring Break on:
- Monday, April 1
- Tuesday, April 2 (Wellness Day)
Buildings will re-open on Wednesday, April 3.
When we return from Spring Break, we will move into the excitement of PSSA (grades 3-8) and Keystone (grades 9-12) assessments. Throughout this whole school year, our scholars have been learning, growing and sharpening their assessment skills! We know that our scholars are ready to 'Own It!' and do their very best work!
As always, thank you for choosing Propel Schools as your partner in education!
Dr. Tina Chekan CEO/Superintendent
Propel Schools
April 8, 2024 - Eclipse Day - Propel Schools Will Operate On A Regular Schedule
All Propel Schools will follow their regular operating schedule on April 8, 2024, the day of the total solar eclipse.
Many Propel educators have prepared lesson plans around this phenomenon. In an abundance of caution, each scholar and staff member in our network will receive solar eclipse glasses that are disposable and will allow for safer viewing of the eclipse.
According to official reports, the eclipse is expected to begin around 2 p.m. As the moon’s orbit begins to travel in between the sun and Earth, the moon will appear as a dark shadow “biting” into the bright sun. The total eclipse phase will last from approximately 3:15 to 3:20 p.m.
Scholars will be encouraged to wear their eclipse glasses as they transition from school to home.
Please take a few moments to discuss with your scholar the importance of wearing their eclipse glasses on their way home from school, as the eclipse may still be visible. We thank you in advance for setting your own expectations for your scholar and reminding them that:
Even taking a brief “peek” at the sun during the eclipse can cause damage to the retinas of their eyes.
Regular sunglasses are not safe to use to look at the sun during an eclipse
It is not safe to view the eclipse through a telescope, cell phone camera, or regular camera.
For additional information please visit the PA Department of Education's Solar Eclipse Resource page.
If your scholar will not attend school on April 8, 2024, or you will be requesting an early dismissal for your scholar, please be sure to follow the protocols outlined in our Scholar and Family Handbook and appropriately update your scholar’s status in PikMyKid.
Finally, we remind you that traffic may be slow during the period of the eclipse and your scholar’s bus transportation may run later than usual.
Scholar Summer Custodial Opportunities
Please see the POSITION POSTING for additional information!
FAMILIES OF GRADE 8 SCHOLARS - REQUIRED FORMS FOR RITES OF PASSAGE WASHINGTON DC TRIP
Please see below for the trip dates and other important information!
Propel East - May 6-7
Propel Pitcairn - May 9-10
Propel Homestead - May 13-14
Propel Hazelwood - May 20-21
Propel Northside - May 23-24
Propel McKeesport - May 30-31
Propel Braddock Hills Middle School - June 3-4
Propel Montour Middle School - June 10-11
Detailed information about the trip will be provided during the mandatory Family Information Night. You will receive information about the date of your school's Family Information Night via Connect 5 email.
For your scholar to participate in this trip, ALL required forms MUST BE COMPLETED AND SUBMITTED BY THE SCHOOL'S DEADLINE. FORMS SUBMITTED AFTER THE DEADLINE WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED. Forms will be shared by Connect 5 email from your school.
Lead Chaperones:
Propel Homestead - Jasmine Anderson
Propel McKeesport - Erik Bard
Propel East - Bethany Thomas
Propel Hazelwood - Lacey Macchia
Propel Northside - Kira Mallick
Propel Pitcairn - Erica Edmond
Propel Braddock Hills Middle School - TBD
Propel Montour Middle School - Kayla Christmann
Please note that scholar participation is based on behavior guidelines which will be reviewed during the school's required Family Information Night. If you have any questions, please contact the lead chaperone for your school.
Scholars who do not attend the trip are expected to attend school during the trip dates.
PSSA TESTING INFORMATION
In April, scholars in grades 3-8 will engage with state-mandated PSSA assessments. Please click HERE for important assessment information for families.
2024 TAKE OUR DAUGHTERS AND SONS TO WORK DAY & PSSA ASSESSMENTS
We are aware that the annual national "Take Our Daughters and Sons To Work Day'' event is scheduled for Thursday, April 25, 2024, which coincides with a PSSA assessment day for scholars in grades 3-8.
While Propel Schools strongly believes in the importance of career exploration, we hold the expectation that scholars will report to school on Thursday, April 25, 2024 to continue their participation in state-required PSSA assessments.
If a scholar is absent on a PSSA assessment day, they will take the PSSA assessment segment that was missed during a make-up testing session. During the make-up session:
- Scholars will transition from their regular schedule of learning to take the part (or parts) of the PSSA that were missed.
- Due to testing security parameters, scholars will move to a separate area, away from non-testing peers.
We thank you for your support as we continue to celebrate scholar academic growth and recognize the importance of regular school attendance.
Annual Family Survey To Launch In April!
Your Voice Matters!
Our 2024 Family Survey has a new look! The survey has been redesigned to be more time-friendly for busy families and can be completed in about 10 minutes. On April 8, the anonymous survey (via Survey Monkey) will be shared with families as a link in a Connect 5 email. If you do not receive Connect 5 emails, please reach out to your school's office to ensure that your email address is correct in the Connect 5 system. We look forward to receiving your thoughtful feedback about your Propel Schools experience.
Kennywood Day is June 26, 2024!
EARLY BIRD OFFER FOR YOUR SCHOOL DAY TICKETS! TICKETS ONLY $31.99 IF PURCHASED BY APRIL 30TH! PRICE INCREASES TO $35.99 WHEN PURCHASED MAY 1ST OR LATER
PURCHASE INSTRUCTIONS TO VISIT ON JUNE 26th FOR AS LOW AS $31.99:
STEP 1: Go to www.kennywood.com/schools
STEP 2: Enter your ‘2024 School Ticket’ ticket quantity
STEP 3: Enter Promo Code propel in the ‘Promotional Code’ box, then click ‘Apply’ - IMPORTANT: DO NOT CAPITALIZE ANY CHARACTERS OF THE PROMO CODE.
STEP 4: Click ‘Continue’ to advance to the ticket calendar. SELECT THE ABOVE SCHOOL DATE TO APPLY DISCOUNT OFFER, then click ‘Continue’
STEP 5: SELECT [AGAIN] THE ABOVE SCHOOL DATE, then click ‘Continue’
STEP 6: Click ‘Continue’ to advance and complete the remaining steps to purchase your tickets!
PURCHASE INSTRUCTIONS TO VISIT ANY DATE OF CHOICE THROUGH JULY 14TH FOR $37.99: (if you are unable to visit on the date selected at time of purchase, you can visit any day through July 14th)
STEP 1: Go to www.kennywood.com/schools
STEP 2: Enter your ‘2024 School Ticket’ ticket quantity
STEP 3: Enter Promo Code propelflex in the ‘Promotional Code’ box, then click ‘Apply’ - IMPORTANT: DO NOT CAPITALIZE ANY CHARACTERS OF THE PROMO CODE.
STEP 4: Click ‘Continue’ to advance to the ticket calendar. SELECT ANY VISIT DATE THROUGH JULY 14th TO APPLY DISCOUNT OFFER, then click ‘Continue’
STEP 5: SELECT [AGAIN] YOUR VISIT DATE, then click ‘Continue’
STEP 6: Click ‘Continue’ to advance and complete the remaining steps to purchase your tickets!
*Good Any Day tickets will only be available for purchase March 1st – June 30th .
EXCITING UPDATES FROM OUR AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAM!
Summer MAGIC Camp Information!
Propel's Afterschool Program is excited to announce that applications for Summer Camps will be shared during the week of April 22! Summer MAGIC Camps:
- Camp sessions will begin on July 1 and will end on July 25,
- Camps operate Monday through Thursday (except for Thursday, July 4, when camps will be closed in observance of the Independence Day holiday)
- Camp hours will be 8:30 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
- Camp locations are still being determined and information will be shared soon.
REMINDER! PROPEL SCHOOLS WELLNESS POLICY AND CLASSROOM PARTY FOODS
This is an excerpt from our Wellness Policy that addresses classroom celebrations. Please note that all snacks/foods shared by families to celebrate special scholar days must align with this list. Please note that all shared foods must be prepackaged. No homemade foods are to be shared, as food allergies can be common and, in some cases, lead to severe reactions.
SCHOLAR EDUCATIONAL TRIP REQUEST FORM FOR 2023-2024
BE SURE YOUR FAMILY'S INFORMATION IS UP-TO-DATE WITH PROPEL!
Change of Address
Propel is required by our local sending school districts to provide them with any updated scholar addresses in a timely manner. If your resident school district believes that you are not living at the address you provided to Propel, it could result in an investigation of your address and potential complications with scholar transportation. Please be sure to change your address within 2 weeks of moving by completing THIS FORM.
Change Of Contact Information
If you've changed contact information recently, please reach out to your Propel School to update this information. You can do this by calling the school or emailing the Leadership Team.
- If there is an incorrect or missing email address in Skyward, you will miss Connect 5 email messages.
- If your telephone number is incorrect in Skyward, you will miss Connect 5 telephone calls about urgent items such as weather-related changes to school schedules.
Thank you for taking time to update us -- for the safety of your scholar!