#ThisIsCheltenham
Friday, April 27
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
It's Official: Final Student Day June 20
Under the authority of Section 1504 of the "Pennsylvania Public School Code of 1949," the Department of Education has approved the District’s petition to increase its 2017-2018 Act 80 days by two, meaning the final student day will remain as scheduled on June 20, 2018.
See below for a rundown of important end-of-school dates:
June 14: High School Commencement
June 19: K-4 4th Grade Move up Day
June 20: Last student day
June 20: Elkins Park Move Up Assembly
June 20: CBK 8th Grade Promotion
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CSD Celebrates Mindful May
The Cheltenham School District is celebrating its third Mindful May, an annual tradition that has become deeply ingrained in our culture. During May, we are offering students and staff many ways to embed non-judgmental awareness and mindful practices into their daily lives.
We are proud that CSD is at the forefront of enhancing the holistic experience of students, staff and families. Students in grades K-6 will be invited to participate in a Mindful Bingo, which offers 23 mindful activities that they can do alone or with their family members. Our staff will be offered a mindful calendar with 31 practices guaranteed to bring peace and calm into their lives. Read more>
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Cedarbrook STEM Teacher Sean Quenzer Selected as Technology Innovator
As a teacher embracing technology in creative ways to engage learners and improve student performance, Cedarbrook STEM teacher Sean Quenzer has been selected as a Keystones: Technology Innovator. This designation earned him an invitation to attend the Keystone: Technology Innovators STAR Summit at Shippensburg University July 23-27 where he said he looks forward to discovering “Resources and opportunities to nurture and enrich my skills as an educator, while advocating the importance of technology in education.” Quenzer and his fellow STAR attendees will participate in activities focused on the four pillars of the Keystone community, connect, lead, advocate and develop, and the themes of personalized learning, leading from the middle, gamification, creativity/innovation, STEM/STEAM, and classroom transformation.
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Cheltenham Future Problem Solvers Compete at State Bowl
This past weekend, the Cheltenham Future Problem Solvers tackled the topic of cloud storage in the Pennsylvania State Bowl in Harrisburg. The senior division team of juniors Talia August, Annabelle Leister, Sydney Rubin and sophomore Nate Kirschner took second place for the Presentation of Action Plan (also known as the skit). The middle division team of freshmen Seth Bernstein, Brad Bluestine, Peter Griffen and Alec Lempert placed third in the booklet competition. With their respective finishes, neither team earned an invitation to June’s Internationals. Read more>
Photo: Cheltenham’s Future Problem Solvers (l to r) Sydney Rubin, Talia August, Annabelle Leister, Coach Steve Buckingham, Nate Kirschner, Alec Lempert, Brad Bluestine, Seth Bernstein and Peter Griffen
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Freshmen Conduct Fruit Fly Experiments in Conjunction with Fox Chase Cancer Center
Learning about the molecular mechanisms of cancer, Tanya Soboloff's Biology freshmen conducted experiments on fruit flies as part of the Fox Chase Cancer Center’s student research program. Students fed fruit flies a variety of foods and drinks and assessed their impact on the offspring development. The assessments revealed some foods had a distinctly negative effect on fly development.
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Elkins Park Students Learn about Good Digital Citizenship
Deborah McCoy of Educational Development Services presented on the importance of good digital citizenship to Elkins Park students on Thursday, April 19. McCoy stressed to the children that they are the ones responsible for their social media reputation, that whatever they post or send will live on forever - somewhere. Students were engaged in the presentation, surprised by the information and will hopefully be more cautious and mindful about their digital speech moving forward.
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Elkins Park Students Walk the “Trashion” Runway to Recognize Earth Day
In recognition of Earth Day and in an attempt to remind students of the importance of recycling by engineering creative new uses for discarded items, Elkins Park hosted its second annual “Trashion” show on Friday, April 20. The “Trashion Show” had just two rules: Each Science class was responsible for finding its own materials; and all the resources had to come from the trash. Following an environmental presentation by the science teachers, student models “walked the runway” in Kircher Hall to display their “trashions.”
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Annual Cheltenham Baseball Marathon Game
Come out and cheer on the varsity and junior varsity baseball teams as they participate in their annual 100-inning marathon game Saturday, May 19 from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. at the High School. The family-friendly event features CHS graduate DJ Dee-Square, raffles, bounce house and Kona Ice, hamburgers, hot dogs and more at the concession stand. All proceeds support the CHS baseball program. Make a contribution online>
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Calendar Reminders
Inclement weather on Wednesday, March 21 forced the cancellation of an early dismissal/faculty meeting. Recognizing the importance of the time faculty spends together, the Cheltenham School District has rescheduled that January date for Monday, May 14. The professional development day for teachers and staff scheduled for Tuesday, May 15 and early dismissal on Wednesday, May 16 will still occur as scheduled.
Early dismissal times for May 14 and 16 are as follows:
CHS - 1:25 p.m.
Cedarbrook - 2:03 p.m.
Elkins Park School - 2:37 p.m.
K-4 Schools - 2:45 p.m.
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Volunteers Needed for Unified Track Meet
Cheltenham hosts Souderton, Abington and Spring-Ford for its third annual unified track meet Friday, May 11 at 3:30 p.m., and seeks volunteers to officiate, keep time and perform pre-game setups, among other tasks. The day is filled with fun, joy and excitement and volunteers will get back more than they give when interacting with the unified student athletes and partners. If you are interested in volunteering, contact John Creighton (jcreighton@cheltenham.org) or Kimberly Slaninko (kslaninko@cheltenham.org) in the CHS Athletic Department.
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Foundation Offers Innovation Grants for Cheltenham Teachers and Staff
Cheltenham teachers and staff are encouraged to submit applications for Cheltenham School District Foundation’s innovation grants by the Tuesday, June 12 deadline. This year, the Foundation looks to disperse more than $23,000 to make innovative and creative instructional programs designed to enhance and enrich the educational experiences of the students and staff in the Cheltenham community come to life. The multi-faceted Foundation grants initiative provides diverse program support, integrating and supplementing CSD’s regular instructional programs. Many of these programs provide unique approaches to learning, some are offered outside of school hours and are separate from the curriculum and academic program. Apply now>
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Glenside PTO Plant Sale
Just in time for spring planting, purchase your flowers, hanging baskets, veggies and herbs and support Glenside Elementary at the same time! The Glenside Plant Sale runs through May 4 and is open to the entire community. To order, visit the online store, where you’ll find photos and information about the different plants. Cheltenham staff who place an order will receive a six pack of flowers for free. Orders must be picked up from Glenside Elementary on Friday, May 11 between 1 and 6 p.m.
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Sports Physicals for 2018-2019
Athletics physicals for the 2018-2019 school year should be completed on or after June 1, 2018, and will be effective, regardless of when performed through May 31, 2019. Students must submit their physical forms as soon as possible after May 31, preferable by August 1 if they want to participate in any fall sports. On the day the physical is completed, ask the physician to stamp Section 6 of the PIAA physical form. We will only accept the completed PIAA physical forms for participation in after-school athletic programs. Download physical form>
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Vaccination Clinic for Rising 7th and 12th Graders
The Office of Student Services has arranged through Detweiler Family Medicine and Associates of Lansdale to conduct a free vaccine clinic at Cheltenham High School for risings event and 12th graders on Monday, June 4 from 3 to 6 p.m. for students who may still be in need of particular vaccinations. Register your child online> | Read more>
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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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Kindergarten Registration
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Keystone Testing Schedule
With Keystone Testing approaching rapidly, we wanted to share the testing schedule. May 17-18 and 21-24 are designated as Keystone Testing days. On the first four days, school will operate on a 3-hour delay schedule. On their respective testing days, students will report to school at the regular arrival time (7:27 a.m.). The chart below identifies days your student will be testing and what time to report to school on days they are not testing.
Make Up Testing
If a student is scheduled to take a Keystone Exam and is absent on that testing day, he/she will make up the missed exam on one of the following days: May 18, 21, 22, 23, 24 or 25. Please direct any questions to District Assessment Coordinator, Dr. Ray Realdine at 215-881-6335 or rrealdine@cheltenham.org.
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CSD Foundation Scholarship Applications Due Friday, May 4
The Cheltenham School District Foundation is proud to offer increased scholarship opportunities to the CHS Class of 2018. Thanks to the generosity of our local businesses, Cheltenham teachers, and community members, the foundation's scholarship program is granting $6,000 of funding this year. Students interested in applying for a CSDF Scholarship must meet the following criteria:
- Be a member of the Class of 2018 from Cheltenham High School
- Provide your CHS student ID number
- Meet the specific requirements for each scholarship including letters of recommendation
- Letters will ask for specifics regarding your attitude, academic ability, and personal attributes
- If the award is a memorial award, the student recipients must write a 'Thank you note' to the donor before they receive their funds. (Scholarship recipients will receive the name and address with the announced award.)
A diverse set of scholarship opportunities available. For questions, contact CSDF via its website or email foundation@cheltenham.org. Read more>