#ThisIsCheltenham
Sunday, May 10, 2020
In this week's edition of #ThisIsCheltenham, CSD celebrates Teacher Appreciation Week, Steve Chinta joins Facilities and Maintenance staff as assistant director, CBK Digital Media students explore Canva, create coronavirus safety-themed social media posts, Panther senior cager Jaelen McGlone makes third-team all-state, Wyncote students play Flipgrid “Would You Rather?” and Emma Fishbein to continue diving career at Tufts University.
"In the News" features two television news hits from the Class of 2020 sign distribution and a story about school district budgets and coronavirus.
"Need to Know Info" includes calendar reminders about the end of the school year, student council applications, board committee reports, and other coronavirus-related information.
"Upcoming Meetings/Events" features information about the upcoming virtual legislative and committee meetings.
To update your contact information, visit www.cheltenham.org/updatemyinfo. For updates throughout the week, be sure to visit cheltenham.org or the Cheltenham School District Facebook, Twitter or Instagram pages. If you know someone who would like to receive the weekly news share, direct them to the eNEWS icon at cheltenham.org to register.
CSD Celebrates Teacher Appreciation Week
Since 1985, students and parents from across the country have recognized National Teacher Appreciation Week, and the CHS community wasn’t going to let a pandemic get in the way of continuing that tradition.
The National Education Association describes National Teacher Day as a day for "honoring teachers and recognizing the lasting contributions they make to our lives.” Never have our nation's teachers been more appreciated and seen--even as they work with students from a distance.
Beginning in 1944, political and educational leaders engaged in discussions for a day to honor teachers. In 1953, Eleanor Roosevelt persuaded the 81st Congress to proclaim National Teachers’ Day. Congress declared March 7, 1980, as National Teacher Day. The National Education Association (NEA) continued to observe Teacher Day on the first Tuesday in March until 1985 when the National Parent Teacher Association established Teacher Appreciation Week as the first full week of May. The NEA Representative Assembly then voted to make the Tuesday of that week National Teacher Day.
From the Office of Education >>>> The Cheltenham School District Office of Education is grateful for the work all teachers and staff are doing during these unprecedented days.
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Steve Chinta Joins Facilities and Maintenance Staff as Assistant Director
A 2002 Cheltenham High School graduate, Steve Chinta has been named the assistant director of facilities and maintenance at the Cheltenham School District.
A longtime Cheltenham resident and district employee, Chinta most recently served as a district wide lead computer technician for four years. As facilities supervisor from 2010 through 2014, Chinta coordinated and supervised custodial services and ran the district work order system. Chinta has also served as an assistant athletic director, computer technician, school safety officer, athletic equipment manager, technical services coordinator, transportation coordinator, and assistant boys basketball coach.
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CBK Digital Media Students Explore Canva, Create Coronavirus Safety-Themed Social Media Posts
This past week, Cedarbrook students in Alissa Levinson’s Digital Media class utilized Canva, a graphic design platform allowing users to create social media graphics, presentations, posters and other visual content, to create coronavirus safety-themed social media posts. Read more>
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Panther Senior Cager McGlone Makes Third-Team All-State
Senior swingman Jaelen McGlone, a Rider University commit, has been named to the 6A all-state basketball third team in voting by Pennsylvania sportswriters. The 6-4 McGlone averaged 16.1 points, 7.2 rebounds and 3.1 assists, while shooting 48 percent from the floor, 39 percent from beyond the arc and 78 percent from the free-throw line, and earned American Conference first team honors. With win streaks of eight and nine games during the season, the Panthers finished with a 25-4 record (tied for third best in school history), earned a spot in the District 1 title game for the first time since 2005, and advanced to the second round of the PIAA 6A state championship tournament before the season was canceled amid the coronavirus pandemic. Read more>
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Wyncote Students Play Flipgrid “Would You Rather?”
In an effort to give students a voice and chance to share their thoughts, Wyncote students have been encouraged to post on library media specialist Amy Flynn’s “We Are All in This Together” Flipgrid page. Each week, Flynn posts a fun topic for students to share their opinions, ideas or knowledge. Topics have ranged from poems to “Would You Rather?” to “Guess My Spanish Word.” “Would You Rather” included tough choices like “find a unicorn or a genie?” “be a dancer or singer?” and “eat donuts or watermelon?” View "Would you rather" Flipgrid>
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Emma Fishbein to Continue Diving Career at Tufts University
CHS senior Emma Fishbein will attend Tufts University in Medford, Mass., this fall and continue her diving career for the Jumbos under head coach Adam N. Hoyt and diving coach Brad Snodgrass. Tufts is an NCAA Division III program which competes in the New England Small College Athletic Conference, comprising 11 highly selective liberal arts institutions. A three-year member of the CHS diving squad, Fishbein chose Tufts for myriad reasons. First and foremost, Tufts “felt right” Fishbein offered, and said the 5,500-student private research university would provide the academic freedom to explore her interests, while being “very strong in the STEM areas I think I may pursue.” Read more>
The Saturday, May 2 surprise sign distribution to the Class of 2020 garnered coverage on 6ABC, CBS3 and Fox29.
CSD Business Manager Cara Michaels was quoted a number of times in a Sunday, May 3 story in the Philadelphia Inquirer about the fiscal impact of coronavirus on school districts. Read article>
Calendar Reminders
Below are the final days of the 2019-2020 school year for students and teachers:
- Seniors: Wednesday, May 27
- K-11: Monday, June 15
- Teachers: Wednesday, June 17
For more events, visit the Cheltenham School District Calendar>
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Student Council Applications Open
Student leaders wanted! Students interested in serving on the CHS Student Council should complete an application online. Positions available include president, chief of staff/secretary and are open to all students in the Classes of 2021, 2022 and 2023. Deadline is Friday, May 15. Complete application>
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May Financial Affairs Committee Meeting
With co-chair Joel Fishbein presiding, the Financial Affairs Committee met Tuesday, May 5 in a Zoom seminar room, which allowed the public to view the meeting and submit questions in real-time. Business manager Cara Michaels presented three agenda items: 2020-21 food service management company (FSMC) renewal; 2019-20 budget status; and 2020-21 proposed final budget. Read more> | View presentation>
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May Facilities Committee Meeting
With co-chair David Cohen presiding, the Facilities Committee convened on Tuesday, May 5 in a Zoom seminar room, which allowed the public to view the meeting and submit questions in real-time. The agenda included updates on facilities maintenance, facilities condition assessment report and SchoolDude. Committee members were briefed about the facilities condition assessment, which was recently completed in the district’s 5-12 buildings. More information from the report will be delivered in the next committee meeting, Tuesday, June 2. View presentation>
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CSD Coronavirus Update from Superintendent Dr. Marseille 5-8-2020
Dear Cheltenham Families and Staff,
I hope this email finds you doing well and staying safe. As I reflect on the past week, I am reminded of the James Baldwin quote, “We are responsible for the world in which we find ourselves, if only because we are the only sentient force which can change it.”
The passion and commitment between our educators / staff and the Cheltenham community was never more evident than in this week’s celebrations of Teacher Appreciation Week and National School Nurse Day. Students, families and administrators sent hand-written notes, posted to social media and made charitable contributions on behalf of teachers and staff in an effort to thank our them for their tireless and unwavering commitment to our children in these most surreal days.
In demonstrating this affection, members of the Cheltenham community illustrated a commitment to action, not just empty words. Many teachers responded in kind with gratitude and appreciation. Ongoing support and positive acknowledgment of each other provide the social-emotional fuel we all need.
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Grab-n-Go Meal Bag Distribution
The Cheltenham School District is proud of its commitment to assisting its most in-need families and will continue its distribution of grab-n-go meal bags on Wednesday, May 13 from 10 a.m. - noon at the Administration Building (2000 Ashbourne Rd., Elkins Park). All grab-n-go meal bags contain enough food for several days. The district has partnered with its food services sub-contractor Chartwells to pack the bags (while maintaining proper social distance), and so far, almost 13,500 meals have been distributed. To those wishing to contribute gift cards to the effort, thank you in advance. Please connect with director of student services Dr. Cheryl Horsey. For families facing food insecurity, see the MontCo Anti-Hunger Network's list of food pantries>
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Coronavirus Updates
Families and staff interested in the latest school district updates regarding coronavirus should visit www.cheltenham.org/coronavirus. The page is updated on a regular basis with information from the continuity of education plan and grab-n-go meal bag distribution information to social-emotional health information and updates from the superintendent and office of education. Read more>
Virtual Legislative Board Meeting
The monthly legislative board meeting will be virtual.
Agenda review will be at 6:45; meeting at 7 p.m.
Join the meeting and ask questions through the Q&A interface at www.cheltenham.org/zoom. Meeting will also be available at Cheltenham.org/stream, Comcast Ch. 42 and Verizon Ch. 1960.
Tuesday, May 12, 2020, 06:30 PM
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Virtual Educational Affairs Committee Meeting
The May Educational Affairs Committee meeting will be virtual. Join the meeting and pose questions through the Q&A interface at www.cheltenham.org/zoom.
Meeting will also be available at Cheltenham.org/stream, Comcast Ch. 42 and Verizon Ch. 1960.
Agenda
Curriculum Update
Tuesday, May 19, 2020, 06:30 PM
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Virtual Policy Committee Meeting
The May Policy Committee meeting will be virtual. Join the meeting and pose questions through the Q&A interface at www.cheltenham.org/zoom.
Meeting will also be available at Cheltenham.org/stream, Comcast Ch. 42 and Verizon Ch. 1960.
Agenda
Equity
Curriculum Review by Parents and Students
Exemption from Instruction
Adoption of Textbooks
Adoption of Supplemental Textbooks
Outside Activities
Public Complaints
Service Animals
Curriculum Materials Review
Wednesday, May 27, 2020, 07:00 PM
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Communications Committee Meeting
The May Communications Committee meeting will be virtual. Join the meeting and pose questions through the Q&A interface at www.cheltenham.org/zoom.
Meeting will also be available at Cheltenham.org/stream, Comcast Ch. 42 and Verizon Ch. 1960.
Agenda
TBD