Issue: 19 May 2021

Conestoga High School

Issue: 19 May 2021

Virtual Instruction Program Information Night – May 27

TESD is currently planning for 5 days/week of in-person instruction for the 2021-2022 school year. As we communicated in our survey last month, the District is also exploring a virtual instruction option for interested families. At its May 6 meeting, the School Board Education Committee authorized the administration to move forward with determining the level of family commitment for a pilot Virtual Instruction Program.

We understand that families need further details and opportunities to ask questions before making such an important decision. TESD will host a Virtual Instruction Program Information Night on May 27 at 7:00 PM. A link to the virtual meeting will be posted on the T/E School District home page under “In the News” by 6:00 PM the day of the meeting. The informational meeting will also be recorded and later posted on the T/E School District website.

Commencement 2021 Letter from Principal

Dear CHS Class of 2021 and Families,

Commencement is always a momentous occasion when families, friends, faculty and administrators gather to honor the graduating seniors who have successfully completed their academic studies. For the Class of 2021, celebrating together as a class will be even more special after their incredible journey over the past several years. We know how much it means to our seniors and their families to hold a traditional graduation ceremony on Teamer Field on June 8th at 6:00PM. I am also pleased to announce the following updates to our plan in light of the recently revised guidance from the Pennsylvania Department of Health:

• We will offer unlimited seats for families; NO tickets will be necessary.

• Masks are required for all unvaccinated individuals. T/E School District recommends fully masking at all school events including those held outside but will permit individual determination due to our inability to verify personal vaccination status.

• Social distancing guidelines will be lifted for outdoor events, allowing for traditional seating in the bleachers and in chairs on the field.

• Gates at Teamer Field will open at 5:00PM.

• Satellite parking will be available at all T/E Elementary Schools and Valley Forge Middle School. Each site will be clearly marked as a parking site for the CHS graduation exercises. Shuttle buses will be provided both before and after the event, beginning at 4:30PM. Families are encouraged to reduce the number of vehicles driven to the event to maximize availability of parking spaces.

• Handicapped parking will be available at T/E Middle School. Please contact Alyssa Myers at 610.240.1018 or [email protected] to reserve a handicapped parking permit.

Click here to view the full letter.

Reflections 2021

Reflections, an annual event where seniors celebrate their time at Conestoga through music and spoken words, will be a virtual performance on Monday, June 7th at 7:00pm. Unfortunately we were unable to secure adequate space for an in-person event, but our senior performers look forward to sharing their talents and thoughts with you. A link to the Reflections event will be available on the Conestoga website at 7:00 pm on June 7th.

'Stoga Theatre Revue

Presented LIVE and IN-PERSON! Award-winning ‘Stoga Theatre erupts onto Teamer Field for one-day only with an electrifying, high-energy, fully-choreographed, 20-minute musical medley of some of the most-loved songs on Broadway. Featuring favorites from shows including: Something Rotten, Into the Woods, Newsies, Mary Poppins, Spring Awakening, Billy Elliot, Rent, Jersey Boys, Mamma Mia, Legally Blonde, and Memphis, this rousing collection of songs gets the famous ‘Stoga Theatre treatment with a full orchestra, dynamic dance numbers, belting, ballads, and non-stop fun.

There will be two separate performances outside on Teamer Field on June 5^th, 2021, for family and friends, and by invitation only. Due to the revised guidance from the Pennsylvania Department of Health, we will be adhering to the following protocols:

Masks are required for all unvaccinated individuals. T/E School District recommends fully masking at all school events including those held outside but will permit individual determination due to our inability to verify personal vaccination status.
Social distancing guidelines will be lifted for outdoor events, allowing for traditional seating in the bleachers.

Admission is free, but cash donations are appreciated. All proceeds will be used to help offset production costs.

AP Exams are Underway!

Click here to review the letter and AP Exam schedule that was sent to AP Students and Families last month.

Key Points:

We will be administering AP Exams during Administration 1 and 2. Please review which exams will be administered in-person paper/pencil and which will be at-home digital.
Important reminder to check the “CHS Advanced Placement” group in Schoology daily leading up to AP Exams. You will find important information regarding how to download the 2021 AP Exam Application (required to test digitally) and how to prepare for exam day.
All cancelation fees are waived this year to give students utmost flexibility. To request a full refund, students should log into their Total Registration account by May 27^th to cancel their exam(s).

AP Teachers will be discussing exam administration in detail with their respective AP students, and information will be posted often to the CHS Advanced Placement Schoology Group. Please contact Megan Smyth ([email protected]) or Katherine Barthelmeh ([email protected]) with questions.

Fall 2021 Sports Update

We are on target for a regular fall athletic season for 2021! Therefore, we will hold team meetings for parents and athletes interested in participating in a fall sport on Wednesday June 2nd. Varsity and JV teams will start on Monday, August 16^th (Football will start a week earlier on August 9^th for heat acclimization). JVB and 9th grade programs will begin once school starts.

We look forward to sharing all current safety protocols and procedures that will ensure the safety of all involved in interscholastic sports. These will be virtual meetings to be held separately with each sports program to review the safety procedures, scheduling, transportation and spectator information. The link to these meetings will be placed on the CHS Athletic Website (https://www.tesd.net/domain/1881). As a reminder, all athletes interested in participating in a fall sport, must submit all required paperwork to the athletic office after July 5. Please use the above link for all PIAA paperwork.

We want to emphasize how important it is that we all stay vigilant in mitigating the spread of COVID-19 at all times. We want our student athletes to have the ability to compete in a safe manner and we will take all necessary steps to do so. We will continue to monitor the recommendations from the PIAA, PDE, and county/state health departments and adjust accordingly.

The virtual meetings on June 2nd will be held at the following times:

Golf, Girls Tennis and Cross Country- 4:00PM

Volleyball and Field Hockey- 5:00 PM

Football and Soccer- 6:00 PM

Traffic Safety Reminders

TESD urges all parents to exercise traffic safety around our schools. Please be reminded to:

Drive slowly and carefully in school parking lots, drop off areas and nearby roads
Obey all traffic flow patterns and rules of the road
Please be respectful of our neighbors
When dropping off and picking up students, please pull all the way up allowing traffic to flow
Discuss pedestrian safety with your kids (use crosswalks/sidewalks, look both ways, don't "walk and text," etc)

Traffic patterns around the schools are always busy at the start and end of our school days. We appreciate your attention to the safety of all of our students.

***VISITORS***

Per our district's safety plan, we are not permitted to have visitors or parents/guardians in the school building. Exceptions will be made for emergency situations. Thank you for your understanding as we begin our reopening plan for hybrid instruction.

A Note from the Attendance Office

During the hybrid model, daily attendance will continue to be taken through homeroom Schoology pages. If your child is scheduled to attend school in person but remains home (and participates virtually), there is no need to send an absence note to the attendance office. If your child is unable to attend school in person or participate virtually, please contact the attendance office at [email protected].

Tech Update

In order to streamline and provide service for any district laptops that may have hardware/software issues please follow these guidelines:

1. Open any Internet browser.

2. Type https://helpdesk.tesd.net.

3. Log in with your network user name (ie. 202ldoej) and password. Do not include @tesdk12.net.

4. Click on Report an Issue in the "I am facing an Issue" box in the middle of the page.

5. Click on the Others tab on the left and click on Student Helpdesk Request.

6. Fill out the required fields (with red asterisks). Include as many details as you can regarding your issue in the Description area. Include screenshots, too!

7. Add request. An IT technician will reply to your ticket

If you have an issue that necessitates an in-house visit you will be directed to visit the CHS Main Lobby. The Tech hours will be 7:30am-3pm Monday thru Friday. You will need to report any issues via the Student Helpdesk Request first or call the Family Helpdesk at 610-240-1730.

We are here to make your virtual learning experience the best it can be!

Your Helpdesk Staff

2020-2021 School District Calendar Information

Please visit the T/E School District website to view the 2020-2021 School District Calendar information. School staff members have begun planning events and activities

for the 2020-2021 school year. To view the single page summary of the 2020-21 school year, please view this link.

Inbox to Receive Feedback on TESD

Virtual Instruction Program

TESD has created an inbox to receive comments and feedback on our virtual

instruction program. Members of the school community may email comment to [email protected]. Feedback received through this inbox will be

shared with School Board members and members of the TESD administrative

team on a weekly basis. Please note: this inbox is designed for feedback on

the TESD virtual instruction program. Technical questions regarding virtual