Superintendent's Update to T/E Families January 20, 2022

Dear TESD Families,

Throughout the pandemic, TESD has monitored guidance from the Chester County Health Department (CCHD) and we have updated our COVID-19 mitigation practices accordingly. Today, the CCHD provided new direction to school districts regarding contact tracing for positive COVID-19 cases, and this new guidance will impact TESD’s protocols. Please visit the CCHD website for expanded information on the latest CCHD guidance.

Response to a Positive Case

• The protocol for positive COVID-19 cases has not changed. Families of students who have tested positive for COVID-19 should keep their child at home, contact the attendance office and email the school nurse for instructions. Individuals who have tested positive should consult the CCHD website for isolation guidelines and contact their healthcare provider if needed.
• School districts are no longer authorized by the CCHD to provide quarantine letters to individuals who are identified as close contacts to positive cases. As a result, all County school districts have been directed to discontinue contact tracing. This means that TESD nurses and administrators will no longer be contacting families of students who are considered close contacts to positive COVID-19 cases in classrooms, common areas or on school buses. With the current level of community spread, the CCHD has stated that universal contact tracing is an increasingly less effective and practical tool to disrupt the spread of infection throughout Chester County.
• The CCHD has indicated that students or staff currently under quarantine for being a close contact should complete their quarantine as originally ordered. Going forward, if you learn that your child has been a close contact to a positive case, please follow the CCHD’s quarantine guidelines and consult with your family’s healthcare provider as needed. In an effort to share information on positive COVID-19 cases in our schools, TESD will continue to post cases that have been reported to us on the TESD COVID-19 Dashboard.

All Other COVID-19 Mitigation Practices Remain in Place

To maximize the opportunities for in-person instruction, the CCHD and TESD continue to emphasize layered mitigation strategies, including:

• Symptom Screening. It is important that families continue to review the at-home symptom screening checklist before sending their child to school. If your child is ill or has any COVID-19 symptoms, they should stay home from school.
• Masking. Face coverings continue to be required for anyone age 2 and older while inside T/E buildings, regardless of vaccination status.
• Rapid Testing for TESD Students and Staff Who Are Symptomatic or Who Are Exiting Quarantine on Day 5. While supplies remain, we will continue to offer rapid antigen testing at Teamer Field from 10:00 AM – 2:45 PM on days school is in session. Please complete the antigen testing consent form in your child’s PowerSchool account under TESD Forms prior to testing, and create a QR code using the instructions in this link.

The School Board will review the District’s current Health and Safety Plan at its January 24, 2022 regular meeting at 7:30 PM at Valley Forge Middle School. Members of the school community who would like to provide feedback on the plan may share comments via email at [email protected]. All comments received in the TECovidFeedback inbox related to the Health and Safety Plan will be shared with the School Board and TESD Pandemic Team and will be considered along with comments provided during the public meeting.

With every twist and turn of the pandemic, we recognize that families have continued to adjust to these dynamic circumstances. We are committed to adapting as well, remaining consistent with the recommendations and requirements of our health officials to prioritize safe practices while maximizing instructional opportunities. I thank you for your ongoing partnership in this endeavor.

Sincerely,

Dr. Richard Gusick

Superintendent of Schools

Course Selection Night

You are invited to attend our virtual Course Selection Night on Thursday, January 27, from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Prior to Course Selection Night, each student will receive a copy of the Conestoga Program of Studies. Through teachers and counselors, students will learn about course offerings and upcoming course selection procedures. Parents are encouraged to review the book and discuss course selection with students in advance of the evening program.

Separate programs will be offered for each grade level. A follow up email, closer to the event, will include a TEAMS link to each grade level meeting.

In each of the sessions, counselors will review course selection procedures and offer

insights about the academic program. Curriculum supervisors and department

chairpersons will offer brief presentations for each grade level, highlighting various

course offerings for the 2022-2023 school year. Additional points for your consideration:

• Parents with students in more than one grade at Conestoga should choose the grade level program with which they are less familiar. 
• Faculty representatives will rotate through all four TEAMS Meetings. 
• Since students will hear similar presentations by teachers and counselors during the school day, they should not find it necessary to attend.

Senior Internship Program

The Senior Internship Program offers seniors in good standing an opportunity to explore an area of career or academic interest during the last month before graduation. The Senior Internship dates this year are May 9 through June 3.

Again this year, we expect the Senior Internship Program to be impacted by changes in the work force caused by Covid-19. We continue to ask our long-standing Internship Community Sponsors whether they will be able to offer internships this May. Seniors who are not able to secure an internship will remain in school. Our goal is to help the seniors explore many internship opportunities and provide some flexibility as they do that.

Seniors attend Internship Orientation sessions in January and February and begin their search for internships following those. All information, materials, deadlines and communication for the Senior Internship will be available to students through Schoology.

Important Information for 17-Year-Old Seniors

In July of 2016, the PA State Legislature amended the Child Protective Services Law to include employees who work with children through internships, externships and work-study programs. This means that Community Sponsors of 17-year-old students must complete the PA Criminal, PA Child Abuse and FBI background checks

prior to the start of internship.

If you are interested in being an internship Community Sponsor, please contact Jeanne Braun. Questions about the Senior Internship Program may be directed to Jeanne Braun, Program Coordinator, at 610-240-1913 or [email protected].

Attention Junior Parents!



It is our pleasure to invite you to schedule a virtual or in-person post-high school planning conference sometime this winter or spring. In this conference, you will meet with your child and your child’s counselor. We will provide you with a variety of materials and information to help you begin this process. Meetings began on November 29^th (parent conference day) and dates may be scheduled through April.  For more information, please open attached documents. We look forward to seeing you! 

Junior Parent Invite Letter

Parent Reflection 21-22

Career Days at Conestoga

It is a tradition that 10^th grade parents, working in conjunction with the Student Services office, organize Career Days at Conestoga. Career Days are three days – March 22, 23 & 24 – where professionals come to Conestoga and share their careers, their career paths and what types of jobs are available in their professional fields. Typically, we have about 25-30 speakers in many different professional areas.

If you are a Sophomore parent and interested in being on the Career Days Committee, please reach out to Diane Pancoast at [email protected]. We will need parents to work on speakers, speaker schedules, marketing and hospitality.

Class Parent Meetings

Parents at Conestoga are invited to attend the monthly Class Parent Meetings. It is an opportunity to hear from CHS Administrators and Counselors and get updates on what is happening at school. At this time the parent meetings are being held virtually. The Microsoft Teams links for the January meetings are below. It is preferable to download Microsoft Team on your computer to successfully link to the meeting.

Class of 2025

Chairperson: Deb Delaney, [email protected]

Meeting Date: Thursday, January 13, 10:00 am

Link to Meeting: Click here to join the meeting

Class of 2024

Chairperson: Diane Pancoast, [email protected]

Meeting Date: Tuesday, January 11, 10:00 am

Link to Meeting: Click here to join the meeting

Class of 2023

Chairperson: Stacey Pellegrini, [email protected]

Meeting Date: Thursday, January 20, 10:00 am

Link to Meeting: Click here to join the meeting

Class of 2022

Chairperson: Carrie Erickson, [email protected]

Meeting Date: Tuesday, January 18, 10:00 am

Link to Meeting: Click here to join the meeting

 



Winter Sports Update

Winter sports are continuing with their full practice and game schedule. As you are aware, the COVID numbers in Chester County and at Conestoga continue to be high. From now until January 31^st, we will continue to limit spectators for all indoor sporting events to parents/guardians and family members  (siblings are permitted to attend provided they sit with their family members). This will be true for the home and visiting fans. When our athletes travel, we cannot require the same, as the home venue determines the health and safety protocols. This will continue to allow us to minimize large aggregate crowds until our numbers stabilize. We will be livestreaming all events held in the large gym on our YouTube channel https://www.tesd.net/Page/16803. We appreciate your help and support in mitigating the further spread of Covid-19.

Our athletic website is a wonderful source of information regarding Conestoga Athletics: https://www.tesd.net/domain/1881

Message From The Key Club

We am excited to share that this February, Conestoga High School is uniting for American Heart Month to help Reclaim Your Rhythm to live longer, healthier, fuller lives. 

By participating in Heart Month, it is not only a great way for us to connect, but also a great way to support the lifesaving mission of the American Heart Association. Over the past year the AHA has been working tirelessly, making an impact on those most affected by COVID-19, fighting for health equity, and continuing to focus on overall brain and heart health for all. The AHA has been: 

• Addressing food insecurity through partnerships with local pantries and urban farms to distribute free and fresh produce by distributing 22 freezers to local pantries, over 2.000 bags of locally grown vegetables to North Philadelphia residents and provide 3.500 nutritious lunches to students who would normally access free school meals. 
• Working to ensure those with hypertension can manage high blood pressure from the safety of their own home through self-monitored blood pressure programs, distributing over 500 validated blood pressure cuffs and patient resources guides. 
• Focusing on healthcare and food access through relationships with Federally Qualified Health Centers, faith-based organizations and schools. 

CLICK HERE to make a difference right here in our community and support the mission of the AHA to help reduce deaths from heart disease and stroke, as well as improve the future health of our family, friends, and neighbors. 

Traffic Safety Reminders

• DROP OFF – Parents may drop off in the front of the building using two lanes. The bus circle is available beginning at 7:40AM as an additional drop-off location.
• PICK UP - Parents may pick up in the front of the building using two lanes. The bus circle is available at 3:00PM for parents to pick up students.
• Please DO NOT use the Main Lot for drop-off and pick-up as it creates more congestion for our student drivers.
• Drive slowly and carefully on school drop off areas and nearby roads.
• Obey all traffic flow patterns and rules of the road DO NOT MAKE ILLEGAL U-TURNS
• Please be respectful of our neighbors. DO NOT use driveways as a turn around.
• The Timothy School should not be used as a drop-off/pick-up location.
• 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).

QUICK LINKS

• Student Services Department
• Conestoga High School website