Conestoga High School

Panoramic CHS Mike Starner Photo.jpg

Issue 2: September 2025


Principal's Welcome


 

As we come to the end of our second week of classes, our students are establishing routines and enjoying the start of the new year. It is great to have the classrooms and hallways buzzing with activity. Each day we are reminded how our students, staff and community make Conestoga a truly remarkable school.   


Our 10th, 11th and 12th graders began “Lunch and Learn” this week. All ninth graders attended a grade-level, Lunch and Learn Orientation in preparation for the start of the program next week. It is very important for students to use their time productively and respectfully. Our ninth-grade students will begin the year with a “Passport” system to ensure they are productively using the “Learn” time. The Passport requires ninth graders to get a signature or stamp each day during their Learn time. We encourage them to attend the 9th grade Seminar on Wednesdays in the Auditorium and outdoor activity on Thursdays. All students in grades 10, 11, and 12 will have the choice to use their time as their needs necessitate. Again, we are very excited to continue Lunch and Learn for the opportunities it provides for our students! 


I look forward to working with our students and their families during the upcoming school year. I welcome your involvement, questions and input. Please feel free to contact me at any time, and as always, go ‘Stoga!



Amy A. Meisinger, Ph.D.

Principal

Open House, September 11, 2025


Conestoga High School will hold its annual Open House Program on Thursday, September 11 at 6:30 PM. Open House provides parents with the opportunity to experience their children’s schedules and to meet their teachers. Each class will meet for twelve minutes, during which teachers will discuss course content, requirements, homework, and grading practices. Study halls and unassigned periods will provide opportunities to visit the library, atrium, nurse’s office and cafeteria.

 

Parking for the event will be available in the main parking lot, the two north parking lots adjacent to the track, T/E Middle School, and only the right side of Old State Road (no cars will be permitted to park in the bus drop-off loop). Bus shuttles to transport families to and from Conestoga will also circulate between the parking lots at all T/E Elementary Schools and Valley Forge Middle School. Shuttle buses will run both before and after the event, beginning at 5:30 PM.  Return shuttles will begin leaving the high school at 8:00 PM. Parents are strongly encouraged to carpool to assist in accommodating the large turnout that is expected. Parents should report directly to first period upon entering the building. Student guides will be present throughout the building to provide assistance with finding specific locations. Building maps and additional programs will be available in the main lobby as you enter.

 

Student schedules may be accessed via Powerschool and the evening will follow a GARNET class sequence. Homeroom is not included in the Open House schedule. We look forward to seeing our families on the evening of September 11th. Please note that our Parent Conference Day this year is scheduled for Monday, December 1. More information regarding Parent Conference Day will be coming in a few weeks. Thank you for supporting Conestoga High School; we look forward to seeing you at Open House!

 


For Families New to the T/E School District

 

We are inviting Conestoga parents who are new to the T/E School District to a Welcome Reception prior to Conestoga’s Back To School Night on September 11, 2025. Please join us in the Cafeteria from 5:45pm - 6:15pm. The Back To School Night program for all Conestoga parents will begin at 6:30pm. 


EEPE APPLICATION

FALL SEMESTER 2025


Conestoga High School requires that alternative physical education programs completed outside of Conestoga High School include a minimum of 30 hours per semester of physical activity supervised by a credentialed adult. To be approved, programs must include an ongoing instructional component.


Submission of this application by the aforementioned date acknowledges that the course is on the student’s schedule and that the student understands the requirements and deadlines required. The course will be removed from the student’s schedule if the survey is not properly completed.

A completed application must be submitted on or by September 12, 2025.

*Students participating in a Club Sport must complete an application survey if EEPE is on the student’s semester 1 schedule.

  

Click here for application

  

Club Fair 2025


Do you have a student interested in learning more about the clubs and activities offered at Conestoga High School? Please encourage your child(ren) to spend some time at the Club Fair, which will take place from September 15 - 18, 2025. Students will have access to meet with Club members who will share highlights of the various clubs and activities offered at Conestoga High School. In addition, students will be able to sign up for clubs via Schoology during the fair. All students are encouraged to go to the club fair during a free period or during their lunch. Conestoga offers various clubs for students to explore and participate in. Student Activities provide a wonderful opportunity for students to enrich their high school experience and be connected to something fun and meaningful. Club Fair is the perfect time for students to join or re-join any clubs of interest. We encourage students to explore the clubs and activities at Conestoga High School.

Homecoming Dance

Saturday, September 20, 2025



The annual Homecoming Dance, sponsored by Student Council, is scheduled for Saturday, September 20, from 6:00 pm to 8:30 pm. Students from all grade levels attend the dance, with or without dates. The dress is "semiformal," which means acceptable attire is considered a dress, dress pants, or coat and tie and no jeans. Parent volunteers staff the water station and the coat check. If you are interested in volunteering at the dance, please click on this link - https://forms.office.com/r/iSQAJxetFz


Homecoming tickets will be sold at Conestoga, September 15th – 19th during all lunches. No tickets will be sold at the door. Anyone bringing a guest from another school needs to complete the required guest form and purchase their tickets directly from Mrs. Gallo in room 162 during lunch and learn on September 17th or 18th All Conestoga High School Code of Conduct Rules are in effect. Tickets are $20, payment can be cash or check made payable to CHS.

To ensure your student can purchase a Homecoming ticket, please complete their Emergency Medical Card in PowerSchool. This step is required to purchase a ticket. For detailed instructions, please refer to the following link: PowerSchool Instructions for Emergency Medical Card.

*Additional Homecoming Information*

With the arrival of Fall, we eagerly anticipate our annual Homecoming Weekend on Friday, September 19, and Saturday, September 20. Activities scheduled for the weekend include:

·        Homecoming Pep Rally on Friday, September 19 at 1:00 pm.

·        Homecoming Football Game vs. Penncrest on Friday, September 19 at 7:00 pm.

·        Homecoming Dance on Saturday, September 21 from 6:00 pm to 8:30 pm at CHS.

·        Students should arrive by 6:30pm and will be allowed to leave as early as 8:15pm.

 

Additionally, administrators will be visiting homerooms in the coming weeks to discuss appropriate decorum and expectations with the students. We encourage you to consider the following suggestions to ensure a successful homecoming weekend. Communicate clear expectations to your child. Help your child make the right choices by giving a clear, uncompromising message that discourage drinking alcohol and the use of drugs. With your support in our efforts to provide a positive, safe environment, we are confident that our students will have a memorable and enjoyable experience.

 

Finally, a helpful hint for parents: Please label your students' items (such as blue blazers!) so they can be easily found at the end of the evening. Unfortunately, blazers, phones, and shoes have been lost in the past. Conestoga cannot be responsible for lost or stolen items.


ATTENTION: Parent Volunteers Needed


The annual CHS Homecoming Dance is on Saturday, September 20 and we are in need of family volunteers to help make the event a success. Opportunities include assisting with coat check and donating food and drinks. Please visit the form below to offer to help provide a safe and fun night for our students!


https://forms.office.com/r/iSQAJxetFz


Contact Jacqui Rothera at rotheraj@tesd.net if you have any questions. Thank you!

 

Message from the Student Services Office


The Student Services Department would like to welcome everyone back to school. We hope you had a restful summer! Please be sure to check these bulletins for the most up-to-date information about our programming throughout the year, also click on the link to view the Student Services webpage for additional informaton. We look forward to working with you.

A Note from the Attendance Office

 

When your child is going to miss school or is going to be late you must:

 

Send an email to chsattendance@tesd.net or a written note within 3 days of your child's absence/ lateness with a valid reason.

 

If you send a note without a valid reason (listed below), then the absence or lateness will remain unexcused.

 

If you email with a valid reason for the absence/lateness before 9:15 a.m. on the day of the absence/lateness, you will not receive phone calls, emails and texts. If you do not send an email before 9:15 a.m. then you can respond to the automated email you receive.

 

You do not need to call prior to your child's absence. You only need to send an email or a note for their return.

 

What to include in your emails/notes:


FULL NAME OF YOUR CHILD

GRADE

VALID REASON (listed below)

 

Please note: missing the bus, traffic, and oversleeping are not reasons for being late.

 

Each semester your child is permitted 4 excused tardies and 2 unexcused tardies. Students who exceed this will receive a school detention, an ESS, or loss of privileges based on the Code of Conduct. If you receive a phone call, email, or text that your child is absent, and you believe it is in error, please contact the attendance office as soon as possible.

 

 Excused Absences and Tardies Reasons:

  

1. Personal illness 

2. Family Emergency

3. Death of a Family Member

4. Medical or Dental Appointments

5. Authorized School Activities

6. Educational Travel with Prior Approval 

7. Pre-approved Religious Instruction (limit 36 hours per year) 

8. Bona Fide Religious Holiday 

9. Tutorial Instruction in a field not offered in the District's curricula

10. Attending Court Hearings related to involvement with the County Children and Youth Agency or Juvenile Probation Office

11. When the student is required to leave school for the purposes of attending court hearings related to their involvement with the county children and youth agency or juvenile probation office 

12. If the student is absent due to participation in a project sponsored by an organization that is eligible to apply for a grant under the Pennsylvania Agricultural Fair Act 

13. If a student is dismissed from school during school hours for health-related reasons by a certified school nurse, registered nurse, licensed practical nurse or a school administrator or designee employed by the District. 

14. For the purpose of obtaining professional health care or therapy service rendered by a licensed practitioner of the healing arts in any state, commonwealth or territory.

15. If a student whose parent or legal guardian has been called to duty for, is on leave from, or is immediately returned from deployment to a combat zone or combat support posting, with regard to school attendance, tests and extra-curricular or co-curricular activities, at the discretion of the Superintendent or designee, no penalties shall be imposed for absences of up to five (5) days.

16. Where the Superintendent has approved an attendance plan necessitated by rare and extraordinary circumstances. In this context, "rare" means typically no more than 1 or 2 per year District-wide and "extraordinary circumstances" means the student is engaged in a profession or activity at a nationally recognized level.

            

 

Conestoga 2025-2026 Online Directory


The CHS Directory will be available in early September at no cost to families. Conestoga will provide families with a link to access the Directory and is available via a website or a cell phone app. Even if you had access last year, you still must log in and register. You will log-in and ‘register’, verify your information, and decide what information – if any – you’d like included in the directory. Also, if any of your information changes throughout the school year, you will be able to update it in the directory.

 

You may opt out of having any information in the CHS Directory. Once you log-in and ‘register’, you will be able to opt-out of having any of your contact information included in the CHS Directory. If you don’t take this action, your information will appear in the directory.

 

Information in the CHS Directory is safe and secure and will not be shared or sold to third parties by the District or by Membership Toolkit, our vendor. You can only access the Directory via a link using your registered log-in. Additionally, each person using the Directory must agree to a Privacy Statement.

 

More information about the directory and how to access it will be available to Conestoga parents once the school year begins.

Class Parent Organizations & Class Meetings


Each grade level at Conestoga has a Class Parent Organization which meets each month virtually. The meetings are led by the Class Parent Chairs and include updates from Dr. Meisinger, the Assistant Principals, and Counselors. Information provided at the meetings also includes school activities and events, community announcements and parent volunteer opportunities. Meeting dates, meeting links, and Parent Chair contact information can be found from the Parent Chair emails and on the CAPCO website

 

First meeting dates of the school year, all at 10:00am on Teams:

Class of 2026 - September 16

Class of 2027 - September 18

Class of 2028 - September 9

Class of 2029 - September 11

 

Fall 2025 Athletic Update

 

The fall season is “up and running” and we have all teams practicing or playing games. The field expansion is moving along with the hope that we will be able to use the new fields this fall. The winter season begins on 11/17 and we will start accepting PIAA paperwork in early October. If you can’t make the game, please visit our HUDL channel t at Conestoga High School | High School Sports | Home | Hudl . 


When dropping off or picking up your students before or after practice, we have been asked to use the parking lots around the school. Dropping off on Conestoga Rd across from the stadium can be dangerous.



Senior Portraits 


Members of the class of 2026 should schedule their senior portraits with Cady Studios. Cady will hold limited sessions at Conestoga on September 20 and September 27, but they have many available appointments at their studio that might better fit busy schedules. The sessions vary in price, but, as always, you will have the choice of a free yearbook-only option. Their weekend schedules fill up fast, so book early to secure your spot! They will open appointments for sessions after the completion of the current session. For example, August will open after June fills up. Visit cady.com/schedule to book now 📸 More information about booking your session can be found in the Senior Portrait Booking Flyer.

 



Traffic Safety Reminders

 

In agreement with the township, the New Lower North Parking Lot is not to be used as a Drop Off in the morning or a Pick-Up in the afternoons. We ask our parents to please plan accordingly when dropping off and picking up your child.


  • 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).




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