Conestoga High School

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Issue 3: September 2021

2021 PSAT/NMSQT Administration


On Wednesday, October 13, 2021 Conestoga will administer the PSAT/NMSQT and the PSAT 8/9. Since the test administration is on a school day, all costs will be covered by the Tredyffrin/Easttown School District. Current juniors and sophomores will be automatically registered for the PSAT/NMSQT. Current freshmen will be automatically registered for the PSAT 8/9. Seniors will NOT report to school on Wednesday, October 13th in order to provide an opportunity for college visitation and post-secondary planning. 


Please click here to view the letter that was sent to parents last week.




Conestoga Safety Protocols


We are committed to providing full-time, in-person instruction for the 2021-22 school year. The health and safety of our students and staff remains paramount as we prepare to reopen. Detailed safety protocols are specified in our full District Health & Safety Plan. Items of particular note include:


  • Individuals aged two and over are required to wear a face covering while indoors in any District building and on school buses regardless of vaccination status. Masking is optional but encouraged during outdoor activities. The mask must fit snugly, covering the mouth and nose. The CDC recommends two-ply masks with a metal wire for best protection.
  • By sending your student to school, families are affirming that students do not have any COVID-19 symptoms, have not been directed to quarantine, and are not otherwise sick or ill. A daily symptom screener in Power School will no longer be required.
  • CHS will maintain at least 3 feet of physical distancing between students to the greatest extent possible. Physical distancing of less than 3 feet may occur in classroom activities, building transitions, on school transportation, during lunch, or at other times.
  • Students will be encouraged to spread out to the greatest extent possible during lunch. The cafeteria (6 feet of social distancing), small gym, room 142 and courtyard will be available. Masks should only be removed while eating and returned immediately when finished. ALL students are eligible for lunch privileges, which means students may leave during lunch with parent permission through the Privilege Form. The number of students electing to utilize lunch privileges will determine the extent to which we are able to distance.
  • Hallway traffic and stairwells will return to full, two-way use.
  • Hand sanitizer will be available throughout the building. Students are also encouraged to bring their own hand sanitizer to school.
  • Contact tracing will be done by District nursing staff and administrators as needed. 


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Emergency Card, Registration Form and Media Consent Form

 

New this year, we are asking parents/guardians to complete three forms virtually instead of on paper:

  • Emergency Contact Form
  • Registration Form
  • Media Consent Form

All three of these forms are available to be completed on the PowerSchool parent portahttps://powerschool.tesd.net. Once logged in, please click on "TESD Forms" on the left side of the site.


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 [email protected] 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 or an ESS 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.

            

 Student Privileges


Conestoga High School administration and faculty believe students benefit from increased opportunity for self-direction as they mature. Consistent with this belief, our students' eligibility for privileges increases as they progress through their high school years. Privileges are granted only with permission of the parent or guardian. The student must have the ID card in his/her possession or access to their virtual ID card to exercise privileges. Students will scan their ID card or their virtual ID card when using their privileges to leave or enter school. Privileges may be rescinded at any time by the parent/guardian or by the school authorities if the student experiences academic difficulty or for failure to follow the school rules. All privileges may be suspended by the administration for safety/security reasons. The following privilege options are available to eligible students:

 

  • Delayed Arrival: Seniors and Juniors who have unassigned time during first period have the option of late arrival in time for homeroom. Homeroom attendance is required of all students. Students are required to enter the building through the Main Lobby no earlier than five (5) minutes prior to the start of the next period. Students will be required to scan their virtual or traditional privilege cards when entering the building.

 

  • Early Dismissal: Seniors and Juniors who have unassigned time during eighth period have the option of early dismissal. Seniors who have unassigned time during eighth, seventh and eighth, or sixth, seventh and eighth period have the option of early dismissal. Students are required to leave the building through the Main Lobby. Students will be required to scan their virtual or traditional privilege cards when leaving the building.

 

  • Lunch Privilege: Seniors have the privilege of leaving campus for lunch during their assigned lunch period (5th period or D Lunch). Juniors, Sophomores and Freshmen will have the privilege to leave for lunch at this time due to expanded COVID protocols. This privilege may be suspended for all students during times of inclement weather. Students are required to leave and return through the Main Lobby and return no earlier than five (5) minutes prior to the start of the next period or for their assigned class. Students must scan their virtual or traditional privilege card when leaving and rescan their virtual or traditional privilege card when returning. Students returning late from Senior Lunch Privileges will forfeit their privileges for a minimum of five days for the first offense, in addition to receiving other disciplinary consequences for any missed class time. With parent permission, seniors who do not have scheduled classes after the lunch period are not required to return to campus.

If you wish to apply for Student Privileges, please complete the Student Parent Authorization Form for Student Privileges.


Attention Class of 2022

 

Senior portraits for the Class of 2022 FINAL DATES AT CONESTOGA: SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 25th and OCTOBER 2. THERE WILL BE NO OTHER DATES SCHEDULED.


Information about scheduling an appointment will be mailed to your home by the studio. To contact the studio, log on to http://www.ouryear.com/ school code 87046 or call 1-800-OUR-YEAR™ (687-9327) or email [email protected]


The yearbook staff does not schedule your appointment. 

If you have not had a picture taken during one of the scheduled sessions and would like to appear in the yearbook, you must go to the studio in Bensalem, PA for a session. All pictures must be taken by October 31 in order to appear in the yearbook. 


Once your pictures have been taken, the studio will send you proofs. Follow their directions to select a picture for the yearbook. You must select the portrait for the yearbook by October 31. If you do not choose a pose, the studio will choose one for you. 

CONESTOGA 2021-22 PARENT DIRECTORY IS AVAILABLE ONLINE

 

Don’t forget to log into the Conestoga Directory! To access the online directory, you must register, sign-in and confirm your contact information.  Remember, our online directory is ‘opt-out’, so your information is included in the directory unless you indicate that you don’t want it to be. You are able to determine what information you’d like others to see and what you don’t want shared.


Here is the link to register and access the directory:

https://conestogahs.membershiptoolkit.com

Class Parent Organizations & Class 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 October 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]

First Meeting Date: Thursday, October 14th 10:00 am

Link to Meeting: Click here to join the meeting




Class of 2024

Chairperson: Diane Pancoast, [email protected]

First Meeting Date: Tuesday, October 12th , 10:00 am

Link to Meeting: Click here to join the meeting



Class of 2023

Chairperson: Stacey Pellegrini, [email protected]

First Meeting Date: Thursday, October 21st, 10:00 am

Link to Meeting: Click here to join the meeting




Class of 2022

Chairperson: Carrie Erickson, [email protected]

First Meeting Date: Tuesday, October 19th, 10:00 am

Link to Meeting: Click here to join the meeting



Sports Schedules/Announcements


To provide the most current updated sports information on a given day or changes that may occur regarding adverse weather conditions/cancellations or for some other reason, the Athletic Department has implemented the following for your convenience:

 

For updated announcements, please refer to the CHS website. On the top bar-scroll to Athletics then Announcements under the Athletic tab.

All voluntary off season workouts are being arranged through their individual programs. Any cancelations will be posted on the CHS Athletics Schoology page https://schoology.tesd.net/group/1646474237

 

Please feel free to contact the Athletic Department at 610-240-1024 with any questions or visit the Athletic Website.

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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.
  • 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).



QUICK LINKS

 


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