Reminders & Upcoming Events March 4, 2021
All-Academy Reminders Revised Travel Policy & Spring Break Plan With Gov. Wolf's revised statewide COVID-19 mitigation orders, Shady Side Academy has updated its travel policy to match the PA Department of Health's guidance, such that a 14-day quarantine is no longer required for students and employees who travel out of state. The changes mean that families who travel out of state anytime over Spring Break will not be required to quarantine before returning to campus. We still plan to conduct mandatory COVID-19 PCR testing of all students and employees after break. Read the March 2 email.
Registration for SSA Summer Day Camps Is Open Registration for summer day camps for kids entering grades PK-9 is open on the SSA Summer website! These in-person camps, including a new camp at Country Day School, are offered weekly from June 21 to July 30. All of our in-person camps will have extensive COVID-19 health and safety protocols, including limited enrollments. Camps are expected to sell out, so register early to reserve your child's spot. Information and registration for Focus, Sports and STEAM camps, as well as high school Summer School courses, will be available in March.
The PA Plants & Presents Sale Is Open The SSA Parents' Association Plants & Presents sale is open now through Wednesday, April 7. The sale features the SSA community cookbook, Together in Our Kitchens, an assortment of fresh herbs and beautiful hanging baskets. Contactless pick up is on Thursday, May 6, at the Junior School or the Senior School. View product offerings and descriptions and use the online form to place your order.
Posner Award Nominations Due March 26 Parents, students and alumni are extended the extraordinary opportunity to celebrate the outstanding teaching and personal excellence of our faculty by providing nominations for the Posner Award for Meritorious Faculty Performance. The purpose of the Posner Award is "to recognize, inspire and reward faculty at SSA who, through their special "gift of teaching" and mentoring, have affected, in a highly special way, the learning, development and lives of one or more individual students. The deadline for nominations is Friday, March 26. See the Feb. 24 email for more information.
Admissions Virtual and On-Campus Visit Opportunities
Reminder: Order Lunches by 9 p.m. on Wednesdays Orders must be placed via the Choosi website or mobile app by Wednesday at 9 p.m. for the following week's lunches. Download the instructional PDF. Browse the PDF menus on the Lunch Menus page before ordering. Upcoming Academy Events March 20 - Spring Recess Begins
March 26 - Posner Award Nominations Due
April 6 - Classes Resume Via Distance Learning
April 7 - PA Plants & Presents Sale Order Due
April 12 - In-Person Classes Resume
Country Day School Reminders Dress-Down Day, March 5 Second grade teacher Anne Shelby will begin her maternity leave on Friday, March 5. To celebrate the arrival of her baby boy, students may wear any shade of blue they would like to welcome baby Shelby to the Country Day community.
Join the Spring Decorating Committee Volunteer to help form and lead a spring decorating committee for Spring/Earth Day or Teacher Appreciation Week. Sign up online. Contact Rebecca Witt with any questions.
Closing Exercises, June 7 Each year we celebrate the fifth graders in a closing exercises ceremony before they move on to the Middle School. We will not know what the ceremony will consist of until we are closer to the date, but please mark your calendar for the ceremony to take place on Monday, June 7. In the past, all students were invited to attend, however, this year's event will likely be just for fifth graders and their families.
Birthday Treats If you are planning on having a birthday treat for your child at school, please contact school nurse Kelly Sample. She will be able to ensure all allergy and dietary restrictions are considered. Treats must be individually pre-packaged. You may also order treats through Metz food service by emailing metz@shadysideacademy.org.
Donate Winter Gear If you have any snow pants, boots, hats or gloves you no longer need, please consider donating them to the school for students who may need them. Upcoming CDS Events
Junior School Reminders International Fair, March 18 The Parents' Association will once again bring the world to the Junior School for the Third Annual International Fair on Thursday, March 18. Students will be taken on a virtual international flight around the world, visiting many countries and immersing themselves in a new culture with each stop. Twelve countries will be represented this year. Download the flyer. Contact Penny Butler with any questions.
Carpool Reminders As clarification and a friendly reminder, it is okay for families to pull around gently and with great care during drop off and pick up. Please be aware of this practice and be sure to take a good look over your shoulder before pulling out.
Parents' Association Officer Recruitment Information The Junior School Neurodiversity Squad (NDS) provides information, support, resources, encouragement and visibility to all interested parents, faculty, staff and caregivers. We meet monthly (sometimes a bit more often, and via Zoom for now). For more information, please contact Lisa Avery or Carol Caplan.
Yearbook Photos Needed Share your photos with the yearbook! Please upload photos to the ReplayIt Photo Album or the shared Google Photos folder. You can also share a photo folder or email photos to Karen Sandora.
Yearbook Ads If you are interested in securing a recognition ad for your child, please order by April 12 for the best prices. Creating your unique ad is simple and the entire process is done through the Jostens website. Download the flyer. Please direct any questions to Karen Sandora.
Closing Exercises, June 8 Our hope is to be able to host an in-person Closing Exercises and Moving Up Day on Tuesday, June 8. Please stay tuned later this spring for specifics as to how we will honor our students, whether the event is in-person, virtual or a mixture of both.
Junior School Parent Book Club The Junior School Parent Book Club meets monthly via Zoom to discuss fun fiction and engaging stories. Books are selected by the group based on shared interests. If you are interested in getting involved, please contact Rachel Kutz-Flamenbaum at rkutzflamenbaum@gmail.com.
Uniform Store Upcoming JS Events
Middle School Reminders Conference Day, March 10
Talk Parent Program Samantha Bushman, founder & CEO of Talk, The New Sex Ed, will be offering a six-session online course designed to help you better prepare your children to make healthy decisions. This program is the parent complement to the student programming in the classroom. The cost is $300 for six 90-minute sessions. Scholarships are available. The program will run via Zoom, one time per week beginning the week of April 12, and concluding the week of May 17. Early registration deadline is tomorrow, Friday, March 5. If you are interested in participating, email scheduling@thenewsexed.org with your name, your child's name and grade, general availability for the program, days and times you are unavailable and your phone number. Please also note your child attends Shady Side Academy Middle School. Download the Middle School Student and Parent Program Overview.
Sign Up to Sponsor An Upcoming Soft Pretzel Day
Yearbook Photos and Recognition Ads The 2021 yearbook design is already underway! Share your photos from the school year by uploading your photos directly to the Jostens website. Create a customized yearbook recognition ad for your child by creating an account on the Jostens website. Questions? Contact Roxana Trabulsi.
Form II Closing Exercises, June 9 Our hope is to be able to host an in-person Closing Exercises celebration on Wednesday, June 9. The ceremony will not include sixth or seventh graders, unless they are in the band to play for the event. There will not be exams this year, and we are reconsidering the half days that are currently scheduled for them. The Awards Assembly and Athletic Awards Assembly will be virtual. Please stay tuned for more details later this spring. Upcoming MS Events March 8 - Spring Athletics & Activities Begin
March 10 - Conference Day, NO CLASSES
Senior School Reminders Digital Theater Festival, March 5-7 The Digital Theater Festival will be performed virtually Friday, Mar. 5, at 7:30 p.m., Saturday Mar. 6 at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday, Mar. 7, at 2 p.m. The festival includes student-performed monologues, spoken-word poetry, scenes, duets, soloists and even a tap dance! These pieces are sandwiched around three original student-written plays, one presented each night. The video links are available at www.shadysideacademy.org/theater. Some content may not be suitable for children under 13.
Talk Parent Program Samantha Bushman, founder & CEO of Talk, The New Sex Ed, will be offering a six-session online course designed to help you better prepare your children to make healthy decisions. This program is the parent complement to the student programming in the classroom. The cost is $300 for six 90-minute sessions. Scholarships are available. The program will run via Zoom, one time per week beginning the week of April 12, and concluding the week of May 17. Early registration deadline is tomorrow, Friday, March 5. If you are interested in participating, email scheduling@thenewsexed.org with your name, your child's name and grade, general availability for the program, days and times you are unavailable and your phone number. Please also note your child attends Shady Side Academy Senior School. Download the High School Student and Parent Program Overview.
High School Summer School Registration Opens March 8 Information and registration for high school Summer School courses will be available on the SSA Summer > High School Programs web page on Monday, March 8. Contact Dr. Barndollar with any questions.
Term 2 Gold Grades Available March 10 Term 2 Gold grades will be available on the Veracross Parent Portal on Wednesday, March 10, on your child's classes and reports page.
Voices From the Class of 2020: First-Year College Experiences During A Pandemic Zoom Panel, March 10 Senior families are invited to a Zoom panel discussion featuring alumni and parents from the Class of 2020 during Voices From the Class of 2020: First-Year College Experiences During a Pandemic, on Wednesday, March 10, at 7 p.m. Panelists will share their experiences in making a college decisions without the ability to travel to campus, first-year experiences in a time with many restrictions on social events, setting yourself up for success in a remote academic environment, determining if a gap semester might be a good choice for you and much more. Check your email or contact Kelsey Williams to join the webinar.
Class of 2021 Commencement, June 4 We are committed to hosting an in-person, on-campus Senior School Commencement ceremony in honor of the Class of 2021 on Friday, June 4, designed within the health and safety parameters of state and county guidelines at that time. Read the Feb. 22 email.
Parking Permits for Sophomore Day Students Beginning immediately, eligible sophomores who hold a valid driver's license may apply for an SSA parking permit. Complete the Parking Permit Application and return it to Erica Strafalace in the Dean's Office. Read Chad Green's Feb. 8 email.
Athletic Training Appointment Scheduling Students can now schedule appointments with the SSA athletic training staff online using this Calendly link. Upcoming SS Events March 5 - First Day of Term 3 Blue
March 5 - Digital Theater Festival virtual performance, 7:30 p.m.
March 6 - Digital Theater Festival virtual performance, 7:30 p.m.
March 7 - Digital Theater Festival virtual performance, 2 p.m.
March 10 - Term 2 Gold Grades Available
March 10 - The First Year College Experience During COVID-19, 7 p.m., Zoom
SS Athletics Calendar
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