Parent-teacher conferences will be held Monday, April 10. Students do not have school this day. Parents will receive an email from their child's teacher on Monday, March 13, with information to schedule a conference time. Limited spots are still available for After School Explorers In-Service Day Care. Register today. 

Grandparents and special friends are invited to the Junior School for a special day with students on Wednesday, April 12. Details and registration information will be shared by the school office soon. Register online. 

Join lower school families in Frick Park to celebrate Earth Day for Shady Side Gives Back on Saturday, April 22, at 1 p.m. SSA families will help the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy plant trees. The Parents' Association will provide post-planting snacks. Details and registration information will be shared closer to the date. 

The following screenings are performed annually by elementary school nurses as mandated by the state of Pennsylvania:

• Height and weight in grades K-5
• Vision in grades K-5
• Hearing in grades K-3

Each grade will perform the screenings on a separate day. The schedule will be shared with families as it becomes available. If you have any questions or concerns about these screenings, please reach out to Junior School Nurse Kari Theoret at ktheoret@shadysideacademy.org or 412-963-8644.

Registration for summer programs is open on the SSA Summer website! SSA Summer provides a nurturing, supportive and fun experience for children entering grades PK-12. Sports camps, focus camps and traditional day camps offer an endless array of choices and opportunities. Camps are filling up fast, so register now!

All families are welcome to attend the Moving-Up Ceremony at The Frick Pittsburgh on Monday, June 5, at 1:30 p.m. The school community will come together to celebrate the students "moving up" to the next grade. Due to the Early Learning Center construction this spring, the ceremony will be held at The Frick Pittsburgh this year. Ceremony details will be shared later this spring. The location is subject to change in the event of inclement weather. June 5 will be the last day of school for students. 

Fifth grade families are invited to celebrate the culmination of their child's time at the Junior School and transition to the Middle School at the Fifth Grade Closing Exercises on Tuesday, June 6, at The Frick Pittsburgh. The time is TBD. Due to the Early Learning Center construction this spring, the ceremony will be held at The Frick Pittsburgh. The location may change in the event of inclement weather. More information will be shared later this spring. 

The Parents' Association is seeking volunteers to help with various events. Download the Volunteer Overview PDF to learn more or sign up online. The PA Board is looking for a new co-president for the 2023-2024 school year. New faces are welcome and no prior experience is necessary. Contact Zoe Bunnell or Megan Hite at ssajuniorschool@gmail.com to learn more. 

The Junior School Uniform Store accepts donations and sells gently used school uniform items for $1-$3 apiece, and all proceeds benefit our students. Contact Carey Palenchar and Pam Bubenheim with any questions.

On March 16, SSA's partners at The Social Institute hosted the parent education webinar, How to Proactively Empower Your Children to Navigate Social Media and Technology in Healthy, High Character Ways. Access the webinar recording and resources below:

• The webinar recording and passcode are posted on the Parent Education Videos page of the Veracross Parent Portal.
• Use these instructions to create a free Parent Toolkit account on TheSocialInstitute.com using SSA's school code, 0ca88C4BB76167.
• In the Toolkit, access Playbooks to stay informed on trending apps and Family Huddles to help guide conversations about positive tech use at home.
• Build your own Family Social Standards Agreement around positive social media and tech use.
• Read TSI's latest research at 23 Insights 2023.

The Shady Side Academy Parents' Association Plants & Presents Sale is open for business! The sale offers a variety of fresh potted herbs and beautiful hanging baskets. New this year is a marble and wood Shady Side Academy cutting board. View product photos and descriptions here. Use the online order form to place your order by Wednesday, April 12. Questions? Contact Beth Brunins, Ree Reschini or Shannon Rohr. 

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 31. See the Feb. 21 email for more information. 

The SSA Spirit Store is offering up to 30% off all items during the month of March. Stock up on your favorite fawner for spring sports, or grab a few dress code approved items for the school day. Shop online or in person in Rowe Hall at the Senior School. 

A blood drive will be held Thursday, April 27, from 9 a.m.-2 p.m., in the Benedum Student Center in Rowe Hall at the Senior School. Students age 16 and up are eligible to donate. A reminder for 16 year-olds: bring a signed permission form to the blood drive and a photo ID with your date of birth. Adults, if you wish to donate elsewhere, please mention SSA and we will receive credit for your donation. Walk-ins are welcome, but it's easy to sign up online, and lets the staff know how many participants to expect. When registering online, scroll down to the bottom and enter Group Code HS010068 to search for our blood drive. Contact Lindsey Myers with questions. 

The preliminary 2023-2024 Academic Calendar is now available. Download the PDF. 

Updated (bivalent) COVID-19 boosters, approved for ages 6 months and up, are formulated to protect against more recent variants and are critical to providing ongoing protection as immunity wanes and the virus mutates. SSA strongly encourages families to follow CDC recommendations to stay up to date with COVID-19 vaccines. Please upload a copy of your child's updated COVID-19 vaccination card to Magnus Health whenever they receive an additional vaccine.  Learn about vaccine and booster recommendations here and visit vaccines.gov to find a provider.