CASD Community eNewsletter
September 29, 2015
Elementary Teachers in the District Receive Extensive Classroom Libraries
At the beginning of this school year, elementary teachers in the District received a real boost for their literacy instruction.  Classroom libraries were purchased for 174 classrooms in grades K - 5.  Many teachers are still unpacking boxes, organizing books, and enjoying the much needed resources.

"We are dedicated to working as hard as possible to ensure that every student reads by third grade.  This is a huge challenge because our student population is very diverse and much of it is economically disadvantaged.  For many of our students, books are not available at home.  This creates barriers for Kindergarten readiness and learning in general," said Dr. Joseph Padasak, Superintendent.

"Part of our district mission is to remove barriers to learning.  By providing students with a rich collection of high interest fiction and nonfiction reading materials, we hope to break down a huge barrier and to provide a vital resource equitably to all of our elementary classrooms," Dr. Padasak said.      

"The credit for this purchase goes to our School Board of Directors.  Mrs. Dionne Martin, our Reading Supervisor, and I worked together on this project and took it to our Finance Committee.  We had to create urgency and help the committee members understand why this expenditure was necessary," Dr. Padasak explained.

The urgency was recognized and the Finance Committee approved an expenditure of $348,985 to fund the classroom libraries.  These funds were provided from a combination of sources:  the Curriculum and Instruction and Reading Department budgets and supplemental funds were provided as a result of a reverse tax assessment.  Each classroom received in excess of 100 books, with each primary grade classroom receiving over 300 books. 

"We budget for very important things in this district such as facilities, programming, transportation, salaries, and more.  Let's face it, if our students can't read, they won't be successful in and out of school.  We want them to experience the excitement that reading can bring to learning and we want them to become lifelong readers," Dr. Padasak commented.

Martin explained that the books arrived in the district this summer.  They were bundled and sent to the elementary buildings where teams of teachers, intervention specialists, and literacy coaches worked to unpack the boxes and to organize the books into helpful categories for students.

The books were organized in a variety of ways:  by genre, topic, author, or reading level.  This type of organization allows student to find books that match both their interest and reading level quickly so more time can be spent reading.  Also, there were several new categories that were not available before such as graphic novels and books about kings and dragons.  Science and Social Studies book titles were matched to specific curriculum units.

"I've been involved in the English Language Arts program in this district for many years.  This is one of the most - if not the most - exciting things to happen that will help us promote literacy.  Principals, teachers, and students are thrilled to have these libraries.  Many thanks to our School Board of Directors for making this happen," said Martin.

Watch WHAG-TV's news story here.
CASHS PTSA Clothing Drive
The CASHS PTSA began its third annual clothing drive on Friday, September 25 and this event will continue through Saturday, October 10th.

On Thursday, October 1, from 5 - 8 PM, PTSA members will be at the Texas Roadhouse collecting clothing.  Everyone who donates will receive a free appetizer.

Other Drop-Off Locations:
Grove Family Library- Receive a Free DVD Rental
Essis & Sons- Receive a Free 3 X 5 Carpet
CASHS during school hours 

Employee Spotlight: 
Jessaca Campbell Recognized by Noontime Lions Club
Jessaca Campbell was recently recognized by the Noontime Lions Club. Lions Club President Gary Neus congratulated Jessaca, 5th grade teacher at Hamilton Heights, for being selected to receive the 1st Ever Excellent Teacher Award  by the Chambersburg Noontime Lions Club. 

"I am so honored and surprised by this award," said Mrs. Campbell, who is in her third year of teaching 5th grade in the district.

"I have been excited about this school year.  I am much more reflective this year and am working hard to increase my students' reading stamina.  I am building on last year's goals and it's going very nicely," Mrs. Campbell explained.

"Jessaca is a breath of fresh air in education.  She balances a positive and caring approach while providing the most rigorous and challenging education for her students," said Mr. Brian Hostetler, Principal at Hamilton Heights.

"She consistently seeks ways to improve and utilizes collaboration with her colleagues and instructional coaching to be the best she can day in and day out," Mr. Hostetler noted.

"Hamilton Heights is an amazing building to work in.  My team is fantastic.  I am enjoying having the support of our literacy coach.  She has been a terrific help since I've started in this position," Mrs. Campbell explained.  "We work together closely on setting goals for my guided reading lessons."

"Jess is a very reflective teacher.  She is constantly evaluating student work to determine next steps in her instruction.  In addition, she has embraced student goal setting.  Her students establish goals for themselves in order to become better readers and writers," added Mrs. Nicole Brookens, Literacy Coach for Hamilton Heights.
 
Mr. Hostetler shares this sentiment.  "Not only does Jessaca have goals for herself, but she guides students in their own personal goal setting for effective and meaningful growth.  She is student-focused and we are lucky to have her at Hamilton Heights!"
In This Issue
Quick Links
Friday Night CASHS Football Themes
October 9 Homecoming
White Out  

October 16 
Veteran's Night
Red, White and Blue

October 23 
Breast Cancer Survivor
Pink
football_50_yard_line.jpg
College Night
CASHS will host a college/career night for all students in Franklin County on Wednesday, October 21, from 6 - 7:30 PM in the CASHS Auxiliary Gym.  View the announcement here.

Coach
 Thomas
 Retirement Celebration
A retirement celebration will take place October 24 for retiring baseball Coach Bob Thomas.  Click here to get the details.
mitt and ball
Urgent Care
To learn more about Chambersburg Urgent Care Center, click on the flyer links below.


  

Board Docs

For more information about school board business, including meeting agendas and related documents, visit BoardDocs under the school board link on the district website.

  

Questions or comments about the CASD eNewsletter? 

Send us an email.


School Board News
Pay Increase for Substitute Support Staff
The School Board of Directors approved pay raises at their September 23 board meeting for substitute support staff.

Superintendent Joseph Padasak recommended hourly increases from $7.50 to $10 for the district's substitute secretaries and aides, pointing out that the increased rate is consistent with the pay of substitute food service and custodial substitutes.

The pay rate recommendation and approval also applies to substitute licensed practical nurses the district employs. Substitute LPNs will now receive $12 hourly. The previous hourly rate was $8.

Board Approves PDE's Recommendation of Program Funding Deletion
The School Board of Directors approved the Pennsylvania Department of Education's recommendation of program funding deletion for those programs not in compliance with Ch. 339 requirements which were developed for districts that have comprehensive vocational schools with shops and academics in the same buildings.

The district has not been in compliance with these regulations since 2010 when PDE began to audit those specific programs. 

In August, CASHS received approval from the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) to delete programs which did not meet Ch. 339 requirements.  According to Business Manager, Steven Dart, "The state subsidy that we receive from this program will remain.  Less than 10% of the actual subsidy will go away.  We already are focused on building next year's budget to account for the decreased subsidy."
 
The elective Agriculture and Business courses that are in place will remain.   CASD is not the only school district in the state to be subjected to these regulations.  In 2014-2015 there were 104 school districts who received subsidies.  Thus far in 2015-2016, 13 school districts have opted to not to continue to participate.
 
Career Magnet School Presentation
Dr. Long and other CMS representatives gave a presentation on CMS Happenings related to the CMS pursuing an Apple School of Distinction. 

Thank You to the Following Donors!

Gift
Donor
Amount
Trees and Materials for Planting Along I-81 Corridor
Alliance for the Bay
$20,000 Value
Adopt-A-School
BJ's Wholesale Club
$500
Adopt-A-School 20th Anniversary Grant -  Scotland Elem
BJ's Wholesale Club
$10,000
Gift Card Voucher For Donors Choose
BJ's Wholesale Club
$200
Rewards Funds from Collection of Coke Bottle Caps
The Kula Foundation
$27.78
Cash Donation for Stevens Elementary Resources
Lions Club
$1,000

CAMS North Multicultural Club Members Receive Presentation About Pakistan
The CAMS North Multicultural Club enjoyed and appreciated a recent presentation on Paklistan by mother and son who were  dressed in their traditional clothing from Pakistan and discussed the customs and traditions of their country. 
 
Students listened to the Urdo and Arabic languages and were served the students Baklava, a delicious dessert, according to Mrs. Jeanine Zook, Club Advisor.   The students' names also were written in Arabic for them as a souvenir.


The CASD Moves Forward With Plans to Realign Attendance Zones
The Chambersburg Area School District (CASD) has begun to develop plans for realignment of the attendance zones.  The project goal is to develop new boundaries for existing and projected enrollments at the elementary level to fully utilize building capacities and to provide equitable resources to students.

"This realignment process has three key priorities: to balance demographic factors, to balance class size, and to minimize over-subscription which occurs when a classroom enrollment exceeds its cap and students need to be transported to other schools," said Dr. Dana Baker, CASD School Board Director and a member of the Realignment Committee.

"It is the intent of this Committee to communicate what we have done thus far, what our future plans are, and to provide multiple opportunities for feedback.  The next step is to present our preliminary plan to the School Board of Directors in October for their approval to proceed."

"We are working closely with district administrators, PTO and PTA presidents, to be mindful of doing what is in the best interest of all of our students.   We began this process last spring with the formation of the Realignment Committee, followed by a school board presentation that was done in an effort to raise awareness of the need to equalize students to building capacities, explained Tamera Stouffer, Director of Support Services and Co-Chair of the Realignment Committee."

PTA and PTO presidents were asked to serve on the Realignment Committee or to select a parent representative to serve. 

The district has three distinct goals: to improve communication, to remove barriers to learning, and to ensure best instructional practices.  The proposed realignment plan supports these goals.  By reducing oversubscription, maintaining class size caps, addressing projected growth and increasing the efficiency of our routes, we will make learning more accessible and equitable to everyone, explained Mrs. Stouffer.

"We plan to have multiple opportunities via our website, meetings, and other feedback mechanisms to have public input in this process.  We recognize that this is a vital and important part of this process," Mrs. Stouffer noted. 

"Finally, an important consideration and motivator for this realignment plan was made evident through the results of our community survey in which parents identified managing district class sizes as part of our district priorities.  We want to make sure we are listening to all of our stakeholders throughout this process," Mrs. Stouffer noted.
Math Workshops for Parents of Students in Title I Elementary Buildings
Parents of children in grades K-5 who attend Title I elementary schools in the district are being invited to attend math workshops.  The most recent workshop was held at Hamilton Heights Elementary School for parents of third graders to help them understand the addition strategies that are taught at that level.
 
"The workshops are meant to help parents understand how their children are learning math so that they can help them at home.  We are teaching math using a program called Investigations which is a research based program," explained Tara Castellar, Math Coach at Hamilton Heights.
 
Tara began the workshop by asking parents to solve a simple equation: to add 56 +67.  All parents solved the equation using what Tara referred to as a "standard algorithm".  They added 6 + 7, carried the 1 (really represents 10), added 5 + 6 + 1 to equal 123. 
 
Tara explained that Investigations uses a different approach.  The curriculum focuses on helping students make sense of mathematics by using strategies that emphasize a strong number sense and place value understanding.  While the standard algorithm approach is fine and certainly not wrong, Investigations is designed to teach students a strong conceptual foundation and skills based on that foundation.
 
Following the initial introduction to the workshop, parents visited third grade classrooms. In Mrs. Sharita Richardson's classroom, students worked in teams to solve problems cooperatively.  "The goal is for the students to really understand the number sense behind what they are doing. Each student in the team has a role such as materials manager, inspector, and so on."
 
Each student is expected to be prepared to present their solution to the class. The class will then grade the team based on their oral presentation and how effectively the presenter used the rubric.
Parents were given a packet of information with examples of how to solve addition problems.  They were encouraged to use this as a reference when they help their children with homework.
 
"Each Investigations curriculum unit focuses on an area of content, in depth, providing 2 to 5.5 weeks for students to develop and practice ideas across a variety of activities and contexts that build on each other. The units also address the learning needs of real students in a wide range of classrooms and communities. The investigations are carefully designed to invite all students into mathematics-girls and boys; members of diverse cultural, ethnic, and language groups; and students with a wide variety of strengths, needs, and interests," according to their website.
 
Title I is a 100% federally funded supplemental education program that provides financial assistance to the Chambersburg Area School District and many other local educational agencies to improve educational opportunities for educationally deprived children. CASD's Title I programs are designed to help children meet the state content and performance standards in reading and mathematics. 
Students in 10th Grade Social Studies Classes Experience Trench Warfare
Students in Mr. Busillo's and Mr. Wolf's 10 grade social studies classes recently studied World War 1 trench warfare.  As part of the unit studies, the two teachers recreated a trench warfare simulation at CASHS for the students to experience.

Prior to actually participating in the simulation, students had to read a passage from All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque.  In the passage, Remarque graphically describes the slaughter that robbed Europe of its young men.  The passage is narrated by a young German soldier.The students then participated in a discussion about the psychology of trench warfare that was facilitated by Mr. Wolf and Mr. Busillo.

The teachers asked students to share how the soldiers in the passage reacted during the bombardment. What might the psychological effects of this type of warfare have on a soldier?  What coping mechanisms did these soldiers use?  How did the soldiers react to the bombardment? 
The teachers underscored the fact that the soldiers reaction to the reality of warfare was very different to what their vision was.  "It was shocking and jarring,"  explained Mr. Busillo.  "The soldiers were fighting against death, not against men."

The teachers created a German and a French "trench" using nets and barricades.  In between was No Man's Land.  To "win" the simulation, students had to successfully navigate through No Man's Land and capture the enemy's flag.

Third Graders Study Monarch Butterflies
Students in Mrs. Beth Francisco's third grade at Grandview Elementary created symbolic Monarch butterflies that will be sent to the area in Mexico where the Monarchs winter.
 
"This project is a result of a Monarch caterpillar and butterfly study that we've been doing in our Guided Reading time.  I brought in milkweed and caterpillars from my garden so we might observe them go through their phases. We've used the lifecycle to talk about words (metamorphosis = change).  I brought in Black Swallowtail caterpillars as a compare/contrast opportunity, as well as moths, explained Mrs. Francisco.

"We are using the website Journey North to track the migration of the Monarchs to Mexico," she said.  "In the spring we will track the migration north and celebrate the arrival of spring. 

From the Symbolic Migration website:
"The 20th annual Symbolic Monarch Butterfly Migration is about to take place across North America. Over 60,000 students in the United States and Canada create symbolic butterflies and send them to Mexico for the winter. Children in Mexico who live beside the monarch's winter sanctuaries protect the butterflies and send them north in the spring. Through the Symbolic Migration, children across North America are united by the monarch butterfly and celebrate its spectacular migration. They learn authentic lessons of ambassadorship, conservation, and international cooperation."
"Super Seniors" Prepare Power Packs for Stevens Students
A unique group of CASHS students, known as  "Super Seniors", gain insight into potential employment opportunities on a daily basis.  On any Thursday afternoon, you will find this group of five students preparing Power Packs for Stevens Elementary students at Falling Spring Presbyterian Church.  This is just one of the many sites where the students volunteer as part of their Transition to Work program.
 
"All five of these students have completed their academic graduation requirements and walked through graduation.  Because they have Individualized Education Plans (IEPs), they are able to stay in school until age of majority, which in Pennsylvania is 21," said Luann Fretz, Transition Coordinator for the district.  "The term "Super Seniors" is a coined phrase used to distinguish this group of Autistic Students (AS) from those  AS who have yet to graduate."

"These students qualify for the Transition to Work program because they have Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and have met all graduation requirements. They continue to come back to CASHS to get some academic, but mostly functional job related skills.  They go out to different work  and volunteer sites to gain a variety of experiences to better prepare them for a job when they turn 21," Mrs. Fretz explained.
Some of the sites include the Goodwill Store, where the students are paid to work.  Also, the students volunteer at the Thrift Store, the District Administration Building, Cumberland Valley Animal Shelter and at Falling Spring Presbyterian Church where they prepare the Power Pack bags every Thursday. 

The students are not graded on academics.  They work both morning and afternoon every day.  On Fridays the students participate in a Practical Assessment Exploration System lab where they are required to fill out self-evaluations and reflections to create a work experience portfolio.  Reading and writing academics are embedded in the portfolio work and math skills are embedded in different job activities as well as reading a pay stub and interpreting bank account information, Mrs. Fretz explained.

To view the WHAG-TV story, click here.
The Power Pack program began at Stevens Elementary last year, according to Kristy Benbow, Program Coordinator.  "The purpose of the program is to provide food for students over the weekends.  Last year we prepared 35 bags.  This year we are preparing 80 bags which will feed about 50 families over the course of the weekend."

"The Super Seniors are a tremendous help with this project.  Each bag requires many food items.  Basically, we are providing breakfast and lunch for the weekend.  We set up an assembly to pack the bags," explained Mrs. Benbow.

It is important for the students to experience a wide range of work assignments to help them determine in which direction they want to go when it comes time to look for and gain competitive employment, noted Mrs. Fretz.
Hispanic Heritage Month
 
Students at Stevens Elementary School celebrate 
Hispanic Heritage Month which is September 15 - October 15.