MONDAY
MEMO
from the principals
23 March 2020 | Chartiers Valley Middle School
Hello Colt Families,

We hope that this finds you well and handling this unprecedented situation with strength. 

There is no doubt that the isolation is a shakeup, but one thing is certain: we are all in this together and standing united. We are so grateful that technology is available, allowing us the opportunity to remain connected and to help prevail through these tough times.

Our staff has been staying busy at home and we thought it would be fun to share some styles of virtual learning happening within our MS community. Here is what a few of the MS teachers have been up to:

Mrs. Bautista posted a choice board and started a 30 Day Self Care and Creativity Challenge in her Google classroom and created a new classroom. Her children helped make a video and she’d love to share them with you!  

Mr. Chatlak is very impressed with the efforts that his 6th graders have shown with technology. Students exhibited thought and creativity in a recent assignment in which they described and illustrated themselves as Mayans.  Several students used photo editing software to make a collage of images. Other students actually drew the illustration by hand and then took a picture of it with their webcam attached to their Chromebooks, and some students made use of the Google Canvas program included with their Chromebooks to digitally draw their illustration. This resulted in three different types of projects, all equal in correctness, that he received from students. Excellent job!  (Mr. Chatlak has also been enjoying every minute with his new puppy, pictured in the photos.)

With the musical being postponed, Mrs. Zelch s tarted a Google Classroom for the musical members. They should have all received an invite from me in their email. We are working to share videos, choreography, costuming and vocal performances.

Approximately 40 math students have participated online with the Pearson links and are communicating with questions and comments. Great work everyone!   

Be sure to share photos of what your students have been up to at home, and maybe we will include them in next week's Memo!

Please be sure to visit the District website COVID-19 tab for educational resources, and District updates. Also, Dr. Vanatta's March 23 message is included below.

Finally, we polled our CVMS staff members to see how they’re burning off some energy at home with their families. Here's what they had to say:

Mr. Chatlak: Playing with puppies and dogs is always a GREAT way for anyone to burn off energy, especially for kids!

Mr. Knause: Push Up competition, ie. How many can you do in 1 min., 2 min., 5 min? 
Walking the dog.

Mrs. Cowles: Today we did a neighborhood scavenger hunt. I wrote a list of things they needed to find (a house with a red door, a newspaper in the driveway, etc) and we kept walking until we found it all!

Mr. Cairns: As the baseball coach, I would like to see every student do 50 push ups, 50 sit-ups, and take 100 swings in the backyard every day! I would also like to see some ground ball work mixed in there. A few bullpens a week wouldn’t hurt to burn off energy, of course.

Mrs. Ridgeway: Taking walks, working out with weights and J-bands in the yard.

Mrs. Kirtley: Take out the garbage!

Mrs. Roberts: You Tube Workout videos - fun for the whole family!

Mrs. Schiavon: Everyone should get outside everyday! Run, walk, skateboard, bicycle, pass football.

Mrs. Machusko: Tik Toks have been going strong in our house!

Mrs. O'Malley: We have been going on outdoor scavenger hunts and learning how to ride new bikes.

Mr. Partridge: Family yoga or workout time.


Make it a great day, 

Dr. Michele Welter, Principal
Mr. Dan Knause, Assistant Principal
All flyers are now sent digitally via PeachJar!

That means no more backpacks full of paper!

CVSD has saved 138,000 pieces of paper since September...that's 14 trees!

Click the graphic below to view flyers for:
  • community events
  • school events
  • youth sports and activities sign-ups
  • job and scholarship opportunities
  • and more!
Superintendent's Spotlight
A monthly message from Dr. Vanatta
Dear Chartiers Valley family,

I hope you all are safe and well. This afternoon, Governor Wolf extended the state-wide school closure until at least April 6, 2020. At this point in our juncture, we will be taking the crisis at hand in two-week increments until directed otherwise by the state. This will provide us the opportunity to reassess regularly. We are looking at April 14, 2020 as a tentative student return date, unless the Governor’s April 6 date remains firm. 

Regarding CV’s Continuity of Education Plan (this is the terminology used by the PA Department of Education to identify how districts are serving students during this time), we will continue to be thoughtful and contemplative in our decision making. Some districts have already gone fully online and provided longer closure dates. I am in no hurry to be first in this race.  

Since last Wednesday, the District has been providing optional educational resources for our students on the District website. Moving forward, we will implement the Continuity of Education Plan, continuing to utilize online learning platforms (Schoology and Google Classroom) for grades 6-12, and implementing Google Classroom for grades K-5. 

Each school will utilize the following learning platforms:

High School: Schoology
Middle School: Google Classroom
Intermediate School: Google Classroom
Primary School: Google Classroom 

In the coming days, elementary teachers will be sending email invitations and instructions for joining Google Classroom. Parents, please make sure that your email address in Infinite Campus is accurate. Intermediate School students will also receive an email to establish their student accounts. There is not a set schedule for student work, but we will share recommended daily schedules for your children to follow as you see fit. These sample schedules will be available on our Educational Resources page ( https://www.cvsd.net/covid-19/distance-learning ).

We anticipate remote learning to begin on March 30, 2020. The District’s goal is to provide continuity of education, not to master new complex tasks. A very important note: assignments are to enhance student learning and augment (or increase) the student’s current grade. The assignments are not to be academically detrimental. If a student can not/does not complete the work, the assignment will not count against the student’s current grade.  

Lastly, the Governor did exempt school districts from meeting the 180-day requirement, so “time” on subjects is not the concern; rather, we are providing an educational experience because it is what we do...it is what we are here for! 

I wish you all safety and health in this unprecedented time in our society. If there is anything the District can do to support or assist your family please do not hesitate to reach out.

Stay well, 

Johannah M. Vanatta, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools

Inspiring, achieving and celebrating excellence!

Chartiers Valley Middle School


50 Thoms Run Road Bridgeville, PA 15017
412-429-2220