April 11, 2018
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District Moving to Digital Report Cards
The Chambersburg Area School District (CASD) is moving to digital-only report cards beginning the last marking period of the 2017-2018 school year. The move is part of an ongoing effort to provide quick and easy accessibility to student information to strengthen the home and school connection by providing secure, open communication.

“We’re excited to be able to provide instant access to both current and historical student information that is important for parents & guardians,” explained Christine Wolgemuth, Director of Technology for the District. “Having student report cards online makes it easier than ever to keep up with their academic progress.”

Report cards are viewed online via the District Sapphire Community Web Portal. In addition to report cards, parents & guardians can access an academic portfolio for their child, which includes Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA), Keystone and other test results. The portal also shows student attendance, school schedules and building announcements.

“While this change will benefit the majority of our families in the District, we understand that not everyone has online availability,” said Wolgemuth. “Those who are unable to access the internet, or who would prefer to receive physical copies of report cards may still do so by completing an opt-out form from their child’s school.”

Report cards for the final marking period of the year will be available to view following the last day of school, May 25 th.

For more information or to sign up for a portal account, parents & guardians may visit www.casdonline.org/portal.

For questions or concerns, please contact Christine Wolgemuth at Christine.Wolgemuth@casdonline.org or call the District offices at 717-263-9281.
Food Cart Gives CASHS Students Breakfast Options
Starting Wednesday, March 28th, students at the Chambersburg Area Senior High School (CASHS) have a new option for breakfast on-the-go: the "Cruising Cafe" food cart. The new mobile food station provides a wide array of breakfast items to students who enter the high school through the main entrance.

"Breakfast is an important part of the day and studies have shown the direct effect breakfast has on improved test scores, attendance and the health of students," explained Lori Bumbaugh, Food Service Director for the District. "We are very excited about this new opportunity to provide healthy breakfast meals."

Breakfast participation at higher grade levels are significantly decreased as busy students often opt to skip an early meal. To improve participation, the District applied for a breakfast grant and received funds to purchase a food cart for the high school. The cart gives students entering the front of the building easy access to breakfast items before heading to class.

A variety of options are available for purchase, such as fruit, milk, various beverages, bagels, Pop Tarts, donuts, cereal, and cinnamon rolls. Any breakfast entrée can be combined to create a breakfast meal and hot sandwiches may be added in the future.

The "Cruising Cafe" cart is available for students and staff from 7:20 AM - 8:00 AM and food items may be purchased using cash or lunch accounts.
Chick-fil-A Helps Students Learn About Entrepreneurship
On March 23rd, Chick-fil-A staff visited third grade students at Scotland Elementary School to teach lessons on how to be a successful entrepreneur.

Allison Hurley, Marketing Director at Chick-fil-A, spoke to students while accompanied by the company mascot. Ms. Hurley provided the classes with background information about how Chick-fil-A was created and read to students aloud the story "What Does It Mean To Be an Entrepreneur?" by Rana Diorio and Emma Dryden.

The visit was the result of third grade teachers noticing the enthusiasm many students had towards entrepreneurship lessons. Staff then reached out to local businesses to speak to students and Chick-fil-A responded.

Students enjoyed the visit and expressed their ideas of businesses they would like to pursue when they get older.
Stevens Elementary Hosts After School Parent Night
Stevens Elementary School hosted parents and students on Wednesday, March 28th for a special event and dinner. 

Mike and Katie Baum, Stevens’ teachers, taught families how to build container gardens. Students planted cilantro along with three other plants of their choice for their own, decorated container garden. 

The families measured gravel and soil, making sure to space the plants perfectly so that they would not crowd in the garden. After all of their hard work, the students and their families sat down to a delicious meal provided by the District Food Service. 

The Stevens Elementary students are excited to watch their hard work pay off in the coming weeks of Spring.
Substitute Employment Opportunities Available at CASD
Do you know someone who would be interested in becoming a substitute at the Chambersburg Area School District? We recruit for district substitutes year-round. There are several opportunities coming up for interested individuals to come and learn more about substitute opportunities at CASD. 
 
CASD Job Fair
  • Friday, May 11th, from 9:00 AM -11:30 AM in the CASD Administration Building in the board room, district representatives will be recruiting and speaking with interested individuals about all substitute positions. The Chambersburg YMCA will also be set up to recruit Before and After School positions at district schools. Please contact Derek Goodhart (HR Assistant) at derek.goodhart@casdonline.org or 717-709-4089 with any questions.   
 
Source4Teachers/ESS upcoming hiring events:
  • Monday, April 16th, Wednesday, May 2nd, Tuesday, June 26th 
  • Events will be held at the CASD Administration Building in the board room from 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM. Please contact Nilsa Colon (Recruiter) at ncolon@ess.com or 717-585-5261 with any questions.   

For more information, please view the CASD job fair flyer or the Source4teachers flyer.
Editor's note: the following article is provided by a district marketing sponsor. To learn more about sponsorship opportunities, please visit www.casdonline.org/sponsors .
Help Teens Take Charge of Their Financial Future
Learning real-life money-management skills and developing wise financial decision-making habits is something every teenager needs to know before they graduate from school. This can help them avoid credit pitfalls and enter adulthood well-positioned to take advantage of all of the perks that good credit can offer.
One of the reasons many young people make mistakes with credit is that they still don’t see it as “real money”. Ensure that teens have their own checking account linked to a debit card. This will teach them to budget their money and get accustomed to using plastic for purchases.

Helpful Tips:
 
  • Patriot Federal Credit Union offers teens the opportunity to sign up for their own checking account and debit card.

  • A savings account can help teens develop good savings habits. For example, a Continuous Saver Certificate https://www.patriotfcu.org/personal-banking/certificates/ that requires a minimum opening balance of just $25, with the option to make additional deposits, can jump-start their savings journey.

Talk to teens about the rewards of good credit management. Parents can draw on their own experiences to demonstrate how credit and financial management has impacted them. Explain how poor credit can make life more difficult when getting a job, buying a car or financing a home.
 
Patriot is proud to help teens embark on their financial journey!  To get started, drop by any of our convenient branches https://www.patriotfcu.org/locations/ including our unique Chambersburg Area Senior High School student branch https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FnmBx1dTejY
where your child can talk to fellow high school students who work at the branch!  You can also check us out at patriotfcu.org or call 717-263-4444 .

This article is intended to provide general information and shouldn’t be considered legal, tax or financial advice.
Mini-THON Returning to CASD for Second Year
by Kira Lynne Wright, senior at Chambersburg Area Career Magnet School
The Chambersburg Area Senior High School (CASHS) and the Career Magnet School (CMS) are partnering together to host the second annual Chambersburg Area School District (CASD) Mini-THON on Saturday, April 21.

CASHS and CMS students will join over 90,000 student volunteers and 265 schools in eight states to raise funds to benefit childhood cancer research and care. Mini-THON is modeled after Penn State University's THON (The Penn State IFC/Panhellenic Dance Marathon) where students raise funds by dancing for 46 hours straight.

"I was involved with THON as a student at Penn State University and saw how much the Four Diamonds Fund helps children with pediatric cancer and their families," said Eden Eliff, Mathmatics teacher and advisor at CMS. "It was extremely humbling and rewarding to be a part of the event and I hope to share that experience with CASD students."

Last year CASHS and CMS combined raised $30,263.73 through self-funding, food sales, penny wars, and sponsors. This year, the students hope to raise $40,000.

The first THON started in 1973 and raised over $2,000. Now, 45 years later, volunteers raised $10,151,663.93 in 2018.
District Concern Hotline
The Chambersburg Area School District offers a Concern Hotline for parents/guardians and students.

(717) 261-5662

Messages can be left 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and will be returned Monday-Friday during normal business hours by a member of the CASD administration. 

The hotline is NOT for emergency purposes. If you suspect an immediate threat or otherwise have an emergency, please dial 911.
Have a Story to Tell? Share it with Enews!
The mission of enews is to provide the community and CASD employees with stories that highlight the unique accomplishments of both students and educators . If you have a compelling story that shows what makes our district great, please let us know by sending an e-mail to enews@casdonline.org. Include as much information as possible about the story and any pictures or media files. When sending images that include students, please note whether or not they have media releases.