New Parent Handbook 2024-2025
Welcome to the SCH Family!
We have designed this handy guidebook to help new families find their way and answer frequently asked questions. We hope you find it useful.
SCH is a place where defining moments, big and small, happen all the time for both our students and families. Sometimes these moments are in the classroom; sometimes they’re on the field or sidelines; on the stage or watching a performance; or even enjoying the many green spaces our campus provides. They occur because this community is teeming with a positive culture and a joyful climate.
I hope this little booklet makes your experience a little more navigable, leaving more time for you and your student(s) to enjoy those important defining moments in the months ahead. My wife, Davirah, and I wish you a wonderful journey ahead—make the everyday count!
Thank you for joining this extraordinary community.
Dr. Delvin M. Dinkins Head of School
Let’s Get Started
Mark Your Calendars
Preseason for Upper School teams:
Please refer to the Blue Devils Athletics tile in mySCH for details, including coach information, practice locations, and schedule.
Football August 12
All other teams .August 19
Back-to-School Nights
Lower School September 12
Middle School ................................... September 19
Upper School ................................... September 26
New Student Orientations
Middle School
New Students August 28
Upper School
Fast Start ........................................................August 23
9th Grade Orientation ..........................August 23
Upcoming Events
Parent Welcome Reception……September 5
Convocation Ceremony September 20
Homecoming Weekend……September 27 & 28
Mobile App
All families and students are encouraged to add the SCH app to their mobile devices. It is available in the Apple or Google Play stores; search for “Springside Chestnut Hill Academy” and download it today! The app provides two calendars (one for athletics and another for school events—both have filters to customize what displays); parent, employee, and student directories; and a whole lot more!
mySCH
When you applied to SCH, you were given a username and asked to create a password for our private, secure parent portal. This portal is now your primary go-to source to find information. All content is organized by topic—health services, athletics, after care, campus map, and more! mySCH also includes a customizable school calendar, access to student schedules and grades (where relevant), and directories. We encourage families to review all mySCH tiles to become familiar with where to find information.
*Please double-check your division tile or the online SCH calendar closer to the event dates.
Family Information
Please take a moment to review all information in your profile in mySCH.
Go to the navy blue header and click on “Profile,” located under your name in the upper right corner. Please email data@sch.org with any necessary updates at any time throughout the year. (Many fields in the profile record cannot be edited by users as the information needs to be populated in a number of systems at SCH.)
myStudent Health Services
Parents are required to complete a Vital Health Record (VHR) for each student at SCH before the start of school/preseason. This record includes a number of checklists. Please refer to the myStudent Health Services tile in mySCH.
The SCH medical team requires all students to have a current and valid yearly physical on file in order to attend school, participate in sports, or go on field trips. Physicals are required to be updated annually and are considered valid for 12 months from the date of the student’s last physical. This includes a checklist of emergency information, consent forms, and physical/emergency forms if applicable from within the last year. In addition, required items on the checklist will need to be completed for each student at SCH:
• Over-The-Counter Medication
• Medical Emergency Consent and First Aid Permission Forms
• Parent/Student-Athlete Concussion Form
• Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Emergency Care Plan
School Medical Team
There are two Health Offices staffed by registered nurses on campus.
Lower & Middle School
The Health Office is located just inside the main entrance of the McCausland Lower School.
Nurses: Anne Stout, BSN, RN
Julie Kwok, RN
Phone: 215-247-7247
ECC & Upper School
The Health Office is located in the Inn, on the second floor.
Nurse: Kimberly Elgart, RN
Phone: 215-754-1621
Medications Policy
When prescription or non-prescription medication brought from home is to be administered to a student during the school day, a parent or guardian must print and complete the Medication Permission Form, including a doctor signature. This form can be found on the myStudent Health Services tile and uploaded or given directly to the nurses.
Dining Services & MyPaymentsPlus
SCH Academy uses MyPaymentsPlus, an online service that offers you the convenience and information you need to manage your child’s meal account. This system allows you to prepay into your child’s meal account, eliminating the need to send checks to school or worry about lost or forgotten lunch money.
More information regarding dining services will be provided later this summer. The What’s for lunch? tile in mySCH includes details for families using the SCH meal plans.
Lower School
All Lower School students should bring in their own healthy, nutritious morning snacks from home. Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten students bring their lunch. In Grades 1–4, students have the option to bring lunch from home or purchase it from our dining service provider.
Middle & Upper School
Middle and Upper School students may bring their lunch or buy food ahead of time through the school’s meal plan from our dining service provider.
Transportation
Annually, many parents take advantage of the free bus service offered under Pennsylvania Act 372 (Non-Public School
Busing by Public School Districts Within a 10-mile radius).
Additionally, SCH offers Center City families a private transportation option to/from SCH called the SCHuttle. Drop-off and pick-up are located at up to four Center City “Hubstops.”
To learn more about busing or the SCHuttle, please refer to the transportation section in the Key Parent Resources tile in mySCH. The Public School District Bus Transportation Request form is required to be eligible for busing.
School Day, Arrival, & Dismissal Lower School
The arrival window for all Lower School students is from 7:50–8:10 AM, Monday through Friday. Lower School students, other than those arriving by bus, should not be dropped off before 7:50 AM. The dismissal window for grades Pre-K—4 is from 3:103:30 PM.
Middle School
Arrival between 7:45-8:00 AM. Advisory begins promptly at 8:00 AM. The Middle School day ends at 2:50 PM, Monday through Friday. Middle School sports practices are 3:00–4:15 PM, Monday through Thursday, in addition to home and away games during each season. See the SCH Blue Devil Athletics tile in mySCH for each team’s schedule.
Upper School
The school day begins at 8:15 AM, Monday through Friday, and ends at 3:30 PM.
Students participating in a team sport will practice after school at various times. (See SCH Blue Devil Athletics tile in mySCH for
School Supplies
Lower School
You will receive an email from your child’s homeroom teacher on August 19 with specific details about what to bring on the first day of school. In general, it includes a pair of rain boots, a water bottle, headphones, a full change of clothes, and sneakers for PE if your student wears other shoes to school.
Middle School
Please refer to the supply list on the Middle School tile in mySCH.
Upper School
There are no standard supplies required for Upper School students.
Summer Assignments
Students in all divisions should refer to the Summer Assignments tile in mySCH with this name to determine summer expectations and assignments.
Summerside Camps at SCH
Summerside Camps provides innovative,
creative, and fun camp programming for children in grades Pre-K–9 throughout the summer months. From coding to outdoor adventures to sports skills, there are a variety of options for every camper’s passion as well as our day camp, featuring weekly themes and exciting special events.
<<www.sch.org/summerside-camps>>
After Care & Enrichment (ACE)
After Care: ACE provides a safe and engaging environment for students in grades Pre-K—5 afterschool, from 3:00 PM-6:00 PM. At ACE, students will have opportunities to build friendships while exploring their interests and hobbies. Families receive annual After Care enrollment information and a registration link in mid-August. Registrations after the start of the school year are welcomed if space remains. More After Care information may be found on the ACE tile
Enrichment: ACE offers a wide range of fun and educational enrichment offerings for Lower School and Middle School students (grades Pre-K—8). Families receive Enrichment details and a registration link with new class offerings each season (fall/winter/spring). Enrichment dates and details may also be found on the ACE tile details.)
Dress Code
Lower School Girls
Collared polo shirt (navy, light blue, yellow, or white)
Second Layer: SCH cardigan, SCH fleece, SCH crewneck sweatshirt (navy or gray)
Bottoms: navy or khaki pants, cords, or shorts, black or navy leggings; plaid or navy SCH skort
Footwear: closed-toe shoes
Lower School Boys
Collared polo shirt (navy, light blue, yellow, or white)
Second Layer: SCH sweatshirt for Pre-K Grades K-4 require SCH’s 5-stripe jersey
Bottoms: navy or khaki pants or shorts
Footwear: closed-toe shoes
Middle School
Required: collared polo shirt (navy, light blue, yellow, or white) with or without SCH logo
Optional: choice of approved SCH longsleeved tops with SCH logo (no hooded tops)
Bottoms: navy or khaki dress pants or shorts (may not be cargo shorts/pants and
must be pants in winter) or plaid/navy SCH skort (must be paired with navy/black leggings or tights in winter)
Closed-toe and closed-back shoes (slippers, slides; crocs are not permitted for safety reasons)
Upper School
Students are asked to think of school as their workplace. Professional dress is expected. Collared Shirt (short or long sleeve), a buttondown shirt, or a turtleneck
Second layer: sweater, blazer, or official SCH apparel; only SCH sweatshirts are permitted on campus
Bottoms: dress pants (any khakis, non-blue denim pants and must be free of large rips/ tears), skirt, or skort. Non-athletic shorts are permitted in September & May
Note: Any hats/hoods should be removed inside of academic buildings.
Spirit Friday Dress
All students may wear any SCH top, including game jerseys and Players shirts, paired with dress code bottoms on Fridays to celebrate school spirit.
The SCHool Store
Located just inside the Middle School entrance, the SCHool Store is stocked with items both practical and fun, including dress code items, spirit wear, school accessories, and a complete line of gift ideas. We also offer most of the items on the SCHool Store website: << shop.sch.org >>
During the school year, students are able to make purchases at the SCHool Store if their parents/guardians have completed our form: Permission to Charge to Student Account found on the SCHool Store tile in mySCH.
The Clothes Closet
The Clothes Closet is a full-service resale shop—run by the school and volunteers–and a great resource for gently used dress code items. The store will re-open on August 21. The Clothes Closet is located at the Wissahickon Inn, just below the porch on Willow Grove Avenue.
Important Information
Reporting Attendance
For any changes in a student’s typical school day, including absences, late arrivals, early dismissals, or dismissal plan changes, please use the following:
Lower School: lsattendance@sch.org | 215-247-7045
Middle School: msattendance@sch.org | 215-754-1630
Upper School: usattendance@sch.org | 215-247-6282
When emailing, please also cc your child’s homeroom teacher or advisor.
Blue Devils Athletics
The Athletic Department maintains the SCH Blue Devils Athletics tile in mySCH to provide families with seasonal coaching information, access to team stores, and more.
Middle/Upper School: The school has the ability to send a notification—text or email—when there is a change to athletic schedules. We encourage all parents of athletes to sign up to receive these notifications. See the tile for instructions.
ImPACT Testing
All SCH athletes are required to complete at-home ImPACT testing form—Immediate Post Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing. This cognitive test is to ensure the safety of all SCH athletes participating on a team. Instructions to take the test are in the SCH Blue Devils Athletics tile in mySCH. A valid ImPACT form is required for participation in preseason and in fall sports.
Private Music Lessons
The music program sponsors an afterschool private music lesson program enabling students to study with master teachers in a wide variety of instrumental choices as well as voice. Our program features instruction in piano/keyboard, strings (violin, viola, cello, bass), guitar, woodwinds (clarinet, flute, saxophone), percussion, brass (trumpet, trombone), and voice. Voice lessons are offered to students beginning in Middle School.
To read more and to enroll your child in a 28-lesson program of private music lessons, please refer to the Key Parent Resources or Arts tile in mySCH to complete the form.
Divisional Handbooks
A digital handbook outlining the practices and policies of each division is shared in the fall. They will be posted in each division tile and in the Key Parent Resources tile
Weather & Alert Messaging
In the event of an unexpected school closing, an unanticipated schedule change requiring immediate attention, or a school emergency, SCH Academy uses an alert messaging system that automatically dials specific phone numbers on record and sends an email and text alert message (if a wireless number has been provided).
Please make sure that your child’s emergency contact information is up-to-date.
To check your emergency contact information:
• Please use the student directory in mySCH and review “Emergency Contacts” in your child’s contact card. Need to update? These fields are not editable by users. Update your information with data@sch.org.
Technology
SCH provides all students Pre-K—12 with a device. Students Pre-K—4 receive an iPad, students in grades 5—12 receive a MacBook Air. Tech support is available to students throughout the school day, as well as through email: tech@sch.org
Lower School
Students will receive their iPads on the first day of school (Lower School students do not take tech home).
Middle School
Students will receive their laptops during the first week of school.
Upper School
Students will receive their laptops and training at Fast Start.
All tech is on a 4-year renewal program. Families are responsible for the care of their school-issued device. All devices are covered by a warranty. Accidental damage is billed at a deductible of $99—$250 per incident. Students are asked to bring a fully charged device to school each day.
Communications
SCHout
The school distributes the SCHout e-newsletter every Thursday of the school year with important information— tips and reminders, upcoming events, news to know, and more. Please be sure to have at least one member of the household check the SCHout weekly. Have news of student achievements to share with us? Email news@sch.org.
Social Media
We are very active on social media and provide a lot of fun photos and stories for the school community to enjoy. Be sure to follow and like us on our many accounts:
Main Instagram: @schacademy
Main Facebook: @schacademy
Main X: @schacademy
Main YouTube: SCH Academy
MainLinkedIn: SCH Academy
Athletic Instagram: @schbluedevils
Athletic Twitter: @schbluedevils
Athletic YouTube: SCH Blue Devils
SCH Mobile App
Stay in the know on the go! The custom SCH mobile app provides parents and students easy access to key content right from their mobile device. Information about upcoming events, athletic schedules/scores, directories, what’s for lunch, and more—it’s all there!
Go to Apple or Google Play stores, search for “Springside Chestnut Hill Academy,” and download the app today.
There is also a how to guide and video in the Communications Resources tile in mySCH.
Livestream of Games
Links to our Blue Devils YouTube page will be provided on the mobile app athletic calendar for the games that are livestreamed.
Pixevety: Photo Sharing
The school manages Pixevety, a password-protected photo-sharing platform, for employees to upload their photos and share them with families. Please look for the Pixevety tile in mySCH where instructions, tips, and tricks can be found. Facial recognition is a key feature within Pixevety. Families are able to search for your child(ren) in the system and their photos will be facially recognized and archived in “My VIPs.” Pixevety only allows those connected to your child(ren) to download their photos. You can see who your connections are under “My VIP’s.” PRO TIP: We also strongly recommend that you put the Pixevety mobile app (in the App store) on your phone in order to download photos of your student(s). (Logo pictured here.)
Getting Involved
SCH Academy parents and guardians are welcomed into our community just as eagerly as our students, and we encourage their involvement.
The Parents Association
Every parent of an SCH Academy student is a member of the SCH Parents Association (PA). The Parents Association provides opportunities to connect, communicate, support, and participate in the life of the school by contributing their time and talents. The PA welcomes new parents, sponsors social gatherings, provides opportunities to hear from the school and outside experts on subjects of interest, and hosts fundraisers to support the school’s strategic initiatives.
The Parents Association is overseen by an Executive Board that works alongside a vibrant network of committee chairs, class parents, and volunteers. A list of current board members, committee chairs, and class parents can be found on the Parents Association tile. Feel free to reach out to
any of these parents with questions. You can also contact PA leadership by emailing pa@sch.org.
Parents Association Events
The Parents Association’s biggest event is the Spring Fundraiser. This event requires many hands and is a fun way to get involved and meet other parents. The PA also hosts or supports a variety of other events throughout the year, including the Homecoming Family Fair, Photo Day, Book Fair, SCH Day, Spirit Day, Faculty & Staff Appreciation Days, and more. You can help organize them, volunteer at them, or simply attend!
Details about upcoming events and volunteer opportunities can be found on the Parents Association tile. There are several ways to meet other SCH parents in the months ahead, including:
• The Parent Welcome Reception
• The Convocation Ceremony
• Parents on the Porch Coffees
• The Homecoming Family Fair
• Fall Parent Socials
• The Clothes Closet
• The Snack SCHack
Parents Association Newsletter
The Parents Association sends a monthly e-newsletter to all parents with recent highlights and upcoming parent activities. Parents are encouraged to submit photos from recent events and exciting news about our parent community. Past newsletters can be found on the Parents Association tile on mySCH.
Special Interest Groups
For parents who would like to provide ongoing support for a particular area of the school, there are special interest groups. To learn more, please contact Kristin Norton at knorton@sch.org Arts Council
The Arts Council is a volunteer leadership group that supports the arts at SCH. The Arts Council leads efforts for community engagement projects, such as organizing the Crawford Gallery exhibits and the All School Art Show; providing fundraising support through the SCH Fund and the Restore the Rec capital campaign; and volunteering at arts events.
Blue Devils Club
The Blue Devils Club is a volunteer leadership group that supports the athletic program at SCH. This committee falls under the joint direction of the Athletic and Development Offices, and helps to increase community engagement in our athletic programs as well as fundraising and other volunteer efforts with the goal of overall excellence in SCH Athletics.
Diversity Parent Resource Network (DPRN)
The DPRN is a parent volunteer group that supports diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives in our school community. Embracing diversity as a condition of excellence, the DPRN helps plan activities that promote cultural appreciation and awareness, such as the Multicultural & Diversity Festival and programming for MLK Jr. Day.
Service Council
The Parent Service Council is the volunteer leadership group that helps to increase family involvement in and support of SCH service initiatives through purposeful giving of time and talent toward the betterment of the broader community.
Giving back
SCH and Philanthropy
Giving is an integral part of the success of SCH. The extraordinary generosity of our community members makes SCH what it is today: a school with high expectations, strong values, and happy, hardworking students.
The SCH Fund
The SCH Fund, Springside Chestnut Hill Academy’s highest fundraising priority, is SCH’s annual giving program that supports all elements of the student experience such as the arts, athletics, classroom resources, technology, professional development for faculty, scholarships and financial aid, and more. These gifts make the SCH experience a reality and take us from good to great!
All gifts of every size matter. Your participation sends a strong message about your confidence in our school and the education your children are receiving. Our goal each year is 100% participation for trustees, parents, alumni, and faculty/
staff as your commitment speaks volumes to prospective families, foundations, and corporations who gauge their interest in supporting our school on the overall participation rates.
Pennsylvania Tax Credit Program
Through participation in the Pennsylvania Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) and Opportunity Scholarship Tax Credit (OSTC) programs, businesses—and now, individuals—with significant tax liability, can earn PA tax credits when they make a contribution to a scholarship organization like SCH.
Your support of SCH through the EITC/ OSTC program will help in the school’s efforts to make its educational experience available to the most capable students regardless of their financial circumstances.
To learn more about giving back to SCH, please visit www.sch.org/give or contact Brooke Mattingly, director of the SCH Fund (bmattingly@sch.org).
Contacts @ SCH
Have a question? Feel free to contact us! Our hours of operation on campus during the academic year are 8:00 AM–6:00 PM, Monday through Friday.
How to Email Faculty & Staff
Please use the Faculty & Staff directory in the mobile app or www.SCH.org for employee email addresses.
Main Reception | 215-247-4700
Lower School | 215-247-7045
Douglas Wainwright | Head of Lower School | dwainwright@sch.org
Zaccai Williams | Assistant Head of Lower School | zwilliams@sch.org
Jaimeé Nelson | Administrative Assistant | jnelson@sch.org
Middle School | 215-754-1630
Meadow Pepino | Head of Middle School | mpepino@sch.org
Catherine Baney | Assistant Head of Middle School | cbaney@sch.org
Samara Lee | Administrative Assistant | samara.lee@sch.org
Upper School | 215-247-6282
Matt Norcini | Head of Upper School | mnorcini@sch.org
Charlotte Giovinazzo | Assistant Head of Upper School | cgiovinazzo@sch.org
Stephanie Schade | Administrative Assistant | sschade@sch.org
For more resources, please check out our SCH mobile app. There, you can find upcoming events, our online directory, and more!
There is also a campus map on the SCH mobile app (located in the “more” section).
