New Parent Handbook 2022-2023 by Springside Chestnut Hill Academy

New Parent Handbook 2022-2023

Important Information

Let’s Get Started Mark Your Calendars..................................................5 Athletic Preseason Back-to-School Nights New Student Orientations Mobile App.......................................................................5 mySCH................................................................................5 Family Information......................................................6 Health Services..............................................................6 myStudent Health Services...............6 Medical Team............................................. 7 Dining Services & Meal Plans................................ 7 Transportation................................................................8 School Day, Arrival, & Dismissal..........................8 School Supplies.............................................................8 Summer Assignments...............................................9 Summerside Camps...................................................9 After Care & Enrichment (ACE)...........................9 Dress Code.....................................................................11 The SCHool Store & Clothes Closet...............12 AmazonSmile...............................................................12

Reporting Attendance.............................................13 Blue Devil Athletics...................................................13 Private Music Lessons.............................................14 Divisional Handbooks..............................................15 Weather & Alert Messaging..................................15 Technology....................................................................15

Communications SCHout..............................................................................16 Social Media .................................................................16 SCH Mobile App..........................................................16 Livestream of Games...............................................16 Pixevety: Photo Sharing.........................................17

Getting Involved The Parents Association........................................18 Parents Association Events..................................18 Parents Associaton Newsletter.........................19 Special Interest Groups.........................................20

Giving Back The SCH Fund..............................................................21 Pennsylvania Tax Credit Program....................21

Contacts @ SCH How to Contact Us..................................................22

Dear New SCH Families, Having arrived in early July as the school’s new head of school, I am just a little bit ahead of you in the “onboarding” process, and I suspect this handbook will be as helpful to me as it will be for you!

What drew me to SCH is what has likely drawn you as well—its story of tradition and innovation, its temperament of resolve and purpose, and the opportunity to join a community where lives are changed for a better world. It is a place that sharpens minds, softens hearts, and illuminates principles, laying the foundation for a meaningful life of impact. Simply put, SCH centers community.

I look forward to greeting you all very soon and extend my warmest welcome to your entire family. It’s going to be a wonderful year!

Warmly, Dr. Delvin Dinkins Head of School

Let’s Get Started Mark Your Calendars

Mobile App

Preseason for Upper School teams: Please refer to the Blue Devil Athletics tile in mySCH for details, including coach information, practice locations, and schedule.

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 calendars (by division and all-school events & holidays), parent, employee, and student directories, team schedules, and a whole lot more!

Football...........................................................August 15 All other teams........................................ .August 22

Back-to-School Nights Lower School.....................................September 15 Middle School................................... September 22 Upper School.................................... September 29

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.

New Student Orientations Middle School New Families (Virtual)........... August 16, Noon New Students....................... August 31, 8:30 AM

Upper School Fast Start (9th-12th)...... August 26, 9:00–1:00 9th Grade Only................August 27, 9:00–2:00

Upcoming Events Parent Welcome Reception……September 8 Convocation Ceremony............September 23 Homecoming Weekend……October 21 & 22

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. Physical forms submitted must be dated within 12 months of July 31, 2022. (It is not necessary to schedule a physical before starting SCH.) 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

Dining Services & MyPaymentsPlus

The Health Office is located just inside the main entrance of the McCausland Lower School. Nurses: Anne Stout, BSN, RN Eileen Stumpf, RN Phone: 215-247-7247

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.

ECC & Upper School The Health Office is located in the Inn, on the second floor. Nurse: Kimberly Elgart, RN Phone: 215-754-1621

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.

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. Form can be found on the Health Services tile and uploaded or given directly to the nurses.

Lower School All 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.

not be dropped off before 7:50 AM. The dismissal window for grades Pre-K—4 is from 3:10-3:30 PM.

Middle & Upper School Students may bring their lunch or buy food ahead of time through the school’s meal plan from our dining service provider.

Middle School The school day begins at 8:00 AM and 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.

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). To determine if your student is eligible for busing, 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. Contact: Carol Allison | callison@sch.org

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 details.)

School Supplies

School Day, Arrival, & Dismissal

Lower School

You will receive an email from your child’s homeroom teacher on August 26 with specific details about what to bring on the first day of school. In general, it includes a pair of rain boots, water bottle, full change of

The arrival window for all Lower School students is from 7:50–8:10 AM, Monday through Friday. Lower School students, besides those arriving by bus, should

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

After Care & Enrichment (ACE)

There are no standard supplies required for Upper School students.

After Care: ACE provides a safe and

Students in all divisions should refer to the tile with this name to determine summer expectations and assignments.

engaging after-school environment for students in grades Pre-K–5. At ACE, students will have opportunities to build friendships while exploring their interests and hobbies. If you plan to use this service at any time throughout the year, we ask that you complete a registration in advance on the ACE tile in mySCH.

Summerside Camps at SCH

Enrichment: ACE also offers a wide

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.

range of fun enrichment classes for Lower School and Middle School students (grades Pre-K—8). Parents will receive an email with the class offerings each season and a link to register.

Summer Assignments

Contact: ACE@sch.org | 215-247-7272

www.sch.org/summerside-camp. 9

Dress Code Lower School Girls

must be pants in winter) or plaid/navy SCH skort (must be paired with navy/black leggings or tights in winter)

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-toed shoes

Upper School Students are asked to think of school as their workplace. Professional dress is expected. Collared Shirt (short or long sleeve), a button-down shirt, or a turtleneck Second layer: sweater, blazer, or official SCH apparel. Only SCH sweatshirts are permitted on campus Bottoms: dress pants (any khakis, nonblue denim pants and must be free of large rips/tears), skirt, or skort. Non-athletic shorts are permitted in September & May

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-toed shoes

Note: Any hats/hoods should be removed inside of academic buildings.

Middle School Collared polo shirt (navy, light blue, yellow, or white) with SCH logo or no logo Second Layer: choice of approved SCH tops Bottoms: navy or khaki dress pants or shorts (may not be cargo shorts/pants and

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

Clothes Closet

The SCHool Store, located near the Middle School entrance, is stocked with items both practical and fun–dress code items, spirit wear, school accessories, toddler gear, and a complete line of gift ideas. We also offer many of the items on the SCHool Store website:

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 24. The Clothes Closet is located at the Wissahickon Inn, just below the porch on Willow Grove Avenue.

AmazonSmile

<< shop.sch.org >>

Shopping on Amazon? Start your shopping at smile.amazon.com! When you shop, Amazon gives! Simply designate Springside Chestnut Hill Academy as your charity of choice and a percentage of your Amazon purchases will be donated to the school. Amazon contributions go directly to the PA to help fund school spirit events.

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.

To learn more about giving back to SCH, please visit www.sch.org/give.

Important Information Reporting Attendance

Blue Devil Athletics

For any changes in a student’s typical school day, including absence, late arrivals, early dismissals, or dismissal plan changes, please use the following:

The Athletic Department maintains the SCH Blue Devil Athletics tile in mySCH to provide families with seasonal coaching information, access to team stores, and more.

Early Childhood Center (ECC):

Middle/Upper School: The school has

eccattendance@sch.org | 215-754-1637

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.

Lower School: lsattendance@sch.org | 215-247-7045

Middle School: msattendance@sch.org | 215-754-1630

ImPACT Testing

Upper School:

All SCH athletes are required to complete at-home ImPACT testing—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 Devil Athletics tile in mySCH. A valid ImPACT test is required for participation in preseason and in fall sports.

usattendance@sch.org | 215-247-6282 When emailing, please cc your child’s homeroom teacher or advisor.

Private Music Lessons The Music Department sponsors an after-school 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, 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 for a 28-lesson program of private music lessons, please refer to the Key Parent Resources tile in mySCH to complete the form.

Divisional Handbooks

Technology

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.

SCH provides all students Pre-K—12 with a device. Students Pre-K—4 receive an iPad, students 5—12 receive a MacBook Air. Tech support is available to students throughout the school day, as well as through email: tech@sch.org.

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).

Lower School Students will receive their iPad on the first day of school (LS students do not take tech home).

Middle School Students will receive their laptops during the first week of school.

Please make sure that your child’s emergency contact information is up-todate.

Upper School Students will receive their laptops and training at Fast Start.

To check your emergency contact information: • Please use the student directory in mySCH and look at “Emergency Contacts” in your child’s contact card. These fields are not editable by users. Need to update? Contact data@sch.org.

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 an 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.

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!

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:

Go to Apple or Google Play stores and 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.

Main Instagram: @schacademy Main Facebook: @schacademy Main Twitter: @schacademy Main YouTube: SCH Academy Athletic Instagram: @schbluedevils Athletic Twitter: @schbluedevils Athletic YouTube: SCH Blue Devils

Livestream of Games Links to our Blue Devil YouTube page will be provided on the mobile app calendar for the games that are livestreamed.

Pixevety: Photo Sharing The school manages Pixevety, a 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.”

Getting Involved SCH Academy parents and guardians are welcomed into our community just as eagerly as our students, and we encourage their involvement.

any of these parents with questions. You can also contact PA leadership by emailing pa@sch.org.

Parents Association Events

The Parents Association

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!

Every parent of a 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.

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: • Parent Welcome Reception • Convocation Ceremony • Parents on the Porch Coffees • Walkabout Wednesdays

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

• • • •

Parents Association Newsletter

Homecoming Family Fair Fall Parent Socials Clothes Closet Snack SCHack

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. The first newsletter will be sent in mid-September.

Special Interest Groups

promote cultural appreciation awareness, such as the Multicultural and Diversity Festival and programming for MLK, Jr. Day.

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 the Crawford Gallery exhibits and the All School Art Show; provides fundraising support through the SCH Fund and the Restore the Rec capital campaign; and volunteers at arts events.

Friends of Robotics & Engineering (coming soon!) Friends of Robotics & Engineering is a volunteer leadership group that works to enhance the development of our student engineers and supports the robotics program through community engagement and fundraising.

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 The Diversity Parent Resource Network (DPRN) supports diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives in our parent and school community and plans activities that

Service Council (coming soon!) The Service Council helps identify and organize opportunities for community service projects, working in collaboration with the Development office and Upper School Service Council students to support the school’s civic engagement goals.

For more information about parent involvement at SCH, contact Andrea Eckert, Director of Parent & Community Engagement (aeckert@sch.org).

Giving back SCH and Philanthropy

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.

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.

Pennsylvania Tax Credit Program

The SCH Fund

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.

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!

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.

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/

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.

Calling SCH? After Care & Enrichment........... 215-247-7272 Athletic Department...................... 215-754-1636 Development.....................................215-247-7003 Head of School.................................. 215-247-7117 Nurses: ECC & US Nurse..................... 215-754-1621 LS & MS Nurse......................... 215-247-7247

School Store.......................................215-754-1649 Security.................................................267-246-8427 Student Billing...................................215-261-6938 Transportation...................................215-754-1602

Campus Map: www.sch.org/campus-map

500 W. Willow Grove Ave Philadelphia, PA, 19118 www.sch.org

New Parent Handbook 2022-2023

Articles inside

Private Music Lessons

Parents Associaton Newsletter

Pixevety: Photo Sharing

Special Interest Groups

Dress Code