Weekly Sinking Springs Update

Dear Families,

In my last newsletter, I mistakenly shared that Cameron Shaeffer was one of the Sinking Springs citizens of the month- I apologize for my mistake. Camden Shaeffer is one of our January citizens. Congratulations, Camden.

A BIG shoutout to our classrooms participating in the world’s biggest math competition, the Prodigy competition. Each month, schools across the U.S. compete against others in their state to see how many math questions their students can answer correctly. I am thrilled to share that SSE came in FIRST place in Pennsylvania for the new Prodigy competition in January! This competition is new for 2025 and counts toward a bigger competition taking place in May. Thank you to the fifth-grade teacher, Mrs. Sicuranza, for helping organize the Sinking Springs Elementary activity.

It is soon time for our second round of parent-teacher conferences. Parents can sign up starting next Tuesday, February 18. Please look for directions from your child's teacher on how to set up a conference. The conferences will take place on March 13th and 14th.

Please join us at 6:00 PM on Thursday, February 20th, for our annual Sinking Springs Elementary Sixth Grade Talent Show! The event will be held in our school gym. I had the opportunity to check out a few after-school practices, and I am very impressed! I can't wait to give our upper-level students the spotlight to showcase their talents.

Our candy bar fundraiser is underway. Students must turn in a permission slip to participate. This fundraiser helps Sinking Springs Elementary raise money for student activities and rewards. We will be selling the World's Finest Chocolate again this year. I am including a flyer below with information.

Our PTO is holding a Night Out Fundraiser at Dairy Queen to benefit Sinking Springs Elementary. This newsletter includes the flyer, which must be presented at the time of purchase.

• When: Monday, February 17th, 2025 from 9:30 am – 9:30 pm
• Where: DQ Grill & Chill 1740 Roosevelt Ave. York PA 17408 717-846-5389

On Wednesday, a couple of families shared photos of the FID (thank you!), which I am including in my weekly photo collage. Please remember you can upload photos from the school year for us to add to our SSE memory book. In the PTO section below, there is a barcode for sharing your images.

Please let me know if you have any questions at 717- 846-6789 ext. 1700 or email hdick@cysd.k12.pa.us.

Warm regards,

Heather Dick

Sinking Springs is again offering our students the Hershey Bear's Roaring to Read Program. Roaring to Read was formed to motivate youth in the community to develop a love for reading and promote the value, importance, and enjoyment of reading and literacy for elementary students. The Hershey Bears connect with numerous elementary schools in the Central PA area to incentivize students with a complimentary ticket to a Bears home game once the student completes their school's reading challenge. Students interested in participating should stop by the library to pick up a reading minute tracker. These trackers will be signed by parents or teachers when completed and returned to the library so that students can receive their official Roaring to Read certificate. This certificate will offer a code for a free Hershey Bears game ticket. (Select home games in March and April).

• Friday, February 14: Early Dismissal (12:30) for students
• Monday, February 17: Presidents’ Day- No school
• Monday, February 17: Dairy Queen Roosevelt Ave. Night Out Fundraiser 9:00 AM- 9:00 PM
• Present the flyer attached to this newsletter when placing an order
• Tuesday, February 18: Skyward Conference scheduler opens to parents
• Thursday, February 20: Sixth-grade talent Show at 6:00 PM in the SSE gym (snow date: 2/27)
• Monday, March 3- 7: Scholastic Book Fair
• Thursday, March 6: Book fair evening purchases and GAMEO family activity 6:00 PM- 7:30 PM
• Monday, March 3: Trimester two grades and comments posted in Skyward
• Tuesday, March 11: PTO Meeting at 9:15 AM at SSE
• Thursday, March 13: Early Dismissal (12:30) for students; Parent/Teacher Conferences
• Friday, March 14: Parent/Teacher Conferences
• Tuesday, April 8: PTO Meeting 9:15 at SSE
• Friday, May 9: NHE/SSE: Jeffrey L. Fox Memorial Track Meet at CYHS athletic field
• Rain date May 15
• Tuesday, May 13: PTO Meeting 9:15 at SSE
• Wednesday, May 28: Sixth-grade student Picnic
• Wednesday, June 4: Last Day of School

The District will communicate information to families should a bad weather situation arise. Please ensure your contact information and Skylert preferences in Skyward are current. Here is a quick reminder of the CYSD's winter weather procedures:

• Two-Hour Delay- A two-hour delay may be called if the District feels additional time will allow for the safe transportation of our students to school. If the decision is made for a two-hour delay, bus transportation will arrive two hours after their normally scheduled time, car rider drop-off will take place two hours after the normal arrival time and the school day will begin two hours after the normally scheduled start time.
• Early Dismissal- On rare occasions, school may need to be dismissed early. On these days, we will communicate the specific dismissal schedules for families.
• Flexible Instruction Day- All school buildings will be closed, however, students will be provided school work to complete independently through Schoology or printed materials. This will eliminate the need to make up days at the end of the school year. Teachers will be available through their usual electronic communication methods during school hours to support students.
• Remote Learning- All school buildings will be closed, however, students and staff will complete the school day from home through Schoology and Zoom. This will eliminate the need to make up days at the end of the school year. Remote Learning Days will follow the normally scheduled Cycle Day listed on the District Calendar. Additional communication will be sent to students by their school/teachers with directions on accessing their teachers and assignments. Students should log in as directed by their school for attendance purposes.
• School Canceled- All school buildings will be closed and students will make up the inclement weather day at the end of the school year.

In May, our fourth-grade students will participate in swim lessons at our high school. Information came home with our fourth graders the first week in December about an additional swim class opportunity they have. As part of the district's swimming program, all Central York School District second and fourth-grade students will now receive five free recreational swimming sessions at the Central York Natatorium. All swimmers must have a caregiver present to participate. Additional family members are welcome to register and attend for a fee of $5 each. To register your child for one of their five free Recreational Swimming sessions:

1. Visit https://centralyork.revtrak.net/Community-Aquatics-Program/
2. Select the desired date under the Elementary Swim Passes tab.
3. Enter the password to access the registration portal. The password is 24CYPANTHERS!
4. You will be asked to create a user account or sign in if you already have one.
5. Complete the questions, including the participant's name, grade, and emergency contact information.
6. Any additional participants may be added at the bottom of the page. Costs apply for additional swimmers.
7. Submit your order and review it on the checkout screen. Click Place Order when ready to complete your submission.
8. A confirmation email will be sent to the email address you entered. You can also print from the website after completing your submission.

If you have any questions about this program, please get in touch with Catherine Lane, the Central York Aquatics Director, at clane@cysd.k12.pa.us. You can also learn more about our Aquatics Programs on the District Website.

UPDATED 1/31/2025: Snack Sales and Ala Carte items The cafeteria is now selling juice boxes, snacks, and ice cream. Items range from $1.25-$1.60 each. Students also have the option to purchase additional entrees, fruit and vegetables. These items range in price from $.90-$2.50. Students must have the funds in their lunch account or cash in hand to purchase these items. If paying with cash, no change will be given back. The change will be applied to your child's lunch account. If you do not want your child to purchase snacks or other ala carte items, you can block these purchases in Skyward or set limits.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to the head cook, Erika Kennedy, at (717)846-6789 x1708 or ekennedy@cysd.k12.pa.us

Families can apply for participation in the Free and Reduced Meal Program. Information about this program can be accessed on our district website or by clicking here.

Please considering signing up for the Weis4School program. Through this program, Sinking Springs Elementary earns money for after-school intramurals, SPIRIT shirts, and many more things that help us reward and celebrate our spectacular students! You automatically credit your school with cash earned when you shop at Weis Markets using your Weis Rewards Card. The purchases families made last year earned SSE $1,654! That is amazing!

Our PTO has created a form to share our many volunteer opportunities. If you would like to be involved in any way, from donating your time or donating to staff appreciation events, please complete this form. The PTO will use the information to ask for volunteers and donations during this school year.

Here is the link:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1m82GusWbhp4eHqh_ewxCEDU8pDSRFzrhd04c59DQza0/viewform?edit_requested=true

Volunteer Update: Prospective volunteers will apply online. Human Resources will review/approve applications and notify volunteers of their status. Prospective volunteers for the 2024/2025 school year are encouraged to obtain and update any necessary clearances and background checks. Click here for the online application.

Volunteer Badge Change: Once approved, volunteers will no longer receive school-year volunteer badges. Instead, they will wear the ID sticker badge provided by the school office when checking in for a visit. This temporary badge will identify them as a volunteer for their visit.

Skyward is the District's Student Information System (SIS). It stores information that includes attendance history, grades, school reports, personal family information (address, phone, email, emergency contacts), and health information. Skyward is also used as a communications tool for teachers and administrators to send messages to families.

The Skyward username is automatically generated for families and is typically last name, first initial (eg: Chris Jones would be Jones). Your Skyward account is created when enrolling your student and completing the online registration process.

If you cannot login or successfully reset your Skyward password, please contact familyaccess@cysd.k12.pa.us.

Schoology is the District's Learning Management System (LMS). It is an extension of the physical classroom. Children access learning materials and show what they know in Schoology. Schoology gives them the ability to interact with their teachers and classmates. You can use Schoology to see important classroom information, and how your child is doing in school! Login to Schoology using the email associated with your Skyward Account. Sign in at app.schoology.com.

If it is your first time accessing Schoology, CLICK HERE for instructions on logging in.

Central York School District is excited to announce that we have partnered with Linewize by Family Zone, a leading education technology company, to provide District families and students with the highest quality of online safety and digital wellness education.

As members of the Central York Community, you have access to an Online Safety Hub, as well as free parent/guardian access to the Qustodio App, a parental control app that allows families insight and control of their child’s device usage.

Qustodio App

The Qustodio App allows parents access to monitor and supervise their child’s time online. By signing up, parents can monitor their child’s activity on their school-issued device, as well as up to two additional personal devices at no cost.

The app enables parents to:

• Receive reports and alerts on your child’s school-time activity
• Enable and disable internet access
• Receive guidance and tips on digital trends and threats

Access to features on your child’s school-issued device will be effective during non-school hours. Usage on two free personal devices is 24/7. Parents must use the email associated with their Skyward account.

Online Safety Hub

The Online Safety Hub includes helpful parent advice guides, app and game reviews, online safety quizzes, resources, and access to information about the Qustodio App.

Please note that you may receive an invite or email from the Qustodio App. This is an optional service offered to District families.

Learn More

Annual Notices

Breakfast/Lunch Menus

Free and Reduced Meal Program Forms

Community Flyers

Sinking Springs Homepage

Parents and Families

Student Handbooks

Educational Trip Form

Volunteer Information

Central York School District offers optional protection plans for your child’s District-issued devices.

The protection plan fully covers your child’s device for any accidental damage. It costs $25 per year for iPads and $60 per year for Macbooks.

Learn more and sign up: https://dpp.centralyork.org/

Student transportation information is now available in our CYSD Bus Routing Portal.

• CYSD Bus Routing Portal
• CYSD Transportation Change Request Form

Use the link below to access the most up-to-date bus routing information. This will include primary and secondary stop information for all of your children who are active in the district.

Click here to access student transportation information.

Student car rider arrival and parent pick-up procedures will stay the same as last school year. Below is a description of these procedures for our new families:

• Use the access road that runs behind the school.
• Parents will not leave their vehicles.
• Morning arrival
  • Beginning at 8:40 AM, students will exit one vehicle at a time at the end of the access road. School staff will supervise as students walk from cars and enter the school through the cafeteria entrance.
• Car rider dismissal
  • Students will be dismissed for parent pick-up starting at 3:30.
  • Families will receive two nameplates on your car dashboard so that staff can “check you in” as you travel the route and get your child ready to meet you at the end of the route. These nameplates will come home on the first day of school.
  • Staff will supervise students as they exit the school cafeteria doors and approach vehicles along the pick-up route

Check out the video for Sinking Springs Arrival and Dismissal.