On March 15, 2018, 32 of our 6th, 7th, and 8th graders were the first scholars to be inducted into the new chapter of the PHCSE National Junior Honor Society. Students were evaluated and chosen on the basis of scholarship, service, leadership, character, and citizenship. It was a wonderful evening with Mrs.Thomas welcoming over 150 family members who came to celebrate and support their children. Dr. Tricia Shelton, our guest speaker, gave an inspirational speech reminding students of the importance of pioneers. Mrs. Tritt, Ms. Dickinson, Ms. Jefferson, Ms. Rutter, and Mrs. Victor led a beautiful candle-lighting ceremony. Each inductee signed the registry, lit their candle, and recited the pledge - thus making them members of this prestigious society. Mrs. Michele Aron will be the Chapter Adviser for the PHCSE National Junior Honor Society.

Students recently worked on a lesson about TDAs (Text Dependent Analysis). Students engaged in a three part mini-lesson prior to working as a group formulating TDAs based off of two passages they read from the Benchmark Texts for Close Reading books. The focus of the mini-lesson was the details about TDA that show, prove, or demonstrate that their statement is valid. There are two different types of details in a TDA, implicit and explicit. Students worked as a group identifying the different types of details in the passages before responding to the TDA.

In music class, students have been exploring American born music. The main focus has been on Jazz and Hip-Hop music. Our guest teacher Dennis Garner, has been exposing the students to these forms of music through stick drumming. Classes have gotten to see how Jazz started in New Orleans and spread throughout the country. Students also learned about the beginning of Hip-Hop in New York City. The concentration class worked intensely on learning three pieces of music from West Africa and the Caribbean.

During African American History Month, students learned about the history of African American art in their art classes. Kindergarten created hand-rolled beads out of construction paper. 2nd Grade made their own scratch plates using crayons and tempera paint and designed and sketched African Akuaba dolls. 3rd Grade read the book Tar Beach, illustrated by Faith Ringgold. Her narrative style of artwork inspired students when designing their own Tar Beach. 5th Grade read the book Sweet Clara and the Freedom Quilt. They studied different patterns in freedom quilts and designed their own. All of the “patches” were later combined into one large quilt.

PSSA time is right around the corner! Scholars in grades 3-8 will participate in the PSSAs on the dates listed above. It's important for your son/daughter to get a good night's sleep and eat breakfast on the days of the test! We are confident we have prepared our students for this assessment and ask that you review the Cell Phone Policy and Information for Parents or Guardians below.

Skyward Family/Student Access is a secure internet-based website that allows you to easily track everything your student(s) does during school, including their progress reports and report cards. This service allows you to view your student’s attendance, grades, schedule, progress, assignments, and emergency contact information. Family/Student Access is available to all parents and students at PHCSE. Due to the importance of the Skyward system, we are not providing families with paper copies of progress reports and report cards. Therefore, it is crucial that you log into your account.

How to use Skyward:

To log into Skyward Family access, please visit the PHCSE website at http://phcharter.org/skyward-familystudent-access/ to find the link to Family/Student Access, or use the following web address: https://skyward.phcharter.org/scripts/wsisa.dll/WService=wsEAplus/seplog01.w.

You can also download the Skyward app on your phone. The Penn Hills Library has partnered with us to assist any family who does not have a computer or internet access.

Please call the front office to obtain your login if needed.

Push Notifications are enabled if you have the Skyward mobile app. Visit the link to see a tutorial on how to enable Push Notifications, or watch the video below. https://www.skyward.com/parents-and-students/family-access-toolkit/parents/video/push-notifications.