On December 12th and 13th, 2024, Cedar Cliff High School, Camp Hill, PA, administered the Keystone Exams.

The Keystone Exams are standards-based, end-of-course assessments designed to assess proficiency in the subjects of Algebra I, Literature, and Biology. These exams were created to replace the Grade 11 PSSA and serve as one component of Pennsylvania's statewide high school graduation requirements.

If students did not pass the exams the previous year, specifically in grades 10th and 11th, they would be among those retaking the exams. The only subjects included in these winter retake exams are Algebra and Literature; Biology is not part of this retake.

One thing that not many people are unaware of is that there is no limit to how many times a student can retake the exams. Mr. Gensler, Cedar Cliff assistant principal and School Assessment Coordinator for the Keystone Exams, explains, "You can take them as many times as you want, but I know that legally you have to sit at least once and then try one more time. And then you can try the other pathways.

The Keystone exams are a crucial requirement for graduation, but there are five optional pathways to fulfill this requirement, with the first being the need to pass all three Keystone Exams with a score of 1500 or better. If a student does not do well on the Keystone's, they can still pass the ASVAB or choose one of the four remaining pathways to graduate.

Cedar Cliff High School is known for many things, but recently, one of the biggest things it has been known for is its pep rallies. A pep rally is a gathering of people who want to show their support and enthusiasm, specifically for a sports team or the school itself. Pep rallies encourage all students and faculty to get excited about an event and show school spirit.

In recent years, Cedar Cliff High School has only held one pep rally each year. However, starting this year, the school administration has decided to hold one pep rally-like activity each marking period, resulting in four for the year. Mr. Gensler, the school's vice principal, vocalized. "We want to do more of them because it gives the kids a sense of community, something fun, something to be proud of." He emphasized that one of the main things Cedar Cliff lacked was school spirit, which is why they decided to have more pep rallies.

While some may not think school spirit is needed, it fosters a sense of belonging among students and encourages them to connect and build relationships.

At Cedar Cliff High School, students gather around the bleachers outside for pep rallies, where there are plenty of opportunities for them to win things, such as t-shirts, sweatshirts, gift cards, etc. Wearing clothing reinforces the school spirit and the appreciation that teachers and staff are eager to receive from their students.

With school spirit comes willingness and determination from the staff members and school board, who are inclined to make Cedar Cliff a better place for both students and faculty. “I think we wanted to shoot for four pep rallies this year because in the past we've had zero, and then we had one, and I think four is a good number now. We just need to continue to be better.” Mr Gensler stated, his dedication evident in his voice.

The impact of the Mosaic concert at Cedar Cliff High School is that it captivates the audience while still making it engaging and fun for the performers. One of the most well-known things about the Mosaic is how the performances can keep the audience on their toes.

Mr. Topping, the artistic director, stated that they take advantage of immersive technology to create this show's masterpiece. Topping remarked, “We never actually have been able to film it very well because there is stuff everywhere, so it’s hard to capture it on film.”

Different performing groups exist, both big and small, around the entire auditorium. During the show, the music never stops, it moves from group to group, creating anticipation through the audience as a whole.

This concert showcases the various groups within the orchestra, band, and choirs. Many students love to perform in this huge showcase, which shows school spirit and a lot of creativity. Topping explains, “The idea of the mosaic is that there are many tiles that make one piece of art. In a mosaic concert, what happens is many little musical pieces create a bigger piece of art with no applause in between.”

This concert shows the talent and dedication required to create something big and inspirational.

There are many classes you can take at Cedar Cliff as an aspiring artist, but some will be more useful for improvement than others. If you're a new artist, Mr. Burnham, one of the art teachers at Cedar Cliff, has several recommendations: "If they like to work with their hands, I would recommend a 3D class, and if they like painting, I would recommend a drawing and painting class." For those who prefer digital art, he recommends a 2D class.

On the other hand, there is one class that Mr. Burnham recommends for more experienced artists. "I think they should get into honors studio because we tailor your studies to create a portfolio that can help you get accepted to college and potentially earn scholarship money," he said. The class is also suitable for students who may not want to attend college but can be used to improve certain skills that may need further development.

Overall, there are many art classes you can take while attending Cedar Cliff, and you can find classes that fit the type of art you are hoping to pursue.

Cedar Cliff High School has many clubs, each with its own specialization. One of these clubs is the Cedar Cliff Spanish Club. As of this school year and the date of this article, the club has yet to start up again. To find out what has happened to the club, Nathan Rivera, a current senior and the president of the club, commented on the matter.

The club, as described by Nathan, was about students coming together to learn about different Spanish cultures while having fun. The members of the club were a diverse group, ranging from Spanish speakers to non-Spanish speakers, and from Hispanics to non-Hispanics, so the club had a very welcoming environment.

The club used to meet twice a month, every other Tuesday. In his cabinet, Nathan had Sheena Tlapa, a now-graduated student, as his vice president; Aiden Hayes, a current senior, as the treasurer; and Austin Lambaria, also a current senior, as the secretary.

When asked why the club is not running this year, Nathan responded, “So, Mrs. Satzler, who was the teacher running it, had a baby over the summer, so she was gone on maternity leave. Without her, we can't really do it… But she’s back now, so I might talk to her about it and see if we can get it back up again.”

Another topic discussed was the struggle of running a club. The main challenge they realized was keeping people interested so they would keep coming back. Given that there are plans to bring the club back, the next question was about the possibilities for this school year. Nathan and Scott Numfor, the French Club president, have been making some plans. “We are actually in talks already, even though the club isn’t running yet,” Nathan stated. He explained that the two of them plan to hold joint meetings to gather a large group of people and generate interest, which would allow for more opportunities for both clubs.

As Nathan works on restarting the Spanish Club, the best way to stay updated is to follow their Instagram @cedarcliff_spanishclub. Stay tuned!

Every semester at Cedar Cliff High School, the language classes hold a special event in the cafeteria. Students bring in international dishes to share with their classmates and peers. This special day brings together students studying Spanish or French from all class levels to learn about food from cultures across the globe.

According to a survey posted on the Schoology pages of every language class at Cedar Cliff, many students found joy in participating in the event and saw relevance to their understanding of the language they are currently studying. Of the 117 students who completed the survey, 79.3% rated their satisfaction with the event a 4 or above on a 1-5 scale, and 59.9% of students rated the relevance of the event to their language of choice a 4 or above.

The lower percentage in the second category may be due to the fact that most dishes typically only take 1 or 2 hours to prepare, which may not offer as much in-depth learning. However, there is still much to gain from this experience.

Students get the opportunity to learn about other cultures' gastronomy—the way a certain area cooks and prepares food—while socializing with their peers. On the other hand, not every student wants to spend time making a dish and dealing with the hassle of bringing it to school, which is why teachers also offer an alternative assignment instead of requiring students to cook.

Out of the 117 students mentioned earlier, 97 made a dish, while 20 completed an alternative assignment for credit.

This tradition at Cedar Cliff is rich in both learning and flavor. Students look forward to it every year, making it one of the most memorable days a student can have here.