December 21, 2022

Hello, SHS families.

As we continually evaluate school district programming and staffing allocations, we do so through the lens of our four pillars - Academics, Athletics/Activities, Arts, and Service. With a keen eye on the budget and future planning, we also seek opportunities to be fiscally responsible and look for ways to help address ever-present budget challenges.

To that end, we will be restructuring our administrative team, taking advantage of the retirement of some of our administrators this summer. These changes will involve a reduction in personnel on the administrative team, which will assist in addressing budget challenges. Yet, in recognizing our work still necessitates a significant effort for the success of our students, the team will be reorganized to place administrative team members in key positions that suit the needs of the entire district moving forward.

The first change will take place in January 2023 and involves Dr. Daniel Tracy transitioning to take on oversight of Federal Programs (Title I, Title II, etc.), coordination of assessment and data efforts, and other responsibilities. Dr. Joseph Hepp, currently serving as a Director of Teaching and Learning for Secondary Schools, will transition back to the high school. He will retain some of his current responsibilities as the new Director of High School Education while also serving as the SHS Principal.

In the coming weeks, we will be hosting an informational session for families from the high school to address any questions related to this transition. Likewise, additional communications will be forthcoming and informational sessions will be scheduled regarding the remaining shifts in administrative responsibilities.  

Thank you for your anticipated support and cooperation.

Sincerely,

Dr. Anthony Barber

NOTICE OF TUESDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2022 8:30 A.M. HEARING

IN THE DELAWARE COUNTY COURTHOUSE REGARDING

PETITION FOR APPOINTMENT OF CHRISTOPHER CHERMAK AS

A SCHOOL POLICE OFFICER UNDER THE PENNSYLVANIA SCHOOL CODE

Dated: November 22, 2022

During the regular meeting of the Board of School Directors which was held on October 27, 2022, the Board approved a motion which authorized and directed the District’s Solicitor to file with the Court of Common Pleas of Delaware County a Petition for Appointment of Christopher Chermak as a School Police Officer as permitted under the Pennsylvania School Code.

On November 18, 2022, the Petition was filed with the Court. 

A hearing relating to the Petition is scheduled to be held on Tuesday, December 6, 2022 at 8:30 a.m. in the Delaware County Courthouse located at Front Street and Veterans Square in Media. 

The courtroom where the hearing will be held has not yet been determined.

Greetings:

We wanted to take a brief moment to offer a medical reminder about cold and flu season.  As you may know already, the flu and other respiratory ailments have been making the rounds early this season, and the Springfield School District has not been immune to their effects. We feel it is important that we review some simple precautions that can be taken to limit yours and others’ risk of being exposed to any cold or flu viruses.

As with most viruses, preventing exposure is the key to safeguarding oneself from catching them. 

• Avoid close contact with sick people
• Wash your hands often – Best practice is to hum the “Happy Birthday” song while washing to insure an effective washing.
• Cover your coughs and sneezes – into a tissue or utilizing a bent elbow rather than your hands
• Do not share drinks or food with individuals that appear sick or have been exposed
• Avoid touching your face with unwashed hands
• Clean and disinfect surfaces at home – Our custodial staff is doing this daily at the schools with hospital grade cleansers and disinfectants.
• And most importantly, stay home when you are sick.
   

We would also like to take a moment to remind you of symptoms that should be considered in keeping your child home.

• Temperature of 100 degrees or more within the past 24 hours (without Tylenol or other anti-fever medication).
• Vomiting or diarrhea within the past 24 hours.
• While waiting for and / or a positive throat culture for strep: student should be on antibiotic treatment for 24-48 hours before returning to school. IMPORTANT!  Some antibiotic treatments may require a longer period of waiting before returning to school.  Please consult your physician for more information.
• Persistent cough or runny nose accompanied by body aches.
• Other symptoms that when present would necessitate a trip to the doctor for relief.

As always, please remind your child about frequent hand washing and covering of coughs and sneezes.  These simple actions are the most effective means of preventing the spread of colds, flu and most communicable diseases.

The SSD Team

Hello, Springfield School District families.

This is a reminder that students have a half day schedule on Thursday, October 13, 2022. 

The building schedules are as follows:

The start times are when students are expected to be in their classrooms and ready to begin their day. Students may not be dropped off earlier than the reported student arrival times as there is no supervision available other than during the times listed.

Please contact your school if you have any questions.

Thank you.

Hello, SSD families.

The district has been made aware that there will be excess traffic on Woodland Ave during this afternoon's dismissal hours. Please take this into account if you are picking up your student this afternoon.

We thank you for your patience and understanding, as we work together to provide a safe dismissal for our students.

The SSD Team

Hello, everyone!

We hope your summer has been a time of fabulous fun and exhilarating events for you and your family.  Whether you traveled to the beach, the mountains, or simply found time to spend with loved ones, on behalf of the Springfield School Board of Directors and the entire administration, we sincerely hope you were able to achieve your summer goals and are looking forward to another precious school year.

The selection of the word “precious” is purposeful. We all have experienced the trials of the last two years. In realizing each moment in the classroom is critical, we understand the importance of our professional calling - to serve the students and families of our district to the best of our ability. We do this work through the practice of our pillars, through our daily efforts, and our tremendous resolve to find the good in every situation.

In essence, when we commit ourselves to working hard and being nice, wondrous things occur!

If you haven’t already, you will receive communication from your child’s school concerning the start of the school year. As always, if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask. 

Becoming educated is a process, one which requires perseverance and a positive attitude toward continuous improvement. Nurturing an environment that inspires students to develop both a zest for learning and a confidence to attain their goals is our mission and our sincere promise to you.

Until then, be happy, be safe, and we will see you soon. 

Good day, Springfield School District families.

Unfortunately, we are witnessing an increase in the vandalism on our school campuses during the evening hours. In an effort to curb this trend, the Springfield School District will be contracting with a security company to assist with nighttime surveillance.

Starting on Wednesday, June 1^st, please note that at Springfield High School, Cougar Way will be locked by 6 pm. Access to the track will still be available from the Leamy and Rolling Rds. parking lot entrance next to the visitors’ bleachers for community members who wish to utilize this community resource.

As always, we appreciate your support with this effort, and if you should witness an act of vandalism or other actions that would cause harm to property or people, please contact our offices at 610-938-6000 to report it, or, in case of an emergency, please call 911 immediately.
 

Thank you for your attention to this matter.
 

Sincerely,

The SSD Team

Greetings,

The Springfield School District is re-registering all students entering grade six and nine. In order for your child(ren) to continue their education in Springfield School District, you must re-register your student. The packet contains the checklist of original items needed for your appointment and fillable form(s) that must be completed, printed and brought with you to your appointment. If you have more than one student re-registering, please complete a Student Re-Registration Application for each student. Click and download the packet here: Re-Registration Packet (open with Adobe).

Each appointment slot is ten minutes in length and runs from May 25, 2022 through August 18, 2022. The dates and times for re-registration are available at the following link: Re-Registration Appointments. All appointments are held at the Administration Office located at the Springfield School District Administration Building, 200 S. Rolling Rd. in Springfield (next to Springfield High School).

Please be considerate of other families re-registering and have all required original documents and forms completed prior to your appointment time. If the necessary documents and forms are not prepared prior to your appointment, you will be asked to reschedule at a later time. Please remember that until the student’s re-registration is complete, he or she will not be eligible to begin school on August 30, 2022.

If you have any questions or concerns please contact me at 610.938.6018.

Thank you,

Christina Miller

Central Registration Office

Dear SSD Community,

In our continued transition to pre-pandemic conditions, and in alignment with our approved Health and Safety Plan, students may continue to wear masks if they choose to; however, we will no longer be handing them out simply upon request. Therefore, please note that masks/PPE will be placed in the nurse’s office and given when requested by a student who is feeling ill/under the weather. If a student chooses/wants to simply wear a mask and is not ill, the child/home should provide that PPE for use in school.

Thank you.

Dear SSD Parent/Guardian,

It has come to the Springfield School District’s attention of a Tik Tok Challenge involving Gel Guns. Although we have not had an incident in our district to date, we need our students and families to realize that this is not a toy and is completely inappropriate for schools. There have been several incidents in neighboring school districts of people being injured by these instruments, and we simply will not tolerate this behavior.  

Please understand that possessing and/or using these instruments while on school grounds, on our buses, or at school events will be considered a violation of our discipline code and subject to serious consequences, including the involvement of our local law enforcement.  

Parents and guardians, we are asking for your assistance in educating our children to make good choices. Gel Guns are considered weapons and can have the potential of negatively impacting one’s educational career.

Thank you for your cooperation and support in this critical matter.

The SSD Team

Dear families of the Springfield School District,

“Effective February 25, 2022, CDC does not require wearing of masks on buses or vans operated by public or private school systems, including early care and education/child care programs.”

Therefore, masks are encouraged, but no longer required, on SSD vehicles/buses.

Thank you,

Springfield School District

Dear Parents and Guardians, 

As you are aware, Springfield School District has moved to mask optional thus giving students and employees a choice based on their comfort and needs. 

Now that your child has attended for a few weeks since this move was made, we are reaching out to see if you have any concerns that have not been addressed previously by the IEP/504 team.

In the event that your child’s disability includes a serious medical or other condition that warrants further discussion for the 504 or IEP team, please contact your child’s case manager, principal or the special education administration.  

The health and safety of the Springfield School District community is our priority.  Please reach out to us with any questions.  

Sincerely, 

Kristin
 

Kristin M. Nash, Ed.D.

Director of Special Education

Springfield School District

This is to notify you that we have had a confirmed case of Chickenpox (Varicella) at the Sabold Elementary School. While we need to respect the privacy and identity of the individual(s) exhibiting symptoms, the PA State Department of Health requires that districts make families aware of the infection.  

Chickenpox is a common illness among children, particularly those under the age of 12.  An itchy rash of spots that looks like blisters can appear all over the body and may be accompanied by flu-like symptoms.  Symptoms usually go away without treatment, but because the infection is very contagious, an infected child is required to stay home and rest until the symptoms are gone.  A note by a doctor/healthcare professional must accompany returning students who have been out with Chickenpox/Shingles.

Most children have been vaccinated against Chickenpox as part of their standard childhood vaccinations; however, we still wanted to provide this information to families in case there were questions or concerns.  Chickenpox causes a red, itchy rash on the skin that usually appears first on the abdomen or back and face, and then spreads to almost everywhere else on the body.  Some children have a fever, abdominal pain, sore throat, headache, or a vague sick feeling a day or two before the rash appears.

Trained staff have thoroughly cleaned and disinfected the classrooms and common areas.  If your child exhibits the above symptoms, please refer your child to your doctor/healthcare provider and notify the school nurse.

More information can be found here:
https://www.cdc.gov/chickenpox/index.html

Federal judge upholds the SSD Health and Safety Plan on 2.3.22

Good morning, all.

We wanted to update you on a class action lawsuit filed in federal court against our District and School Board. Regarding our Health and Safety Plan.

Here’s what we know so far:

• This past Tuesday, a law firm representing several Springfield School District special education students notified our District that it had filed a proposed class action lawsuit in federal court against our District and our School Board. This lawsuit claims that our District’s Health and Safety Plan – which permits parents to choose whether their children will wear a face covering in school – allegedly has an unfair impact on special education students. Our District strongly disagrees with that claim and is confident that our Health and Safety Plan is lawful and appropriate.
   
• This past Thursday, a federal judge conducted a hearing on the plaintiffs’ law firm’s request that the court issue a temporary restraining order that would have immediately imposed a universal mask mandate upon everyone within our District schools. Following the conclusion of this hearing, the federal judge denied this request.  That means that our District’s current Health and Safety Plan remains in full force and effect, for at least the time being.
   
• The federal judge has scheduled an evidentiary hearing on the plaintiffs’ law firm’s request for a preliminary injunction for Monday, February 28, 2022. This is the next procedural step in the process of this litigation. Following this hearing, the federal judge will determine whether the plaintiffs’ claim is likely to succeed on its merits and that it is entitled, as a matter of federal law, to a court order imposing a universal mask mandate upon everyone within our District schools. If the federal judge determines that the plaintiffs’ law firm has met its legal burden, our District expects that the federal judge will issue a preliminary injunction that imposes a universal mask mandate upon everyone within our District schools, pending a final verdict in this litigation.  Again, it is our District’s position that the plaintiffs’ law firm cannot meet its legal burden because our Health and Safety Plan is lawful and appropriate.

The plaintiffs/students have the right to proceed anonymously in this proposed class action lawsuit. Our District does not know – and does not want to know – the identity of any of the plaintiffs/students. In general, federal judges permit anonymity to protect plaintiffs who claim that they fear possible retaliation. Of course, even if our District were to learn the identity of any of the plaintiffs/students, we would not engage in any retaliation, nor would we permit or condone any retaliation by anyone else. Our District has full confidence that this litigation will take its normal and proper course.       

We will keep you updated as the situation unfolds. 

Thank you.

SSD

The Springfield School Board is holding an Emergency School Board Meeting tonight (02.02.22) at 6pm. The format is in person. The meeting will be held in the high school auditorium.

The purpose of tonight’s Emergency School Board meeting is limited to one sole agenda item. The item is as follows:

Recommendation:  that the Board approve the updated Health and Safety Plan, effective immediately, to add the following language as presented:

The District recognizes that medically fragile and other special needs students have diverse and sometimes contrary needs when it comes to masking.  For that reason, each child’s IEP and 504 team must make an individualized determination as to what reasonable accommodations are appropriate for each individual child in accordance with the requirements of IDEA, ADA, and Section 504.

Dear Parents/Guardians,

Registration for kindergarten students for the 2022-2023 school year will be held February 15th-17th. If you have an incoming kindergarten student you must make an appointment and register your child.

Starting January 24, 2022 – Registration appointments may be scheduled by clicking here. Registration will be held in the Springfield School District Administration building. No early registrations or registrations without an appointment will be taken. The registration packet(s) must be completed in its entirety, printed single-sided, and brought to your scheduled appointment along with original documents. One registration packet is required for each student registering.

Please visit our website for more information: https://www.ssdcougars.org/district/student-registration/2022-2023-registration

Sincerely,

SSD Registration Department

Hello from the Springfield School District.

All schools and administrative offices in the Springfield School District will have a two-hour delay on Friday, January 7, 2022 due to poor weather conditions. 

The modified kindergarten schedule is: morning 11am-12:30pm / afternoon 2pm-3:30pm.

Thank you.

Good afternoon, SSD families.

As we stated in yesterday’s communication, COVID is an ever-changing, ever-challenging landscape.  And with changes that seem to emerge daily, we continue to recognize and appreciate the cooperation and support of our parents, students and staff, knowing the different viewpoints that exist in our school community.

With that being said, at the regularly scheduled DE County Superintendents’ meeting today, our medical experts shared their own updated guidance to help school communities manage during periods of widespread community transmission, as the pandemic transitions to an endemic (when the disease is prevalent to such a degree that we are all basically considered close contacts). This information will be posted to the CHOP Policy Lab Blog in the next 24-48 hours.

Therefore, in accordance with the guidance of our medical experts, we will be implementing the following modifications:

• Masking - SSD has been asked directly by our medical experts to require universal masking indoors for all staff and students. Their request arises from the pressure medical personnel are feeling to keep pace with the rising demands placed on hospitals trying to serve patients with high medical needs and with the compounded staffing issues associated with holiday exposures.
  • As good community members, we will offer our support to our hospitals by requiring universal masking of all starting Wednesday, January 5, 2022 until January 28, 2022.
  • This requirement also addresses the need for potential close contacts to wear a mask, while keeping students in school.
  • We understand masking has been politicized; however, we are making this decision with the intention of supporting the very medical staff and health professionals that tend to the health and wellness needs within our community.

• All asymptomatic people that remain negative for COVID-19, regardless of vaccination status, will be allowed to attend school full time.
   
• If you are sick, stay home. We will continue to send symptomatic students home. 
   
• Based on the previous two bullets, SSD will shift away from school-based contact tracing, because, according to our medical experts, COVID infection in our area is moving to a phase where it is considered "endemic" rather than a "pandemic".  We will continue to comply with all state and local contact tracing requests.
   
• As a reminder, per new CDC guidance released on 1.3.22, persons who test positive for COVID-19 must isolate for 5 days. After 5 days from the date symptoms began, or the date of testing -if asymptomatic- the student may return to school.  Student return is contingent upon remaining asymptomatic or have resolving symptoms (fever-free for 24-hours).

We will continue to update you as information becomes available. Again, thank you for your continued support and cooperation. 

The SSD Team

Happy New Year! We hope you and your family are happy, healthy, and safe. We will be welcoming back our students tomorrow, January 4, 2022, for in-person learning.

We continue to rely on our guiding principles to plan our course of action accordingly. These principles have not wavered:

·         We believe safety matters, and we believe there has to be a focus on our children’s social, emotional, and mental well-being as well.

·         We believe in-person learning is key to quality instruction.

·         We believe vaccines matter.

So where does this leave us?

·         Masking at this time is recommended for grades 7-12 and required for grades K-6. To review all of the district’s mitigation efforts, we encourage you to read our Health and Safety Plan found on our website.

·         We are continuing to offer the Test-to-Stay program to maintain in-person learning opportunities.

·         We will continue to follow our contact tracing protocols and notify each school community via email with daily positive case counts. For weekly case counts, please see the SSD COVID Tracker webpage.

·         We have modified our quarantining and isolating protocols based on newly-revised PA Department of Health/CDC guidance. To review this information, please visit our Reopening Schools webpage.

·         If you have any questions, please reach out to your building level administrator.

Should we be unable to offer a safe, in-person learning environment due to staffing or other circumstances, we do have the capability to pivot to virtual learning should the need arise. Your building administration will communicate those details, if necessary.

We recognize and respect that there are different perspectives within our school community and the community at large, as we continue to do our best to navigate this ever-changing, ever-challenging landscape.

Thank you again for your cooperation and attention to this matter.

Sincerely,

The SSD Team

SSD Snow Day for Monday, January 3, 2022

Although accumulation totals for today’s snow do not appear to be dramatic, the timing and unpredictability of this weather track is less than desirable.

SSD will be closing schools today due to the anticipated weather.

We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause families. Hopefully, our children can get outside and play a little bit if the scenario allows for it.

And… If I am wrong in making this decision, please know it was done in earnest.

See you all bright and early Tuesday morning, my friends.  Thank you.

Sincerely,

Tony 

Dear Colleagues,

The Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) and the Pennsylvania State Police (PSP) are aware of numerous messages circulating on social media, primarily TikTok, regarding school shootings and bomb threats to schools across the nation for tomorrow, December 17.

These social media posts warn of threats but are not specific to Pennsylvania and do not contain specific threats, schools, actors, or locations.

However, law enforcement and school officials should, as always, remain vigilant and report any suspicious behavior to Safe2Say at (844) 723-2729, or info@safe2saypa.org, or online at www.safe2saypa.org. In the event of an emergency, please call 911.

PDE and PSP encourages schools to share this message with their staff, parents, and students to spread awareness of these social media posts and to remind the community to be aware of and report any suspicious activity or threats.
 

Sincerely, Noe

Noe Ortega, Ph.D. | Secretary of Education Pennsylvania Department of Education | Executive Office 333 Market Street | Harrisburg, PA 17126

717.783.9780 | www.education.pa.gov twitter.com/PADeptofEd | facebook.com/PADepartmentofEducation pinterest.com/PADeptOfEd | youtube.com/PADeptOfEd

• Information Regarding Non-School Specific, Nationally Reported Social Media TikTok Threat

Dear Springfield School District Community,

• SSD administration has been alerted to a social media post on TikTok that appears to be a vague, generalized threat against all schools in the US. The TikTok post threatens violence at schools on Friday, December 17^th.
   
• NO students in the Springfield School District were connected to this post, and none have made any threats.

The post stated verbatim, “For anyone wondering on the the 17th, there will a massive school shooting threat across america not 100% sure but there’s a possibili.” Another part of the story read, “on friday there is supposed to be a massive school sh00ting threat across america.” Although we take all school safety issues seriously, the social media post did not indicate a direct threat against any particular school district, nor was there evidence that linked Springfield School District students to the social media activity. As a precaution, we have notified the Springfield Police. They will maintain a stronger presence within the community during school hours, especially on the 17th. 

Our team will continue to partner with other districts and law enforcement entities to uncover all who are responsible. Threats of this nature often lead to “copycat” behavior, as some may believe it will trigger a day off from school or provide the guilty parties attention or notoriety. News outlets are reporting this across the country. Click here as an example.

Please reinforce with your children that threats, whether serious or not, are a crime and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Students engaged in such activity can also expect severe, school-based disciplinary action separate from criminal prosecution.

As we know, keeping our community safe is everyone’s responsibility, and we appreciate the support and cooperation of our SSD community.  

Sincerely,

The SSD Team