District news: Schools closed Feb. 12 and 15
Schools will be closed Feb. 12 and 15 for the Presidents Day holiday. Please note that if an extra snow make-up day is needed, there will be school Feb. 12.
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The Strengthening Families program for parents and youth ages 10-14 will begin 5:30 p.m. Feb. 18 in the middle school cafeteria. Whitehall-Coplay School District has been offering this program for four years.
This is a seven-week series of activities for parents of young teens as well as the teens themselves. It is designed to help kids stay on the right track, pick good friends, make wise decisions and plan for their futures.
Parents learn things they can do to support their teens while giving them both love and limits, two key ingredients for navigating through the teen years.
The program is free and includes dinner. It is for all families and anyone who is about to raise a teenager.
Families can register by contacting Mr. Bugbee, middle school principal, at 610-439-1439.
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Whitehall High School’s Student Council is sponsoring a Keystone Pub night, along with a Chinese auction, to benefit Four Diamonds Fund (childhood cancer foundation) 6-9 p.m. Feb. 18. Please come out and help Student Council reach its goal of $10,000.
Also, to help raise money for Four Diamonds Fund, Student Council will be hosting a mini-thon 2-8 p.m. Feb. 19. Students will dance for six hours.
Anyone interested in making a donation can send it to the high school, c/o Student Council Mini-Thon, 3800 Mechanicsville Road, Whitehall, 18052.
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The Whitehall High School softball team is running a designer handbag bingo Feb. 21 at American Club in Coplay.
Contact Rita Spanitz at rspanitz@gmail.com for more information and tickets.
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A Gockley Elementary PTO Plus assembly program will be held Feb. 29. Satori, a four-person ensemble, will introduce students to chamber music. The instruments will include flute, clarinet, viola and cello.
An artist also will be doing drawings as the music is played. The music pieces will be rhythmic and have a strong theme to keep the students engaged.
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Kindergarten registration for the 2016-17 school year is underway. Parents or guardians can begin the registration process by completing the online registration. Log on to the school district’s website, whitehallcoplay.org, and follow the instructions.
To complete the registration, parents or guardians will be given an appointment (April 1-7) to bring their child to Gockley Elementary School to meet with the guidance counselor, principal, school nurse, ESOL teacher and reading specialist for a brief assessment.
The deadline to register students online is March 18. A child must be 5 years old before Sept. 1, 2016.
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Do you have any school news? This column is a compilation of upcoming school events in the Whitehall-Coplay School District. Teachers, administrators, parents, students, coaches, PTSAs, club advisers and any other community members are invited to share their upcoming activities. Email me at jamb87@hotmail.com with Whitehall-Coplay School News in the subject line at least a week before an event.