At the Nov. 17 Whitehall-Coplay Communities That Care meeting, it was reported Superintendent of Schools Dr. Robert Steckel is in discussions with LANTA to extend bus service to the Whitehall-Coplay School District campus.

This information was celebrated by the group. It was noted this will help more WCSD families attend events and activities at the school, increasing their participation in the district. It will also help more students who may face transportation challenges.

It was noted this extension of bus routes has been a wish-list item for the district for years, and many in the coalition expressed their excitement it was finally happening.

“It’s hard to say no to Bob,” Whitehall High School Principal Dr. Peter Mayes joked to the group.

In a related matter, a second activity bus was reinstated in the district, so students will not need to worry about leaving clubs and activities early to catch the first bus.

In other business, it was noted the students in the district recently took the Pennsylvania Youth Survey in early November.

The committee addressing students’ low commitment to school implemented the survey exploring what activities students are involved with, what their interests are outside of school, what clubs or activities they would like to see and what barriers are standing in the way of students getting more involved.

According to Michelle Khouri, district registrar and community relations, the survey was administered at Whitehall-Coplay Middle School. She noted there were 615 surveys completed. Some of the most popular interests included cooking and nutrition and outdoor activities such as fishing, hunting and camping.

“It is refreshing and good to see their outside interests,” Khouri noted.

She said this is a good starting point to possibly incorporate new ideas and activities for next year.

The substance use prevention committee reported vaping was a topic of a recent roundtable discussion and is part of the curriculum of programs in the district.

One of the issues they discussed was parent education. One of the student representatives on the committee reported parents are largely unaware of the dangers and concerns around vaping. Some of the WCSD programs share information with parents, but it was questioned if the parents read the communications. It was noted large school or district events can be used to connect face to face with parents and share information.

The mental health and wellness committee reported progress is being made on the PSA videos to fight the stigma behind mental health problems and asking for help. Script writing is underway by the students and Whitehall High School teacher Zachary Hottinger. Filming was expected to begin after the Thanksgiving break.

The next step will be getting the PSAs posted and out in a number of areas including the district website, social media pages, WCSD app, the district newsletter and score boards.

Denise Continenza, Penn State Extension educator and CTC moderator, reported she is easing into semiretirement, so the coalition will be getting a new coordinator. She said Center for Humanistic Change is in the process of hiring her replacement. Lehigh County Drug and Alcohol is now funding the position.

The next meeting is set for 9 a.m. Dec. 15 in the large group instruction room at WHS, 3800 Mechanicsville Road.