Community Conversation on Climate, Culture and Equity

Equity, access and opportunity drive the District's work to ensure the eradication of the pervasive and inequitable outcomes in student achievement, results and performances. To that end, the Cheltenham School District hosted its second Community Conversation on Climate, Culture and Equity on Thursday, Jan. 10 at Wyncote Elementary. At the meeting...

December Students of the Month

Ten students have been acknowledged as December’s Students of the Month for academic excellence, leadership and character growth in Unified Arts and Health/Physical Education. Congratulations to (left to right) Dalonese Love, Abby Tabas, Kelley Ilin, Zoe Matsinger, Alanah Jones, Crystal Leonard, Anyae Wilson-Worley, Carissa Dorley and Bran Hartwell. (Not pictured: Ben Soboloff) The students will receive ...

#SeniorsOfCheltenham Share #CSDimpact Stories

Every school district has a story to tell — our school culture and community are uniquely ours. Throughout the 2018-19 school year, we’ve shared stories demonstrating the Cheltenham School District impact on students, staff, families and community. The #SeniorsOfCheltenham campaign provides an opportunity for a select group of seniors to share their #CSDimpact stories, personal narratives and plans for the future. CHS guidance counselors nominated...

Student Council, Skills for Life Collaborate to Make Holiday Dreams Come True

Through the charity committee of the Cheltenham High School Student Council, local elementary school children with special needs or who come from low income families will receive gifts this holiday season. “This is important, especially at this time of year,” said charity chair Leslie Melecio, “because it’s good to remind ourselves of the significance of giving back.” For at least the past decade, student council’s charity committee has worked ...

Cheltenham Fencers in Action in Community, on the Strip

Senior Afwé Griffin, a sabre fencer for the Fencing Academy of Philadelphia - North in Wyncote, helped to facilitate a fencing demonstration with coach James Miller for a group of young students from the Meadowbrook School this past weekend. The Meadowbrook students learned about maneuvering the fencing strip and how fencers score points. In related news, Griffin and CHS sophomore Naomi Hirsch...

CBK 8th Grader Takes First in Colgate Women’s Games 400-Meter Dash

Congratulations to Cedarbrook eighth grader Eyota Bey who won the 400 meters in 1:00.12 in the Mid School division of the opening preliminaries at the 45th anniversary Colgate Women’s Games at Brooklyn’s Pratt Institute on Saturday, Dec. 15. Every year, thousands of girls and young women compete in the games in grade divisions for ribbons, medals and points. Events include ...

Three Instrumentalists Qualify for PMEA District 11 Band and Orchestra Festivals

Based on their recent auditions, three CHS musicians earned a spot to perform at District 11 band and orchestra festivals in January. Juniors Ifenna Amaefuna (violin) and Naomi Aires (cello) will compete in the District 11 Orchestra Festival Jan. 10 – 12 at Plymouth-Whitemarsh High School for conductor Allan R. Scott. Senior Tommy Scott (French horn) will compete in the District 11 Band Festival January 23 – 25 at Pottsgrove High School for conductor James Colonna. Selected from a pool of more than 350 students, these students...

DECA Students Qualify for State Leadership Conference and Competition

At this past week’s DECA District 10 Conference at Temple University, 17 Cheltenham students earned the privilege of representing CHS at DECA’s state leadership conference and competition in Hershey, Pa., in February. Competing against more than 300 students from more than a dozen other schools, students were given a business-related real-world scenario, 10 minutes to prepare and seven minutes to present their solutions. At the state competition, students will ...

Freezin’ for a Reason

The Frozen Cheltenham Unified Panthers surpassed their $1,000 goal to raise more than $3,000 as part of the Friday, Dec. 7 Polar Bear Plunge at Souderton High School. Organized and supported by Special Olympics of Pennsylvania and Philadelphia, events such as this bring together students, teachers and administrators from throughout the Philadelphia area to celebrate inclusion and...

Students of the Month for November

Four students have been acknowledged as November Students of the Month for academic growth and academic excellence in world language. Congratulations to (left to right) junior Abdul Muhaimin-Solomon, who was nominated by Dana Brown for her academic growth; senior Ian Ogborn was nominated by Tom DiGiulio for academic excellence; junior Kolby Gaither, who was nominated by John Mohl for his academic excellence; and sophomore Shakira Norman, who was nominated by Amanda (Krebs) Frye for academic excellence. The students will ...

Sophomore Meets with Former First Lady Michelle Obama

Briaire Gant, a sophomore at Cheltenham High School, and other young women from beGirl.World (bGw) received a surprise visit from former First Lady Michelle Obama Thursday, Nov. 29 at Philadelphia’s African American Museum. Mrs. Obama was in the city promoting her book “Becoming.” Mrs. Obama spoke with the 15- and 16-year-olds about...

Girls Hoops Opens Home Season Friday with Lace Up 4 Pediatric Cancer Fundraiser

he Lady Panthers open their home slate this Friday at 7 p.m. versus the Upper Moreland Bears, and both teams will be sporting yellow shoelaces as part of a fundraiser to support Lace Up 4 Pediatric Cancer. The team, which is looking to notch its first victory of the season, will also conduct a 50/50 raffle, a portion of which will go toward children with cancer and...

PBL 9 Tells the “Stories of Cheltenham”; Hosts Book Launch Thursday, Dec. 13 at Glenside Library

The CHS Freshman English and Social Studies Project-Based Learning collaborative is hosting a book launch at the Glenside Library, Thursday, Dec. 13 at 7 p.m. to celebrate the publication of its book and companion website “Stories of Cheltenham.” The 63-page paperback, which is available for purchase on Amazon, is a collection of thematically connected photographs and stories collected by PBL 9 students, ranging from humorous to ironic and heartfelt to absurd and captures the spirit of Cheltenham Township. The book, inspired by "The Humans of New York," will be entered into the “local authors” section of the Glenside Library at the launch.

Sophomore Provides a Fresh Voice on KYW Newsradio

The voice of sophomore MaryKate Haasz recently graced the airwaves of KYW1060 with a report about Cheltenham’s Unified Track program. Challenge teacher Elaine McGoldrick recommended Haasz for the KYW Newstudies Student Reporter program because of the opportunity it would present to the aspiring writer interested in developing her writing skills.

Cheltenham Lady Panthers Host Sixth Annual Alumnae Basketball Game

Cheltenham High School Lady Panthers alumnae are giving cancer the full court press. Now in its sixth year, the Lady Panthers Alumnae youth clinic and game on Saturday, Jan. 5 at Cheltenham High School aims to support those who are fighting cancer and raise funds and awareness for the American Cancer Society’s Coach vs. Cancer program. Tipoff for the alumnae game is noon. Participating alumni and alumnae include players from the Lady Panthers 2000 and 2007 state championships and four...

Panthers Senior Gridder Winfield among Mini Max Award Honorees

Cheltenham High School senior Marcus Winfield, a stalwart on both sides of the line of scrimmage for the Panthers’ football squad, has been selected as one of 63 Pennsylvania Mini Max High School Award winners, Pennsylvania Maxwell Football Club President Mark Dianno recently announced. “I’m excited to receive this honor,” Winfield said. “It’s the payoff for all the hard work. It’s a great accomplishment for me, my family and team.” Honorees were nominated by ...

Fall Student-Athletes Garner All-League Recognitions

Congratulations to the following fall student-athletes for earning Suburban One League American Conference All-League recognition for their outstanding athletic performances, as selected by league coaches....

Parent Workshop and Book Club Kicks Off with “A Strengths Based Approach to Flourishing”

District parents and positive psychology teacher leaders joined CSD Mindfulness/Positive Psychology coach Cindy Goldberg on Tuesday for an interactive evening centered on the importance of focusing on children’s strengths, rather than noticing their weaknesses. The Strength Switch by Lea Waters, Ph.D., was the featured reading for...

Senior Tenor Colin Polisano Selected for All-Eastern Chorus Festival

Fresh off staring in the high school’s fall play “A Servant of Two Masters,” senior tenor Colin Polisano was recently selected to perform in the mixed chorus at the National Association of Music Educators (NAfME) All-Eastern Chorus Festival in Pittsburgh, Pa., in April. Based on his work in district, regional and ...

Choir Members Qualify for District 11 Chorus Festival

Based on their auditions this past Saturday, Nov. 17 at Upper Merion High School, CHS Choir members seniors Rebecca Banner, Alice Fodor, Colin Polisano and Matt Ryan, junior Oren Schwartz and sophomores Caelan Donahue and Naomi Guth were selected to perform at the Pennsylvania Music Educators Association (PMEA) District 11 Chorus Festival February 7-9 at Wissahickon High School. Chosen from a pool of more 300 singers from...

Marching Panthers Finish at “Cavalcade of Bands” Best in Five Years since Joining Open Class

Behind the direction of drum major Jessie Oswald, the Marching Panthers closed out their season by scoring 86.80 points to take ninth out of 13 in the tough American Open Division of the 59th annual Cavalcade of Bands Sunday at J. Birney Crum Stadium in Allentown, Pa. The finish is the Panthers best in their five years of competing in the Open Class. Color guard finished third overall. Competing against ...

Thanksgiving Basket Project Caps Student Council Philanthropic Fall

Cheltenham High School Student Council raised more than $1,600 through homeroom collections to provide Thanksgiving day meals to 40 local families in need. The baskets included instant mashed potatoes, stuffing mix, macaroni and cheese, jarred gravy, canned vegetables, and, of course, a turkey. "What a tremendous collective effort," said student council co-sponsor Ryan Nase. "Thank you to the high school homeroom teachers for their ...

7th Annual Skills for Life Thanksgiving Feast

On Thursday, Nov. 16, the CHS Skills for Life students gathered with students, staff and administrators to give thanks and enjoy a student-organized buffet-style Thanksgiving meal at the seventh annual Thanksgiving feast in the Skills for Life apartment. Every step of the meal - from planning to table setting - was...

Track Standout Bria Barnes Signs National Letter of Intent to Attend Iowa State

Panthers’ senior track athlete Bria Barnes, who runs in sprints and sprint relays and served as an important cog in CHS extending its District I Championship to six consecutive seasons this past spring, signed a national letter of intent to become an Iowa State Cyclone at a signing ceremony this morning at CHS. “On my visit, campus felt more ...

Cheltenham’s Elissa Johnson Earns Student of Month from Eastern Center for Arts and Technology

Cheltenham High School senior Elissa Johnson has been named the November 2018 Student of the Month at Eastern Center for Arts and Technology (Eastern) in Willow Grove. A student in Eastern’s Construction Technology program, Johnson is a class leader and student ambassador who helps with recruitment activities. “Elissa works hard and shows dedication to the construction trade,” said Jeff Pakula. Eastern’s Construction Technology instructor. “She is ...

CHS October Students of the Month

Two seniors, two sophomores and a freshman have been acknowledged as the November Students of the Month for academic, character and personal growth, leadership and academic excellence in music and special education. Congratulations to (left to right) senior Jalayna Mancini, who was nominated by Jenny Hutton for her leadership in music; sophomore Nya...

More College Acceptance Offers through Instant Decision Days

Gwynedd Mercy, Holy Family and East Stroudsburg extended acceptance to nearly 20 Cheltenham seniors during October as part of the high school’s Instant Decision Days. Congratulations to seniors Dina Riley, Patriece Halton, Bria Morgan, Savannah Latimer, Addaliath Mainassara, Jason Bashiru, Eli Tilema (not pictured) and Aliyah Phillips (not pictured) who Gwynedd Mercy University offered admission on Friday, Oct. 26; ...

National Honor Society Inducts New Members

The Cheltenham chapter of the National Honor Society (NHS) admitted 45 new members at the 96th annual NHS Induction ceremony Thursday evening at the Little Theatre at CHS. Seven seniors and 38 juniors were among those to gain entry to the nation’s premier organization established to recognize outstanding high school students. “I’m thrilled to help celebrate those scholars who embody character, scholarship, service and leadership and have made a commitment to their education, school and community,” said CHS Principal Ray McFall in his opening remarks....

Science Students Tackle Tough Topics in Environmental Policy and Law

Skills for Life and learning support students in Gus Ekhardt and Catherine Nguyen’s Environmental Science class recently completed a unit in environmental policy and law, which culminated with students creating posters (citing at least three sources) and presenting them to the class. Posters covered the date the act was put into place, what the policy says, who or what the law or act protects...

High School Mounts Production of Commedia dell’arte Classic “The Servant of Two Masters”

This fall’s play at Cheltenham High School is definitely intended to be a laughing matter. Written by Carlo Goldoni and translated by Jeffrey Hatcher and Paolo Emilio Landi, “The Servant of Two Masters” is the modern translation of 18th century Italian commedia dell'arte performed with masks and songs and clowning. The main character Truffaldino is a servant who finds employment from two nobles and ...

Cheltenham HS “Artivists” to Perform at Election-Themed Spoken Word Event at Elkins Park’s Rose Petals Café

Four Cheltenham High School “artivists” will take the stage to contribute to ongoing political dialogue as part of the voting-themed “Election Vibes” spoken word event at Rose Petals Cafe in the Yorktown Plaza in Elkins Park on Thursday, Nov. 1 from 5:30 - 7:30 p.m. “Bring your fire. Bring your rage. Bring your pen,” said CHS Poetry Club advisor and English teacher Avril Sommerville. “CHS slam poet artivists are ecstatic about displaying their art, scholarship and political convictions and adding to the ...

Runners Jason Cornelison, Janelle Williams Confident Heading to District I Meet

Cheltenham senior runner Jason Cornelison repeated as Suburban One American Conference champion at Lehigh University this past Friday with a time of 16:20. This week, Cornelison and the team return to the same course for the District I Class AAA Championship and a chance to qualify for the ...

CHS Youth Court Recognized by Pennsylvania Council for the Social Studies

Cheltenham High School’s Youth Court program was honored a Pennsylvania Council for the Social Studies (PCSS) President’s Award for illustrating how a traditional civics class can be transformed into a model of restorative justice while making the social studies come alive. Social Studies teacher Jen Pollack accepted the honor at the 65th annual Pennsylvania Conference for the Social Studies on October 18. Cheltenham students and educators involved...

Cheltenham School District Launches Mobile App

This week, the Cheltenham School District launched a branded mobile application by SchoolMessenger. The app is available for download to mobile device in the App Store and Google Play. A collaboration between CSD Communications and Technology...

Black Scholars Program Inducts 53

The CHS Black Scholars doubled its membership, inducting 53 members on Wednesday in a ceremony at the Little Theatre to bring its membership to 106. “We have in our presence Black Scholars of African American, Afro-Caribbean, Afro-Latinx and African descent who are making a difference and defying the stereotypes of black youth,” said faculty sponsor Melanie Jackson...

CSD Receives $20K Safety Grant from PA Department of Education

The Cheltenham School District has been awarded a $20,000 safety grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Education’s Safe Schools program. The funds will be utilized to create and launch the district’s threat assessment team. The Alexandria, Virginia-based...

The Big Reveal

The Cheltenham Touring Ensemble debuted its show “Seize the Moment” on Sunday, Oct. 7, and director Jenny Hutton announced this spring’s 56th annual musical theater production, the Tony Award-winning “Urinetown.” The ensemble performed 10 songs, including ...

CHS National Merit Commended Students Announced

Congratulations to six CHS seniors for earning National Merit Commended Scholars recognition. From the left: Brennon Paik, Liam McNally, Jason Cornelison, CHS Principal Ray McFall, Austin Chao, Alana Margerum and Ester Paik. Approximately 1.5 million high school students take the PSAT each year. Of those, 50,000 (3.3 percent) are Commended Scholars. Although Commended Students do not...

Cheltenham Student Council Partners with Komen in the Fight against Breast Cancer during “Pink Out” Week

The Cheltenham Student Council is sponsoring its “Pink Out” partnership with the Susan G. Komen Philadelphia Foundation. The 2018 “Pink Out” Week will run from October 8 -12, and culminate at the CHS football team’s “Pink Out” game versus Hatboro Horsham on Friday, Oct. 12 at 7 p.m. The goal of this program is to raise awareness and funds to help more women and men in our community survive breast cancer. Under the umbrella of Dietz & Watson’s unique “Pretty in Pig”program...

Community Conversations on Climate, Culture and Equity

Community Conversations on Climate, Culture and Equity are scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 4; Thursday, Jan. 3; Wednesday, April 3; and Wednesday, May 29. All meetings will be held at Wyncote Elementary from 5:30 – 8 p.m. Please mark your calendars for these four important meetings.

CSD Foundation’s Fifth Annual Food Truck Jamboree Raises Hits the Spot

With food trucks for every taste, a dunk tank featuring CSD teachers and administrators, kids’ activities and silent auction and raffle with fabulous prizes, the fifth annual Cheltenham School District Foundation's Food Truck Jamboree held on Saturday, Sept. 22 at CHS raised funds for innovative educator grants. According to event chair...

CSD Shows its Character

On Wednesday, Sept. 26, CSD students and staff joined a celebration of the unique strengths which make people who they are as part of the fifth annual Character Day. An annual global event, Character Day brings together millions of people of all ages in schools, classrooms, companies, homes — anywhere people already gather — to engage...

CHS Chamber Orchestra Keeping Exclusive Company

The CHS Chamber Orchestra has been selected to perform at the PASA-PSBA School Leadership Conference in Hershey, Pennsylvania, on Thursday, Oct. 18. At the urging of superintendent Dr. Wagner Marseille and music department chair Jenny Hutton, orchestra director Matthew Hoy submitted an application for what is being called a “spotlight on the best of the best of Pennsylvania’s public school students.” The orchestra is just one of 10 acts to be chosen....

36th Mike Berry Run Honors Injured Philly SWAT Team Member

During Labor Day weekend 16 Cheltenham Cross Country alumni assembled at Curtis Park to participate in the 36th Mike Berry Run and pay tribute to CHS alumnus Jaison Potts ‘87, who was in attendance and is recovering from head injury suffered when he was shot serving a warrant in August. Runners included Adam Rosenberg ‘70, Jon ...

Six Seniors Tabbed as National Merit Scholarship Semifinalists

Cheltenham High School can claim six of the approximately 16,000 semifinalists from in the 64th annual National Merit Scholarship Program, it was announced this week. The semifinalists were selected from among more than 1.6 million juniors from about 22,000 high schools who entered the 2019 National Merit Scholarship Program by taking the...

Panther Academy Summer School Producing Record Results

This summer, students needing to recover credits at the Panther Academy produced record results. Nearly 83 percent of the enrolled students completed at least 90 percent of the course work. Of the students who completed 90 percent of the work online, 99 percent ...

District Celebrates "Start With Hello" Week

This week (September 24-28), the district will once again recognize Start with Hello Week, a national initiative to raise awareness and educate students and school communities about social isolation – the overwhelming feeling of being left out, lonely or treated like one is invisible. Start with Hello teaches students ...

Cheltenham School District Foundation Awards Innovation Grants

The Cheltenham School District Foundation awarded 24 grants totaling nearly $25,000 to 27 Cheltenham educators at this year’s school-opening festivities. The individual grants ranged from $1,500 to $100. Grant ideas included funding requests for creating classroom mindfulness spaces, an outdoor classroom...

Cheltenham Transportation Adds 40 Propane-Fueled Buses to Its Fleet

The Cheltenham School District Board of Directors and Administration continue their commitment to sustainability through the introduction of 40 72-passenger propane-fueled buses to the existing Cheltenham Transportation fleet. Propane-fueled school buses provide a number of environmental advantages, including ...

Patrick Fleury Named Boys Basketball Coach at Alma Mater Cheltenham High School

Cheltenham High School Class of 2005 graduate Patrick Fleury has been named head coach of the varsity boys basketball team at his alma mater, CHS Athletic Director John Creighton announced recently. Fleury is the seventh boys basketball coach in school history. “We’re thrilled to have Patrick ascend to this role,” said Creighton. “After a few...