Post Detail

August 20, 2023

Dear Families

Welcome to the 2023-2024 school year in Clairton City Schools! I hope that you had an opportunity to relax, recharge, and enjoy the summer break.

This is a great time to be a part of CCSD. If you are new, welcome to your home away from home, where every student matters and every minute counts. Where we have a schoolwide focus on Academics, Attendance and Attitude. If you are returning, welcome back!

As Superintendent, there is no better feeling than the start of a new school year. We are all part of the CCSD family and share in the excitement and anticipation that comes with the start of a new school year. We have new CCSD staff and some current staff changed positions. In order to provide a rewarding and academically rich learning environment we added several new positions. Dean K-5, Dean 6-12, STEAM teacher K-5, Social Studies teacher 9-12, and a Technology/Assessment Coordinator K-12.

My top priority, along with the School Board, is to ensure the safety of our students, faculty, and staff in a collaborative supportive learning environment. District-wide, we want to ensure that we provide a rigorous and equitable educational experience to all students.

A few exciting changes for the upcoming school year include:

Elementary

• Students can enter the building at 7:35 AM.  It had been 7:30 AM, but that is the time staff report.  This is also consistent with MS/HS.
• New STEAM course on a related arts rotation
• Students will either go to the cafeteria for breakfast or the gym to wait until homeroom starts when they enter this building.  Students will sit by grade level in the gym and staff will be there to supervise.  Students will be dismissed at 7:50 AM to go to their homeroom.  
• Focus on 0% earned for any assignment that is not submitted in a timely manner.  This is in general, as well as whenever tardy to school (24 hours) or when absent (same amount of time to submit as the absence).  
• Focus on AAA criteria for participation in extracurricular activities.  
• Updates to the consequences for unexcused absences.  

Middle/High

• OUR hope is that the districtwide NO CELL PHONE rule during the school day will give our kids a break from the often, non-stop social media posts and texting. Families who need to reach their children are encouraged to call and/or email our school offices, and students who need to contact home will be given access to a district phone as needed.  Those with medical conditions that rely on cell phone/app diagnostics are encouraged to contact your child’s Principal and/or School Counselor to discuss accommodations.
• Athletics/Extracurricular eligibility pg. 60 in Student Handbook for details

K-12

Crisis Go for an online safety platform to alert and communicate with staff and families during an emergency.
Weighting of grades, as well as the minimum number of assignments. 
iReady progress tool to help monitor growth for students K-8.
Attendance: Another one of our goals this year is to ensure that every student attends school regularly.  Chronic absenteeism negatively impacts learning. Parent involvement makes all the difference in ensuring regular student attendance.  Going to school every day is critical to their academic achievement. Together we can make attendance a priority so that all our students achieve success!!!

I look forward to the excitement of the new year, and I thank you for your dedication to our District, our community, and the students and families that we serve.

Gratefully,

Dr. Tamara Allen-Thomas
Clairton City Schools Superintendent