Whitehall-Coplay PTO PLUS is sponsoring a Lil Shoppers Shop for Gockley Elementary School students 5-8 p.m. Dec. 2 in the school gymnasium.

The children will have an opportunity to purchase gifts for their families, and items will be wrapped in gift bags. Cash and credit cards will be accepted as payment. All children must be accompanied by a parent.

In addition, spirit wear will be available for sale. The first 100 students who come to shop will receive a holiday goody bag.

Christmas City Studios will be taking free photos with Mr. and Mrs. Claus. Every child who gets a picture will get a gift from Mr. and Mrs. Claus.

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Attention Whitehall High School seniors, Cedar Crest College representative Elizabeth Ortiz is hosting a college visit 9 a.m. Dec. 8 in the school library’s back reference room. You must sign up for this presentation by Dec. 6 on the counseling website under College Visits.

Students attending the college visit are responsible for making up any missed work. Teachers have the final discretion to allow student(s) to attend the college visit if they are giving a test during that period or if the student is failing the class.

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Looking ahead, Whitehall-Coplay School District students will have an early dismissal Dec. 23.

Schools will be closed Dec. 24-Jan. 2, 2022, for winter break.

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WCSD’s policy on educational trips are limited to seven school days per year. Any days missed for travel beyond the seven days of absence will be illegal days if the student’s age is 16 or younger.

The family educational trip request form is available in the school office and must be submitted to the office prior to departure.

The district prefers all trips be scheduled during the holiday break.

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Visit myschoolbucks.com to access meal accounts. The site gives you the ability to put money into your child’s account, check balances, view menus and more.

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If you’re a high school student, want to earn extra cash and are looking for a part-time job, stop in the counseling office or visit the counseling website under Jobs for employment opportunities in the Lehigh Valley.

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WHS is again participating in the Giant A-Plus Rewards program. Shoppers with a bonus card can register their card, designating WHS as the recipient of points earned when they use their card. Points turn into dollars the school can use for various educational needs.

For more information, visit giantfood.com/school-rewards or visit whitehallcoplay.org/Domain/12 to access the information letter.

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A reminder for parent pickup procedures for elementary students is as follows. Student dismissal for parent pickup will begin 3 p.m. Parents should arrive no earlier than 2:30 p.m. and no later than 3:20 p.m.

A note must be sent to your child’s teacher each day they will be picked up at dismissal. Parents who intend to follow this process indefinitely should send a note saying their child is a yearly pickup and obtain a numbered car tag.

Please follow the posted signs, which will guide you to the parent pickup area.

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The 2022 edition of the WHS yearbook, The Whitehall, will continue the tradition of publishing baby pictures of graduating seniors. This popular feature allows a parent to submit a color photograph of his and/or her child(ren) as a baby and a brief personal message for inclusion in the baby picture section of the yearbook. The picture can be any size; however, the personal statement cannot exceed 125 characters. In an attempt to increase the number of baby picture submissions, the yearbook staff has reduced the fee to have the baby photograph and words published by $5 - from $40 to $35.

In addition to submitting a baby picture, the yearbook staff is offering parents the opportunity to purchase more space in the yearbook for additional photographs and words dedicated to your son(s) and/or daughter(s). These senior advertisements will be located in the seniors section of the yearbook.

In an attempt to increase the number of senior ads, the yearbook staff has reduced the fees for the half-page and quarter-page sizes. Parents can submit more than one picture and additional words of congratulations with the senior ad. The new, discounted rates are full page, $200; half page, $100; and quarter page, $50.

In efforts to streamline the process of ads, the yearbook staff will be utilizing AdBuilder. AdBuilder is a service provided by the yearbook company, Balfour. It will allow you to create and pay for your own ad for the yearbook. Visit balfour.com and search for Whitehall High School. Shop yearbook products and purchase the ad size you want and create an account on balfour.com. Look for an email within one business day, confirming your ad workspace is available. Log into your balfour.com account and look under My Orders to design your ad. When ready, choose Submit Your Ad to send it to the yearbook staff.

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WHS yearbooks are currently on sale. To purchase a yearbook, visit balfour.com and search Whitehall High School.

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Do you have any school news? This column is a compilation of upcoming school events in the WCSD. Teachers, administrators, parents, students, coaches, PTOs, club advisers and any other community members are invited to share their upcoming activities. Email me at jamb87@hotmail.com with “WCSD news” in the subject line at least a week before an event.