February 12, 2025

On January 25th, Cumberland Valley traveled to Massachusetts to compete in the MIT Science Olympiad Tournament, the most competitive event in the nation, featuring the top teams from across the country. This tournament is even more challenging than the annual Science Olympiad National Tournament. In a field of 70 teams, CVSO earned the following awards:

• 3rd Place – Picture This – Laakshitha Mittapalli, Sahana Sudarsan, and Sameeha Gaind

• 4th Place – Microbe Mission – Akpandu Ekezie and Suhas Kothuru

• 5th Place – Materials Science – Levy Le and Neil Peter

• 6th Place – Geologic Mapping – Levy Le and Siddharth Dendukuri

On Saturday, February 1st, the CVHS Varsity and Junior Varsity teams competed at the Solon Invitational, one of the nation's oldest and most prestigious Science Olympiad tournaments. They went up against 61 teams from 37 schools across 7 states. Our school faced off against several top Midwest teams, including some that ranked in the top ten at nationals last May. CVHS finished in 2nd place out of 37 schools, with our teams earning 2nd and 23rd place out of 61 competing teams! CVSO earned the following awards:

• 1st Place – Geologic Mapping - Levy Le and Siddharth Dendukuri

• 1st Place – Disease Detectives – Deeksha Rajesh and Ashwin Sarode

• 2nd Place – Entomology – Deeksha Rajesh and Siddharth Dendukuri

• 2nd Place – Experimental Design – Rachana Perachi Raja, Ashwin Sarode, and Sahana Sudarsan

• 2nd Place – Tower – Jeremy Hou and Pranav Harve

• 4th Place – Ecology – Anushka Naruka and Urjit Sau

• 5th Place – Fossils – Levy Le and Anushka Naruka

• 5th Place – Microbe Mission – Akpandu Ekezie and Suhas Kothuru

• 6th Place – Astronomy – Urjit Sau and Siddharth Dendukuri

• 6th Place – Dynamic Planet – Deeksha Rajesh and Siddharth

• 6th Place – Forensics – Anushka Naruka and Jeremy Hou

• 6th Place – Optics – Suhas Kothuru and Neil Peter

• 6th Place – Tower – Dhruv Lochan and Aayan Syed

• 7th Place – Codebusters – Levy Le, Laakshitha Mittapalli, and Ashwin Sarode

• 7th Place – Materials Science – Levy Le and Neil Peter

• 8th Place – Anatomy & Physiology – Deeksha Rajesh and Rachana Perachi Raja

• 8th Place – Engineering CAD – Nishant Sundara and Sahith Sanikommu

Congrats on your outstanding success, CVSO! We are #CVProud of you!

The CVHS TSA team recently competed in the PA TSA Region 3 competition and had tremendous success! With 66 students on the team, they showcased their skills in a wide range of technical and leadership challenges, including categories such as engineering design, digital media, problem-solving, and robotics. Their dedication and teamwork paid off with 15 first-place finishes, 10 second-place finishes, 14 third-place finishes, and 10 additional finalist spots. These accomplishments reflect not only the students’ technical abilities but also their creativity, critical thinking, and collaboration throughout the competition.

A total of 26 students will advance to compete at TSA States in Seven Springs this April, where they’ll have the chance to further demonstrate their talents on a larger stage. Congratulations to all of our talented students for their hard work, perseverance, and impressive achievements. We are #CVProud of you and can’t wait to see you shine at the state level!

Several talented students from Eagle View Middle School were recently named winners in the prestigious 2024-2025 Scholastic Art & Writing Competition. This national program, which celebrates the creative achievements of teens in grades 7–12, recognized their original works, giving them the opportunity for scholarships, cash awards, and the honor of joining an esteemed group of past alumni. Gold Key winners, like those from Eagle View, are also considered for National Awards, including eligibility for scholarships, further highlighting the exceptional talent of these young artists and writers.

Scholastic Writing Competition Winners:

• Sanvi Venna – Gold Key – Short Story: "Terror in the Towers"

• Charvi Bhurri – Gold Key – Short Story: "The Fear that Ruled Salem"

• Lakshita Dokku – Silver Key – Short Story: "Escaping Nazi Germany"

• Sharini Kulkarni – Silver Key – Novel: "Journey Across Lands" and "The Escape"

• Avery Pendleton – Silver Key – Poetry: "Promises We Swallowed"

• Dhruv Ganeshkumar – Honorable Mention – Personal Essay & Memoir: "Culture Shock"

• Alayna Heishman – Honorable Mention – Personal Essay & Memoir: "Death is Unforgivable without an Explanation"

• Sidhi Ray – Honorable Mention – Poetry: "Peace is a Woman, A Woman from Congo"

• Sharanya Kandimala – Honorable Mention – Poetry: "The Ocean's Diary"

• Aadya Thumma – Honorable Mention – Short Story: "The Spirit in the Tree"

• Bhavya Petla – Honorable Mention – Flash Fiction: "The Witch's Pig"

Scholastic Art Competition Winners:

• Ruchika Nukala – Gold Key – Fashion: "Music is Love and Power"

• Charlotte Payne – Honorable Mention – Digital Art: "Caught Myself Doing it Again"

• Rhythm Mandal – Honorable Mention – Photography: "Motherhood: A Universal Connection"

Congratulations – we are #CVProud of your creativity, dedication, and passion!

Top left: Cumberland Valley's Girls Wrestling team is having an impressive season, making a significant leap in the national rankings. Last month, they were ranked 38th, but they've climbed to 20th this month, marking a huge accomplishment! Their new spot places them among the top high school teams in the nation, including both public and private schools from 41 states.

Top center: Kindergarten students in Mrs. Tingley’s class at Middlesex Elementary had a royally fun day celebrating the end of their CKLA Knowledge unit on Kings and Queens! Everyone came dressed in their finest majestic attire, enjoyed some royal snacks, and shared their favorite moments from the unit. Long live the fun of learning!

Top right: Last week, over 30 Senior student-athletes took a huge leap toward their future by signing their letters of intent to compete at the collegiate level. We can't wait to see them thrive in both their athletic pursuits and academic journeys as they embark on this exciting new chapter. With their hard work and determination, there’s no doubt they’ll continue to inspire us all as they make their mark on the next stage of their careers!

Bottom left: Mr. Brewer's 6th graders at Eagle View Middle School had a blast celebrating World Read Aloud Day on February 5th! A huge thank you to all the amazing staff members who brought stories to life, showing just how magical reading aloud can be. It's more than just fun — it sparks imagination, boosts vocabulary, and invites us into new worlds of adventure!

Bottom center: The CVHS Mini-THON students kicked off Shaull Elementary's Mini-THON day with huge smiles, greeting students with high-fives and excitement as they arrived at school. They truly brought the fun, leading a variety of awesome group activities that kept every grade level laughing and engaged! At the end of the day, they revealed that Shaull raised $5,341 #FTK!

Bottom right: This week, CV Mini-THON hosted an epic Staff vs. Staff basketball game, with Team Strength facing off against Team Courage. Both teams had a blast playing, while students and families showed their support for their favorite staff members. Pictured: Winding Creek staff members Mrs. Baer, Ms. Cass, and Mrs. Sabol proudly holding the signs their students made just for them!

A big shoutout to CV Varsity Wrestlers, Phil Montes and Jake Mitchell, who both reached the century mark with 100 wins! Phil hit his on December 14, and Jake followed with his on December 20. These two Eagles are now a part of the Century Club.

Congrats on the hard work, Phil and Jake. We are #CVProud of you!

On Saturday, February 8th, a brave group of CV staff members took the plunge into the chilly waters of Gifford Pinchot State Park’s lake, all for a fantastic cause! The Freezin’ Eagles team splashed their way to raising a whopping $3,770, thanks to the kindness of generous donors. These funds will help provide FREE sports, health, and leadership programs for over 15,000 Special Olympics athletes across Pennsylvania. The impact will be felt right here in the Capital Area Region, helping athletes in Adams, Cumberland, Dauphin, Juniata, Lancaster, Lebanon, Mifflin, Perry, and York Counties. Way to go, Freezin' Eagles!

Kindergarten registration for the 2025-2026 school year is NOW OPEN! To be eligible for enrollment, children must be five years old on or before September 1, 2025

Visit www.cvschools.org/registration for details and to get started.

Help spread the word with any CV families who have a future Kindergartener! We can't wait to welcome the Class of 2038!

Summer Enrichment Camp Timeline:

• Camp packet will be posted on February 25th.

• Camp scholarship applications are now open and the deadline to apply is February 24th.  

• Registration for CVSD residents opens on March 4, 2025, at 6 AM.

  • Non-CVSD residents may register beginning March 11th.

Please visit our website for more information.

Buddy Program "Big" Application Update:

The Eagle Foundation's Buddy Program seeks enthusiastic college students to serve as Big Buddies in our six-week summer mentoring program. This rewarding experience pairs college students (who must have completed one year of college) with middle school students to build self-esteem, foster connections, and create lasting memories through fun activities like team building, outdoor adventures, and community service. The program runs from June 18 through July 25 (orientation will be held June 11-12). The application deadline is March 12th. New Big Buddies earn $14.00/hour and get mileage reimbursement (IRS rates). 

Click here to see some past Big's talk about their experience.

The application link is available here.

From Our Transportation Department

Like many other schools locally and nationally, we are experiencing a significant shortage of school bus and van drivers at Cumberland Valley School District. This shortage has affected, and will continue to affect, the transportation services we provide to our students. Our contractors are actively working to hire new drivers, and we are committed to ensuring that all students receive a ride to and from school. However, please be aware that this may require last-minute modifications to routes and stop times, which we will communicate to parents as quickly as possible.

Notifications of delays will be sent via text and email to the contact information listed in Skyward. To ensure you receive these notifications, please verify that your phone numbers and email addresses are up to date in Skyward.

When we have information about delays exceeding 20 minutes, we will notify you as soon as possible. Please understand that our Transportation Office is often overwhelmed with calls and may not be able to answer all inquiries immediately. We kindly ask that phone calls be reserved for emergencies, such as a missing child. For non-urgent matters, please email us at transportation@cvschools.org.

If you know anyone interested in becoming a school bus or van driver for Cumberland Valley School District, please encourage them to reach out to one of our Transportation Contractors. There are great part-time opportunities available!

Transportation Contractors:

• Kauffman Bus: 717-737-3396

• Miller & Sons: 717-258-3371

• Rohrer Bus: 717-958-3811

Thank you for your understanding and support!

Upcoming School Board Meetings

Unless otherwise advertised, all meetings begin at 7 p.m. and will take place in the District Office Board Room (6746 Carlisle Pike, Mechanicsburg)

• Tuesday, February 18, 2025

• Monday, March 3, 2025

• Monday, March 17, 2025

A full list of School Board and committee meeting dates is available by clicking here.

Quick Access

• Board Agendas - Posted a minimum of 24 hours in advance of the meeting.

• Committee Assignments - 2024 Board committee/advisory group assignments.

• Meeting Minutes - Posted to BoardDocs approved by the Board of School Directors.

• Watch Live - School Board meetings are live-streamed to our website.