• Back to School Resources 

    Updated: Aug. 9, 2023

    Back-to-School Resources 

    The following information has been compiled to help our Upper St. Clair families prepare for the start of school. Additional information will be added as it becomes available. 

    Is there additional back-to-school information that would be helpful to you and others? Please share your suggestions via email to tvojtko@uscsd.k12.pa.us. The district’s intent is to make this page as helpful and user-friendly as possible.  

     

    Back-to-School Online

    The district’s annual Back-to-School Online effort will launch on Thursday, Aug. 10, 2023. Families will be asked to log in to Focus/Parent Portal to complete and review annual forms/information to ensure a smooth start to the school year. Upon logging in, families will see a section titled Pending Forms and will need to click the green rectangular button to complete the Back-to-School forms.

    Once all online forms are completed, student schedules, teacher assignments and bus information will be accessible. To view this information, select your child’s name from the left navigation pane. Below the name is a link for class schedule. Bus information can be accessed by selecting Child Info and then Transportation.

    As a reminder, the Focus/Parent Portal username is the email address associated with the account. If you have forgotten your password, there is a “forgot password” link on the Focus/Portal login page. For additional account assistance, please email parentportal@uscsd.k12.pa.us (be sure to include your student’s name). 

    2023-24 School Calendar

    The first day of school for students in grades 1-12 is set for Wednesday, Aug. 23, 2023. For our kindergarten families, Wednesday, Aug. 23 and Thursday, Aug. 24 will be used to conduct welcome events and orientation. Students will arrive with a parent or other caregiver during their scheduled session and remain at the school together until the program concludes. More detailed information will be provided from your respective school as the date nears. The first regular day of kindergarten – including riding the school bus – will occur on Friday, Aug. 25. The last day of the school year is Thursday, June 6, 2024.

     

    School Start & Dismissal Times

     

    Drop-off Window

    School Start Time

    Start of Dismissal 

    High School

    7:40-7:55 a.m.

    8:00 a.m.

    2:45 p.m.

    Elementary

    8:20-8:30 a.m.

    8:35 a.m.

    3:05 p.m.

    Middle School

    8:40-8:50 a.m.

    8:55 a.m.

    3:35 p.m.
           

    AM Kindergarten

    8:20-8:30 a.m.

    8:35 a.m.

    11:15 a.m.

    PM Kindergarten

    12:10-12:20 p.m.

    12:25 p.m.

    3:05 p.m.

     

    Transportation

    • Bus stop information can be found in Focus/Parent Portal when Back-to-School begins on Thursday, Aug. 10. To locate your child’s bus information:
      1. Log in to Focus/Parent Portal (make sure there are no "pending forms" to complete)
      2. click on your child's name in the column on the left side of the screen;
      3. select CHILD INFO;
      4. and then click TRANSPORTATION.
      5. View step-by-step instructions with screenshots for use with both computer and mobile devices
    • Transportation information for students who enroll after Aug. 10, can be accessed in Focus/Parent Portal within 48 hours after completing the registration process. 
    • Bus stop assignments are usually at the closest intersection to your child’s address. The Bus Stop Guidelines are used to route the buses to and from school in order to meet the school bell schedule.
    • Bus stop times are approximate and may vary slightly due to loading times and traffic. Therefore, please have your child at the stop location five minutes in advance in order to prevent students from running after the bus or delaying the next stop.
    • If needed, route adjustments and changes may be made after the start of the school year, as student schedules change.
    • Transportation requests with extenuating circumstances can be made by contacting the transportation office at 412 833-1600 Ext 3451.
    • Please call the garage ASAP at 412 833-1600 ext. 3450 if an error was made in your child’s transportation schedule.
    • To reach the dispatch office, call 412-833-1600 extension 3450. This is the best number to contact if you need to get important information during bus route times or if the bus driver needs to be contacted. 
    • Lost items will be moved to the front of the bus for the child to retrieve the next time he/she rides the bus.

    Transportation Safety

    Please keep in mind that during the first week of each school year buses tend to run late – especially the elementary buses in the afternoon. Our school staff will be taking extra time and care at dismissal to ensure that our students board the correct bus in the afternoon. Each day you should see a gradual improvement as we inch closer to the target arrival time. Your patience and understanding throughout these first days of school are much appreciated.

    For questions or concerns regarding bus transportation, contact Jonn Mansfield, director of transportation, at jmansfield@uscsd.k12.pa.us or by phone at 412-833-1600 ext. 3451.

    Food Services

    Upper St. Clair’s Nutrition Center offers a variety of meal choices with one goal in mind: to provide outstanding service and high quality “kid-friendly” meals that meet or exceed the latest federal and state requirements. Menus are designed to ensure that students receive a balanced meal, consisting of foods from all major food groups in the right proportions to meet calorie and other nutritional needs. Our staff is looking forward to serving your children nutritious, great-tasting menus that support their achievements in school and promote healthy lifestyles.
     
     
    Universal Free Breakfast:
    ALL Pennsylvania students are eligible to receive FREE breakfast at school during the 2023-24 school year. Daily, students are able to receive one breakfast meal at no charge. Read more
     
    Free/Reduced Price Meal Application: 
    Free/Reduced Priced Meals are available for eligible families. Family circumstances can change at any time; therefore, please know that applications can be completed anytime during the school year.
    • Families can submit Free and Reduced-Priced Meal Applications online by logging in to www.schoolcafe.com. The application process is quick and easy. This process will require an adult to login using the Student ID of any student in your household. Applying online will speed up the determination process and benefits can be utilized sooner. Please remember to include all students in your household that attend USC schools on the same application. 
    • OR - download and print the application for the 2023-24 School Year 

    SchoolCafé:
    Upper St. Clair families are encouraged to utilize SchoolCafé - a FREE tool to manage their children's meal accounts. SchoolCafé is available online and as an app from the AppStore and Google Play.
    • access your child's purchase history
    • monitor account balances
    • receive low balance alerts
    • make online payments
    • set up automatic payments any time your student's account falls below your predetermined limit
     

    Technology 

    Student Devices: The Upper St. Clair School District provides every student with a Chromebook. 

    Technology Protection Plan: Starting this school year (2023-24) there will no longer be an option to purchase a Technology Protection Plan (TPP). Read more about Chromebook repair/replacement costs. 

    Technology Support: Our technology department has developed a robust help site – http://uscsd.org/support – with information to quickly resolve many common issues. Search by keyword (i.e. Google Meet, Canvas, Single Sign-On) to find helpful articles and tips to assist you. The site also provides a direct link to submit a help desk ticket, if needed.

    School Supply Lists 

    Physicals, dental exams and immunizations

    Please make sure your child’s health information is up-to-date.

    • Physicals required for kindergarten, grade 6 and grade 11
    • Dental exams required for kindergarten, grade 3 and grade 7

    Click here for downloadable forms     and detailed information.

    Turning in completed forms: If you have completed dental/physical forms to turn in, you can do any of the following:
    • Have your child turn in the form(s) in-person when school begins
    • Mail the completed forms to the school. Please include "Attn. School Nurse" in the address line.
    • Scan and email your completed forms directly to your child's school nurse. click here for our health services staff by school

    Medication Procedures 

    Please review the medication policy within the school handbooks carefully. Medication should be in its original labeled container with a medication order form, which can be found here.

    Volunteer Clearances

    The Child Protective Services Law requires background checks for volunteers in schools. If you are planning to volunteer in your child's school or classroom, volunteer clearances are needed in advance. Click here for step-by-step instructions.

    PLEASE NOTE:  Clearances, which are valid for five years, are processed by outside agencies and it will take time for them to be completed. Prospective volunteers are encouraged to complete the process as soon as possible.  

    If you have previously submitted volunteer clearances to the school district, you can check the expiration date(s) by submitting your email address online: click here.

    Parent Communications:

    The Upper St. Clair School District makes a concerted effort to enhance the ways we communicate with our families and the community and to enable that communication to become more effective, efficient, and timely. The information outlined below is intended to serve as a quick reference for families: 

    • Focus/Parent Portal:  The USCSD Parent Portal is used annually for Back-to-School Registration for ALL students K-12. In addition, the portal provides access to report cards and bus transportation information.

    • Cafeteria Information (menus and online payment):  Monthly menus are posted online and are easily accessible from the menu icon on the district's website. Upper St. Clair families are encouraged to utilize SchoolCafé - a FREE tool to manage their children's meal accounts. SchoolCafé - available online and as an app from the AppStore and Google Play - enables families to access their child's purchase history; monitor account balances; receive low balance alerts; make online payments and set up automatic payments any time your student's account falls below your pre-determined limit.

    • Weekly Recap:  Every Friday, a Weekly Recap is sent via email to all families and staff members with all of the latest district news, upcoming events, bulletin board fliers and links to media coverage of the school district. The Weekly Recap is also available on the district's website (under Headlines).

    • School Messenger Automated Alert System:  In the event of a school-wide or district-wide urgent situation (i.e. school delays/cancellations, evacuation, lockdown, relocation, emergency dismissal), information will be shared via our Automated Alert System (School Messenger). Phone calls and/or emails will be sent to the numbers/emails that are designated by parents/guardians through the Back-to-School Online process. In addition, School Messenger will be used to contact families via email with news and other information related to the district and/or specific school that their child attends. Please DO NOT UNSUBSCRIBE from the emails as you will also be opting out of the urgent phone messages too.

    • Bulletin Board:  The USC Online Bulletin Board provides information about non-district sponsored community events, activities, camps, classes, concerts, and other opportunities that might be of interest to our families and community members. Information is updated as it is received - check back often for the latest information. Click here to visit the Bulletin Board. To access the Bulletin Board from the district's website, select the lowercase pushpin icon, located below the rotating photo.

    • Facebook/Twitter/Instagram: The district utilizes social media to communicate and share district-wide news, upcoming events, photos, videos and more. Like and follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram - @uscschools. 

     

    2023-24 Student Handbooks

    Family Involvement

    Research supports a strong correlation between family involvement and academic success. Parent organizations are formed at the individual school level with leadership and coordination provided by an overarching USC Parent Teacher Council. 

    Family Directory

    The Upper St. Clair School District Family Directory is produced annually by the USC Parent Teacher Council. Whether you’re scheduling a play date for your elementary student, planning a graduation party or you’ve simply forgotten the parents’ names of your child’s new best friend, the USCSD Family Directory is a lifesaver!!!! More information will be provided in the coming weeks. For questions regarding the Family Directory, please email uscdirectory@gmail.com.

    Additional Information

    Before & After School Care

    Extended Day Services (EDS) operates within all three Upper St. Clair elementary buildings as well as Boyce Middle School. Before-school care operates from 7 a.m. until the beginning of the school day. After-school care is offered from the end of the school day until 6 p.m.  Click here for information about EDS services.

    Resources for families with reluctant talkers:

    The start of a new school year is exciting for the whole family. At the same time, we know how frustrating those one-word answers to parents’ many questions can be. Here are a few resources that may help get conversations flowing with your child.

    Is there additional back-to-school information that would be helpful to you and others? Please share your suggestions via email to tvojtko@uscsd.k12.pa.us. The district’s intent is to make this page as helpful and user-friendly as possible.