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Chester County Press

Avon Grove plans for end-of-year activities

03/30/2021 12:04AM ● By Steven Hoffman

Avon Grove School District superintendent Dr. Christopher Marchese outlined plans for the remainder of the school year during the March 25 school board meeting, emphasizing his optimism that students will be able to enjoy some of the momentous events as the 2020-2021 school year draws to a close.

Marchese said that plans are being developed for the prom to take place on Thursday, June 10, with the graduation ceremony for the Class of 2021 set for 7 p.m. on Friday, June 11.

It remains to be seen whether the graduation ceremony take place, as it normally does, at the Bob Carpenter Center in Newark, Del., or whether it will be held outside at the Avon Grove sports stadium. The district will adhere to the state, county, and local guidelines regarding large gatherings when making the decision.

“We are still undecided about where the location will be,” Marchese said, explaining that the administration has been communicating with parents since January about preparations for important events like the prom and graduation.

This week, full-time, in-person instruction resumed for Avon Grove students in the secondary schools, and the hope is that the conclusion of the school year will be a much more normal experience for students.

“We are really looking forward to ending the school year on a positive note,” Marchese said.

The superintendent also talked about the schedule for standardized tests. The school district is required to administer PSSA and Keystone tests under federal and state law, but because of the pandemic, some flexibility has been offered to school districts to administer these exams either later in the 2020-2021 school year or early in the 2021-2022 school year.

Marchese said that Avon Grove will be conducting the state testing during the current school year, including PSSA testing for grades 3 to 8 in a window from May 17 to May 28 and Keystone exams for algebra, literature, and biology during a window from May 17 to June 4.

Additional information about the exams will be discussed at an April 6 Curriculum Committee meeting.

A Committee of the Whole planning and construction meeting will take place at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 8.

On April 13, a Facilities, Finance Committee of the Whole meeting to discuss the budget will begin at 6 p.m.

The school board will hold its next meeting on Thursday, April 22, starting at 6:30 p.m.