Rooted in Excellence: The CHS 2026-27 School Year Theme

Catherine Hershey Schools for Early Learning (CHS) staff from across Dauphin and Lancaster Counties, which now totals over 300 employees, gathered Monday morning at Hershey Lodge to celebrate a year of growth, recognize key milestones, and launch the 2026-27 school year theme.

The event opened with a reflection on the accomplishments of the 2025-26 school year, including:

Serving 450 children across three operating Centers: CHS Hershey, CHS Harrisburg, and CHS Middletown.
Opening the first CHS location in Lancaster County, CHS New Danville.
Continuing preparations for CHS Elizabethtown and CHS Lancaster City.
Hosting nearly 500 early childhood education professionals at the fourth annual ECE Leaders Summit.
Celebrating 149 children as they moved on to kindergarten.

Since opening its first Center in 2023, 289 children have moved on from CHS to kindergarten across seven local school districts, including Milton Hershey School (MHS).

Building on those accomplishments, CHS officially introduced the 2026-27 school year theme, Rooted in Excellence, as preparations began to welcome children and families back to CHS Centers.

*MHS senior Kaily Moreno-Bonilla sharing her journey with CHS staff.*

The event also marked the beginning of Transition Week, a dedicated time for professional development, classroom preparation, and team building before children return for the new school year.

MHS senior Kaily Moreno-Bonilla concluded the event with remarks, sharing her personal journey and highlighting the impact of the MHS experience. She enrolled at MHS in eighth grade and recently completed the EMT program.

Rooted in Excellence builds on CHS’s previous school year themes, Extraordinary Impact (2024-25) and One Team, One Dream (2025-26). The new theme reflects CHS’s enduring commitment to the values established by Milton and Catherine Hershey and reinforces that excellence is achieved through intentional actions, professional expertise, continuous learning, and a shared commitment to delivering high-quality experiences every day.

*CHS Interim Executive Director Brittany Tomaso interacting with the first* *CHS teacher hired in 2022.*

For children, the theme represents nurturing environments where they feel safe, supported, challenged, and prepared for lifelong success. For families, it reflects trusted partnerships and a strong foundation for their children’s growth.

For staff, Rooted in Excellence reinforces pride in professional expertise while fostering a culture of continuous improvement, accountability, and shared responsibility. It also reflects CHS’s continued commitment to honoring the shared values and legacy of MHS, of which CHS is a subsidiary.

The theme logo reinforces those messages through meaningful symbolism. The roots represent the enduring values, mission, and legacy established by Milton and Catherine Hershey that continue to guide CHS today.

The blooming rose symbolizes children, families, staff, and communities flourishing through excellent care. It also honors Catherine Hershey’s love of gardening, the Catherine Hershey Rose created in collaboration with Hershey Gardens, and Lancaster’s identity as the Red Rose City as CHS expands into Lancaster County.

Throughout the 2026-27 school year, Rooted in Excellence will be woven into professional development, coaching, family engagement, community partnerships, communications, and staff recognition initiatives, reinforcing the organization’s commitment to excellence in every interaction with children and families.