tohickon times - quakertown community school district · dear tohickon valley families, ... would...
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PRINCIPAL’S NEWS…
Tracking Your Child’s Progress Dear Tohickon Valley Families,
I want to thank you for your participation during November’s parent /
teacher conferences. Conferences represent one avenue to learn about
your child’s progress toward his or her grade level Learning Targets.
The teachers enjoy the opportunity to discuss your child’s academic
profile. It is important to understand the significance, and the lack of
significance, of your child’s report card. Make no mistake, the
achievement scores on your child’s report card are VERY important.
Here is my point – The work your children complete every single day
is just as significant as the achievement score on the report card. So,
it is important to provide the support, encouragement, and academic
feedback to your children much more than four times a year.
Here are some other ways to keep track of your child’s academic
progress each and every day:
Ask your child how they are tracking their progress in the
classroom. By tracking their own progress, students are
constantly evaluating their work, and determining strengths
and areas of improvement.
Review your child’s daily work and ask questions about this
work. “Why did you answer the question this way? If you
could answer this question again, would you answer the same
way? Tell me what you learned about...”
Contact your child’s teacher. (email, notes, phone call,…)
This is a partnership, and we are here to help!
Read the classroom and/or building newsletters. There are
helpful academic hints in newsletters that will help you and
your child.
Monitor your child’s current grades online on the Parent Portal.
If you do not have your portal login, please contact the office.
Have a safe and enjoyable holiday season.
Mr. Godshalk
Tohickon Times December 2013
It’s COLD!!!
Please dress your children appropriately
each day.
Tohickon Valley Elementary School
2360 Old Bethlehem Pike, North
Quakertown, PA Phone - 215-529-2500
Fax – 215-529-2501
Scott D. Godshalk, Pr incipa l
News in a Nutshell HOLIDAY PARTIES – The PTO Holiday Parties will be held on Friday, December 20
from 2:00 – 3:00 PM. (AM Kindergarten will be from 10:30 – 11:30 AM.) Please note
that teachers will be busy with learning activities until 2:00, so we thank you in advance
for noting the start time. Also, school is in session until 3:45 so we ask you to allow your
child to take the bus home from school on this day.
HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO ALL!!!!!
BOOK FAIR – Just a reminder our Winter Book Fair will be held from December 5th
through the 9th. Classroom schedules will be coming home with students. See you
there! Mr. Nagle
NO SCHOOL – IT’S SNOWING! – It’s time to plan for days when we have no school
because of bad weather. We have the Connect-Ed system in place to help inform parents
of any school closings or early dismissals. You may also call the Inform-a-Line at (215)
529-2010 or watch television Channel 10 or 69 for school closing and early dismissal
information.
Our School Number is 780.
Television channels: 10 and 69 ONLY!
Note: If the decision is made to have a two-hour delay in opening school, we advise that
you continue to monitor the TV stations, or call the Inform-A-Line (215) 529- 2010 after
8:00 AM, to ensure that the two-hour delay is not changed to a closing.
NURSE’S NOTES: December Nurse’s Notes Parents, please remember to dress your children for the colder
weather. Also be sure your child wears proper shoes for outdoor play on the playground
equipment. Daily outdoor recess is a part of their routine. Nutrition is always an
important topic, and even more important for active, growing children. Please make a
healthy breakfast a part of your child's morning routine. Whole grain, Low-sugar cereals,
fruit juices and whole grain breads are a good choice. It is important to stay away from
sugary items, like pop tarts and donuts. If you are running late have the children take a
cereal bar, banana or apple with them. The children work and play hard at school, and
breakfast is necessary to jump-start their bodies and activate their minds for the
challenges of their day.
If you are a family that has NO HEALTH INSURANCE, please call the school nurse for
information regarding a free clinic in Quakertown. Also a Dental Clinic and an
Immunization Clinic are available. Call the nurse for details or e-mail
I wish you all good health and happiness in the New Year.
Mrs. Walker - Tohickon Valley Nurse 215-529-2507
RECESS AND WIND CHILL – A doctor’s note is required if your child is not to go
out for recess. We expect all children to have outdoor recess daily, weather permitting.
Please make sure your child is dressed appropriately for the weather, including warm
outer clothing, hats and gloves. If the weather is severe, we will have indoor recess.
We review the information from www.weather.com. Decisions are made according to
the following district guidelines:
11 Degrees + = Full Outdoor Recess
0 – 10 Degrees = Outdoor Recess for 10 Minutes
Below 0 Degrees = Indoor Recess
Page 2 School News Tohickon Times
The Tohickon Valley Elementary PTO wishes all of the TVES
families a wonderful holiday season!
PTO Corner
Race for Education: The total as of this writing
is……..$25,992.65! Thanks to all who helped make this year’s race
a success.
Fall Family Fun Night: Many thanks to Lisa Ficarra for
organizing the showing of Monster’s Inc. Students and their
families enjoyed popcorn, baked goods and drinks provided by the
PTO.
Holiday Shoppe: This will be taking place in the library at TVES
on December 11th and 12th. Volunteers are still needed! Please
contact Jeanne Carroll should you be able to help.
Winter Parties: These will take place on Friday, December 20th
from 2:00 until 3:00. Room parents will organize games and
crafts and the PTO will provide pretzels and drinks for the
students.
Box Tops/Target/Giant/Redner’s/LFE/Bottom Dollar: Please
continue to support these programs which help our PTO earn
income from our everyday purchases.
PTO Meeting: Our next PTO meeting will take place on
Janurary 7th at 10:00 AM. We hope the earlier time will allow
more parents to join us and share their thoughts and ideas, which
are truly appreciated!
Page 3 PTO Corner Tohickon Times
PTO
CORNER
Page 4 Reading Room News Tohickon Times
Page 5 Physical Education Tohickon Times
Health and Physical Education News-Mrs.
Rogers (215) 529-2522 [email protected] Please visit my webpage
It is located under the staff section on the Tohickon Valley homepage
http://www.qcsd.org/tohickon/site/default.asp
Physical Education Parent Communication: In October students received information regarding Class
DOJO, our system for recording student progress in PE class. Many students have created accounts to view their progress and comments. Parents have the ability to checks student progress at any time via the Class DOJO website- www.classdojo.com My goal is connect as many parents as possible through this online program. If you would like a second invitation or have lost the access code to view your child’s progress please e-mail [email protected] and I would be glad to add any parent e-mails to student accounts.
We use Class Dojo in this way: the specific learning target the student received a point for will be shown (exceeding the standard for that particular learning target during the activity) as well as the date the point was received. If students were at standard for a particular day and learning target you may not see any points awarded. If negative points were given during a class period a red point is indicated. The student may have earned the point back that day (example showing improvement with safety or effort). The learning targets for PE are Effort, Safety, Physical Performance and Content Knowledge. If a child returned a workout log or forgot sneakers on a particular day that is indicated as well.
The learning targets for PE are defined below: **Safe practices in physical activity (use of equipment, moving through space, etc.) **Content Knowledge and Physical Performance: • Physical activities that promote health and fitness • Effects of regular participation • Response of body systems to physical activity • Physical activity and motor skill improvement • Physical activity and group interaction • Movement skills and concepts • Motor skill development • Practice strategies • Principles of exercise and training • Scientific principles that affect movement • Game strategies
Page 6 Phys Ed. & Art News Tohickon Times
**Effort- students genuinely trying to improve skills or improve
understanding of PE concepts. Effort can also be shown by student responsibility, attitude, behavior, cooperation and participation
I may also comment on a particular learning target or progress in the class dojo accounts.
If you have any questions regarding your child’s progress please contact me at any time. I look forward to a great year working together with you to encourage healthy choices and lifelong fitness for your children.
GIRLS ON THE RUN
Thank you to all the students, teachers, and families who
participated in GOTR on November 23rd in New Hope. This was a super season for our girls and we look forward to another team next fall. Look for information in June regarding GOTR sign-ups in August for your 3-5th grade girls. Also if you are interested in helping assistant coach the team with Miss Tegge or Mrs. Rogers please contact one of us ASAP so we can plan for the upcoming year. Training sessions for women coaches take place over the summer.
News from the Art Room Mrs. Caputo [email protected]
With the winter holidays coming soon, encourage your kids to make handmade gifts and cards! Explore the wealth of library books and web sites with creative gift and craft ideas for the holidays! Your children’s school art projects also make wonderful gifts. Keep your eye open for sales on frames to make them extra special! Make your own wrapping paper to make special gifts even more special. Use a brown paper bag turned inside out and cut open. Stamp using your favorite winter themes with your children’s favorite colors. Decorate by making a wreath for the door using greens from the tree outside that needs trimming. Add a ribbon bow and hang on the front door! Your children will be so proud every time they come home.
Important Upcoming Dates:
Monday, December 2 Holiday – No School for Students
Thursday, December 5 PTO Book Fair
through Monday, December 9
Wednesday, December 11 Holiday Shop – Grades K-2
Thursday, December 12 Holiday Shop – Grades 3-5
Wednesday, December 18 Varsity Singers – 2:00 – 3:30 PM
Friday, December 20 Holiday Sing-A-Long – 10:00 AM
Holiday Parties – 2:00 – 3:00 PM
Monday, December 23 Christmas Holiday
through Wednesday, January 1
Thursday, January 2 School Resumes!
Congratulations to T.V.’s Girls on the Run!!
Page 7 Upcoming Dates Tohickon Times
Page 8 Music Tohickon Times
NEWS & NOTES from the Music Teachers
A MESSAGE FROM MRS. CIFELLI AND MRS. HAZELRIGG:
For this month’s music newsletter, we will continue to explore the general/vocal
music curriculum. Our next Big Idea is Historical and Cultural Contexts. We
focus on one Learning Target in this area: Identifies Music by Culture and/or
Historical Context.
In all grades, we learn about a classical musical time period (Baroque, Classical,
Romantic, or Contemporary) and master composers from those periods (such as
Bach, Handel, Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Prokofiev, Rossini, Saint-Saens,
Copland, and John Williams.) Students also learn to identify music by cultural
characteristics: all students learn about patriotic music and seasonal music, as
well as additional musical styles including Native American, American folk, jazz,
and pop, and a variety of examples from non-American countries and cultures.
To increase their understanding of music’s historical and cultural contexts,
students develop familiarity with excerpts from representative works by
listening, singing, and playing along. They also learn to identify, compare, and
contrast key musical facts and characteristics (such as common instrumentation,
language, and purpose.)
Santa Band and Chorus members will be performing this month at the QMPO
Craft Fair. This is a fun event for the entire family. Come out to join us and help
support our young musicians in the district! There will be plenty of good food
and expertly crafted gifts for purchase, plus great entertainment. We hope to see
you there! (More information is available on Mrs. Cifelli’s website.)
UPCOMING EVENTS:
QMPO Craft Fair at the Freshman Center Dec. 14, 2013 Santa Band- 9:30am arrival - 10:00am performance
Chorus- 10:30am arrival - 11:00am performance
Winter Sing-Along Dec. 20, 2013 at 10:00 am (with Band & Chorus Performance for student body)
Second Grade Musical: Thankful for the U.S.A. February 27, 2014 at 6:15 pm
Spring Concert May 13, 2014 at 6:30pm
If you have questions or concerns about vocal/general music at Tohickon Valley Elementary
School, please feel free to contact Mrs. Cifelli at [email protected] / 215-529-2511 or Mrs. Hazelrigg
(Day 4) at [email protected] / 215-529-2867
Page 9 Guidance Tohickon Times
Let’s Talk! A newsletter from your December, Mrs. Lucchesi 12/2011
************************************************************************
A Newsletter from your School Counselor, Melyce Lucchesi December, 2013
HAVE A WONDERFUL HOLIDAY SEASON!
Thank you to those who gave to our families. You made the Holidays brighter for a student in need
Take control of the messages television sends to your family.
Work together with your children to choose good programs. Review the television guides with your children and discuss the programs that will be watched during the week. Teach your children how to be selective and to find good programming. Talk back to your TV set. If you see something that deserves a comment, positive or negative, don’t let the TV set have the last word. Discuss your reactions with your children and let them know how you feel about what you’re seeing. Your children will learn how you feel about important issues, and will realize they don’t have to take TV at face value. Be smart about TV. Let your children know laugh tracks are there to make them laugh, even if the action isn’t that funny. Point out how music is used to make a show seem more suspenseful. If you teach your children to be smart TV viewers, the negative effects of television will be much more limited. Use the VCR/DVD/DVR/TiVo if you have one. Over time, you can build an excellent video library from the selections in video stores, libraries and online. Keeping high quality entertainment in your home guarantees that your children will always have worth-while programming to watch.
Try to get a handle on advertising.-Especially during the
Holidays
Talk about the ads. When commercials are on, don’t just let them run. Talk to your children about the hidden assumptions behind the advertiser’s message and whether you agree or disagree with those assumptions. You may want to discuss how the ads tie into the show you are watching and whether the show contains the same hidden assumptions. Zap the ads. Another benefit of a VCR/DVD/DVR/TiVo is that shows can be recorded and run at a later time. This allows the viewer to fast-forward through commercials and limit the effects of advertising.
Please contact me at: Pfaff: 215-529-2857, TV: 215-529-2503 or at [email protected] if you have any questions or concerns that may be impacting your child’s learning.
Page 10 Modified Kindergarten Schedule Tohickon Times
Attention Parents of Kindergarten Students
EARLY DISMISSAL and DELAYED OPENING of SCHOOLS
DELAYED OPENING PLAN A MODIFIED AM and PM kindergarten schedule will be used when QCSD announces a delayed opening/late start of the school day.
AM MODIFIED SCHEDULE – 11:10 AM to 1:10 PM AM PARENT PICK UP TIME IS 1:10 PM Bus riders ride bus to school as they do on a normal day
PM MODIFIED SCHEDULE - 1:45 PM to 3:45 PM PM PARENT DROP OFF TIME IS 1:45 PM
Bus riders ride bus home as they do on a normal day
EARLY DISMISSAL PLAN
There may be days when QCSD has an unscheduled early dismissal due to inclement weather or another reason. Please read the following scenarios carefully and contact our school office if you have any questions.
Scenario 1: Early dismissal at 1PM – If we dismiss the students at 1PM, then morning kindergarten students will be picked up by the parents as usual… 11:40 AM and there will be not be an afternoon kindergarten session. Scenario 2: PM early dismissal in the afternoon– If we need to dismiss early, before the scheduled end of the day at 3:45 PM, then the kindergarten bus riding students will be sent home on their regularly scheduled buses. You will need to have someone at the bus stop to receive the child. Walkers will walk home.
Page 11 Lunch Menu – Cycle Days Tohickon Times
Chartwells Dining Services Elementary School Menu- December 2013
Student lunch $2.25 Reduced price $.40
A full student lunch includes a choice of entrée supplying protein and grain,
two (2) vegetable side dishes, one (1) fruit side dish, and a choice of milk.
Milk choices include 1% white and skim chocolate.
Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday
2 3 4 5 6
School Closed Popcorn Chicken with Dipping Sauces
Beef Hot Dog On a Whole Wheat Bun
Cinnamon French Toast Slices
Big Daddy's Cheese and Pepperoni Pizza
Mashed Potatoes Baked Beans Hash Brown Patty Fresh Carrot Sticks
Seasoned Carrots Seasoned Spinach Sausage Patty Seasoned Green Beans
Dinner Roll Chilled Mandarin Oranges
Assorted Juices DAY 2
Chilled Pears DAY 3
DAY 4 DAY 1
9 10 11 12 13 Breaded Chicken
Nuggets Meatball Parm Sandwich
with Potato Smiles Toasted Cheese
Sandwich Taco Bar with Lettuce, Tomatoes, and Salsa
Big Daddy's Cheese & Pepperoni Pizza
Mashed Potatoes Mixed Vegetables Tomato Soup Brown Rice Red Bell Pepper Strips
Seasoned Broccoli Fresh Grape Tomatoes Seasoned Peas Side Caesar Salad
Mexican Corn Ranch Dressing
Chilled Applesauce DAY 4
Chilled Pineapple DAY 1
Chilled Pears DAY 2
Chilled Peaches DAY 3
Chilled Mixed Fruit DAY 4
16 17 18 19 20
Breaded Chicken Patty Sandwich
Philly Cheese Steak Sandwich
Build Your Own Salad Bar w\Romaine and
Assorted Veggie Toppings
Seasoned Pasta with Meatballs & Sauce
Red Baron's French Bread Pizza
Baked Potato Wedges Vegetarian Beans Vegetable Toppings Garlic Bun Carrot\Celery Sticks with Ranch Dressing
Seasoned Corn Seasoned Broccoli Diced Chicken or Cheese Carrot Coins Ranch Dressing
Chilled Peaches Cups DAY 1
Chilled Applesauce DAY 2
Dinner Roll DAY 3
Mandarin Oranges DAY 4
Chilled Pineapple DAY 1
23 24 25 26 27
Have A Safe And Happy Holiday Break Online Payments May be Made @
December's Food Focus is Red and
Orange Vegetables
MyPaymentPlus
30 31 Happy New
Year!!!
Available Daily: Fresh Fruits and Vegetables at all serving lines.
Alternate Entrees (available with daily vegetable and fruit offerings and choice of milk): Garden Salad w/Cheese & Crackers
Mondays Tuesdays Wednesdays Thursdays Fridays
Peanut Butter & Jelly on Whole Wheat
Peanut Butter & Jelly on Whole Wheat
Peanut Butter & Jelly on Whole Wheat
Peanut Butter & Jelly on Whole Wheat
Peanut Butter & Jelly on Whole Wheat
WG Cereal Fun Lunch Turkey Corn Dog Turkey Hoagie Cheeseburger Bagel w/Cheese Fun Lunch