Dragon Blast
Mary C. Howse Elementary School
From the Principal
Dear MCH Parents:
With everything going on in our society - coronavirus, racial tensions, protests and untimely deaths of family, friends and colleagues, there is not much I can say to take any pain, sadness, unrest, tension or anger any of us may be feeling. Of course, with school ending, this is time that should be filled with joy and excitement - happy tears should be flowing. Yet, here we are not quite sure how to feel - this is certainly not the way any of us had planned to end our 19-20 school year.
I have said this to those around me as well as staff here at Mary C. Howse - we have all gone through a trying time - to what extent is based on each person's individual perspective. As a human being, albeit an administrator, father, husband, son, borther, friend, colleague, to name a few of my roles in life - I believe that if the events over the last few months have not been enough to alter one's perspective on what is important in life, or realign priorities, then I am not sure what else could be done. Regardless of what role I put myself in, I do not have the ultimate power to change anyway. I do, however, have the power to challenge them, model for them, speak up when necessary and ignore any childish or unwarranted behaviors.
As parents, you do this each and every day - you have had this opportunity nearly 24/7 over the last 3 months and it will continue to some extent. Children are most shaped and influenced over what they see and hear (as well as what they do not see or hear) in any given situation. It is the toughest job in the world as you are charged with shaping the lives of little ones who will one day be out in society working with and forming relationships with others.
It is ALL about relationships - please enjoy the summer - do not worry about school in the Fall - school will occur and how it occurs is yet to be determined but we will communicate as often as we can based on the information we receive. It is ALWAYS a pleasure to serve your children and be a part of this wonderful MCH community - I am proud to be your child's principal.
See our morning announcement in the video below!
Stay safe, healthy and happy (sane) MCH!
Dr. Cat
Special Area Schedule - Lessons and Activities for Physical Education, Music, Art and Library
Do not hesitate to reach out to the teachers with any questions:
Music: Mrs. Litzenberg - mlitzenberg@wcasd.net
PE - Mrs. Monte - rmonte@wcasd.net
Library - Mrs. Chaborek - cchaborek@wcasd.net
Art - Ms. Clum - sclum@wcasd.net
What is Working at Home?
Announcements and Reminders
Goals for remote learning -
- Maintain connections with students and families.
- Provide basic, minimal instruction.
- Minimize stress
Look for updates from your child's teacher. Please do NOT hesitate to reach out to them with any questions, needs or concerns, especially if your child needs more connection or the stress has increased in your home.
We also take positive comments as well!!! See below!
FULL DAY KINDERGARTEN REGISTRATION - the time to register is NOW!
Do you, or someone you know, have a preschooler who will be ready for Kindergarten? Will he or she be 5 years old before Sept 1, 2020? Please register for the 2020-2021 school year as soon as possible!
Click NEW STUDENT REGISTRATION to complete the online portion of the registration. Once that is complete, Ms. Duffy will reach out to finalize the process.
Questions? Reach out to Ann Duffy @ aduffy@wcasd.net.
NURSE'S NOTES
Hello MCH families,
As members of the Penn State Healthy Champions program, we receive regular updates and ideas for taking care of ourselves and our families. This month the program focused on staying healthy at home. A link to the program ideas is below. Enjoy!
https://prowellness.childrens.pennstatehealth.org/healthy-activities-to-do-at-home/
How can we help others?
As we navigate this crazy time, it might be nice to send a little love to our health care workers. We have many families with nurses and doctors working above and beyond in our MCH community. A MCH mom who is a nurse at Bryn Mawr hospital told me that cards for the staff would really help. Things are a bit tricky with handling and delivering cards so I thought with all of our savvy technology we could make cards and take pictures of them or mini videos to say "thank you!".I will compile the photos and videos and we can send it out to our area hospitals helping our community. This is optional.
My email is - Robi27@aol.com
DONATE to CC HOSPITAL: Check out CC_HOSP_DONATE to see if you are able to help out.
POSITIVE PRAISE
Dear Mr. Cat, Mr. Benfield and Staff,
As the year comes to an end, we want to take the time to thank you for the care and education our daughter had received throughout her second, third and fourth grades. She will keep you in her mind and heart as she starts fifth grade in Chicago.
In terms of academics, she would not have had done as well without Dr. Cat’s leadership and the ceaseless, meticulous efforts of the hardworking teachers. Mary C Howse is really special because of the amazing work all of you do. Thank you for staying positive, keeping strong boundaries that teach good behavior and to be fun and engaging.
While we cannot ever thank all teachers enough, special mention goes to Mr. Benfield. Mr. Benfield is always compassionate, understanding, motivational, humorous, and non-judgmental. He is firm(!) and yet he looks beyond the slips and mistakes of his students to encourage them to be better persons. Our daughter leaves his class with more maturity, sense of organization, and responsibility. As parents, we are truly grateful.
Special thanks too to:
*Mrs. Bopp who is warm, accessible, enthusiastic and caring. At the same time, she sets high expectations for all student and she is firm (!).
*Mrs. Belczyk who is gifted with a special touch to lighten up the hearts and minds of students, in nurturing their interest and potential in non-academic pursuits, and for her motivational influence in Orchestra. She ended up purchasing a violin!
*Mrs. Letherland for always being kind and encouraging, and instilling self-belief in her students,
*AND ALL OTHER TEACHERS who had taught and influenced our daughter in one way or another.
Many thanks also for the Zoom Concert! It was incredible to see so many people playing online. Great job to Mrs. Belczyk, Mrs. Letherland, your IT team, and all the students!
We wish you all the best and stay safe!
With our deepest appreciation,
Mrs. Conner,
My husband and I feel really lucky to have had our son in your class. He has learned and grown so much. We recognize that he is a spirited child and that, while we find it rewarding and fun, it is sometimes exhausting to channel his endless energy in a positive direction. We know how much effort that can be (though, again, lots of fun and joy too). ☺️ You have provided much needed structure, consistency, guidance and positive reenforcement. He’s really thrived during his time with you because you have given him exactly what he needs most. We appreciate everything you have done. I hope you have a terrific and restful summer! You have absolutely earned it!
Teacher Benfield,
I’m so sad... It is so important to let you know that you have impacted our daughter in the most positive ways. Their are not many teachers anymore that truly make a difference in a kids life but you are definitely one of them. We can’t begin to thank you enough for making this year such a positive experience for her! I hope you have a wonderful summer!!!!! Thanks for everything
Dear Mrs. Sweeney and Mrs. Gorrie,
Mrs Sweeney, our daughter was THRILLED to get her letter and stickers in the mail! Thank you!
Also, I've wanted to thank you both for the weekly Zoom meetings! Obviously our daughter enjoyed them VERY much (and thinks she's a professional zoom consultant now - ha!) and it brought some consistency and normality to the uncertainty of the quarantine. But it also helped me as a parent - I would observe your interaction with the kiddos and it helped me to understand how to work with my daughter when she needs guidance. If there is any silver lining to this situation, it's that I have learned a lot about how my child learns!
Thank you so much! Your love and enthusiasm has been SO appreciated!
Parent Portal
Use the link below to access the parent portal page:
http://home.wcasd.net/pages/West_Chester_Area_SD/ForParents/Parent_Portal
On the page, there is written documentation (English and Spanish,) as well as videos (English only) that walk parents through how to set up your parent portal account, how to access grades and set alerts, how to view the online report card, how to check attendance, etc. There is even an app for your phone if you prefer.
Please call the office for your child’s user name and password if you do not have the information that was provided to you at the beginning of the school year.
Keeping in Touch
· Please bookmark our school website. This is where we post many updates, school newsletter, supply list, pictures and our parent/student handbook. It can be found at: https://www.wcasd.net/Domain/661
·
· Mary C. Howse Webpage - https://www.wcasd.net/Domain/661
o See MCH School Tour link in upper right hand corner
· Twitter – Follow - @MCH_Elem - you’ll receive updates once you are a follower.
· Youtube – Mary C. Howse – found here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCveR39XTwn8AgmiOVqA6GZA
· MCH PTO Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/mchpto/ - be sure to become a follower to receive updates when changes occur.
Parent Resources
How to Help Kids Deal with School Closings and Cancelled Plans
Community Bulletin Board:
For activities offered around West Chester, see:
http://home.wcasd.net/pages/West_Chester_Area_SD/Community_Bulletin_Board/Other
Our Mary C. Howse School Pledge
I pledge
To be the best that I can be
Respect myself and others
Make safe choices
And take responsibility
For my learning and behavior
Contact and Additional Information
Email: scatrambone@wcasd.net
Website: http://www.edline.net/pages/mary_c__howse_elementary_schoo
Location: 641 West Boot Road, West Chester, PA, United States
Phone: 484-266-1302
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mchpto/
Twitter: @SteveCat19