Lower Pottsgrove Elementary School
February Family Newsletter February 12, 2021
News and Notes from the Principal's Desk:
Monday, March 8 is set aside for Spring Conferences. Conferences are held 12-8 PM and will be conducted virtually as they were in the fall. The children do not have school that day. In the spring conferences are typically held by invitation of the teacher. Teachers will begin reaching out in the coming weeks to those parents they are requesting a conference with. If you would like to request a conference with your son or daughters teacher, please contact the teacher directly.
Our Second trimester will end on March 11. Report cards will be sent home electronically on Friday, March 19. We will continue to use our 4 point rubric as the grading system for student report cards.
Kindergarten Registration is open for the 21-22 school year. Registration is on line and can be accessed from the district homepage at www.pgsd.org.
Read Across America: As many of you are aware, the first week in March is known as Read Across America week and is celebrated in conjunction with the birthday of Dr. Seuss which falls on March 2. The elementary division in Pottsgrove has turned this into a week long community celebration of reading. We will have activities throughout the week to engage the children, there will be special spirit days and we are working to build a collection of recorded stories from District leaders and community members to share with the children throughout the week. Below is a link from NEA that contains many resources and book ideas on a variety of themes for children.
https://www.nea.org/professional-excellence/student-engagement/read-across-america
Read Across America Spirit Days
Monday, March 1 - Hat Day
Tuesday, March 2 - Favorite Book Character
Wednesday, March 3 - Favorite Season
Thursday, March 4 - Stripes
Friday, March 5 - Dress as your favorite Dream Job
We will be sharing more information as we get closer to the beginning of March!
Important Reminders for Parents:
Parents are reminded that children should not attend in-person school if they are ill or have Covid related symptoms. In addition, students should not come to school if an immediate family member has tested positive or is awaiting test results. Please refer to the daily illness screening tool for guidelines regarding school attendance. You will find a link to the document below. Please reach out to our nurses, Mrs. Nuce knuce@pgsd.org or Mrs. Trump ltrump@pgsd.org with any questions or concerns.
Return to in-person instruction: If your student is currently fully virtual and you wish for them to return for in-person instruction, please contact the main office. We will need one weeks advance notice to make the arrangements for the children to return. In addition, we understand that many students would benefit from being in school more than 2 days a week. Unfortunately, in order to remain in compliance with our Health and Safety Plan and maintain 6 foot social distancing we are not able to safely bring more students into the building for 4 days a week at this time. Our sincere hope is that the vaccine process expands and we are provided with new guidance from the county and CHOP Policy Lab we will be able to expand our capacity to bring students in for more than 2 days per week. Thank you for understanding.
Student Materials: as we approach the spring, I wanted to take this opportunity to remind families that it will be necessary for students to return the textbooks and iPads they have been provided by the school at the end of the school year. This includes iPad chargers. Students/families will be held financially responsible for lost or damaged items. We will host opportunities for materials to be returned as we approach the end of the school year in June.
Outdoor Recess: Whenever possible, we try to get the students outside for recess. Please be sure the children come to school with the appropriate outer gear to go outside. If your son or daughter is in need of a winter coat, please contact Mrs. Flanangan, Mr. Bell or myself for assistance.
Prepared for School: As recent weeks have demonstrated, it is important for students to be prepared for a switch from hybrid to virtual at a moments notice. It could be due to weather or a sudden closure for any reason. Students are reminded to bring a charged iPad in with them every day and to take their iPads and chargers home with them every night. Students should also remember to bring band/orchestra instruments home as well.
Mask Reminder: When students are in the building, they are required to wear a school appropriate mask. Masks must also be worn on the bus and on the playground. Mask breaks are scheduled throughout the day. Please note the following change to our Health and Safety Plan regarding masks: A face covering must cover the nose and mouth and is secured to the head with ties, straps or loops. Face coverings can be made from a variety of synthetic or natural fibers including cotton, silk or linen.
Safety Drills: We are continuing to conduct our required safety drills. We run fire drills on a monthly basis and we are planning to run an Intruder Drill in the coming weeks. This will be done in a Table Top format in the classroom. A scenario will be read over the announcements and teachers and students will discuss the appropriate actions to take with the information they have. For the first drill, we will not be physically barricading or exiting to the rally points. Teachers will guide a discussion with students as to what the response would be in their classroom. As the weather improves this spring, we will ensure that all students have the opportunity to physically walk to the rally points so they will know where they are located. We will run the upcoming drill twice to give students in the A and B groups an opportunity to physically participate in the classroom. Virtual students will also be asked to participate in the drills as this is important information for them to have when they eventually return to the building. A separate communication will be sent home in advance of the drills taking place. We will also be working with Lower Pottsgrove PD as part of the drill process.
Looking Ahead
Dates to Remember
February 2021
12- In Service Day, No School for Students
15- No School, President's Day
23- School Board Meeting 7:30 PM
March 2021
3- PTA Meeting 6:30 PM via Zoom
1-5 Read Across America Week- see above
8- Spring Conferences 12-8- see above
9- Board Meeting 7:30 PM
11- end of Second Trimester
19- Report Cards Issued
23- School Board Meeting 7:30 PM
31- Act 80 Day, 1:25 PM Dismissal for students
April 2021
1- Inservice Day, No School for students
2-5- No School, Spring Break
8- Virtual Reading Olympics 4-6 PM- Details forthcoming
13- Board Meeting 7:30 PM
13,14,15- School Pictures
19- Scheduled start of PSSA
May 2021
7- Scheduled end of PSSA
11- School Board Meeting 7:30 PM
18- In-Service Day, No School for students (PA Primary Election)
25- School Board Meeting 7:30 PM
31- No School, Memorial Day
June 2021
10- Noon Dismissal
11- Noon Dismissal, Last Day of School
Lower Pottsgrove Elementary School
Email: tkoehler@pgsd.org
Website: www.pgsd.org
Location: 1329 Buchert Road
Phone: 610-323-7510