April Update
04/22/2022
Pssa Letter from Dr. Hoffritz
Dear Parent/Guardian,
Across Pennsylvania, public school students in Grades 3-5 will be taking the mandated English/Language Arts (ELA), Math, and Science (grade 4) state assessments. All PSSA assessments will be administered electronically on site, as required by the state.
Students who arrive late to school and/or not taking a state assessment during the testing window will be directed to a supervised location. These students will have the opportunity to work asynchronously, complete any missing assignments, work on projects and study. No new instruction will be taking place during the testing window. Once the testing session is complete, students will be directed to their scheduled classes. Any needed test make-up sessions will be scheduled after each testing administration has been completed. Students will miss class time if they need to make up any missed section of a test.
To ensure successful administration, we ask for your assistance with the following:
- Ensure that your child gets a good night’s rest before the assessment.
- Remind your child to take time to thoughtfully answer and review all responses. The PSSA is not a timed test.
- Remind your child to bring a PCR book to read while waiting for the assessment period to end.
- Electronic devices including cell phones, smart watches, and etc.. are not permitted during the exam!
- Be sure all iPads are fully charged for this test!
Your support and encouragement throughout this process is greatly appreciated. Thank you for joining the children and teachers in helping them do their best on these state assessments. Please reach out to me if you have any concerns.
Congratulations to Sam Ellis! 2022 Elementary PE Teacher of the Year Award
Sam Ellis recently earned the Southeast District Elementary Physical Education Teacher of the Year Award! The award recognizes and celebrates the work of outstanding educators who::
- Conduct a comprehensive and diverse physical education, health, or adapted program that utilizes essential components and physical literacy (or health literacy) as reflected in SHAPE America Standards and Guidelines for K-12 physical education programs;
- Utilize various teaching methodologies and appropriate instructional practices;
- Plan and implement innovative and diverse experiences to meet the needs of all students;
- Advocate for the profession;
- Participate in professional development opportunities.
We are so proud of Mr. Ellis. Thank you for all you do for our students!
It's Been a Busy Week at KDM
Mindfulness Day
Mindfulness Day was a huge SUCCESS! We started they day off when words of encouragement from the Student Council, in carline and the bus loop. The activities soon began but not before a reading of "Puppy in my Head". A picture book that serves as both a story and a step-by-step guide to help calm kids down. Then we let the dogs out, therapy dogs of course! We also enjoyed music therapy, a mindfulness buddy walk, yoga, gardening and so much more! Thank you to all who came out and helped.
A big shout out to Mrs. Keating, Ms. Gorr, Mrs. Birtel, Mrs. Davis, Mrs. Clark, Mrs. Schrecengost and Mrs. Over!
Lego Contest
Our first ever Lego Contest was AMAZING! Everyone did such an amazing job, there were over 80 fantastic creative builds submitted. But it all came down to student vote, drum roll please….
Kindergarten thru 2nd
3rd : Tarun Karthikeyan from 2nd grade
2nd : Sophia Shahpurwala from 1st grade
1st: Ryan Streeter from Kindergarten
3rd thru 5th
3rd: Tanish Guruaj from 3rd grade
2nd: Dean Schneider from 3rd grade
1st: Anurag Ghatti, Tarun Murugan, and Aarav Singh from 4th grade
Congratulations to all the winners and thank you to all of the participants!
Shout out to Mrs. Hayes for organizing the Lego Contest, it was a blast!
5th Grade Musical - Annie Jr.
Wow! What an amazing performance of Annie Jr. from 5th grade. The cast gave a grand performance for the WHOLE SCHOOL during an end of day assembly. The kids loved it and sang along to "It's a hard knock Life" and "Tomorrow"! At 7pm, the gym became a theater, the lights dimed and KDM had a Broadway like show. The talent on stage last night was beyond amazing. We are so proud of all the cast and crew members. Congrats on a wonderful show!
Big shout out to Miss. Bevan for directing this years 5th grade musical!
What's Next?
- 5/2-5/6: Teacher Appreciation Week
- Friday 5/6: Superhero Field Day (KDM, 9AM-3PM)
- Friday 5/13: Spring Fair / Heritage Night Showcase (KDM, 5:30PM-8PM)
Superhero Field Day! May 6th
KDM's Superhero Field Day 2022 will be on Friday, May 6th from 9AM-3PM. Sign up to volunteer soon, as spots fill up for one of KDM's most favorite days of the year!
Here's how it works in 2 easy steps (you do not need to register for an account or create a password):
1) Click HERE to sign up to volunteer
2) Review the options listed and choose the spot(s) you like!
Mileage Club
Mileage Club is here! Mileage Club is a running club held during Wednesday recesses for 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders. Mileage Club kicks off on Wednesday, April 20th at recess and will "run" for 6 weeks.
Join us on Monday, May 16th at 7PM at KDM for our next PTO General Meeting!
Volunteer with the KDM PTO!
The KDM PTO is comprised of parents, guardians, and school staff. In order to support our mission, we have a volunteer board and committee chairpersons, and rely on volunteers.
Your involvement as a KDM Volunteer will help to enhance our KDM school community! We are always looking for parents to assist throughout the year.
We are actively looking for volunteers interested in supporting a variety of activities including the upcoming May Spring Fair! There will be PTO Board vacancies for Treasurer, Secretary, and Vice President roles for the 2022-2023 school year.
To learn more about the KDM PTO, visit: https://www.kdmpto.org/
We look forward to the opportunity to work with you!
KDM & GV Spirit Wear! First Fridays!
Looking for K. D. Markley or Great Valley spirit wear? Shop our online store with lots of styles and designs to choose from! Create your own t-shirt, sweatshirt, shorts, bags, and more! A portion of all sales go back to our school.
Celebrate the First Friday of each month and show your school spirit, by joining the KDM Student Council by wearing KDM, Great Valley, and blue and white clothing.
Spirit wear makes a great gift - start shopping today!