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Ursinus Mentoring ProgramThe Ursinus Mentoring Program pairs PV middle school students with student mentors from Ursinus College. Goals for the partnerships range from academic help, goal setting and advice on preparing for high school, college, and beyond, to simply staying connected during these challenging times....and to have some fun while doing so! During this session the students will be collaborating on a Community Appreciation Project - making and sending letters to different agencies and organizations to thank them for their service or to just brighten their day. Counseling secretary, Lori Tropea, proctors the program that began the this week and will run through the end of April. Sessions are held from 2:45 until 3:45 every Monday. All students are eligible with no cost to participate in the program. A huge thank you to Mrs. Tropea and our wonderful Ursinus mentors! | Pyramid BuildersThe Great Pyramid of Giza is the largest of all the Egyptian pyramids and is one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. It was built between 2580 and 2560 BC. with primitive technology, however the result was amazingly precise! Students in Mr. Glennon and Mrs. Mozi's sixth grade social studies classes were given the opportunity to discover just how challenging it is to build a precise pyramid. Using a paper template, scissors and tape, the young builders found careful cutting and folding were the key to a quality structure! | Communicating Through DesignStudents in Mr. Hayes' eighth grade Technical Education classes began to explore the principles of graphic design this week. Graphic design is the process and art of combining text and graphics to communicate an effective message. The principles of graphic design include shape, mass, texture, color, balance, alignment, repetition, and contrast. Students took photographs using these principals that they will incorporate in an upcoming nature photography project. |
Ursinus Mentoring Program
The Ursinus Mentoring Program pairs PV middle school students with student mentors from Ursinus College. Goals for the partnerships range from academic help, goal setting and advice on preparing for high school, college, and beyond, to simply staying connected during these challenging times....and to have some fun while doing so! During this session the students will be collaborating on a Community Appreciation Project - making and sending letters to different agencies and organizations to thank them for their service or to just brighten their day. Counseling secretary, Lori Tropea, proctors the program that began the this week and will run through the end of April. Sessions are held from 2:45 until 3:45 every Monday. All students are eligible with no cost to participate in the program. A huge thank you to Mrs. Tropea and our wonderful Ursinus mentors!
Pyramid Builders
The Great Pyramid of Giza is the largest of all the Egyptian pyramids and is one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. It was built between 2580 and 2560 BC. with primitive technology, however the result was amazingly precise! Students in Mr. Glennon and Mrs. Mozi's sixth grade social studies classes were given the opportunity to discover just how challenging it is to build a precise pyramid. Using a paper template, scissors and tape, the young builders found careful cutting and folding were the key to a quality structure!
Communicating Through Design
Students in Mr. Hayes' eighth grade Technical Education classes began to explore the principles of graphic design this week. Graphic design is the process and art of combining text and graphics to communicate an effective message. The principles of graphic design include shape, mass, texture, color, balance, alignment, repetition, and contrast. Students took photographs using these principals that they will incorporate in an upcoming nature photography project.
8th Grade Parent Night @ PVHS
Principal's Roundtable - Wednesday March 1st
A Principal's Roundtable will take place on Wednesday March 1st from 6:30 - 8:30pm in the Library at Middle School East. The roundtable will be led by Middle Level Administration and Counseling. Middle level administration is considering the following changes.
- Wearing ID Badges throughout the day.
- Blocking all Chromebook apps and extensions unless pre-approved by the District Office to prevent students from getting around our filter with a 3rd party extension.
- All backpacks are placed in student lockers to limit what students carry throughout the day.
- All cell phones to be placed in lockers throughout the day.
We are hoping you can join us to gather parent feedback at the Roundtable on Wednesday, March 1st . Hope to see you there.
8th Grade Field Trip to Washington DC
Mark your calendars! 8th Graders at PV East and West will be traveling to Washington, DC on Monday, May 15th. This will be an extended day, departing 6:15 AM and returning by 8:45PM on coach buses. We will be looking for some interested parents to chaperone. Parent chaperones will need to have all of their clearances. More information regarding cost, itinerary, as well as sign up will be coming in the near future.
Award Winning Author Visiting West
Willy Wonka Jr. Is Coming to West
Friday March 10th - 7:00pm
Saturday March 11th - 6:00pm
Sunday March 12th - 2:00pm
Tickets on Sale Now!
See below for ordering information.
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Chess Club Chess, which requires wit and intellect, is played by millions of people across the globe. It is one of the finest indoor games. Chess is played on a 64 square board of black and white. The aim of the game is to conquer the opposite king. On both sides, there are pawns, knights, bishops, rooks, and the queen to formulate a strategy to attack the opposite army in a war. Once the opposition king is blocked and doesn't have any option to make a move, the game ends. West students from all three grades are welcome again this year to join eighth grade social studies teacher Sean Murphy for Chess Club! The novice Bobby Fischer's will meet every other Wednesday, after school for friendly competition where they will gain experience and skill. | Debate Club Join the PV West Debate Club. Learn the art of constructing, supporting, and discussing arguments. These skills are an integral part of life in a free society. In Debate club students will engage in a variety of discussions centered around group selected topics. They will learn to argue both their own perspective and the perspectives of others. Students will use evidence based practice to back up arguments as well as learning about logical fallacies and cognitive biases that may lead to poor argument construction. Debate club will take place on the second and last Tuesday of each month. Join us for our first organizational meeting on December 13th from 2:30 - 3:45. We hope to see you there. | C.A.U.S.E. ClubThe CAUSE stands for Connecting And Uniting Students to Empower. This is club that was started to try and help other students and get all students involved in our school community. Students in the CAUSE Club will have opportunities to make positive change in the school environment in various ways as well as support our local community. The club meets every Tuesday from 2:30 - 4:00 and we welcome all students that would like to join. |
Chess Club
Debate Club
C.A.U.S.E. Club
The CAUSE stands for Connecting And Uniting Students to Empower. This is club that was started to try and help other students and get all students involved in our school community. Students in the CAUSE Club will have opportunities to make positive change in the school environment in various ways as well as support our local community. The club meets every Tuesday from 2:30 - 4:00 and we welcome all students that would like to join.
Homework Club
Homework Club takes place next Tuesday and Thursday afternoon from 2:30 - 3:45pm in the West library. Homework Club will provide a quiet, comfortable, and supportive setting for students to complete school work and become better organized. Students will receive assistance and support when needed. School resources will also be provided for all students in attendance. There is no sign-up required. If students are attending they can report directly to the Library after school on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
After School Activity Transportation
- 4:00pm Departure (outside main office) - Monday through Thursday
- 5:00pm Departure (outside gym entrance) - Monday through Thursday
For each day students intend to take either the 4:00pm or 5:30pm activity bus, they are asked to inform the school district and bus company for routing purposes using the electronic form provided. The form links are below and also available to students via the PV LaunchPad - Classlink. Students must submit their information each morning by 10:00 am if they intend to ride the afternoon activity bus that day.
Power Packs
PV Power Packs is a weekend food program for students experiencing food insecurity. Bags of food, including 2 breakfast items, 2 lunch items, 2 snacks, and 2 fruits, are sent home with students prior to every weekend. There is no financial information required to participate in this program and students pick up their bags from their counselor or designated person every week.
Sign up for your child(ren) to receive a Power Packs bag by filling out this form: 2022-23 Power Packs or by emailing PowerPacks@pvsd.org.
Learn more about Power Packs at https://www.pvsd.org/families/pv-power-packs/ and follow us on Facebook @PVPowerPacks.
PV West Athletic Update
IMPORTANT DATES FOR SPRING SPORTS
Spring sports registration must occur by FEBRUARY 21.
First day of Middle School Sports is MARCH 13.
If the spring sports season will be the first sport of participation at PV this school year: Registration for spring sports must occur by February 21. This can be done at http://www.planeths.com. In addition to registering, student-athletes must have a PIAA physical examination done by a doctor and the proper paperwork completed by the doctor. In order to count for the 2023 school year, the physical must occur June 1, 2022 or later. The form is found on www.planeths.com when you register.
If the spring sports season is your second or third sport season this school year: Complete section 8 Spring Recertification at http://www.planeths.com by February 21. If there has been a change to your health history or an injury since completing your last physical, an additional section 9 form is required as well. This does require a clearance from a doctor.
West Home & School Information
If you would like to volunteer at any events that Home and School may have in the Spring, please email pvmswesths@gmail.com
Our next Home & School meeting is this coming Tuesday February 21st at 7pm in the West Library.
Nurse Notes - Physical and Dental Exams
Parents of 6th grade students, please know that you are required to submit a physical form for your child during this school year. In addition, if your child receives any immunizations, please submit those as well. Prior to the start of 7th grade, your child will need to receive the Tdap and Meningitis vaccinations, so now is a good time to get those immunizations!
Parents of 7th grade students are required to submit a dental form for your child.
The school physician and the school dentist will be at Middle School West in the Spring of 2023, and your child will be seen by them if the proper form is not handed in prior.
Shape The Sky - Creating Responsible Kids on Smartphones
At Shape The Sky, our goal is to connect knowledge and wisdom to create safe and responsible children online and on digital devices. We provide parents, teachers, counselors and other professionals with an insider’s view of the internet and social media, so they know how to start the conversation. Our goal is to have children and adults connect, share, and learn together to bridge youth knowledge of technology with adult wisdom of using it responsibly. See below for a link to more information and resources at Shape The Sky.
Youth Mental Health First Aid Class
Youth Mental Health First Aid is designed to teach parents, family members, caregivers, teachers, school staff, peers, neighbors, health and human services workers, and other caring citizens how to help an adolescent (age 12-18) who is experiencing a mental health or addictions challenge or is in crisis.
This course covers......
Common signs and symptoms of mental illness in this age group, including » Anxiety » Depression » Eating disorders » Attention deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD) • Common signs and symptoms of substance use • How to interact with a child or adolescent in crisis • How to connect the person with help • New: Expanded content on trauma, addiction and self-care and the impact of social media and bullying
This class includes two hours of online, pre-work towards certification. It takes about 2 hours.
Be Part of the Conversation - Upcoming Programs
We are a collaboration of community leaders, clinicians, students, school district representatives, and families who believe that having meaningful, inclusive conversations about substance use and addiction will support individuals and their families in their efforts to develop healthy coping skills and access support whenever there is a need. Learn more about us. See the link below for a number of programs that Be a Part of the Conversation offers.
PV West Attendance Information
If your child will be absent or missing any class time, please send an email (from the email you have listed in our new SIS system) to:
This will count as your call-out AND parent excuse. Please indicate in your email the date of absence, student’s grade and the reason for the absence. An absence is considered unexcused when the child’s school has not received an email or written parent note providing an acceptable reason for the absence, within a 3-day period.
You may also call our attendance line at: 1 (484) 977-7210, option 1. If you do this, you would still need to submit an email with the above information in order for it to be excused.
Any medical notes or Dr.'s notes should be placed in the Attendance Box, right outside the Guidance Department.
If you have any questions at all, please contact Lori Tropea at ltropea@pvsd.org or you may call her at x3540.
PVSD Food Service Updates
Parents/Guardians put money in their student(s) accounts electronically in SchoolCafe or by sending cash or checks in with their students. For more information about SchoolCafe please go to https://www.pvsd.org/departments/food-service/school-cafe-information/. If you are sending funds in with your students, please note the students’ names and account number on the envelope and ask them to give the envelope to their cashier in the cafeteria.
Upon entering the serving area, students make their selections and enter their 6 digit Student ID number on the pin pad or scanner. Our staff will be happy to help them become more comfortable with the system.
Safe2Say
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
988 has been designated as the new three-digit dialing code that will route callers to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (now known as the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline), and is now active across the United States.
When people call, text, or chat 988, they will be connected to trained counselors that are part of the existing Lifeline network. These trained counselors will listen, understand how their problems are affecting them, provide support, and connect them to resources if necessary. Please see below for more information.
The previous Lifeline phone number (1-800-273-8255) will always remain available to people in emotional distress or suicidal crisis.
Community Bulletin Board
Want to find out what’s going on in the PV Community? Visit here for flyers about upcoming events in and around our area!
To submit an event for posting, please send a PDF version of your flyer to webmaster@pvsd.org for review.
Please note that Community Bulletin Board items may contain links to websites of organizations outside Perkiomen Valley School District. Items are posted to this bulletin board as a free service to the community, and should not be interpreted as being sponsored or endorsed by the district.
West Weeks At A Glance
Monday February 20th - No School for Students (President's Day)
Tuesday February 21st - Homework Club @ 2:30pm in West Library; PVSD Policy Committee Meeting @ 6pm in PVHS Library or Zoom; West Home & School Meeting @ 7pm in West Library
Thursday February 23rd - Homework Club @ 2:30pm in Library; West Ski/Snowboard Club Trip to Bear Creek - 2pm departure; 8th Grade Parent Night @ 6:30pm at PVHS
Wednesday March 1st - Middle School Principal's Roundtable @ 6:30pm in MS East Library
Friday March 10th - Author Jordan Sonnenblick visit to West; Willy Wonka Jr. performance at 7pm in West Auditorium
Saturday March 11th - Willy Wonka Jr. performance at 6pm in West Auditorium
Sunday March 12th - Willy Wonka Jr. performance at 2pm in West Auditorium
For more details on the 22/23 school year go to the 22/23 Instructional Calendar
Perkiomen Valley Middle School West