News from the 'View
Skyview Upper Elementary School
Welcome to the 2015-2016 school year!
This newsletter has information to get you ready for the start of school. Our annual open house is August 27th from 6:30 - 8 p.m. This event is a time to find homerooms and do a self-guided tour of the building. Just as a reminder, there are no formal presentations at this event (and teachers will not be present.) All "orientation" type activities (including getting lockers) are done the first few days of school.
We hope that you have had an excellent summer. We look forward to welcoming everyone back to Skyview!
Mrs. Gorla and the staff of Skyview Upper Elementary
Meet Mr. Rob Howard - 5th grade Counselor
Hello and welcome to Skyview! My name is Rob Howard and I will be the school counselor for all students in the fifth grade for the 2015-2016 school year. One thing that all of the fifth graders and I have in common is that this is my first year at Skyview as well! I am very excited to get started and meet all of the students. Prior to working at Skyview, I was a behavior specialist for the Chester County Intermediate Unit.
I grew up in State College, Pennsylvania and am a big Penn State Nittany Lions fan. We are! I earned my bachelors degree in Sociology from Penn State University in 2010. After I completed my undergraduate degree, I enrolled at West Chester University and received my Masters of Education in School Counseling in 2013.
I am very excited to be a school counselor for Skyview. I have a great passion for helping students succeed and helping them through any difficulties or trials in their lives. I know it helped a lot to have adults in my life who were there for me at a young age and it is an honor to be able to do the same now.
In my spare time I enjoy playing sports, watching movies, traveling, playing the guitar, reading and being active in my church among many other things. I am always interested in what students have going on outside of school and hope to support them in anyway I can. Thank you for taking the time to read my biography and I look forward to serving the fifth grade students this school year.
Skyview Staff List
Meet Mrs. Beth VanBuren - 6th Grade Counselor
Mrs. VanBuren was raised and lived most of her young adult years in Chester County, Pennsylvania. She attended Syracuse University in Syracuse, New York. While at college and through participation in the marching band, Mrs. VanBuren met her husband of now thirteen years. Mrs. VanBuren was a special education teacher in Massachusetts prior to becoming a school counselor. Mrs. VanBuren is now completing her eleventh year as a School Counselor with Methacton School District. Mrs. VanBuren loves coming to Skyview and supporting the children of MSD. When not at school Mrs. VanBuren is kept busy being mom to two girls. Mrs. VanBuren often says that being a parent is the hardest job but the best and most rewarding in the world.
Mrs. VanBuren will be the 6th grade counselor for the 2015-2016 school year.
September Calendar Items
Friday 9/4 - School Closed
Monday 9/7 - School Closed
Friday 9/11 - Home & School Meeting 9:30 a.m.
Monday 9/14 - School Closed
Wednesday 9/16 - 5th grade Back-to-School Night ( 7 p.m.)
Thursday 9/17 - 6th grade Back-to-School Night (7 p.m.)
Friday 9/18 - Fall Picture Day
Wednesday 9/27 - School Closed
Student Schedules
When you look at your child's progress on the parent portal you will see a listing of all courses you child will have during the year. Your child's homeroom teacher is listed next to the course named "HR." Please be sure to sign up for access to the parent portal - this is the best way to monitor your child's academic progress and is the way we issue quarterly report cards.
Arrival and Dismissal at Skyview
Students who are driven to school are to be dropped off and picked up in our car loop in the rear of the building (our gym entrance.) Please follow the direction of the teachers on duty in this area - especially in pulling your car forward and not "going" around other cars. In order for students to be picked up from school they must have a note. Notes are required on a daily basis (even if a child is picked up every day) - this is the student's "ticket out the door."
We have many children, but none to spare! Maintaining safety in our drop-off/pick up areas is very important to us!
Lockers, Lockers, Lockers!
Character Counts at Skyview!
How do we communicate as a school?
- e-newsletters (such as this one) which are sent via school messenger and posted on our school website
- follow us on twitter: @skyview_msd
- any "hard copies" of flyers to be sent home on THURSDAYS during the school year
- e-alerts from our Home & School Association (please be sure to sign up to receive e-alerts)
- our school website is updated regularly to reflect happenings at our school
- a monthly "letter day calendar" posted on our website
- grades updated (every ten days) via the sapphire Parent Portal - be sure to sign up for this, not only is this a great way to check your child's progress, it is how we issue report cards!
- each team will provide further information on how they communicate with parents at our back-to-school nights
- responses to e-mails and phone calls by all members of our staff
Skyview UES
Website: http://www.methacton.org/Domain/732
Phone: 610-489-5000
Twitter: @skyview_msd