In Great Valley
a monthly e-newsletter from the Great Valley School District
NOVEMBER 2018
Philadelphia Union Visit to GWES
Members of the Philadelphia Union professional soccer team stopped in to hold their Gym Class Takeover program at General Wayne Elementary School. Students rotated between six stations designed around many of the various components of the game of soccer.
Alumni Veterans' Memorial
On Sunday, November 11, the Great Valley Alumni Association and The Foundation at Great Valley, in collaboration with the school district, dedicated a GVSD Alumni Veterans' Memorial. The memorial is located on the campus of Great Valley High School and honors those alumni who lost their lives in service to our country. Visit the District website for more information.
Teams Named Ches-Mont American Division Champs
Congratulations to the GVHS Boys' Cross Country Team and the GVHS Field Hockey Team who were both named Ches-Mont American Division Champions. Both teams were honored by the School Board in November.
District Studying Full-Day Kindergarten
The Great Valley School District initiated a process in October to study full-day kindergarten as a possibility, beginning in the 2019-2020 school year. Until February 2019, the District will address a variety of factors associated with full-day kindergarten, including impacts on finance and facilities, as well as educational program. The study period will also include a number of opportunities for parents, staff, and the community to offer input and feedback and to learn more about research associated with full-day kindergarten programs. All of the work from October through February will be shared with the School Board at its monthly meetings, which are aired on GVTV and available via the District website.
In addition, the District will host a series of school-based community forums. Teachers and administrators will participate in a facilitated 45-minute panel discussion about various elements of a potential full-day program. The audience will be invited to ask questions at the end of each forum. Community members are invited to attend a meeting at any school. Dates are as follows:
November 28, 6:00 p.m. at K.D. Markley Elementary School
December 6, 6:00 p.m. at General Wayne Elementary School
December 10, 6:00 p.m. at Sugartown Elementary School
December 11, 6:00 p.m. at Charlestown Elementary School
Those interested in attending are asked to register their attendance in advance.
A section of the GVSD website includes information related to the District’s study of full-day kindergarten. Visit www.gvsd.org/fdk for more information. Please also watch this newsletter every month for updates and information.
Calendar Committee Studying Preferences for School Calendar
The Great Valley School District formed a Calendar Committee this year that is comprised of parent and staff representatives from every school. The committee is charged with gathering parent and staff feedback and opinions about the school district calendar. At its first meeting in early November, the committee discussed elements of the school calendar, including start and end dates of school, holidays, conference times, and how the professional development of staff is addressed throughout the year.
The committee worked to develop a survey that was distributed via email to all staff and parents in mid-November. At its final meeting at the end of the November, the committee will examine survey data that will help to inform the development of the 2019-2020 District calendar. The Superintendent expects to take a draft calendar for the 2019-2020 school year to the School Board for consideration in January 2019. More information is available on the District website.
Board Review
The Great Valley Board of School Directors conducted its regular meeting on Monday, November 12, 2018.
Complete meeting highlights and meeting agendas are available on our website. Meeting broadcasts are available on GVTV (Comcast Channel 14 and/or Verizon Channel 36), or via our website.
Financial Approvals
The Board approved:
- the formation of the following clubs: BLT Club, Graphic Design Club, Blockchain Club, Podcast Club, Badminton Club, and Patriot Buddies.
- data warehouse/analytics program software.
- annual subscription for ManageEngine ADManager Plus Professional for managing Active Directory.
- contract for 25 wireless devices for students who have no home internet access.
- acceptance of donation to the GV Food Service Department.
- acceptance of donation to Great Valley Middle School.
- translation support services staffing.
- contract for leadership team workshop.
- appointment of contractor for HVAC projects.
- contract with Diamond6 for Educational Services.
- approved private school agreements.
- private transportation contracts.
- renewal of grocery bid.
- 2017-2018 netshare for food service.
- special education settlement agreement.
- non-resident student for 2018-19 school year.
Policy
The Board accepted the following policies for second reading and adoption:
116.1 – English Language Development (AG)
202- Eligibility of Nonresident Students
348 – Prohibited (Unlawful) Harassment (AG)
448 – Prohibited (Unlawful) Harassment (AG)
548 – Prohibited (Unlawful) Harassment (AG)
601 – Fiscal Objectives
602 – Budget Planning
603 – Budget Preparation
604 – Budget Adoption
605 – Tax Levy
606 – Tax Collection
606.1 – Senior Citizens’ Volunteer Service Tax Rebate Program
607 – Tuition Income
608 – Bank Accounts
609 – Investment of District Funds
610 – Purchases Subject to Bid/Quotation (AG)
614 – Payroll Authorization
615 – Payroll Deductions
616 – Payment of Claims
618 – Student Activity Funds (Special Purpose Funds) (AG)
619 – District Audit – Public
620 – Fund Balance
625 – Procurement Cards – Employee Use (AG)
626 – Federal Fiscal Compliance (AG, A, B, C, D, E)
626.1 – Travel Reimbursement – Federal Programs
627 – District-initiated Real Estate Tax Assessment Appeals
628 – Tax Waiver Requests
815.3 – Acceptable Use of Technology by Employees
The Board accepted the following policies for second reading and repeal:
Policy 611 - Purchases Budget
Policy 612 - Purchases Not Budgeted
Policy 613 - Cooperative Purchasing
Policy 617 - Petty Cash
Comprehensive Plan
Contact us
Email: communications@gvsd.org
Website: www.gvsd.org
Location: 47 Church Road, Malvern
Phone: 610-889-2125
Facebook: facebook.com/GreatValleySD