The Manavon and ELC Messenger
February 12, 2024
Calendar of Events
February 13: Kindergarten Information Night
February 14: MES Friendship Parties
February 15-16: Parent Conferences
February 19: President's Day, No School for Students
February 21: MES HSA Meeting, 7 pm, Zoom
Black Icons
Shirley Chisholm
Congress is more diverse now than it's ever been. However, when Chisholm was attempting to shatter the glass ceiling, the same couldn't be said. During the racially contentious period in the late '60s, she became the first Black woman elected to Congress. She represented New York's 12th District from 1969 to 1983, and in 1972, she became the first woman to run for the Democratic Party’s presidential nomination. Her campaign slogan: "Unbought and Unbossed" rings even louder today. Senator Kamala Harris recently paid tribute to Chisholm in her presidential campaign announcement by using a similar logo to Chisholm's.
Jesse Owens
Owens was a track-and-field athlete who set a world record in the long jump at the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin—and went unrivaled for 25 years. He won four gold medals at the Olympics that year in the 100- and 200-meter dashes, along with the 100-meter relay and other events off the track. In 1976, Owens received the Presidential Medal of Freedom and was posthumously awarded the Congressional Gold Medal in 1990.
Benjamin O. Davis Sr.
Benjamin O. Davis Sr. was the first Black general in the American military. He served for 50 years as a temporary first lieutenant at an all-Black unit during the Spanish American War. Throughout his service, Davis Sr. was as a professor of military science at Tuskegee and Wilberforce University, a commander of the 369th Regiment, New York National Guard, and special assistant to the Secretary of the Army. When he retired in 1948, President Harry Truman oversaw the public ceremony. Davis Sr. is buried at Arlington National Cemetery.
Mary Jackson
In 1958, Mary Jackson became NASA’s first black female engineer. Mary began her engineering career in an era in which female engineers of any background were a rarity; in the 1950s, she very well may have been the only black female aeronautical engineer in the field. For nearly two decades she enjoyed a productive engineering career, authoring or co-authoring a dozen or so research reports, most focused on the behavior of the boundary layer of air around airplanes. In 1979, she made a dramatic career change, leaving engineering and taking a demotion to fill the open position of Langley’s Federal Women’s Program Manager. There, she worked hard to impact the hiring and promotion of the next generation of all of NASA’s female mathematicians, engineers and scientists.
Jackie Robinson
Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier when he became the first Black athlete to play Major League Baseball after joining the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947. Robinson became the first Black athlete to play Major League Baseball in the 20th century when he took the field for the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947. Throughout his decade-long career, Robinson distinguished himself as one of the game's most talented and exciting players, recording an impressive .311 career batting average. He was also a vocal civil rights activist.
https://www.nasa.gov/content/mary-w-jackson-biography
https://www.oprahmag.com/life/g25954127/african-american-historical-figures/?slide=1
Car Line Pick Up Reminders
Our car line is consistently going later than our staffing hours and we are hoping to move the line more efficiently. Please remember to stay in your car when picking your child up at the end of the day and arrive promptly.
Good Luck, Mrs. Hrynko
Welcome, Dr. McKnight
Additionally, please welcome our interim Assistant Principal, Dr. Frank McKnight who will joining us this week to transition with Mrs. Hrynko. Dr. McKnight comes from a storied career as a principal in various settings and will be with us until we hire a permanent replacement for Mrs. Hrynko.
100 Days of School
The 100th day of school is significant in that it is a day filled with excitement and reflection, where our students and teachers commemorated their achievements and progress since the beginning of the school year. Classrooms buzz with various activities centered around the number 100, from counting exercises and math challenges to creative projects such as making 100-item collections or crafting 100-day crowns. This day serves not only as a fun-filled celebration but it stresses the importance of perseverance and dedication, as reaching the 100th day symbolizes a journey of learning and growth. We loved not only counting to 100 but seeing all of our centenarians!
A Special Celebration: Ringing the Bell
On Friday, January 26th, PAELC Kindergarten student, Wesley Jones, participated in a bell ringing ceremony at CHOP, King of Prussia, to signify the end of treatment for his illness. He was joined by family, friends, and Miss Dellaquila and Mrs. Miller for this wonderful celebration! Additionally, on Monday, January 29th, students in Mrs. Miller class, members of our administrative team, as well as Wesley’s parents and siblings, had our own celebration in the classroom with bells ringing, special treats, and presentation of a class-made book for Wesley!”.
Manavon Girls Running Club (MGRC) Supports Morgan's Message
MGRC joined forces with the PAHS Track Team for a great cause called Morgan's Message on January 29th at the high school track. Morgan’s Message is a national organization devoted to awareness of mental health amongst athletes. It was a really fun and special night. We did our relay (while trying to keep warm), had pizza and then heard from Morgan’s Message ambassador Maggie Rost all about Morgan’s message. It was a wonderful time for the girls to run alongside the high school track team and become more aware about the importance of mental health.
MES Yearbook Love Lines
Yearbook Love Lines are on sale now!!
Put a special message (Love Line) for your student in the Manavon 2023-2024 year.
Click on the link below to order yours today! Purchase your Love Lines by February 29th and submit your typed Love Lines online by March 5th. The cost per Love Line is $3 and are limited to 100 characters.
Important: If you are submitting multiple Love Lines, order each line separately to make the submission process easier!
A flyer with detailed ordering directions will be sent home this week! Please contact manavonyearbookpasd@gmail.com with any questions!
Knock the Socks Off Phoenixville!
PMEA Chesco Band Festival
On Friday, February 2, 2024, twenty young musicians represented Phoenixville Area School District at the PMEA 5/6 Chesco Band Festival which was held at West Chester East High School. 5th and 6th grade students from Barkley, Manavaon, Schuylkill, and the Middle School spent the day with roughly 100 young musicians from surrounding school districts and prepared concert music with the guest conductor, Dr. Steve Selfridge. They had a successful performance in the evening for a packed auditorium of friends and family. Our young musicians represented PASD with pride and excellence!
Building a Recycled Robot
Mrs. Houseman's former students, now Juniors in the HS Environmental Club paid a visit to second grade again! Club members and second graders worked together to plan, design, and build a Recycled Robot using their knowledge of solids and the properties best for building. By the end of each group's presentation, each robot had a name and function, too. A big thank you to Zoe Cimo (11th grade) for heading up this exciting project!
Upcoming February Conferences
Thursday, February 15
- Parent-Teacher Conferences 8:00 am-7:15 pm (no conferences are scheduled from 12:00-12:45 pm and 4:30 pm-5:40 pm). No school for students.
Friday, February 16
- Parent-Teacher Conferences 8:00 am-10:45 am. No school for students.
Information from Previous Messages
Pick Up Patrol for Early Dismissal
Ensuring School and Student Safety
As the schools continue to make safety a priority, we are asking that when using Pick Up Patrol for an early dismissal the following information be typed into the "MORE INFO" box.
1) reason for the dismissal
2) if they are returning
3) name of the person picking up
This will allow us to keep the dismissal efficient while also ensuring the students' safety.
Kindergarten Tours
Please use the link to schedule a school tour of the Early Learning Center. Slots are limited and are on a first come, first serve basis, so sign up soon!
Clothing Returns and Donations
Students are often lent clothing from the nurse's office for accidents, spills, etc. If you child borrowed clothes from the nurse, please wash and return them as our stockpiles are running low. Also, please donate gently used clothing, especially elastic waistband pants.
Breakfast on Half Days
On days that we have a two-hour delay, breakfast will not be served. Our cafeteria staff will be busy preparing lunches as students arrive, since we begin serving lunch within 10 minutes of students' arrival.
Important Arrival Procedures
- Arrive on time: doors will close at 8:55 am.
- If the doors are closed, you must escort your child into the building.
- Please do not stop in any driving areas to drop your child off.
- You MUST be in the car line or PARKED in a spot to let your child out of the car.
- If you were given a red placard stay in the left side of the car line. At the stop sign where double lane ends make a left into visitor spots. Do not come through parking lot and ask for barricades to be moved.
- Do not use visitor spots if you were not assigned one.
Reminder: Cell Phones and Smart Watches
Birthday/Holiday Treats
Due to the many students with allergies and food reactions food items to celebrate student birthdays are not permitted. We are requesting that all birthday recognitions be non-food based. We do want to acknowledge student birthdays but encourage families to do so in other ways. For example, small items such as pencils or stickers for classmates or the donation of a book to the school or classroom library in honor of a child’s birthday would be appropriate. Thank you for honoring and respecting this request.
Holiday celebrations will be held in compliance with School Board Policy #246 Student Wellness. The policy states “The district recognizes that classroom parties and celebrations are a tradition at school. School staff and parents/guardians are encouraged to include healthy food offerings, as defined in this policy, at school parties and events to support a healthy environment throughout the district.” Policy 246 can be viewed in its entirety by visiting the district’s website.
Holiday celebrations and end-of-year classroom celebrations will be announced in advance for parents to be prepared in determining food choices with their children. Birthday celebrations are held randomly and do not allow for parent awareness prior to the event in the school setting, which contributed to the decision for birthday recognitions to be non-food based.
Manavon Elementary School
Assistant Principal: Mrs. Natalie Hrynko
Assistant Principal: Mrs. Lisa Freeman
Secretaries: Mrs. Becky Sinapius and Mrs. Carolyn Lolli
Clerks: Mrs. Karen Martz and Mrs. Kate Chippari
Email: celotton@pasd.com
Website: https://mes.pasd.com/ or https://paelc.pasd.com/
Location: 1-2 Phantom Way, Phoenixville, PA, USA
Phone: (484) 927-5350 or (484) 927-5450