North Wales School Bulletin
December 4, 2023
From The Principal's Desk
Greetings North Wales Families,
I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving. Can you believe December is here? 2023 is coming to an end. This week we have the holiday shops. Hanukkah begins Thursday evening and we kick off our American Legion Food Collection Drive.
This week we celebrate Inclusive Practices Week. Students will engage in learning activities all week on being an inclusive and caring environment. This month we have spirit days every week! Please see our weekly spirit day calendar below. We will also highlight Hanukkah in our Cultural Highlight of The Week.
As always, we thank you so much for being a part of the North Wales family!
Warmly,
Ms. Kenney
Principal
Important Dates To Remember
Dec. 4th: NW/YA Orchestra Concert @ YA 7pm
Dec. 4-20: American Legion Canned Food Drive ( We will collect non-perishable items)
Dec. 5-7: Holiday Shops
Dec. 7-15: Hanukkah- Chag Sameach!
Dec. 19: YA/NW Band Concert with Choral Groups @ NW 7pm
Dec. 20: Report Cards Issued
Dec. 22: Early Dismissal 12:30pm
Dec. 25-Jan 1: Winter Break
Jan. 2: First Day Back to School- Pajama Day
Weekly Schedule
Tuesday - Day 2
Wednesday - Day 3
Thursday - Day 4
Friday - Day 1
Holiday Shops
The Holiday Shop will be held December 5th-7th with students shopping during designated class times Tuesday-Thursday.
Please consider volunteering to ensure this event is a success:
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0D4AAEA72AA3FCCE9-45653167-nweholiday#/
All volunteers must have active clearances on file with the office.
Class shopping times are as follows:
Tuesday: Rumsey, Splendido, Patterson, Heiserman, Dermody, Schnupp, Sylvester
Wednesday: Kornstein, Dougherty, Werdt, Jablonski, Kersey, Mock, Oberholtzer, Weir
Thursday: Jimenez, Durante, Bush, DiStefano, Gormley, Shotwell
Students can shop with cash or pre-purchased gift certificates. Remaining funds from gift certificates will be given given to the students as cash change at checkout.
To purchase a gift certificate or view additional information about our sale visit:
Literacy Update For The Week
Reading 101 for Parents: Phonological and Phonemic Awareness
Learning to read can be hard for some students! Check out this article on the crucial role of phonological and phonemic awareness in the reading process. Click here to access the link. Our Heggerty program in Kindergarten and First grade supports this step in the reading process.
Cultural Highlights Of The Week
December Holidays
Hanukkah ( Dec. 7-15)
Hanukkah is one of the most joyous of Jewish holidays. The Jewish festival of lights, called Hanukkah, is celebrated around the world today. But the inspiration for the holiday dates back thousands of years in what is today the country of Israel. Hanukkah starts on the 25th day of Kislev, the ninth month of the Hebrew calendar. (It’s also called the Jewish calendar and is used to track religious dates.) Because this calendar follows the lunar (or moon) cycle, the holiday begins on a different date each year on the calendar you use the most, which is based on the sun cycles. Usually, Hanukkah starts in late November to mid-December.
This year, Hanukkah starts the evening of December 7 and ends on December 15. The menorah is lit for eight nights. The menorah holds nine candles—one for each night plus a candle called the shamash used to light the other candles.
Traditional Hanukkah foods include deep-fried jelly donuts called sufganiyot and potato pancakes called latkes. Both dishes are fried and represent the long-lasting lamp oil.
Counselor's Corner
American Legion Canned Food Drive
Beginning Monday, Dec. 4th, North Wales Elementary will be participating in the American Legion Canned Food Drive to help families in need right here in our North Wales area.
Students are asked to bring in non-perishable food items until Wednesday, Dec. 20th and place them in the box in their classroom. Food will be collected and then distributed to families that are in need in North Wales.
Your generosity will be greatly appreciated!
Upcoming District Family Events
A Session Focusing on Loss and Bereavement
Tuesday, December 5th 6:30-7:45PM
This session will be facilitated by Lois Harris from the Center for Loss and Bereavement. The holidays can be difficult, especially for families who have experienced loss. This session is designed to provide a space for parents, grandparents and kinship caregivers to meet others and share coping strategies.
Flyer for Session on Loss and Bereavement for parents, grandparents and kinship caregivers
Invitation for LGBTQIA Families to attend the Rainbow Connection
Wednesday, December 13th 6:30-7:45 PM
This session is open to LGBTQIA family members and students in North Penn School District and will be facilitated by Lauren Shive from PFLAG Souderton/North Penn. This gathering is designed to connect families, provide a space to discuss experiences and share ways we can support families and students within our school district.
To ensure the safety and confidentiality of those in attendance, interested family members will receive information about the location once they RSVP.
North Penn Community Forum
Tuesday, December 5th, we will hold a community forum at the high school. The event will begin with tours of the high school at 5:30 pm, followed by a forum at 7:00 pm. Tours will leave from the lobby every 15 minutes from 5:30 pm until 6:15 pm. The tour will take participants around NPHS and highlight the facilities needs of the building. At the conclusion of the last tour, a forum will be held at 7:00 pm in the auditorium.
All members of the community are invited to attend the forum and learn more about needed renovations to NPHS, and the special election scheduled for January 16, 2024. Those in attendance will also have the opportunity to ask questions.
The forum will be streamed live on NPTV via Comcast channel 28, Verizon FIOS channel 29, YouTube, Facebook, and on the radio at WNPV 98.5 FM. NPTV is also available for streaming on the FireTV, Apple TV, and ROKU apps by searching “North Penn Television”.
To learn more about the forum and the renovations to NPHS, please visit reimaginenphs.org.
Home and School
Home and School Information
On behalf of Home & School - Welcome to the new school year!
Whether it's your first year here, or your last, you are a part of this strong community. And we want to help make sure you have all the latest info on our events planned for this year - Popsicles on the Playground, Sports Night, Trunk or Treat, School Store, Teacher Appreciation, Color Run, VIP Dance, Cereal Box Knock Down, Class Field Trips, Assemblies, and more!
Can you spare 5 minutes for Home & School?
Contact Form - keep in touch with H&S and Homeroom Grownups this year!
HundredX Fundraiser - help us raise funds at zero cost in just 2 minutes!
Volunteer Interest - let us know if you want to know more about how you can get involved!
Pre- K Counts
PreK Counts
Montgomery County Intermediate Unit just opened up two Pre-K Counts classrooms within the North Penn School District, in Bridle Path and Montgomery Elementary Schools. Each class will have 20 pre-school students between the ages of 3-5 years old whose families are income eligible (falling under the 300% poverty guidelines). The MCIU Pre-K Counts classes have a certified teacher and a teacher assistant. The program is a full-day program where breakfast, lunch and an afternoon snack are provided at no cost to the families. While our philosophy is play-based, our goal is for each student to be academically, socially and emotionally prepared for success in North Penn School District kindergarten classrooms. Our MCIU Pre-K Counts teams not only consist of the teaching staff, but also Family Engagement Workers to help families navigate school requirements, attendance regulations, information about community resources available, and when the time comes, to register for North Penn Kindergarten. If you have any questions or would like to apply for your student (must have turned 3 before Aug 31), please reach out to prekcounts@mciu.org.
Friendly Reminders
Office Hours Reminder
We would like to remind you of our school office hours, which are from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM, Monday through Friday. During these hours, our dedicated staff members are available to assist you with any inquiries or concerns you may have.
For any inquiries or messages after 4:00 PM, we kindly ask that you leave a voicemail message on our school's main phone line. Alternatively, you can send an email to the appropriate staff member, and they will get back to you as soon as possible.
Thank you for your understanding and cooperation. We appreciate your partnership in ensuring the success of our students.
SMARTWATCH/CELL PHONE REMINDER
Please note, cell phones should be in silent mode or turned off and stored in bookbags throughout the day. Smartwatches should not be used to make calls, send messages, or take photos/videos during the school day. Also, note the school is not responsible for lost, stolen, or damaged personal electronic devices. Our school team will be reminding our students of these expectations regarding personal devices.
We thank all of our families for their continued support and cooperation in limiting disruptions to the classroom.
Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions or concerns.
Sandy- Our Therapy Dog is Back!
I would like to introduce you to Sandy, our North Wales’ therapy dog!
Please click on the link to learn more about Sandy- Sandy Our Therapy Dog
If you would not like your child to interact with Sandy in any way, please complete this Google form or let your child’s teacher know.
Arrival/Dismissal Procedures
Parent Volunteers for the Library
We are looking for volunteers to assist in the library. If you are interested in helping out and you have your current clearances, please complete the google form below.
North Wales Elementary
Website: https://northwales.npenn.org/
Location: 201 Summit Street, North Wales, PA 19454
Phone: 215-699-4471
Twitter: @NWelementary