Pleasantville Polar Bear Post
Week of January 8th, 2023
Principal's Message
Welcome to the 2023 - 2024 school year at Pleasantville Elementary School!
Happy New Year Pleasantville Families!!
We hope everyone had a wonderful time enjoying spending time with family and friends over Winter Break and are ready for 2024!!
We had a very busy December. 12 Days Countdown to Winter Break Spirit days were a blast! Make sure you check out Pleasantville's Facebook page for all the great pictures. We had our middle of the year benchmarking for reading. Its amazing to see how much growth the students have made in their reading skills and comprehension so far!
We had our first Winter Chorus and Band concert in over 4 years! Thank you to Ms. Vangelo and all the chorus and band students for learning and practicing their songs for the live (and livestreamed) audiences to enjoy. It was so wonderful to hear students singing and playing instruments again! If you missed the concert, please enjoy it HERE on PLV's Facebook page. Even with a few technical difficulties it was a great time!
On December 15th we had our December Fire Drill and on December 20th we had our first Lockdown Drill. These are required by the State. We keep parents/guardians informed when these drills will take place. We practice these drills so that if we do have an emergency, our students and staff know what to do in order to keep everyone safe.
Thank you to our AMAZING PTA for a fun Holiday Family Bingo Night on December 18th. This event raised over $400 that will support our students! We couldn't have done it without our PTA or all the families that came out to play Bingo!
Winter Weather is coming!! Please make sure that you are connected to Colonial's Website, Facebook and receive emails/texts/calls from Colonial through School Messenger. Dr. Menzer makes the decisions whether to close schools, delayed openings, or early dismissals in case of inclement weather. As soon the decision is made, it is posted on the above sites. I will also send a text reminder and post on Class Dojo if we have any late openings, early dismissals or closings. As soon as I know, you will know. Please refrain from calling the Main Office for information. I will post as soon as I know any weather related changes during the school day.
It's been nearly 20 years since the last major upgrade to our facilities in Colonial....it's time!!
Do you know that Pleasantville's playgrounds and equipment have not been updated in over 20 years? Do you know that we do not have a secure entrance that is ADA compliant? Do you know that we need a new roof? These are just a few of the updates that our PLV KIDS DESERVE!
For more information here is the LINK about the upcoming Referendum
IT'S TIME TO VOTE! Mark your calendars for February 29th, 2024. WE need your support to get out and vote to improve Pleasantville and all our Colonial Schools, including George Read, Gunning Bedford and William Penn where our PLV kids will go in the future! Colonial Kids Deserve It!
Read more about the Certificate of Necessity that was approved by the Department of Education HERE. Please attend or watch the December and January CSD School Board Meetings to learn more information about the referendum and improvements that our Colonial kids deserve! The School Board meetings are December 12th and January 9th at William Penn or you can watch online at https://www.youtube.com/@ColonialSchoolDistrictde
As a reminder, if you would like to volunteer at school or for your child's field trip, you must complete the Volunteer/Background Check Form on Colonial's website and be approved.
Kind Regards & Stay Well,
Renee M. Griffith - Principal
Michelle Upperman - Assistant Principal
Important Dates
Monday, January 8th
- PTA Meeting 6:00 PM in the PLV Library
Tuesday, January 9th
- Colonial School Board Meeting 7:00 PM
- Watch Virtually on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@ColonialSchoolDistrictde
Monday, January 15th - No School
- Dr. Martin Luther King Holiday
Tuesday, January 23rd - 5th Grade Social Studies State Test #1
Friday, January 26th - No School
- Staff Professional Development
Friday, February 16th - No School
- Staff Professional Development
Monday, February 19th - No School
- President's day Holiday
Thursday, February 29th
- Colonial Referendum VOTE!! PLV and Colonial Kids Deserve It!
Here is the Colonial School District Calendar for SY23-24:
Phillies Reading Challenge SY23-24!!
PLV's Reading Team is excited to kick off Phanatic about Reading! It's a reading challenge from the Philadelphia Phillies baseball team! Each teacher was given a stack of green challenge papers to give to each child. All students need to do is READ for at least15 minutes at home each night! When they read they mark an X over the date and that’s it!
Mrs. Redding will be doing incentives throughout the year for students that do the most reading and keep their sheet in a safe place to document their reading goals. The Phillies also do incentives, so let’s get to reading at home Pleasantville Polar Bears!
Communication Updates
PLV Main Office
- PLV Main Office: 302-501-7992
- Renee Griffith - Principal: 302-400-7742
- Michelle Upperman - Assistant Principal: 302-400-7745
- Donna Robinson: 302-367-7946
- Mandy Munson SEC: 302-367-7818
- Jignasa Wedell - Counselor 302-669-9637
- Kayla Woods - Psychologist: 302-367-7853
- Heather Yacabell - Family Support Therapist: 302-400-7218
- Andy Tallman - Communities in Schools: 302-400-7995
- Pleasantville and Colonial will communicate via email and text message. Please make sure we have the most updated contact information.
Class DoJo App
- Teachers and Admin will use Class Do to update upcoming events, send parents direct messages, etc.
- Teachers will be updating their individual Class Stories a minimum of 2x per week to keep parents updated.
- The best way to contact your child's teacher/Admin is to send them a Direct Message through Class DoJo. Make sure you get connected!!
Contact Info:
- Please ensure that your email and phone numbers are correct. These are the main channels for Colonial and PLV to contact you to share important information. To update the contact information you have on file, please fill out this form: https://bit.ly/CSDinfoupdate
- If you have not been receiving calls & emails from Pleasantville or Colonial School District, please call PLV's Secretary, Ms. Jaimie Spadea at 302-501-7992 or email jaimie.spadea@colonial.k12.de.us
Pleasantville's Mission
Pleasantville Elementary’s mission is to inspire excellence in ALL of our students to ensure they reach their highest potential in academic achievement, as well as in social and interpersonal skills. We believe that through hard work, perseverance and active engagement in learning, ALL students will succeed.
Focusing on lifelong success traits such as empathy, self-regulation, problem solving and the growth mindset help us to build a strong foundation and educational experience that will positively impact ALL Pleasantville students for the rest of their lives. By partnering with our families and community, we will continue to be PAWsitively Positive now and in the future.
PLV Polar Bear Pledge
- WE Make Positive Choices
- WE Have a Positive Attitude
- WE Use Positive Work Habits
- WE Build Positive Relationships
- WE Are Positively Kind
School Supply Lists
Parents who wish to provide supplies for their child, please review the suggested PLV Student Supply List SY22-24
School Start & End Times
8:45 Doors Open (Arrival)
- Students will be considered late after 9:00 AM and will need to be signed in at the Main Office with Ms. Spadea, our Secretary. Parents will use a QR Code to sign students in late. Please bring your phone with you inside.
- Students may not be dropped off early to PLV, unless they are signed up for YMCA Before Care. There is no supervision of students on the front or side sidewalks.
3:35 Student Dismissal
- We will start the dismissal process inside the building at 3:30.
- Students will need to be signed out at the Main Office with Ms. Spadea for Early Dismissals PRIOR to 3:00.
NO CHANGES TO DISMISSAL AFTER 3:00!!
Pleasantville Student Schedules KN - 5th SY23 - 24 (see below)
PLV's Nemours Wellness Center
What's a school-based health center?
A school-based health center (SBHC) is a medical office located inside your child's school. Nurse practitioners and behavioral health therapists offer well-child visits, sick visits, vaccinations, and mental health care to students. Your child can get free, high-quality care, that's safe and convenient.
How much does a visit cost?
If your child doesn't have insurance, their care is free. If your child has insurance, the school-based health center will file a claim directly. (Note: No co-pay, co-insurance or deductible will be charged to you).
Who runs the SBHC?
Your child's school-based health center is a partnership between their school district, Nemours Children’s Health and the Delaware Division of Public Health. These three organizations work together to run the center.
Staff:
- Physical Health Practitioner - Natalie Kasper - Tuesday All Day; Thursday Afternoons
- Medical Assistant - Lorena - Tuesday All Day; Thursday Afternoons
- Behavioral Health - Janine Howell -Conkey - Wednesday and Friday
Enrollment:
- Online Enrollment: https://app.nemours.org/sbhc
- Paper Enrollment: Use this LINK or https://bit.ly/csdwellnessctr
PLV Family Handbook SY23-24
Nutrition
CSD Nutrition Services has guidelines for Parents and Students bringing outside food into school.
- Parents can send in a snack for their child only, but cannot send in snacks for the entire class. Students get free breakfast and lunch daily and Fresh Fruit & Vegetable 4 days a week.
- School Cafe is a simple way for parents to make school snack payments. Students are offered second meals and a la carte snacks at a small cost. Click the "Pre Payments" tab to set a student account.
- Colonial School Nutrition
- NO outside food coming from home to be used for classroom parties, celebrations, events and/or rewards for student behavior due to monitoring food allergies, reducing food safety concerns and consumption of excess calories during the school day to meet Smart Snack guidelines..
Car Riders
Cars may start to enter the Car Rider Lot at 3:00 (no earlier). Students have recess in that lot up til 3:00 each day.
Parents may not park in the front and come into the building at dismissal. Colonial buses unload and load students in the front of the building.
Pleasantville Elementary School
Governor's Desk Update
Governor Carney Signs House Bill 118 with Wilbur Elementary School Community
- Governor Carney joined Speaker Valerie Longhurst, Representative Kevin Hensley, students, teachers, and families at Wilbur Elementary School to sign House Bill 118. This piece of legislation, which prohibits smoking in vehicles in the presence of a minor, was brought to the General Assembly by Wilbur Elementary students and their teacher.
- Literacy is the foundation that each of our students and neighbors need for success. We encourage all Delawareans to take advantage of the many resources available in our state through Delaware's libraries and literacy organizations this month and every month.
All Delawareans can sign up for a free library card online or at their local library: lib.de.us
Children under five are eligible for free books delivered monthly from Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library: lib.de.us/imagination
- Opportunity Funding helps schools statewide better support our most vulnerable students. Governor Carney visited Mount Pleasant High School, Academia Antonia Alonso Charter School, Morris Early Childhood Center, and East Millsboro Elementary to see their progress in action. Because of Opportunity Funding, schools throughout Delaware have:
- Strengthened supports for multilingual learners
- Increased reading and math assistance programs to help students catch up
- Invested in social emotional learning and behavioral health programs and personnel