Pearl S. Buck Elementary
December 7, 2018
Upcoming Dates
School Closed:
December 24, 2018-January 1, 2019 - Winter Break
January 17, 2019 - Martin Luther King Day
Upcoming Events:
December 13th - PTO meeting. 9:30 AM
December 13th - Music concert at Maple Point Middle School. 7:00 PM.
Every Friday! Buck Spirit Days. Wear your Pearl Buck spirit shirt, or red and blue.
~ "The Neshaminy community builds futures by empowering each child to become a productive citizen and a lifelong learner." ~
December Concert Information
December Concert Information for Performers and Families:
Q: When/where is the concert?
A: The Pearl Buck Holiday chorus and orchestra concert will be held on Thursday, December 13th, at the Maple Point Auditorium from 7:00 PM to approximately 8:00 PM. We will present the program to the school during the day on the same date.
Q: Where should students go when they arrive?
A: Students who are only in chorus* report to the cafeteria between 6:45 and 7:00 PM.
(Please do not bring students to cafeteria earlier than 6:45 as no one will be there to supervise them before that time).
(* orchestra members report to Mrs. Kirsch in the band room by 6:15. If they are also in chorus they will join the chorus on the risers following the orchestra’s performance.
Parents, please keep orchestra member’s coats with you, there is no room for them in the band room.
Q: What should performers wear for the evening concert?
~ BOYS: black pants and white shirt (NO TIE); black shoes or sneakers
~GIRLS: : black pants OR skirt; plain white top
No "spaghetti strap” tops (shoulders and bellies are covered), no “flipflops”, backless sandals or high heels (for safety on risers); skirts are at least “fingertip” length.
What should students wear for the daytime concert?
We ask that students dress appropriately for music performance in “nice” school clothes. Please avoid gym shorts, sweatpants, sports logo T-shirts and sports jerseys. Jeans and sneakers are fine.
It is extremely important that students are present for the evening concert. They have learned the music as a group and depend on each other for the best performance. Please contact me at bkern@neshaminy.org if you know in advance of a conflict or if you have any questions.
Thank you for your continued support of our music program, and we look forward to seeing you at the concert!
Giving Tree
Diversity Display
Pearl S. Buck Elementary has chosen to use our front lobby showcase to display “artifacts” from the different cultures represented within our building. For the past month, our staff has brought in pieces such as pottery, mini-sculptures, photos, art, and dolls to represent the parts of our heritage to which we most connect.
We would like to turn the showcase over to our Pearl Buck families for the rest of the year so that we can celebrate the various cultures within the Buck community. We have enough room to represent up to 8 families/cultures per month. If you would be interested in contributing to the display, please sign up below under the month that works best for you. Please write in the name of your child(ren) and the culture you will be representing. If possible, try to sign up among cultures different from your own. Items loaned for display will be locked behind glass doors and handled with care. However, accidents can happen. Please understand that all items loaned for the display are done so at your own risk. Heirloom or sentimental items may be best shared via a photo display - which we can print if you email photos to Mrs. McGuigan.
Mrs. McGuigan is coordinating the display. You can contact her at kmcguigan@neshaminy.org with any questions, or to arrange a time to deliver items.
We hope you'll consider supporting our display throughout the year!
A Word from Our Reading Specialist
Mrs. Buttari initiated a new intervention program this year called Read Naturally Live. It is a computer based program which addresses fluency, rate, accuracy, pace, and expression as well as comprehension. Many of our third grade students are engaged reading these non-fiction passages during Power Hour. The students are eager and self-motivated to read and increase their own reading rate. So far it has been a great addition to our reading intervention list!
Science Fair 2019
Attention 3rd and 4th graders! If you are interested in participating in this year's Science Fair, go to the Science Fair link and find all of the information you'll need to participate. If you have any questions, please feel free to email Mr. Kern at bkern@neshaminy.org, or catch him during school. Participation is optional. However, don't be shy! We had nearly 100 projects presented at last year's fair. This year’s fair is scheduled for Thursday, February 28th, 2019, 6:30-7:30. Links are also available on the Pearl Buck website. The top 6 projects will be invited to present at the Neshaminy STEAM EXPO on May 7th, 2019, at Neshaminy High School.
Volunteer Clearances
PTO Board Member Maureen Krom if offering free notary services for any Buck parent who may need to have volunteer forms notarized. You can contact Mrs. Krom at maureen_krom@comcast.net.
Be Allergy Aware!
Due to varied allergy and dietary needs, please contact your child's teacher before sending in food or other items intended to be distributed to students in a classroom (e.g. birthday celebrations, class parties). Students should not share food at any time during school - even with a close friend. A seemingly harmless food item may unexpectedly contain allergens, or interact with other medical conditions. Depending on the health needs within a classroom, teachers may choose to avoid food-oriented experiences altogether. Please consider non-food treats as an alternative. Speak directly with your child's teacher. Do not send in any items until the teacher has responded and confirmed the appropriateness of your request. Thanks!
Did you know?....
- The name December comes from the Latin decem for “ten”, as it was the 10th month in the Roman Calendar.
- The term Yuletide comes from a Norse tradition of cutting and burning a tree to bring in the Winter Solstice. This was to last through 12 days – later known as the 12 days of Christmas.
- December 28th is considered by some to be the unluckiest day of the year.
- Spiders and spider webs are considered good luck on Christmas.
- “Jingle bells” was composed in 1857, and not for Christmas – it was meant to be a Thanksgiving song!
Source: https://www.kaplaninternational.com/blog/top-12-facts-about-december