A message from the Superintendent
Weekly Communication
December 3, 2022
Greetings PV Families,
Welcome to the month of December and the fast approaching holiday season! During this season of giving, I am proud of the many ways Perkiomen Valley pays it forward. I'd like to give a shout-out to some of the individuals and groups that have stepped up in recent weeks in support of others in our community. These include, Zenon Janicki and the 40+ Thanksgiving meals he provided to community families, PV Power Packs (see information about their upcoming Holiday Shop below), Iron Bridge Charity Group, Middle School West and their annual Stuff a Bus activity, the Skippack Elementary School Food Drive and PV Education Foundation are a few who give in generous ways to our community. This quality of our PV community is special and very much appreciated. A sincere thank you to all who pay it forward in some way during the Season and at other times during the calendar year, #PVStrong!
Sincerely,
Dr. Barbara A. Russell
Superintendent
- Busing Update
- PV Showcase- December edition
- School Safety
- PVSD Safe Routes to School - Parent Survey
- Holiday Shop & PowerPacks
- Calendar Discussion
- Hall of Fame Nominations
FID Reminder
- Important District Dates
Busing Update
While there have been some improvements to our busing challenges, I recognize that there continue to be others that remain. The District continues to work collaboratively with STA to do what we can to support providing timely and safe transportation services to our students and families. I have heard from some that communication has improved and this is a good thing, and one of the most critical aspects of the situation. The STA director is working diligently to be certain families are contacted in a timely manner when their child's bus will be late. I recognize there have been errors in a few cases resulting in parents not being informed of a late bus or being informed incorrectly of the timing of a bus. This is a major focus area and we are working to avoid any errors in communication.
The bus company and its director are operating with too few staff and this past week, were also affected by illness sweeping through the depot. Much of the office staff are driving everyday to support meeting driver needs. As mentioned previously, there are several candidates moving through the training process to become CDL licensed and employed as bus drivers. If you are interested or know of someone who may be interested, please reach out to STA, https://stacareers.com/.
In recent days, parents have shared concerns with students not having seats on buses or sitting in the aisles. There is a limit to the number of students that can be assigned to a given bus and STA has not exceeded that limit. If your child has been denied a seat, please contact the school principal to discuss. Administration will review seating arrangements on buses and redirect as needed. There is a seat allocated for every student on every bus.
I am also aware of concerns related to the same buses being late with some frequency this year leading to students missing the same class, particularly at the secondary level. I plan to work with our principals on switching class periods around to avoid this, i.e., first period becomes the second period class and the second period class becomes the first period one, etc. Please know it can be difficult for the director to shift drivers around to different buses when drivers call out, because they are less familiar or are unfamiliar with the routes which can also slow things down. This is why this sometimes does not occur.
This industry is suffering currently and we continue to focus on providing the best transportation service possible under the circumstances. We will continue to focus on communication and getting it right for all families as well as recruiting and retaining drivers for all buses and vans. Thank you for your patience as we work through this challenge and thanks also to those of you who have reached out with suggestions or to inform us of an issue.
PV Showcase
Monthly publication of Activities & Happenings from across the district! Included the December edition: Photography Field Trip, Science Symposium, Viking Awards, Flame Tests...and more!
School Safety
School safety continues to be the District's #1 priority. I would like to inform you of some of the steps being taken to decrease the likelihood of an incident.
Over the course of the school year, staff review the Emergency Response Protocol pictured here. It is published by the I Love U Guys Foundation and has been the District's "go-to" reference for many years now. Hopefully, when you have been in any of our schools, you have noticed it on the wall in various places throughout the building.
Each month, our students practice an evacuation drill and also periodically practice the other response drills, Secure, Lockdown and Shelter, depicted on the protocol document. Several years ago, we also introduced the "Run, Hide Fight" approach which is intended to supplement the different emergency responses and be led by our staff based on specific circumstances of an incident.
In recent weeks, we have been introducing permanent security personnel at each of our district schools. As shared previously, each school will have its own dedicated PVSD security person to be a presence during the day. At the middle and high school levels, there will also be security presence during the afternoon and evening hours. The District will continue to supplement its security presence through contracted services for events and activities.
There are additional scan card readers being installed at access points across the district to permit entrance by employees, and an exterior door audit scheduled to be completed in January. All exterior doors are scheduled to be rekeyed.
Under the leadership of our Safety Supervisor, Mr. Dean Miller, dmiller@pvsd.org, we continue to consider best practices and all that we can do to keep our students, staff, and community safe. For additional information about safety and security, please click on this link to our website. Do not hesitate to reach out to Mr. Miller or me with any questions.
PVSD Safe Routes to School - Montgomery Planning Commission Study
The District is in the process of assessing the feasibility of students walking and biking to school. We have partnered with the Montgomery County Planning Commission to study the possibilities. In an effort to learn more from our families, we are asking that you reference this flyer and complete the brief survey included by the end of December.
Holiday Shop & Power Packs!
Perkiomen Valley School District is excited to once again support families in need this holiday season through the PV Power Packs Holiday Shop run by community volunteers.
The PV Power Packs Holiday Shop will be open on the following dates and times in the Evergreen Elementary School Library. Enter through the main doors at the front of the school.
Tuesday, 12/6: 5-8 pm
Wednesday, 12/7: 5-8 pm
Thursday, 12/8: 11 - 1:30
If you are a parent or guardian of a student in the Perkiomen Valley School District who is in need of assistance this holiday season, you can come during these times to shop for your student and any younger siblings. There is no financial documentation needed and we only ask that you share the name of the school where your child is enrolled. We will have extra volunteers in a separate room to supervise younger children if you are unable to get childcare.
If you have specific needs or are unable to come during these times, please email Sarah at PowerPacks@pvsd.org or reach out to your school principal or counselor.
If you’d like to donate, toys, gift cards, bath & body products for men & women, arts and crafts, adult sized hoodies and more are being collected to support the PV Power Packs Holiday Shop. You can check our Amazon Wish List at https://tinyurl.com/powerpackshsfor ideas.
Donations can be dropped off at any school through December 2nd and placed in the large cans that are located in the vestibule of each school’s main entrance or mailed directly to the shop at Power Packs Holiday Shop, c/o Evergreen Elementary, 98 Kagey Road, Collegeville, PA 19426. Monetary donations are accepted via check sent to PV Power Packs, 3 Iron Bridge Dr. Collegeville, 19426 or by PayPal at donations@pvsd.org with Power Packs in the memo line. We thank you in advance for your generosity this holiday season.
Visit our website to learn more, Power Packs, and follow us on Facebook @PVPowerPacks.
Calendar Discussion
On Thursday, December 1st, the Communications Committee met for one of its regular meetings. As part of the agenda, the group discussed the instructional calendar for the 2023-24 school year. The aspects that were focused on included holidays, professional development schedules, and beginning and end of year dates. The committee recommended a community survey to invite feedback on the calendar for next year. Look for a link to this survey in coming weeks and have your voice heard about next year's school calendar.
PV Hall of Fame
We look forward to our next Hall of Fame Induction in the Fall of 2023! Nominations are open now through March 31, 2023. Visit our Hall of Fame website to learn more and to access the nomination form. Reach out to Mr. Steve Willis (swillis@pvsd.org) with questions.
FIDs (Flexible Instructional Days) - Traditional and Virtual “Snow” Days
As the weather begins to turn, I thought it best to remind everyone about the possibility of FIDs (Flexible Instructional Days) in response to inclement weather. After utilizing all three (3) built-in inclement weather days, the District may implement a FID to provide virtual instruction to students. FIDs assist schools in meeting the required 180 student days while avoiding the need to extend the instructional calendar year. PA Schools may use up to five (5) FIDs per school year.
Learn more on our website.
Upcoming District Dates
- Friday, December 2 - Trimester 1 Ends (elementary level)
- Monday, December 5 - Board Reorganization and Work Session Meetings @ 7:00pm
- Wednesday, December 7, Wellness Committee @ 3:45pm
- Thursday, December 8, Assessment Committee @ 3:45pm
- Monday, December 12 - Elementary report cards available in ParentVUE @ noon
- Monday, December 12 - Board Business Meeting @ 7:00pm
22-23 v8 12/3/2022
www.pvsd.org/about/superintendent
Perkiomen Valley School District
3 Iron Bridge Drive, Collegeville, PA
(610) 489-8506
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