GVES Weekly Announcements
May 15, 2020
Principals' Message
Happy Friday GVES families!
This week was a busy one! Teachers closed out their classrooms on Monday and Tuesday. Students traveled beyond the GV boundaries on virtual field trips and adventures. Today, paraprofessionals packed student bags and began staging the cafeteria for family pick up on June 8th and 9th. More information on the logistics of these days is located below. Thank you to our whole school community for supporting our HSA who provided our staff with Ramano’s Stromboli as a take home dinner and Cake A Difference cupcakes as part of Staff Appreciation Week. We hope you enjoy the glorious weather this weekend!
Warm regards,
Mrs. Jones & Mrs. Conley
GVES FRIDAY LOOM
GVES Student Belonging Pick Up
Over the next couple of weeks, our staff will organize all of your child’s belongings and place them in bags for pick up. The items will be ready to be picked up on Monday, June 8th or Tuesday, June 9th. In order to keep everyone safe and have our pickup process run as smoothly as possible, we ask that you please follow the processes and schedule outlined below.
Prior to arriving at GVES, please write your child’s name and his/her homeroom teacher’s name on a piece of paper. Place your district-issued iPad, any borrowed books/textbooks/items from classrooms or the library in your trunk.
Enter GVES via Station Rd. and stay to your right like you are proceeding into carline.
As you approach our cafeteria doors display the paper with your child’s name.
When you pull up, pop your trunk and a GVES staff member will retrieve any returned items and place your child’s belongings in your trunk.
Additionally, we ask that you follow the schedule below and choose the day that works best for your schedule. If you have more than one student in our building we will happily provide both students’ materials at the same time.
June 8th
9-11 3rd Grade
11-1 4th Grade
1-3 5th Grade
June 9th
9-11 3rd Grade
11-1 4th Grade
1-3 5th Grade
Nurse's Office Update
I hope this note finds you and your family doing well--staying healthy and safe.
As you know, staff were in this week doing room clean-out and gathering of students' items. In the Nurse's Office--we are doing the same thing.
If your child has an epipen or inhaler for allergy or asthma conditions--these will be included in their homeroom bag for pick-up in June. I've also included any OTC medications for this distribution method. Parents of students who have specific medications will be contacted individually.
Dental Exam: If you received a letter stating that we do not have a dental exam on file for your student--please take time to fulfill this requirement when DR's offices are up to normal operations. For those of you that submitted permission for the school Dentist to examine your child--this will NOT occur under the current circumstances--so please plan to have your child seen by your family dentist. If needed--these forms can be found on the GV website.
Physical Exam: ALL 5th grade students will need a current physician's exam for entering 6th grade. If you have already submitted this form to me--it has been recorded in your child's health file.
If you received a letter stating that we need a physical exam on file--please have this done at your earliest convenience and send it via the SNAP portal or mail.
As always--if you should have any questions or concerns, please contact me at:
Lastly, THANK YOU to the many students who wrote in to wish me a Happy School Nurse's day on Wed. It brought much joy to my heart!
Take care and thanks for your attention to these health concerns..
Lin Wesolowski
GVES School Nurse
CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR ATOD POSTER CONTEST WINNERS!
1st Place Grades 3-5: Jerry Ke Grade 5
2nd Place Grades 3-5: Karlee Dwyer Grade 5
Congratulation on a job well don!
3rd grade - band & orchestra information
Elementary iPad Program for 2020-2021 School Year
All K-5 students will receive an iPad this summer to use at school and at home. In order for your child to receive his/her iPad, a parent/guardian must sign off on Garnet Valley’s Acceptable Use Policy, iPad Care, and decide if they would like to purchase insurance for the device. All parents must complete this process for their child to receive an iPad.
There is NO charge for this iPad. However, if parents would like to purchase insurance for accidental damages, they can now do so. So that we can offer families the lowest possible rate, Garnet Valley has partnered with Edvative, an educational non-profit, to assist with this program.
This program is optional and offered to Garnet Valley families who want the peace of mind of having their child’s iPad insured for accidental damages for the 2020-2021 school year.
END OF YEAR RESIDENCY CHANGES AND STUDENT WITHDRAWS
Please contact Kim Smith at smithk@garnetvalley.org if any of the circumstances below apply to your family so that you can be sent the appropriate paperwork and instructions.
1. You have moved/are planning to move within the District before the start of the 20/21 school year. Note: ALL change of address paperwork requires 2 proofs of residence.
2.You are planning to withdraw your student from GVES at the end of the 19/20 school year.
Field Trip $ REFUNDS
5th grade promotion
Dear 5th Grade Families,
Save the date! We would like to invite all 5th grade families to attend the 5th Grade Promotion Assembly via webinar on Wednesday, June 3, 2020, at 1:00 p.m. as we recognize students for their accomplishments and wish them well as they officially become the class of 2027.
A link to access the assembly will be shared through alma a day prior to the event. All certificates will be emailed home after the assembly.
We look forward to sharing this event with our students, families, and staff.
HSA Update
YEARBOOK:
YEARBOOK ORDERING CLOSES MAY 15. Simply visit www.barksdalephoto.com. Use order code 08050YB. Since school grounds are closed all yearbooks must be shipped to home. See attached flyer for more information.
BOXTOPS:
Just a reminder that our school still collects Box Tops to earn cash for our school! Going forward, there is a new state of the art way to submit your Box Tops. Simply download the Box Tops for Education App on your smart phone, select Garnet Valley Elementary School, and scan your receipts! The GVE HSA thanks you for your support!
CALLING ALL VOLUNTEERS:
The HSA is getting ready for an exciting 2020-2021 school year and we need your help. Please fill out the attached google form to indicate your volunteer preferences for next year.
School News
ELEMENTARY GRADES - MOVING FORWARD
Message from Dr. Bertrando 5/8/20
CURRENT SCHEDULE FOR ON-LINE LEARNING
Click the Seesaw or Schoology image to check for service interruptions
Tech Support Link
Garnet Valley CTC Quick Tip #35 – Covid-19 and Mental Health
Did you know? May is National Mental Health Awareness Month. We can see high levels of mental health in Garnet Valley secondary students by viewing the 2017 PAYS results. A clear majority, 77% of students in 6th, 8th, 10th, and 12th grades did not report being depressed most days versus the 23% who did and 84% of students felt that their lives are worthwhile as opposed to the 16% who did not. How might the pandemic affect our students’ level of mental health? The Mayo Clinic cites the following, “During any rapidly changing situation, loss of daily routine, isolation and uncertainty can lead to anxiety, fear, depression and loneliness. Information overload, rumors and misinformation can make you feel out of control and make it unclear what to do. When you feel this way, your kids may feel it too — and they often sense the way you're feeling.”
Call to action… Parent/caregivers have always led the way as we have emerged from difficult times with resilience. The Mayo Clinic recommends the following when you speak with your children, “Listen and answer their questions with facts in a way that they can understand. If you don't know the answer to a question, be honest. Let them know that there are a lot of rumors and false information and that you'll help them learn the facts. If it's appropriate for their age, you can show them how to search for the answer on a reliable website. Frequently talk with your kids to see how they're coping and offer them regular updates as more is learned about COVID-19 and the precautions families should take. Encourage them to express their feelings, letting them know that it's ok to be upset. Also encourage them to come to you with any new questions. This builds trust.” See the links below for more information.
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/coronavirus/in-depth/kids-covid-19/art-20482508
https://www.childrensmentalhealthmatters.org/files/2020/03/Calm-your-childs-coronavirus-fears.pdf
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/daily-life-coping/talking-with-children.html
ATTENDANCE DURING ONLINE LEARNING - UPDATE
Attendance will be reported on a weekly basis. A student in grades K-5 will be considered present when a completed parental verification of attendance is received. The form will be emailed on Mondays following the week of instruction.
If you do not complete the attendance form by Wednesday you will receive a reminder email from Mrs. Centone or Mrs. Smith with the form attached again. If you would like to verify your child's attendance it will be current/accurate on ALMA Thursday of each week.
Our secretary Mrs. Centone will keep track of attendance. If you have any questions, please email her for clarification. tcentone@garnetvalley.org
LINK TO GVSD CORONAVIRUS WEBPAGE
PARENT PORTAL
Garnet Valley Elementary School
"A Caring Community of Learners"
Est. 1997
The mission of our learning community is to maximize the potential of all students by empowering them to do their personal best.
Website: gves.garnetvalleyschools.com
Location: 599 Smithbridge Rd
Phone: (610) 579-4150
Facebook: facebook.com/GarnetValleyES
Twitter: @GarnetValleyES