Dragon Blast
Mary C. Howse Elementary School
From the Principal
Dear MCH Parents:
Now that we are over a month into the school year, the "honeymoon" period is over. What this means is that typically this is where we may see changes with our students - they may experience frustration, become agitated easier, cry, have more mood swings, develop conflict with peers, etc. This is all normal - do not panic right away. If it is serious, let us know right away. If it is ongoing, let us know right away. It takes a balance and you know your child best. Be supportive and a good listener, but be careful not to overreact. This can cause them to be even more stressed or make a small situation bigger. Most of the time, these kids will surprise us and work it out themselves. All emotions are necessary - happy, sad, anxious, fear, etc. - it is how we cope with them and that comes with how we model it for our kids. Please watch the video portion of our newsletter as we get into our wonderful 1st grade classrooms! - Dr. Cat
Announcements and Reminders
- Pretzel Days—Every Friday!
- Box Tops Due-October 20th
- Book Fair-October 23-26th
- Haunted Howse Ball October 27th
LIBRARY NEWS
Are you a good Digital Citizen?
During the past two weeks, students in the library have been learning about Digital Citizenship. Classes have been discussing ways to be safe on line, to keep personal information private, to keep from plagiarizing others’ work and how to cite sources. In the digital age, these skills are vital for our students. Please take time to discuss digital citizenship with your students to make sure they are safe on line. I have included a Family Media Agreement for you to use to facilitate this conversation. In the real world and the on-line world, we want our students to demonstrate respect, responsibility and safety!
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me via email at Cchaborek@wcasd.net .
Mrs. Chaborek
MCH Librarian
FAMILY MEDIA AGREEMENT
POSITIVE PRAISE
Good Morning Ms. Forbes,
Just wanted to share:) My daughter mentioned the quotes you are working on in class. Last night she had gymnastics and she was asked to do 3 pull ups and see if she could climb to the top of one of the ropes. She was so cute telling us how half way through both tasks she wanted to stop because she didn't think she could do it, but then she remembered the quotes and it helped her push her way through to keep trying and completed both of them. She was so excited!!
Thank you for sharing such wonderful pieces of motivation that the kids can truly relate to and apply in and outside of school!
Third grade is helping to plant and harvest food for the Salvation Army in WC. We have donated over 30 lbs of squash so far this year and our lettuce and turnips are growing well. :-)
Contact and Additional Information
Email: scatrambone@wcasd.net
Website: http://www.edline.net/pages/mary_c__howse_elementary_schoo
Location: 641 West Boot Road, West Chester, PA, United States
Phone: 484-266-1302
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mchpto/
Twitter: @SteveCat19
Nurse's News
Great start to the 2017/18 school year. Many new rules in place for this school year regarding physicals, dentals and immunizations.
The deadline for physicals and dentals is OCTOBER 27th. Dental exams are required of children first entering kindergarten or 1st grade, 3rd grade. Proof of dental examination, or permission for a school dental exam are required 60 days from school entry.
Physical exams are required of children entering kindergarten and or 1st grade and students transferring from out of state. Proof of examination or permission for school exam is due within 60 days of starting the current school year.
Please get these forms in as soon as possible.
Immunization regulations – PA law mandates that every child K-12 be immunized on the 1st day of school.
Susan Downing CSN
Westtown Thornbury – Monday-Tuesday
484-266-1806
Mary C. Howse – Wed-Friday
484-266-1306
OUR NEW OUTDOOR CLASSROOM!
Folks: The outdoor classroom pictured below is truly a wonderful thing and so incredibly well done by Jay Vasile and his brother-in-law. Jay is the husband of our PTO co-president, Ang Vasile.
Our teachers are taking full advantage of this space – between this and our courtyard we have some unique outdoor learning experiences for our students.
Our PTO has been very supportive of our requests for help in creating these amazing spaces. Thank you parents for your support of the PTO!!! And thank you PTO, for the outdoor classrooms!
From the Kitchen
Kathy Finch has received a promotion. She is now the kitchen manager at Stetson Middle school. The new person in the kitchen is Tracy Dwyer. Stop in and say hello.
Kathy Finch
Mary C Howse Elementary School
Cafe' Manager
484-266-1380
Parent Portal
Use the link below to access the parent portal page:
http://home.wcasd.net/pages/West_Chester_Area_SD/ForParents/Parent_Portal
On the page, there is written documentation (English and Spanish,) as well as videos (English only) that walk parents through how to set up your parent portal account, how to access grades and set alerts, how to view the online report card, how to check attendance, etc. There is even an app for your phone if you prefer.
Please call the office for your child’s user name and password if you do not have the information that was provided to you at the beginning of the school year.
SCHOOL DISTRICT WELLNESS POLICY
9/7/2017 BoardDocs® PL
http://www.boarddocs.com/pa/wche/Board.nsf/Public# 5/6
a. School/Classroom parties/celebrations with food/beverages shall be limited to no more than
three (3) per school year. At each event at least one fruit and vegetable will be offered.
There is a maximum of one sweet or salty snack that will be offered. All packaged foods
must be labeled with the ingredients and nutritional information.
b. Parents/Guardians shall be informed through newsletters or other efficient communication
methods that foods/beverages should only be brought in when requested for scheduled
parties/celebrations.
3. Shared Classroom Snacks:
a. Shared classroom snacks are not permitted in district schools except if it is part of the
curriculum as stated in #1 above.
The district shall provide a list of suggested nonfood ideas and healthy food and beverage alternatives
to parents/guardians and staff, which may be posted via the district website, student handbook,
newsletters, posted notices and/or other efficient communication methods.
Marketing/Contracting
Any foods and beverages marketed or promoted to students on the school campus during the school
day shall meet or exceed the established federal nutrition standards (USDA Smart Snacks in School)
and comply with established Board policies
Full policy guidelines can be found on the West Chester Area School District website.
Parent Resources
Community Bulletin Board:
For activities offered around West Chester, see:
http://home.wcasd.net/pages/West_Chester_Area_SD/Community_Bulletin_Board/Other
Articles to consider:
As a parent, I enjoyed this one as I tend to “over parent” sometimes - http://www.npr.org/sections/ed/2015/08/28/434350484/how-schools-are-handling-an-overparenting-crisis
The effects of standardized testing - http://www.cincinnati.com/story/news/2016/08/08/standardized-testing-hits-nerve/88301982/
Purpose of Homework: https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/teen-angst/201411/what-s-the-purpose-homework
Our Mary C. Howse School Pledge
I pledge
To be the best that I can be
Respect myself and others
Make safe choices
And take responsibility
For my learning and behavior