Bethel Springs Elementary School
Summer Update August 3, 2019
Please pardon this brief interruption of summer! We want to share some updates and information to help get our BSES families ready for the school year. Enjoy these last few weeks of summer vacation! See you soon!
Open House Wednesday, August 28th 12:30-2:30
First Day of School: Tuesday, September 3rd
Back to School Nights: Sept. 4th (Grades 1 & 2); Sept. 5th (Grades 3, 4, 5) 7:00-8:00 PM
Parent Summer Checklist
Click the link below for helpful information to prepare for the school year:
https://sites.google.com/garnetvalley.org/parent-summer-checklist/homeParent Portal
https://www.garnetvalleyschools.com/district_offices/technology_department/Staff%20Portal
New Parent Health Portal
Last school year the district used the FamilyID system for all emergency cards and forms to help streamline the summer process for our parent community. While the feedback from our parents was positive, FamilyID did not meet the needs of our school nurses. Starting this coming school year (2019-2020), Garnet Valley will give our parents and guardians direct access to our district’s health portal (SNAP) which will provide the most secure, convenient, and real-time view of your child’s school health record.
(The FamilyID system is not going away entirely as it will still be used by our athletic department to collect sports physicals.)
Benefits of the SNAP Parent Health Portal
With a secure login and encrypted data transfer, parents can safely access their child’s health information from any computer or mobile device to:
Update Critical Health Information
Electronically Sign & Submit Forms
Review Screening Results
Upload Medical Forms
Authorize OTC Orders
Monitor Health Clinic Visits
Additionally, automatic email notifications immediately alert parents when new information is available, medication refills are needed, immunization status becomes non-compliant, or forms need to be signed. Through a built-in messaging system, parents can communicate directly with the school nursing staff.
From within the SNAP Health Center, our school nurses are immediately notified when any changes are made by parents. New information is flagged to make sure it doesn’t go unnoticed and critical changes must be acknowledged. Nurses also can view a log of recent parent activity.
All parents and legal guardians who have an email address in Alma will be receiving their secured login credentials in a few weeks. The email will come from noreply@studentehr.comand look similar to the screenshot below.
If anyone has an issue accessing their child’s health records or has difficulty with technology, there will be a parent night on Tuesday, July 30, 2019, to help troubleshoot any issues.
School Day Times
Arrival Times
8:25AM - Car line drop off begins, breakfast begins8:40AM - Students report to homerooms (was 8:45 last year)
8:50AM - Car line ends
8:55AM - Students not in homeroom will be marked absent
Dismissal Times
2:50 - Office pick up ends
3:05 - Announcements start, students dismissed to car line, buses begin being called
3:15 - Dismissal ends
School Lunch Information
Children need healthy meals to learn. Garnet Valley SD offers healthy meals every school day. Costs are as follows: Breakfast at all schools is $1.70; lunch is $2.75 in the Elementary Schools, $2.95 at the Middle School and $3.10 at the HS. Your child(ren)may qualify for free meals or for reduced price meals. Reduced price is .30 for breakfast and .40 for lunch. You are encouraged to complete an online application instead of a paper application if you are able. The online application has the same requirements and will ask you for the same information as the paper application.
Visit www.schoolcafe.com for an online free and reduced application or use the link below.
Free and Reduced Lunch Application
Library Makeover!
Residency Changes
5O Days of Summer Reading!
Summer is the perfect time for reading!
https://sites.google.com/garnetvalley.org/gvsdsummerworkforstudents/elementary-summer-assignments
Turn in your "50 Days of Summer Reading" form and you will be entered into the drawing for the prize basket shown in the picture below. The basket contains:
- A Kindle Fire 10 with headphones
- a $50 Amazon gift card
- Big Boggle
- Chess and Checkers Travel Set
- Kanoodle
- Rubik's Cube
Good luck and happy reading!
Art and Literature Fling 2019-2020
Each year BSES engages in the school-wide study of a country to promote cultural awareness and a more global perspective among our students. Each student engages in an art project and a brief research project that culminates in the Art and Literature Fling Exhibit held at the end of May. Every student has his/her work displayed at the Art and Literature Fling. Throughout the year we integrate opportunities for learning about the given country in the homeroom, in others of our special area classes, and through school-wide announcements and activities.
This year we are trying something a little different. Each grade level was assigned an area of the world and teachers chose a country in that area to study. Students will engage in learning about the country chosen for their grade level and will share their learning with the rest of the school. In this way, students will learn about 5 different countries and cultures! Our 4th grade has chosen to focus on the United States with the thought that exploring your own country more deeply is, of course, very important and it gives a foundation for exploring and understanding other countries and cultures.
We are always interested in having parents who have knowledge of and experience with a given country share information with us. Simply contact Mr. Piasecki (piasecs@garnetvalley.org) and he will connect you with the appropriate grade level leader.
Below are the countries chosen by each grade level:
School Supply Lists for 2019-2020
If you ordered a kit, your child's supplies will be delivered to his/her classroom at the start of school.
We thank all of our parents for helping their children to have the supplies they need to engage in learning!
Grade 1
Grade 2
Grade 3
Grade 4
Grade 5
VEFLS Registration Information
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0By96mv0gfmC-TllUbTdvaU9COEJoaFFIeklSQUNJMmxEclNr/view?usp=sharing
Water Safety Classes
Students in grades 2 and 4 will no longer participate in water safety classes conducted by YMCA staff as part of their instructional program. This decision was made in an effort to restore lost instructional time in the classroom. Parents can access local facilities that provide water safety and swimming instruction to children. The YMCA, for example, provides a free water safety program each year. Information is available at: https://philaymca.org/programs/aquatics/safetyaroundwater/.
Thank you for your support.
GV Elementary Administrators
Study Skills Has a New Name!
Study Skills will now be known as Book Smarts! We will be updating schedules to reflect this exciting change.
Volunteer Clearance Information
Legislation in Pennsylvania requires community members and parents to obtain clearances in order to volunteer in our schools. If you have previously submitted your clearances to the Human Resources office, they are good for five (5) years from the date of the clearance.
Governor Wolf has waived the fees associated with the Pennsylvania State Police—Criminal Background Check and the Child Abuse History Clearance. Since the FBI clearance is a federal program, those costs still remain; however, the district has decided to permit individuals who have resided in Pennsylvania continuously for ten years or more to sign a certification form that saves the volunteer the expense of the fee, ensures compliance with the law, and allows the district to maximize student safety.