Deibler Dispatch
January 2019
S.T.A.R.S. - Smart, Thoughtful, and Responsible Students
Spirit Day/Student Council Service Project
In conjunction with our Student Council Service Project for January, our Spirit Day will be in support of our troops. Students are encouraged to wear earth tones or camouflage clothing on Tuesday, January 15th.
Once again, the Student Council has decided to help the “Good To Go” organization by hosting “January Jerky Time”. From January 7th through January 18th, we will be collecting beef jerky (no pork products accepted) in packages of 3oz. or less, for our troops stationed overseas.
Beef jerky is one of the most requested items by the troops. It is high in protein and convenient to take out on missions.
Please consider donating this item to the men and women who serve in our troops overseas. Thank you!
Egg Cartons Needed
Second Marking Period
The end of the second marking period is Friday, January 25th. Progress Reports will be distributed on February 12th.
Giving Tree Update
A HUGE thank you to all who helped out by buying a gift for our Deibler Giving Tree! It was a huge success. We were able to help several families at Deibler and Grasse Elementary to have a wonderful holiday celebration – they felt very blessed by your generosity and caring. I look forward to offering this opportunity again next year! Have a safe and happy 2019! Mrs. Alderfer, School Counselor.
2019 Kindergarten Registration
The Pennridge School District is currently in the process of planning Kindergarten registration for the 2019-2020 school year. Information will be posted on the district website (Pennridge.org) the week of February 11th for any resident with a child who will reach the age of 5 on or before August 31, 2019. If you or someone you know has a child that meets the age requirement, please direct them to the district website to complete the online registration process. Once the online process is submitted and you receive confirmation, you will be given a phone number to call to arrange an appointment to complete the registration process.
Holiday Sing Off Contest
This year we had 4 teams participate in a Holiday Sing-Off Contest. Each randomly selected team recorded two randomly selected songs, which were recorded and then posted on Deibler’s website. The songs were also played at least once during the morning announcements. Our Deibler Dolphins were encouraged to vote for the team they felt sang the best song by placing a toy in that team’s box. The results are in!
In third place with a total collection of 40 toys, singing Jingle Bell Rock and I want a Hippopotamus for Christmas, was St. Nick and the Belles-Mr. Hill, Mrs. Ronald, Mrs. Rodowicz, Ms. Williamson, Mrs. Frey and Mrs. Plourde
In second place with a total collection of 62 toys singing Nuttin’ For Christmas and Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, was Buddy’s Back Up Singers. Ms. Chelbus, Miss Kelly, Mrs. Mahaney, Mrs. Gray and Mrs. Stanziola!
And the first place winner with a total of 177 toys, singing The Grinch and Santa Claus is Coming To Town was The Rockin’ Reindeer team of Mrs. Balant, Mrs. Weir, Mrs. Myers, Mrs. Granite, Mrs. Philip and Mrs. Love!
Honorable Mention to Splash a.k.a. Fab-Yule-Us for the lively renditions of Jingle Bells and Deck the Halls!
Thank you to everyone who participated in this very worthy event!
Congratulations - Gingerbread House
Congratulations to Jaydyn Amodei whose Gingerbread House took first place at this year’s Holiday Shop. Great job, Jaydyn!
Giant A+ Rewards Program
Thank you to everyone who has signed up to participate in the Giant Food Stores A+ Rewards Program. As of today we have 293 bonus cards designated for our school. If you haven’t already registered your bonus card and would now like to, please log on to https://giantfoodstores.com/member-benefits/ and create an account. Once you sign in you will need to enter your bonus card number and our school code 23542. Then click on the “Designate School” button to complete the registration. There were concerns that registering your Bonus Card would take away points for gas and other incentives/offers. We contacted Giant and this Rewards Program is completely separate from those points and benefits. You will NOT lose any points towards those things. The reward program will run through Thursday, March 16, 2019. Deibler will earn cash every time you use your bonus card. If you have any questions, please call the school office. Thank you for participating in this wonderful opportunity to earn cash for our school!
Pasta for Pennies
Again this year, Deibler Elementary School is proud to join hundreds of schools statewide to support the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s Pasta for Pennies Program which benefits children throughout Eastern Pennsylvania. This is a national program where children work together to help other children who are battling this deadly disease. The collection will begin on Monday, February 4th and will conclude on Friday, February 22nd. During these dates, students are encouraged to bring in spare change: pennies, nickels, dimes and quarters. We will even take dollars! Students may use their collection boxes to collect their donations and bring them to school. There are collection banks in every classroom. The class who collects the most money will win a Hospitaliano Luncheon party at the Olive Garden! Our Student Council appreciates your support.
Change of Dismissal Routine
If you are planning on changing your child’s pick-up routine, please send in a note. Remember, if your child is being picked up by a friend’s parent, we need a note from BOTH parties; you, the parent, and the parent picking them up. If you are unable to send in a note due to an unexpected change of plans, please call by 3:00 PM. Dismissal is a very busy time of day and we want to assure all students take the appropriate transportation home.
Court Documents
Please make sure that the school has a copy of any court documents regarding child custody and related matters. We must assume that both parents have equal access to their children, and by law we must release students to either parent unless we have court papers that state otherwise. Thank you!
Toy Drive
Once again this year, Deibler Elementary collected toys for Pennridge FISH. Our Student Council Advisor and Officers presented over 350 toys to representatives of Pennridge FISH. All of the toys were donated by our very generous Deibler community for distribution to families in need here in Pennridge. The FISH Organization was very appreciative of the strong support and generosity of all who participated. Thank you to everyone who helped to make this such a success!
Family Fun Dance
The Student Council, with help from our wonderful PTO, is hosting our annual Family Fun Dance on Friday, February 8th from 7-9. Admission (children and adults) is $4.00 a ticket. There will be plenty of fun and a few surprises, so come on out and have fun with the family. All of our proceeds will benefit Student Council activities. Space is limited, and this is a very popular event so be sure to get your ticket order in by February 1st. Tickets are sold on a first come, first served basis. Children must be accompanied by an adult. A notice with a ticket order form at the bottom will be sent home on Tuesday, January 15th.
Dressing for the Weather
Please make sure that your child comes to school dressed to match current weather conditions. Our nurse is unable to provide jackets or sweatshirts to those who have forgotten them. Unless temperatures are in the teens, it is raining steadily, or there is a severe wind-chill factor, students do go out for recess to get some fresh air, take a break, and run off energy. Also, please understand that we cannot accommodate requests for students to stay in the classroom during recess. Classroom teachers supervise recess on a rotating basis, so the teacher may have recess duty on that particular day. If the teacher doesn’t have duty, there is no guarantee that he/she will be in the classroom during recess, since that time is often reserved for returning phone calls, making photocopies, or attending scheduled meetings. If you are concerned about limiting your child’s activity level, please remind him/her that he/she can still enjoy outside recess by sitting at a picnic table or on a swing, or by walking around and socializing with friends.
School Attendance Law
Please be aware that the Pennridge School District enforces the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania’s School Attendance Law. The law states: “A maximum of ten days of cumulative lawful absences verified by parental notification may be permitted during a school year. All absences beyond ten cumulative days should require an excuse from a physician.” The law clearly states no student may be absent from school more than ten cumulative days without a written doctor’s excuse including pre-arranged/approved educational trips or family vacations.
UNLAWFUL ABSENCES – An absence is considered cumulative and unlawful if we do not receive a phone call, email or written excuse with a reason within 3 days of your child’s return to school. To notify the office of an absence, you may contact Mrs. Keeler at 215-453-2765, extension 541003; by email at pkeeler@pennridge.org or by sending in a note to your child’s classroom teacher. Thank you for your cooperation.
Counselor's Corner - Sondi Alderfer, M.A., School Counselor
Coming back after a fun-filled winter break is often difficult for children, but attendance is so important for your child(ren)’s success. Here’s why, along with some tips for improving attendance.
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Research shows that children who are in school most of the time do better on state tests. Studies also show that kids who are absent more often score lower on state tests.
Being late for school hurts a child’s learning, too. A student who is 10 minutes late every day will miss 30 hours of instruction during the year.
Children can copy notes or make up an assignment, but they can never get back what’s most important: the discussions, the questions, the explanations by the teacher, and the thinking that makes learning come alive.
Your child’s success in school depends on having a solid educational background – one that can only be gained through regular school attendance.
Here’s how you can improve your child’s school attendance:
- Talk with your child about the importance of attending school regularly
- Avoid scheduling family trips or doctor appointments during school hours
- Make sure your child stays healthy by eating nutritious food and getting enough sleep and exercise
- Don’t accept excuses for why your child “must” miss or be late for school
- Discuss with your child what happened at school each day
- Support school rules and consequences for skipping school or being tardy
- Show your child why education is important. Give specific examples of how education helps people succeed.
- Lead by example – if children see parents taking off work for no real reason, they may expect to be able to do the same thing
Research shows that attendance is the single most important factor in school success.
Source: The Parent Institute (www.parent-institute.com)
Nurse's Notes - Nikki DeMarco, Certified School Nurse
INFLUENZA: It is not too late to get the flu shot this year for your children and yourselves. The flu season does not usually peak until February in the U.S., and it can last as late as May. Once vaccinated, it takes about 2 weeks for the body’s immune response to fully kick in. High risk groups include children with chronic medical conditions such as asthma, diabetes, and heart conditions. The onset of flu symptoms are abrupt and include: high fever, dry cough, sore throat, fatigue, headache, running or stuffy nose, and muscle or body ache. The illness lasts 3 to 7 days.
The 24 Hour Rule: Children need to be fever-free for 24 hours without the use of fever reducing medication, before they return to school. Children should be recovered for 24 hours after an episode of vomiting or diarrhea as well. This helps ensure that they are well, not infectious, and able to fully participate in our school program. Also, if your child has been vomiting please make sure they are eating normally before they return to school.
CHANGE OF CLOTHES: Just a reminder that you may want to consider keeping a change of clothes (or just an extra pair of pants) in your child’s backpack for the occasional time he/she may have an “accident” or slip in the mud or snow. Thank you.
PARENTS: Please remember to notify the school nurses of any additions/changes in the medical status of your child that may occur throughout the year. This will assure that their medical records are updated and that we are prepared to handle any situation that may arise during the school day. You may call us in the health office or email us. Thank you!
PSSA Dates
PSSA DATES – Please note the PSSA test administration dates listed below:
April 15-17, 2019 PSSA Gr. 3, 4, 5 English Language Arts
April 29-30, 2019 PSSA Gr. 3, 4, 5 Math
May 1-2, 2019 PSSA Gr. 4 Science
As you choose dates to take vacation during the school year, please keep in mind that I cannot approve vacation during PSSA testing. Thank you.
Birthday Celebrations
If your child wishes to celebrate his/her birthday in school, please check with your child’s teacher first. If treats are sent in without prior teacher approval, please understand that your child may not be able to distribute his/her treats that day. Invitations to private parties may not be distributed in school.
Parent Portal Update
Please remember to update the Parent Portal with any changes to your child’s emergency contact information that may occur throughout the school year. This will assure that their records are updated and that we are prepared to handle any situation that may arise during the school day.