Bethel Springs Elementary School
August 31, 2018
Thank You For Attending Our Open House!
Join Us for Back to School Nights!
Wednesday, September 5 Grades 1 and 2 7:00-8:00PM
Thursday, September 6 Grades 3, 4, 5 7:00-8:00PM
This is a night for parents/guardians to get information about the school year ahead. Students should remain at home. We look forward another year of partnership with our outstanding parents! Together we make a great team for our kids!
Link to Bethel Springs Weekly Announcements on Website!
One Last Call for Start of the Year Information Regarding School Forms, New Apps, Etc.!
Dear School Community,
Like all school districts, Garnet Valley uses a lot of systems, acronyms, and technologies that can sometimes seem overwhelming for our parents who do not use these terms and technologies in their daily lives. As we prepare for the upcoming school year, we want to make our parent community aware of several improvements that have been made since the end of the last school year.
Below is important information concerning:
New Online Emergency Cards
District Website
Parent Portal
District App
Bus Information
District Advisory Council (DAC)
New Digital Emergency Card and Parent Agreement Forms
All Garnet Valley School District emergency cards and parent forms will now be completed online usingFamilyID. This means that all of the information that was once mailed home and stored on paper is now digital, making the process for both our parents and staff more efficient. Family ID is a secure registration platform that provides families with an easy, user-friendly way to complete school emergency cards, sign school policies, media releases, and more. FamilyID also helps the district to be more administratively efficient and environmentally responsible. When you register through FamilyID, the system keeps track of your information in your FamilyID profile. You enter your information only once for each family member for multiple uses and multiple programs. Please click here to access the FamilyID Site and create or sign into your account (top right corner of the page). All emergency cards should be completed before the start of school.
Direct link to forms:https://www.familyid.com/garnet-valley-school-district-forms
New District Website
A year ago we surveyed our parent community to better understand their needs as it relates to our district and schools’ websites. Based on those survey results, our district and schools’ websites were redesigned to make navigation to the most requested information “one click away.” After visiting www.garnetvalleyschools.com, several new features will be apparent, including:
- Links to all Garnet Valley social media accounts
- A simplified Top Navigation Bar
- A “Quick Links” Bar designed specifically for our parent community based on the survey results. These quick links are shortcuts to: Parent Portal, Instructional Calendar, Alma, Schoology, Google, and Lunch Menus.
- A “News from the District” section that will also populate all school web pages.
- A calendar of “Events” sections that will be specific to each school.
New Parent Portal
In addition to the overall redesign of the district and schools’ websites, the “Parent Portal” section has gone through a major overhaul. There are several additional features in this section but none more important than the first link called the “Parent’s Guide to Garnet Valley Technologies.” This website will explain several of the most frequently used technologies and systems in our district. Please take a few minutes to review this snapshot to familiarize yourself with these systems. Please click here to see the new Parent Portal.
New District App
Having a district app will allow our parent community to easily stay connected to district news and events. Key features of the app include push notifications, a calendar of events sections, and district news. Please note the app is new and not all features are active. We also anticipate improvements being made throughout the course of the school year. Please click here for directions on how to download the new app.
Transportation Information
The Garnet Valley School District is pleased to introduce a new feature of our bus routing system for the 2018-2019 school year. InfoFinder-i provides online access to assist in finding your child’s bus number, pick-up/drop-off locations and times.
InfoFinder-i allows you to:
- Find your child’s designated bus stop;
- Find the estimated pick-up/drop-off times for your child’s bus stop;
- Locate which school your child would attend if you are planning to move.
This feature will be available beginning August 15, 2018. Parents/guardians are encouraged to check InfoFinder-i periodically between August 15th and the start of school as pick-up and drop-off times may be slightly altered due to daily enrollment changes. Also, please read this very important procedure change for the 2018-2019 school year. You will also be receiving additional information with detailed instructions on InfoFinder-i the week of August 6th. Please click here to access the site.
District Advisory Council
The District Advisory Council (DAC) would like to welcome back students, parents, faculty, and everyone involved in making Garnet Valley such an incredible school district. The DAC is comprised of parent volunteers that serve cooperatively with, but independent of the School Board. The purpose of the DAC is to promote communication, understanding, and mutual support among the School Board of Directors, administration, faculty, student body, parents and citizens at large. We kindly ask for your involvement & open communication during the school year. Please visit the link on the new Parent Portal or click here to learn more.
New Attendance App
Launched at the end of the last school year, the new School Messenger (Safe Arrival) Absence Reporting System makes it easy for parents/guardians to report their child's absence, reduces the time it takes to verify student attendance and will allow our staff to respond to unexplained student absences more efficiently. Please click here for directions on how to use your phone, app, or computer to report an absence.
School Calendar
https://bses.garnetvalleyschools.com/calendar
The link for the calendar "School Calendar" is in the drop-down menu under "Our School" on the Bethel Springs website.
Morning Arrival Times
The student day will be adjusted by 5 minutes. The day will now begin at 8:45 and end at 3:15. Morning drop-off time for students being driven to school will now be 8:25 to 8:45 in the gym. Students wishing to take advantage of our breakfast program in the cafeteria can do so between 8:25 and 8:45. The "grace period" for arrival is 8:45 to 8:55. Please note that students arriving after 8:55 will be marked late. Thank you.
Turn In Your Summer Reading Logs By Wednesday, September 19 to Be Eligible for Our Raffle on Friday, September 21!
Students entering K, 1, and 2 in September:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0By96mv0gfmC-RVRrZm12RXpHNXRkUTloU2hBejI1YVBRWFlj/view?usp=sharing
Student entering grades 1 and 2 are expected to read for at least 50 15-minute sessions.
Options for reading:
- Student reads silently.
- Student reads aloud to an adult/older sibling.
- Adult/Older sibling reads to student.
- Adult/Older sibling and student share the reading aloud.
After reading, discussing the story briefly is always helpful for building comprehension.
Students entering Grades 3, 4, 5 in September:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0By96mv0gfmC-YVlxTHhtTXBlZm8tNE1xY1d5UUxkaU8tLWp3/view?usp=sharing
Students entering grades 3, 4, and 5 are expected to log at least 20 titles. These can be novels, non-fiction books, short stories, articles (print or on-line), or picture books. Engaging your child in a discussion of what he/she is reading is helpful in building comprehension.
Thank you!
Happy reading!
School Supplies for 2018-2019
Below you will find the supply lists for each grade:
(Please note: Costs indicated below were for the pre-purchase kits. Perhaps the the bargain hunters among you will do better!)
Library Volunteers Needed!
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1EVnm3KncumACUKRX58uEh1KbpQKdg1ibyMWfqZGuKqY/edit?usp=sharing
Transportation Changes
With the exception of daycare arrangements, students will not be allowed to ride any bus home that they are not assigned to ride unless it is an extreme emergency. Therefore, students may not ride a different bus home with a friend. Students who need to go home with a friend from a different bus may be picked up in the car line once the school office is notified. Parents who have an emergency should call the transportation department to obtain permission for their child to ride an unauthorized bus.
We understand that many parents use after school daycare to accommodate their work schedules. The transportation department will transport students to certified daycare locations within the district. The maximum number of options that the district will transport students to is two different daycares within the district and to their home.
A form is available on the transportation website to register for daycare transportation. The form must be filled out prior to the start of the school year. The deadline to complete this form is August 15th. This deadline will give the transportation department adequate time to adjust the bus routes to be ready for the start of the school year.
A parent may request that their child go to an existing stop on another bus for a daily daycare situation. This request will be granted as long as there is room on that bus. A stop will not be added to any route for daycare issues.
Residency Changes
You must update any changes in residency status or address with our Administrative Offices at the Education Center, not at the building level. Contact Administration at 610-579-7300 if you need a Change of Address Form and/or if you have questions regarding what is accepted as proof of new address. Note: ALL change of address paperwork requires 2 proofs of residence.
If you are moving out of district over the summer, you must fill out withdraw paperwork which is available in the GVES Main Office.
Finally, if your Proof of Residence expires over the summer, your Alma access and start of the school year information will be held until residency is updated.
September "Back-to-School" Physical Fitness Challenge from Mrs. McCusker and Mr. Custer
Click link to download and/or print the September fitness challenge calendar shown below:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ABsAUG67t3TBOghlSt7tXgLg_GqMypRN2lx0pyE8vK4/edit?usp=sharing
2018-2019 Art and Literature Fling Country of Focus Is Greece!
Attention All Singers in 3rd, 4th, and 5th Grades! Chorus Sign-ups Happening Now!
Thank you!
Mrs. Adam
BSES HSA Weekly Update
Check out the HSA Calendar for the upcoming events we have planned for the 2018-2019 school year!
We appreciate all of our wonderful volunteers who signed up to be on a committee for the upcoming year. We are still in need of a few volunteers for some different events. If you are interested in helping out at any of the following events please email bseshsa@gmail.com
Trunk or Treat (October 26th)
Family Bingo Night (February 8th)
Homeroom Parent/Classroom Photographer Forms: This year we are accepting homeroom parent/classroom photographer forms electronically. If you are interested in volunteering in either position please click on the attached link to find out about responsibilities and to fill out an application: Homeroom Parent/Classroom Photographer Form
Please note the deadline for forms is Friday, September 14th!
Open House: The first official BSES Open House was a huge success! Our wonderful volunteers from the Spiritwear Committee and Kidstuff Coupon Book Committee were at both sessions of the Open House working hard! Many thanks to our Spiritwear volunteers: Derek Lloyd, Cindy Burgy, Stephanie DerOhannessian, Jacquie King, and Robyn Marano. Special thanks to Lora Barber and Carrie Douglas for not only helping with sales of the Kidstuff Coupon books but helping with School Beautification! The front of the school looked great!
School Supplies: Thank you to everyone who participated in the school supplies sale. If you were unable to pick up your supplies during the Open House, they will be there for your child on the first day of school.
Special thanks to Jeanie Houpt, Tiffany Kuzmick, Stephanie DerOhannessian, Stacey Robinson and Kristin Pappas for all their help this year!
Upcoming Events:
September 4th- 1st day of school
September 5th- Back to School Night- Grades 1 & 2 (7:00- 8:00pm)
September 6th- Back to School Night- Grades 3,4,& 5 (7:00- 8:00pm)
September 10th- School Closed
For the most up to date information check the HSA Website: BSES HSA
Follow us on social media-
Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/bseshsa/
Twitter: @bseshsa1
V.E.F.L.S. (Voluntary Elementary Foreign Language Study) Registration Information
Is your child interested in foreign language study?
Click below for information regarding the VEFLS program held at Bethel Springs:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1U52U_IUQvd3_P87C6sG73ihRZaNal7Qu6OzNm48AVpg/edit?usp=sharingImportant Dates Coming Up!
September 4 First Day of School (Full Day)
September 5 Back-to-School Night Grades 1-2 7:00-8:00 PM (Only parents/guardians attend.)
September 6 Back-to-School Night Grades 3-5 7:00-8:00 PM (Only parents/guardians attend.)
September 10 Rosh Hashanah SCHOOL CLOSED
September 19 Yom Kippur SCHOOL CLOSED