RICHLAND REFLECTIONS
Week of 5/17/21 at Richland Elementary School
Dear Richland Families,
I hope you are enjoying this beautiful Spring weather! As a reminder, there is no school on Election Day this Tuesday.
This is such an exciting time of the school year! We have many ways to involve students and families. Please see a message from our PTO below with an opportunity to join our PTO Board next year. Richland students continue to lead the way in service and school projects. Check out more information below. And don't miss highlights from a busy International Week!
Thank you for reading!
Nicole Zuerblis
Richland Principal
MONDAY: Hat Day -Wear your favorite hat!
TUESDAY: NO SCHOOL
WEDNESDAY: Workout Wednesday -Wear your workout gear!
THURSDAY: Crazy Hair Day -Show off crazy hair!
FRIDAY: RES Spirit Day -Wear Richland shirt or colors!
HIGHLIGHTS FROM INTERNATIONAL WEEK!
A MESSAGE FROM THE RICHLAND PTO
Hello Richland Families,
We hope you can join the virtual PTO Meeting on Wednesday May 26th at 7:30pm at this Google Meet link. We have a lot to discuss with the end of the school year approaching and we would love your input.
There are openings coming up for next year's PTO Board. All positions are important to fill to make our PTO successful and move forward. As a TEAM we work together with our Richland families to support the Richland staff and students. As always, our parent volunteers make such an impact helping the PTO so that we can accomplish all the fun activities at Richland and sometimes raise funds at the same time. This past year has been a little different but we hope for the best for the next school year.
We ask that you update your email with us at this time so you have a chance to receive all the update information the PTO has to pass on.
Email us at richlandtpo@gmail.com to be added or deleted from our distribution list.
Make sure to follow us on Facebook @RichlandPTO and on the Richland website at https://res.qcsd.org/our_school/richland_pto
Thank you, Richland PTO
Kara Diliberto, Meredith Kessler, Jenn Reinbold, Chrissy Hensel, Alysha Day, and Shannon McLaughlin
STUDENT LEADERSHIP TEAM SERVICE PROJECT THROUGH 5/21
READING LEADERS BOOK DONATION DRIVE THROUGH 5/28
CLICK ON THE VIDEO FOR MORE INFORMATION
NEW SCHOOL VISITS FOR REDISTRICTED STUDENTS ON 5/25
As you know, the School Board passed the QCSD redistricting plan. To learn your school of attendance for the 2021-22 school year based on the map,
please click here and enter your address.
If your child is redistricted to a different QCSD elementary school beginning in the 2021-2022 school year, they will visit their new school on a "field trip" chaperoned by school staff during the school day on May 25.
Students will have this first opportunity to see their new school and meet school staff to ease their transition. Each school will hold additional opportunities for new students this summer.
Virtual students are invited to join this field trip and may be brought to school at 9:00. Parents should return to school to pick up virtual students at 10:30.
Permission slips were sent home last to all redistricted students, and families of virtual students received electronic copies.
All QCSD elementary schools and staff are looking forward to fostering a smooth transition for all redistricted students!
REGISTER NOW FOR KINDERGARTEN, PRE-K AND HEAD START
The Quakertown Community School District has a wonderful kindergarten program.
Registration information can be found here. To be eligible for Kindergarten in the 2021-22 school year, a child must be five years of age on or before August 31. Registration needs to be completed by May 31st.
Please click here for information and an application about the Bucks County Pre-K Counts program.
Please click here for information about Head Start and Early Head Start programs.
FROM MRS. STAUFFER, OUR SCHOOL NURSE
PSSA TESTING FOR GRADES 3-5
The Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA) will be administered online to students in grades 3-5 in early June. Scheduled dates for the PSSA are below.
June 2-4: English Language Arts (ELA)
June 8-9: Math
June 10-11: Science (grade 4 only)
Students receiving in-person instruction will take online assessments at school on the morning of these dates.
Students learning virtually will take online assessments at school in the afternoon, after in-person students are dismissed. Please confirm your virtual student's attendance here.
Students in grades 3-5 who are scheduled to take the PSSA but opt-out will have required asynchronous learning at home on the testing dates.
Should you have any questions related to PSSA testing, please contact our school office.
MRS. D'AMICO, FOURTH GRADE TEACHER
The D'Amico family is working on
Habit #2- Begin With the End in Mind. We have a BIG goal for 2021: to spend 1000 hours outside this year! We started keeping track on January 1st, and so far we've logged almost 300 hours outside! We have always been a family that enjoys the outdoors, but this year we are much more intentional about it because we have a goal we want to achieve! We look for ways to spend more time outdoors as a family, from daily bike rides to weekend hiking adventures at nearby parks. We don't let bad weather discourage us, either! On rainy days, we put on our boots and go out to jump in puddles!
Having a goal to work toward motivates us to think about our daily schedule and our family time in new ways. To keep ourselves on track, we log our hours on a coloring page, set mini-goals, and celebrate milestones along the way!
MRS. SHINSKIE, LEARNING SUPPORT TEACHER
The Shinskie family strives to practice Habit 3, Put First Things First, so we can enjoy Habit 7, Sharpen the Saw! Mr. Shinskie and I try to get our work done each day before coming home so we can spend all of our time at home with our baby girl, Charlotte. We both use a To-Do List so we can organize our thoughts and tasks. This helps us to see what we need to get done each day. That way we can focus solely on Charlotte when we get home and be present in the moment. Spending time with each other, our daughter and our dog, Penny, is how we Sharpen the Saw! This helps us to feel happy and fulfilled each day so we can be the best versions of ourselves and help others!
MRS. LANDIS, AIDE
Habit 3, Put First Things First
Habit 7, Sharpen the Saw
Each morning, I Sharpen the Saw by exercising on my treadmill after I have eaten a healthy breakfast. I enjoy walking on my treadmill while I plan out my day.
I use Habit 3, Put First Things First by thinking about what I need to do after work that day. I think about the chores around the house that I will need to take care of or errands I may have to run. After my chores are finished in the evening, I can relax by reading, watching TV, or catching up with family and friends.
That is how I incorporate two of the 7 Habits into my daily routine.
A great way to express gratitude. I share these weekly with staff. Keep the shout outs coming!
THIS WEEK'S DAILY QUESTIONS
Each day, we read a question of the day that stems from our work with Leader in Me. We encourage you to continue the conversations at home! Below are this week's questions. We'd love you to participate! Share your answers each day on Twitter @RichlandQCSD.
MONDAY: How do you respond to people whose opinions are different from your own?
TUESDAY: No School
WEDNESDAY: How important is it to listen to other people’s ideas?
THURSDAY: What is it you did recently to celebrate another friend’s strength?
FRIDAY: How do you keep your mind sharp?
This month's theme is all about reflecting on what gives our life meaning.
Being a part of something bigger than ourselves and focusing on things that we value is key to our wellbeing. So let's take time to reflect on what we care about this month and keep these things at the front of our minds as our societies begin to open up again.
CONSIDER APPLYING FOR FREE AND REDUCED LUNCH
Currently, our district is providing ALL families with children up to the age of 18 with FREE breakfast and lunch for the remainder of the school year through funds from the US Department of Agriculture. However, if you do not have a current application on file for the 2020-2021 school year, you could miss benefits from the State, should it decide to provide the Pandemic EBT Benefits again.
Please click here for the Free & Reduced Meal Program applications.
If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Stacy Reiss, Free & Reduced Lunch Program, at sreiss@qcsd.org or 215-529-2022.
A dedicated section of the website serves as a
COVID-19 directory place for families to locate resources and see the impact of the pandemic on the district. It's located in the Community Section and titled
COVID-19 directory.
OUR WORDS FOR 2020-2021 SCHOOL YEAR
Each school year, Richland staff adopts one word. This year called for two! We invite you to join us in supporting each other with courage and grace and explore what these words mean to you.
DISTRICT BOOSTS PAY FOR SUBSTITUTE TEACHERS
Hoping to incentivize more people with a Bachelor’s degree to become substitute teachers, the Quakertown Community School District is significantly increasing pay for substitute teachers for the 2020-21 school year.
The per diem rate is being raised from $105 to $120 per day. Long term per diem pay is being raised from $140 to $175 per day, highest in the area. The average per diem rate in Bucks County and surrounding districts is $109. The long term substitute rate is $125. Please click here for the story.
QCSD has several job openings that can be found by clicking here. They include substitute nurses, aides, and food service workers.
Click here for job openings in the Upper Bucks County Technical School.
ALL SCHOOL YEAR FREE BREAKFAST AND LUNCH FOR ALL QCSD STUDENTS
The free food program is funded by the United States Department of Agriculture.
The United States Department of Agriculture has extended a nationwide waiver to allow the Quakertown Community School District to provide FREE meals to ALL students regardless of need. No qualification or identification is needed.
ALL students are eligible to receive FREE breakfast and FREE lunch through the end of the school year in June.
Breakfast will be served at Richland in our lunch room or classrooms from 8:45-9:00.
Lunch will have three selections daily: A sandwich/wrap/hot entree, a salad with a protein and roll, or a Grape/Peanut Butter Uncrustable. An assortment of fresh fruits and vegetables along with milk will be available daily. Students will order their lunches in the morning and will eat lunch in their classrooms. Lunches will be assembled by the cafeteria staff in bags, with aides delivering to rooms at the scheduled lunch times.
For Virtual Learners, free meal pickup is now held two days a week, Mondays and Wednesdays. On Mondays, students can receive meals for two days, and on Wednesdays for three days. Pickup remains at the Quakertown Community High School bus loop from 11:15 AM until 12:30 PM.
LIVE AND VIRTUAL DAILY ATTENDANCE
Attendance is mandatory for school age children, and the live portion of our school day is 9:00-2:00, with additional time allotted for work after these hours.
Every day Monday through Friday is a school day.
Please keep your child home if they show any symptoms and call to let us know. You will receive a follow up call from our school nurse. We will confirm if your child will become a virtual learner for a period of time so they are not marked absent from in person instruction while staying home with symptoms.
FOR STUDENTS WHO ARE PHYSICALLY IN THE BUILDING:
Attendance will be taken as in the past, and students will be marked absent if they are not physically present. *Please note, only students who need to quarantine or are approved by the principal or school nurse will learn virtually instead of in person.
FOR STUDENTS WHO ARE 100% VIRTUAL LEARNERS:
Attendance will be taken daily. All students are to complete their "check-in" activity as explained by their teachers by 2:00 daily. To allow for the completion of work asynchronously, students may complete other school activities after 2:00, but the check-in must be completed by 2:00 in order to be marked as present.
IF YOUR CHILD IS ABSENT:
You will receive an email at 3:00 on the day your child is marked absent. The school must receive an excuse from you within 3 days of the absence.
New this year, you may respond to the email with your absence reason. You can also email an excuse to lmoyer@qcsd.org. If you prefer, you may send in an absence note to the office. All excuses must be received within 3 days of the absence.
ARRIVAL AND DISMISSAL PROCEDURES
Thank you for your support in making the changes to this year's drop off and pick up run so smoothly! To accommodate more car riders, that location has been moved to the back of the school. Please enter in the morning and afternoon from 313 on Chestnut Street.
The live school day begins at 9:00 and ends at 2:00.
Please note AM Kindergarten pick up at 11:00 and PM drop off at 12:00 are in the front of the school.
All buses will drop off and pick up in the front of the school.
VIRTUAL BOOK FAIR 5/6-5/18
See newsletter for link.
ELECTION DAY - NO SCHOOL 5/18
DIGITAL PROJECT PROUD 5/21
RES REDISTRICTED STUDENTS VISIT NEW SCHOOLS 5/25
MEMORIAL DAY- NO SCHOOL 5/31
PSSA TESTING FOR GRADES 3-5
6/2-6/4 ELA
6/8-6/9 MATH
6/10-6/11 SCIENCE (grade 4 only)
Virtual students will come to Richland at 2:30.
5TH GRADE LUNCHEON & DRIVE UP PHOTOS 6/15
VIRTUAL SCIENCE ASSEMBLIES 6/17
KINDERGARTEN GRADUATION 6/18
5TH GRADE PROMOTION 6/18
Live streamed at 10:00
Richland Elementary School
