The Manavon Messenger
August 17, 2023
Goodbye Summer, Hello School Year. . .
The staff and I cannot wait to welcome back our students on Monday, August 28! Although I love the summer, I am eager to begin the school year and to partner with you for the success of our students. Please see below for a significant amount of important information to start the school year. I hope to see you at Back-to-School night on Thursday, August 24.
Sincerely,
Dr. Celotto
Save the Date: Back-to-School Night
Manavon Spirit Wear
Skyward Student Information Update-ACTION NEEDED
All families are required to complete the Annual Student Update in Skyward. This year, the updates MUST be completed by Friday, August 18 at 4 p.m. in order to see your child’s homeroom assignment and/or class schedule. Families will still be able to complete the updates after August 18, but they will not have access to classroom assignments until the update is completed.
This process is very important to ensure the safety and well-being of all our students. It is essential that the district has the most up to date family and emergency contact information as well as health updates for each student. Please also make sure to update your preferred language so that you can receive communications in that language.
To access the Annual Student Update, please login to your Skyward account and click on 23-24 Annual Update on the left side menu. You must complete the update for EACH student in your family. Families who are new to the district should register for a Skyward account first.
This is also a reminder to please pay any technology fee balances before the first day of school, August 28, 2023. This is especially important for those students receiving new laptops this year.
Arrival Procedure Reminders
As we seek to make our morning drop off procedure safer and more efficient, we are implementing some changes this year. Parents and guardians are asked to remain in their cars. Please help your child learn to unbuckle seat belts, boosters and car seats this summer. *The goal is that all students will be proficient with this task by the first day of school. Remember to give hugs and kisses at home to ensure that the drop off process flows smoothly. Thank you for your grace and patience, particularly during the first few weeks of school.
Reminder: Drivers should not be on their cell phones during drop off in order to facilitate a safe and speedy drop off.
Student Arrival:
8:40 a.m.-8:55 a.m.
Late arrival:
After 8:55 a.m.
Students must be signed in by a parent/guardian.
Here are the procedures:
- Drivers will enter the parking lot from Pothouse Road and stay to the right following signs to loop around to the car loop lane.
- Doors open at 8:40 a.m. and staff members will be waiting on the sidewalk to greet students. Please note: Staff members cannot open or close car doors for students.
- Students should be seated in the rear passenger side and will exit the vehicle independently. This is a curbside drop-off process. Parents must remain in their cars.
- Students can only exit a car if the car has reached the sidewalk area. Staff members will direct drivers and students when they should exit the car.
- Drivers may not pass other cars unless directed to do so. Please wait until all students in cars next to the sidewalk are completely unloaded.
- Students arriving after 8:55 a.m. will be considered late. After this time, parents or guardians must park in the lot and walk their children into the building. Upon entering the main office, please check-in with an office team member and complete a tardy slip.
*If your child requires special accommodations when exiting the car, and is unable to do this independently, we ask that you park in the lot and escort them to the crosswalk area. Please note, this strategy is only applicable for families with a special need.
New Dismissal App-ACTION NEEDED
Manavon Elementary School will be using PickUp Patrol effective at the start of the year to help us better manage our dismissal process. At the end of last week, you should have received a registration email with a link to set up your account from PickUp Patrol. If you haven't, please make sure to follow the steps below:
1. REGISTER: You should have received a registration email with a link to set up your account.
• The web app is free to parents, and you can use it from your smartphone or computer.
• For easy access, follow the instructions in your registration email for how to add it to your phone’s home screen (PUP is not accessed through the app stores).
2. ENTER DEFAULT PLANS: Once you register, log into your PickUp Patrol account no later than August 25, 2023 to confirm your child’s default dismissal plan. It’s important that you complete this step so that we can accurately dismiss your children.
We will be using PUP web app this year for:
• ATTENDANCE: Notify the school office when your child will be absent, arriving late or leaving early.
• DISMISSAL CHANGES: Submit changes to your child’s regular dismissal plans.
Thank you for using PUP to make safety a priority and to ensure our dismissal process is efficient for all our students. If you have any questions, please first check the PUP FAQ page. If you still need help, please contact the office. Take care!
Beginning of the Year Reminders
- Keep in mind that buses may be delayed during the first few weeks of school. Thank you for your understanding during this busy season. Additionally, our arrival and dismissal processes take longer during the first few weeks of school as we strive to safely and accurately dismiss 1,100 students on our shared campus. You will definitely notice that things become faster as we all settle into these routines.
- Classroom Teachers primarily communicate through the Remind app. Make sure you are connected. Please note that our staff members are encouraged to disconnect after their working hours. As such, if you are emailing or calling beyond the school day, please expect a return reply within 24 hours. Our staff members work incredibly hard each day and we actively promote the importance of having a work-life balance.
- Please make sure to write your child's name in all personal items (sweatshirts, coats, water bottles, lunch bags, etc.) This will cut down on our lost and found, which get rather large throughout the year (see picture below!).
Welcome New Staff
Maddie Rogge, Fourth Grade ELA
Robyn Derban, Fourth Grade Math
Nicole Zepplin, Second Grade Math/Writing
Eric Burnett, Physical Education
Kyle Diveny, STEM
Joseph Klapper, Strings
Denise Zalewski, Instructional Aide
Victoria Steets, Instructional Aide
Audrey Major, Cafeteria/Recess Aide
Wesley Paparone, long-term substitute for STEM
Stephanie Mossip, long-term substitute for Fifth Grade
Amanda Heilman, long-term substitute for Special Education
Cali Hofsass, long-term substitute for Special Education
Regina Viola, long-term substitute for Speech
Calendar of Events
August 18: Classroom Assignments released in Skyward
August 24: Back-to-School Night: Session 1, 6:15 pm; Session 2, 7:15 pm
August 28: First Day for Students
September 1: No School
September 4: No School-Labor Day
September 8: Back-to-School Social, @ 5:30 pm
September 18-22: Start with Hello Week
September 20: PASD ELD Night, PAMS, 6-8 pm
September 20: HSA Meeting, Virtual
September 22: PASD Community Cookout, Washington Field, 5 pm
September 25: PD Day, No Students
September 27: Picture Day
September 29: Manavon Goes Gold
Information from Previous Manavon Messenger
In Need of Assistance
Departmentalization for All Grades
School Supply Lists
Clubs and Activities
After School
Performing Arts Program
at MANAVON ELEMENTARY!
Birthday/Holiday Treats
Due to the many students with allergies and food reactions food items to celebrate student birthdays are not permitted. We are requesting that all birthday recognitions be non-food based. We do want to acknowledge student birthdays but encourage families to do so in other ways. For example, small items such as pencils or stickers for classmates or the donation of a book to the school or classroom library in honor of a child’s birthday would be appropriate. Thank you for honoring and respecting this request.
Holiday celebrations will be held in compliance with School Board Policy #246 Student Wellness. The policy states “The district recognizes that classroom parties and celebrations are a tradition at school. School staff and parents/guardians are encouraged to include healthy food offerings, as defined in this policy, at school parties and events to support a healthy environment throughout the district.” Policy 246 can be viewed in its entirety by visiting the district’s website.
Holiday celebrations and end-of-year classroom celebrations will be announced in advance for parents to be prepared in determining food choices with their children. Birthday celebrations are held randomly and do not allow for parent awareness prior to the event in the school setting, which contributed to the decision for birthday recognitions to be non-food based.
Manavon Elementary School
Assistant Principal: Mrs. Natalie Hrynko
Secretary: Mrs. Becky Sinapius
Clerk: Mrs. Karen Martz
Email: celotton@pasd.com
Website: https://mes.pasd.com/
Location: 2 Phantom Way, Phoenixville, PA, USA
Phone: (484) 927-5350
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PASDmanavon
Twitter: @PASDSchools