The Puma Pride
Willow Dale's MAY Newsletter
From the Principal
Dear Willow Dale Families:
It’s hard to believe that it is already May! Where did the year go? The students, faculty and staff of Willow Dale have been working so very hard all year to do and be their best each and every day. As the school year comes upon its final month and a half, we will continue with our good focus on academics and character building, but will also take time to pause and celebrate with a variety of fun events.
Be sure to add some time in your calendar to view the many showcases that demonstrate our students’ wonderful and talented artistic side. We are looking forward to have so many Willow Dale students represent our great school during Fine Arts Week! Congratulations to all involved, as it truly celebrates great work. Their professionalism and enthusiasm are testament to the great work that they put into their craft each day. I would be remiss if I did not thank Mr. Bauerle, Mrs. Dow, and Mr. Regosch for their efforts and for their leadership by inspiring our boys and girls to truly love the arts, both musical and visual.
Throughout May, we have a number of fun events planned. Our annual Fun Fair, thanks to our Home and School, will take place on Friday, May 5th at 5 PM. It will be the best one yet! Funds that are earned through the event will contribute to the Home and School's efforts to purchase additional playground equipment for both our playground in the back (1-5) and in the front (Kindergarten). Friday, May 19th will be an exciting event for our boys and girls—Field Day! As always, water and sunscreen are a must to help keep our boys and girls hydrated and sunburn free! We are looking forward to sharing with the community our Spring Concert on May 24th at 7:00 PM in the auditorium at Log College Middle School. You will be dazzled with the sounds of voices, bells and instruments! Thank you, as always, for supporting our students and the arts! (Note: We are having our spring concert at Log College as a trial. We will send out a survey to grades 4 and 5 afterwards to determine if we should schedule at Log for next year, or return to Willow Dale.)
Sandwiched between the aforementioned events will be another evening of celebration. What has become a tradition at Willow Dale is Young Authors' Night, taking place on May 22nd at 6:30 PM. As a way to showcase the talent and passion for writing, students have been invited to share their favorite piece of writing. Thanks to Mrs. Dougherty and Mrs. O'Leary, Reading Specialists, for coordinating our event! This event has been a resounding success and we are looking forward to celebrating the writing talents of our students.
There are many, many more activities planned, so stay tuned to calendar updates, e-alerts and Twitter for up-to-date information! Don't forget that the school calendar has shifted and the last day for students is now Tuesday, June 13th. This will be an early dismissal (11:45 AM). The year is coming to a close, and we appreciate your continued good partnership and communication as we navigate the final seven weeks of the school year.
Happy May!,
Dr. Donnelly
Principal
Willow Dale Elementary School
Kudos to our Reading Olympians!
Congratulations to Willow Dale’s teams that celebrated reading with style and, as always, with good character. Willow Dale hosted the event and many positive comments were made about the great behavior and teamwork that our students displayed. A special shout out to Mrs. Zucker and Mrs. Brown, teacher librarians, for their help in coordinating the event! Also, many thanks to all of our faculty and staff who graciously hosted this meaningful event!
From the Nurses' Suite
Our school nurse, Mrs. White, and our assistant, Ms. Oliver, are always available to discuss any questions you may have regarding our students’ health and wellness. If your child is in need of medicine, over-the-counter or prescribed, it can only be given to the student by the school nurse. The medicine must be in its original packaging and should be delivered to the health suite at the beginning of the school day. Also, please make sure you are communicating with Mrs. White or Ms. Oliver in the health suite should there be any change to your student’s health needs.
Outstanding Cafeteria Balances
Please contact the cafeteria Manager, Mrs. Magiera, if you have any questions concerning outstanding cafeteria balances. It is imperative that all balances are paid off by the end of the school year. The last day of school is June 13, 2017.
Also, as a reminder, if you are eligible, free or reduced price lunches are available by filing an application through the Business Office of the Centennial School District. You can also pre-pay for lunch through the “E-Fund” system and credit can be immediately applied to the account. If you need assistance with placing money on your child’s account or applying for free/reduced lunch programs, please contact the Business Office at 215-441-6000 ext. 11013. Thank you for your cooperation.
Title I Schoolwide
Title I, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) provides financial assistance to states and school districts to meet the needs of educationally at-risk students. The goal of Title I is to provide extra instructional services and activities which support students identified as possibly at risk of failing the state’s challenging performance standards in mathematics, reading, and writing. The Title I program will provide your student with extra educational assistance beyond the regular classroom. This year, our school is designated as School-Wide Assistance, which means the rigorous, and often limiting, identification process has been significantly changed, now putting decisions about student intervention solidly in the hands of the school-based team rather than strict federal guidelines.
Any and all of our students are able to receive services from our Reading Specialists, Literacy Boost Aide and Math Specialist during the daily WIN (intervention period), depending upon needs. Title I also provides several district parent meetings and workshops throughout the year to assist those families in helping their children meet with more success in school. Please contact the classroom teacher if you have concerns about your child’s progress in school, or our Reading Specialists if you have questions regarding any reading concerns..
Play Up and Fuel 60 with the Philadelphia Eagles!
Congrats to our most recent Silver Spoon Award winners, Mrs. Harkins' fourth grade class!
We are in the fourth, and final, marking period of the school year. Let's keep up the great focus and dedication to our learning!
From the Counselors...
Do you need a teacher to complete a form from a doctor or other agency?
If you are working with an agency outside of school (pediatrician, psychologist, therapist, behavior specialist, etc.) and they would like to have any information from teachers or other school staff, we would need your written permission in order to communicate with said agency. First, please request a “consent to release” form from your child’s teacher or school counselor (Ms. Hopkins – Grades K, 2, 4; Mrs. LaRose – Grades 1, 3, 5). Once that form is completed, the teacher would have one week to complete the form and it would be sent directly to the requesting agency via mail or fax that you provide. For example, if you provide a form to be completed by a teacher along with a signed consent form on Tuesday, it would be completed and sent to the agency by the following Tuesday. The consent form is required even if you already signed consent with the agency. If you have any questions about this procedure, please contact your child’s school counselor.
Try-it-Tuesday! Who doesn't love multi-colored cauliflower?
Students love working on Khan Academy with Mr. Corey!
NO SCHOOL!
There is no school on Monday, May 29th in observance of Memorial Day.
Home and School Connection
Visitors to Willow Dale
Student Dress
As the temperatures become warmer, it is important to remember to dress according to the weather. Also, please remember that our students should feel comfortable at school, but are not permitted to wear hats during the day (except during spirit days) and make-up, if any at all, should be limited. Additionally, as the temperatures become warmer it is important to remember that we will continue to dress for success.
Attendance
When a child is absent, you must send in an excuse note. You can either write a note and send it in or send it in electronically (WDattendance@centennialsd.org). This note must be received within three days of returning from an absence in order to be considered excused. Students who do not turn in notes within this period of time, per policy, will receive an unexcused absence on his/her record. Let's work together to ensure our students are healthy, safe, and accountable.
PSSA 2017 - Congratulations!
Congratulations to all of our boys and girls in grades 3, 4 and 5! Throughout the testing windows, the students did their very best on the state tests for English Language Arts, Math and Science.
Thank you, too, for your support on the home front!
Follow us on Twitter!
Don’t forget to follow us, @Willow_Dale_ES! We enjoy tweeting out pics and updates of the great things that we do here at Willow Dale! If you favorite or re-tweet, we can reach many followers to show off what an awesome place Willow Dale is! We look forward to having you follow us.
Willow Dale Elementary School
Email: donnmi@centennialsd.org
Website: http://www.centennialsd.org/Domain/692
Location: 720 North Norristown Road, Warminster, PA, United States
Phone: 215.441.6093
Twitter: @Willow_Dale_ES