West Word
An Update from Perkiomen Valley Middle School West
A Word From Mr. Creeden
This past week was filled with a lot of activity as West eighth grade students joined their East counterparts for a field trip to Washington DC on a sunny May 15th. The students, teachers and parent volunteers strolled the National Mall where they explored the monuments, memorials and museums. The National Mall is America’s most-visited national park, where the past, present and future come together. The trip aligned with the eighth grade social studies and English curriculums bringing depth and clarity to what was learned this year. THANK YOU to all staff and parent chaperones for your trip planning and participation. It was a great day and a great and memorable experience for our students. See some pics below from our trip.
Congratulations are also in order for the PV West Music Department🎵. The seventh and eighth grade orchestra, under the direction of Mrs. Querci, the Select Choir, under the direction of Mr. Sands and the Jazz Band, under the direction of Mrs. Krown, performed at The Music in the Parks Festival at Dorney Park in Allentown PA this past Friday. The festival included schools from Virginia, New York, New Jersey, Maryland and Pennsylvania. The select orchestra came in first place and was rated Best Overall Orchestra with the rating of excellent. Bravo, Mrs Querci and students! The choir came in first place with a rating of excellent. Bravo Mr. Sands and students! The Jazz Band came in first place with a rating of Superior. Trombonist James Shingara was awarded the only jazz soloist award for the day. James received this award for his featured performance on the jazz standard, Charade. Bravo, Mrs. Krown and students! Please congratulate the musicians in these ensembles. They have worked hard all year long and represented our school with exceptional musical performances and exceptional behavior. Our West Music Team is tops! Well done Music Team!
8th Grade to Washington DC
PV West trip to Music In The Parks
Quick Snapshot📸
- What's Up @ West
- West Home & School Information - Penny War Fundraiser
- 8th Grade Celebration Coming Soon!
- 8th Grade Celebration Parent Volunteers Needed!
- LIFT (Learning Is Fun Together) Summer Camps
- PV West Library Fine Forgiveness
- Get Your 2022-2023 PVMS West Yearbook!📸
- Charity BINGO Night
- PV Middle School Procedure Reminders
- After School Activity Transportation
- Transportation Reminder
- Club & Activity Info @ West
- PV is Seeking Summer Helpers
- Now Hiring!
- Power Packs
- Quick Reference Guide for Parents/Guardians
- PV West Athletic Update
- PV Youth Soccer Clinic
- West Home & School Information
- Nurse Notes - Physical and Dental Exams
- Tween Talk Group
- Be Part of the Conversation - Upcoming Programs
- Montgomery County Parent Programs
- PV West Attendance Information
- PVSD Food Service Updates
- April Lunch Menu
- Safe2Say
- National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
- PV West on Social Media
- Community Bulletin Board
- West Weeks At A Glance
- HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND!
What's Up @ West
Who Am I?
West Home & School Information - Penny War Fundraiser

8th Grade Celebration Coming Soon!

LIFT (Learning Is Fun Together) Summer Camps
We are excited to announce we have launched of our 2023 MIDDLE-LEVEL LIFT Summer Camps. We have several exciting offerings this summer (see below)! In order to register your child, visit our LIFT website. Clicking on “LIFT catalog” will take you to our webstore where you can create an account and register for the camps you are interested in. A few notes for this summer…
- All elementary camps will be held at Middle School East.
- Middle-level offerings are available to students currently in grades 5 through 8.
- Transportation must be provided by the family.
MIDDLE LEVEL SUMMER LIFT offerings include:
- Gr 5-8 All the Universe is a Stage
- Gr 5-8 Inventioneering
- Gr 5-8 The Forces of Flight
- Gr 5-8 Viking Genius Bar
- Gr 6-8 Bake it Up
- Gr 6-8 Sew Much Fun
- Gr 6-8 It's Just Rocket Science
- Middle School Jumpstart
PV West Library Fine Forgiveness

Get Your 2022-2023 PVMS West Yearbook!📸

Charity BINGO Night
End of Year Medication Pick Up
Please remember to obtain your child’s medication from the nurse’s office no later than student dismissal time on June 9, 2023. As per the PVSD Medication Procedure, students are not permitted to carry their own medication. Any unclaimed medication will be destroyed after dismissal. Please contact your child's school nurse if you have any questions.
PV Middle School Procedure Reminders
Cell Phones/Personal DevicesStudents should, whenever possible, communicate with their parents before and after school and arrange their schedules so the school day is not unnecessarily interrupted with phone calls. Only emergency messages will be taken by the office. Cell phone usage is prohibited from 7:40 AM-2:30 PM. All cell phones need to be turned off and stored in the student’s locker or backpack. If a student needs to contact their parent/guardian for emergency purposes, they will be permitted to use the office phone. Violation of this policy will result in disciplinary action. | Procedure for Administration of Medications in SchoolDespite medications being prescribed or helpful for students, the major responsibility for specific medications belongs to the student’s parents. On occasion, a student may require a specific medication during the school day. In order to provide proper care and protection for all students, the following method of administering medicine in school shall be followed: 1. All medications (prescription, and over-the-counter medications) administered at school require written permission of both the student’s physician and parent. The Medication Permission Form is available in the Quick Reference Guide below or on both the district and individual school building websites. Permission slips must be completed each school year. 2. No medication should be in the student’s possession (pockets, lunch, purse/handbag, or backpack). All medications are to be delivered directly to the nurse’s office and kept in the health room unless otherwise designated by the school nurse. | Student Responsibility & Care of ChromebooksPerkiomen Valley School District strives to create an environment where every learner has the power to meet the challenges of today’s world with confidence. Chromebooks support this environment in many ways. These devices break down classroom walls and provide both educators and students with the ability to access more educational resources than ever before. Chromebooks encourage collaboration and allow learning opportunities to be anywhere at any time. This tool will permit teachers to utilize mobile and social technologies in their everyday instruction, encouraging a habit of lifelong learning in their students, and continue to meet the ever-changing challenges of college and career readiness.
ALL REPAIRS MUST BE HANDLED BY THE PERKIOMEN VALLEY SCHOOL DISTRICT TECHNOLOGY DEPARTMENT. |
Cell Phones/Personal Devices
Students should, whenever possible, communicate with their parents before and after school and arrange their schedules so the school day is not unnecessarily interrupted with phone calls. Only emergency messages will be taken by the office.
Cell phone usage is prohibited from 7:40 AM-2:30 PM. All cell phones need to be turned off and stored in the student’s locker or backpack. If a student needs to contact their parent/guardian for emergency purposes, they will be permitted to use the office phone. Violation of this policy will result in disciplinary action.
Procedure for Administration of Medications in School
Despite medications being prescribed or helpful for students, the major responsibility for specific medications belongs to the student’s parents. On occasion, a student may require a specific medication during the school day. In order to provide proper care and protection for all students, the following method of administering medicine in school shall be followed:
1. All medications (prescription, and over-the-counter medications) administered at school require written permission of both the student’s physician and parent. The Medication Permission Form is available in the Quick Reference Guide below or on both the district and individual school building websites. Permission slips must be completed each school year.
2. No medication should be in the student’s possession (pockets, lunch, purse/handbag, or backpack). All medications are to be delivered directly to the nurse’s office and kept in the health room unless otherwise designated by the school nurse.
Student Responsibility & Care of Chromebooks
Perkiomen Valley School District strives to create an environment where every learner has the power to meet the challenges of today’s world with confidence. Chromebooks support this environment in many ways. These devices break down classroom walls and provide both educators and students with the ability to access more educational resources than ever before. Chromebooks encourage collaboration and allow learning opportunities to be anywhere at any time. This tool will permit teachers to utilize mobile and social technologies in their everyday instruction, encouraging a habit of lifelong learning in their students, and continue to meet the ever-changing challenges of college and career readiness.
- Students are responsible for the general care of their issued Chromebook.
- Students must report Chromebooks that are damaged, lost, stolen, or fail to work properly.
- Report any issues to the Chromebook Service Center in your building’s library as soon as possible, and inform your teachers.
- Students are responsible for bringing completely charged Chromebooks to school each day.
ALL REPAIRS MUST BE HANDLED BY THE PERKIOMEN VALLEY SCHOOL DISTRICT TECHNOLOGY DEPARTMENT.
After School Activity Transportation
- 4:00pm Departure (outside main office) - Monday through Thursday
- 5:00pm Departure (outside gym entrance) - Monday through Thursday
For each day students intend to take either the 4:00pm or 5:30pm activity bus, they are asked to inform the school district and bus company for routing purposes using the electronic form provided. The form links are below and also available to students via the PV LaunchPad - Classlink. Students must submit their information each morning by 10:00 am if they intend to ride the afternoon activity bus that day.
Transportation Reminder
According to our student handbook all students must ride the bus to which they are assigned. The only time a student may ride an alternate bus is for emergency purposes only. If you have any questions or need an emergency situation approved please contact our office at 484-977-7210 ext. 3500. Thank You!
Club & Activity Info @ West
Makerspace Club There will be a new club happening every other Wednesday after school called Makerspace. Makerspace is a club where you get to learn to create anything. You get to learn and explore high tech to not tech tools. It can be learning to code or designing anything into something. If you are interested please stop by Ms. LaCava's room for a permission slip to join the club | Debate Club Join the PV West Debate Club. Learn the art of constructing, supporting, and discussing arguments. These skills are an integral part of life in a free society. In Debate club students will engage in a variety of discussions centered around group selected topics. They will learn to argue both their own perspective and the perspectives of others. Students will use evidence based practice to back up arguments as well as learning about logical fallacies and cognitive biases that may lead to poor argument construction. Debate club will take place on the second and last Tuesday of each month. | Disc Golf ClubDisc Golf will be starting back up Wednesday, March 22nd weather permitting. We will meet in the gym lobby at 2:40p and go until 3:45p. All you need is an old pair of sneakers in case it is muddy, and a bottle of water. Make sure to dress for the weather! We also have discs you can borrow. Hope to see you there! Any questions, please see Ms. Bangert in room 222 during homeroom or tenth period. |
Makerspace Club
Makerspace is a club where you get to learn to create anything. You get to learn and explore high tech to not tech tools. It can be learning to code or designing anything into something.
If you are interested please stop by Ms. LaCava's room for a permission slip to join the club
Debate Club
Disc Golf Club
Disc Golf will be starting back up Wednesday, March 22nd weather permitting. We will meet in the gym lobby at 2:40p and go until 3:45p. All you need is an old pair of sneakers in case it is muddy, and a bottle of water. Make sure to dress for the weather! We also have discs you can borrow. Hope to see you there! Any questions, please see Ms. Bangert in room 222 during homeroom or tenth period.
PV is Seeking Summer Helpers
The Perkiomen Valley School District is now accepting applications for the Summer Helpers position. The dates for the program are June 19 - August 18, 2023. The employment application can be found on the HR page of the PV website or the counseling office. LINK HERE

Power Packs
PV Power Packs is a weekend food program for students experiencing food insecurity. Bags of food, including 2 breakfast items, 2 lunch items, 2 snacks, and 2 fruits, are sent home with students prior to every weekend. There is no financial information required to participate in this program and students pick up their bags from their counselor or designated person every week.
Sign up for your child(ren) to receive a Power Packs bag by filling out this form: 2022-23 Power Packs or by emailing PowerPacks@pvsd.org.
Learn more about Power Packs at https://www.pvsd.org/families/pv-power-packs/ and follow us on Facebook @PVPowerPacks.
Quick Reference Guide for Parents/Guardians
PV West Athletic Update
FREE SPORTS PHYSICALS AT PERKIOMEN VALLEY
St. Luke's Health Network and The Perkiomen Valley Athletic Department are pleased to offer PIAA Sports Physicals for the 2023-24 School Year. Physicals are free of charge courtesy of St. Luke's Health Network! Reservations are limited and required, walk-ups will not be admitted. The physicals will take place in the high school cafeteria from 3pm to 7pm on Friday, June 2. Please make a reservation for every student-athlete separately. Please only sign-up if you are participating/trying-out for a PVSD sponsored athletic team (Grades 7-12) during the 2023-2024 school year.
For information and sign-up information please visit:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1bX8i3FbnVjD3kwHZgy8g8u0UZU0w6WDCmTgMute1s0Y/edit?usp=sharing
Middle School West 8th Grade Baseball
Unsung athletes of the week: 8th Grade West baseball tied East 7 - 7 on Monday. Lucas Aiken, Riley Patterson, and Collin Kim battled on the mound and combined for 7 strikeouts. Lucas Aiken and Tyler Jorett each had multiple hits with Lucas Aiken blasting the teams 1st home run of the year.
Upcoming Events:
Monday May 22nd - Away vs. Arcola Intermediate School @ 3:45pm
Tuesday May 23rd - Home vs. Phoenixville Area Middle School @ 3:45pm
Middle School West 7th Grade Baseball
Unsung athletes of the week: OJR game: Wyatt marks got the start for PV, going 5 innings and giving up 2 runs on 2 hits while striking out 5. Marks also had 2 hits and an RBI at the plate and scored 2 runs. Austin Kelly went 3 for 3 with 3 RBI to power the win. Andrew Tait pitched the final 2 innings in relief, giving up 2 hits and striking out 1 to secure the victory.
Upcoming Events:
Monday May 22nd - Away vs. Arcola Intermediate School @ 3:45pm
Tuesday May 23rd - Home vs. Phoenixville Area Middle School @ 3:45pm
Middle School West Softball
Unsung athlete of the week: Lili Clemens: Lili had a dominating week at the plate and on the
mound. She went 6 for 7 with 6 runs scored and 3 RBIs while also adding 6 stolen bases. On the mound, Lili went 2-0, including 11 strikeouts against Upper Perk.
Upcoming Events:
Tuesday May 23rd - Away vs. Phoenixville Area Middle School @ 3:45pm
Thursday May 25th - Home vs. Arcola Intermediate School @ 3:45pm
Middle School Track and Field
Upcoming Events:
No Upcoming Events
Middle School West Girls Lacrosse
Upcoming Events:
Monday May 22nd - Away vs. Exeter Township Middle School @ 3:45pm
Tuesday May 23rd - Away vs. Phoenixville Area Middle School @ 3:45pm
Thursday May 25th - Home vs. Arcola Intermediate School @ 3:45pm
PV Youth Soccer Clinic

Tween Talk Group
Tweens, ages 11 to 13, are invited to chat in a fun, informal atmosphere with Erin McMonagle, a guidance counselor at Perkiomen Valley East Middle School - as part of our Julia’s Joy Youth Empowerment Program. We have created a safe group, where they can come relax, unload and learn they are not alone all while meeting new friends. We believe learning Stress Management tips will help youth deal with the pressures they are feeling at this age and into the future!
This group is free thanks to donations, if you would like to make a donation, it is always appreciated, but not necessary!
Learn more about our workshops and our mission at http://www.JuliasJoy.org
Be Part of the Conversation - Upcoming Programs
We are a collaboration of community leaders, clinicians, students, school district representatives, and families who believe that having meaningful, inclusive conversations about substance use and addiction will support individuals and their families in their efforts to develop healthy coping skills and access support whenever there is a need. Learn more about us. See the link below for a number of programs that Be a Part of the Conversation offers.

PV West Attendance Information
If your child will be absent or missing any class time, please send an email (from the email you have listed in our new SIS system) to:
This will count as your call-out AND parent excuse. Please indicate in your email the date of absence, student’s grade and the reason for the absence. An absence is considered unexcused when the child’s school has not received an email or written parent note providing an acceptable reason for the absence, within a 3-day period.
You may also call our attendance line at: 1 (484) 977-7210, option 1. If you do this, you would still need to submit an email with the above information in order for it to be excused.
Any medical notes or Dr.'s notes should be placed in the Attendance Box, right outside the Guidance Department.
If you have any questions at all, please contact Lori Tropea at ltropea@pvsd.org or you may call her at x3540.
PVSD Food Service Updates
Parents/Guardians put money in their student(s) accounts electronically in SchoolCafe or by sending cash or checks in with their students. For more information about SchoolCafe please go to https://www.pvsd.org/departments/food-service/school-cafe-information/. If you are sending funds in with your students, please note the students’ names and account number on the envelope and ask them to give the envelope to their cashier in the cafeteria.
Upon entering the serving area, students make their selections and enter their 6 digit Student ID number on the pin pad or scanner. Our staff will be happy to help them become more comfortable with the system.

Safe2Say
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
Did you know that the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is now known as the 988 Suicide & Crisit Lifeline?
When people call, text, or chat 988, they will be connected to trained counselors that are part of the existing Lifeline network. These trained counselors will listen, understand how their problems are affecting them, provide support, and connect them to resources if necessary.
https://988lifeline.org/current-events/the-lifeline-and-988/
The previous Lifeline phone number (1-800-273-8255) will always remain available to people in emotional distress or suicidal crisis.
PV West on Social Media
We would love to have you join our social media accounts to stay updated on the latest West news and happenings. Please see below on where to find each of our accounts.
Community Bulletin Board
Want to find out what’s going on in the PV Community? Visit here for flyers about upcoming events in and around our area!
To submit an event for posting, please send a PDF version of your flyer to webmaster@pvsd.org for review.
Please note that Community Bulletin Board items may contain links to websites of organizations outside Perkiomen Valley School District. Items are posted to this bulletin board as a free service to the community, and should not be interpreted as being sponsored or endorsed by the district.
West Weeks At A Glance
Monday May 22nd - MSW Home & School Meeting @ 7pm in West Library
Tuesday May 23rd - PVSD Policy Committee Meeting @ 6pm in PVHS Library
Wednesday May 24th - 6th Grade Penn Museum Field Trip (Element Team)
Thursday May 25th - West Spring Choral Concert @ 7pm in Auditorium
Friday May 26th - 7th Grade Adventure Aquarium Trip (Titan Team)