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?

Elements are substances that cannot be chemically broken down into simpler substances and are primary constituents of all matter. Students in Mr. Patterson's eighth grade classes had the opportunity to explore some of the 118 known elements on the periodic table in an imaginative way. Working individually or in small groups, students were asked to write an element autobiography in a poetic form that did not divulge the name of the substance. Classmates then guessed the element from the clues offered in each presentation.

West Home & School Information - Penny War Fundraiser

It's time to see which grade level team can outearn every other grade level team for a pizza party. West Home & School will be hosting a penny war fundraiser at West from Monday May 22nd to Friday May 26th to raise money to continue supporting staff and students here at West for years to come. See the flyer below for more details.
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8th Grade Celebration Coming Soon!

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8th Grade Celebration Parent Volunteers Needed!

Parents/Guardians are needed to help decorate, supervise activities, and clean-up at the conclusion of the celebration. If you are interested in helping with the 8th Grade Celebration as a volunteer please go to the link below to sign up. Thank You!

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…

  1. All elementary camps will be held at Middle School East.
  2. Middle-level offerings are available to students currently in grades 5 through 8.
  3. 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

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Get Your 2022-2023 PVMS West Yearbook!📸

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Charity BINGO Night

Join Operation HELP at West's first charity BINGO night! On Friday, May 26th doors will open at 5:30 for our participants to get their BINGO boards and put in tickets for our fabulous raffle baskets! There are even GRAND RAFFLES for a $250 Visa Gift card and another for four tickets to a Phillies game! Games will begin promptly at 6:00. Proceeds will be used to benefit our community's active senior living center, Greenfield in Schwenksville, as we will plant a butterfly garden for them in their courtyard!

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

After School Activity Transportation

After-school activity transportation is available at Middle School West. Transportation is available to any student participating in an after-school activity such as athletics, music practice, or student clubs.


  • 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

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

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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

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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.

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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:


MSWAttendance@pvsd.org


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.

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Safe2Say

Our students can submit an anonymous tip through the Safe2Say Program. Tips are typically related to a variety of challenges our students experience or witness, such as bullying, harassment, disrespectful language, safety concerns, etc. When a tip is received, the State (who runs Safe2Say) immediately follows up with building administrators.

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)

HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND!