Kutz Cougar Courier Times
KUTZ ELEMENTARY SCHOOL'S NEWSLETTER
August 27, 2022
Welcome Back, Cougars!
I hope everyone had an amazing summer! We have had a busy few weeks at Kutz. We had our 6th grade ambassadors help our new families find their way around Kutz. We then saw many families at Supply Drop Off and Kindergarten Orientation. I am so excited to welcome you back for the 2022-2023 school year!
We are looking forward to a terrific first day. As you read through this edition of the newsletter you will find many important pieces of information. Although, at first it may seem overwhelming, it is all essential to a successful, safe school year. Please take some time to read through and complete all the necessary annual paperwork and submit it online or return it to school.
As a reminder, especially for our new families, we will have many staff members on hand during the first week of school to help your children get to their classrooms safely. For safety reasons, we are not permitting adults to enter the building on the first day of school to walk their children to their classrooms. We don't have the capacity to check all of the IDs that we are required to check. Our number one goal is to ensure the safety of your children every day. It would be irresponsible of us to waive safety protocols on the first day of school. Thank you for your understanding.
Be sure to finish up those great books and receive the amazing rewards so graciously donated by our community partners, Lil' Dom's, OWOWCOW, Playa Bowls, Planet Smoothie, and Doylestown Bookshop. See below for more information
As always, a new school year brings both excitement and worry. We understand this, and we have planned for a warm opening where students can reconnect with friends and join a positive classroom community. The Kutz Staff is eager to meet your children and begin what will be a valuable, engaging, and fun school year. We are so grateful to open our doors and share the joy of learning with our students. Please reach out to your child's teacher, the office staff, or myself with any questions and concerns.
Now that school has begun, you can expect a weekly e-newsletter from our office, generally on Fridays. I am very excited for the start of the school year. I look forward to seeing your children on Monday and I will look forward to seeing you in the coming weeks at BTSN and other Kutz events.
Mrs. Christina Adelberger
Principal
Important Dates
- Sunday, August 28- Chalk Walk 3-6 PM (see below for more information)
- Monday, August 29- First Day of School
- Friday, September 2- No School for Students
- Monday, September 5- Labor Day- No School for Students (Offices closed too)
- Tuesday, September 6- BTSN for Grades 1-3 (see below for more information)
- Wednesday, September 7- BTSN for Grades 4-6 (see below for more information)
- Friday, September 9- Kutz Spirit Day (Wear Kutz gear or blue and white!)
- Friday, September 9- Home and School Back to School Picnic 5:30-7:30 PM (more information to come)
- Monday, September 26- Rosh Hashanah- No School for Students
- Friday, September 30- Student Information Update deadline (see below for more information)
A note from the Kutz Home and School Board:
The 2022-23 school year is just around the corner! The Kutz Home and School Association has lots of fun events planned for our families, as well as big plans to support our school’s wonderful teachers and staff!
The Home and School Board will be at Back to School Nights on September 6th and 7th. Stop by our table in the foyer to learn more about our initiatives and how you can help! Kutz student gear will be available to purchase at Back to School Night, along with order forms for future purchases.
Kutz families can also take part in a Chalk Walk to welcome our teachers, staff, and students for the first day of school. Bring your own chalk to Kutz and write a message of support on Sunday, August 28, between 3-6pm. You can write the message on the side walk by the main doors and car rider area and/or the sidewalk by the bus loop.
SAVE THE DATE:
Join us for the first family fun event of the school year!
What: Back to School Family Picnic
When: Friday, September 9th, 5:30-7:30pm
Where: Kutz playground and fields
Bring your own dinner, snacks, and non-alcoholic drinks along with chairs and blankets. It’ll be an opportunity to connect with familiar Kutz families and meet new ones while enjoying entertainment and games provided by local children’s entertainer and Kutz parent, Yvonne “YoYo” Kusters. The Kona Ice Truck, also owned by a Kutz family, will be there with cool treats to purchase. Please note this is not a drop-off event – parents are asked to stay with their children.
Important Information
Attendance- Parents and guardians will be able to submit absence requests via the Parent Portal. Parents can request a full day absence, early dismissal, or late arrival. Absence requests will be reviewed by School Attendance Staff and approved or denied. Requests made using the Parent Portal will also serve as the excuse for the absence. Parents will not be required to submit an excuse either electronic or written if submitted on the Parent Portal.
Family travel/vacation requests- Please submit all travel request through the Parent Portal at least 3 days prior to the date of your request. School Board Policy states that only 5 days per year may be approved for family trips or 2 trips. Any days/trips beyond the initial five days per year will be considered unexcused absences. In addition to entering the trip in the Parent Portal, please notify your child's teacher.
Safety information—During school hours all exterior doors are locked. All visitors are required to use the main entrance. Please ring the buzzer, sign-in at the office, show identification, and wear a visitor’s badge. Because we have students in the building until 6:00pm, the front door will be locked by 3:50pm. No one (other than before and after school parents) is permitted to enter the building after 3:50pm.
Arrival and Dismissal Information
Arrival begins at 8:30 AM and ends at 8:50 AM. Instruction will begin at 8:50 AM.
Dismissal begins at 3:30 PM and ends at 3:45 PM.
If your student is a bus rider for the upcoming school year, they will enter and exit through the bus hallway by the cafeteria as they usually do. Kindergarten and first grade students must have an adult at the bus stop to pick them up in the afternoon.
Car Riders
If your child is a car rider, they will enter and exit the building through the main office doors. To help the flow of the afternoon car line, we will provide you with a placard on the first day. This placard should have your child's last name in large letters and should be placed in the windshield every day so we can call their name to expedite the car line process.
Walkers
If you child is a walker, they will enter and exit the building through the main office doors. Kindergarten through third grade students should be walked to school by an adult and should have an adult greet them on the Kutz property at dismissal, too.
Bike Riders
If your child is a bike rider, the bike rack is on the playground. Student will park their bike and then walk to the bus entrance since this is the closest open and supervised entrance. At dismissal, bike riders are dismissed through the 5th and 6th grade doors near the bike rack. Students must be in third grade or higher to ride their bike independently to and from school.
New Kutz Staff Members
Please join me in welcoming new staff this year. I am confident that they will be outstanding additions to our Kutz community.
Brittany Engel, Grade 1
Catey McFadden, Grade 3
Alicia Fox, Grade 6
Nicole Doubet, Art
Sarah Coyle, Special Education
Rose Sinclair, Personal Care Assistant
We are still looking for a recess and lunch duty assistant at Kutz. There are other vacancies in the district, too. If you, or someone you know, is interested in working in an educational setting, please visit the district website using the link below. Central Bucks School District - Frontline Recruitment (applitrack.com) If you have questions about a specific position, please contact Christina Adelberger at cadelberger@cbsd.org
MTSS
MTSS or Muti Tiered System of Supports, is a framework that puts the focus on EVERY child. MTSS is not special education. The structure of the MTSS framework allows us to assess the health of our core instruction and identify the correct interventions, remediation or enrichment, for our students, if and when they are needed. Through MTSS we understand our students Reading and Math skills by,
- Assessing early, using a reading and math assessment & classroom-based measures
- Intervening quickly, with evidence-based strategies and resources
- Monitoring student progress regularly
This is our first year implementing this school wide framework. We have found MTSS has allowed us a greater understanding of our students and their specific reading and math skills, leading to the delivery focused support and enrichment. Our dedicated grade level teams work alongside administration, reading specialists, math coaches, the counselor, and school psychologist to support students and deliver appropriate and meaningful instruction and interventions. It is a team effort and we are one committed team, putting our students needs first and providing an outstanding academic program.
Supply List
Grade level supply lists are posted on the Kutz webpage. Click here to access the page. Your child can bring their supplies on the first day of school.
Kindergarten Orientation
Our Kindergarten students had FABULOUS orientation! Students were able to meet key staff members of the school, read a book in their classroom with their teacher Mrs. Kraenbring, learn the bus rules, ride a bus, visit the library and gym, and hear a story from our new librarian Mrs. Carroll! Parents were able to see their child's kindergarten classroom, visit the library and gym, meet key staff members, learn a little bit about the school from Mrs. Adelberger, learn specifically about the kindergarten day from Mrs. Kraenbring. It was a wonderful day all around!
Homeroom Parents Needed
Homeroom Parent Note:
Home & School is looking for homeroom parents for the 2022-23 school year.
We need to fill spots for:
- 1st grade: Engel (need two or three volunteers)
- 2nd grade: Kallelis (need one more)
- 3rd grade: Townsend (need two or three volunteers)
- 3rd grade: MacNeill (need two or three volunteers)
- 3rd grade: McFadden (need one more)
Being a homeroom parent is a fun way to support Kutz and to be part of your child’s school year experience. Each K-5th grade classroom has two- three homeroom parents who work together to fulfill the homeroom parent duties.
**6th grade coordinators were selected last spring**
Below are the responsibilities of a homeroom parent:
-Collect classroom dues of $5 per student for grades 1-5, $10 for kindergarten.
-Work with your child’s teacher to plan the classroom parties.
-Collect parents’ email addresses at Back to School Night to form classroom communication list.
-Communicate information about school events to your class
(Note: This requires frequent use of email and timely responses. Home & School relies on homeroom parents to spread information about classroom dues, class parties, Teacher Appreciation Week, Spring Fair and other Home and School related events.)
If you are interested in being a homeroom parent for the upcoming school year, please submit the following information to Heather Laphen at heatherlaphen@hotmail.com.
Name:
Child’s Name:
Grade/Teacher:
Primary Email Address:
Phone Number:
Back to School Nights
- Tuesday, September 6 - 5:30 PM- Back to School Night for PEN with Mrs. Long
- Tuesday, September 6 - 5:30 PM- Back to School Night for Special Education with Mrs. Coyle
- Tuesday, September 6 - 6:00 PM- Back to School Night for Grades 1 and 2
- Tuesday, September 6 - 6:30 PM- Back to School Night for Special Education with Ms. Bachman
- Tuesday, September 6 - 7:00 PM- Back to School Night for Grade 3
- Wednesday, September 7 - 5:30 PM- Back to School Night for Special Education with Ms. Giordano and 5th/6th Grade Special Education Teacher
- Wednesday, September 7 - 6:00 PM- Back to School Night for Grades 4 and 5
- Wednesday, September 7 - 6:30 PM- Back to School Night for Grade 5 Math
- Wednesday, September 7 - 6:30 PM- Back to School Night for Special Education with Ms. Alicea
- Wednesday, September 7 - 7:00 PM- Back to School Night for Grade 6
- Wednesday, September 7 - 7:30 PM- Back to School Night for Grade 6 Math
*Kindergarten Back to School Night is included within Kindergarten Orientation on Thursday, August 25 at 1:00 PM.
Summer Reading Initiative
Devices for 22-23 School Year
All Central Bucks’ students will either receive a device this year or continue to use the device that was issued last year. Read more about our plan and the next steps here: https://www.cbsd.org/1to12022
New this year, Kindergarten, 1st grade, and 2nd grade students will not be taking their devices home with them each night. Instead, iPads will be stored and charged in the classrooms. Students in grades 3, 4, 5, and 6 will take their laptop to and from school each day. All laptops must be carried inside a laptop case.
It has been a long, sunny summer, current 4th, 5th, and 6th grade students should locate their laptop, carrying case, and charger to ensure it is charged and ready for the first day of school, August 29th.
Breakfast/Lunch Information
Dear Central Bucks Families,
On behalf of CBSD Nutrition Services, I would like to take this opportunity to welcome our students to the 2022 – 2023 school year! We hope you enjoyed your summer and are ready and excited to be back in school. We, as Aramark Student Nutrition, are pleased to be your school district’s food service provider.
To help prepare for your child’s return to school, we want to share important news that will affect many families: You may have heard that as of June 30, 2022, the federal waivers – administered through the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) – that made it possible for us to serve school breakfast and lunch meals to students for free throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, have expired.
Ensuring that students are well fed throughout the school day is our top priority. Out of the 30 million lunches that were administered through the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) prior to the waivers, almost three-quarters of those were provided either at no charge or at a reduced price. We want to remind and inform families to take advantage of these meal benefits. Income eligibility guidelines are available through the Food and Nutrition Service of USDA. If approved, eligible students can eat at a free- or reduced-price at every food station in the cafeteria.
As we reopen for the new school year, Aramark Student Nutrition is Powering Potential for students and faculty with innovations in our menus and enhancements to our overall dining operations. When your child dines with us, rest assured that we will be serving delicious, nutritious meals prepared with the utmost attention to safety. We encourage every student to fuel up with breakfast and lunch meals each day so they can be energized and prepared to succeed throughout the day, in and out of the classroom. Check out our daily menus on Nutrislice
One thing that you can do to help this important cause is to encourage your students to eat breakfast and lunch every day. The demands of the classroom can be difficult for children who are hungry, as you know. Studies indicate students who eat breakfast can concentrate better, earn higher grades, and have fewer illnesses*. We do offer various breakfast programs – either in the cafeteria or in the classroom – to ensure students can start the school day right!
(*Food Research and Action Center (FRAC). “Breakfast for Learning.” Spring 2014.)
We look forward to working for you to create a healthy learning environment for all students. To view or add money to your student’s account please visit MySchoolBucks. To apply for free or reduced-price school meals please fill out the School Lunch Application
If you’d like more information, please call our office 267-893-5752.
Sincerely,
Matthew Taglieber General Manager
Food Service Director
Aramark Student Nutrition
Student Services Department
Our Central Bucks “Guidance” Department will now be known as “Student Services” Department. We are making this name change K-12 to better represent the wide-range of services that our Department provides to students and families across the district. While we certainly provide “guidance” to students, our School Counselors, School Psychologists, Student Support Social Workers, Student Support Counselors, and Nurses provide services including academic planning; college and career planning; social and emotional programs and initiatives; physical wellness; connections to community resources (financial, housing, food, services); and educational record management. We look forward to seeing students and families in our Student Services Office!
CHIP Insurance Opportunity
There is a paper application for families, but there is an online application that can be found here: https://www.chipcoverspakids.com/Pages/default.aspx. The online application can be translated to the family’s preferred language.
As a reminder, please fill out the Free and Reduced Lunch application if needed.
The link is here:
https://www.cbsd.org/Page/65722
In the past, we have also accepted paper applications, which we can still do. We ask the parents to complete the application (English and Spanish versions available on the website) and the school nurses can collect it.
Community Opportunities
Cub Scout Information
Cub Scout Pack 24, open to all boys and girls K-5th grade, will be holding an open house and rocket building workshop on Tuesday, August 30 from 5:30-7:30 pm at Fanny Chapman Playground.
Free pizza for all members and perspective members (bring money for the ice cream truck). Come see what we are all about. Members come from Kutz, Doyle, homeschooling groups, and local private schools. Lots of hands-on and screen-free fun.
Kutz/District Information
Free and Reduced Lunch for 2022-2023
Dear Parent/Guardian,
Central Bucks is pleased to announce the availability of applying for Free and Reduced Price Meals online! The process is SAFE, SECURE, PRIVATE, and AVAILABLE anytime, anywhere!
Food Services / Free & Reduced Lunch Application (cbsd.org)
Instructions: If you are applying for Free and Reduced Lunch and would like your child’s school to provide additional resources to your family, please complete and select which items you would like assistance with. Please return forms to the main office/Mrs. Adelberger (principal).
Health Room Update
Jen Donovan, our certified school nurse, would like to remind families about the health forms which are required each year. Parents are urged to have physical and dental examinations completed by their family physician or dentist. Exams may be completed any time after September 1, 2021 The completed health forms are due to the health office no later than October 15, 2022. Please keep a copy of the health form for your records.
REQUIRED HEALTH EXAMINATIONS FOR THE 2022-2023 SCHOOL YEAR:
The State of Pennsylvania mandates the following health examinations:
- Students entering Kindergarten and all students new to the district-- Dental Exam and Physical Exam
- Students entering Grades 3 and 7 -- Dental Exam
- Students entering Grade 6 and 11 -- Physical Exam
DENTAL EXAM FORM---https://www.cbsd.org/cms/lib/PA01916442/Centricity/Domain/403/Forms/dentalexam_formH514027.pdf
PHYSICAL EXAM FORM-- https://www.cbsd.org/cms/lib/PA01916442/Centricity/Domain/403/PHYSICAL%20EXAM%20form%202012.pdf
Thank you!
Need to Know Your Bus Number, Stop, and Time?
Information can be found in the Parent Portal under the "Transportation" tab.
Your student may ride only the bus to which he/she has been assigned unless an Alternate Bus Stop Request has been approved. Information on Alternate Bus Stop Requests can be found here. The Central Bucks Transportation Department will approve requests for childcare or shared custody* situations only as long as certain criteria are met. Parents may access an Alternate Bus Stop Request form by clicking HERE and either fax 267-893-5830 or mail directly to the Central Bucks Transportation Department, 320 West Swamp Road, Doylestown, PA 18901.
Attendance
Click here for PDF directions for how to input the absence, tardy, or early dismissal.
Click here for video directions for how to input the absence, tardy or early dismissal.
Requests made using the parent portal will also serve as the excuse for the absence. Parents will not be required to submit an excuse either electronic or written.
Parents and guardians can also still call the school to report an absence, but emails will no longer be accepted.
In addition, when a student is absent from school, but the school did not receive communication from the parent or guardian, the following communication will be sent:
- A text message will be sent midmorning notifying the parent or guardian of the absence
- An email will also be sent at the end of the school day reminding the parent or guardian that the student was marked absent.
Thank you for your attention to this.
New Student Registration
If you will have a new student (kindergarten, first grade) attending Central Bucks in the fall of 2022, now is the time to register. Enrollment for all new students (grades kindergarten through 12) is now ongoing.
Registering students now ensures that buildings plan for appropriate staff and resources for the coming year. Visit www.cbsd.org/register to complete the process online. If your student is currently enrolled, it is not necessary to re-register them, this process is for new students only.
Visit www.cbsd.org/register for more details, including necessary documents to gather in order to register children. Please consider as soon as possible to aid the district in its planning for 2022-2023.
Kutz Passive Fundraisers
Kutz Information
Daily School Hours
Kutz is a "B" School
- Arrival begins at 8:30 AM
- Student day begins at 8:50 AM
- Student day ends at 3:30 PM
- Dismissal Ends at 3:50 PM
- For early dismissal days- dismissal begins at 12:10 PM
- For 2 hour delay days- arrival begins at 10:30 and the student day begins at 10:50
Kindergarten
- Morning Kindergarten begins at 8:50 AM (arrival begins at 8:30 AM) and ends at 11:25 AM
- Afternoon Kindergarten begins at 12:55 PM and ends at 3:30 PM
- Beginning in the 2019-2020 school year, we implemented a “modified kindergarten” schedule on weather delay days. The schedule will be as follows for Kutz: AM Students 10:50 AM – 12:35 PM and PM Students 1:45 PM – 3:30 PM
Student Directory 2021-2022
The student directory for the 2021-2022 school year is on the Kutz website! Click here to access it. This is a password protected document. The password was sent in a separate email on October 11, 2021.
We will be creating the directory for the 2022-2023 school year shortly.
Kutz Student/Parent Handbook
Click here for the Kutz Parent and Student Handbook for the 2022-2023 school year. This handbook provides a comprehensive summary of school and district policies and programs for students and their families. We hope you will find this to be a valuable resource.
Reminder for Volunteer Clearances
The 2021-22 school year brings back opportunities to volunteer in school. If you have not already done so, please click here (https://www.cbsd.org/volunteers) to learn more about the process and requirements to volunteer in CBSD. New this year is the App Garden Volunteer Tracker (https://appgarden5.app-garden.com/VolTrackPA92102.nsf/VolApp.xsp), a contactless application and paperwork submission process. Sign-up is required for both new and returning volunteers.
Clearances expire five years after approval, so please check your CBSD Volunteer card to make sure yours are still current.
Thank you for supporting our staff and students by volunteering your time!
Food Service Information
Want to view our lunch menu? Need to add funds to your child's account? Looking for nutrition information? Need to apply for free and reduced breakfast/lunch? Click here to learn more about Food Services in Central Bucks.
Child Care Program
Looking for more information on our Before and After School Programs? Click here to learn how to register your child.
About Kutz
Kutz Character Traits: Perseverance, Integrity, Respect, Responsibility
Email: cadelberger@cbsd.org
Website: www.cbsd.org/Kutz
Location: Kutz Elementary School, Turk Road, Doylestown, PA, USA
Phone: 267-893-3900
Twitter: @CBKutzElem