The Puma Pride
November 1, 2021
Principal's Message
Hello, Willow Dale Families!
Happy November! It is hard to believe that we are already in the month of November. As I visited classrooms last week, they were full of energy and engaged learning. Students in grades K-5 delved into their math and science units. Many of our classrooms are home to living creatures that our young scientists are observing and investigating. Our fifth-grade students encountered real-world problem solving and design when they participated in the Fab Lab facilitated by the Bucks County IU.
Thank you to Ms. Palkovics, Librarian, and Ms. Taylor for coordinating our first Pumpkin Palooza! Our Willow Dale students are so creative! Enjoy the video of all the decorated character pumpkins.
Mr. Julius and I enjoyed seeing so many students and parents who participated in the Trunk or Treat on Sunday. A big thank you to Mrs. Shiffer and our Home and School Room Captains who organized and assisted with classroom parties and the Trunk or Treat Event. Take a look at the pictures located in the newsletter.
At the end of this week, you will receive an email from your child’s teacher regarding the upcoming Parent/Teacher conferences. If you have any questions, please reach out to your child’s teacher.
Tuesday, November 2, is election and teacher in-service day. There is no school for students. This is a great day to help support our Schoolwide Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports Program (SWPBIS/PAWS) by participating in the Chuck E. Cheese fundraiser. See the flyer below.
On behalf of the teachers, staff, and administration, thank you for partnering with us to ensure that every Willow Dale student is successful.
Have a PAWSome week!
Sincerely,
Dr. Perkins & Mr. Julius
Website: https://wdes.centennialsd.org/
Phone: 215-441-6093
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/category/Education/Willow-Dale-Elementary-School-331460017756772/
Twitter: @Willow_Dale_ES
Next Newsletter- November, 15 2021
Pictures from the Week
What's Happening in the Classrooms?
The Bucks IU Mobile Fab Lab Visits Willow Dale Elementary
The Bucks IU Mobile Fab Lab visited Willow Dale Elementary School this week. The Lab contains equipment and curriculum to engage students in grades 1-8 in digital fabrication
and computer science. The Willow Dale 5th grade students participated in a team design challenge that allowed them to use equipment such as laser engraver/ cutters, CNC routers, 3D printers, AR/VR equipment, and a large variety of robotics equipment. Our students shared some of their experiences below.
“I LOVED it! The 3D printing is really cool” ~ Rudra
“I thought the Fab Lab was quite awesome. I felt like I took a trip to like 2030 or something like that. It was very futuristic! Making the designs for sustainable futuristic homes was great and mind exercising. My friend Mason and I had some great ideas. When I saw our printed version, it was amazing! ~ Kat. M.
“I think Fab Lab was cool because you can design things. I also thought it was cool because the teacher teaches you what some designers do to make houses with the website Tinker Cad, which gives us a 3D idea of how we build something” ~ Emma M.
A big "Thank You" to the Bucks County IU for providing such a fantastic real-world experience!
2nd Grade Super Stars Love Learning
The start of second grade was a roaring success!! Second graders have been hard at work. In Fundations we are learning glued sounds, vowel teams, and they are doing a fabulous job of marking up their words.
The importance of punctuation to determine the types of sentences we are reading and writing have been our focus in Language Arts.
In our math classes we continue to practice building math fact fluency. We have also focused on measurement in centimeters. Ask your child to show you their measurement skills!!
In Social Studies, we have been learning about communities. We have discussed the meaning of a community, differentiating between urban, suburban and rural. Students are learning about map skills, these include reading a map and creating their own maps.
Finally, all of second grade participated in the ADL: Walk Against Hate. We listened to a wonderful book, discussed being an upstander, and made posters for our walk.
Pumpkin Palooza
News from the Willow Dale Reading Team
This year was off to a busy start! In September, the reading team administered the DIBELS universal screeners to all students in kindergarten through second grade. This gave us an opportunity to get into the classrooms, assist teachers with beginning-of-the-year activities, catch up with our past intervention students, and meet Willow Dale’s newest Pumas. We also took some time to meet with those 3rd, 4th, and 5th students who have been part of our intervention groups in the past, so we could catch up on their progress. After all screeners were completed, we had some valuable time with teachers to collaborate on professional development, analyze screening data, review programs, and set up Tier 3 intervention groups.
With the beginning of the month of October, we were able to start meeting with our new intervention groups. In those groups, we deliver lessons that target skills such as phonemic awareness and letter/sounds in kindergarten and explicit phonics instruction in grades 1-5 that target any gaps in skills and give opportunities for direct application in decodable or leveled readers/passages. We will be monitoring their progress approximately every two weeks and working with teachers to make sure all our students are moving forward with their skills.
For parents and guardians who want to help their child with improving their reading skills, there are a few easy things that can be done at home. The single best thing you can do to help is to read together each day. This can be via your child reading to you, you reading to your child, or sharing the reading together. Multiple readings of the same book is never a problem! While the library is always the best place to go for books, we are here to help if you need more books at home! Please reach out via your child’s classroom teacher or contact us directly, and we’ll be happy to help.
One other way you can help at home is to work on name-writing and letters/sounds in kindergarten, sight words (also known as trick words) in grades 1-3, and to talk with your child about what he/she is reading in grades 4-5. It’s also always a good idea to talk with your child on a regular basis about vocabulary words that you come across naturally, such as at stores, running errands in the car, visiting relatives, at special events, etc. You’d be surprised at how much just a little conversation can really build the background knowledge that students need to help them be successful at school!
As always, never hesitate to reach out to any one of us if you have questions or concerns:
Dawn Kremer, reading specialist kremda@centennialsd.org
Lisa Laatsch, reading specialist laatli@centennialsd.org
Kelley O’Leary, reading specialist/MTSS coordinator oleake@centennialsd.org
Janet Richard, reading boost tutor, richja@centennialsd.org
Puma Ambassadors Hard at Work
From the Nurse's Office: October is National Dental Hygiene Month
October is National Dental Hygiene Month, an annual reminder for the nation to practice the daily habits that promote healthy teeth and gums. We tend to take oral health for granted and only decide to pay attention to it when we are experiencing problems such as cavities, gums problems, or toothache. The reality is that dental health is of enormous significance for our quality of life and we need to take care of it properly. With the understanding that an increasing number of people have inadequate dental hygiene habits, the American Dental Hygienists’ Association (ADHA) decided to do something about this problem. In 2009, in partnership with the well-known Wrigley Company, ADHA designated October as the National Dental Hygiene Month.
The main objective of the National Dental Hygiene Month is to raise awareness of the importance of oral health and proper hygiene practices to make our teeth, gums, and the entire oral cavity stronger and healthier. This awareness month aims to decrease the risk of the most common dental health problems and to help both adults and children to have a picture-perfect smile.
Proper brushing technique
Start by placing the toothbrush to the 45-degree angle to the gums
Using short strokes gently move the brush back and forth
Make sure you brush both outer and inner surfaces of your teeth as well as chewing surfaces
When brushing inner surfaces of the front teeth, tilt the toothbrush vertically and use gentle, up and down strokes
Brush your tongue
REMEMBER: replace a toothbrush after the flu or cold even if you’ve only started using it recently.
Proper flossing technique
Use 18 inches of floss wrapped around each middle finger and making sure there is only an inch or two to floss with
Hold the floss tightly with thumbs and index fingers
Use up and down movements to floss areas between your teeth
Around the base of every tooth, try to slightly curve the floss
As you move from one tooth to another, use only clean sections of floss. Never use same section of floss to clean areas between multiple teeth because it’s only transmitting bacteria from one place to another
National Dental Hygiene Month is the perfect opportunity to be more proactive about your oral health. Schedule an appointment to see your dentist, get educated about the importance of dental health, and promote proper oral hygiene practices.
Math Challenge Winners - Week 2
Disclaimer Notice: This is not a publication of the Centennial School District. The district neither approves nor disapproves of the contents thereof. If you have a concern, write or telephone the sponsor.
No School or Early Dismissal on the following Days
- November 2 - In-Service Day No School for Students
- November 23 - Early Dismissal - 11:45 AM/ PM K-5 Parent Conferences
- November 24- K-12 Parent Conferences- No School for Students
- November 25 & 26 - Holiday ALL Schools and Offices closed
November 2, 2021 - Chuck E. Cheese Fundraising - 11:00 AM to 9:00 PM
Set Clocks Back 1 hour (Fall back)
Sunday, Nov 7, 2021, 02:00 AM
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Home and School Meeting (Virtual)
Meeting Zoom Link:
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us04web.zoom.us/j/72442922250?pwd=NUxCZ2lmUFp0UVR2RFJtVStrTklDUT09
Meeting ID: 724 4292 2250
Passcode: 4WMdz1
Contact the WD H&S Association mailto:willowdalehsa@gmail.com
Monday, Nov 8, 2021, 06:15 PM
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School Board Meeting
Tuesday, Nov 9, 2021, 07:00 PM
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Save the Date: Book Fair
On Thursday, November 18th, we will be hosting a special Open House Night at Doylestown Bookstore from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM. There will be surprise guest readers, snacks, raffles and a chance to browse through the bookstore with only our Willow Dale community! An informational flyer will be coming home soon.
Please contact Jen Taylor with any questions- taylje@centennialsd.org. Happy reading!
Specials Rotation Calendar
Lifetouch Picture Day - Picture Retake is scheduled for November 22
Title I Information
Willow Dale is a Title I School
Safety & Security
Visitors to the school must enter the school’s front foyer (white doors) and ring the bell, located next to the door that leads to the main office. Once buzzed in, our fantastic staff will be happy to serve you!
- Visitors must obtain a visitor’s pass from the main office.
- All visitors to the building must have his/her photo identification card scanned through the Raptor system to ensure everyone’s safety. Please make sure you have your driver's license or state photo ID card available upon entrance. The system will also ask questions related to health and wellness (COVID symptom check).
- Visitors or parents may be escorted to their room where their business or volunteer work is being conducted.
- Students are requested not to bring guests to school unless permission is granted in advance by the principal.
- Forgotten books, lunch money, lunches, etc. should be left in the office. We will see that they are delivered to the student.
- If a parent or designated adult is picking a student up from school early, a driver's license is required and the above process (step 2) must be completed to release the student.
Thank you very much for helping us maintain a safe school for our students and staff!
Breakfast and Lunch Information
ALL STUDENTS ARE ELIGIBLE FOR A FREE BREAKFAST & LUNCH DAILY
The USDA has extended the waiver to continue feeding under the Summer Programs which entitles all children 18 and under to eat for free. These programs have been extended throughout the entire school year.
Parents, please continue to apply for free and reduced programs, as this helps fund other programs in the district which could benefit families. Now more than ever, we need families to complete the Free and Reduced meal application even though all meals are currently free. Please complete the application today.
2021-2022 Bus Schedules
Attendance
Children who attend school regularly make the best academic progress, graduate, and go on to successful post-secondary education and/or careers.
Students, who arrive late (after 8:45 am), must report to the office for a late slip. Parents should accompany tardy students to the office to sign in the student.
If your child is going to be absent, please notify the school to let us know.
Reporting Absences
SUBMITTING ABSENCE NOTES
Attendance Notes can be Submitted Electronically via email at WDAttendance@centennialsd.org. Please know you will still receive automated phone calls (to the primary phone listed in Skyward) if you have not submitted an absence note via email on the days your child is absent from school.
**Absence notes must be submitted within 3 days of the student's absence, otherwise, the absence will be recorded as unexcused.
E-Mailing Attendance Notes
- Parents with children in Willow Dale may e-mail attendance notifications/notes to the following address: WDAttendance@centennialsd.org
- E-mail notifications are encouraged on the morning of the absence day. However, e-mailed absence notes may be sent on the day following the absence.
- When sending an absence notification please include the following information:
- Child's Name
- Child's Grade
- Child's Homeroom Teacher
- Date(s) of Absence
- Reason for Absence
- Contact Phone # for Parent/Guardian
- Other Pertinent Information
- While you may still continue to call the school on the day of absence, a follow-up e-mail or a written note is still required for the absence to be excused.
Email: WDAttendance@centennialsd.org
Phone: 215-441-6093
Childcare Arrangement Request
Transportation for childcare arrangements must be on a fixed schedule that is consistent from week to week. Transportation arrangements may take a week to arrange; please find alternative transportation for your child(ren) until you are notified of arrangements. Please confirm all arrangements with your child and your child(ren)’s teacher(s).
Please email completed forms to wdattendance@centennialsd.org.
Below is a link to the form.
Family Trips Scheduled During the School Year
Dear Centennial Families;
The Centennial School District Board of School Directors approved Policy 204.1, Family Trips Scheduled During School Year.
Although the scheduling of family trips during the instructional year is not encouraged, the Centennial School Board recognizes that students may benefit educationally by accompanying their parent(s)/guardian(s) on trips. The revision to the policy will allow the schools to approve up to five (5) days instead of three (3). Any trip beyond five (5) days will need the approval of the Superintendent.
Parent(s)/Guardian(s) who are requesting approval for a family trip need to complete and submit the attached form to their building principal at least two (2) weeks before the trip.
If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Dr. Perkins or Mr. Julius.
School Safety Drills
We will practice fire, lock-in, lock-out, and weather emergency drills. These drills may or may not be announced. Unannounced drills more accurately indicate the preparedness of the school and the effectiveness of safety procedures. Your child's teacher will review the exercises and procedures with their classes. Please make the teacher aware of any concerns regarding your child's participation in the safety drills.
The Warminster Director of Emergency Management Services and the Warminster Police Department will be invited to observe our drills and provided feedback for improvement.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to Dr. Perkins or Mr. Julius.
Willow Dale Elementary School
Email: perkca@centennialsd.org
Website: https://wdes.centennialsd.org/
Location: 720 North Norristown Road, Warminster, PA, USA
Phone: 215-441-6093
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/category/Education/Willow-Dale-Elementary-School-331460017756772/
Twitter: @Willow_Dale_ES