Falcon Flash
April 29th, 2022
Principal's Message
Stetson Families:
Our students began taking the ELA PSSA testing this week. They are doing a great job working hard and staying focused each day. Thank you for arriving to school on time as it helps all students in our building start testing on time. For ELA and Math Exams we have shorten class periods each day but student will attend each class period. As the weather gets warmer and we begin our descent into summer please remind your student(s) to continue to stay on top of their assignments each week. You can support your child by periodically checking in with parent portal. If you have any concerns please continue to communicate with teachers and administrators. We are here to help support you and your family!
We have received word that the school year will officially end on June 10th. There will be three half days starting on June 8th. We will be planning several special activities for our students during the end of the year. Our 8th grade promotional ceremony will take place on June 9th, please be on the look out for additional details. Our teachers will personally send an email to parents soon about a specific award being given to their child during this ceremony. Our 8th grade dance will take place on Friday, June 3rd. If your child plans to attend, a permission slip should have been handed in.
Next week, we will continue with our Math and Science PSSA testing. Please plan accordingly to make sure all students arrive to school on time so we can begin the testing promptly by 8:15 am and conclude around 10:15 am. All students should have a #2 pencil, calculator, and NO electronic device (including watches) in the testing room each day.
· May 3rd & 4th-- Math Testing for grades 6th-8th
· May 5th & 6th-- Science Testing for 8th grade ONLY
· May 16th & 18th --Keystone Exam for Algebra students ONLY
*Please contact Mrs. Stephen (SMS testing coordinator) if you plan on opting your student out of this testing. The only acceptable exemption is for religious reasons and there are specific procedures to follow for this process. Please email her at estephen@wcasd.net to set up an appointment time.
Thank you for looking ahead and planning accordingly.
Have a great weekend,
Mrs. Puchalla
Calendar --Look Ahead and Plan
May 2nd--Day 5
May 3rd--Day 6 *PSSA Testing Day
May 4th--Day 1 *PSSA Testing Day
May 5th--Day 2 *PSSA Testing Day (8th grade ONLY)
May 6th--Day 3 *PSSA Testing Day (8th grade ONLY)
Daily bell schedule
Falcon Period Schedule--Tuesday and Thursday
Technology concerns--If technical issues arise, please use the following resources:
Tech Support @ Home – WCASD website with important information:
- Schoology Support
- Laptop Support
- Additional Resources
- Schoology Parent & Student Support
If there is an issue with your 1:1 device please email SMS tech_support@wcasd.net
Teacher Appreciation Week 2022
May 2nd - May 6th marks Teacher Appreciation Week! We want to make sure each and every educator knows just how appreciated they are. Celebrate the educators in your life by sharing a personal message to them. Our teachers work hard each day to ensure our students become successful in school and beyond. It is our time to say thanks for their dedication and passion to the profession.
8th Grade Dance
We are excited to announce that the 8th grade dance is June 3rd from 6:30-9:30 pm. Permission forms are past due. If your child would like to still attend, please have them bring their signed permission form to Ms. Morris or Mrs. Chavarria. The success of the dance depends upon parents to help with chaperoning, decorating, food preparation, and cleaning up. Please see the sign up link on the permission form. Thank you in advance for those who help out!
Student Council Info
Our student council has provided a new online school store for Stetson spirit wear. There is no deadline to purchase items. Please see this link if you are interested in ordering something for your child:
https://teamlocker.squadlocker.com/#/lockers/stetson-middle-school
Spring Sports
Home events next week-- start time scheduled for 3:15 pm:
5/2--Boys Lax vs Fugett
5/2--Track vs North Brandywine & Lionville
5/3--8th grade Baseball vs Great Valley
5/3--8th grade Softball vs Great Valley
5/4--Boys Lax vs Kennett
5/5--7th Baseball vs North Brandywine
5/5--Track vs Fugett
Ineligibility
It is Stetson’s mission to help all students maintain passing grades, however, if a student is failing two or more academic subjects, or one academic subject, and two unified arts classes, they will be placed on our ineligibility list. Students who are on the ineligibility list are unable to participate in any extracurricular sport/activity. A report is generated every Thursday to determine eligibility status for the following week.
6th Grade Intramural Opportunity
The 6th Grade Intermural Track Program is an after school activity in which 6th Graders will learn the fundamentals of track and field, participate in a tri meet, interact with their peers and get physical exercise. Practices will begin May 3rd and culminate with a track meet with Fugett and Pierce tentatively scheduled for May 25th. If you would like to sign up your child for 6th Grade intermural Track please fill out the form in the link, 6th Grade Intermural Track . To join the 6th Grade Intermural Track page on Schoology use the access code MHSDS-STR8D. Our Practice Schedule will be posted on the Schoology page. Feel free to contact Mr. David Loescher with any questions dloeschervelazquez@wcasd.net
Hoops For Heart--May 20th, 2022
Back by popular demand, our Hoops For Heart fundraiser will take place this school year on May 20th. Stetson's goal this year is to raise $7,000 for The American Heart Association. Please read flyer to find out about how to make a contribution or have your child join in on the basketball fun!
Lost & Found
Our lost and found is getting quite large lately. If your child has lost any item (especially a water bottle), please have them take a look at our lost & found area. All of the items are located on a cart located in the cafeteria by the entrance doors.
Water bottles
We are asking students to bring in a refillable water bottle to school with their daily supplies. We have several water stations located around the school for them to refill their bottle to get a drink at any time. The warm weather makes us thirsty, especially after PE class.
If you child has lost their water bottle, please ask them to check the lost and found items in the cafeteria. We have several unclaimed bottles on a table in the cafeteria.
New Initiative for 4th Marking Period--Falcon Bucks!
We have started a new initiative for the 4th marking period designed to support and encourage positive behaviors and habits from our students. Some examples of behaviors where students can earn Falcon Bucks would be comforting a friend when they are upset, lending supplies like a computer charger to a friend, finding a valuable lost item and turning it into the office, a genuine and kind behavior towards another student, or being an upstander to a peer in need. Every Friday we will hold a raffle and pick a Falcon Buck out of the bucket. The winner of the raffle will be awarded a prize. We will also be doing an end of the marking period for each grade level to win a special activity like a game against their teachers.
Dress Code Reminder
Please help us in reminding our students to follow our dress code policy. These include crop tops (mid-drift showing), pajama pants, slippers, and wearing hoods inside the school building. As our warm weather approaches, let's make sure our students are dressed appropriately for the school setting. Students who continue to violate the dress code will receive a consequence of after-school detention.
Cell Phone Reminder
Our personal cell phones are not permitted to be used during school hours in the educational setting. Please review the policy below with your student.
Announcements from PTO
- Your Stetson PTO is looking for new board members (2-4) to fill empty spaces next year as a few 8th grade parents move on to Rustin High School. The commitment requires a Zoom meeting once a month and some collaboration/coordination with other PTO members at certain times of the year as needed. We are not giving titles to any board members going forward as we all work together to enhance the home/school connection. If you are interested in helping out for the 2022-2023 school year or if you want to learn more, please send an email to ptostetson@gmail.com
Thank you for considering!
A small thing we can do for our teachers and staff is to provide some treats to show our gratitude. We have lots of open spaces on our teacher snack bowl signup. Please take a look and see if you can help. THANK YOU to all who have already signed up and participated in this act of teacher/staff gratitude and appreciation!
https://m.signupgenius.com/#!/showSignUp/805054aa8a72da7f94-teacher
Nurse's Corner
Attention 6th Grade Parents-
Dental exams are a PA State requirement for all 7th grade students. Your student will need to have a dental exam on file within the first 60 days of their 7th grade school year. Dental exams dated after June 1, 2021 is acceptable. Feel free to send in with your student, or email to mczerpak@wcasd.net at your earliest convenience!
Please see information regarding Lyme Disease and Tickborne Diseases
https://www.cdc.gov/lyme/index.html
If you have any health questions, please contact our school nurse by email at mczerpak@wcasd.net.
Community information
Many parents have requested to learn more about Social and Emotional Learning (SEL). Please see the attached flyers for more information and opportunities for three parent sessions coming soon.