Pearl S. Buck Elementary
November 22, 2019
Upcoming Dates and Events
Schools will be closed on:
- November 27-29 - Thanksgiving Break
- December 13 - Parent/Teacher Conferences. (Elementary only)
- December 23-January 1st, 2020 - Winter Break
- January 20th - Martin Luther King Day
- February 17th & 18th - President's Day and Act 80
- April 6-10 - Act 80 and Spring Break
- April 28 - Election Day
- May 25 - Memorial Day
A copy of the District calendar is available online.
Upcoming Events:
- December 12th - Holiday Concert (Orchestra, Beginner String Ensemble, and Choir). 7 PM at Maple Point Middle School auditorium.
School Store Dates:
Dec 17, Jan 14, Feb 11, March 17, April 21, May 19, June 2.
Next PTO Meeting:
December 12th at 9:15 AM. Dates and times for the rest of the year can be found here.
PTO Dine-out nights:
- Chick-Fil-A: Thursday, December 5th, all day.
- Chipotle (New location @ Lincoln Plaza), January 29, 4-8 PM.
Every Friday! Buck Spirit Days. Wear your Pearl Buck spirit shirt, or red and blue.
~ "The Neshaminy community builds futures by empowering each child to become a productive citizen and a lifelong learner." ~
Happy Thanksgiving! Our next newsletter will be published on 12/6.
Thank you for your Generosity
Also, we want to thank several donors from our community who have made cash contributions, provided additional certificates for turkeys, or paid off outstanding lunch-account balances. Very generous. Very cool.
Box Decorating
Morning Announcements at Pearl Buck
Volunteer Clearances
Since the approval process can take several weeks, please file for your clearances ASAP so that they are in place when needed.
Handwriting v. Keyboarding
There was a study done at University of Washington comparing students who composed text by hand with those who keyboarded. The students who wrote by hand consistently produced more words more quickly than those on a keyboard and also expressed more ideas. A study with older children went even further through brain imaging…when the children were asked to come up with ideas for a composition, the ones with better handwriting exhibited greater neural activation in areas associated with working memory and increased overall activation in the reading and writing networks.
When students automatized correct letter formation early in writing development, their spelling and composition skills are both likely to be stronger.
Both legible handwriting and fluent handwriting benefit composition in the early grades. The motor skills necessary for letter formation are considerable. They include sufficient muscle strength to hold the pencil, fine motor control to direct the pencil, kinesthetic awareness of the intended movement, rhythmic flow of movement, and the ability to drag the hand steadily across the page. A sense of directionality is also important, because letter formation involves controlled production of a series of strokes in varying directions. Young children can develop all these aspects of graphomotor control with frequent, distributed practice and explicit teaching.
Meowzers! A Reminder About Pets on Campus
Thanks!
Career Presenters Wanted
This year’s Career Connections Day is scheduled for Thursday, April 23, from 9:20 a.m to 12:15 p.m. We would like to give our 3rd and 4th grade students the opportunity to hear about possible career choices in the following fields:
1. Arts and Communication
2. Business Finance
3. Information Technology
4. Engineering and Industry Technology
5. Human Services
6. Science and Health
We’re looking for energetic presenters. Students love hands-on activities, so we welcome visual aids, displays, props and uniforms. We would also be interested in jobs within these fields that may be lesser known. If you or someone you know is interested and able to help us, please e-mail our School Counselor, Rob Crozier, at rcrozier@neshaminy.org.
Prepare for the Science Fair
More information, including registration information, will be available soon. If you have any pressing questions, please feel free to email Mr. Kern at bkern@neshaminy.org, or catch him during school.
Participation is optional. However, don't be shy! We've had nearly 100 projects presented at our fairs. This year’s fair is scheduled for Thursday, February 27th, 2020, 6:30-7:30 PM. An in-school presentation for Buck students will occur the following morning. The top 6 projects (voted on by those who visit our Science Fair) will be invited to present at the Neshaminy STEAM EXPO on April 1st, 2019, at Neshaminy High School.
Turkey Tales
Be Allergy Aware!
Due to varied allergy and dietary needs, please contact your child's teacher before sending in food or other items intended to be distributed to students in a classroom (e.g. birthday celebrations, class parties). Students should not share food at any time during school - even with a close friend. A seemingly harmless food item may unexpectedly contain allergens, or interact with other medical conditions. Teachers may choose to avoid food-oriented experiences altogether. Please consider non-food treats as an alternative. Speak directly with your child's teacher. Do not send in any items until the teacher has responded and confirmed the appropriateness of your request. Thanks!