The Puma Pride
January 25, 2021
Principal's Message
Hello, Willow Dale Families!
January is flying by. We have been experiencing colder temperatures over the last few weeks. Please take a look at the cold weather guidelines to help keep our students safe and warm. This week the weather forecasters are predicting the possibility of snow and ice events. Please check your email and phones for weather-related updates from the district.
Benchmark assessments have been underway in grades K-2. Students-Keep up the great work! MAP assessments will begin on February 1 for students in grades 3-5. If you have any questions about the assessments or your child's schedule, please reach out to your child's teacher.
We hope all of our families can join us for the second Family Night of Code", which will be held on Wednesday, January 27 at 7 PM. The feedback from the first event was that the event was "lots of fun!" Information with the link for the evening can be found below.
January 28 is the last day to help out with the Willow Dale MLK Service Project. Thank you to everyone who sent in or ordered items that were shipped from Amazon. Check out the flyer and Amazon link in the newsletter. Look for an update in a future newsletter.
Don't forget to sign up for the PikMyKid app if you pick up your child(ren) from school. Please refer to the parent information.
Lastly, please review the information from the nurse regarding illness and the COVID-5 check each day. I appreciate our families' vigilance in communicating student absences and keeping students home when they are not feeling well. Please continue to email wdattendance@centennialsd.org with absence notes. If you would like to switch your child's learning model at any time, please email your child's teacher or contact the main office.
Thank you for your continued support. Feel free to reach out with any questions or concerns.
Stay warm and safe. Have a Pawsome week!
~Dr. Perkins & Mr. Julius
Phone: 215-441-6093
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WillowDaleEl
Twitter: @Willow_Dale_ES
Hybrid Schedule
Don't Miss National Family Code Night -Wednesday, January 27, 2021 @ 7:00 PM
Willow Dale is pleased to invite every one of our families to participate in a second National Family Code Nights, a free live-stream family learning event for any K-5 school. We heard that the first one was so much fun!
Regardless of physical location, our school’s community can share this wonderful learning experience in which each child pairs up with a parent or other older partner to do their very first hour of coding together! No experience needed! It’s great fun, proven in thousands of schools nationwide, and now provided via a live-stream. All you have to do is log in!
Family members, teachers, and educators can join the live-stream from home or school to enjoy an important, delightful experience. A live prize drawing for a Home Robotics Bundle from Wonder Workshop will be featured at each National Family Code Night. So save the date and get ready for a community learning experience the whole family will love and value.
Help Willow Dale With their MLK Service Project! Last Day to Participate is January 28.
Hear from the Willow Dale Puma Ambassadors about the project in the video below.
Families and staff who are able to participate can drop off items at WD or purchase through the Amazon wish list from 1/19-1/28.
From the Desk of Erica Mumford, Willow Dale's School Psychologist
With COVID-19 and alternative school instruction, whether it be virtual or hybrid, parents are faced with unprecedented stressors. On top of jobs, parents are also being asked to provide childcare for their children on virtual/ asynchronous days. Children also feel the stress of attending school from home and missing out on the social interactions and day-to-day services schools offer. This stress can ultimately lead to increased anxiety and/ or conflict. But there are some simple things adults can do to help.
Below is a list of strategies and techniques that may help to diffuse arguing and foster more positive interactions.
- When our child pushes our buttons, go “brain dead;” i.e., don’t pay attention to what he/she is saying and instead, reply with a one-liner such as, “I know,” “I’ll listen when your voice is calm,” or “I bet it feels that way.”
- Only set limits you know you can enforce
- Provide choices within the limits you have set
- Phrase statements in terms of what you will do instead of making a demand; e.g., “I will talk to you once your voice is calm” and walk away as opposed to saying, “Calm down.
- Give the responsibility to the child to fix a situation; e.g., “What are you going to do to make up this missing work?”
- Prioritize your battles
- Accept them as they are and praise/ value effort, not the outcome
- Listen more and talk less
- Be careful not to criticize and find fault
- Anticipate potentially difficult situations and offer choices before your child has a chance to argue or resist
- Try to find humor
- When you don’t know what to do or are too angry to think straight it’s okay to delay the consequence by saying, “There will be a consequence and I’ll let you know when I’ve decided.”
Finally, there are four types of consequences to choose from when disciplining your child. These consequences are in order from the most effective to the least effective.
- Natural consequences: consequences that come from the environment, not from parents; e.g., if a child refuses to eat lunch, he/she will be hungry, there will be no snack, and the next available time to eat is at dinner.
- Relevant consequences: consequences that are directly related to the behavior; e.g., the child who is continually late getting up in the morning and ready for school has to practice getting up and ready many times instead of playing with friends or having free time.
- Related consequences: consequences that are related to the behavior but not directly relevant; e.g., a child who doesn't brush their teeth has to learn about tooth decay and write an essay about the dangers of poor mouth care.
- Significant consequences: consequences that withdraw or prevent certain things the child wants; e.g., time-out or loss of privileges
Please feel free to reach out to me if you want any additional information. I can be contacted through email at mumfer@centennialsd.org or phone 215-441-6093 x17032.
Levy, R. L. (1997). www.drraylevy.com
Cline, F. & Fay, J. (2020). Parenting with love and logic. Tyndale House Publishers.
Attention Car Riders- SIgn Up for the PikMyKid App
Car tags with your child’s official PikMyKid dismissal ID numbers have been distributed to all current car riders. Please make sure that from now on the car tag is displayed on your dash on the passenger side while on school grounds and that you make note of this number. If you need a card or additional cars, please contact the main office. This is to help ease the transition to the new dismissal system.
Please select one of the following choices when you arrive to pick up your child(ren).
- Carline 1- Line closest to the school building
- Carline 2- Line closest to Norristown Road
If you have not yet downloaded the PikMyKid app onto your smartphone please do so as soon as possible. Having the app will not only help our staff keep track of your dismissal change requests, but will also reduce the chaos and amount of time it takes to get your student home safely after the school bell. After registering, please log in and make sure that your child’s information is listed there correctly. Anyone who will be picking up your child should also register themselves with the application. Their screen will be blank and they will not have any authorization until you allow it within the app.
The registration process is easy, and we ask that all parents register with the phone application as soon as possible. Several resources are included below to help you understand how to use the application and assist you with this transition. Please make sure you register with your current personal mobile phone number, or the app will not allow you to access your child’s information for security reasons.
If you do not think the school has your mobile number on file or if your child does not appear on your app’s home page, contact support@pikmykid.com mailto:support@pikmykid.com after registration, with your child’s name, school, grade, and updated contact information for you.
Anyone who will be picking up your child should also register themselves with the application. Their screen will be blank, and they will not have any authorization until you allow it within the app.
We appreciate your patience during the setup as we are working on making the process as safe and seamless as possible.
For more information and instructions, go to this link
Don't Forget Your Chromebook & Charger Everyday (Students in Grades 2-5)
Reminders for Cold Weather Days
Guidelines for Recess
Below 60 degrees—Jacket or long sleeves
Below 50 degrees—Coat and long pants
Below 32 degrees—Gloves and hats to go outside
Below 20 degrees—Shortened recess (5-10 minutes)
Below 10 degrees—Indoor recess
All temperatures represent the “feels like” number. Sometimes the windchill or windspeed may necessitate an indoor recess.
*If you are in need of coats, hats, gloves- Contact the School Counselors:
Ms. Zemitis: zemile@centennialsd.org
Ms. LaRose: laroka@centennialsd.org
Don't Forget to Bring & Wear Your Mask (Pack a Spare)
Masks are required at Drop-off and Pick-up
Hello Willow Dale families!
As a reminder, for the safety of our students and staff, masks are required at drop-off and pick-up. Please remain in your car unless absolutely necessary. If you require help, please contact the front office.
Calling All Families for our Willow Dale Family Project
As part of our second No Place for Hate project, we would love for families and staff to create a collaborative cookbook with lots of family favorites and traditional recipes from your culture. This is optional but we would love as much participation as possible!!!
In classes, teachers read Everybody Cooks Rice and learned about how food is connected to cultural identity. Families often have food traditions and favorite recipes they love to make for meals or holidays. Please look in your child’s google classroom or Seesaw to find the recipe template for your family to use. Only one per family is necessary. Families will "turn in" a recipe slide with a recipe their family loves to make or something they traditionally make for holidays or family meals. There will be an example from the family of Mrs. Zemitis and a template you will use for your recipe. The slide has a space for inserting the name of your dish, your family name, ingredients, directions, and a picture of your dish. You can also get fancy with inserting a video or tik tok tutorial of you making your dish. Check out Mrs. Zemitis' TikToc of her family making chocolate covered pretzels on her sample slide. Click here to view!
The directions for how to complete the slide are in the notes section at the bottom of the slide. When it is all complete, please click the turn in button. Please let your child’s teacher or Mrs. Zemitis know if you need help or have any questions. You have until February 12th to complete your recipe slide. We will put it all together in a Willow Dale Family Favorites cookbook slides presentation and possibly printed to be shared with our school community!
Resources for Families
https://www.education.pa.gov/about/Resources/ResourcesFamilies/Pages/default.aspx
Tech Support for Families
- Featured Videos -CSD Online Learning Resources - CSD STUDENT & FAMILY VIDEO TUTORIALS site.
- CSD Online Learning Resources
- Site contains videos and tutorials for students and families
- 1:1 Initiative Resource Center
If you have a technology issue, please submit a help desk ticket (link below) for the fastest response.
CSD Community Technology Support Desk Options for Support
- CSD Community Technology Help Desk: http://helpdesk.centennialsd.org/support/login (this option allows you to create an account, create and submit new tickets, view the status of your ticket, and leave comments on the ticket).
Willow Dale Elementary School's Technology Support Desk Contact
Please call Ms. Kwasniuk (215) 441-6000 and enter the extension 17020.
Important Message from the Nurse's Office
Parents, we need your help to keep our students safe and healthy.
Please remember to check your student for the COVID 5 every morning before they come to school.
If you answer yes to any of the following questions, please keep your student home.
- Do they have a temperature of greater than 100.3?
- Do they have an altered taste or smell?
- Have they been exposed to someone with a lab-confirmed case of COVID 19?
- Are they awaiting test results of a recent COVID 19 test?
- Do they have an unexplained cough or shortness of breath?
Thank you in advance for your support! We are all in this together!
- Mrs. Salita and Mrs. Kleinschmidt-Willow Dale Nurses
Buses and Bus Schedule Information
CENTENNIAL 2020-2021 BUS SCHEDULE INFORMATION
***You can access your child's busing information in SKYWARD
Information can also be accessed by clicking on the below link.
- Type in your address to access your child's busing information.
- Addresses with east, west, north, or south use the abbreviation E, W, N, or S with no punctuation. If that does not work, omit using it in your address.
If you have any questions, please contact us at 215-441-6000.
Attendance in Virtual Learning
Children who attend school regularly make the best academic progress, graduate, and go on to successful post-secondary education and/or careers. It is important, even on virtual days for students to join the classroom teacher for learning via Google Meet.
If your child is going to be absent, late, or leave early, please notify the homeroom teacher and the school to let us know. More details below.
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 by 10:00 AM 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
Email: WDAttendance@centennialsd.org
Phone: 215-441-6093
Nutrition Services 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.
We Need your Help!
Free and Reduced Lunch Application
Willow Dale depends on funding based on the number of free and reduced applications approved. Please help us maintain our funding that directly assists our students.
This year, our numbers are lower due to the free meals provided. If you already receive SNAP benefits and have not applied this year, please take a minute to apply.
If your financial situation has changed, please visit schoolcafe.com to apply today!
Applications can be submitted at any time during the school year. All information submitted to the school is kept confidential. Since meal transactions are computerized, there is no discrimination or identification of free or reduced paying students, so all families are urged to consider this program.
For questions or assistance, please reach out to:
Mrs. Shannon Stone - Supervisor of Food & Nutrition Services
StonSh@centennialsd.org 215-441-6000 x11015
No School for Students- Teacher In-Service Day
Friday, Jan 29, 2021, 08:45 AM
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2 Hour Delay Teacher In-Service ~ Students start at 10:45 AM
- Students in Cohort A will report to their bus stop 2 hours later than normal.
- School doors open at 10:25 AM.
- School starts at 10:45 AM.
Monday, Feb 8, 2021, 10:45 AM
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All Schools and Offices Closed - Presidents Day Holiday
Monday, Feb 15, 2021, 08:30 AM
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Help the Home & School Raise Extra Funds!
Child Care Arrangement Form
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.
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 3 days before the trip.
If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Dr. Perkins or Mr. Julius.
Willow Dale Elementary School
Email: perkca@centennialsd.org
Website: www.centennialsd.org/Domain/692
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