West Word
A Weekly Update from Perkiomen Valley Middle School West
A Word from Mr. Creeden
We couldn't be more excited for warmer weather and the opportunity to see more students 5 days a week very soon. We are feverishly planning for welcoming more students in the building starting on Monday March 22nd. Please see below and in the next West Word for more details and FAQ's regarding more students returning to onsite instruction. As the weather gets warmer we are also planning on providing more opportunities for students to go outside during class time and lunch time. While outside, teachers will have access to hotspots in order to include our virtual students as well. Learn more in the following West Word.
Quick Snapshot📸
- Hybrid Group Calendar
- Hybrid Updates/Reminders
- Return To Onsite Instruction Information
- 6th Grade Tours
- Parent Webinar For PV Middle School Parents/Caregivers
- The Home & School PV West Spirit Wear Sale Closing Soon!
- After School Homework Help
- Activity Wednesday on 3/17
- Green Team
- Attention 8th Grade Parents: PV High School Scheduling Update
- PV West Athletic Update
- Artificial Intelligence & Social Entrepreneurship Program for Middle School Girls
- Nurse Notes
- Yearbook Photos Needed and Purchase Your PV West Yearbook
- Counseling Groups @ West
- Creative Health Social/Emotional Resources for Parents
- Change Demographic Information in Synergy
- Attendance Information
- West Home & School Information
- Technology Help
- PV West on Social Media
- West Weeks At-A Glance
- HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND!
Hybrid Group Calendar
Hybrid Updates/Reminders
Hybrid Groupings This Coming Week
Group 1 (A-K)
Monday (3/15) - A Day
Tuesday (3/16) - B Day
Group 2 (L - Z)
Wednesday (3/17) - C Day
Thursday (3/18) - D Day
Friday (3/19) - E Day - Empower/Asynchronous Day for All Students
Empower Days
Empower days are similar to remote learning days with asynchronous learning activities for students. In addition, these days afford our staff time to meet with one another and with individual or small groups of students and support them academically, socially and emotionally. Students are expected to join sessions with their teachers when scheduled.
Educational Trips
Upon receipt of a written request from the parents of the students involved, students may be excused from school
attendance to participate in an educational tour or a trip during the school term at the expense of their parents.
An Educational Trip Request Form must be submitted to the attendance office five (5) days prior to the student’s departure.
Approval for such trips is limited to five (5) school days per year. Additional days will be classified as unexcused and be
subject to legal attendance regulations. A signature of the parent(s)/ guardian(s) must accompany the application.
Return To On-Site Instruction Information
Increased Onsite Instruction - General Information
We are looking forward to welcoming increased numbers of students onsite! Within this document please find information regarding updated plans, procedures, and day-to-day operations!
Attendance Starting on 3/22
Onsite Students are expected to be in school at the start of the day. Those not physically present will be marked absent. Virtual students not virtually present will be marked absent.
Traditional attendance procedures will be in place (see the Attendance section below for more information).
At the middle level, onsite students will only be permitted to work virtually if required to quarantine or isolate.
Face Coverings
6th Grade Tours
Attention 6th graders!
If you are returning to traditional for the first time this school year, please fill out an appointment time in the signup genius below for a tour of the building on Friday, March 19.
Parent Webinar for PV Middle School Parents/Caregivers
The Home & School PV West Spirit Wear Sale Closing Soon!
After School Homework Help
After school homework help will take place on Tuesday and Thursday of next week from 2:30 - 3:45 in the West library. Please encourage your children to attend as after school homework help time will be a great opportunity to not only get help, but also get organized, and get caught up.
Activity Wednesday on 3/17
We will be practicing and playing in-person. We hope this will be a time for students to play, connect with others, and have lots of fun. Any West student may participate and there is no need to sign-up. Any students participating can report to the cafeteria at 2:30 on Wednesday. Students not attending school in-person on an activity Wednesday may be dropped off by a parent/guardian at the main entrance and report to the cafeteria. We will continue to be extremely diligent at following all health and safety protocols.
Green Team
Attention 8th Grade Parents: PV High School Scheduling Update
Reminder all 8th grade students must select courses on StudentVue by Sunday afternoon. Information can be found at: https://sites.google.com/a/pvsd.org/perkiomen-valley-middle-school-east/departments/counseling/8th-grade-program-planning
You will not be able to make changes to your course selections after Sunday. Please contact your child's counselor with questions.
PV West Athletic Update
The original start date for spring tryouts and practices was March 8. The Pioneer Athletic Conference voted to postpone the start of spring sports to Monday, March 22. If you are a spring athlete, please remember to go to http://www.planeths.com and complete the necessary paperwork to participate in spring sports. We ask you complete all of your necessary paperwork by Monday, March 15 in order to be able to participate. Failure to do so will result in your inability to tryout for the team.
Please see the link below for the most recent Perkiomen Valley Athletics newsletter.
Artificial Intelligence & Social Entrepreneurship Program for Middle School Girls
My name is Janani Rajan and I am the Director of Growth & Outreach at TechGirls, a nonprofit organization focused on overcoming gender disparity in computing fields through free workshops, programs, and exposure to computing careers. In our programs, we teach girls computer science fundamentals and develop their social entrepreneurship skills as they present solutions to global issues.
Our Artificial Intelligence & Social Entrepreneurship program is free of cost and prior programming knowledge is not required as we want to encourage students of all abilities and experiences to participate. Middle school girls who are currently in 6th-8th grade are eligible for the program. Currently, the program is being held entirely online through Zoom due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The upcoming program dates are Sundays from May 16th to June 6th from 2:00 pm-4:00 pm EST (11:00 am-1:00 pm PST) via Zoom.
Interested students and their parents can register for the program at https://bit.ly/register-tg. We would truly appreciate it if you could share this opportunity with students and their parents. For more information, students and parents can visit techgirlsus.org or see the informational flyer below.
Nurse Notes
Health Screening
The Pennsylvania Public School Code requires certain school health services for all children of school age, regardless of the school setting. Health services for your child in school include (Board Policies #203, #209): an annual vision screening, an annual growth screening (height, weight, body mass index calculation), and a hearing screening in grades K, 1, 2, 3, 7, and 11. Screenings for scoliosis occur in sixth and seventh grades.
We are offering to the parents of our virtual learners the opportunity to have these screenings completed for their children. The Middle School West screening dates are March 25th and 26th. Please call the School Nurse at 484-977-7210 option 4 to schedule your appointment.
The screenings will take 5-10 minutes and will be conducted during the school day.
We ask that you evaluate your child for symptoms of COVID-19 prior to entering the school. Please do not bring any child displaying signs of illness. All students are required to wear a mask.
Students should bring their eyeglasses or wear their contacts if they have been prescribed. Sixth and seventh grade students should wear a T-shirt.
Referral letters for additional care will be mailed home if needed.
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Students will enter through the front door. The nurse will accompany students at all times- from door to screening area and back. She will conduct screenings in the nurse's office near the main entrance. Staff nurse will cover the office for on-site student illnesses and injuries.
Growth screenings are posted on Parent Vue and referrals for failed vision and / or hearing screenings will be mailed home with the appropriate letters.
Yearbook Photos Needed and Purchase Your PV West Yearbook
West students and families! PV West yearbook adviser, Mrs. Muscatello, is asking for your photo submissions (high resolution jpg) to feature in the 2021 Junior Voyager. We are looking for photos of students engaged in virtual learning. This includes all specials like art, phys ed, band, orchestra, choir, and tech ed, as well as core subjects. Submissions can be sent to dmuscatello@pvsd.org. by March 3st. It's a very different school year and your contributions will help us document it for West posterity! Thanks so much!
Counseling Groups @ West
The Counseling Center will be offering student counseling groups during the 2nd marking period. All groups will be created based on the information gathered from our student needs survey that will be shared with students. Parents are also encouraged to refer their children to any of the counseling groups listed below by contacting William Montgomery (wmontgomery@pvsd.org)
6th Grade Life Support- (During Advisory on Fridays) A loss group for anyone who is dealing with the death of any loved one in his or her family.
7th Grade Life Support - (During Advisory on Thursdays) A loss group for anyone who is dealing with the death of any loved one in his or her family.
8th Grade Life Support - (During Advisory on Fridays) A loss group for anyone who is dealing with the death of any loved one in his or her family.
SAFE Collective - (Tuesdays at 3:15 on Zoom) An after school club developed to work directly with students to create equity and actionable change within the PVHS community. SAFE Collective provides a judgement free space for students to have open discussions regarding race, gender expression, ability, and shape. From there we are developing actionable solutions and restorative justice practices to create change.
Lunch Bunch Friendship Group - (During lunch on Mondays and Fridays) for all students maintaining friendships while we are socially distancing at school and virtually. This will be an in-person group only.
LGBTQ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, or Questioning) A group for students identifying as LGBTQ to create a safe and a judgement free space in school.
Executive Functioning/Study Skills - (During Advisory on Tuesdays) for anyone who wants additional help organizing or studying.
Creative Health Social/Emotional Resources for Parents
Drug Trends Webinar
From Nicotine to Opioids, join The Council for an evening of discussion and an opportunity to learn what drugs are trending amongst young people, how they perceive the harm associated with the trending drugs, how the drugs are used and what public health concerns exist regarding adolescent drug use.
Participants will be able to implement learned knowledge into their daily lives as parents and community members to encourage healthy development of the communities youth.
The presenter: David Fialko is an Internationally Certified Prevention Specialist and a Nationally Certified Tobacco Treatment Specialist with over 19 years of experience working in the field of ATOD treatment and prevention. The Council is proud to offer this training free of cost. To register for the webinar please select the link below.
Party With A Purpose
The Council on Chemical Abuse is holding a virtual event April 21, 6-8p on planning parties without making alcohol a focus of the fun and how to keep yourself and your guest safe. See the flyer below for more details.
Change Demographic Information in Synergy
Attendance Information
If your child will be absent or missing any class time, please send an email (from the email you have listed in our new SIS system) to:
This will count as your call-out AND parent excuse. Please indicate in your email the date of absence, student’s grade and the reason for the absence. An absence is considered unexcused when the child’s school has not received an email providing an acceptable reason for the absence within a 3-day period.
You may also call our attendance line at: 1 (484) 977-7210, option 1. If you do this, you would still need to submit an email with the above information in order for it to be excused.
Any medical notes should be scanned in. When back to school (in person), any Dr.’s notes should be placed in the Attendance Box, right outside the Guidance Department.
If you have any questions at all, please contact Brenda Continelli at bcontinelli@pvsd.org.
West Home & School Information
Our next Home & School Zoom meeting is this Tuesday, March 16th at 7pm. If interested in attending please email PVMSWestHS@gmail.com. All parents are welcome!
Home and School page http://mswest.pvsd.org/home/home-school
Technology Help
Email for Tech help, helpdesk@pvsd.org
Tech Support Zoom Room (Available 7:30 am to 3:30 pm, M-F)
https://zoom.us/j/96825432361?pwd=QTlYS2hzMk9FUmF0ZXhtWmhxalFWZz09
PV West on Social Media
We would love to have you join our social media accounts to stay updated on the latest West news and happenings. Please see below on where to find each of our accounts.
West Weeks At A Glance
March 15 & 16 - Hybrid Group 1 (A-K) on-site
March 15 - LATO Middle School Parent Information Session @ 6:30PM
March 16 - After School Homework Help in Library at 2:30PM; Policy Committee Meeting @ 6:30pm; Home & School Meeting @ 7PM
March 17 & 18 - Hybrid Group 2 (L-Z) on-site
March 17 - Activity Wednesday in Cafeteria at 2:30PM
March 18 - After School Homework Help in Library at 2:30PM
March 19 - Empower/Asynchronous Day for All Students