Broad Street Newsletter
February 2024
A message from Ms. Alexander, Principal
Some Highlights for this month...
This Saturday, February 3, from 4:-00-6:00 PM at Olympic Skating Center is the PTO skating party. The entrance fee is a food item that will be donated to the district's food bank and will benefit Mechanicsburg families. Check out the flier below for more details.
Speaking of food, the SOUPer bowl will be taking place again this year from February 5-9th at Broad Street. Students are invited to bring in a food item and use it to cast their vote on who they think is going to win the Super Bowl - Chiefs or 49ers.
Finally, I invite you to attend the last PTO meeting of the school year which will be held on Tuesday, March 5 at 6:30 PM in Broad Street library. The focus of the meeting will be to plan for May Fair, a Broad Street tradition that was successfully reinstated last year.
Upcoming Dates
February:
- Saturday, February 3 - PTO Skating Party (more info below)
🏈 February 5-9 - "Souper Bowl" Collection (details below)
Friday, February 9 - Spirit Day - Wear your favorite sports team shirt/jersey or Wildcat gear
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Thursday, February 15 – K-5 Early Dismissal for Parent/Teacher Conferences
⭐ Broad Street will start dismissal at 10:45 a.m. – Lunch will NOT be served
- Friday, February 16 - Act 80 Day - NO SCHOOL for students
- Monday, February 19 - President's Day Recess - NO SCHOOL for staff and students
- Friday, February 23 - Field Trip for GRADE 3 - Whitaker Center
March:
- Tuesday, March 5 - the LAST PTO Meeting of the year
- Wednesday, March 6 - End of Trimester 2
- Thursday, March 7 - Elementary Arts Night (MASH Cafeteria) 6:00 - 7:30
- Thursday, March 14 - Report Cards sent home
- Friday, March 15 - Professional Development Day - NO SCHOOL for students
- ❄️ Thursday, March 28 - SCHOOL is in session -- SNOW MAKE UP DAY from 1/19/24
- Friday, March 29 - Spring Recess - NO SCHOOL for students
April:
- Monday, April 1 - - Spring Recess - NO SCHOOL for students
- Wednesday, April 3 - Mobil Dentist @ Broad Street
- Monday, April 15 - Field Trip for 3rd Grade - Oakes Museum
- Thursday, April 18 - Broad Street Open House - 6:00 - 7:00
- Friday, April 19 - Act 80 Day - NO SCHOOL for students
3rd Grade PSSA Testing Dates:
- Education Trips will not be honored on testing days.
- Testing will be in the morning - we ask that you schedule any medical appointments after lunch
- English, Language Arts (ELA) testing window - April 22 - 26
- Math testing window - April 29 - May 3
May:
- Friday, May 3 - Lunch Hero Day (we celebrate our Cafe workers)
- Friday, May 3 - PTO May Fair
- Monday, May 6 - Professional Development Day - NO SCHOOL for students
- Tuesday - Friday, May 7-10 - Teacher Appreciation Week
- Wednesday, May 8 - School Nurses Day
- Friday, May 10 - 3rd Grade to visit Elmwood Academy
- Tuesday, May 14 - Field Trip for 2nd Grade - Hershey Story Museum
- Tuesday, May 14 - PTO Dine Out Night - Rakestraw's
- Friday, May 17 - Broad Street Field Day
- Thursday, May 23 - Field Trip for 3rd Grade - Environmental Center
- Monday, May 27 - Memorial Day Recess
June:
- Thursday, June 6 - LAST DAY OF SCHOOL
😎 Broad Street Early Dismissal @ 10:45 a.m. - Breakfast & Lunch will NOT be served
*Dates subject to change
Naglieri Nonverbal Ability Test
Students in Grade 2 will be completing a screening assessment during the month of April called the Naglieri. Similar to FastBridge, the data from this screening tool will be utilized to help identify student strengths and needs. This screening will occur in the classroom and only take thirty minutes to complete.
Elementary "SOUPer Bowl"
PLANS FOR WINTER WEATHER
As the temperatures drop and it gets colder, the potential for inclement weather impacting our school schedule is more likely. The information below outlines the district's plan for delays and snow days.
I ask you take a moment and read through the plan for School Closures. You will see the district has one snow make-up day built into the calendar. If school needs to be cancelled more than one day students will complete Remote Learning Activities. These activities will be given to them by their teacher and be in a special WHITE envelope. You will receive detailed information from your child's teacher on the Remote Learning Day explaining everything.
Delayed Starts
All buildings will utilize a two-hour delay schedule when appropriate to the weather conditions and forecast. Transportation will run exactly two hours later than normal.
School Closures
We will approach school closures utilizing two different types of days - traditional make-up days and Winter Weather Remote Learning Plan.
- Closure #1 - was January 19th and was a traditional Snow Day. This day will be made up in person on March 28th, 2024
- Closure #2 and additional Closures: will be a Remote Learning Day
The Remote Learning Plan
When the weather dictates we cannot have school, Broad Street students will use the Remote Learning Plan.
Below are the details for the plan:
- When anticipating winter weather teachers will send home a packet of activities with students. No devices will be sent home.
- If Dr. Leidy determines school is closed, your child's teacher will send out a message by 8:00 AM, letting you know which remote learning day assignments your child should complete. Their message will also include the cycle day so that students can complete the correct Fine and Applied Arts activities.
- On the Remote Learning Day, students and families will have the opportunity to connect with teachers during designated times via Zoom. Your child's teacher will share their Zoom times and zoom link in their message.
- Teachers will also be available by email from 9:30 AM - 3:00 PM
The "Required" Activities
- Students will complete "Required" activities in Math, ELA and Fine and Applied Arts.
- The "Required" activities will follow designated time allotments per subject
- Grade 1 may be up to 15 minutes for required activities per subject
- Grade 2 may be up to 20 minutes for required activities per subject
- Grade 3 may be up to 30 minutes for required activities per subject
Attendance on Remote Learning Days
- Completion of the “Required” activities will serve as students' attendance for the day.
- The "Required" activities must be turned into the classroom teacher within 2 school days. For example, if Monday is a Remote Learning Day, the "required" activities should be turned in by Wednesday.
PTO Luncheon for Parent/Teacher Conferences - February 15, 2024
The PTO Hospitality Committee is organizing lunch for teacher conferences on February 15. In keeping with tradition for the winter trimester, the theme is a Sandwich Bar, and we could use your support! There are spots to sign up for lunch meats, cheeses, condiments, or even a time slot or two to setup or clean up.
Check out the sign up sheet HERE
News from the School Counselor
Counselor Corner with Mrs. Mandia
Happy February, Broad Street families!
February is typically the month in our school counseling program where we focus on career awareness. We talk about the importance of understanding our skills and interests, and how they connect to future careers. We will also be celebrating National School Counseling Week next week! It is such a joy being the school counselor for such an amazing community.
One resource that we will be utilizing this month is "A Little Spot of Teamwork." This book talks about how we need to work together to accomplish our goals. Our Super Paw this month will also focus on students being good team members in their classrooms by following the CATS way.
A great way to talk to your student about careers is asking them what they might want to be when they grow up or talking to them about what you wanted to be when you were their age. When we take the time to help our students develop awareness about different careers we are setting them up to be successful.
As always, let me know if you need any support. Feel free to send me an email to set up a time to connect via phone or Zoom! Click on this GoogleForm to provide feedback for my school counseling program so I can make it fit the needs of your students.
Mechanicsburg Area School District is privileged to offer a weekend food distribution program for families in need. The purpose of the program is to provide non-perishable, vitamin-fortified, and easy to prepare foods to children at times when school resources are not available, such as weekends and school vacations. Bags will include two breakfasts, two meals, and two snacks. The program is free of charge.
If your family is interested in receiving weekend food bags, please complete this form once for each school-aged child in your family.
Please reach out to our Guidance Counselor, Mrs. Mandia with any questions.
News from the Health Room
Mrs. Henson & Mrs. Kleinfelter
- Exciting news, February is National Children's Dental Health Month! Attached are fun activities to encourage daily dental hygiene. This month our 2nd grade friends will have a lesson on dental health and get their very own dental kits to take home. Be on the lookout!
- Some suggestions to help reduce your student’s risk of tooth decay:
o Sugary foods and drinks should be consumed in moderation and with meals. Saliva production increases during meals and helps neutralize acid production and rinse food particles from the mouth.
o If your kids chew gum, make it sugarless – Chewing sugarless gum after eating can increase saliva flow and help wash out food and decay-producing acid.
o Monitor beverage consumption – Children should make healthy beverage choices such water and low-fat milk.
o Help your children develop good brushing and flossing habits. See attached for fun suggestions.
o Schedule regular dental visits. The mobile dentist will be visiting in the spring, more information to come.
- All third grade students are required to have a dentist visit, within the last year. Please provide proof of the visit to your student’s school. Forms are attached, if needed.
News from the Office
Attendance
Phone - 717-691-4574 or email: broadstreetoffice@mbgsd.org
Going out of town? Driving to Grandma's? Taking a vacation? Want them to be excused days? Please submit an Educational Trip form. The form is located on our WEBSITE under the PARENT button on the right hand side.
Volunteers
Interested in Volunteering for a field trip or in the classroom? Make sure you have your volunteer requirements completed, contact the office @ 717-691-4574.
Need to complete the volunteer requirements? All of this information can be found on our website
Sooner rather than later, sometimes it take a while to complete.
Broad Street PTO News
The last PTO Meeting of the year.
We will be planning the PTO Mayfair:
- Tuesday, March 5
✔️ Meetings are held in the Broad Street Library and will start at 6:30
✔️ No babysitting provided, but children are welcome to play with the bins outside the library.
Yearbook
Online sales are open now through April 1, 2024.
- ybpay.com
- Yearbook ID: 12037224
📸Have candid photos to share? You can submit photos to our community portal. Create an account or login with your Shutterfly account.
- Invite code: BROAD-STREET-24
- Using suggested tags (teacher's name, grade, special event, etc.) will help us organize photo submissions.
PTO Spirit Wear Sales
1. Store will remain open with limited options all year
2. Delivers to schools every other week through the holidays
3. Not a fundraiser – just an opportunity for families to purchase MASD gear
Ready For School, Ready to Succeed
Early Learning Resource Fair
This event is open to the public and provides families with the opportunity to interact with many different early childhood organizations all in one space including the school districts, who will provide kindergarten registration information. Capital Area Head Start, Birth to 3 and preschool early intervention, Community Connections for Children (child care subsidy program), the Capital Area Literacy Council and many local preschools are also registered to attend.
Please check out the attachments for more information on the the Early Learning Resource Fair and Ready for School, Ready to Succeed.