GS Updates
Sunday, September 18th
Upcoming Dates
- Meet the Orchestra Instruments: 9/19/2022 7:00 pm @ NPHS
- Picture Day: 9/20/2022
- Home & School Block Party: 9/23/2022 6:30 pm @ Gwynedd Square Elementary School
- No School: 9/26/2022
- Home & School Meeting: 9/28/2022 6:30 pm @ Gwynedd Square Elementary School
Birthday Treats
- Individually wrapped and prepackaged items are required. These types of treats are the safest items the teacher can distribute to children.
- If you plan to give a treat, every classmate should receive one.
- Birthday treats will not be handed out during lunch. Please speak with your student's teacher about how birthdays are celebrated in their classroom.
- If treats are allowed, remember to please be mindful of allergies.
Concert Band Rehearsals
Picture Day
Suzuki Violin Program
Registration for our K, 1, 2 Suzuki Program is open! You can register yourself and your child using the link below. Please contact Mrs. Feliciani at felicikl@npenn.org with any questions you may have.
2022-2023 Suzuki Registration Form
Feel free to check out our Suzuki Recital from last spring!
Suzuki Recital - Twinkle Twinkle Little Star
Suzuki Recital - Song Of The Wind
Beginner Strings Registration
Registration for our String Program is now OPEN! Students in grades 3, 4, 5, and 6 have the opportunity to learn how to play the Violin, Viola, Cello, and Bass.
You can learn more about our String Program and what we offer at our annual MEET THE STRING INSTRUMENTS NIGHT held at North Penn High School on September 19th at 7 PM. Bring your child - they will have the opportunity to play all of our string instruments to see which one they like the best!
Register for our String Program using the link below! Please contact Mrs. Feliciani at felicikl@npenn.org if you have any questions.
String Program Registration 2022-2023
Feel free to check out the videos from our Beginner Orchestra Concert from last Spring!
H&S: The Back to School Block Party is Back!
The Back To School Block Party is BACK! Our Block Party is on Friday, September 23rd from 6:30 pm - 8:30 pm. Avoid long lines by completing and returning the reservation form, included in the Green Folder, along with payment by Monday, September 19th. If you need a flyer, you can print one by clicking here.
Make sure to turn in your coloring sheets or bring them with you to the block party to win a chance to silly string, Mr. Bashaw!
We need lots of volunteers to make this night a success! You can sign up at the bottom of the ticket form or through the Sign Up Genius. Clearances are not required for events taking place at night.
Attendance Information
Our school hours are 9:00 am - 3:40 pm. If your student arrives after 9:00 am, they will be marked tardy. If your student will be absent or tardy, parents/guardians must report that absence or tardiness in one of three (3) ways:
- by sending an email to the teacher and copying our building, secretary Mrs. Moore (moorek@npenn.org)
- by calling 215-853-1461
- by using ‘Safe Arrival’ in the SchoolMessenger app. Please visit our “Attendance” web page for information on how to install the SchoolMessenger app from the Apple App Store or the Google Play Store
If you have not notified the school prior to 9:30 am on the day of the absence/tardy, or prior to the day, you will be notified via School Messenger. You can respond directly to this call with a reason for the absence/tardy. If you are receiving notification prior to 9:15 am, check your app settings.
Student Council Information
So…
You’re interested in running for Student Council???
That’s great news! ☺ Here’s what you need to know…
We meet one to two times each month AFTER school in Mrs. Stubb’s Room- 212. Regularly scheduled meetings will be announced as soon as possible and will be held THURSDAY AFTER SCHOOL. THEY WILL BEGIN PROMPTLY AT 3:50 and end at 4:30 PM. You are expected to attend each regularly scheduled meeting and sign in. This is YOUR Student Council and we need YOUR help to make Gwynedd Square an even better place! Please come to our meetings prepared to share thoughts and ideas, as well as discuss the thoughts and ideas of other members in a supportive and respectful manner.
If you miss more than one regularly scheduled meeting, you may need to give up your position on Student Council. We certainly understand that there may be extenuating circumstances that prevent you from coming to a meeting; however, we need you to be present as often as possible. If you do miss a meeting, you will need to touch base with Mrs. Stubb or Mrs. Brecht to find out what you missed. This is extremely important. Failure to do so may result in dismissal from Student Council.
Occasionally members of the Student Council are expected to volunteer time during school hours as well as after school. Some ways we help out are by making signs to advertise Spirit Days and selling pretzels and snacks at Roller Skating Night and Book Fairs. Please be sure that you are willing and able to help out above and beyond during our afternoon meetings.
Not only are you representing your own class in the Student Council, but you will be assigned a “little class” (a K-3 classroom) for which you will be responsible. You’ll need to find time to visit your “little class” about once each month to let them know of any important Student Council announcements. Mrs. Stubb and Mrs. Brecht will let you know which weeks you will need to visit your “little class” as well as the information you will need to tell them. These visits are not optional. We need to make sure we are keeping the younger children at Gwynedd Square up to date about what the Student Council is doing.
During the 2022-2023 school year, we are hoping to organize and advertise monthly Spirit Days, fundraisers for Gwynedd Square, and a couple of community outreach /charity projects. Please begin thinking of ideas and how you could contribute to Gwynedd Square’s Student Council.
You will need to be sure to listen to check the Student Council Canvas Classroom on a regular basis (at least once a week). This is how we will communicate with you between meetings.
You will write a speech or paragraph detailing why you would make a great Student Council representative for your class at our first gathering. We will give the speeches to your grade-level teachers to share with your class and take a vote. Speeches will be read anonymously.
Before deciding to run for Student Council, please take a few moments to seriously consider whether you will be able to give the time necessary to meet all of your Student Council responsibilities. We understand that everyone has very busy schedules, but we do need a commitment from you that you will be able to fulfill your duties as a member of Gwynedd Square’s Student Council.
Thank you for your interest in the Student Council. We are looking forward to a great year, and are so excited to hear your ideas for this school year! Good luck with your classroom elections if you decide to run for Student Council. Please let us know if you have any questions. ☺
~Mrs. Stubb
~Mrs. Brecht
Student Council Advisors
Lost and Found Items
Home and School Meeting
Our first H&S meeting of the year is Wednesday, September 28th at 6:30 pm in the school cafeteria. Come, meet the board, hear about plans for this year, and share your ideas. It's a great place to get to know other families and keep informed about what is happening at Gwynedd Square. We will go over the budget and upcoming events and fundraisers too.
H&S: Spirit wear Sale
Flyers went out in the green folders with samples of the spirit wear options, but the spirit wear sale is online only. We are selling t-shirts, sweatshirts, shorts, sweatpants, etc.
Please click here to view and purchase items. Our sale runs through October 2nd. If you have any questions, please email Didi Fabick at Candida.Fabick@gmail.com.
Weis4Schools - Automatic Fundraising. Scan once and save!
Volunteering and/or Chaperoning
Volunteers play a vital role in supporting the staff, students, and programs of our schools in the North Penn School District.
If you plan to volunteer at our school or would like to accompany your child on a field trip, please click on the sentence below for information on how to obtain your clearances.
Obtaining clearances for volunteering and/or chaperoning
Thank you
Home & School Green Folders
Our annual Green Folder initiative were sent home last week. This folder provides you with information about Home and School as well as registration for the association, Spanish club, the school directory, and tickets to the Back to School block party.
Every family must fill out the school directory form each year - the previous year's entries are not carried forward. You can also fill out this form online (preferred). Completed forms and payments are due Friday, September 23rd. Use the enclosed envelope to return payments with your student's name written on the front and place it in the green folder to return to school.
National Hispanic Heritage Month
National Hispanic Heritage Month honors the culture, heritage, and contributions of Hispanic Americans each year. Hispanic Heritage Month is celebrated from September15th-October 15th each year.
A Little History
Hispanic Heritage Month began as a commemorative week when it was introduced in June of 1968 by California Congressman George E. Brown. Representative Brown represented East Los Angeles and a large portion of the San Gabriel Valley which were both heavily populated by members of the Hispanic and Latinx communities. He wanted to recognize the influence members of these communities played throughout American history. In September 1968, Congress chose the week including September 15 and 16 National Hispanic Heritage Week to celebrate the contributions and achievements of the diverse cultures within the Hispanic community.
The dates were chosen to commemorate two key historic events:
Independence Day, honoring the formal signing of the Act of Independence for Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua (September 15, 1821)
Mexico’s Independence Day, which denotes the beginning of the struggle against Spanish control (September 16, 1810).
For 30 years, Presidents Nixon, Ford, Carter and Reagan issued yearly proclamations to set aside a week to honor Hispanic Americans. In 1987 U.S. Representative Esteban E. Torres of California proposed expanding the observance from a week to a month. He wanted to increase the time the country could “properly observe and coordinate events and activities to celebrate Hispanic culture and achievement.”
In 1988, Senator Paul Simon (D-Illinois), submitted a similar bill that successfully passed Congress and was signed into law by President Ronald Reagan on August 17, 1988. On September 14, 1989, President George H.W. Bush (who had been a sponsor of the original Hispanic Heritage Week resolution while serving in the House in 1968) became the first president to declare the month-long celebration from September 15 to October 15 as National Hispanic Heritage Month.
Here are five fun facts:
The month aims to celebrate the histories, cultures, and contributions of American citizens whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central and South America.
Hispanic and Latinx are not synonymous- The label “Hispanic” refers to people who speak Spanish and/or are descended from Spanish-speaking populations. This is contrasted by “Latino” (or Latina or Latinx), which refers to people who are from or descended from people from Latin America.
According to Pew Research Center findings in 2020, there are about 62.1 million Hispanics in the U.S., making up 19% of the total population. From 2010 to 2020, the U.S. population grew by about 23 million and Hispanics made up 51% of this increase.
Eighteen percent of the U.S. population is Hispanic- which is the largest ethnic or racial minority in the country.
Thank you to all of our families and staff for making our Back to School Night a success
Gwynedd Square Elementary School
Email: bashawjm@npenn.org
Website: https://gwyneddsquare.npenn.org/
Location: Gwynedd Square Elementary School, Supplee Road, Lansdale, PA, USA
Phone: 215.855.4331
Twitter: @GWSquareelem