GVES Weekly Announcements
December 13, 2019
Principals' Message
Happy Friday GVES families!
We continued to enjoy the holiday spirit this week with the wonderful winter concert performances by the fifth grade orchestra and third grade chorus. On Monday our fourth graders transitioned their specials schedule from health to developmental guidance, while our fifth grade students transitioned from developmental guidance to health. During the week, our teachers participated in a blended learning opportunity to share and learn about each other’s ancestry through a book titled, Alma and How She Got Her Name. We encourage you to share your ancestry with your child over the winter break. Progress Reports were released this afternoon to parent emails. If you did not receive an email please reach out to the main office to update your email address in our student information system. Additionally, see below for alternative ways to access the progress report in the interim.
As always, we appreciate your continued support at home and hope you all have a wonderful weekend.
Warmly,
Mrs. Jones and Mrs. Conley
Upcoming Events
12/17: Holiday Hair Flair
12/17: 4th Grade to Arden Theatre
12/18: Festive Sweater Day
12/18: Lunch Buddies
12/19: Mad for Plaid
12/19: 4th & 5th Grade Chorus Concert 7pm GVHS
12/20: Pajama Day & Storyteller Assemblies
12/20: Winter Parties
Progress Report Information
Today we released the first trimester progress report. It was directly emailed and you can also access it by following these steps:
Log in to Alma at https://gves.getalma.com/home
Click on your child on the far left side
Click on the report cards tab at the top of the screen
We wanted to again provide you with additional information about your child’s progress report. Our GVSD elementary school progress report is anchored in a standards based reporting principle where students’ progress towards standards is indicated along with reporting on the Qualities of a Learner. You can read more about the progress report
here.
Description of Proficiency Levels
The district has developed progress reports for all elementary grades, K to 5. Student progress on each Quality of a Learner and academic indicator is reported using a 4-point rubric. This rubric is a departure from previously used state reporting language and intended to be more student-centered. The rubric was designed so that grades do not indicate the end of the learning progress. The student score on the rubric informs the student and parent/guardian of where the student currently is on a learning continuum. When a student achieves a 3, he or she has met the grade level expectation at this time. Furthermore, your child’s Fountas and Pinnell reading level will be indicated on the progress report. You can see the reading level continuum here.
December Festive Flair Days
HSA AUCTION IS HERE!
GVE HSA Weekly Announcements – 12/13/2019
December 2nd-16th – First Annual GVE Online Auction! WE ARE LIVE AND BIDDING!
Sponsored by Platinum Sponsor John Williams RE/MAX Excellence Reality and Bronze sponsors B-tan and Sport and Spine Chiropractic Centers
Does your child want to…
- be principal for the day?
- read the morning announcements over the loud speaker?
- have a special lunch with a teacher and friends?
Are you interested in…
- Fitness memberships?
- Spa services?
- Personal chef service?
Don't miss your opportunity to bid on amazing school experiences for your student AND community experiences for you or your family!…and just in time for this to make a GREAT holiday gift! Proceeds will benefit enhancements to the GVE Library. For a sneak peek of some of the available items, check out our auction website!
It is not to late to become a sponsor or provide a community donation. Contact gveshsa@gmail.com for more information.
HSA Raffle – to be drawn December 16th
GVES HSA is hosting a raffle! Get your tickets for a chance to win. Tickets were sent home the week in your childs collection folder. Tickets cost $5 for one, $20 for 5. 1st prize is $300, 2nd prize is $200 and 3rd prize is $100. The raffle winner will be announced Monday 12/16/19. Our raffle is sponsored by Realtor John Williams RE/MAX Excellence.
Lunch Buddies – Wednesday, December 18th
If you have signed up to be a Lunch Buddy for December, your time is coming! Wednesday, December 18th is our next Lunch Buddy opportunity. There is one day identified for Lunch Buddies every month between October and March and spots are available on a first come, first served basis.
This SignUp Genius is broken out into tabs across the top for different lunch periods, listed out by grade and classroom. Find your child’s grade/class on the appropriate tab…. select from the available dates…and MARK YOUR CALENDAR to enjoy lunch with your student!
PLEASE NOTE: Only one guest per student per school year can sign up.
Class Holiday Parties – Friday, December 20th
Each class will have their own holiday party in their classroom. Homeroom parents will be sending out sign-ups for goodies for the parties.
Garnet Valley CTC Quick Tip #14 DUI & Cannabis
The results are back from the 2017 Pennsylvania Youth Survey for Garnet Valley’s 6th, 8th, 10th, and 12th graders. We also have results from 2013 and 2015.
The results of this anonymous survey are self-reported and represent 83.9% of our students.
Did you know? After alcohol, marijuana/cannabis is the drug most often linked to drugged driving. Marijuana can slow reaction time, impair judgment of time and distance, and decrease coordination (NIDA). The PAYS data reflects the inaccurate perception that marijuana/cannabis doesn’t impair driving as much as alcohol (Center for Disease Control, CDC). PAYS asked if students have, “Driven a motor vehicle while or shortly after using marijuana (pot, hash, cannabis, weed)?” The answers are concerning, 12th grade use has increased from 7.2% in 2013 to 9% in 2015 to 10.3% in 2017.
Call to action… Keep talking to your children about the dangers of driving under the influence of cannabis/marijuana and/or alcohol. Mothers Against Drugged Driving can help, see below.
https://www.madd.org/the-solution/teen-drinking-prevention/
Please see below for more information from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA).
https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugfacts/drugged-driving
https://www.drugabuse.gov/news-events/news-releases/2015/06/effects-marijuana-without-alcohol-drivin
Elementary Handbook & GVSD Procedural Manual
Communication Procedures
Early Dismissals - Early dismissals due to weather or unforeseen circumstances will be announced through the phone number you provide in Alma, email, district-level social media, and websites. Please keep your Alma contact information current. You can update this information in your account.
Absence Reporting - Launched at the end of the last school year, the new School Messenger (Safe Arrival) Absence Reporting System makes it easy for parents/guardians to report their child's absence, reduces the time it takes to verify student attendance and will allow our staff to respond to unexplained student absences more efficiently. Please click here for directions on how to use your phone, app, or computer to report an absence.
Social Media - GVES is on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram! Our handle is @GarnetValleyES on all three platforms. We also podcast on iTunes. Just search iTunes for "Jaguarmax."
GVES Calendar
The view the full calendar on our website, click here or go to https://gves.garnetvalleyschools.com/calendar.
Attendance Information
State law establishes conditions under which any child may be excused from attendance at school. In keeping with these statues and recommendations of the State Department of Education, pupils in the Garnet Valley Schools may be excused temporarily from school attendance for the following reasons:
Sickness
Quarantine
Death in the immediate family
Weather so inclement so as to endanger the health of the child or make roads impassable
For observance of a major religious holiday
College visits, pre-approved educational trips
In order for an absence to be excused, a parent/guardian must respond to the Safe Arrival phone call, use the Safe Arrival app to report the absence ahead of time, or submit a written note to the office within three days after return from an absence. The absence of any student failing to comply with this time period will automatically become unexcused and illegal, and the school laws of Pennsylvania shall be applied accordingly.
Raptor Information
The Raptor system is used to enhance our ability to monitor who enters our buildings by screening visitors, contractors, and volunteers. Upon entering a district building, visitors will be asked to present an ID such as a Driver’s License, which can either be scanned or manually entered into the system. If a parent or guardian for any reason does not have a US government-issued ID, the school staff member can use any form of identification and manually enter the person’s name into the Raptor system. The Raptor system will check to ensure that registered sexual offenders are not entering our school campuses without our knowledge. The Raptor system checks the visitor's name and date of birth for comparison with a national database of registered sex offenders. The registered sex offender database is the only official database checked by the Raptor system. No other data from the ID is gathered or recorded and the information is not shared with any outside agency. Once entry is approved, Raptor will issue a badge that identifies the visitor, the date, and the purpose of his/her visit.
Please adhere to the following regulations:
1. Enter the building at the main office door.
2. Go directly to the office, sign in through Raptor and inform the school secretary of your
destination.
3. PLEASE DO NOT GO to any area of the building without receiving permission from the office.
4. Do not attempt to go to a classroom to pick up a child. Students who are being dismissed early
will be sent to the office.
5. Return the visitor badge at the conclusion of your visit to sign out.
Volunteer Clearance Information
Legislation in Pennsylvania requires community members and parents to obtain clearances in order to volunteer in our schools. If you have previously submitted your clearances to the Human Resources office, they are good for five (5) years from the date of the clearance.
Governor Wolf has waived the fees associated with the Pennsylvania State Police—Criminal Background Check and the Child Abuse History Clearance. Since the FBI clearance is a federal program, those costs still remain; however, the district has decided to permit individuals who have resided in Pennsylvania continuously for ten years or more to sign a certification form that saves the volunteer the expense of the fee, ensures compliance with the law, and allows the district to maximize student safety.
Jaguarmax Radio Podcast
Jaguarmax Radio is changing formats! We will be a student-run podcast created through the after school club program starting in the fall. Check us out on iTunes!
Jaguarmax Radio Podcast on iTunes
Important Links
After School Activity Dismissal Procedures - Dismissal Locations
VEFLS - Foreign Language Contact Person, kgardler@yahoo.com or 610-717-2755
Cafeteria Information - Menus and Payments
GVES Yearly Calendar - Important Dates
Safe Arrival - Attendance Reporting App
GVSD App - Download app here
MySchoolBucks - Online Payments
District Text Messaging Opt-In - Registration Info
Handbooks & Manuals - GVSD Resources
Parent Right to Know Information
Connect with GVES!
Garnet Valley Elementary School
"A Caring Community of Learners"
Est. 1997
The mission of our learning community is to maximize the potential of all students by empowering them to do their personal best.
Website: gves.garnetvalleyschools.com
Location: 599 Smithbridge Rd
Phone: (610) 579-4150
Facebook: facebook.com/GarnetValleyES
Twitter: @GarnetValleyES