GOODNOE GAZETTE
April 28, 2023
Hello GES Families,
Students have started the end of the year countdown - 28 school days to go! There are a lot of fun events scheduled during this time of the year from field trips, Field Day, Move Up Day, end of the year celebrations, and more! There is also still a lot of teaching and learning that remains. We will continue to remind students that the year is not over just yet and expectations for learning and behavior are still in place. Thank you for your support in reinforcing this message at home too!
Students in the 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th grades completed the English Language Assessment portion of the PSSAs this week! Three days of testing were completed and our students worked very hard! We are proud of their best efforts. Next week, on Tuesday, May 2nd and Wednesday, May 3rd, students will complete the math portion of these assessments. We wish them the best of luck! I am confident they will do a great job!
Today (4/28) is the final day to complete the GES PARENT INPUT FORM to provide input into the classing process for the 2023-2024 school year. For families with multiple children at GES, a separate Google Form should be completed for each child. Only parents of students currently in kindergarten through fifth grade need to complete the this form.
I'd like to also provide reminders to families about a few important items. Details for each can be found further below in the message. Monday, May 1st is a big due date!
- Parent Input Form: Today is the final day for parents to complete the GES PARENT INPUT FORM to provide input into the classing process for the 2023-2024 school year.
- Field Day T-Shirt: Orders are due Monday, May 1st. See information included in this newsletter.
- Yearbook Orders: The deadline for customizing pages for yearbooks is this Monday, May 1st. See information included in this newsletter.
- Raffle - Good Afternoon Goodnoe! All raffle submissions must be submitted by Monday, May 1st. Winners will also be drawn and announced on May 1st. Hard copies of this information was provided to students.
Enjoy your weekend and stay dry!
Beth
MARK YOUR CALENDAR
MAY
May 1st - Yearbook & Field Day T-shirt orders, and Raffle submissions are due!
May 2nd - May 3rd - Math PSSAs (Grades 3-6)
May 4th - May 5th - Science PSSAs (Grade 4)
May 5th – 2nd grade trip to New Jersey State Museum
May 10th – 9:30 AM Spring Concert (gym) & 6:30 PM Spring Concert (NMS)
May 12th – 6:30 PM PTO Movie Night (field)
May 15th – 7:30 AM-3:15 PM 6th grade trip to Citizen’s Bank Park
May 16th – Election Day – School closed
May 17th – 9:30 AM 6th grade visits NMS
May 17th – 7:00 PM PTO General Meeting
May 18th – 11:00 -11:30 AM Kindergarten Show& 3:00-3:30 PM Kindergarten Show
May 19th – 10:00 -10:30 AM 4th grade State Fair
May 19th – 9:45 -11:45 Art Show (CR South)
May 22nd - 2:45 -3:15 BMX Bike Assembly
May 24th – 3:00-5:00 6th grade Track Met (CR North)
May 25th - 3:00-5:00 Rain Date 6th grade Track Meet
May 29th – Memorial Day – Schools Closed
Important Notice Regarding 2023-2024 Student Placements
In Council Rock, the development of elementary classes and the assignment of teachers is a lengthy and complex process. We want to take this opportunity to help families understand the process and criteria utilized to create final class lists.
Our goal is to develop lists that consider the following factors: individual student academic needs, social characteristics, emotional factors, possible personality conflicts, and the number of students with specialized needs. For the 2023-2024 school year, the practice of the district permits parents to provide a submitted request to me describing the type of learning environment and instructional style they feel best fits the learning characteristics of their child.
Please note that requests for teachers by name will not be accepted. While we believe your feedback is critical to our process, this input should be precisely focused on the specific needs of your child. If you are concerned with a specific teacher as a consequence of your personal experience, feel free to contact me directly. Absent this, we will employ our process and do everything reasonably possible to position your child for success. Parent input will be considered as one of many important factors. As such, the final decision on all placements rests with the school team and may be different from the input provided by the parent.
Parent input must be submitted through this GES PARENT INPUT FORM Input will not be accepted after the deadline of Friday, April 28, 2023. We urge families to be proactive regarding this process and timeframe. If input is provided after the deadline, it will be too late to make sound changes to the class lists. Changes made after class lists are established could negatively impact another student’s placement or alter the balance of classrooms. Subsequently, input will not be considered after the deadline.
We appreciate your partnership and trust in the class placement process. If you should have any questions, please feel free to contact me.
FIELD DAY T-SHIRTS - ORDER NOW!
Congratulations to Hayan Haroon in Mrs Walsh's class! Hayan won the logo Field Day T-shirt contest! This drawing contest was open to 6th grade students for submissions and voting!
The price of the T-Shirt is $5.00. If you would like to purchase a shirt please return the order form below by May 1, 2023. Please use one order form for each child. When ordering please consider ordering one size up as t-shirts may run small.
FIELD DAY TEAMS
LAST DAY TO ORDER YEARBOOKS IS MAY 1st!
Yearbook orders must be in by May 1st to have your student’s yearbook delivered to the school. The school will not have extra yearbooks. Two customized pages are offered for FREE to help commemorate everyone’s special moments. Any questions, email yearbooks@gespto.org
2ND GRADE INSECTOPIA PRESENTATION
LAST CHANCE - GOOD AFTERNOON GOODNOE RAFFLE
Have you ever wanted to star on an episode of Good Afternoon Goodnoe along with the Rocky Ambassadors? Well, now you can!!
For the cost of $2.00 per raffle entry, each GES student may purchase as many entries as they choose. Students will then place their entries in the boxes in the Goodnoe lobby that represent the different segments of the show that they are interested in starring in.
Segments Include:
News
Sports
Trivia
Prize Patrol
Shout Outs
What’s Trending
In the Spotlight
Top Ten
All raffle submissions must be submitted by Monday, May 1st. Winners will also be drawn and announced on May 1st. Hard copies of this information will be provided to students.
Goodnoe's Career Day
Goodnoe will be hosting Career Day again this year on Friday, May 26th. Career Day is an opportunity for parents to come into the classrooms to share insights about their careers and provide details about necessary education and training for their jobs. Career Day gives students a closer look at different career paths and helps connect their learning to the real world. It provides an opportunity for students to learn about different career possibilities to explore for the future. Please look for an email from your child’s homeroom teacher in the next few days inviting parents to participate in Career Day 2023.
2023 PSSA: Grades 3-6
Next week, we will be administering the ELA PSSA’s in grades 3-6. Many parents ask what they can do to help their child prepare for this test. This is not an assessment that you can really study for. Students have been provided with the knowledge and skills to take these assessments throughout their schooling. This preparation started in kindergarten and is built upon each year.
However, parents can help with the following:
⭐Give your child a PEP talk each day!
⭐Provide students with a healthy and nutritious breakfast
⭐Arrive to school on time (Students arriving after 9:30 AM will not be allowed to enter the classroom)
⭐Allow students to get plenty of rest the night before each assessment
Attendance is state mandated for these assessments, therefore family trips are discouraged during these testing windows.
As a reminder, cell phones and other electronic devices MUST be collected prior to testing and returned after testing each day. To avoid this process, students are encouraged to keep cell phones and other electronic devices home during the testing window.
The PSSA 2022 testing dates are as follows:
Math – Tuesday, May 2nd and Wednesday, May 3rd
Science – Thursday, May 4th and Friday, May 5th
MAY 8th - GES EVACUATION DRILL
On Monday, May 8th, Goodnoe Elementary School will once again practice our A.L.I.C.E. procedures. As you may recall, A.L.I.C.E. is an acronym that stands for Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter, and Evacuate. The program is designed to provide our students and staff with more options in the event of an emergency such as an intruder. We will conduct this drill at approximately 9:45 a.m. on this day, and we will be focusing on the letters A, L, and E (Alert, Lockdown, and/or Evacuate).
This drill will be facilitated in conjunction with several first responder departments throughout the school district, along with Council Rock safety and security personnel. The first responders will be present at school during the drill so that they can help with maintaining safety during the activity, learn more about our safety protocols, and provide invaluable feedback about our procedures. We hope that we never have to experience any type of emergency at school, but if we do, we want everyone to be prepared with choices on how to best respond.
Prior to the drill, local first responders may be arriving on campus during our morning arrival time. This will not impact our arrival procedures involving buses/vans or those families who drive their children to school. I simply want families to be aware that there’s no need for concern if they see emergency vehicles/personnel at the school that morning. In addition, if your child will be late to school on that morning, you will not be able to sign in your child between 9:45 and 10:15 a.m.
Regarding the activity, we will notify all of the children and staff members that it is only a drill. There will be no simulation of sounds or any type of “actor” portraying an intruder. To the students, it may feel much like a fire drill, and they will be asked to follow the teachers’ instructions to respond to an unsafe area in the school. Upon the completion of the drill, I will provide a message to all families letting them know that it concluded and went well.
Our goal as educators is to completely prevent violence in our schools, and this drill represents another step in Council Rock School District's safety and security programming. Preparing for such scenarios is a responsibility we take seriously, and I thank you for partnering with us in this process. We are confident that by implementing the A.L.I.C.E. protocol, the children and the staff will be as prepared as possible to respond in a crisis.
Please feel free to reach out to me if you have any questions or concerns. Thank you.
SCHOOL BREAKFAST & LUNCH INFORMATION
The May breakfast and lunch menus are available on the homepage of the GES website, the menus website and buttons below. To avoid confusion, be sure to review the meal options with your child each day.
WE ARE NOW ACCEPTING 2023-2024 REGISTRATIONS
Online Registration: The Council Rock School District utilizes a secure online portal for a parent(s) to enroll their child(ren). Please ensure you have all required documents ready before starting the enrollment process below. The application functions best in the Chrome browser on a desktop or laptop. Please be aware that June 1st is the deadline to guarantee placement in home school.
Your child is NOT registered until all documents have been received, reviewed by central registration, and the final registration document has been signed by the parent.
DON'T MISS OUT! GET YOUR GES YEARBOOK TODAY!
ALL ORDERS ARE DUE BY MAY 1ST!
A NOTE FROM THE NURSE'S OFFICE
In anticipation of your child’s fieldtrip, please review the following information:
In compliance with the Council Rock School District drug and alcohol policy, and medication policy, no student is permitted to carry any form of medication on field trips. Medications essential to health (epi-pens and inhalers) will be carried in a bag along with basic first-aid care by your students teacher. For more medically fragile students, including the support of those with a seizure disorder or diabetes, a school nurse or parent/guardian will be present on the trip to administer medication as needed. If you have any questions specific to your student, please contact the health office to discuss further.
Just a friendly reminder from the PE Department
Our Physical Education classes will be going outside for the remainder of the year (weather permitting), please make sure your child has a water bottle for class and sunscreen if needed.
Council Rock Evening Summer Music Program
Students can improve their musical skills this summer by participating in the CR summer music ensembles. All ensembles are directed by Council Rock Music Staff, and the program is designed to improve students' music reading and performance skills while having fun playing music.
The Council Rock Evening Summer Music Program offers ensembles for students entering grades 4 through 9. These will take place from June 20th to July 19th, and there are offerings in band, orchestra, and chorus.
Check out the flyer and the button below, and you can register your child at this LINK. For more information contact Keith Rudat at krudat@crsd.org..
District Art Show: May 18 - May 20, 2023
The district art show gives our community a chance to see our curriculum in action. The show highlights the work of students in grades 1 through 12. Work is both 2D and 3D. In total, there are over 3000 works on display during the show. This year's show will take place at Council Rock South. Students will tour during the school day on May 18th and May 19th. The show is open to the public Friday, May 19th from 6:00 - 8:00 and Saturday, May 20th from 10:00 - 2:00.
SAVE THE DATE!
Our Summer Reading Kickoff, Buy-One-Get-One-Free Book Fair, will take place June 1st-June 8th. Most students will shop during their library time. Family Night is Monday, June 5th from 4-9. More information coming soon.
ARRIVAL TO SCHOOL TIME
I would like to send a friendly reminder about arrival time to school which is 8:45 a.m. When children arrive earlier than that time, there may be no adults outside to supervise the children. Specifically, some students who walk to school are arriving prior to 8:45 a.m. and they are left alone with cars driving through the parking lot. Adhering to this arrival time helps to maintain safety. Thank you in advance for your attention to this matter.
CRSD CELL PHONE/SMART WATCH POLICY
This is a reminder that all Electronic Devices are against our District Policy. Even if text/phone usage is disabled on these devices, many still have the capability of taking photos & accessing the internet, etc. As a result, they are not permitted to be worn during the school day. All electronic devices should be turned off and remain in backpacks if they are brought to school.
Excerpt from CRSD/GES Parent Handbook
The use of cell phones by students is prohibited during the school day or on the school bus (Section 1317.1 PA School Code). Students, who possess cell phones, must secure them in their backpacks/schoolbags throughout the school day, turned off, not silent or vibrate. This eliminates unnecessary interruptions to instruction.
Students may not use cell phones during lunch, recess or breaks. Cell phones are to remain off during the school day, including the school bus. In the event a student uses a cell phone (calling, texting, photographing or otherwise) or the phone rings, during the school day, the student will be asked to turn the cell phone off before releasing to staff. Following, the cell phone should be picked up by a parent/guardian/designated adult at their earliest convenience, in the main office during school hours. The Council Rock School District assumes no responsibility for cell phones or other electronic devices that are lost, stolen or broken.
SCHOOL WIDE POSITIVE BEHAVIOR SUPPORT
During the past few weeks, your child’s class has been reviewing the SW-PBIS (School Wide- Positive Behavior Interventions & Support) school expectations. The lessons included a class discussion, modeling and practicing of respectful, responsible, and safe behaviors in the locations listed on the school-wide matrix. Your child’s class also learned about the voice levels that are expected for the different locations. Please take some time to review the matrix and voice level chart with your child. Our school website has a SW-PBIS link with more specific information regarding the structure of Goodnoe’s School Wide Positive Interventions & Support system. Check out more information at the links below.
FAMILY TRIP FORMS
Click the following LINK for the form to be completed for Family Educational Trips. Handwritten letters are accepted, however this form is preferred. Please be sure to submit the form/letter at least ten (10) days prior to your trip, for approval. This can be sent to school with your child or emailed electronically to Mrs. Susan Bogucki at SBogucki@CRSD.org
DOGS/PETS ON SCHOOL GROUNDS
When escorting students to and from school, please do not bring pets on school grounds or into the school building. Many of our children have pet allergies or are afraid of animals; therefore, the presence of animals in school or on school grounds is prohibited. Some classes at Goodnoe Elementary School do participate in the Nor’Wester Reading Dogs program, so on occasion you may see dogs visiting. These dogs are specially trained and licensed to work in the schools with students. No other animals are permitted on school property during school hours. Please refer to our board policy for more information on animals in school policy 718 https://go.boarddocs.com/pa/coun/Board.nsf/vpublic?open#
CR Special Services Department Information Session - May 10th
Council Rock Community Aquatics Program
Spring/ Summer 2023
Includes children’s swim lessons (group & private)
Spring competitive Swimming & Diving Clinic
Summer swim program grades eight and up
Registration begins on Monday, April 17, 2023 at noon
Champions Kindergarten Enrichment Program 2023-2024
North Stars Girls' Basketball Camp Registration 2023
The Council Rock North Girls' Basketball Staff will be hosting the "North Stars Girls Basketball Camp," a weekday camp for girls entering grades 3 - 9. The camp will be held on Monday, July 17th through Thursday, July 20th from 9 AM - 2:00 PM at CR NORTH High School. Students may bring their own lunch, but there will be an opportunity to purchase lunch/snacks daily. Counselors will also include current and former players of CR North girls' basketball. Cost of the camp is $200. Sibling discounts are available. Payment can be made via check or Venmo. Once registered, you will receive instructions to finalize payment. For more information, contact Jack Kelly at kellyjp15@gmail.com. To register, please complete the survey below. North Stars Girls Basketball Camp is not affiliated or associated with Council Rock School District.
GOODNOE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
Principal
Email: bfox@crsd.org
Website: https://www.crsd.org/goodnoees
Location: 298 Frost Lane, Newtown, PA, USA
Phone: (215) 944-2100
Twitter: @BethFox_GES