PANTHER NEWS
September 2019
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Message from the Principal
Dear Purdy Families and Friends,
Welcome back to school! I hope all of you had an extraordinary summer filled with countless memories. While the students were away, the Purdy staff has been busy getting the building and classrooms ready for the start of the year. We began our professional days with the theme of Be the Change and will continue it throughout the year. Each month we will focus on a different way students and staff will Be the Change...be kind, be awesome, be brave, be a learner…and so on. We look forward to making a difference in our school, community, and world as change makers. Check out our back to school video encouraging students to be brave.
I look forward to continuous growth and progress with our academics and positive community relationships. Together, staff, students, and parents/guardians make a strong Purdy family. We appreciate your support as your child enters the Purdy doors and learns and grows throughout the year. Let’s all commit to have an outstanding school year and set everyone up for success.
Purdy will continue to focus on helping all students be successful. No exceptions. We want all children to learn because we know that all of our children are capable. You, the families in the community we serve, enhance the high quality of our school. To some extent, the school can only take partial credit for our level of student achievement. You have high expectations for our school and your child's performance, and we applaud and welcome those expectations and support.
Our emphasis each day will be positive relationships, academics, character, leadership, attendance, inquiry, and fun. The first few weeks of school will be spent building relationships and setting up routines and expectations. As a school, we will be addressing our school rules: Be Safe, Be Respectful, and Be Responsible. We will teach students what being safe, respectful and responsible look like throughout the school and celebrate students who exemplify these traits. Students who demonstrate positive character and leadership traits may earn Panther Paws. We hold drawings during lunch for prizes on behalf of students who earn Panther Paws and recognize students during our monthly Terrific Kids assemblies. These assemblies allow us to celebrate the positive things our students do each month regarding attendance, character, and academics. Purdy also has a rich history of academic success and we strive each day to make learning meaningful and engaging, as well as rigorous. We love to accent the positive accomplishments our students achieve.
The Purdy staff thanks you for entrusting your children with us. We welcome your partnership in their education. My door is always open, so please stop by, call, or email any time if you have a question or are in need of support.
Best regards,
Kristi Brooks
Purdy Principal
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Counselors Corner
Greetings Purdy Families!
I hope the school year is off to a good start for all of you. I know it can be a hectic time. But I’ve loved seeing so many happy faces in the classrooms!
Since it’s the start of the year, I wanted to send out some information about available resources. The first is Food Backpack 4 Kids, which is a bag full of food that goes home with the student weekly. The bags are delivered to Purdy and I bring them to each student. This year, there is an online sign up OR you can fill out the paper copy (which will be going home to students who qualify this week) and return it to me, your student’s teacher or the front office. They all end up coming to me anyway! Here is the online sign up if you would like to do it that way:
https://forms.gle/Egs1u9jQ39XSjM3H7
Another resource is a federal program for homeless families called McKinney Vento. To clarify, MV is for "individuals who lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence". Some categories that might get overlooked are:
- Children and youth sharing housing due to loss of housing, economic hardship or a similar reason
- Children and youth living in motels, hotels, trailer parks, or camp grounds due to lack of alternative accommodations
Most Purdy families that I worked with last year fell into one of these two categories. I know it can be difficult to ask for help but this is a significant part of a school counselor’s job! We have to work together to make sure a child’s basic needs are met before learning can happen. After all, “In teaching, you can’t do the bloom stuff until you take care of the Maslow stuff” – Alan E. Beck
One other resource I’d like to share is FISH. In addition to being a food bank, it also offers clothing, furniture, financial aid and more. Here is the link:
Lastly, if you need help with school supplies or have questions about any of these resources, let me know. I’m so happy to be back at Purdy for my second year – Let’s make it a great one!
Beth Ruffner
School Counselor
Purdy Elementary
(253) 530-4630
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Important Dates
- 9/18 PTA Meeting 6:00
- 10/1 Watch Dog Kick Off 5:30
- 10/7-10/10 Missoula Theatre 3:30-8:00
- 10/9 & 10/10 Picture Day - Information packets will go home in Thursday folders on 9/19
- 10/11-10/18 Conferences Early Release each day at 12:15
- 10/14 Fall Break - No School
- 10/16 NO Late Start Wednesday - School begins at 9:00 am - Early release at 12:15
- 10/24 Monster Mash Dance 5:30-7:00
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First day, yeah!
First day, yeah!
First day, yeah!
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Friendly Reminders from the Office
Thank you to everyone for calling in your child's absence, we really appreciate you letting us know. If you know your child is going to be missing school please call 253.530.4600 and we will update your child's attendance accordingly. See below for Peninsula School District's Elementary Attendance Guidelines.
Planning a vacation or know you're going to be gone for more than 5 days, stop by the office to receive a Planned Absence Form for extended days.
2019-2020 YEAR ROUND UPDATES will be opening this week, you should receive an email when it's opens. You can access the update through your parent portal. Please take a moment to complete your update and ensure all your phone numbers and emergency contact information are correct. All changes need to be completed through the portal.
Please log in to your PowerSchool Parent Portal by navigating to the PSD website, then select the Portals dropdown (from the top navigation bar) and select Parent Portal. Please note: You will not be able to update your information via the PowerSchool mobile app.
Then, simply click the Year Round Update from the left-hand menu to review and update each student account in your portal. Please do this as soon as possible.
If you don’t know how to log into your PowerSchool Parent Portal, please watch this short video.
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PENINSULA SCHOOL DISTRICT ELEMENTARY ATTENDANCE GUIDELINES
Dear PSD Families,
In the Peninsula School District we believe that students who are on time and attend school regularly will build a solid foundation for academic and social success. To ensure that your child gets the most out of his/her education it is imperative that your child is at school on time and ready to learn. Please take time to read the guidelines below. Thank you for your support and cooperation in our efforts to ensure good attendance. If you have questions, please feel
free to contact your school’s Principal, Assistant Principal, or Dean of Students.
Peninsula School District believes that regular school attendance is necessary for mastery of educational programs provided to students of the District. It is our desire to work with families to ensure students are in school. The Washington State truancy law, otherwise known as The Becca Bill, requires the school to take specific actions when students are not in attendance. Schools are required to notify parents and make a plan when there are unexcused absences recorded.
- When your child is absent, it is important for parents to contact your school’s attendance line.
- If your school’s office has not heard from a parent by 9:30 a.m. on the date of the absence, parents will receive a phone call.
- Planned Absence Request Forms must be received one week in advance to the main office to be considered for approval. Forms are available in the main office.
START TIME: 9:00AM daily, 10:00AM on Late Start Wednesdays.
DISMISSAL TIME: 3:30PM daily, 12:15PM on early dismissal days.
LEAVING EARLY: Send a note with your child in the morning or call the office by phone no later than 2pm
LATE ARRIVAL: Students must be accompanied into the school and signed in at the office.
TARDIES:
- Excused Tardies: Illness, dental, or medical appointments are considered valid reasons to be tardy.
- Unexcused Tardies: Oversleeping, missing the bus, and socializing are examples of unexcused tardies.
ABSENCES: (WAC 392-400-325)
- Excused Absences: Illness or bereavement, religious holiday, planned absences with one week prior approval by the Principal. A call must be made to the attendance line within 48 hours to excuse absences.
- Unexcused Absences: Oversleeping, missing the bus and unapproved planned absences (vacations).
- Unverified Absence: An absence not accompanied by a parent phone call. An unverified absence will convert to an unexcused absence unless the office is notified within 48 hours.
Unexcused Absences Action by PSD Elementary School
1 st unexcused absence: Phone call/Letter mailed home
2 nd unexcused absence in 30 day period: Attendance Conference/Second letter mailed home
5 th unexcused absence in 30 day period or 10 th in one school year: Truancy Stay petition filed with the court
(If unexcused absences continue Full Petition filed as per the Becca Bill.)
Excused Absences Action by PSD Elementary School
5 excused absences in a 30 day period: Attendance Conference
5 excused absences: Notification Phone Call/Letter
10 excused absences: Attendance Conference/Attendance Contract
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Heads Up For Head Lice
Head lice are small, crawling, wingless insects about the size of a sesame seed that lay tiny, tear drop shaped eggs or nits in the hair. Head lice are not a source of infection or disease; they are simply a nuisance. Anyone can get head lice, and it is not related to personal hygiene or cleanliness in the home or school.
Head Lice do not jump, hop or fly but are transmitted by direct prolonged head to head contact. The symptoms of head lice include a tickling feeling of something moving in the hair, itching, or sores on the head/neck area caused by scratching.
Treatment includes over the counter products, using a lice comb and/or contacting your health care provider for appropriate treatment options. Perform weekly head checks of your children to identify head lice early and prevent their spread. Long hair can be kept up in a braid or a pony tail. Remind your students to maintain personal space and to not share hats, scarves, helmets, combs, brushes, or hair clips.
Contact your school health room staff for more information and if you notice head lice in your student.
Educate yourself by reviewing the head lice information at http://www.cdc.gov/parasites/lice/head/parents.htm
Miriam Atchison, MSN, RN
Lead School Nurse
Peninsula School District
ESC, Purdy Elementary School
Cell Phone: 253-514-2806
Follow the PSD Nurses on Facebook!
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Purdy PTA Update
Back to School Packet
Please remember to return your back to school packet by Friday, September 6! Inside your packet you'll find a ton of useful information such as a PTA membership form, volunteer form, a spirit wear order form, Friday popcorn form and much more!
Membership
Help us keep membership in our PTA high by signing up as either an individual ($12) or a family ($20). Your membership to the PTA gives you access to discounts at local and national businesses. Last year, we had a record number of families and staff join the PTA. Thank you! Let's keep that membership number high. Every family received a back to school packet (if you did not please email your PTA President, Sara Patinkin,sarapatinkin@gmail.com) and with a pink membership form. When it's filled out return the form, envelope and payment to the school.
September PTA Meeting
Please join your PTA at its first general meeting of the year on Wednesday, September 18 at 6pm in the school library.
Your PTA Board for 2019-2020
Here is Purdy PTA's Board for the coming school year. As a board, we are looking forward to serving our school, students and staff. If any parents or staff have ideas, questions or concerns please do not hesitate to reach out.
Sara Patinkin, President
Pattie Reuter, Vice President
Ben Patinkin, Treasurer
Tim Montgomery, Secretary
Catherine Ecker, Communications
Jarusha Kenyon, Member-at-Large
Katie Stults, Member-at-Large
PTA Committee Chairs:
The PTA is still looking for a committee chair for Make-it Take it and fun holiday crafting evening held each December. If you're interested in learning more please email your PTA President, Sara Patinkin, sarapatinkin@gmail.com.
Missoula Children's Theatre is Back!
Registration will open soon for 1st-5th graders for Purdy's Drama performance with Missoula Children's Theatre, "The Tortoise and the Hair." Please watch for the registration forms in your child's go-home folder. This year's program will happen Oct. 7-12.
Popcorn Friday Returns
Popcorn Friday returns this week on Friday, September 6 during lunch recess. You can buy popcorn for the whole year (look for your popcorn friday form in your back to school packet) or send your child in with $1. The proceeds from popcorn Friday help support PTA programs.
Future Dates
September 18 - September General PTA Meeting, 6pm in the Library
October 12 - "The Tortoise and the Hair" performance with Missoula Children's Theatre
October 16 - PTA Meeting, 3:40pm in the library
October 24 - Monster Mash Family Dance
November 13 - PTA Meeting, 6pm in the Library
December 10 & 11 - Make it, Take it