Kutz Cougar Courier Times
October 6, 2023
Check Out These Important Dates!
- Thursday, October 12- Boosterthon Fundraiser Kickoff (see below for more information)
- Thursday, October 12 through Friday, October 20- Boosterthon Fundraiser (see below for more information)
- Friday, October 13- 5th Grade Field Trip to Peace Valley
- Friday, October 13- 6th Grade Hayride at Winding Brook at 7 PM
- Tuesday, October 17- Fire Prevention Assembly- Kindergarten and First Grade
- Wednesday, October 18- Dine and Donate at Evolution Candy (see below for more information)
- Friday, October 20- Boosterthon Fundraiser Fun Run (see below for more information)
- Monday, October 23- Friday, October 27- Red Ribbon Week (see below for more information)
- Tuesday, October 24- 4th Grade Field Trip to Pennsbury Manor
- Friday, October 27- 6th Grade Halloween Dance
- Monday, October 30- Friday, November 3- Book Fair Coin Drive
- Friday, October 31- Halloween Parade at 9:30 AM
- Friday, October 31- Early Dismissal at 12:10 PM (PM Kindergarten attends in the AM and is dismissed at 11:25 AM)
- Wednesday, November 1- 6th Grade Field Trip to Elbow Lane Ropes Course
- Thursday, November 2- 6th Grade Field Trip to Elbow Lane Ropes Course
- Tuesday, November 7- No School- Election Day
- Thursday, November 9- Home and School General Membership Meeting at 5:30 PM- All parents are invited and encouraged to attend!
- Monday, November 13- Friday, November 17- Book Fair
- Wednesday, November 15- Picture Retake Day
- Wednesday- November 15- Book Fair and Bingo in the evening- exact time TBD
- Wednesday, November 22- Sunday, November 26- No School- Thanksgiving Break
- Monday, November 27- Thursday, November 30- Holiday Boutique
- Tuesday, November 28- 6th Grade Visit to MBIT
Time Sensitive Information!
Don’t Miss Out! | Our Kutz Fun Run Details!
Kutz Elementary School Families!
We’re only ONE week away from kicking off our Kutz Fun Run program and our school community is so excited! We’re looking forward to having fun and building community together at the event.
⭐️ Log into MYBOOSTER.COM today to get started! ⭐️
Fun Fact: On average, 70% of donations from this fundraiser come from outside the home. Sharing your donation page is important because it gives our school the opportunity to make fundraising efforts lighter on our school families by getting support from sponsors across the country!
SHARING MADE SIMPLE: The BEST ways to help us reach our goals:
- Upload a photo to generate a video where your student is a STAR alongside DUDE PERFECT!
- Upload email addresses to send multiple emails with one simple click
- Share to Facebook to expand your reach
PLUS, when you complete these tasks, you get entered into a drawing for a Disney Sweepstakes Trip! Learn more here 🏰
Once our campaign kicks off, keep an eye out for daily communication to make our fundraiser the most successful yet! Thank you for supporting our school - we are grateful for our amazing school community and can’t wait to help our school raise $20,000 for continued home and school support of classroom resources, school initiatives, and various programs as well as new playground equipment, student chairs, and sensory items for students.
Our Fun Run is 10/20. Below is the race schedule. Students should wear sneakers and bring a water bottle on Race Day. Students will run near the parking lot/gym entrance. Parents are invited to watch, like field day. Parents will need to sign in at a sign in table near the gym. If it rains, students will run in the gym and parents will not be able to spectate for space reasons.
- 9:30-10:15- AM K-2
- 10:30-11:15- Grades 4 and 6
- 1:00-1:45- Grades 3 and 5
- 2:00-2:40- PM K
New Information!
A Message From the Health Office
The health office will be starting height, weight and vision screenings. Parents can reach out to Jen Donovan at Jedonovan@cbsd.org with any questions. If your child does not pass a vision screening, you will receive a phone call from Mrs. Donovan.
Repeated Information Below
Yearbook Pictures Needed!
Announcing the Kutz 5th & 6th Grade Musical for This School Year!!
We are thrilled to announce that this year’s musical will be Frozen (Kids)! We will have a Pre-Audition Workshop on Monday, October 30th to provide students with audition materials and opportunities to learn and practice. Then, auditions will take place after school the following week. Parents/caregivers will need to sign their interested 5th and 6th graders up for ONE audition date, EITHER Monday, Nov. 6th OR Wednesday, Nov. 8th. Signup forms to follow in October. Students should be prepared to attend Callbacks on Thursday, Nov. 9th, which is for students we need to see again. Please see our Audition FAQ’s for important information about auditions!
https://kutzmusical.wixsite.com/kutz-elementary-musi/blank-1
Feel free to reach out to the musical committee with any questions:
Katie Piperno, katiepiperno@gmail.com
Courtney Goche, cgoche@gmail.com
Amanda Klein, amklein75@yahoo.com
Jess Shaw, jesskirwan@yahoo.com
Spirit Wear Sale!
Calling All Cougars!
Would you like your child to give back to Kutz and the greater community? Are you interested in getting involved at Kutz alongside your child?
The Kutz service organization, Cougars For A Cause (C4AC), is currently accepting new members. Our organization works to improve our school and community through service activities such as food drives for local food banks, making blankets for children in need, beautifying Kutz grounds through landscaping and planting projects, and assisting with special school events such as the Wheelchair Basketball game for pediatric brain cancer and Kutz Bingo Night.
C4AC has 8-10 service projects per school year, most being held at Kutz directly after dismissal. Members participate in events that fit with their schedules; no events are mandatory. This gives members flexibility throughout the year to be involved in C4AC alongside their other activities.
Our organization welcomes members from Kindergarten to 6th — there is a role for everyone. Parent participation (clearances are obligatory) is welcome at most events, but not typically necessary.
To have your child join C4AC, please email Adrienne Metta (Charlotte - 3rd grade):
Adrienne.metta@gmail.com
Include your child’s full name, grade, teacher, parent/guardian name and phone number.
Community Opportunity
Snacks in the Cafeteria
Students in grades 1-6 are allowed to purchase snacks and/or ice cream at lunch in addition to the items listed on the lunch menu. Students are able to purchase snacks as long as they have money in their My School Bucks account. Students on free and reduced lunch cannot get these additional snacks unless they have money in their My School Bucks account. Snack prices are not reduced or free because they are in addition to the well-balanced full lunch provided. Ice cream costs $1.50 and chips cost $1.25, for your reference. Please check in with your child about their spending and monitor their account if they are buying lunch or snack.
Visit MySchoolBucks.com to set up recurring payments, create low balance alerts, and track and review what your student is purchasing.
Here is the FAQ section regarding Student Breakfast and Lunch: Food Services / Breakfast and Lunch Account FAQ (cbsd.org)
Laptop Reminders
- Students are expected to bring their laptop to school every day in the laptop carrying case.
- Students are expected to fully charge their device at home each evening.
- In the event the laptop did not charge fully, students are expected to bring their labeled laptop charger to school. We have very few extra chargers here.
- Students should not change the settings (the time zone, mouse settings, keyboard settings, etc.)
- If there is an issue with your child's laptop, they should log a help desk ticket so it can be repaired.
Laptops are used for instruction and assessment and when devices are not charged properly, this inhibits their learning.
Bike and Scooter Safety
Thanks for your help with keeping our students safe!
Car Line Request
Thank you for your efforts to keep our students and staff safe.
Do you need to change your child's dismissal?
For half days, please call and/or email the office by 11:30 AM.
For car rider dismissal, please make sure the lettering is in thick, dark, large print on your yellow placard that can be read by our staff members from a distance. Please also either have your placard in the passenger side window or if you want to keep it on your dashboard, please hold it up for staff members to easily see. This will ensure our car line moves as efficiently as possible.
Thank you!
Important Information
Attendance- Parents and guardians will be able to submit absence requests via the Parent Portal. Parents can request a full day absence, early dismissal, or late arrival. Absence requests will be reviewed by School Attendance Staff and approved or denied. Requests made using the Parent Portal will also serve as the excuse for the absence. Parents will not be required to submit an excuse either electronic or written if submitted on the Parent Portal.
Family travel/vacation requests- Please submit all travel request through the Parent Portal at least 3 days prior to the date of your request. School Board Policy states that only 5 days per year may be approved for family trips or 2 trips. Any days/trips beyond the initial five days per year will be considered unexcused absences. In addition to entering the trip in the Parent Portal, please notify your child's teacher.
Safety information—During school hours all exterior doors are locked. All visitors are required to use the main entrance. Please ring the buzzer, sign-in at the office, show identification, and wear a visitor’s badge. Because we have students in the building until 6:00pm, the front door will be locked by 3:50pm. No one (other than before and after school parents) is permitted to enter the building after 3:50pm.
Device Fee Update 2023-24
Dear Central Bucks Families:
The 1 to 1 fee payment system opened August 14th. All CB students will either receive a device this year or continue to use the device that was issued last year. Third grade students and new students to the district in grades 4-6 will receive their devices the first week of school.
Read more about the plan and the next steps here: https://www.cbsd.org/1to1fee
Please Note: If your child is in need of financial assistance, we will begin taking applications for Free and Reduced Meals after August 24th. A child’s financial status for a fee being waived is determined by their lunch status. We highly encourage all families that think they may qualify to apply! Please note we will retroactively apply a credit to your account in MyPaymentsPlus if your child qualifies for a fee waiver.
Important Attendance Information
Central Bucks School District attendance policies conform to the Pennsylvania School Code sections 1326 to 1333 dealing with compulsory school attendance. “Every child of compulsory school age having a legal residence in this Commonwealth… is required to attend a day school in which the subjects and activities prescribed by the standards of the State Board of Education are taught.”
For Parents / Attendance (cbsd.org)
Online Absence Request (See below for directions on how to report an absence.)
- Parents and guardians will be able to submit absence requests via the Parent Portal. Parents can request a full day absence, early dismissal, or late arrival.
- Absence requests will be reviewed by School Attendance Staff and approved or denied.
- Requests made using the Parent Portal will also serve as the excuse for the absence. Parents will not be required to submit an excuse either electronic or written.
- For all vacation requests, please utilize that option through the Parent Portal. Your school attendance office will contact you with any additional information that is required. Parents/Guardians are required to notify the school at least three (3) days prior to the absences covered by this regulation so that the student may obtain work to keep current with class progress.
Please be sure to visit the Attendance web page for your child's school for specific procedures for reporting an absence. This page is located under "Our School" on each school's website.
For additional information about school attendance please see School Board Policy 204.
Free and Reduced Lunch for 2023-2024
Dear Parent/Guardian,
Central Bucks is pleased to announce the availability of applying for Free and Reduced Price Meals online! The process is SAFE, SECURE, PRIVATE, and AVAILABLE anytime, anywhere!
Food Services / Free & Reduced Lunch Application (cbsd.org)
Instructions: If you are applying for Free and Reduced Lunch and would like your child’s school to provide additional resources to your family, there is an additional form to complete in Parent Portal. You can also reach out to Mrs. Adelberger at cadelberger@cbsd.org.
CHIP
Laptop Breakage
We have seen a rise in the amount of screen breaks for student laptops. Our policy covers for 2 broken screens per device. If your child’s laptop screen breaks 3 times, we will be required to send you an invoice for the repair and labor. The current cost for this is $200. Please remind your child to care for their laptops. Some simple steps to assist are:
- Use two hands when holding or moving the device.
- Use clean hands while using the laptop or iPad.
- Use only the provided digital pen or finger on the screen.
- Use only the power adapter that came with the device.
- Use a microfiber cloth to clean the screen.
- Keep device stored in the provided case. This includes traveling through the hallways, on buses, or anytime the device is not being utilized. Students should not be using the devices on the bus.
- Make sure nothing is on the keyboard, close the lid, and remove all cables if any are plugged into the laptop. Place laptop in your bag carefully.
- Be careful when placing your case on the floor. Keep the device off the floor so screens do not get stepped on by others.
Passive Fundraising
Kutz Information
Daily School Hours
Kutz is a "B" School
- Arrival begins at 8:30 AM
- Student day begins at 8:50 AM
- Student day ends at 3:30 PM
- Dismissal ends at 3:50 PM
- For early dismissal days- dismissal begins at 12:10 PM
- For 2 hour delay days- arrival begins at 10:30 and the student day begins at 10:50
Kindergarten
- Morning Kindergarten begins at 8:50 AM (arrival begins at 8:30 AM) and ends at 11:25 AM
- Afternoon Kindergarten begins at 12:55 PM and ends at 3:30 PM
- Beginning in the 2019-2020 school year, we implemented a “modified kindergarten” schedule on weather delay days. The schedule will be as follows for Kutz: AM Students 10:50 AM – 12:35 PM and PM Students 1:45 PM – 3:30 PM
Student Directory 2023-2024
The student directory for the 2023-2024 school year is on the Kutz website. Directions for how to find it on the website are included below. The directory is a password protected document. The password was sent to all families on 10/3. Click here to access the directory.
Directions for how to find the directory on the website:
1. Go to www.cbsd.org/kutz.
2. Hover over "Parents/Students".
3. Click "Parent Resources".
4. On the left hand side, click "Student Directory 2023-2024" (at the bottom of the menu).
5. Enter the password listed above.
If you have any questions, please reach out to our office staff.
Kutz Student/Parent Handbook
Click here for the Kutz Parent and Student Handbook for the 2023-2024 school year. This handbook provides a comprehensive summary of school and district policies and programs for students and their families. We hope you will find this to be a valuable resource.
Reminder for Volunteer Clearances
Please click here (https://www.cbsd.org/volunteers) to learn more about the process and requirements to volunteer in CBSD. App Garden Volunteer Tracker (https://appgarden5.app-garden.com/VolTrackPA92102.nsf/VolApp.xsp) is a contactless application and paperwork submission process. Sign-up is required for both new and returning volunteers.
Clearances expire five years after approval, so please check your CBSD Volunteer card to make sure yours are still current.
Clearances are required for parents chaperoning field trips, volunteering for classroom parties, and supporting other classroom and school events.
Thank you for supporting our staff and students by volunteering your time!
Food Service Information
Want to view our lunch menu? Need to add funds to your child's account? Looking for nutrition information? Need to apply for free and reduced breakfast/lunch? Click here to learn more about Food Services in Central Bucks.
Child Care Program
Looking for more information on our Before and After School Programs? Click here to learn how to register your child.
About Kutz
Kutz Character Traits: Perseverance, Integrity, Respect, Responsibility
Email: cadeberger@cbsd.org
Website: www.cbsd.org/kutz
Location: Kutz Elementary School, Turk Road, Doylestown, PA, USA
Phone: 267-893-3900
Twitter: @CBKutzElem