Penn Wood Home & School Association
Biweekly Bulletin
In this Bulletin
Message from the Board
Upcoming Events
Spirit Wear Sale
Family Bingo Night
Yearbook Cover Contest
Rock Your Socks for World Down Syndrome Day
Yearbook Photo Submission
- Yearbook on Sale!
- Spring Book Fair
- Teacher & Staff Appreciation Luncheon
Dine & Donate @ PJ Whelihan's
4th and 5th Grade Track Meet T-Shirts
Bag Bingo Adult Social
Breakfast with a Buddy
Volunteer Opportunities
- 5th Grade Corner
Message from the Board
Happy March! Thank you to everyone who came out for Penn Wood's Family Bowling Party. We had over 100 bowlers attend! See photos from the event below.
Spring is springing and it is a busy time of year for the Penn Wood community! Check out the "Upcoming Events" section below and keep an eye on PennWoodHSA.com for more information, links to sign up for upcoming events, and links to volunteer!
Home & School-sponsored field trips have begun! 3rd grade had so much fun at LegoLand! Thank you to the teachers for organizing these amazing experiences for our students.
Thank you to all the staff and volunteers who have been helping make this school year extra special for our students! There are some volunteer/shadow opportunities for a few committees/roles listed below, so please email pennwoodhomeandschool@gmail.com if you're interested in learning more! Please remember that all Home & School events and initiatives are optional. However you can help and/or participate, your support is appreciated!
Jacqlene Martin, Director
Special thanks to Jacqui Martin for coordinating a fun Family Bowling event!
Upcoming Events
March
- 12 - Spring Book Fair begins (load eWallets HERE, volunteer HERE)
- 14 - Home & School Meeting, 6 p.m. in the library (All are welcome!), Bingo Night RSVPs and food orders due (RSVP and volunteer HERE, preorder pizza & Duck Donuts HERE)
- 15 - Spirit Wear orders due (order HERE), Yearbook Cover Contest entries due
- 17 - 5th Grade Yearbook Shout Outs due (fill out form HERE)
- 21 - Rock Your Socks (wear blue and yellow clothes and/or crazy, mismatched socks for World Down Syndrome Day); Dine & Donate @ PJ Whelihan's West Chester, 4-8 p.m.
- 22 - Family Bingo Night, 6:30-8:30 p.m.
- 25 - Half Day (12:10 p.m. dismissal)
- 26 - Half Day (12:10 p.m. dismissal), Teacher Luncheon (sign up HERE)
- 27-29 - No School, Spring Break
- 31 - Yearbook Early Bird price ends (order yearbooks HERE)
Spirit Wear Sale - Orders Due March 15
Show your school spirit by wearing Penn Wood gear! Deadline for orders is TOMORROW, Friday, March 15. Orders will be delivered to school approximately three weeks after the store closes.
Order HERE!
Family Bingo Night - Deadline to RSVP Extended to March 14
Join your family and classmates for some FREE bingo on Friday, March 22! Please complete the following on/before March 14 to help us plan and make this night a success:
- RSVP and volunteer HERE!
- For a cost, you can preorder pizza and Duck Donuts HERE. There will only be limited pizza available to purchase that night, so please preorder if possible.
The Book Fair will also be open in the Library during bingo!
Yearbook Cover Contest - Deadline Extended to March 15
Calling all artists! Enter your artwork to possibly be featured on the cover of the yearbook! Please check out the flyer below for tips when creating your art.
There are different ways to submit your art on/before Friday, March 15:
1. Dropbox: Upload your artwork for the Yearbook Cover Contest HERE as .JPEG files. Please include your last name, first name, teacher, and grade in the file name.
2. Email: Send photos of your artwork to pennwoodyearbook@gmail.com as .JPEG files. Please include your last name, first name, teacher, and grade in the file name.
3. Main office: Submit your artwork to the main office. Please include your last name, first name, grade, and teacher on the back of your drawing.
Rock Your Socks for World Down Syndrome Day
Yearbook Photo Submission
The Yearbook Committee will develop the yearbook in waves and we need your help!
You can help by following these steps:
- Access the Yearbook Photo Submission page HERE (you will need to log in to Membership Toolkit) or by navigating to the How You Can Help tab on PennWoodHSA.com and selecting Yearbook Photo Submission.
- Upload your photos per event/activity by the due date listed. Photos are due on/before April 5.
Thank you for your help in making the yearbook memorable for our students!
Yearbook Sale
Yearbooks are on sale NOW!
To order, log into pennwoodhsa.com and then click this LINK.
You will also be able to find the order form by:
- Logging into pennwoodhsa.com
- Clicking on "My Account"
- Scrolling down to "New Forms."
- Select "2023-24 Yearbook Order Form"
$15.00 Early Bird Price - until March 31
$18.00 Regular Price - after March 31 (to May 31)
We recommend one yearbook per child. Yearbooks are distributed at the end of the school year where classmates often enjoy writing in each others' books. We encourage you to purchase yearbooks at this time because we need an accurate count before the final book goes for printing. A small amount of books may be accessible for purchase after the deadline for $20.00, but we cannot guarantee availability.
* Reminder: 5th graders automatically receive (1) yearbook included in their 5th grade fee, so you only need to submit the form for your 5th grader if you wish to order additional copies.
Spring Book Fair
HOORAY! It is almost time for the Spring Book Fair!
The Book Fair will run from March 12-27.
- Wish Lists during class time: March 13-18
- Purchases during class time: March 19-22
- Open during Bingo Night on March 22 and during Conferences on March 25-26
- Online: Anytime March 12-25
Check out the Book Fair website HERE and sign up to volunteer HERE.
It’s time to set up your e-wallet and share it with family and friends who want to contribute funds to your readers. After the fair, E-Wallet balances will be emailed to you in the form of a gift card, which you can use online. Gift cards must be converted back to e-wallet if you choose to use these funds for a future fair. If you choose, you can also donate your balance to help buy more books for Penn Wood. Please return the form below (see attached flyer) if you wish to donate funds from your e-wallet.
You can also pre-order the new DogMan Book. See attached pre-order form.
Questions? Contact Patty Arabia: pattyL@comcast.net
Teacher & Staff Appreciation Luncheon
It's time again for parent-teacher conferences. Let's show our teachers just how much we appreciate them with a fantastic lunch on their long day of conferences - Tuesday, March 26. Home & School will be providing sandwich trays and salads from Wegmans, and we hope you can help provide some additional sides, salads, drinks, sweets, and treats. Any leftovers will be placed in the staff kitchen. Good news! Homemade items are allowed, so dust off that crock pot or grandma's famed dessert recipe! Please drop your items off on March 26 by 11 a.m. at the absolute latest. You can bring them to the main office or drop them off during car line on Tuesday morning.
The SignUpGenius for donations can be found HERE.
Please contact Karen Pestritto at karenpestritto@gmail.com with any questions. Thank you!
Dine & Donate @ PJ Whelihan's
Penn Wood's March Dine & Donate is at PJ Whelihan's West Chester on Thursday, March 21 from 4-8 p.m. Mention Penn Wood Elementary when you place your dine in or takeout order and PJ Whelihan's will donate 15% back to Penn Wood Home & School.
4th and 5th Grade Track Meet T-Shirts
WCASD Track & Field Day is Wednesday, May 15 (rain date May 17) for 4th and 5th grade students. Home & School will be providing shirts for all 4th grade students and any new 5th grade students. Shirts will be delivered to school and handed out the day of the event.
Please click HERE to let us know what size shirt your child will need. You may want to "size up" so it still fits next year. We will also have a table set up during conferences if you would like to see the shirts for sizing. Size orders are due by Friday, April 5.
** 5th grade - Your child should re-use their t-shirt from last year and wear it to school on the day of the track meet. If you’d like to purchase a replacement for $5, click the above link and we will contact you for payment.
Bag Bingo Adult Social
Join us for the first ever Penn Wood Bag Bingo Adult Social!
Date: Friday, April 12, 2024
Time: Doors open @ 6 p.m., Bingo starts at 7 p.m. sharp!
Location: Bierhaul (upstairs @ The Attic)
Cost: $50 per ticket, includes:
- Entry to the event
- Four bingo cards for each of the 10 games (additional cards may be purchased)
- One bingo dauber
- Two drink tickets
- An appetizer buffet
- *Other beverages will be available for separate purchase.
For more information, see flyer below. To register, click HERE.
*This event is only open to Penn Wood parents (age 21+).
Questions? Please reach out to Melissa Kull at melissa.r.kull@gmail.com and/or Lauren Nealon at lmooney23@gmail.com.
Breakfast with a Buddy
Breakfast is the most important meal of the day! What better way to start the day other than breakfast with one of your favorite people? Join us for our annual Breakfast with a Buddy event April 17-19. We hope that you’ll join your favorite Penn Wood student(s) in making their day extra special.
RSVP and volunteer HERE by April 3.
Questions? Contact Sarah @ sarah.j.tolvaisa@gmail.com.
Volunteer Opportunities
Our Home & School Association helps Penn Wood thrive with volunteers like you, so THANK YOU for considering donating some of your time and your talents! You can check out the My Account section of PennWoodHSA.com at any time for current volunteer opportunities. Home & School is also looking to fill the following roles for the 2024-25 school year:
- Board Positions - several of our current board members have children moving on to middle school next year. This will leave open a few positions including President-Elect, Vice President, and Director. Please see the Home & School Bylaws under the General Info section of PennWoodHSA.com for more information and reach out with any questions or interest in any board positions. The 2024-25 board will be elected at the May 9 meeting.
- Dine & Donate (Chair or Shadow Opportunity) - Help coordinate monthly nights out with local restaurants.
- Pretzel Fridays Shadow (current 4th Grade Parent to take over for 2024-25 school year) - Help organize Pretzel Fridays next year which is 5th Grade's biggest fundraiser.
School Supply Boxes Coordinator - oversee the ordering and delivery of school supply boxes for next school year with our vendor, School Tool Box.
- Treasurer Shadow 2024-25 School Year - Shadow our current treasurer next school year to learn about the role and eventually take over for the 2025-26 school year (no accounting background necessary).
- Yearbook Photographer - Capture photos at school events for the 2024-25 school year yearbook.
You can work solo or partner up with a friend or two! There are many different ways to get involved based on your individual interests and availability. You can read more about these and all of Home & School's Committees HERE. You can also attend an upcoming Home & School meeting. The next one is scheduled for March 14 at 6 p.m. in the library.
Email pennwoodhomeandschool@gmail.com with questions or for more info!
5th Grade Corner
The 5th Grade Committee and the Yearbook Committee need your help to make the yearbook great for our 5th graders!
Submit a "Shout Out": We are offering 5th graders’ families an opportunity to send a "shout out" to their 5th grader(s) in the yearbook. These messages allow you to have a special note printed in the yearbook as your child(ren) achieves the milestone of moving from elementary to middle school. This requires two steps:
- Complete the shout out Google form HERE by St Patrick's Day - March 17, 2024.
- Submit a recent photo of your child(ren) to go next to your message. Please email your picture to PWE5thgrade@gmail.com with your child's name and "Shout out picture" in the subject line.
If you have any questions about the Shout Out, please contact Stephanie DeVore at stephanie.devore@gmail.com.
Field Trip Update: Our trip to Philadelphia is almost finalized. If you are interested in chaperoning, please make sure to check that your volunteer clearances are up to date. Parents will not be riding the bus for the trip, so we suggest that you carpool. More information to follow.
About Home & School
Email: pennwoodhomeandschool@gmail.com
Website: https://pennwoodhsa.membershiptoolkit.com/home
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/909463772548079/