Keystone Newsletter #29
Dear Keystone Families,
I hope everyone has had a fantastic month of March. Time does seem to fly by quickly, doesn't it? I hope the remainder of the month brings even more joy and positive moments your way.
This week we are still continuing with conferences this week, with a 1:15pm early dismissal on March 25th and 26th. Wednesday, March 27th is a full day of school. Spring break (school is closed) starts March 28th thru April 1st.
On March 21st, Keystone "Rocked their Socks" in honor of World Down Syndrome Day. Such activities not only foster a sense of community but also emphasize the importance of recognizing and appreciating the unique qualities of every individual. It is heartening to see the collective efforts of the school community to create an environment where all learners are valued and embraced.
Gertrude Hawk orders are in! Most orders should be able to be sent home with your child on Monday. If you would prefer to pick up your order from school, please reach out to your child's teacher.
This Wednesday, to support the SWPBIS program for a dollar donation, students will be permitted to wear their pajamas to school.
April 12th the Scholastic Book Fair will begin. The students will shop during their scheduled library times. The last day of the book fair will be Friday, April 19th. This will be a make-up day for anyone that didn't get the chance to shop or want to purchase additional items.
Be safe and be well!
Respectfully,
Mrs. Smith-Herman
Important Dates to Remember
✏️Every Tuesday✏️
Smencil Sales ($1.25 each)
🥨Every Thursday🥨
Pre-Order Pretzels
👕Every Friday👕
Wear Paw Shirts
Elementary Conferences- 1:15pm Dismissal
March 25th and 26th
Pajama Day
March 27th
Wear your favorite Pajamas to School!
Cost is $1.00 to participate (no slippers).
Proceeds go to Keystone SWPBIS program.
🌷Spring Break- No School💐
March 28th-April 1st
Looking Ahead
PTO Meeting
March's PTO meeting will now take place April 2nd at 4:30 in the Library.
📚Scholastic Book Fair📚
April 12th-19th
April 12th-April 18th- Students will attend book fair during scheduled library time.
April 19th will be the make-up day.
STEM Night- At Armstrong Middle School
April 17th- From 6:00-8:00pm
2nd Grade Field Trip
Group 1- April 22nd
Group 2- April 29th
PTO Sponsored Event- Special Someone Dance
April 26th
📝PSSA Testing at Keystone Elementary School📝
ELA- April 22nd, 24th, and 26th- Grades 3, 4, 5
Math- April 30th and May 1st- Grades 3, 4, 5
Science- May 2nd and May 3rd- Grade 4 Only
🏈5th Grade Spirit Day⚽
Wednesday, May 8th, 2024
Rain Date- Thursday, May 9th, 2024
It will take place in the stadium at Truman High School.
1st Grade Field Trip
May 9th
🎵Spring Music Concert🎵
Wednesday, May 15th at 7 pm
Keystone Community Dinner/Spring Engagement
May 29th
Kindergarten Field Trip
May 31st
🍎5th Graders Visit Future Middle School🍎
June 3rd
Kindergarten Move-Up Day Celebration
June 5th- AM
👕Field Day⚽
Thursday, June 6th- AM- K/1
Thursday, June 6th- PM- 2/3
Friday, June 7th- AM- 4/5
Rain Dates: June 7th (PM), June 10th (AM and/or PM) and/or 11th (PM)
5th Grade Move-Up Day Celebration
June 11th- AM
😎Last Day of School- Students😎
Thursday, June 13th
Revised 2023-2024 District Calendar
2024-2025 District Calendar
Community Events
Keystone Spotlight
Keystone Staff Member Spotlight
Patricia Formicola
Position: Special Education Teacher
Worked at Bristol Township School District Since: 1 year at Bristol Township School District, but I have 20 years of experience in special education.
Strengths: I am good at building my students' self-esteem and staying positive! I am also an empathetic person and a good listener, who listens without judgment.
Pets: I have 2 cats named Ginger and Pepper!
Hobbies: I enjoy photography, then turning the pictures into I-Movies with music. I love NYC and taking photos of the High Line, Chelsea Market, Broadway shows, Summit One Vanderbilt, Brooklyn Bridge, Hudson Yards, Battery Park, Gramercy Park, etc...I could go on and on! lol I jump on Amtrak every opportunity that I can to head to the city. I can't get enough and it's all I ever really want to do! If you ever go to NYC, please always tell me because I am always interested in hearing about it!!
Favorite Color(s): Shamrock Green!
Favorite Snack: Haagen-Daz chocolate ice cream!
Favorite Sports' Team: New York Giants! My mom and dad are from Brooklyn and the Bronx, NYC and loved the Giants, so I was brainwashed at an early age, lol, but l am a HUGE Philadelphia Phillies and Sixers fan! I also root for Villanova basketball, St. John's Red Storm, Big East Conference Teams, and underdogs in March Madness!
Three Fun Facts:
1. I am married 26 years to my husband, Nick, and our 1st date was the Phillies vs. Braves playoffs in 1993 @ the Vet! ⚾️
2. I have 2 kids in college (Nick-22 yrs. old and Coleen-20 yrs old) @ East Stroudsburg University and St. Joe's University in Philadelphia.
3. As a child and young adult, I had the opportunity to travel with my mom to many places! The most memorable trip was Israel, (Holy Land cities, Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Gaza, West Bank, and we swam in the Dead Sea). My mom and I traveled together very often, and I was always the youngest person going on all these senior citizen trips, LOL, but it was pretty awesome! ❤️
National Cerebral Palsy Awareness Day- March 25th
"While the entire month of March is considered National Cerebral Palsy Awareness Month, March 25th is a nationally recognized holiday intended to focus support for those affected by this condition. This day serves to provide those in the community with a platform to come forward and share their stories while supporting one another.
Participants wear the color green while celebrating the strong, brave men, women, and children who live with cerebral palsy."
We encourage all to wear green on Monday, March 25th to celebrate and recognize National Cerebral Palsy Awareness Day.
*Information shared from the Cerebral Palsy Guide Website
Rock Your Socks- World Down Syndrome Day
By: Grayson Norris- 5th Grade
"On March 21st, the students and staff of Keystone Elementary will celebrate World Down Syndrome Day by rocking their socks. I was inspired to organize this day at Keystone because my mom is a special education teacher and I saw all of the fun they do to celebrate this special day for amazing people with down syndrome. We have many kids in our school that we should be celebrating because not only are they great people but they are also great friends. World Down Syndrome Day is celebrated on 3/21 because people with down syndrome are born with a 3rd copy of their 21st chromosome."
Bristol Township School District Administrators
Superintendent- Mr. Nitti, Director of Curriculum and Instruction- Mrs. Coleman, Elementary Supervisor of Curriculum and Instruction- Ms. Hannah, Secondary Supervisor of Curriculum and Instruction- Mr. Findlay.
Keystone Staff
Office Staff
Pre-K Crew
Kindergarten- Mrs. Smith
Mrs.Grafius- 1st Grade
Mrs. Claudio- 1st Grade
Mrs. Formacola- 3rd, 4th, and 5th Grade
Student Voice
Ramadan
Ramadan is a month that we believe in just like Christmas. We get presents too but we have to earn it by not eating until night, 7pm. It goes up a min or two every day. We have a book that we read and it tells us about Christians and we watch a show called Prophets Stories, that tells us what happened. Prophets are people back then who tell us about God and try to make people Muslim. Muslims are not allowed to eat and get their presents in April.
Written By: Hamza Abubakr, 4th Grader
Positive Office Referrals
On Thursday, Mr. Pierce (Anti-Bullying Specialist) and Mrs. Smith-Herman (Assistant Principal) started a Positive Office Referral system at Keystone Elementary School and already had four students referred for Positive Office Referrals by Friday!
What is a positive office referral you may be asking yourself? Excellent question! A positive office referral is quick referral that any staff member can write to recognize any outstanding behavior, a great work ethic, a good attitude, good choices, or catch a moment that a student was providing help or assistance to someone in need. In short, it is to acknowledge and provide recognition for any student that is doing something awesome, and they want us to know about it!
We would like to acknowledge 4 students who will be receiving recognition for receiving a positive office referral last week;
Mason Hanks in 4th grade
Greysen Roberts- Juarbe- kindergarten
Angie Campos- 5th grade
Graham Tomcho- 5th grade
Our goal is to call each and every parent or guardian whose child receives a positive office referral, along with the issuing of a certificate.
Ms. Donna, Mr. Pierce, and Mrs. Smith-Herman are excited to see how many more positive office referrals we receive this week!
Positive Recognition- Kindergarten- Miss. Rauch's Class
These students were recognized for their respectful behavior, positive attitudes, and teamwork in the classroom. They were praised for setting a great example for their peers and demonstrating what it means to be a responsible and respectful student. In addition, they all earned the oppourtunity to color/paint/draw with Mr. Pierce (anti-bullying specialist) and Mrs. Smith-Herman (assistant principal).
Congratulations to these students for their hard work and dedication to upholding Keystone’s code of conduct. We are proud of your accomplishments and encourage you to continue making positive choices both in and out of the classroom. Keep up the great work!
Reading Olympics
Congratulations to the three Reading Olympics Teams that competed last Thursday evening. They have worked hard by reading and practicing since September.
All three Reading Olympic teams showed great teamwork, knowledge, and sportsmanship during the competition. Keep up the great work and continue to foster your love of reading. Well done to all participants!
The Book Dragons earned a Green Ribbon.
The Queen Bees earned a Red Ribbon.
The Mighty Tigers earned a Blue Ribbon.
Bristol Township STEM Night- April 17th- At Armstrong Middle School
Join us for an evening of creativity, collaboration, and problem-solving at Family STEM Night!
On April 17th, from 6-8 p.m., head to Armstrong Middle School, 475 Wistar Road, Fairless Hills, PA.
This district-wide event is open to ALL Bristol Township school district families. Sponsored by Bristol Cares and Bucks County Drug & Alcohol Commission, Inc.
Don't miss out on the fun and educational experience!
Truman's Honors Theater Production Class Presents Finding Nemo- April 27th
Truman's Honors Theater Production Class will be producing and directing Finding Nemo kids!
A 30-minute musical on April 27th.
They will have 3 performances, 12pm, 2pm, and 3pm.
The 3pm performance will be a sensory friendly show!
Tickets on sale now at Finding Nemo kids .
Kindergarten Registration for 2024-2025
Together with Troopers (w/Trooper Ryan)
Lenape Valley Foundation
Heritage Conservancy
Spring Carnival: Take a Spin in Nature
May 17 @ 4:00 pm - 6:00 pm
Results from Last Poll
Thank you for all who have participating in our newsletter's weekly poll! It looks like most people's favorite vacation place was a tie between going to the beach and visiting another country.
💐Something Fun!💐
What is your favorite fruit?
March Stories and Videos
Women's History Month
Ramadan
Easter
Social Emotional Learning Tips of the Week
Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program- March
Donations to Support Capital Health Hospital- Sponsored by Girl Scout Troop 2151
Amanda Newsham-Tinsley, troop leader from Girl Scout Troop 2151 shared the following;
"The Juniors in the troop, who are currently in 4th and 5th grade, are working towards the highest award a Junior Girl Scout can earn: The Bronze Award.
5 of the 6 Juniors are students in the district. They have decided for their Bronze Award community service project to collect new items for new moms and babies.
The girls have also created an Amazon Wishlist too. Check out my list on Amazon! Thank you for helping these Girl Scouts achieve this high level award."
Donation bins will be located in the main lobby of Keystone Elementary School, starting this week.
Collections will take place up until April 1st.
BTSD Opt out procedure for PSSA and Keystones
Section 4.4 of Chapter 4 of the State Board of Education regulations provides for the right of any parents or guardians to excuse their child from the state assessment if, upon inspection of the testing materials, they find the assessment to be in conflict with their religious beliefs. Please note that this is the only basis for a parent or guardian to excuse his or her child from the statewide assessments.
Parents/guardians requesting that their child be excused from the PSSA or Keystone Exam must adhere to the following procedural guidelines:
Within two weeks of the date the child is to participate in the PSSA or Keystone exams, parents/guardians must contact the Chief Academic Officer, Mrs. Amy Coleman, to arrange an appointment to review the assessment(s) by completing this survey.
Survey Link: PSSA REQUEST TO REVIEW
For more information, please visit: https://www.pacode.com/secure/data/022/chapter4/s4.4.html
Yearbook Orders
Ordering Online Access Code Needed:
Access Code: 11702YBAttendance Policy
- Reminder, when your child is absent a written excuse note is required.
- For the first 10 absences the note may be from the parent.
- It can be in an email to: Donna.meehan@bristoltwpsd.org.
- If your child misses more than 10 days of school, then we only accept a medical note.
- Please email or send in the note within 10 days of their return to school, this is a PA State Law.
Dismissal Plans
In order to maintain the safety of all our learners, we are asking that families alert teachers, in writing, for any transportation/dismissal plan changes prior to 9am each morning.
We do understand that emergencies may arise throughout the day that requires a change to a child's dismissal plan for that particular day. For those situations, please make sure you are alerting the office staff as soon as possible, so they can communicate the change to the teachers as soon as possible.
We thank you for your support in helping us ensure the safety and wellbeing of each of our learners.
Snack and Birthday Celebration Policy
To ensure the safety and well being of our students, as per the District Wellness Policy, no outside foods may be brought in by students for classroom parties or birthday celebrations. Shared snacks are not permitted in district schools.
If you would like to send something in to celebrate your child's birthday or for a classroom party, you may send in non food items such as stickers, pencils, play dough etc.
23-24 Weather Emergency Information
Link to Elementary Remote Learning Overview: (Click here)
For additional information please visit https://www.bristoltwpsd.org/cms/one.aspx?portalId=377235&pageId=51110003
Is It Bullying? Poster
Title 1 Teachers
Mrs. Stacy Cooke
stacy.cooke@bristoltwpsd.org
Mrs. Aimee Ramos
aimee.ramos@bristoltwpsd.org
What is Title I?
Title I is a project funded by the federal government under the Every Child Succeeds Act. The purpose of this Act is to provide all children with fair and equitable opportunity to succeed and close achievement gaps. Money is allocated by the federal government and distributed by the Pennsylvania Department of Education to the Bristol Township School. District.
Title I funding is based on a complex formula. These funds are allocated to the states who in turn allocate a portion of that money to the individual school districts within each state. The school district’s share is based on the economic need within a school area, that is, by the number of low income families living there. In our district the number of free and reduced lunch students is used to determine the economic need of a particular school.
Helpful Links and Resources
Anti-Bullying and Climate Specialist
Mr. Pierce has the pleasure of being the Anti-Bullying Specialist at Keystone Elementary School.
In the short time that he has been here he has been able to build a great rapport and begin teaching the Second Step Bullying Prevention curriculum and TKF curriculum.
Some of his roles include bullying investigations, conflict resolution, peer mediations, large group lessons and small group lessons. He also have been working to support the school climate at Keystone.
Mr. Pierce- Anti-Bullying and Climate Specialist
Report Form for Complaints of Harassment/Bullying/Cyber-Bullying
Click here for an electronic version of form; Reporting Form
Social Worker and Counselors Contact Information
Social Worker
Mrs. Jody Como
jody.como@bristoltwpsd.org
Counselors
Mrs. Tammy Surdo
tammy.surdo@bristoltwpsd.org
Mr. Brian Gianfrancesco
brian.gianfrancesco@bristoltwpsd.org
Health Office Contact Information
Lynn Thomson-Merrill
Certified School Nurse 267-599-2473 or 2490
Anna May Tannenbaum
Staff Nurse 267-599-2496
Annamay.Tannenbaum@bristoltwpsd.org
Christine Kelly (M, T, TH, F after 12:30 PM)
Staff Nurse 267-599-2473
Christine.Kelly@bristoltwpsd.org
Our fax number is 215-788-1516.
Breakfast and Lunch Menus- March
We encourage each student and staff member to wear their Keystone Paw Shirts every Friday.
Support Keystone's SWPBIS program by purchasing a soft pretzel. Each soft pretzel will cost $1 each. Students will be asked to preorder their pretzel each Thursday, for a pretzel delivery to take place on Fridays.
Office Staff
School Principal: Mr. Mark Wilicki
Email: mark.wilicki@bristoltwpsd.org
Assistant Principal: Mrs. Crystal Smith-Herman
Email: crystal.smith-herman@bristoltwpsd.org
Special Education Supervisor: Justina Garofalo
Email: justina.garofalo@bristoltwpsd.org
Special Education Supervisor: Jessica Kelch
Email: jessica.kelch@bristoltwpsd.org
Principal's Secretary: Mrs. Marianne Mensinger
Email: marianne.mensinger@bristoltwpsd.org
Assistant Principal's Secretary: Mrs. Donna Meehan
Email: donna.meehan@bristoltwpsd.org
School phone: 267-599-2470
School fax: 215-788-1041