Mercersburg Elementary
February 19, 2021
Student Attendance on Virtual Days
Greetings families,
I am writing to remind you that participation in Virtual Wednesdays, Flexible Instructional Days, or any other remote learning day (this includes quarantining) is mandatory. If your child fails to complete their work during this time, it will be marked as an unexcused/unlawful absence. If your child is unable to complete the work, please communicate this with the teacher and send in/email an excuse to the office @ Brooke.McCardell@tus.k12.pa.us for the reason why your child was unable to complete their work. We will then try and treat the day like any other absence. The absence will be marked excused, but the work still needs to be completed (just like we would any other year). If the child does not complete the work within one week of the absence, the child will be given a zero for the assignments that were not completed. Please understand that we are held to the state’s attendance polices whether we are remote or in person. If a child received 3 unexcused/unlawful absences, an Attendance Improvement Conference will be scheduled and at that time recommendations could be made to Children and Youth Services or the Magistrate.
All we ask is that you communicate with the school like you would with any absence. Our goal as a school is to have children in person as much as possible. We hope that as a community, we will be understanding and continue to remind all those working and learning within our buildings to wear their masks appropriately and remain steadfast in our efforts to protect our children, our staff, and our educational environment!
Thank you for your patience and support during this time.
Thank you,
Ryan Kaczmark
READ ACROSS AMERICA WEEK!!!!
Monday, March 1: “Reading is Cool” -Wear a warm scarf and winter hat
Tuesday, March 2: “Read Across America Day”-Wear red, white, & blue or stars
Bring a favorite book from home; we’ll have DEAR time 2x today
Wednesday, March 3: “We’re Wacky Over Books”-Wear mismatched clothes
Thursday, March 4: “Reading is a Ball”-Wear a shirt/jersey of your favorite team
Friday, March 5: “We are Super Hero Readers”-Dress like your favorite super hero
UPCOMING IMPORTANT CALENDAR DATES
March 29th : End of the 3rd marking period
April 1-5: No school Easter break
April 9th: Report cards sent home
Kindergarten Registration for 21-22 School Year
Kindergarten Registration for the 2021-22 school year is scheduled for children who will be five years of age on or before September 1, 2021. Please call the school your child will attend to establish an appointment for the dates listed below. You may call, at your earliest convenience, between the hours of 7:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Monday through Friday at the following extensions.
Monday, March 22nd Mercersburg Ext. 2500
Tuesday, March 23rd Mountain View Ext. 2600
Wednesday, March 24th St. Thomas Ext. 2700
Thursday, March 25th Montgomery Ext. 2400
Registration times available are 12:00 p.m. through 7:00 p.m. To be more efficient, and to adhere to safety and social distancing guidelines, you must make an appointment.
Please go to www.tus.k12.pa.us
Click Department and Services > Registration> Online registration for the 21-22 School year ( Right side of the screen)
The following information is required on the day of registration:
● Proof of child’s age – birth certificate, baptismal certificate
● Custodial documentation (if applicable)
● Immunization Record
● Two proofs of residency in the Tuscarora School District
● If your child(ren) will be transported from/to child care, please bring the name, address, and contact number of the provider. The child care must be within the boundary of the school your child attends.
The following documented immunizations are required for entrance into kindergarten:
● 4 Diphtheria Tetanus Pertussis (one dose on or after the 4th birthday)
● 4 Polio
● 2 Measles, Mumps and Rubella (MMR)
● 3 Hepatitis B (properly spaced doses)
● 2 Varicella (Chicken Pox) – either vaccine or date of disease
Message from the health office.
- Date of the exposure
- The date the symptoms started
- Has the child or family member been tested for COVID-19
Face Covering guidelines
Per the updated order, TSD staff, students, and visitors are required to wear a face-covering indoors and outdoors. This is a change to the previous expectation due to the recently revised mask order. Also, per the strengthened masking order, “face covering” means covering of the nose and mouth with a material that is secured to the head with ties, straps, or loops over the ears or is wrapped around the lower face. This new order requires face shields be an alternative only as a medical/disability accommodation. This updated order strengthens the initial April 15 order with the following inclusions:
- Masks are required to be worn indoors and outdoors if you are away from your home.
- When outdoors, a mask must be worn if you are not able to remain physically distant (at least 6 feet away) from someone not in your household the entire time you are outdoors.
- When indoors while at work, masks will now be required even if you are physically distant from other individuals. This means that even if you are able to be 6 feet apart, you will need to wear a mask while inside unless you work alone.
- When indoors at home with individuals not in your household, masks will now be required even if you are physically distant from the individuals not in your household. This means that even if you are able to be 6 feet apart, you will need to wear a mask while inside if with people other than members of your household.
- This order applies to every indoor facility, including homes, retail establishments, gyms, doctors’ offices, public transportation, and anywhere food is prepared, packaged, or served.
- The mask order specifically carves out “face shields” from the working definition of “face coverings” and identifies them as “alternatives to face coverings” that can only be used as a medical/disability accommodation.
Cyber Wednesday
Please see the list of cyber Wednesday's below.
February 24th
March 3rd
March 10th
March 17th
March 24th
Notes to School
- Include the child's FIRST AND LAST NAME on any notes sent from home.
- When your child is absent from school, a note stating the reason for the absence must be submitted within 3 days upon their return to school. PLEASE CONSIDER EMAILING ABSENT NOTES TO THE SECRETARY AT brooke.mccardell@tus.k12.pa.us
- Notes should be sent anytime you are planning to pick up your child for an early dismissal.
- No bus passes will be given for a change in transportation unless prearranged through the transportation department.
- Please remember if you are going on an educational trip, please see the state quarantine list linked in this newsletter. Please complete your educational trip request two weeks prior.
- If you are a Rocketedge student please notify the office if you are ill and can not complete your work for the day.