PARENT UPDATE
October 5, 2018
On Friday we recognized our students for Kindness at our 1st Student of the Month Assembly. Thank you to all of our families and special guests who came out to support and be a part of this celebration. We hope you had a great weekend. Don't forget tomorrow is a Professional Learning Day for staff and there is no school for students. October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month! Everyone is invited to rock your pink on Fridays during October in support of our warriors and to help raise awareness!
Vanessa and Adam
Upcoming Schedule
October 8th - Professional Learning Day (No School for Students)
October 9th - Bullysauraus Assembly
Red Ribbon Week Schedule
October 22nd - Get prize
October 23rd - Hat day (Cap on Drugs)
October 24th - Sweats (Being drug free is no sweat)
October 25th - Neon (We’re too bright for drugs)
October 26th - Jersey day (Team up against drugs)
HSA Information
For the latest in all HSA events including fundraising, please check out our NEW WEBSITE!! Using this forum, we will continue to provide updates and details regarding the currently active and yearlong fundraisers - everything you need to know in one place!
Yankee Candle Fundraiser is underway. Orders are due by October 15.
We have limited spirit wear available if you are interested in purchasing please visit our Spirit Wear page.
Membership - It’s not too late to send in your membership donations! Cash, check or myschoolbucks. Please send into school in an envelope marked “Concord HSA Membership”. Thank you to those that have made your donation.
The Coupon Book Sale has ended. Thank you, everyone, who purchased books! If you haven't sent payment in for your book ($25) please do so ASAP.
Open House Survey
The Garnet Valley elementary schools (BSES, CES, and GVES) hosted an Open House at the end of August. We are asking parents & guardians to complete this survey to help us evaluate and enhance the event for future years.
Click here to view the survey. Thank you.
New Systems Review
Digital Emergency Cards and Forms SURVEY
Thank you for helping make the transition to digital emergency cards and school forms as seamless as possible. We collected over 3,500 digital forms so far this year and received many positive emails concerning this change. We are now asking you to take this 3 question survey to help us improve this process moving forward. Please use this link to access the short survey.
For parents that did not complete the emergency card form online, a hard copy emergency card has been mailed home. Please complete the emergency card and send in to school with your child(ren). If you did not receive a hard copy card in the mail, please contact your school directly.
Review of Absence Reporting Procedure
Garnet Valley moved to an online absence reporting system last year called Safe Arrival by School Messenger. The School Messenger (Safe Arrival System) gives parents 3 options to report an absence: by phone, by using an App, or logging into the website. The SafeArrival reporting system by School Messenger is available 24 hours/day, 7 days a week. Future absences can also be reported in advance.
We also ask that any parent that is using this system for Early Departures, to please have their child report to the main office before school to pick up an early departure pass.
For more information about these or any new parent technology, please visit the parent portal on our district website or visit the Garnet Valley Technology Snapshot page which will provide more details on each technology system used in the district.
A note from the School Counselors:
The counselors run inclusive social skills groups where all students are welcome to practice friendship skills. Your child may be invited to attend a social skills group as a peer model for a 30-minute session one time during the school year. If your child is selected as a peer model for a session, he/she will receive a note from the counselors letting you know that they attended. If your child will attend more than one group, the counselor will contact you for your approval. Please contact your child's counselor if you do not want your child to participate in this program. Thank you!
Michele Ventura 610-579-6157
Erin Witmer-Yuska 610-579-6182
AFTER SCHOOL ACTIVITIES INFO
Join the fun at this year's Harlem Wizards vs. Garnet Valley Jaguars Basketball Game
Saturday, November 10, 2018
2:00 pm Garnet Valley High School
All proceeds from this event will go towards the GVSD Libraries, Labs, and Makerspaces
Due to the overwhelming success of the last 3 years, this event will no doubt be a sellout. Please purchase your tickets early for this event. Also, in honor of Veterans Day, all veterans in attendance will be recognized before the game.
If the direct link doesn't allow access, please visit https://www.harlemwizards.com/
Drop Off Times
The student day will be adjusted by 5 minutes. The day will now begin at 8:45 and end at 3:15. Morning drop-off time for students being driven to school will now be 8:25 to 8:45 in the gym. Students wishing to take advantage of our breakfast program in the cafeteria can do so between 8:25 and 8:45. The "grace period" for arrival is 8:45 to 8:55. Please note that students arriving after 8:55 will be marked late. Thank you
THERAPY DOG!
Dear Concord Families,
We are excited that our CES Therapy Dog Program will continue this year! On Fridays, therapy dog, Roux, will be in the building. He will attend groups, support students individually, visit classrooms by teacher request, and will also be available for struggling readers. Any student that visits the guidance office during the time that Roux is “working” is welcome to say hello! However, if you prefer your child to NOT interact with Roux throughout this year, that is completely okay: Please complete the form below:
Therapy Dog Program Opt-Out Form
https://goo.gl/forms/lAG3CALQcMXXd5zl1
Additional information on the CES Therapy Dog Program:
What is a Therapy Dog?
Therapy dogs are dogs who go with their owners to volunteer in settings such as schools, hospitals, and nursing homes.
Therapy dogs and their owners work together as a team to improve the lives of other people.
Therapy dogs are not service dogs. Service dogs are dogs who are specially trained to perform specific tasks to help a person who has a disability.
Goals of a Therapy Dog
Increase empathy/compassion in school-aged children and improve self-esteem in academic and social/emotional areas
Help students stay connected and help them to advocate for themselves
Reduce anxiety levels and help children to decompress after heightened emotions or traumatic circumstances as well as assist students who are emotionally withdrawn or have communication needs
Improve reading skills, comprehension, and increase confidence and literary interest
Breaking down natural barriers between people who are meeting for the first time and facilitate a connection with students in an environment of unconditional acceptance
Create immediate connection between the therapy dog and the school counselor
Benefits of a Therapy Dog
Physical: reduces blood pressure and provides tactile stimulation. The simple act of petting animals releases an automatic relaxation response.
Humans interacting with animals have found that petting the animal promoted the release of serotonin, prolactin and oxytocin- all hormones that can play a part in elevating moods.
Lowers anxiety and helps people relax.
Provides comfort.
Reduces loneliness.
Increases mental stimulation.
Social: visits with a dog provides a positive mutual topic for discussion, helps to break the ice, promotes greater self-esteem and well-being, and focused interaction with others
Cognitive: companionship with a dog stimulates memory, problem solving, and game playing
Emotional: dogs improve self-esteem, acceptance from others, and may reduce the resistance that might accompany counseling
Environmental: A dog in a facility lifts moods and can provide an escape or happy distraction
For any questions, please contact:
Michele Ventura
School Counselor
610-579-6157
Seesaw for Parents
Important Information
New Digital Emergency Card and Parent Agreement Forms
All Garnet Valley School District emergency cards and parent forms will now be completed online usingFamilyID. This means that all of the information that was once mailed home and stored on paper is now digital, making the process for both our parents and staff more efficient. Family ID is a secure registration platform that provides families with an easy, user-friendly way to complete school emergency cards, sign school policies, media releases, and more. FamilyID also helps the district to be more administratively efficient and environmentally responsible. When you register through FamilyID, the system keeps track of your information in your FamilyID profile. You enter your information only once for each family member for multiple uses and multiple programs.
Please click here to access the FamilyID Site and create or sign into your account (top right corner of the page). All emergency cards should be completed before the start of school.
Would you like your child to learn Spanish?
VEFLS (Voluntary Elementary Foreign Language Studies) will once again be offering Spanish classes which will begin the 3rd week of October at Concord Elementary School for the 2018-2019 school year. Classes will be held 1x/week for a total of 20 classes. All classes begin at 8:00 AM and dismissal is at 8:40 AM. (SPECIAL NOTE: YMCA morning care kids can be brought down to classes!) Students then proceed directly to their homerooms. All classes are held in the Cafeteria. (Parents need to walk up and buzz their children INTO the building to ensure they get inside safely. You may momentarily park your car right out front in circle.)
Classes begin in October and usually end around April. We follow the school calendar so when there is a day off of school, we do not hold classes. Also, NO classes will be held the weeks of Thanksgiving and Christmas. Furthermore, if school is canceled or delayed due to weather conditions, then classes will NOT be held. No phone calls will be made. Make-up classes will be added on to the end of the year so that your child will receive the full 20 weeks of instruction.
The classes offer a fun and exciting way for your child to learn a foreign language. Games, activities, and music are used to keep the children engaged. To create an atmosphere conducive to learning, students will be expected to exhibit proper classroom behavior. (Should the need arise, disciplinary problems will be brought to the attention of the parents by the Director. VEFLS reserves the right to remove any student whose behavior becomes a detriment to the program. TUITION WILL NOT BE REFUNDED).
Class Choices
SPANISH for Kindergarten: Mondays (begins Oct.15)
SPANISH for Grades 1&2: Tuesdays, Thursdays, OR Fridays (begins Oct. 16, 18, and 19)
Questions: KELLY GARDLER, Director/Spanish Instructor @ KGardler@Yahoo.com OR 610-717-2755
Questions: KELLY GARDLER, Director/Spanish Instructor @ KGardler@Yahoo.com OR 610-717-2755
To enroll your child, simply fill out the bottom portion of this form and mail with payment ASAP. (Enrollment is on a first-come, first served basis.)
The cost of the program is $220 for the year. (EARLY registration/before Aug 31 is $210, and LATE registration/after Sept 30 is $230.) All materials are included and will be provided by the teacher. Please make checks payable to: V.E.F.L.S., and mail along with bottom of this form to:
V.E.F.L.S., c/o Kelly Gardler, 22 Rockland Manor Rd., Garnet Valley, PA 19060
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CONCORD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
STUDENT’S NAME: _________________________
GRADE & GENDER: ________
SPECIAL NEEDS
(allergies or learning/behavioral challenges):_____________________________
PARENT’S NAME: __________________________
PHONE#: ________________
EMAIL ADDRESS: __________________________
STREET ADDRESS: __________________________________________________
CLASS CHOICE(S): _________________________________________________
Absence Reporting System
Please click here for directions on how to use your phone, app, or computer to report an absence.
Garnet Valley Communities That Care
The GVCTC is a community organization that is driven by the PAYS (Pennsylvania Youth Survey) administered in odd-numbered school years to 6th, 8th, 10th and 12th graders and run by a board including GVSD administration and staff as well as Parents/Community Members.
Garnet Valley CTC Quick Tip #6
The results are back from the 2017 Pennsylvania Youth Survey for Garnet
Valley’s 6th , 8th , 10th , and 12th graders. We also have results from 2013 and 2015.
The results of this anonymous survey are self-reported and represent 83.9% of
our students.
Did you know? The percentage of students in Garnet Valley reporting that
they were bullied via social media in the past 12 months has decreased from
12% to 10% between 2013 and 2017. At GVSD we are working to foster the
practices of Digital Citizenship for all students. They are digital natives and will
grow and learn in that environment. Let’s give them the tools to manage the
challenges and the training to reap the rewards.
Call to action… Join us on Tuesday, 10/2/18, at GVMS at 7 pm
for the film Screenagers. Read more about the film and register for the event below.
https://www.screenagersmovie.com/
https://www.garnetvalleyschools.com/news/what_s_new/screenagers_even
GVCTC has proudly funded the following:
-New Realities of Parenting Series
- Senior Graduation Walkthrough
-Aevidum Club and SADD Club
-Bullying Prevention
-Speak UP
-Red Ribbon Week
-GVHS Health Fair & GVMS Family Prevention
-Scholarships & Community Service Recognition
- Mindfulness Workshops
Please consider donating to our organization. You can send in an envelope addressed to “GVCTC” to your child’s school with your donation as cash or a check payable to Garnet Valley CTC or donate via MySchoolBucks.com. Go to mySchoolBucks: https://www.myschoolbucks.com/
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Name:__________________________________
Donation Amount: __$10 __ $25 __$50 __$100 ___ I’d like to give more)$
Thank you in advance for Your generous support!
If you have any questions, email us at garnetvalleyctc@gmail.com
PROGRESS REPORT
Our GVSD elementary progress report is updated for the 2018-2019 school year to reflect current trends in education. It remains anchored in a standards based reporting principle where students’ progress towards standards is indicated along with reporting on the Qualities of a Learner. The updated progress report enhances the Qualities of a Learner to reflect 21st century skills and updates academic indicators to be more accessible to students and parents/guardians. Characteristics of an ideal progress report were identified through research on assessment and best practice, examining samples from other districts, and by defining those qualities essential in our own district.
The recent updates were created to achieve different goals. The updated progress report provides more information to parent/guardians, has a consistent grade scale across K-5 via a new rubric, reflects elements of current instructional practices like reading workshop, and will include the level of books the student is reading.
Student progress on each Quality of a Learner and academic indicator will be reported using a 4-point rubric. This rubric is a departure from previously used state reporting language and intended to be more student-centered. The rubric was designed so that grades do not indicate the end of the learning progress. The student score on the rubric informs the student and parent/guardian of where the student currently is on a learning continuum.
A full description of the new progress report will be included in the Elementary Handbook that will be sent to parents when back to school information is sent out.
Parent Right to Know Information as Required by The Elementary and Secondary Education Assistance (ESEA) [Section 1112(e)(1)(A)] and the Every Student Succeeds Act [Section 1112(e)(1)(A)]
September 28, 2018
Dear Parent(s)/Legal Guardian(s):
Your child attends Concord Elementary School, which receives Federal Title I funds to assist students in meeting state achievement standards. Throughout the school year, we will be providing you with important information about this law and your child’s education. This letter lets you know about your right to request information about the qualifications of the classroom staff working with your child.
At Concord Elementary School, we are very proud of our teachers and feel they are prepared to give your child a high-quality education. As a Title I school, we must meet federal regulations related to teacher qualifications as defined in ESEA. These regulations allow you to learn more about your child’s teachers’ training and credentials. We are happy to provide this information to you. At any time, you may ask:
Whether the teacher met state qualifications and certification requirements for the grade level and subject he/she is teaching,
Whether the teacher received an emergency or conditional certificate through which state qualifications were waived, and
What undergraduate or graduate degrees the teacher holds, including graduate certificates and additional degrees, and major(s) or area(s) of concentration.
You may also ask whether your child receives help from a paraprofessional. If your child receives this assistance, we can provide you with information about the paraprofessional’s qualifications.
The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) which was signed into law in December 2015 and reauthorizes the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1956 (ESEA) includes additionally right to know requests. At any time, parents and family members can request:
Information on policies regarding student participation in assessments and procedures for opting out, and
Information on required assessments that include
subject matter tested,
purpose of the test,
source of the requirement (if applicable),
amount of time it takes students to complete the test, and
time and format of disseminating results.
Our staff is committed to helping your child develop the academic knowledge and critical thinking he/she needs to succeed in school and beyond. That commitment includes making sure that all of our teachers and paraprofessionals meet applicable Pennsylvania state requirements.
If you have any questions about your child’s assignment to a teacher or paraprofessional, please contact me at 610-579-6156 or pennina@garnetvalley.org.
Sincerely:
Dr. Adam Penning
Assistant Principal, CES
NEW WEBSITE ADDRESS
The new address for our school's website is https://ces.garnetvalleyschools.com/.
Concord Elementary School
Website: garnetvalleyschools.com
Location: 114 Station Road, Glen Mills, PA, United States
Phone: 610-579-6100
Facebook: facebook.com/ConcordElementarySchool-GVSD
Twitter: @ConcordGV