Pearl S. Buck Elementary
November 30, 2018
Upcoming Dates
School Closed:
December 24, 2018-January 1, 2019 - Winter Break
Upcoming Events:
December 13th - PTO meeting. 9:30 AM
December 13th - Music concert at Maple Point Middle School. 7:00 PM.
Every Friday! Buck Spirit Days. Wear your Pearl Buck spirit shirt, or red and blue.
~ "The Neshaminy community builds futures by empowering each child to become a productive citizen and a lifelong learner." ~
Happy Hanukkah
Career Connections
Today, Friday Nov. 30th, the 3rd and 4th grade students at Pearl S. Buck welcomed 10 parent presenters to our 3rd annual Career Connections Day. The students observed and participated in presentations that included Construction Project Manager, Probation Officer, Auditor, Veterinarian, Corporate Controller, Special Agent, Data Analyst, Scientist and a Captain in the National Guard. Following the career presentations, students gave staff feedback using Google Docs regarding the presentations and also created thank you cards for the presenters. The 3rd annual Career Connections Day was a success! Thank you to the following parents for volunteering their time: Mr. McCamley, Mrs. Seader, Mrs. Kolk, Mr. Currie, Mrs. Gautier, Mrs. Valleru, Mrs. Losi, Dr. Brannen, Captain Toussaint, Dr. Massam. In addition, we would like to thank Staff Sgt. Wareham, Specialist Memeth, and Sgt. Sherwood for assisting Capt. Toussaint with his presentation.
Science Fair 2019
Attention 3rd and 4th graders! If you are interested in participating in this year's Science Fair, go to the Science Fair link and find all of the information you'll need to participate. If you have any questions, please feel free to email Mr. Kern at bkern@neshaminy.org, or catch him during school. Participation is optional. However, don't be shy! We had nearly 100 projects presented at last year's fair. This year’s fair is scheduled for Thursday, February 28th, 2019, 6:30-7:30. Links are also available on the Pearl Buck website. The top 6 projects will be invited to present at the Neshaminy STEAM EXPO on May 7th, 2019, at Neshaminy High School.
2nd Grade Bugged Out On Class Trip.
Our second grade classes had an EXTREMELY good time exploring and learning at The Academy of Natural Science in Philadelphia. The EXTREME BUGS exhibit was a highlight, and a great way to wrap up our science-insects unit. Students enjoyed having beautiful butterflies actually land on them, seeing a live "DE-skunked" skunk and Pine snake, and reading many interesting facts about mammals, dinosaurs, and even a real mummified body! NATURALLY they all want to go back. GO SCIENCE!!!
December Concert Information
Q: When/where is the concert?
The Pearl Buck Holiday chorus and orchestra concert will be held on Thursday, December 13th, at the Maple Point Auditorium from 7:00 PM to approximately 8:30 PM. We will present the program to the school during the day on the same date.
Q: Where should students go when they arrive?
* Students who are only in chorus report to the cafeteria between 6:45 and 7:00 PM.
(Please do not bring students to cafeteria earlier than 6:45 as no one will be there to supervise them before that time) .
(* orchestra members report to Mrs. Kirsch in the band room by 6: 15. If they are also in chorus they will join us on the risers following the orchestra’s performance.
Parents, please keep orchestra member’s coats with you, there is no room for them in the band room.
Q: What should performers wear for the evening concert?
~ BOYS: black pants and white shirt (NO TIE); black shoes or sneakers
~GIRLS: : black pants OR skirt; plain white top
No "spaghetti strap” tops (shoulders and bellies are covered), no “flipflops”, backless sandals or high heels ( for safety on risers); skirts are at least “fingertip” length.
Q: What should students wear for the daytime concert?
We ask that students dress appropriately for music performance in “nice” school clothes. Please avoid gym shorts, sweatpants, sports logo T-shirts and sports jerseys. Jeans (without holes) and sneakers are fine. J
It is extremely important that students are present for the evening concert. They have learned the music as a group and depend on each other for the best performance. Please contact me at msutin@neshaminy.org if you know in advance of a conflict or your child needs transportation; sometimes carpooling can be arranged with other parents. Thank you for your continued support of our music program, and we look forward to seeing you at the concert!
Save Sam!
This week, Mrs. Miller's students started a STEAM activity called "Save Sam". As the story goes, Sam, the gummy worm friend, was enjoying a leisurely afternoon on the water. Suddenly, a strong wind came along and capsized his boat, sending his oars flying. He was able to climb back onto the overturned boat, but his gummy life preserver was stuck under the boat. "Oh no, what is a worm to do?!", queried poor Sam. The Challenge: Using only one paper clip per person and without touching anything with their hands, the rescue teams were tasked with working together to retrieve the life preserver, put it around Sam, and place him safely back on top of the boat. The rescue missions occurred during science time. Below, you can see team work, perseverance, and the look of success from our teams!
Volunteer Clearances
PTO Board Member Maureen Krom if offering free notary services for any Buck parent who may need to have volunteer forms notarized. You can contact Mrs. Krom at maureen_krom@comcast.net.
Be Allergy Aware!
Due to varied allergy and dietary needs, please contact your child's teacher before sending in food or other items intended to be distributed to students in a classroom (e.g. birthday celebrations, class parties). Students should not share food at any time during school - even with a close friend. A seemingly harmless food item may unexpectedly contain allergens, or interact with other medical conditions. Depending on the health needs within a classroom, teachers may choose to avoid food-oriented experiences altogether. Please consider non-food treats as an alternative. Speak directly with your child's teacher. Do not send in any items until the teacher has responded and confirmed the appropriateness of your request. Thanks!
Did you know?....
- Butterflies have ultraviolet markings on their wings that help them locate potential mates. Even flowers have ultraviolet markings that signal pollinators like butterflies to come to them.
- Butterflies have exoskeletons, which means skeletons outside the bodies. The exoskeleton protects them and keeps the water inside their bodies so that they don’t dry out.
- Butterflies have a long and flexible tube-like tongue called proboscis that they use for sucking nectar of the flower. The proboscis remains curled under their chin until they find a source of nectar or other liquid nutrition.