Linden Leopard Growl
Here at Linden we are ONE! --- April 22, 2020 Edition
Thank you!
Dear Linden Families,
Thank you for reminding me routinely of your generosity and compassion. On behalf of our faculty and staff, thank you to all of you for reaching out and asking how you can help families in need.
In this weeks edition of the Growl, we are highlighting the Farmers Market at Barclay. Everyone is welcome at the Farmers Market - Open every Wednesday at 4:00 PM at Barclay Elementary School. If your family is in need, no matter the circumstance, please feel free to go.
Likewise, if you would like to contribute to the market, there is now a GoFundMe account set up.
Thank you for making Linden a special place where we take care of one another, everyday.
Sincerely,
Mike Testani
CBSD Farmers Market
The CBSD Farmers Market at Barclay was started a year ago by a small group of principals and teachers, collectively known as The Friends of John Barclay, with a mission to address food insecurity for children in the Central Bucks School District. Through the generosity of local organizations, including Bucks County Opportunities Council (BCOC), Philabundance, and Rolling Harvest, we distributed thousands of pounds of fresh produce to families and children at our monthly markets.
A week after the start of the COVID-19 crisis, we were able to quickly expand our operation, and we now distribute food every week on Wednesdays at 4:00 at Barclay Elementary School. Last week, we shared milk, eggs, fresh produce, and dry goods with over 200 families throughout the district. Unfortunately, this number has been increasing each week. We believe that in a community as well resourced as ours, no child should ever be hungry. We also believe that at some point in time, we all might need a little extra support, and we should feel confident in the compassion and empathy of our friends and neighbors.
Eighty percent of the funds we raise will go directly to CBSD families and children in the form of weekly food support. While we receive many donations, we have built relationships with wholesalers who are able to offer excellent prices on bulk purchases of perishable and non-perishable groceries that we don't receive from outside organizations. We have no overhead or administrative costs, as our efforts are completely volunteer supported. The other twenty percent of the money we raise will be donated to the three organizations above--BCOC, Philabundance, and Rolling Harvest. To give you a sense of their generosity, we received nearly 5,000 pounds of food donations from them just last week. Without their kindness and support, none of our efforts would be possible.
The Friends of John Barclay, and our small group of employee volunteers, are very grateful for even the smallest donations. Please consider supporting families and children throughout the district who need a little help during this difficult time. Thank you for your kindness and generosity.
Happy Earth Day! It is the fiftieth anniversary, and it's being celebrated globally. People are encouraged to become aware of all the wonderful resources our environment, our Earth, shares with us. So on this day, spend time in it, appreciate it, learn about it, and protect it. Here are few ideas of how to celebrate:
Check in on the red-tailed hawk bird cam set up by Cornell University. Here you can watch live either Arthur or Big Red sitting on the eggs or returning with food to eat.
A Red-tailed Hawk pair has been nesting above Cornell University’s athletic fields since 2012. They make use of two different light towers for their nest sites. In 2012, 2015, 2018, and 2019 they used a tower near Fernow Hall, and in 2013, 2014, and 2016, they used the tower nearest Weill Hall. Please click here to watch.
1.Go outside on a scavenger hunt: a seed, a flower petal, two rocks of different colors, something soft, a piece of bark, a crooked stick, a blade of grass, a leaf that has more than one point.
2.Do an outside experiment with 3 Dixie cups. In one cup put a sweet treat, like a cookie, and crumble it. In another, put a sour item, like a lemon or lime. In another put something, like a cracker or bread. Place the each cup into a shallow hole the height of the cup. Leave it there. Check on it in half-hour, an hour, or so. Do you have any critter visitors. Is one cup treat more popular than the others? Do you get different visitors at the different cups?
3.Take a virtual tour of Yellowstone National Park (or another National Park.) Click here to start your virtual tour.
4.Ready to explore Yellowstone? You don't have to wait for your trip out here. You can start exploring now by virtually touring some of the main attractions around the park.
5. Or dance with the best recyclers ever. Click here to join them.
Enjoy Earth Day!
Ms. Elaine Nolt & The Linden Earth Day Committee
Thank you to our Leopards for showing your school spirit with GEAR! Click on THIS PADLET LINK to see all of the posts from students and staff on our Padlet wall!
We Miss You!
Dear Linden families,
The Linden staff would like to share What We Miss Most about Linden. Please click here to view a video of our ONE word.
Now, It's Your Turn!!
Early this week our Linden staff shared what they are missing during our time away from school. Not surprisingly, what they miss most is being with their students! Our students help and inspire the Linden teachers to do incredible things on a daily basis. What better way to show that appreciation than with a similar video from the community. The goal is to create an uplifting picture message that reminds us all of what we miss.
Here's what you need to do:
- Take a picture of your child holding a created sign of inspiration or a short message about what they miss about Linden. They can be doing schoolwork, waving, sitting with a pet, or even outside with chalk. Have fun, be creative, and remember to smile.
- Post your picture and comment(s) to the ONE Word Padlet. Please have your post submitted by by the end of the day Friday, April 24th. We'll take it from there!
We look forward to seeing everyone participate!!
Introduction
"My Hero is You” is a book written for children around the world affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.“
"My Hero is You” should be read by a parent, caregiver or teacher alongside a child or a small group of children. It is not encouraged for children to read this book independently without the support of a parent, caregiver or teacher. The supple-mentary guide called “Actions for Heroes” (to be published later) offers support for addressing topics related to COVID-19, helping children manage feelings and emotions, as well as supplementary activities for children to do based on the book.
I have recorded a reading of the book below for those of you who are interested in listening to the story with your child.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Free
Linden Librarian
VIRTUAL PAWS!
We are excited and proud to present VIRTUAL PAWS! Parents, please consider submitting a virtual PAW with a picture/description of your Leopard(s) demonstrating one or more of our Linden Core Values: Citizenship, Respect, Responsibility, and Cooperation. Just click on the Virtual PAW Padlet and post your submission.
We will celebrate our PAW recipients every other week, as we have in the past, by publishing your submissions in the Linden Leopard Growl. The next PAW celebration will be published in the May 6th Edition. Please make your submission by 5:00 PM Tuesday, May 5th. We also look forward to recognizing our PAW recipients with their Padlet submission next year on our Linden Core Values Wall!
SOCIAL EMOTIONAL WELLNESS
Tip of the Week from Dr. McIntyre & Dr. Graz
The Importance of Flexibility in the Midst of Crisis
Flexibility (noun):
- the quality of bending easily without breaking
- the ability to be easily modified
- willingness to change or compromise.
Flexibility includes the ability to shift perspectives and actions when new or unexpected events arise. Being flexible allows us to adapt more easily to otherwise stressful and difficult situations. We already use this skill in our daily lives when we handle last-minute schedule changes, change our work hours when a child is ill at home, re-prioritize during life transitions, and so on. The current Covid-19 crisis has significantly disrupted our normal daily routines in ways we have not previously experienced. In response, Flexibility is a powerful coping strategy we can use and model for our children during this difficult time.
For tips on maintaining a flexible mindset, please click on the below link to watch a helpful video from The Child Mind Institute.
Flexibility is Key – Coronavirus Tips from the Child Mind Institute
For additional parenting resources, check out the Child Mind Institute online:
https://childmind.org/coping-during-covid-19-resources-for-parents/
Stay healthy and stay safe.
Dr. McIntyre & Dr. Graz
A Weekly Word from Dr. Graz
Hello, everyone!
This week we have two different lessons for Social Emotional Wellness.
- Kindergarten through third grade will be working on compromise. With an increase in sibling time, I’m sure we could use a little more compromise to get through the day. Click on the following link, Learning the Skill of Compromising, to view the resource.
- Fourth through sixth graders have a lesson on stress. All children and adults will be experience stress at different points in their lives and understanding it may be the key to identifying strategies to cope with it. Click on the following link, Coping with Stress, to view the resource. Please see the video (Final slide) below.
Enjoy and feel free to share any relegation's via email at sgraziosihibbs@cbsd.org.
Stay safe, happy and healthy!
Dr. Graz
Coping with Stress
Drive Thru Tech Support
The Technology and Innovation Department will be offering tech support starting at 12:00-3:00 pm on Thursday, April 23rd. To be respectful of your time and ensure we can successfully support everyone in need, we have created time slots. Please sign up here to schedule an appointment: Tech Support.
Please be prepared with your laptop and charger. Feel free to email questions to Stephanie Radcliffe at sradcliffe@cbsd.org. Thank you!
Student Placement for 2020-2021
Even though our school building is closed, we are still working hard to get ready for next year.
Over the next few months, we will begin the process of assigning students to an appropriate class for next year. In putting together the classes, we will take into consideration many factors. Our goal is to ensure that each child is in a class that has an appropriate balance of students, teaching style, and to ensure for a smooth and successful transition to next school year. We assess each child's individual needs based upon input from the present classroom teacher, student support counselor, reading specialist, principal and other pertinent staff.
Class placement is made after reviewing a considerable amount of data. If you feel confident your child’s needs are understood by his or her current teacher, and you expect the teacher will keep the placement team informed of his/her needs as appropriate, you do not need to submit your feedback. If you feel the school placement team would benefit from additional information, you are welcome to submit your feedback electronically here by Monday, April 27th. You should not name a specific teacher.
We want what is best for your child and that involves them having a wide variety of educational experiences. Parent feedback submitted after April 27th will not be considered.
Thank you for beginning this important process with us.
Mike Testani
Staying Well With Mrs. Williams
Dear Linden Families,
Happy Earth Day 2020!
Let's celebrate EARTH DAY through YOGA poses!
This is a perfect opportunity to honor what the Earth provides for us, and think about how we can be kind to our earth today and every day
I hope you enjoy this Earth Day YOGA sequence. Breathe, notice and feel as you perform each pose for 5-10 breaths. Enjoy!
iRun4Life Update
These options are as follows:
__________________ Student(s) Name
1. ______ Please refund my registration fee via check. The check should be made out to _______________ and mailed to _________________. (This may be slightly delayed due to social distancing)
2. _______ Please apply my payment towards next year's iRun4Life registration fee.
3. _______ Please keep my payment as a donation towards the Linden iRun4Life general fund to be used for future incentives and equipment for the kids.
If you have not yet responded, please take the time to communicate your preference to either Jill Walton at jillhwalton@yahoo.com or Claire Ramamurthy at c.dullighan@gmail.com.
Thank you!
Sharing our Strength
Introducing "Sharing Our Strength," an e-newsletter that celebrates the collective strength, resilience, and GRIT of our teachers and students during these challenging days. Take a look at https://www.cbsd.org/strength
Please share any feedback with Angela Linch, director of communications, at alinch@cbsd.org.
All CBSD Facilities, Fields, Playgrounds Are Closed
2020-2021 School Year Registration is Open
Dear Central Bucks School District family,
If you will have a new student (kindergarten, first grade) attending Central Bucks in the fall of 2020, NOW is the time to register.
Tell friends and neighbors who will have new Central Bucks students! Enrollment for ALL new students (grades kindergarten through 12) is now ongoing.
Registering students now ensures that buildings plan for appropriate staff and resources for the coming year. Visit here to complete the process online.
Summer Programs
CBSD Summer Camp
Summer Music Camps in CB
What A Wonderful World
Linden Elementary School
Email: mtestani@cbsd.org
Website: https://www.cbsd.org/linden
Location: 480 Linden Avenue, Doylestown, PA, USA
Phone: 267-893-4400
Twitter: @CBLindenES