William Penn "FAQ's"
Reminders for a Successful School Year
Sign-In Sign-Out Notes & Dismissal Changes
When picking up your child early from school please send in a note with your child to bring to the office in the morning.
When there is a change in your child's dismissal for any reason that is planned in advance, a note must be sent in with your child and brought to the office before/during homeroom on the morning of the dismissal change. Do not call the office for early dismissals that are planned in advance.
If there is an unexpected need that requires your child to go home early you will receive immediate assistance upon your arrival at William Penn. This will ensure minimal disruptions to the learning environment.
Dismissal changes can include early pick up such as a doctor's appointment, a pick up by someone other than a parent/guardian during the school day, and/or any change in your child's transportation home. All notes should include the full names of individuals involved, date, time, signature, and all other information that is important to your child's safety.
Photo ID's & "Raptor System"
When picking up your child early from school please be prepared to show identification to our office staff. With approximately 1,000 students in our school it is critical that we follow this procedure. This includes additional family members or guardians who may be responsible for picking up your child from school. Children will only be released to adults who are listed on a child's emergency contact card or have been given permission through a parent's note on the day of the dismissal change. We appreciate your continued understanding in ensuring the safety and security of our students.
Beginning this year as a district will be implementing a visitor management system known as Raptor. This system will scan visitor ID's and log their visit at our school during the day. We are excited about this additional layer of safety and security for our school community. Please be patient and understanding as we implement this new technology.
E-Blast Days
Be on the lookout for our weekly E-blasts that will be sent each week. These E-blasts include information from our PTO along with additional information and reminders from our office.
Also, don't forget to check our Daily Bulletin link on our website. These are the same announcements that are read to our students each morning on our daily news show during homeroom. Click the following link to see for yourself...
Daily Bulletin
How do I get my child's work if he/she is absent?
A student must be absent for 3 days before requesting homework to be gathered by our guidance office. Please call our guidance office at 215-428-4280 X 50850 first thing in the morning on the day of your child's 3rd consecutive absence so that we can collect his or her work and materials.
However, with the use of CANVAS (on-line learning management system) our staff is continuosusly posting all essential assignments and information on a daily basis. We highly encourage families to monitor their CANVAS pages when they are absent from school. In most cases any necessary assignment or class information will be posted in CANVAS.
What if my child stays late after school for an activity or club?
We are fortunate to have activity buses that run at 5:00 daily. In addition, on Tuesdays and Thursdays there is also a 4:00 activity for students to utilize. These activity buses may drop your child off at a location that isn't their regular bus stop but will be in close proximity to it. Students may stay after school for a variety of reasons from intramurals and clubs to sports or additional academic assistance. Students must be under the direct supervision of a staff member when staying after 3:00. If student athletes stay beyond our 5:00 activity bus they will need to provide their own transportation.
What about bus pooling?
There may be times where students desire to ride home on a different bus with a friend. Although this is discouraged due to space restrictions we realize that this desire may occur occasionally. Students who are riding a different bus along with the student that he or she is going home with must both have notes that indicate parental permission. These notes then need administrative approval and should be turned in first thing in the morning. Due to space limitations, there is the potential that these requests may be denied if necessary.
Cell Phones?
We follow a simple saying and rule at William Penn regarding cell phones. "Off and Away During the Day" We recognize that many parents desire that their child have a phone for various reasons but we do not want to interrupt or distract the learning environment at school. Please do not call or text your child during the school day. If there is a need for your child to call home they are required to report to the office and use our student designated office phone. Thank you for your understanding.
Absence Procedures
When your child is absent from school you will receive an automated voice message and email indicating that he or she is absent.
Beginning this school year parents/guardians will be able to submit an excuse for their child's absence electronically by e-mail.
We highly encourage you to utilize this new process for excuse submissions.
Our absence inbox address is wpattendance@pennsburysd.org
If you decide to submit an excuse on paper or on an excuse card we ask that your child turn that into the main office upon arrival. Another option is to turn in their excuse note to their homeroom teacher.
How do I stay informed about events and information going on at WPMS?
One of the best but underutilized ways to stay informed is to access our daily bulletin on our website. These are the same announcements and information that are shared daily with our staff and students! They highlight club activities, sports events/tryouts, upcoming events, and anything else you could even think about!
The link below will take you to it!
