Bethel Springs Elementary School
August 17, 2018
Garnet Valley School District
Parent Information for the
2018-2019 School Year
Dear School Community,
Like all school districts, Garnet Valley uses a lot of systems, acronyms, and technologies that can sometimes seem overwhelming for our parents who do not use these terms and technologies in their daily lives. As we prepare for the upcoming school year, we want to make our parent community aware of several improvements that have been made since the end of the last school year.
Below is important information concerning:
New Online Emergency Cards
District Website
Parent Portal
District App
Absence Reporting System
Bus Information
District Advisory Council (DAC)
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.
Direct link to forms:https://www.familyid.com/garnet-valley-school-district-forms
New District Website
A year ago we surveyed our parent community to better understand their needs as it relates to our district and schools’ websites. Based on those survey results, our district and schools’ websites were redesigned to make navigation to the most requested information “one click away.” After visiting www.garnetvalleyschools.com, several new features will be apparent, including:
- Links to all Garnet Valley social media accounts
- A simplified Top Navigation Bar
- A “Quick Links” Bar designed specifically for our parent community based on the survey results. These quick links are shortcuts to: Parent Portal, Instructional Calendar, Alma, Schoology, Google, and Lunch Menus.
- A “News from the District” section that will also populate all school web pages.
- A calendar of “Events” sections that will be specific to each school.
New Parent Portal
In addition to the overall redesign of the district and schools’ websites, the “Parent Portal” section has gone through a major overhaul. There are several additional features in this section but none more important than the first link called the “Parent’s Guide to Garnet Valley Technologies.” This website will explain several of the most frequently used technologies and systems in our district. Please take a few minutes to review this snapshot to familiarize yourself with these systems. Please click here to see the new Parent Portal.
New District App
Having a district app will allow our parent community to easily stay connected to district news and events. Key features of the app include push notifications, a calendar of events sections, and district news. Please note the app is new and not all features are active. We also anticipate improvements being made throughout the course of the school year. Please click here for directions on how to download the new app.
New Absence Reporting System
Launched at the end of the last school year, the new School Messenger (Safe Arrival) Absence Reporting System makes it easy for parents/guardians to report their child's absence, reduces the time it takes to verify student attendance and will allow our staff to respond to unexplained student absences more efficiently. Please click here for directions on how to use your phone, app, or computer to report an absence.
Transportation Information
The Garnet Valley School District is pleased to introduce a new feature of our bus routing system for the 2018-2019 school year. InfoFinder-i provides online access to assist in finding your child’s bus number, pick-up/drop-off locations and times.
InfoFinder-i allows you to:
- Find your child’s designated bus stop;
- Find the estimated pick-up/drop-off times for your child’s bus stop;
- Locate which school your child would attend if you are planning to move.
This feature will be available beginning August 15, 2018. Parents/guardians are encouraged to check InfoFinder-i periodically between August 15th and the start of school as pick-up and drop-off times may be slightly altered due to daily enrollment changes. Also, please read this very important procedure change for the 2018-2019 school year. You will also be receiving additional information with detailed instructions on InfoFinder-i the week of August 6th. Please click here to access the site. Please note, busing information will not be finalized until August 15, 2018, so any information on this site before that date may not be accurate.
District Advisory Council
The District Advisory Council (DAC) would like to welcome back students, parents, faculty, and everyone involved in making Garnet Valley such an incredible school district. The DAC is comprised of parent volunteers that serve cooperatively with, but independent of the School Board. The purpose of the DAC is to promote communication, understanding, and mutual support among the School Board of Directors, administration, faculty, student body, parents and citizens at large. We kindly ask for your involvement & open communication during the school year. Please visit the link on the new Parent Portal or click here to learn more.
Summer Reading 2018
Students entering K, 1, and 2 in September:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0By96mv0gfmC-RVRrZm12RXpHNXRkUTloU2hBejI1YVBRWFlj/view?usp=sharing
Student entering grades 1 and 2 are expected to read for at least 50 15-minute sessions.
Options for reading:
- Student reads silently.
- Student reads aloud to an adult/older sibling.
- Adult/Older sibling reads to student.
- Adult/Older sibling and student share the reading aloud.
After reading, discussing the story briefly is always helpful for building comprehension.
Students entering Grades 3, 4, 5 in September:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0By96mv0gfmC-YVlxTHhtTXBlZm8tNE1xY1d5UUxkaU8tLWp3/view?usp=sharing
Students entering grades 3, 4, and 5 are expected to log at least 20 titles. These can be novels, non-fiction books, short stories, articles (print or on-line), or picture books. Engaging your child in a discussion of what he/she is reading is helpful in building comprehension.
Thank you!
Happy reading!
You’re Invited!
First Annual GVSD Elementary Schools’ Open House
Wednesday, August 29, 2018
The purpose of our new Open House is to have a beginning of the year event that includes students, families, teachers, and our staff. It is intended to be a fun, casual affair where we can begin to build relationships for the new school year. We hope you can join us to kickoff the school year together!
The schedule is:
Bethel Springs Elementary
12PM-1PM - Students with last names from N-Z
2PM-3PM - Students with last names from A-M
Concord Elementary
12PM-1PM - Students with last names from A-M
2PM-3PM - Students with last names from N-Z
Garnet Valley Elementary
12PM-1PM - Students with last names from A-M
2PM-3PM - Students with last names from N-Z
What You Need to Know
Class Assignments - Teacher assignments will be available on Alma, our student information system after August 17th. Residency and student obligations must be met before assignments are released. Alma access information will be emailed to parents/guardians who do not have active accounts yet.
Parking - The schedule is staggered to accommodate more parking. Please do your best to stay within your timeframe.
Bethel Springs - All parking lots will be available.
Concord - Parking will be available in the school circle, all parking lots, front field (weather permitting), and along the sidewalk heading towards GVES.
GVES - Parking will be available in front of GVES, in the side lot, and by the middle school field.
***If visiting both Concord & GVES, it might be more efficient to park in one place and walk between schools.
Activities - The main activities are visiting the students’ classrooms, meeting the staff, and touring the school. All staff members will be available along with maps of the schools.
Home & School Associations - The HSAs will be organizing book fairs and spirit wear sales. Pre-ordered school supplies will be available for pickup in each student’s classroom.
Classroom Visits - Homeroom teachers will be in classrooms to meet the students and families. Students can expect to meet their teachers and look around the rooms. Classrooms will not be entirely setup for the year as teachers are just returning. Special Area teachers will also be in their rooms so be sure to visit them as well.
Can’t Make It? - Hopefully students can attend with a family member, friend, neighbor, or child care provider if work schedules prevent parents/guardians from attending the Open House. For this year, guided tours will also be offered on Thursday, August 23, from 5PM-7PM. If you cannot make Open House on 8/29 and would like a tour of the school, please contact our secretary Kristin Sheehan at sheehak@garnetvalley.org to sign up. Tours will be conducted at 5:00, 5:30, 6:00 and 6:30. Please note that teachers will only be present at the Open House on August 29th. Beginning next summer, the Open House will be the only event.
School Supplies for 2018-2019
Below you will find the supply lists for each grade:
(Please note: Costs indicated below were for the pre-purchase kits. Perhaps the the bargain hunters among you will do better!)
Library Volunteers Needed!
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1EVnm3KncumACUKRX58uEh1KbpQKdg1ibyMWfqZGuKqY/edit?usp=sharing
Transportation Changes
With the exception of daycare arrangements, students will not be allowed to ride any bus home that they are not assigned to ride unless it is an extreme emergency. Therefore, students may not ride a different bus home with a friend. Students who need to go home with a friend from a different bus may be picked up in the car line once the school office is notified. Parents who have an emergency should call the transportation department to obtain permission for their child to ride an unauthorized bus.
We understand that many parents use after school daycare to accommodate their work schedules. The transportation department will transport students to certified daycare locations within the district. The maximum number of options that the district will transport students to is two different daycares within the district and to their home.
A form is available on the transportation website to register for daycare transportation. The form must be filled out prior to the start of the school year. The deadline to complete this form is August 15th. This deadline will give the transportation department adequate time to adjust the bus routes to be ready for the start of the school year.
A parent may request that their child go to an existing stop on another bus for a daily daycare situation. This request will be granted as long as there is room on that bus. A stop will not be added to any route for daycare issues.
Residency Changes
You must update any changes in residency status or address with our Administrative Offices at the Education Center, not at the building level. Contact Administration at 610-579-7300 if you need a Change of Address Form and/or if you have questions regarding what is accepted as proof of new address. Note: ALL change of address paperwork requires 2 proofs of residence.
If you are moving out of district over the summer, you must fill out withdraw paperwork which is available in the GVES Main Office.
Finally, if your Proof of Residence expires over the summer, your Alma access and start of the school year information will be held until residency is updated.
2018-2019 Art and Literature Fling Country of Focus Is . . .
Attention All Singers in 3rd, 4th, and 5th Grades! Chorus Sign-ups Happening Now!
Thank you!
Mrs. Adam
Welcome from the Bethel Springs Home and School Association!
Welcome! Bethel Spring’s Home and School Association (BSES HSA) would like to extend a warm welcome to all of our families. BSES HSA is a group of volunteers dedicated to supporting the school, teachers, staff, and help with fundraising. All of our fundraising proceeds directly benefit our students through extended educational and social programs. Some examples of items purchased by the HSA are classroom iPad carts, playground equipment, a 3D printer for the library, SMARTBOARDs for classrooms, and much more.
Key goals include:
Coordinating volunteer participation to support school programs
Hosting extra-curricular activities that encourage family involvement
Sponsoring activities that increase school spirit
Raising funds for supplemental services, equipment, and supplies
Supporting the school administration in its goals
Parent volunteers are at the heart of the Bethel Springs Elementary School community. Your involvement is very important, and we invite you to become involved to make this school an even better place for all the children. We have a wide range of volunteer opportunities for HSA events and always looking for people to share their time and talents. Whether you choose to lead a committee, assist in the classroom, or simply send supplies for a class activity, your help is important and appreciated. We are excited that your child is part of the school, and we look forward to getting to know you and your family.
The HSA has one large fundraiser in the spring, the Jaguar Color Dash, and small ongoing fundraisers throughout the year (ie, Boxtop collections, Amazon Smiles). In addition you can buy school spirit wear for yourself and your children at anytime during the school year
We have been busy preparing for the 2018-2019 school year and have many fun activities planned. Look out for more information for some of our new events such as Parents Night out at Board and Brush and a Color Me Mine Night at the school for the students.
BSES HSA is also in the transition of going “GREEN” this year. Please visit our new website:
https://bses.garnetvalleyschools.com/home_and_school_association
for a complete listing of events, committees and volunteer opportunities, and online and paper forms.
Please stay connected with us on Facebook: Bethel Springs Elementary School HSA and follow us on Twitter: @BsesHSA1. You can also review the enclosed calendar and form.
Please feel free to contact any HSA board member with suggestions, questions, or with offers of assistance. We look forward to working with you and for you this school year.
We look forward to a successful and wonderful year at BSES where learning and fun is all in one!
Sincerely,
Carrie Douglas President carriern2002@yahoo.com
Hema Kothari Vice President hemakothari@hotmail.com
Colleen Buemi Co-Secretary ceo683@comcast.net
Stephanie DerOhannessian Co-Secretary strestine@gmail.com
Melissa Iannucci Co-Treasurer melissa.iannucci@yahoo.com
Julie Sharp Co-Treasurer jcd15f@aol.comV.E.F.L.S. (Voluntary Elementary Foreign Language Study) Registration Information
Is your child interested in foreign language study?
Click below for information regarding the VEFLS program held at Bethel Springs:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1U52U_IUQvd3_P87C6sG73ihRZaNal7Qu6OzNm48AVpg/edit?usp=sharingImportant Dates Coming Up!
August 29 Open House/Meet and Greet (for parents and students to meet teachers)
12-1PM for students with last names N-Z; 2-3 PM for students with last names A-M
September 4 First Day of School (Full Day)
September 5 Back-to-School Night Grades 1-2 7:00-8:00 PM (Only parents/guardians attend.)
September 6 Back-to-School Night Grades 3-5 7:00-8:00 PM (Only parents/guardians attend.)