Hillsdale Herald
Hillsdale Elementary School, November 2020
Nov 23, 2020
Travel Ban
We are asking families that are travelling for Thanksgiving to please adhere to the Order of the Secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Health for Mitigation Relating to Travel (link below)
Pennsylvanians visiting other states are required to have a negative COVID-19 test within 72 hours prior to their return to the commonwealth, or to quarantine for 14 days upon return to Pennsylvania. This does NOT apply to people who commute to and from another state for work or medical treatment.
This order takes effect at 12:01 a.m. Friday, November 20.
Schedule for Conference Week
- Monday, November 23rd: Cohort A comes to school in the morning/Cohort B remotes in, Dismissal at 12:10pm. NO LUNCH SERVED
- Tuesday, November 24th: Cohort B comes to school in the morning/Cohort A remotes in, Dismissal at 12:10pm. NO LUNCH SERVED
- Wednesday, November 25th: No school for students.
Nov 16, 2020
K-2 Virtual Author Visit - UPDATE
Unfortunately, due to unexpected technical problems, the author was unable to do the visit last week, it has been RESCHEDULED
Wednesday 11/18 12:50pm - during Kindergarten specials
We will be having an “assembly” with a virtual visit with Jonathan Stutzman, the author of Tiny T-Rex and the Impossible Hug. We will be sharing the zoom link via SeeSaw that morning. Funds from our Book Fair last year paid for our virtual author visits this year, be sure to check out our online book fair this year!
TURKEY TROT
On Tuesday (A group) and Thursday (B group) students will spend their special participating in a running/walking event. As part of our PBIS program, we are encouraging healthy lifestyles and kindness toward others. All huskies are responsible, respectful, safe and caring to themselves and others!
In coordination with this, we are giving back to our Hillsdale community. The students are "Coloring some Kindness" by decorating boxes for meal delivery through Chester County Food Bank, and we are asking for donations directly to the WC Food Cupboard. Details below
Learning remotely?
If students/families are having internet issues, a parent/caretaker must call the school at that time to report the issue in order for the absence/lateness to not be considered Unlawful/Unexcused Tardy. We have too many students not accessing their learning when they are at home. Thank you for your help with this!
Parent-Teacher Conferences
We will hold conferences virtually Monday afternoon 11/23, Tuesday afternoon and evening 11/24, and Wednesday morning 11/25. Again this year, we will be using PTCFast website to ask you to sign up electronically for a conference time that works for you. Please click the button below to sign up. The sign up will close 4:00pm Tuesday, November 17th.
If you do not have internet access or are having difficulty scheduling a conference, please contact us via phone at 484-266-2002.
Donations to make a difference
West Chester Food Cupboard
- Drop off approved items. Canned Meat • Canned Fish • Cereal • Peanut Butter • Jelly • Spaghetti Sauce (cans or plastic jars) • Hearty Soups • Canned Fruit
- Option #1: Artview (across from Hillsdale Elementary) 99 North Bradford Avenue / West Chester, PA. There will be a bin located on the front porch.
- Option #2: Mae's West Chester. (in the heart of the borough) 39 W. Gay Street / West Chester, PA. Inside restaurant. W-Fri (11a to 8p). Sat (7a to 8p). Sun (7a to 3p).
Holiday Gift Card Drive
Traditionally, Hillsdale has collected gift cards at holiday time to assist our families with groceries and holiday gifts. Rather than sending gift cards to school this year, we are asking families to consider making a donation through our PTO Venmo. Gift Cards will then be purchased and distributed accordingly.
- Venmo @Hillsdale-pto - note "HOLIDAY GIFT CARD" in the comments
We would like all contributions to be made by Tuesday, November 24th.
VIRTUAL BOOK FAIR
We are having an online Book Fair Nov 21st - Dec 4th. This is a great opportunity for Holiday shopping. We are so grateful for funds from the book fair providing our Virtual Author Visits this year along with books and other materials for our library.
Don't forget to submit your Bookmark via Schoology or SeeSaw.
Understanding Your Child's Report Card
Each year parents have questions about the report card grades, particularly in grades K-2 since they are standards-based. Please read this information to have a better understanding of our report cards
As a reminder, the trimester ends on December 2nd and the report card will be available via Parent Portal on December 17th.
We hope you are excited to discuss your child's progress, growth, and learning so far this school year. The following are some reminders about the information provided on the report cards:
- In grade K-2, the West Chester Area School District (WCASD) utilizes standards-based reporting. Each child will receive a 1, 2, 2+, 3, or 4 for each standard addressed this trimester. If you see “N/A” it means that the standard has not yet been assessed. Please remember the goals are end of year standards/expectations. In December, you will likely see many 2s and some 1s which is appropriate for this time of year because the expectation is that students meet the standards with a 3 by the third and final report card in June. In addition, please know that 4s are rare to receive, even at the end of the school year. For a child to reach that level, he/she is performing significantly and consistently above the standard expectations.
- In grades 3-5, WCASD utilizes numeric grades (45-100) that correspond to letter grades (A, B, C, F) for core subjects. Please know that standard grading (1, 2, 3, 4) does not correlate to a letter grade. For example, a 3 in second grade does not mean a B in third grade. Teachers utilize various assessments, activities, and assignments to determine an overall grade. Parents are encouraged to stay abreast of progress via Parent Portal over the course of the entire trimester.
- Learning support students and reading support students will receive progress reports at the same time that report cards go live on Parent Portal in December.
- All children in grades K-5, receive needs improvement (NI), progressing (P), or demonstrates consistently (DC) for Learning Related Behaviors (LRBs). In order to achieve DC, a child needs to exhibit the expectation close to 100% of the time. Progressing (P) is completely appropriate, as it captures a behavior that is observed on a regular basis. These indicators are used for Kindergarten Special Area Subjects also
- Special Area Subjects for grades 1-5 utilize standards-based reporting as noted above for K-2.
Nurse Notes
- Thank you for your continued diligence and communication as we continue to fight through this pandemic TOGETHER!
- Thank you for submitting immunization records and physical and dental reports and for letting me know when your child(ren) are scheduled for appointments. Even with COVID, PA State school health mandates are still required for all students. In order to avoid exclusion from school if the state suddenly gives an exclusion date for missing information, I request that you get any missing information in to me. I have notified most parents if your child(ren) are missing any of the required information.
- Health and safety - Please continue to wear masks/shields, maintain 6 feet or more physical distance, stay home or keep your child(ren) home if they are sick and wash your hands often (handwashing is still the single one of the most effective ways to prevent the spread of illness).
- If you have any questions about COVID and the processes we (the district) are following, please reach out to me or Mrs. Hopton. We welcome the opportunity to answer your questions and provide clarification in an effort to minimize confusion. We want to make sure we and the HDE community are doing everything possible to be healthy and well and prevent the spread of COVID.
Colette Dugan, MEd, BSN, RN, CSN
Certified School Nurse
Hillsdale Elementary (M-F – 484-266-2006) Fax-484-266-2099
Nov 9, 2020
Picture Day NEXT WEEK
Monday 11/9 – A group
Friday 11/13 – B group
Teachers will schedule picture times during the day.
If you are a remote-only or cyber student, you can schedule your time with this sign up genius link
There is a paperless online order process. Please pre-register with this link. Your activation code is your child’s student ID number with HD20 at the end (ex: 7001234HD20). You will then be able to preview your child’s photo before ordering.
K-2 Virtual Author Visit
Tuesday 11/10 2:30 – 3:00
We will be having an “assembly” with a virtual visit with Jonathan Stutzman, the author of Tiny T-Rex and the Impossible Hug. We will be sharing the zoom link via SeeSaw that morning.
Veteran’s Day Spirit Day
On Wednesday Nov 11th, let’s celebrate our Veterans and wear Red, White & Blue!
Library Books
Please return any library books you may still have at home from last March.
Nov 1, 2020
We are so thrilled to see so many of our families using our Pick Up Patrol App! Even our Remote families can and should be using the App - if your children will be arriving late for Zooms, leaving early for appointments, or will be absent.
You can even use the Pick Up Patrol App if your child will be learning remotely instead of in-person on their Hybrid Day. You can mark them Remote and we can inform their teachers.
Please remember to update your App if you need to change your child’s pick up plans.
Lastly, we still need those parent/doctor notes if your child is absent or late. Please scan your note or take a picture of it and send it to Mrs. Fithian – sfithian@wcasd.net
RECESS
We will take the children out EVERY day we are able, so please be sure they have the proper sweatshirt or jacket to not be cold outside. Please be sure to put your child's name in their outerwear so we can return it, if it gets left behind.
Parent-Teacher Conferences
We will hold conferences via zoom or phone Monday afternoon 11/23, Tuesday afternoon and evening 11/24, and Wednesday morning 11/25. Again this year, we will be using PTCFast website to ask you to sign up electronically for a conference time that works for you. The sign up will open on Tuesday, November 10th at 9:30am and will be available through 4:00pm Tuesday, November 17th. We will send out a secure link and information on how to sign up for a conference in a separate email before the link is open.
Virtual Author Visits
Thank you to the PTO and our earnings from last year's book fair that enabled us to welcome author Sarah Mlynowski from the Upside Down Magic Series for a Virtual Visit with our 3rd - 5th graders on Oct 29th. On Nov 10th, our K-2 students will meet Jonathan Stutzman, the author of Tiny T-Rex and the Impossible Hug virtually.
This year's book fair will be online Nov 21 - Dec 5, be on the lookout for info to shop for holiday gifts!
MASKS
The kids have been doing a fantastic job wearing masks! Here are a few pointers and reminders.
- Fit is KEY! It may take a few different tries to get the right fit for your child. - Just like the three little bears, we need one that is not too small and not too big. It needs to be "just right" for your child. - Also, there are different styles, so find the one that they are most comfortable in that fully covers nose and mouth.
- Clean is critical, we ask each student to wear a mask and have an extra in their backpack. Please make sure your child's mask is clean each day. A simple wash in the sink with soap and water will do the trick.
- Gaiters, bandanas, and masks with valves are not permitted. Cloth, disposable, and face shields are permitted. (see graphic below)
Looking Ahead. . .
11/3 - NO SCHOOL
11/4 - A Day
11/9 - Picture Day - A group
11/10 - K-2 Virtual Author Visit
11/11 - Veteran's Day - wear RED, WHITE & BLUE
11/13 - Picture Day - B group
11/19 - PTO mtg - 7:00pm
11/21 - 12/5 - Online BOOK FAIR
11/23 - 11/25 - CONFERENCES
11/23 - A Half Day
11/24 - B Half Day
11/25 - 11/27 - NO SCHOOL for Students
NURSE NOTES
PA State mandates that students be up to date with PA State mandated immunizations and other medical/dental information and updates. The exclusion date for students missing immunizations is November 9.
Requirements include:
- All PA state mandated immunizations
- Physical examination report for all Kindergarten and newly registered students
- Dental examination report for all Kindergarten, newly registered students and all 3rd grade students
If you have not heard from Mrs. Dugan, your child(ren) is/are up to date.
Please contact Mrs. Dugan if you have any questions about these PA State mandates or any other issues. Thank you.
Halloween- due to COVID, unfortunately, we will not be collecting candy to donate “Treats for the Troops” as we have in the past as a wellness project.
Colette Dugan, MEd, BSN, RN, CSN
Certified School Nurse
Hillsdale Elementary (M-F – 484-266-2006) Fax-484-266-2099
Counselor's Corner
https://calendly.com/kdewitt to schedule an appointment
Click here to visit my virtual office
https://sites.google.com/wcasd.net/counseling-mh-services-site/home -Counseling and Mental Health Services Guide
In an effort to provide additional support for students and parents during remote learning, we’ve created a “Request for Academic Assistance” form for each of the WCASD schools. Students, parents and faculty may complete a form on behalf of a student who is struggling with attendance, work completion or social/emotional learning. This form will be reviewed by a member of the Multi-Tiered System of Supports Team (MTSS) and resources will be provided.
All Things Related to Hybrid
Car lines - Drop Off & Pick Up
*GREEN= Car Loop* *YELLOW = Bus Loop* *Red Arrows=Pay Attention!!*
During Drop Off times in the morning, and Pick Up time in the afternoon, cars and buses share the same driveway. Be careful where you see the RED ARROWS!!
Please have your children use the passenger side of the vehicle. Children need to be able to do their own seatbelts and car seats.
Parents should not get out of the car.
- Drop off time runs from 8:30 am to 9:00 am.
- Class instruction begins at 9:10.
- Parents should follow the green arrow, and use the Car Line Loop only.
- Please drop off at the paws painted on the sidewalk. 5 cars can empty at the same time. You do not need to wait until you are first in line to drop off.
- Pick up time runs from 3:10 to 3:25
- Class instruction ends at 3:05.
- There is crossover where the buses need to pull around the car line to get to the bus lane. As long as all drivers are cautious, everything will run smoothly.
- A line may form while waiting for Pick Up, but once we start moving, it should go quickly.
- We will try to load 4-5 cars at once in the afternoon.
- If the cars in front of you have not dropped off or picked up, it is ok to safely pass cars and exit the property.
- BE CAREFUL!!!
Attendance
If your child is going to be absent for any reason - illness, appointment, vacation - please call the Safe Arrival Line 484-266-2010 and leave a message. When your child is returning to learning, please send an excuse note to Mrs. Fithian (sfithian@wcasd.net). Doctor’s notes are appreciated whenever you see a doctor due to illness.
If your child is going to stay home on one of their in-person days, please mark them as absent in Pick Up Patrol. Put in the notes if they are doing school from home.
Each student may take up to 5 vacation days per year, please email me (pmerten@wcasd.net) with vacation requests.
Spanish Language Phone Line
Si usted prefiere comunicarse en español por favor llame al 484-266-1690 para contactarse con personal escolar.
(If you prefer to speak to a Spanish speaking operator, please call 484-266-1690 to connect with school personnel.)
About Hillsdale Elementary
Email: pmerten@wcasd.net
Website: https://www.wcasd.net/Domain/602
Location: 725 West Market Street, West Chester, PA, USA
Phone: 484-266-2001
Twitter: @HDEelem