Dragon Blast
Mary C. Howse Elementary School
From the Principal
Dear MCH Parents:
These past few weeks have certainly brought about some challenges with the weather. The month of January seemed to fly by, which is unusual for me as the colder months tend to drag along. Our students continue their learning journey in remarkable, fun and innovative ways created by our staff. I know our K-2 parents get to see some of this with SeeSaw (an interactive App) - with our 1st and 2nd graders most active. Our 3rd, 4th and 5th graders are fully immersed and continuously learning while using Schoology, an online learning management system. Of course, as a parent, this is completely new to you, regardless of how old you are! In only a few years, we will begin to have parents who will actually be able to relate more to their children with this.
February marks the beginning of Black History Month. For those not aware, or new to MCH, we do have a team of teachers here at MCH (our Equity Team) that work to create and explore ways to integrate all cultures together here at school and raise everyone's awareness. So, while February is a dedicated month, it is important to realize that we embed this each and every day. Information continues to come at us at a pace that none of us have been prepared for so now, more than ever, it is our job to help support our children in navigating life.
Please look through our newsletter - see all of the wonderful events coming up, things we are doing and important dates.
Dr. Cat
Announcements and Reminders
- Car line will end at 8:55 AM this year. Please make every effort to get your child to school before then. We have seen such an improvement thus far.
Half day Friday, February 15th -Dismissal is at 12:10
No school - Presidents Day, Monday February 18th
Heritage Night at MCH - February 28th - Hold that date - more info. to come.
What's going on for Black History Month?
> In Ms. Jacien's 5th grade, they will be learning about the women, Katherine Goble, Mary Jackson and Dorothy Vaughan, from the movie Hidden Figures.
> Mrs. Wackerman's 2nd graders completed reports and parents could see them on SeeSaw!
> Mrs. Grecco's 4th grade put together a mural and made videos - their display is right outside of their classroom!
> 3rd grade will be embedding African American literature into their English/Language Arts lessons!
Beanies for Nat - Mr. Benfield's Class - Random Acts of Kindness
On Friday, 2/1, Mr. Benfield's 4th graders, with the help of Mrs. Giaqunito, made Beanies for Nat and tied that into their Morning Meeting with a story about Random Acts of Kindness. Here is the link to what the whole class participated in:
https://loveyourmelon.com/pages/beanies-for-nat
Everything came together in the end that started from a conversation at the beginning of the week sharing what the kids did over the weekend. See below for some pictures - these 4th graders may just be doing something nice for you one day....why? Just because....
SPRING FIELD TRIPS
OUTDOOR RECESS
Hello MCH Parents,
Outdoor Recess in Cold Weather:
The WCASD follows recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics and the National Association of School Nurses for outdoor recess during the cold weather. Barring extreme temperatures, children will play outside for at least part of their recess time. Please plan for this and make sure that your child is dressed appropriately.
Math Club Members
What is District Math Competition?
Math Competition includes three events and be held on Thursday, 5/22 @ the new Spellman:
- Coding using Dash/Dot robots
- Logical/Reasoning problems
- “24” competition
February Schedule
February 1-
Try out focus: Logical Reasoning Puzzles. These puzzles will be completed individually and starting promptly at 8:20 in Mrs. Giuliano’s room. Please bring a pencil.
February 8-
Try out Focus: 24 Game. We will play two rounds and calculate points.
4th graders please arrive at 8:15 and go to Mrs. Giuliano’s room. We will start promptly at 8:20.
5th graders- your try out will be held during recess this day. Please arrive to Mrs. Giuliano’s room promptly at 1:25.
**must be at both to be considered for competition. We start promptly at 8:20am.
Student scores will then be calculated together from the three weeks and the six 4th graders and the six 5th graders going to competition will be announced on the announcements on February 13th.
February-May
Friday practices will consist of the 12 competitors and we will be preparing for District Competition. All practices will be held in Mrs. Giuliano’s room while preparing for competition. Those going to competition will be taught how to code and will practice with CUE and DASH robots for competition.
AFTER SCHOOL SPORTS SCHEDULE
5th Grade Boys
Feb. 12
Feb. 21
March 5
March 14
4th Grade Boys
Feb. 5
Feb. 14
Feb. 26
March 7
4th and 5th Grade Girls
Feb. 6 (make up for Jan. 29)
Feb. 7
Feb. 19
Feb. 28
March 12
Becki Monte
Health and Physical Education
Mary C. Howse Elementary School
FROM THE NURSE'S OFFICE
What is the difference between a cold and flu?
According to the CDC, although the flu and the common cold are both respiratory illnesses, they are caused by different viruses. Because these two types of illnesses have similar symptoms, it can be difficult to tell the difference between them. In general, flu is worse than the common cold, and symptoms are more intense. The flu symptoms can include fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, muscle or body aches, headaches and fatigue (tiredness). Colds are usually milder than flu. People with colds are more likely to have a runny or stuffy nose. Colds generally do not result in serious health problems, such as pneumonia, bacterial infections, or hospitalizations. Flu can lead to these serious complications.
GOTR & STRIDE LEADERS NEEDED
The time of season is coming around for our GOTR/STRIDE programs, and I am recruiting coaches for MCH. I have had interest from parents in bringing a program to MCH, so I am hoping that you can help spread the word to the MCH community that we are looking for coaches to fulfill spots on both a GOTR and STRIDE team. The coach to participant ratios are: 2:15, 3:20, 4:30. Please help us find some great coaches! I am currently speaking with a WCU student who would like to volunteer, so I can place her at MCH. That means we will have one full-time coach!
SPRING SEASON
03/11/2019 - 05/31/2019
5K
06/01/2019 - New Garden Airport, Toughkenamon, PA
PRIORITY REGISTRATION (for coaches only)
02/06/2019 - 02/07/2019
OPEN REGISTRATION (early bird)
02/11/2019 - 03/10/2019
LATE REGISTRATION
Price Increase ($10)03/11/2019 - 03/15/2019 (last day to register)
The links to coach registration are here:
SUMMER ENRICHMENT OPPORTUNITIES!
The West Chester Area School District is pleased to announce a partnership with the Chester County Night School to offer more than 20 summer enrichment opportunities for students. Please take a moment to review the variety of activities offered for one to two weeks this July. All classes are taught by certified WCASD teachers in our schools.
- What: Exciting, fun, and affordable summer classes covering lots of subjects!
- Where: Most classes are at Rustin High School. Some classes for younger students are at Penn Wood Elementary.
- When: July 8-19 (one week and two week sessions available)
- Who: Any student from pre-school to high school from any school. This is NOT restricted to WCASD students. Parochial, private, and students from other districts are more than welcome.Taught by WCASD certified teachers.
- How: For class descriptions and to register, go to: https://chestercountynightschool.org/ShowSchedule.awp?&Mode=GROUP&Group=CHECK&Title=Kids%27+Summer+Camp+Enrichment+(CHECK)
If your child is taking a morning and an afternoon class, inquire about lunch bunch opportunities by contacting Leslie@chestercountynightschool.org.
If you have questions about the classes or teachers, contact Linda Mangold at lmangold@wcasd.net.
Cooking
Orchestra – Elem & Middle
Band – Elem & Middle
A Cappella Singing
Robotics & Coding
Readers & Writers Workshop
Kindergarten Kickstart
Art
Irish Dance
SECOND STEP
WCASD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
Parent Second Step Letter
Dear Parents,
Over the past three school years the WCASD has been implementing the Second Step program in our elementary schools. We are excited that the program now encompasses all elementary grades K-5. This program was selected as a way to introduce our children to the critical skills needed to get along with others.
Each grade using Second Step will have four main concepts or units that will be covered with individual lessons for each unit. There are approximately 26 lessons depending on the grade level.
The four main units covered in each grade level are:
SKILLS FOR LEARNING- Students gain the skills to help them learn including how to focus their attention, listen carefully, learn to be assertive and learn to ask for help.
EMPATHY-students will learn to identify their own and other’s feelings
EMOTION MANGEMENT- students learn specific skills for calming down when experiencing strong feelings
PROBLEM SOLVING-student will learn a process for solving problems with others in a positive way
Each unit has lessons that teach the skills related to that main topic. The younger grades learn many of the skills through singing and puppets and the older grades learn skills through role playing and videos showing actual situations they could encounter during the school day. Your child’s teacher will be able to tell you which unit the class has completed or what skill the class is working on as the year progresses.
Throughout the school year your child will be listening and learning about the skills necessary to get along with others. Please ask your child to share what they are learning and help them to use the skills they have been taught as they learn and grow.
www.secondstep.org Kindergarten enter: SSPK FAMI LY70
First grade enter: SSP1 EQAY 99EJ
Second grade enter: SSP2 BX9m 6DZM
Third grade enter: SSP3 CYA7 7EHU
Fourth grade enter: SSP4 B6G8 7LPV
Fifth grade enter: SSP5 CBGD 8RQ2
Thank you
WCASD School Counselors
POSTIVE PRAISE
On another note, I should share how much we have appreciated Miss DeCicco. Our daughter works VERY hard to keep pace with her class and Miss DeCicco has been so gracious with her efforts to help us help her. She’s understanding and sensitive to her needs, and always has a plan of action to address our concerns. I also appreciate her detailed weekly parent communication. She provides useful resources to practice skills at home. She has been a great partner for us as we help our daughter be and do her best. Grateful!
Parent Portal
Use the link below to access the parent portal page:
http://home.wcasd.net/pages/West_Chester_Area_SD/ForParents/Parent_Portal
On the page, there is written documentation (English and Spanish,) as well as videos (English only) that walk parents through how to set up your parent portal account, how to access grades and set alerts, how to view the online report card, how to check attendance, etc. There is even an app for your phone if you prefer.
Please call the office for your child’s user name and password if you do not have the information that was provided to you at the beginning of the school year.
Parent Resources
Community Bulletin Board:
For activities offered around West Chester, see:
http://home.wcasd.net/pages/West_Chester_Area_SD/Community_Bulletin_Board/Other
Articles to consider:
Should we still give grades?
Are letter grades failing our students?
- http://neatoday.org/2015/08/19/are-letter-grades-failing-our-students/
Allowing students redos and retakes: http://wp.vcu.edu/hhughesdecatur/files/2012/08/Wormeli_Redos-and-Retakes-.pdf
Our Mary C. Howse School Pledge
I pledge
To be the best that I can be
Respect myself and others
Make safe choices
And take responsibility
For my learning and behavior
Contact and Additional Information
Email: scatrambone@wcasd.net
Website: http://www.edline.net/pages/mary_c__howse_elementary_schoo
Location: 641 West Boot Road, West Chester, PA, United States
Phone: 484-266-1302
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mchpto/
Twitter: @SteveCat19