February Newsletter
Mercersburg Elementary
Valentines Celebration
With Valentine’s Day coming up soon, we realize that many of you are wondering if student's are allowed bring items into school for celebrations. At this point, we are unfortunately not going to allow any items to come in from the outside. Please understand that this decision was not made lightly, however, we are encouraging our teachers to get creative to celebrate in the classroom without bringing in valentines from individual households (Ideas that I have talked with some about are using classroom materials to make valentines, this will allow for students to have a hands on activity that we as a district are able to provide the material for without adding an added burden on families. Leveraging technology in the classroom to play games). With Mr. Kagarise and I both having younger school aged children, we understand how important these things are, but with the positivity rate in the community as well as many other factors, we feel that it would not be prudent to allow items from the outside to be delivered to the school and then to additional households. Please look for more information from your child's teacher on how they are celebrating Valentine's Day in the classroom. Once again we ARE STILL allowing classrooms to celebrate, we are NOT ALLOWING items to come in from individual homes. Thank you for your understanding.
100th Day of School
Kindergarten registration for 21-22 school year
Kindergarten Registration for the 2021-22 school year is scheduled for children who will be five years of age on or before September 1, 2021. Please call the school your child will attend to establish an appointment for the dates listed below. You may call, at your earliest convenience, between the hours of 7:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Monday through Friday at the following extensions.
Monday, March 22nd Mercersburg Ext. 2500
Tuesday, March 23rd Mountain View Ext. 2600
Wednesday, March 24th St. Thomas Ext. 2700
Thursday, March 25th Montgomery Ext. 2400
Registration times available are 12:00 p.m. through 7:00 p.m. To be more efficient, and to adhere to safety and social distancing guidelines, you must make an appointment.
Once the registration site is up, we will direct you there to fill out and upload all appropriate documents.
The following information is required on the day of registration:
● Proof of child’s age – birth certificate, baptismal certificate
● Custodial documentation (if applicable)
● Immunization Record
● Two proofs of residency in the Tuscarora School District
● If your child(ren) will be transported from/to child care, please bring the name, address, and contact number of the provider. The child care must be within the boundary of the school your child attends.
The following documented immunizations are required for entrance into kindergarten:
● 4 Diphtheria Tetanus Pertussis (one dose on or after the 4th birthday)
● 4 Polio
● 2 Measles, Mumps and Rubella (MMR)
● 3 Hepatitis B (properly spaced doses)
● 2 Varicella (Chicken Pox) – either vaccine or date of disease
Message from the health office
- Date of the exposure
- The date the symptoms started
- Has the child or family member been tested for COVID-19
Face Covering Guidance
Per the updated order, TSD staff, students, and visitors are required to wear a face-covering indoors and outdoors. This is a change to the previous expectation due to the recently revised mask order. Also, per the strengthened masking order, “face covering” means covering of the nose and mouth with a material that is secured to the head with ties, straps, or loops over the ears or is wrapped around the lower face. This new order requires face shields be an alternative only as a medical/disability accommodation. This updated order strengthens the initial April 15 order with the following inclusions:
- Masks are required to be worn indoors and outdoors if you are away from your home.
- When outdoors, a mask must be worn if you are not able to remain physically distant (at least 6 feet away) from someone not in your household the entire time you are outdoors.
- When indoors while at work, masks will now be required even if you are physically distant from other individuals. This means that even if you are able to be 6 feet apart, you will need to wear a mask while inside unless you work alone.
- When indoors at home with individuals not in your household, masks will now be required even if you are physically distant from the individuals not in your household. This means that even if you are able to be 6 feet apart, you will need to wear a mask while inside if with people other than members of your household.
- This order applies to every indoor facility, including homes, retail establishments, gyms, doctors’ offices, public transportation, and anywhere food is prepared, packaged, or served.
- The mask order specifically carves out “face shields” from the working definition of “face coverings” and identifies them as “alternatives to face coverings” that can only be used as a medical/disability accommodation.
Travel Quarentine Reminder
Please click here to read the information on the PA Department of Health Website.
Please see the links below for information about youth baseball and softball signups.
Cyber Wednesday
Please see the list of cyber Wednesday's below.
January 27th
February 3rd
February 10th
February 17th
February 24th
March 3rd
March 10th
March 17th
March 24th
Notes to school
- Include the child's FIRST AND LAST NAME on any notes sent from home.
- When your child is absent from school, a note stating the reason for the absence must be submitted within 3 days upon their return to school. PLEASE CONSIDER EMAILING ABSENT NOTES TO THE SECRETARY AT brooke.mccardell@tus.k12.pa.us
- Notes should be sent anytime you are planning to pick up your child for an early dismissal.
- No bus passes will be given for a change in transportation unless prearranged through the transportation department.
- Please remember if you are going on an educational trip, please see the state quarantine list linked in this newsletter. Please complete your educational trip request two weeks prior.
- If you are a Rocketedge student please notify the office if you are ill and can not complete your work for the day.