Welcome New Families and Students!

Registration for students entering Kindergarten in fall of 2023 is now open. If any Butler Family has an incoming student, please be sure to register as soon as possible - as staffing and class sizes will be determined based upon the number of actual registrants! Be sure to also share this message around our neighborhoods if anyone has a Kindergarten-aged child ready to attend Butler! Please note, the Kindergarten-aged child must be 5 years old before September 1st – no exceptions.

More information can be learned by visiting the Central Registration Website - Please click here.

(Please Note: New Grade 1-12 students for the 2023-2024 school year will open in March 2023.)

Love The Bus Month is celebrated every February and is dedicated to the influence of the school bus in American school culture. The holiday appreciates the individuals and organizations involved in the operation of school buses including the drivers. At the Pennsylvania School Bus Association, Love the Bus Month is an opportunity to showcase the amazing school bus drivers, aides, mechanics and all other professional staff that make safe student transportation possible in the Commonwealth. Click this link to see how you can celebrate!

PennDOT is hosting a 2023 School Bus Safety Poster Contest. The deadline is 3/1/23 and the rules and guidelines are linked here. Winners will be honored at the Governor's mansion in October!

Please follow these protocols when reporting an absence:

Key Points:

• Parents and guardians are able to submit absence requests via the Parent Portal. Parents can request a full day absence, early dismissal, or late arrival.
• Absence requests will be reviewed by school attendance staff and approved or denied.
• Requests made using the parent portal will also serve as the excuse for the absence. Parents will not be required to submit an excuse either electronic or written if on the portal (unless an physician's note requirement has been communicated by the school).
• Parents and guardians may also still call or email the school to report an absence. Please Note: Butler_Attendance is NO LONGER an option for reporting absences. Please email the teacher and the Attendance Secretary (Michele Droxler) mdroxler@cbsd.org.

In addition, when a student is absent from school, but the school did not receive communication from the parent or guardian, the following communication will be sent:

• A text message will be sent 10:30 AM notifying the parent or guardian of the absence.
• An email will also be sent at the same time reminding the parent or guardian that the student was marked absent.
• If the written notification is sent in error, please contact the school 267-893-4250 to resolve the conflict.

Information regarding how to use the Parent Portal to report an absence can be found here.

Butler Elementary values the opportunities students have attending recess each day. In the winter months, we follow a district approved Weather Watch chart that accounts for air temperature and wind chill. Students will either participate in a:

• Full 30-minute recess outdoors if temperatures are comfortable. (green)
• Full 30-minute recess indoors if temperatures are too cold. (red)
• Partial indoor/outdoor 30-minute recess if temps are in the "caution" level. (yellow)

Be mindful that your child should dress accordingly each morning from home with the outside temperatures in mind. We understand many students like to dress in shorts or t-shirts all year long but understand we will not base our inside/outside decisions based upon student dress. So, please be sure your child is dressed accordingly as we believe students should get as much fresh air as possible during the school day.

Sixth graders are working their way through the research process in Library class. Topics have been chosen and gathering resources has begun. Students will then read for understanding, develop research questions, note-take, create a product, and cite their sources. We will be working rigorously in Library class during these upcoming months.

5th Grade artists learned how to create the illusion of depth by using one-point perspective. Each artist has created an original Cityscape with the use of a vanishing point and orthogonal lines. The worm’s eye view is used to make the viewer feel like they are looking up at the sky. Then they learned how to use Pan Watercolors and Liquid Watercolors. They reinforced the illusion of depth by making the paint create a gradient with the lighter tint near the sky.

Students in grades 1-6 have been working on a manipulative skills unit this month. 1st & 2nd grade students practiced manipulative skills through throwing and catching activities and games. 3rd & 4th grade students practiced manipulative skills through a pillo polo unit, which included lessons on dribbling and passing. 5th & 6th graders have been playing target games to advance their manipulative skills, as well as strategy during game play. Kindergarten students have been doing dance and cardio drumming.

According to a recent report by The World Economic Forum, critical thinking and problem-solving are at the top of the list of skills employers believe will be needed and sought after in the next three years. These skills are not “new” but follow a common move from rote types of skills to heuristic approaches to work across the board. QUEST drives each of these skills, so it’s exciting to know that in elementary school we already are preparing students with necessary skills. In every QUEST unit students are challenged to think beyond expectation and challenge themselves to analyze problems differently. Applying critical thinking skills with creativity and ideation leads to innovation and incredible idea sharing. Below is a snapshot of these top 10 skills in action in grades 5 and 6.

Sixth grade students are currently learning to design in a 3D design program titled Tinkercad. This design software drives the design cycle from start to finish. Once students’ progress through the training modules, they will design objects to solve real world problems for adults in our building. This unit will drive empathy, complex problem-solving and ideation.

Thinking like a civil engineer takes collaboration and planning.

Fifth grade students are currently planning a busy suburban town and all that is required to support the needs of its residents. Construction will soon be underway. Once students complete the first part of the unit, they will move on to the second half which focuses on electrical engineering. What does it take to power the town? Students will use provided QUEST materials to light the town. This unit drives great discussions about conservation, critical- thinking, design planning and of course problem solving.

This month in Music class each grade will learn more about the music of Motown. Barry Gordy founded Motown in Detroit Michigan in 1959 and it was the first black owned music label in the United States. Students will sing and dance along to music by The Jackson 5, The Temptations, Diana Ross and the Supremes and more! Our 3rd grade students will act out the story of MotorCity and perform classic Motown hits at their show this spring.

Butler Third Graders colored winter themed cards for their "Grand-Friends" at New Seasons Senior Living Community. The residents were delighted with the delivery from our Guidance Department.

February

Feb. 2 - Groundhog's Day

Feb. 6 - After School - Butler Bear Clubs Begin (Monday - Thursday)

Feb. 10 - Butler Ball - Evening Event

Feb. 13-16 - Spirit Week - (Theme Days all Week) - See Themes Below

Feb. 17 - Staff Development Day - No School for Students

Feb. 20 - President's Day - No School (Offices Closed)

Feb. 24 - Spirit Day - Wear your Workout Clothes

Feb. 24 - Family Fun & Fitness Night (Evening Event)

Feb. 27 - PTO General Meeting (ZOOM) - 7:30 PM

Feb. 28 - Middle School Orientation (Gr. 6 Only) @ Unami

Butler celebrates Kindness Week in honor of "Kind Like Joey" - our former Butler bear who demonstrated Kindness in all he did in life. Spirit Week will take place the week of February 13th. Please see the theme for each day below:

Monday, 2/13 - Dreaming of a World of Kindness - Wear PJs

Tuesday, 2/14 - Kind and Loving Bears - Wear Your Favorite Valentine's Colors

Wednesday, 2/15 - Kicking Kindness into High Gear - Wear Crazy Socks and Butler Gear

Thursday, 2/16 - Nothing Beats Kindness - Kind Like Joey and Yellow

(Friday - No School, Staff Development)

Students who signed up for 5th & 6th grade Reading Olympics have formed teams earlier in the year and are working hard at reading upwards of 40-books that will be referenced on the big night of competitions! That night will be Tuesday, April 18th - in the evening - so for those participating, please save the date! Continue to work hard, Butler Bears, and more details and information will come in the next few weeks.

Please mark your calendars for our upcoming spring music concerts! Some dates have changed, so please double check and save this new information:

April 19, 2023 –

1st Grade- “E I E I Oops!” a musical farm comedy- 6:30pm

3rd Grade- “Motown Magic”- 7:30pm

May 9, 2023-

2nd Grade- “True Colors”- 6:30pm

4th Grade- “Rockin’ Recorders” -7:30 pm

June 1, 2023-

5th and 6th Grade Band, Choir and Orchestra concert- 7:00pm

*More details to follow closer to show dates

On January 27th, Dr. Lucabaugh, CB Superintendent, joined a 6th Grade panel of Butler students as part of his school series visits for all 23-buildings across the district. Butler students asked questions important to them on school issues - including thoughts and ideas on the idea of 6th grade moving to the Middle School Level - from details on the proposal that was released a few weeks ago. The children were thoughtful and purposeful in their questions and provided Dr. Lucabaugh with many great ideas. They were great "ambassadors" of the school and represented our community so well!

Fly! Eagles Fly!

How better to celebrate the NFL Playoffs than with an opportunity to cheer on the Philadelphia Eagles (or favorite team)! Many students and staff wore their favorite jersey as we looked forward to the games! E-A-G-L-E-S - EAGLES!

Our Butler PTO plans fun and exciting events that celebrate our school community. To enjoy a little exercise and excitement, students and families were invited to Sky Zone on Thursday, January 26th for some jumping fun! The children had a blast and it was a great turnout from our Butler community.

Students and Staff celebrated one of our favorite days of the year - best Disney attire! Princes and Princesses, Marvel Superheroes, Avatar, Star Wars Jedi, and even some Disney Villains (like Darth Vader) - everyone was excited to show their love of Mickey and the gang!

Art Goes to School is a volunteer art appreciation program serving schools and communities in the Delaware Valley. During this week (and parts of next), the volunteers brought artwork to classrooms for an instructive, but informal presentation - putting artwork reprints in the hands of children. The students were encouraged to "look", "listen" (to each other), and (try to) "feel" how the artist impresses upon its viewers. Every classroom will have an opportunity to learn more - and pass the pieces which line the hallways by our mural. Thank you to the volunteers of AGTS for joining Butler this week - and thank you to the PTO for sponsoring.

CBSD celebrated the 20th Anniversary of VH1-Save the Music on January 29th, holding their annual concert to support local music programs. Performances includ students from every Central Bucks school and with members of the Music Department! There were many amazing performances from the elementary to the high school level - and a fantastic "sell-out" from the audience. Congratulations to all who participated and to our Central Bucks community for helping to "save the music” in Philadelphia public schools! Featured students from Butler included: Emily H., Elanore D., George L., Jocelyn M., Angelique N., Griffin S., and Sam S. Thanks for the opportunity, Mrs. Griffin!

The ElectroBOTS, a local team from the CB South Cluster (students from CB South, Unami, and Butler), made an impact in their First Lego League (FLL) challenges. The theme "SUPERPOWERED" focused students in design, build, and program when solving different robotics missions while also highlighting topics of efficient energy production, transmission, storage, and usage.

The team achieved several accolades including:

• Outstanding project award at the Landsdale Catholic event in November.
• Awarded 1st place in Robot Performance and 1st place in Robot Design at Chestnut Hill Academy Regional Qualifying Tournament. This win helped ElectroBOTS advance to the PA-East Regional Championship Tournament where 48-teams qualified.where they won 2nd place Robot Design
• Finally, the team also showcased their ideas presenting to Johnson & Johnson at their 2022 Global Engineering Showcase event.

Congratulations to our Butler Bears, Anirudh R. (5th) and Manthan P. (4th)!

Butler Elementary School prides itself on upholding to the highest standards of conduct and good work. When students demonstrate and emulate our Positive Paw Power attributes, it is noticed and acknowledged. Students receive Power Paw slips and place in our collecting bin in hopes of a special selection, which may include a unique Butler t-shirt or Breakfast with the Principals! With this week's breakfast, students had special time with Principals (Mr. Funseth & Dr. Doherty) and Student Counselors (Mrs. Milotich & Mrs. O'Connell) while being honored with a special certificate acknowledging their effort. Students work hard at helping our building rise to the top each and every day!

Butler Elementary School practices the Paw Power Attributes of B.U.T.L.E.R.

Butler (at its Best!); Understanding; Teamwork; Leadership; Educational Excellence; Respect

Each week, students earn Positive Paw Powers for their good behaviors and positive attitudes at school. Children enter them into our collection bin where names are then drawn for a special treat each Friday for every grade level.

Winners 1/20/23

Kindergarten- Joshua W., 1st- Jack N., 2nd- Mila B., 3rd- Julie H., 4th-Manthan P., 5th- Mia H.,6th- Elliot M., T-Shirt Winner 6th - Olivia L.

Winners 1/27/23

Kindergarten- Avish V., 1st- Julian P., 2nd- Owen P., 3rd- Chase W., 4th- Dylan W., 5th- Luke P., 6th- Samyra S. T-Shirt Winner 2nd- Logan M.

To review the most recent Butler PTO Newsletter, please click here.