Shoemaker Newsletter
September, 2019
Dear Families,
I hope that you had a relaxing Labor Day weekend! Our first week of school flew by. It was amazing to have our students back, and wonderful to see our families at Meet the Teacher Night! The children enjoyed getting to know new teachers, friends, and curriculum, and were engaged in explicitly learning the expected behaviors for our new School Wide Positive Behavior and Intervention System (SWPBIS).
Two dates to note on the September calendar below are picture day on 9/13 and an early dismissal day on 9/20. Please note that lunch is served on our early dismissal days. If you haven’t already done so, please be sure to connect with your child’s teacher(s) on SeeSaw and follow Shoemaker on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
I am looking forward to a productive and exciting September!
Warmest regards,
Jacqueline Vogel
Principal
Important September Dates:
9/10 - PTO meeting at 6pm
9/13 - Picture day9/20 - 12:30 dismissal for students - lunch will be served
Upcoming October Dates:
10/9 - School closed for Yom Yippur
10/12 - Applebee's PTO Pancake Breakfast 8-10am
10/14 - School closed for Columbus Day
10/25 - 12:30 dismissal for students - lunch will be served
Dear Parents:
Welcome back for another wonderful year of school here at Shoemaker! Once again we have many new and exciting things planned for the children. We are rolling out our school positive behavior program. We are working on adding to our positive discipline model for all areas of the school. And, of course, we have many community service projects to undertake.
This month we are going to wait to see what happens with the hurricanes to see where we might need to help out. So stay posted!
In October, we are going to begin with a food drive to help our local Zionsville Food Pantry. They are in need of many of the staple items, so we are going to collect macaroni and cheese, peanut butter and jelly (no glass jars please), tuna fish, cereal, soup, canned fruit, canned vegetables, and pasta. We will collect for the month of September. Bins will be placed in the classrooms for the collection.
Thank you again for all of your support for our community outreach projects. Learning to care about others may be the most important life lesson our children are taught.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Ringer
Professional School Counselor
Links to Learning:
IEWhat? Decoding Educational Jargon
As a new school year gets underway, the educational acronyms and lingo start to fly. Here is a quick explanation of some of the terms you might hear when communicating with your child’s teacher and other school professionals:
SWPBIS- School Wide Positive Behavior and Intervention System: This refers to the new behavior system implemented this year at Shoemaker. Students earn tickets, that they later cash in for a reward, when following our Mustang Musts (Be Safe, Be Respectful, Be Responsible, Be Kind).
F&P- Fountas and Pinnell: Teachers in grades K-2 will be using the Fountas and Pinnell Benchmark Assessment System to determine students’ reading levels. Teachers may communicate your child’s reading level, based on this assessment, in the form of a letter (levels A-Z).
Guided Reading: An instructional strategy in which students at similar reading levels meet in a small group with the teacher. Students read books on their instructional reading level(s). Teachers work with students to develop effective reading strategies.
iReady- The online math assessment and lessons your child will complete. This program individualizes math concepts to meet the needs of each student. It corresponds to the Ready Math resource the district began using last school year.
IEP- Individualized Education Plan: A legally-binding document written for students who qualify for Special Education Services. This occurs after a student has gone through an evaluation process.
These are just a few of the terms you might hear this school year. As always, please don’t hesitate to ask if something is unclear when communicating with the school. We are here to work with you as a team and support each and every student!
Mrs. Konjoian
Instructional Specialist
jkonjoian@eastpennsd.orgHealth Room Happenings:
I wanted to provide information for our new kindergarten and new incoming students and parents as well as those of you who are past Shoemaker parents:
1. We need parent excuses for any absence or tardy. If your child has been out of school longer than 3 school days the State of PA is requiring a Dr. note or excuse. If you have questions please feel free to call or email myself or your child's teacher.
2. Please remember, if your child has been running a temperature above 100 degrees they need to stay home. They must be fever free for at least 24 hours without the aid of Tylenol or Motrin before returning to school.
3. If your student has been vomiting please keep them at home until they have not vomited for 12 hours and have been able to keep a meal in their stomach, without vomiting.
4. Please remember that head lice do occur within the school setting the same as outside the school. If you have questions regarding if your child has head lice, or treatment of it, please feel free to contact me or our policy is on the Health Services Website, located on the EPSD website.
5. If your child requires medication during the school day, the permission form is located on the Health Services website. Over the counter meds only require a parent signature. Prescription meds require a Dr.'s order. ALL medications should be brought into school by an adult and NEVER transported by a student on a bus.
If you have an questions, please feel free to contact me at 610-965-1587. Thank you for all you do and for sharing your children with us! We look forward to a fantastic school year.
Mrs. Freiwald RN, M.E
Certified School Nurse