Paw Power Press
Butler Elementary School - October 15 - Volume 4
BE - 1 !
Important Information: Health & Safety - Return to School - 10/26
Please Read the Below in Preparation for Our Return to School :
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Traditional & Hybrid 1 Students - Monday, October 26th!
Hybrid 2 Students - Thursday, October 29th!
Butler "C" Schedule Begins Monday, October 26th
This schedule will be followed by all Kindergarten Students (Traditional, Hybrid and Online); and all students Grades 1-6 (Traditional and Hybrid ONLY).
The 2020-2021 School Day has been modified for the year:
Butler School Start Day - "C" School:
Grades 1 through 6 - 9:05 a.m. — 2:45 p.m.
AM Kindergarten: 9:05 a.m. – 11:25 a.m.
PM Kindergarten: 12:25 p.m. – 2:45 p.m.
Half-Day Dismissal Begins: 11:55 a.m.
Procedural Updates
As we prepare to welcome students back to our building on Monday, October 26th, we wanted to share with you some procedural updates that will be in place.
Friday, October 23rd will be an Asynchronous Day of Learning for All Traditional, Hybrid and Online Classrooms as staff prepares for In-Person Instruction.
Please review reminders below which outlines some of our Health & Safety Standards.
Next week, an email will be sent to families sharing an overview of school procedures. We are asking all parents and children to review, which will outline our procedural changes including expectations for the hallways, classrooms, lunch, recess, arrival, and dismissal.
Health Reminders for Returning Students
1. Please monitor your child daily for fever and/or other signs of COVID-19. Keep students home if they have:
- One of the following symptoms: cough, shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, new lack of smell or taste;
- Or two of the following symptoms – fever, sore throat, runny nose/congestion, chills, muscle pain, nausea or vomiting, headache, diarrhea, and fatigue.
2. See flow-chart above. Students with fever/symptoms/with no known COVID-19 exposure may return to school when asymptomatic and fever free for 24 hours without fever reducing medication; A physician's note confirming return is recommended.
3. Families are required to report confirmed or suspected cases of COVID-19 to the School Nurse.
4. Students who exhibit signs or symptoms of COVID-19 during the school day will be placed in isolation and masked until arrangements are made for dismissal.
5. Students with positive COVID-19 test may return to school after 10 days have passed since the symptoms first appeared and being fever-free for 24 hours without fever reducing medication. The student will need to produce the Isolation Release Letter from the Bucks County Department of Health.
6. Students returning after COVID-19 infection will be checked by the School Nurse prior to returning to the classroom.
7. If a student is exposed to a person with a positive COVID-19 test, the student will have to quarantine for 14 days. If the student becomes symptomatic, they will be treated as a positive COVID-19 case and will need to isolate at home for 10 days from the date that the symptoms began.
BUTLER - HEALTH & SAFETY INTRODUCTION FOR OPENING OF IN-PERSON SCHOOL - 10/26
Halloween Update - COVID Guidelines
District Halloween Update
Share Your Halloween Photographs - School-Wide Slide Show
To participate in the Halloween Slideshow, simply upload a photograph of each event in which you participate - including if the children participate in "Trick or Treating"!!! Once we have collected all photos, Butler will publish a "Halloween Slideshow" to share on November 2nd or 3rd!
Simply click on the following FORMS link and follow the prompts to upload your pictures to the school! Deadline November 1st!
Department Updates
COUNSELOR’S CORNER - Social and Emotional Learning (SEL)
Topic: Helping Kids to Feel Prepared to Go Back to School
(For Hybrid (In)/Traditional Mode)
Being prepared is one of the best ways to reduce stress levels and promote school success.
Check out the tips below for some strategies to help your kiddoes feel & stay positive!
1. Be Calm
Kids will take the lead from you—if you stay calm, it will reassure them.
2. Be Positive
Remind them of all the positives that will come from being back in school—seeing friends, teachers, in-person learning. If they are worried about the virus, remind them of all the ways the adults at school will keep them safe and most importantly, remind them that they know how to stay safe too—regular hand-washing during the day; wearing masks; staying in their own space.
3. Validate!
If kids share any worries or fears about heading back, try not to dismiss or say, “don’t worry”. Instead validate how they feel about it and suggest talking about how to handle the situation. Then problem solve and plan or role-play.
4. Be Supportive
After being home for so long, children may struggle with separation anxiety and could become tearful, clingy, or act out. Reassure them you will miss them and think of them during the day. Create a strategy that helps form a connection during the day – for example, draw a little heart on their wrist and one on yours and call it a hug button. If they’re missing you, they can press the hug button and know that you will be doing the same.
5. Talk About What to Expect
Support your child to be aware of the changes they may experience at school – the spacing between friends, the look of the lunchroom, hallway walking, etc. However, focus on the positives at the same time and reassure them that the changes are there to keep everyone safe!
Topic: Helping Kids to Feel Prepared at Home
(For Hybrid (out)/Virtual Mode)
Being prepared is one of the best ways to reduce stress levels and promote school success.
Check out the tips below for some strategies to help your kiddoes feel & stay positive!
1. Wake the kids up early!
If your child isn’t a morning person, wake him/her a little earlier, YES earlier, so their brain has more time to adjust. Try to be sure kids have time to eat & get dressed without rushing prior to the school day starting. Turn the tech on at least 10 minutes prior to the day starting so you can ensure there aren’t any updates & so you can shut down and re-start if glitches arise.
2. Set up a clean & prepared work space
A. Make a supply caddy
Organize school supplies in compartments that are easy to see and pull from. Here are some simple items you can use:
· A shower caddy.
· An empty shoebox. Create dividers using cardboard from the lid. Or you can just use plastic cups to keep supplies organized in the box.
B. Keep supplies Away from the Space UNTIL needed!
Kids – especially younger ones, can be easily distracted by just about anything. Having a pair of scissors to grab OR bright markers to play/draw with can take away from the lessons and distract from the work that your child needs to accomplish. Ensure all your child has in front of him/her is the supply he/she needs for the present subject – example – a pencil and math fluency workbook.
3. Block out Distractions
Use a folding presentation poster board or a tall piece of furniture to block off space. You can also make a screen out of a tall cardboard box. Invest in headphones so your child can pay attention to the computer and not the noise around the home.
4. Pre-plan breaks when possible prior to the day starting...
Have snacks picked out so that kids don’t waste break time deciding what to eat. Prepare lunches ahead of time so kids also have time to get outside for some fresh air or exercise!
From the Health Office
We cannot wait to see your smiling faces in our halls again😊Just a friendly reminder, please return the physical and/or dental forms which may be required for your student.
Central Bucks School District is state mandated to ensure that each student in certain grade levels has a dental and physical examination.
- Physicals are required upon entry, grade 6 and 11.
- Dentals are required upon entry, grade 3 and 7.
- The forms for these examinations were sent home in the spring and need to be returned to school as soon as possible.
Also, if you have not already done so, please log into parent portal and complete the emergency form. We can contact a parent and access emergency information from the information you provide. Additionally, on this site you can give us permission in the health room to administer Tylenol and/or Ibuprofen (Advil/Motrin) to your child as needed.
Please let me know if anyone has any questions. You can contact the health room directly at 267-893-4265. Thank you, Karen DeArmond ("Nurse Karen”); Certified School Nurse
STUDENT EMERGENCY & INFORMATION FORM
Each year, the Central Bucks School District asks our families to fill out a Student Emergency & Information Form. The online form will ask you to confirm and/or update the following:
- Demographic Information
- Emergency Contacts
- Health Information, including permission for emergency care and analgesic administration
- Media Release Preferences
Click here to be directed to your Parent Portal account to complete the form. Thank you for taking the time to update this important information.
Physical Education
Social Emotional Learning
We want your child to be successful in school and that means supporting and encouraging their whole development. While excelling in academic classes is important, students also need skills to take on learning challenges, make good decisions, handle strong emotions, and get along with others. This school year, we are instructing Second Step, a research-based social-emotional learning program designed to improve students’ social-emotional skills, such as emotion management, impulse control, problem solving, and empathy. Second Step skills and concepts are designed to help students both in and out of school. These include:
- Skills for Learning: Students gain skills to help themselves learn, including how to focus their attention, listen carefully, use self-talk to stay on task, and be assertive when asking for help with schoolwork.
- Empathy: Students learn to identify and understand their own and others’ feelings. Students also learn how to take another’s perspective and how to show compassion.
- Emotion Management: Students learn specific skills for calming down when experiencing strong feelings, such as anxiety or anger.
- Problem Solving: Students learn a process for solving problems with others in a positive way.
Thank you for your support as we work to build a safe and supportive school community.
STUDENT 1:1 DEVICE ASSISTANCE
Calendar & Upcoming Events
School Calendar
October
Oct. 18-25 - CB South's "A Run for the Heart" 5K (See Below)
Oct. 21 - AM Kindergarten Classroom Visit - 3:00PM-4:00PM
Oct. 22 - PM Kindergarten Classroom Visit - 3:00PM-4:00PM
Oct. 23 - HVAC Construction Completed
Oct. 26 - Butler Spirit Day - Wear Butler Green
Oct. 26 - Butler Students: Return to School Traditional & Hyb-1
Oct. 26 - District Online Mode Change Enrollment Option - Open Date (Through 11/6 Butler)
Oct. 27 - CB School Board Meeting - 7:30 PM
Oct. 26 - Butler Students: Return to School - Hyb-2
Oct. 30 - Normal Day of School; Classroom Halloween Activities (End of Day)
Oct. 31 - Halloween (Saturday)
November
Nov. 1 - Daylight Savings - "Fall Back"
Nov. 3 - General Election (Synchronous Learning Day from home for Students)
Nov. 6 - Butler Enrollment Form Deadline - Mode Change Requests
Nov. 9 - Picture Day - Hybrid 1 (AM); Traditional Students (PM)
Nov. 12 - Picture Day - Hybrid 2 (AM); Traditional Students (PM)
Nov. 23 - PTO General Meeting - 7:00PM (ZOOM LINK)
Nov. 25 - Professional Development Day - No School for Students
Nov. 26 - Thanksgiving Holiday - No School
Nov. 27 - Thanksgiving Holiday - No School
Picture Day for Online Students - *By Appt. 215-345-1851 or
email candcphotostudios@verizon.net to schedule.
Run For the Heart - Virtual 5k - CB South - 10/18-10/25
This event is being held to honor former CB South students Caroline Gallagher and Steve Grabowski who passed away in 2011 and 2014, respectively. All proceeds from this race will go to Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. In order to memorialize these students, Central Bucks South is holding a virtual 5k race and a one mile walk/run. You can run/walk your 5K ANYWHERE between 10/18-10/25/20. CB South Run for Heart will send you directions on how to submit your times so that you are included in the results.
Picture Day
Picture day for students attending the traditional or hybrid modes will be on November 9 and November 12.
November 9:
- Hybrid 1 will go in the morning
- Traditional students will go in the afternoon (depending on teacher's schedule)
- *Traditional Kindergarten will go after Hybrid 1 on Nov. 9
November 12:
- Hybrid 2 will go in the morning
- Traditional students will go in afternoon (depending on teacher's schedule)
Virtual Academy students or students who are unable to attend Butler’s scheduled picture day can call C and C Photo Studios at 215-345-1851 or email candcphotostudios@verizon.net to schedule their appointment. Once your appointment has been made, C and C will email you the paperwork (Picture Order Form and Covid-19 Consent Form) needed to be filled out brought in at the time of your appointment.
The order form for pricing and package information and letter from C and C can be found here.
SPREADING WARMTH IN THE COMMUNITY
YMCA of Bucks County is proud to be a distributor of free winter coats for kids. Thanks to the generosity of Auto Dealers CARing for Kids Foundation, new winter coats are available through their “Driving Away the Cold” program at the following locations, days and times:
QUAKERTOWN BRANCH* | SAT & SUN, NOV 7 & 8, 12:30-3:30PM
401 Fairview Avenue, Quakertown
Contact: Carlie Bearn, cbearn@ymcabucks.org OR 215.536.8841 x112
WARMINSTER BRANCH* | SAT, OCT 17, 1-3 PM
624 York Road, Warminster
Contact: Debbie Tettemer, dtettemer@ymcabucks.org
WARMINSTER HEIGHTS | SUN, OCT 18, 1-4 PM
Warminster Heights Community Center, 75 Downey Drive, Warminster
Contact: 215.672.0610
YMCA OF BUCKS COUNTY | ymcabucks.org
* The coat distribution will be “drive-thru” only. Upon arrival, you will be directed to the appropriate location. Everyone MUST remain in their vehicle and wear a mask. A volunteer will greet the vehicle and ask what sizes and genders of the coats are needed. Due to Covid safety requirements, coats cannot be tried on or returned. Please be prepared and know what sizes of coats you will need. Coats are in sizes 3T, 4, 5/6, 7/8, 10/12 and 14/16.
CB Community School: Young Rembrandts - Live Zoom Classes - 10/19 - 12/14
Back-to-school is different for many families and Young Rembrandts will be coordinating drawing classes online! Let your kids enjoy the awesome artwork happening this fall - from the Macaw to the ghoulish times of Halloween! Sign up toda - for an 8 week session!
Classes:
Mondays: 4:00pm - 5:00pm
10/19 - 12/14/2020 ( no class 11/23)
Click here to review our Young Rembrandts enrollment form!
CB CARES BOOMERANG AWARD - OCTOBER
October: #10 Safety. Young person feels safe at home, school and in the neighborhood.
Students/Parents/Teachers, please nominate a Butler student by clicking here! In your paragraph, include how your nominee exemplifies this month’s asset. Nominations are due to Mrs. O'Connell, Student Support Counselor, by Monday, October 26th.
School Happenings
Welcome Back 6th Grade Team!
Virtual Academy Materials Pick-up!
HVAC Construction Update - 10/16
From the Butler PTO
PTO Newsletter
PTO Directory
The directory is for Butler Families ONLY - and not to be used for solicitation. An email blast from the school was sent with the password on 10/13.
District Contacts
Central Bucks School District
Superintendent: John J. Kopicki, Ed.D
Assistant Superintendent-Secondary: Abram M. Lucabaugh, Ed.D.
Assistant Superintendent-Elementary: Nadine M. Garvin, Ed.D.
Website: cbsd.org
Location: 20 Welden Drive, Doylestown, PA, USA
Phone: 267-893-2000
Twitter: @CBSDSchools
Butler Elementary School
Principal – Mr. Karl Funseth
Assistant Principal – Mr. Jesse Brosious
Principal’s Secretary – Mrs. Judie Periera
Assistant Principal’s Secretary – Mrs. Michele Droxler
Website: cbsd.org/butler
Location: 200 Brittany Drive, Chalfont, PA, USA
Phone: 267-893-4250
Twitter: @CBButlerElem