GVES Weekly Announcements
September 27, 2019
Upcoming Events
10/1: ACES Day
10/1: Jaguar Max Dedication Theme Starts
10/3: Mileage Club Begins and Sneaker Thursday
10/4: GVES Spirit Day
Welcome Mrs. Conley!
Dear GVES families,
I am excited and overjoyed to begin my new role as Assistant Principal of Garnet Valley Elementary School! I am passionate about student learning and providing a safe and caring environment that supports the social, emotional, and academic growth of all of our student learners.
Outside of school, I am married to my wonderful husband and a mom to three amazing boys. We enjoy spending time outdoors, attending athletic events, and traveling to the Jersey shore.
I know Garnet Valley Elementary School is an exceptionally wonderful place and I look forward to connecting with you all and supporting your children.
Warm regards,
Mrs. Janine Conley
Fall Weather is Here!
Book Donations Needed
GVE HSA Weekly Announcements - 9/27/19
If you paid for your HSA membership on MySchoolBucks, you may have been prompted to indiscate if you'd like a free GVE car magnet. This was an error left over from a prior year. Unfortunately, we do not have magnets to distribute. Our sincerest apologies. Thank you for understanding!
Ruby's Night Fundraiser to benefit GVE - Monday, September 30th
Grab a meal AND give back at the same time! Monday, September 30th is GVE Give Back Day at Ruby's Diner in Glen Mills (Brinton Lake Shopping Center). Dine in or take out from Ruby's anytime throughout the day and present the certificate attached here and Ruby's will donate 20% of your bill back to GVE. Great food for a great cause! It's a Win-Win for sure! Please remember you NEED to have the flyer with you!
Mileage Club starts Thursday, 10/3
We are in need of parents to help out at mileage club on Thursday afternoons through the Fall.
Every Thursday in the Fall, children have the option to walk or run laps around the recess yard and record how many miles they walk or run! As they build up their miles, they earn charms for their sneakers. Mileage Club will start on 10/3 during your child's recess.
Please consider coming out to help and cheer them on! This sign up genius<https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0c4bafa72da6f49-gvemileage> lists the different recess times for all the homerooms and open spots where we need volunteers. There are spots for general volunteers as well as one spot each Mileage Club day for iPad Duty. This simply means carrying the iPads from the gym to the playground for the first recess and returning them after the last recess. Very simple! You must have clearances to participate as a volunteer.
Any questions ask Karen Riggs: krigg002@yahoo.com<mailto:krigg002@yahoo.com>
HSA Meeting - Tuesday, October 15th - 7pm
Calling all "do-ers!" We NEED you! Want a great way to get involved with GVE and benefit your child's school? Join us at the next HSA meeting on Tuesday, Oct 15th at 7pm in the LGI room to learn about what we do for our kids and the school, and meet a fun group of people who all have the same goal in mind: Make GVE a GREAT place to learn, work, and volunteer! There are LOTS of changes going on this year, and we need YOUR support more than ever!
Grandfriends Days are coming fast!
* Wednesday - October 16th - 3rd Grade
* Thursday, October 17th - 4th Grade
* Friday, October 18th - 5th Grade
Grandfriends Days are a great opportunity for the special person(s) in your child's lives to get an "up-close and personal" look at what goes on these days in elementary school and a wonderful bonding opportunity for our students! More information about the schedule for different classes will be coming in future weeks, but now is the time to mark your calendars and let those special people know!
Volunteers are also needed to help the Grandfriends as they arrive and get them to the right classrooms. If you have questions or are interested in volunteering, please contact Karen Gerace, the Grandfriends Committee Chair at: ckgerace@comcast.net.
School Store
Our next school store is Wednesday, October 23rd! Students can shop at recess for items ranging from 50 cents to $3.00.
Box Tops are Back!
VEFLS Registration
SPOTS STILL AVAILABLE!
See the attached flyer for registration for VEFLS classes this fall or use the link below.https://drive.google.com/file/d/1099q8zQbqDP4OXuW2jNeRl7MAQwicJwE/view?usp=sharing
Garnet Valley CTC Quick Tip #4 THC Truth
Did you know? THC is the mind-altering chemical found in marijuana. Is marijuana addictive? Contrary to common belief, marijuana can be addictive. Research suggests that 30 percent of users may develop some degree of problem use, which can lead to dependence and in severe cases takes the form of addiction.9 People who begin using marijuana before age 18 are 4 to 7 times more likely than adults to develop problem use.10 Dependence becomes addiction when the person can't stop using marijuana even though it interferes with his or her daily life. (NIDA 6/18) The current and often deadly trend of vaping/juuling THC carries additional risk for dependence and addiction due to the highly concentrated levels of THC. Also worrisome are the recent reports of lung damage and the deaths of young people who reported vaping/juuling THC.
Call to action… Click on the link below for more facts about marijuana and vaping/juuling THC from the National Institute on Drug Abuse.
Elementary Handbook & GVSD Procedural Manual
Communication Procedures
Early Dismissals - Early dismissals due to weather or unforeseen circumstances will be announced through the phone number you provide in Alma, email, district-level social media, and websites. Please keep your Alma contact information current. You can update this information in your account.
Absence Reporting - Launched at the end of the last school year, the new School Messenger (Safe Arrival) Absence Reporting System makes it easy for parents/guardians to report their child's absence, reduces the time it takes to verify student attendance and will allow our staff to respond to unexplained student absences more efficiently. Please click here for directions on how to use your phone, app, or computer to report an absence.
Social Media - GVES is on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram! Our handle is @GarnetValleyES on all three platforms. We also podcast on iTunes. Just search iTunes for "Jaguarmax."
GVES Calendar
The view the full calendar on our website, click here or go to https://gves.garnetvalleyschools.com/calendar.
Attendance Information
State law establishes conditions under which any child may be excused from attendance at school. In keeping with these statues and recommendations of the State Department of Education, pupils in the Garnet Valley Schools may be excused temporarily from school attendance for the following reasons:
Sickness
Quarantine
Death in the immediate family
Weather so inclement so as to endanger the health of the child or make roads impassable
For observance of a major religious holiday
College visits, pre-approved educational trips
In order for an absence to be excused, a parent/guardian must respond to the Safe Arrival phone call, use the Safe Arrival app to report the absence ahead of time, or submit a written note to the office within three days after return from an absence. The absence of any student failing to comply with this time period will automatically become unexcused and illegal, and the school laws of Pennsylvania shall be applied accordingly.
Raptor Information
The Raptor system is used to enhance our ability to monitor who enters our buildings by screening visitors, contractors, and volunteers. Upon entering a district building, visitors will be asked to present an ID such as a Driver’s License, which can either be scanned or manually entered into the system. If a parent or guardian for any reason does not have a US government-issued ID, the school staff member can use any form of identification and manually enter the person’s name into the Raptor system. The Raptor system will check to ensure that registered sexual offenders are not entering our school campuses without our knowledge. The Raptor system checks the visitor's name and date of birth for comparison with a national database of registered sex offenders. The registered sex offender database is the only official database checked by the Raptor system. No other data from the ID is gathered or recorded and the information is not shared with any outside agency. Once entry is approved, Raptor will issue a badge that identifies the visitor, the date, and the purpose of his/her visit.
Please adhere to the following regulations:
1. Enter the building at the main office door.
2. Go directly to the office, sign in through Raptor and inform the school secretary of your
destination.
3. PLEASE DO NOT GO to any area of the building without receiving permission from the office.
4. Do not attempt to go to a classroom to pick up a child. Students who are being dismissed early
will be sent to the office.
5. Return the visitor badge at the conclusion of your visit to sign out.
Volunteer Clearance Information
Legislation in Pennsylvania requires community members and parents to obtain clearances in order to volunteer in our schools. If you have previously submitted your clearances to the Human Resources office, they are good for five (5) years from the date of the clearance.
Governor Wolf has waived the fees associated with the Pennsylvania State Police—Criminal Background Check and the Child Abuse History Clearance. Since the FBI clearance is a federal program, those costs still remain; however, the district has decided to permit individuals who have resided in Pennsylvania continuously for ten years or more to sign a certification form that saves the volunteer the expense of the fee, ensures compliance with the law, and allows the district to maximize student safety.
Jaguarmax Radio Podcast
Jaguarmax Radio is changing formats! We will be a student-run podcast created through the after school club program starting in the fall. Check us out on iTunes!
Jaguarmax Radio Podcast on iTunes
Important Links
After School Activity Dismissal Procedures - Dismissal Locations
VEFLS - Foreign Language Contact Person, kgardler@yahoo.com or 610-717-2755
Cafeteria Information - Menus and Payments
GVES Yearly Calendar - Important Dates
Safe Arrival - Attendance Reporting App
GVSD App - Download app here
MySchoolBucks - Online Payments
District Text Messaging Opt-In - Registration Info
Handbooks & Manuals - GVSD Resources
Parent Right to Know Information
Connect with GVES!
Garnet Valley Elementary School
"A Caring Community of Learners"
Est. 1997
The mission of our learning community is to maximize the potential of all students by empowering them to do their personal best.
Website: gves.garnetvalleyschools.com
Location: 599 Smithbridge Rd
Phone: (610) 579-4150
Facebook: facebook.com/GarnetValleyES
Twitter: @GarnetValleyES