Welcome back! We are ready for another great year!

We look forward to seeing all those happy-nervous-excited-anxious smiles to kick off the 2016-17 school year! Whether you are new to the school or a returning family, we want to refamiliarize you with the Shamona Creek Home & School Association (SCHSA).

The SCHSA has been established to support the school, communicate with families, and encourage parental involvement for the success and betterment of our students.

We look forward to meeting you and sharing all of the amazing things we have planned for our students, families and staff. The best place to learn about upcoming plans first hand is to attend the SCHSA meetings throughout the year. Everyone is welcome!

Want to know more? Have a question? Brewing a great idea? Ready to volunteer? We’d love to hear from you! Please reach out to the SCHSA leadership at any time.

Read: 2016-17 Welcome Back Newsletter >

SCHSA Executive Board
Maria Dennin, President – mtpd1969@gmail.com
Jennifer Faust, Vice President – faust31@verizon.net
Ann Durkin, Treasurer – anndurkin@comcast.net
Melissa Bell, Secretary – bellmeli74@gmail.com

View: 2016-2017 SCHSA Committee List >

Save these Dates
August 29 – First Student Day
September 5 – Labor Day (no school)
September 6 – SCHSA General Meeting @ 7 pm (Library) – ALL ARE WELCOME!
September 14 – Family Night with Food Trucks (parking lot)
September 29 – Picture Day

Save: 2016-2017 Calendar of Events >

Stay informed
We encourage all parents to “follow” this website (click on the blue “Follow” box in the right colum) so you receive direct emails with our newest posts. Also, request to join the Shamona Creek Sharks – Parent Community group on Facebook. It is a good resource to ask fellow parents questions about school life. Plus, we also encourage fun interactions there, including sharing pictures from special days at school (first day, fall festival, spring fair, etc.). Mrs. Welsh also manages a few social accounts for the school that we encourage you to follow: Facebook and Twitter

With all that said, we look forward to a terrific school year. We wish all the children the very best year ahead. And, we look forward to working with all our families so that we can support our students, their teachers and one another as a school family.

Spring Fair Fun on Friday (Ticket Info)

We look forward to seeing everyone at the Spring Fair this Friday, May 13 from 5:00-8:00 pm. The students know this is the premier event of the school year. There are lots of games to keep them entertained. This post details the cost of tickets for raffles and games on the night of the event.

Raffle Basket Tickets 
Raffle tickets available to purchase during event. Raffle drawings will take place at 7:45 pm on Friday. You DO NOT need to be present to win. 

1 ticket for $1.00
12 tickets for $10.00
25 tickets for $20.00

Game/Activity Individual Ticket Prices at the Door
4 tickets for $1.00
20 tickets for $5.00
40 tickets for $10.00

You will need game/activity tickets or a wristband for everything except food and drink purchases.

Wristbands at the Door
Wristbands will cost $20.00 at the door. As an alternative to individual ticket purchases, it allow for unlimited games per child (with some exceptions). See list below for games and ticket prices. 

*Wristband entitles wearer to 1 (one) Sand Art item, 1 (one) Face Paint, and 1 (one) Funky hair., (1) one photo booth, (1) one cupcake walk, and (1) one speed pitch. Additional tickets must be purchased after first visit.

**Wristbands are not accepted for the Candy Room, tickets only in the candy room & ticket cost is posted in Candy Room.

 

Game	Ticket	Wristband
Lollipop	1 tix	Yes
Fishing Pole	1 tix	Yes
Dino Dig	2 tix	Yes
Hoop It Up (Basketball Jr. pre KE2)	2 tix	Yes
Cupcake Walk	2 tix	*one included
Treasure Chest	2 tix	Yes
Aquarium Game	2 tix	Yes
TIC TAC TOE	2 tix (per player)	Yes
Minion Ring Toss	3 tix	Yes
Minecraft	3 tix	Yes
Plinko	3 tix	Yes
Paint Cans	3 tix	Yes
Ball Toss	3 tix	Yes
Toilet Toss	3 tix	Yes
Football Toss	3 tix	Yes
Angry Birds	3 tix (3 launches)	Yes
Super Shot (Basketball grades 3E5)	3 tix	Yes
Minute It To Win It	4 tix	Yes
Teacher	4 tix	Yes
Roulette	4 tix	Yes
Face Painting	4 tix	one included*
Sand Art	4 tix	one included*
Funky Hair	4 tix	one included*
Speed Pitch	4 tix (5 balls)	one included*
Photo Booth	4 tix (per person)	one included*
Candy Room	tickets only	No**

 If you have any questions, contact Ann Durkin at anndurkin@comcast.net or Maria Dennin at mtpd1969@gmail.com .

Reminder: Staff Appreciation Activities

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Because “Our Teachers (and staff) Are the Best in the World!,” the Home and School Association has a week full of thank-you activities planned. Please take a look at the schedule here and plan ahead to participate.

Staff Appreciation Week: May 2-6

• Monday, May 2: Best Teacher in the World Note – Have your child bring in a note of your choice, completing the following sentence… “My teacher is the best in the world because….” 
• Tuesday, May 3: Mexican Fiesta! Staff Luncheon – Thank you everyone who signed up to bring in goodies. Here’s a reminder of what’s on the menu: http://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0f4fa5a72fa7f49-ourteachers 
• Wednesday, May 4: World’s Best Small School Supplies – Bring a small school supply to your teacher. Supplies such as pencils, stickers, sticky notes, paper clips, band-aids, erasers, etc. are perfect.
• Thursday, May 5: Parisian Dessert Buffet – The tasty treats you’ve signed up to bring sound delicious. Check out the menu: http://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0f4fa5a72fa7f49-ourteachers1
• Friday, May 6: Favorite Things Friday – Students can bring in one of their own favorite things for your teacher (chocolate or candy, flower from the garden, or even a gently used book to donate to your classroom library).

 

Safe Homes: Children and Mental Health

Post content is courtesy of the Safe Homes Committee*

About 20% of American children suffer from a diagnosable mental illness, which can interfere with their daily life.

Mental illnesses can affect persons of any age, race, religion or income and are not the result of personal weakness, lack of character or poor upbringing.

When treated appropriately and early, many children can fully recover from their mental illness or successfully manage their symptoms.

Without treatment, emotional and mental disorders can continue into adulthood and lead to other struggles, including academic problems, poor relationships, alcohol or drug abuse, violent or self-destructive behavior, even suicide.

Before a child is diagnosed with a mental health condition, parents and children commonly experience feelings of helplessness, anger and frustration.

Signs to look for

• Mood changes, feelings of sadness or withdrawal that last at least two weeks or that cause problems in relationships at home or school.
• Changes in sleeping habits or unexplained weight loss.
• Intense feelings, such as overwhelming fear for no reason or intense enough to interfere with daily activities, sometimes with a racing heart or fast breathing.
• Drastic changes in personality or dangerous or out-of-control behavior. Fighting frequently, using weapons and expressing a desire to hurt others.
• Difficulty concentrating or sitting still.
• Excessive complaints of physical symptoms. Compared with adults, children with a mental health issues may develop headaches and stomachaches rather than sadness or anxiety.
• Physical harm, such as self-injury, cutting or burning themselves. Suicidal thoughts or suicide attempts.
• Substance abuse. Some kids use drugs or alcohol to try to cope with their feelings.

What should we do? 

Talk with your pediatrician and get a referral for a mental health specialist.

Work with the school and connect with other families. Don’t avoid getting help for your child out of shame or fear. He or she needs you now more than ever.

*Safe Homes is a parent network campaign to support parents and strengthen families. Sponsored by Downingtown Communities That Care (CTC) and the Downingtown Area School District (DASD), Safe Homes is a team of parent volunteers from each of the DASD 16 schools. 

Shamona Creek’s Parent Representatives

Tara Haarlander: tmmhaarlander@gmail.com

Kathleen Nine-Scott: kathleenm9@gmail.com

Sources: Mayo Clinic, Web MD, National Association of Mental Illnesses

Read and Feed: Families Helping Families in Need

Content courtesy of Ms. Carroll’s Library Newsletter

DO YOU KNOW…Chester County is the 24th wealthiest county in the United States.

BUT, DO YOU REALIZE…Nearly one-quarter (24.9%) of Chester County residents earn below the poverty level. For a family of four, that’s an earning of just $24,250 per year.

Recognizing that it is important to help Chester County families in need have access to food, the Downingtown Area School District is sponsoring a district-wide non-perishable food drive to support The Lord’s Pantry in Downingtown. The Lord’s Pantry serves the emergency food needs of residents in Downingtown, Exton, Lionville, or the Downingtown School District. Celebrating its 50th year of operation, it distributes 10,000 lbs. of food per week to 700 families, and it relies heavily on community food drives to do so.

All the schools in the district have taken on a different need. Shamona Creek will be collecting food for “Pasta Night” dinners. The school is asking its families to donate the items requested below and to involve their children in the process. The school library will be the drop-off center for food donations. The students can participate by personally delivering the food to the library, which will then be stacked in the windows to visually show the impact the community can make when individuals work together.

READ
Between now and Thursday, February 25, on your child’s scheduled library day, please send along a food item. No actual reading is required for this project. READ is just a way to remember the day to send in food and where to bring it. (Food donations will be accepted on any day in the school’s 6-day cycle, not just your child’s library day.)

FEED
Your child should have three scheduled visits to the library during the Read and Feed food drive. Here is a list of the food items requested during each cycle.

• First cycle: Donate pasta, such as spaghetti, elbow, penne – whatever you choose that would be served with sauce
• Second cycle: Donate macaroni and cheese (boxed)
• Third cycle: Donate parmesan cheese or canned fruit (peaches, pears, fruit cocktail, etc)

Fifth grade helpers
District fifth graders typically organize a “Souper Bowl” food collection for the Lord’s Pantry during this time of year. This year, however, they will assist with the Read and Feed effort by collecting and stacking food in the library. Mrs. Carroll will be thankful for their assistance.

“Your participation in our Pasta Night Food Drive will go a long way to help families, the elderly and the disabled,” writes Mrs. Carroll.

 

Mascot Madness: A Three-peat in Progress

More so than anything else, the district’s annual Mascot Madness competition seems to get Mrs. Welsh fired up. Of course, she’ll tell you she’s amped up about academics and specialty classes, but we all know that she is thrilled by the idea of being the top school in the district … especially edging out those high schools where the student body is larger and sports teams have a greater presence. We are making assumptions naturally, but her competitive spirit shines through when she has Mascot Madness.

Students and staff are competing to become the most active school building throughout all of DASD. This is the third year the district has issued this challenge … Shamona Creek has won the past two years. We are the school to beat!

The key to Shamona’s potential three-peat is diligence. The friendly competition began this past Monday and continues through Friday, February 13. Parents (or students) just need to regularly log in the minutes from all the dates and times physical activity took place during Mascot Madness.

RULES ARE SIMPLE

• All students and staff are eligible.
• Participate in physical activity or exercise for up to an hour each day. This includes sports games and practices, PE classtime, intramurals, Jump Rope Club, Recess, free-play activities, chores, etc.
• Visit http://www.dasd.org/mascotmadness and use your child’s network ID to log in. Your child should know their login information from school.
• Enter their daily results. You can log in each day, or you can enter the information for multiple days in one sitting. You can log in last week’s dates if you need to.
• Do not enter more than one hour of activity per day.

TO THE WINNER GOES THE SPOILS
The most physically active building, based on total amount of minutes logged into the system, wins! If the Sharks win again (and why wouldn’t they?), the $500 prize money will be used toward building a GaGa Pit for recess use. What’s a GaGa Pit, you ask? We have no idea, so we Googled it and here’s a photo. 

In addition to the cash prize, the school will retain the coveted Mascot Madness trophy. Legend has it that if you put your ear to the cup of the trophy, you can clearly hear the echo of Mrs. Welsh chanting, “three-peat, three-peat, three-peat.” (Again, we can’t confirm that this legend is true, but we’d like to think it is.)

 

Grab your thinking cap; it’s Science Fair sign-up time!

Lots of students participate in the Science Fair.

Do you have a little scientist in your family?  Well, then this is the perfect opportunity for him or her to dig in and experiment! The 2016 Shamona Creek Science Fair is scheduled for January 28, 2016 and all students in any grade are welcome to participate.

Fourth and fifth grade scientists can participate competitively to advance to the Chester County science fair or create an experiment simply to satisfy their thirst for knowledge and discovery. Competition is not mandatory.

Please sign up your child before Friday, November 6 at www.SignUpGenius.com/go/10C0F4AA8A822A2F58-science or email Peter and Sharon Alfinito at s.alfinito@comcast.net.

We are looking forward to seeing our Shamona scientists share their discoveries in January.

4 simple steps to put the “FUN” in FUNdraising at our school RUN

There are less than four days to go until the Fun Run, and we are only halfway to our goal. To make this first-ever character-building event impactful on our school community, we need all our families to take these four easy steps.

1. Before Friday, register your child at FunRun.com using the school code 879-585. Many thanks to the 370 out of 596 families who already created their child’s sponsorship page. This represents 62% of our families. Nice!

2. Before Friday, pledge your support for each lap your child runs. There are lots of children (129 out of the 370) who are registered but don’t have any pledges. Please consider being your child’s lead sponsor as he or she runs in support of the school.

3. Before Friday, invite others, such as grandparents, aunts and uncles, relatives, neighbors, past parents, SC alumni and friends to make an online pledge for your child in their “run-a-thon” effort. (The FunRun.com website provides sample text and links that can easily be copied and pasted into an email. No door-to-door sales effort suggested or required.)

4. Finally, join the fun on Friday and cheer for all the children as they make a terrific effort to run 30-35 laps around the fun track.

• October 23 @ 10 am – Grades 3-5 and AM Kindergarten
• October 23 @ 2 pm – Grades 1-2 and PM Kindergarten

(Park at the Marsh Creek Sixth Grade Center’s parent lot, which is accessible from the entrance closest to our playground, not our bus loop.)

And lastly, if you’ve already completed steps 1, 2 and 3 … thank you! We respectfully ask you to share your enthusiasm for this activity with your Shamona Creek friends and encourage them to do the same, so that the kids can truly put the “FUN” in FUNdraiser!

Fall into October with a Month of Activities and Events

Autumn is here, and it feels like it. The days are getting chillier and shorter, but the calendar is still full of fall fun. This month, the SCHSA is planning something new – the Boosterthon Fun Run! You and your children will hear more details in the upcoming weeks.

Here are just a few of the highlights for October; please save these dates. Details are forthcoming!

OCTOBER 2015

October 6 @ 7 pm – SCHSA Budget Approval Meeting
October 12 – No School (Columbus Day/In-Service)
October 13 @ 7 pm – Safe Homes Parent Discussion about “Good Stress/Bad Stress” at the Marsh Creek Sixth Grade Center
October 14 – Two-hour early dismissal/Modified Kindergarten schedule (In-Service)
October 14-23 – Boosterthon Fun Run Pep Rally, Activities and culminating Running Event (watch for lots more details to come)
October 27 @ 2:30-6 pm – DASD Flu Clinic at D’town East
October 30 – Fall Festival (stay tuned for event information and costume do’s and don’t’s from Mrs. Welsh)

We look forward to seeing you around the school this month!

Clubs and Activities: A Basic Guide for Shamona Parents

The information shared on this page is here to give parents a sampling of what is available to students at Shamona Creek. Because of the number of activities that take place, clubs offerings and advisors are subject to change. We will try keep our list as up to date as possible.

Clubs:	Students:	Basic Timeframe:	Point Person/ Contact Info:
Art Club	Grades 3-5	Before School	Mrs. Dimino
Broadcast Club	Grade 5	After School	Mrs. Milano
Drama Club	Grades 4-5	Before School	Mrs. Verbovszky
Game Club	Grades 2-5	Before School	Ms. Alden
Homework Help Club	Grades 3-5	After School	Ms. Alden, Mrs. Mackel, Ms. Wall
Newspaper Club	All Grades	Before School	Mrs. Dimino
Music:	Students:	Basic Timeframe:	Point Person/ Contact Info:
Band	Grades 4-5	Before School	Mr. Gordon
Chorus	Grades 4-5	Before School	Mr. Conroy
Orchestra	Grades 3-5	Before School	Ms. Baer
Sports:	Students:	Basic Timeframe:	Point Person/ Contact Info:
Family Basketball Shootout	All Grades	Evening	Mrs. Adams/ Mrs. Copeland
Field Day	All Grades	During School	Mrs. Adams/ Mrs. Copeland
Intramurals	Grades 4-5	After School	Mrs. Adams/ Mrs. Copeland
IronKid	Grades 4-5	After School	Mrs. Adams/ Mrs. Copeland
Jump Rope Club (Fall)	Grades 2-5	Before School	Mrs. Adams/ Mrs. Copeland
Jump Rope Club (Spring)	Grades 1-5	Before School	Mrs. Adams/ Mrs. Copeland
Jump Rope for Heart	All Grades	During School	Mrs. Adams/ Mrs. Copeland
Shark Fun Run	All Grades	During School	Kathryn Gute
Triathlon	Grades 4-5	After School	Mrs. Adams/ Mrs. Copeland
Other:	Students:	Basic Timeframe:	Point Person/ Contact Info:
Raised Bed Gardens	All Grades	During School	Mrs. Dortone
Reading Olympics	Grades 4-5	TBD	Mrs. Alden
Science Fair	All Grades	Independent Project	Peter Alfinito (parent)
The “Experience”	Grades 3-6	After School	http://www.dasd.org/Page/1961
Variety Show	All Grades	Evening	Patty Frank (parent)
Grade-level Activities:	Students:	Basic Timeframe:	Point Person/ Contact Info:
5th Grade Buddies	Grade 5	During School	Fifth Grade and First Grade teachers
5th Grade Party	Grade 5	During School	Kathryn Gute / Susan Cozad / Gina Thelander (parents)
5th Grade Service Project	Grade 5	Independent Project	Fifth grade teachers
Goin’ Buggy	Grade 2	During School	Second grade teachers
Gym Rats	Grade 5	Before School	Mrs. Adams/ Mrs. Copeland
Hallway Monitors/Safeties	Grade 5	During School	Mrs. C. Moore
Library Helpers	Grade 5	During School	Mrs. Carroll
Math Bee	Grade 5	TBD	TBD
Planet Patrol	Grade 5	TBD	TBD
Regions Fair	Grade 3	During School	Third grade teachers
Spelling Bee	Grade 5	During School	Mrs. C. Moore
Wax Museum	Grade 3	During School	Third grade teachers
Yearbook Cover Design	Grade 5	Independent Project	Maria Dennin (parent)
Fourth Grade Class Activities	Grade 4	During School	Fourth grade teachers
First Grade Class Activities	Grade 1	During School	First grade teachers
Kindergarten Grade Class Activities	Kindergarten	During School	Kindergarten teachers
Community Activities:	Students:	Basic Timeframe:	Point Person/ Contact Info:
Girl Scouts	Grades 1-5	After School	bellmeli74@gmail.com
Girls on the Run	Grades 3-5	After School	http://www.ymcagbw.org/gotr
SC Cub Scout Pack 91	Grades 1-5	After School	pack91@cccbsa.org
Stride	Grades 3-5	After School	http://www.ymcagbw.org/youth-programs/STRIDE