Last Call for Yearbook Pre-orders

The final, final deadline for pre-ordering a yearbook is quickly approaching. Please place your online order before March 31 by following these three simple steps:

Step 1: Visit www.memorybook.com/parentpay

Step 2: Enter your pay code 74744 and click next

Step 3: Purchase a yearbook for $22.00. The price reflects a non-refundable $1.00 online processing fee. Orders will be taken online through March 31, 2015.

If you have any questions about ordering your yearbook, contact Maria Dennin at mtpd1969@gmail.com.

‘I can read in red. I can read in blue. I can read in…”

“I can read in red. I can read in blue. I can read in pickle color too.”
― Dr. Seuss, I Can Read With My Eyes Shut!

Shamona Creek students joined in the 16th annual celebration of Read Across America last Monday, March 2. Mrs. Welsh challenged the students to go beyond the one-day event and read their way across a map of the USA.

• Students in grades K, 1 and 2 can color one state on the map for every 5 minutes they read.
• Students in grades 3, 4 and 5 can color one state on the map for every 10 minutes they read.

If students set a goal to color 10 states each week, they can read through all 50 states in just five weeks!

If 500 students meet the challenge by the deadline of April 8, the school will host a special “Dress the Principal” assembly on April 9. Mrs. Welsh will be required to wear clothes the students select for her.

The weather in early March has been a challenge, so this post is a gentle reminder of the Read Across America project. And hopefully, on those snowy days, lots of reading minutes were achieved.

Are there little Sharks in your Family? Kindergarten Registration is next week

Do you have a child who will be entering a DASD Kindergarten in the fall (2015-2016)?  If so, here are a few things you need to know:

• Contact the office of the school your child with be attending and make an appointment for registration.  Appointments will take place March 2 through 6 and take approximately 10 minutes. Your child will not need to be present.
• Complete all the required registration paperwork – you can obtain a packet from the school office, or print the materials from the DASD website (click here then read/scroll down).
• Collect the noted materials found on the list at the link noted above (Child’s Original Birth Certificate; Your Driver’s License; Proof of Residency; Physical dated within one year; Immunization Records) and have those with you for your registration appointment.

Mark your calendar for Thursday, May 7 (9:30-10:30 am or 1:00-2:00 pm) for you and your child to attend Kindergarten Round-Up at school.

Shamona Creek Phone: (610) 458-8703

(Please feel free to share this email with friends/neighbors who may find this information helpful)

Happening Tonight! A Big Topic for Modern Families: Social Media, Messaging & Youth

All DASD parents are invited to join in a conversation about living with technology and reconnecting with your kids. There will be a meeting tonight – Thursday, February 12 at 7 pm – at the Marsh Creek Sixth Grade Center.

Michael Blanche, MSS, LCSW, a counselor specializing in adolescents and young adults will be the guest speaker. He is well known for his insightful presentations that address the real-world challenges facing adolescents and young adults. He will share his observations about how our kids are being impacted by social media, the “misinformation highway,” the availability of substances, and more.

He will be joined by Jonathan Blow, DASD Technology Integration Coordinator, and Kristie Burk, DASD’s Ivy Academy Director. (Kristie is also a Shamona Creek mom.)

The goal of the meeting is to help parents navigate the damaging messages children are receiving and the overexposure to media and technology. The conversation will also include ways to encourage a healthy balance with technology.

All are welcome to attend. No RSVP required.

Let’s get ready to … BOX TOP!

The challenge has been issued! It is a good old fashioned Box Tops for Education throw down.

WHICH homeroom class will win the Box Top Challenge? Will it be your son’s? Will it be your daughter’s?

Only time will tell, but we do know this … you need to clip it to win it!

How does our Box Top challenge work?
Cut Box Tops for Education labels off eligible products. Check the expiration date, and then send in your Box Tops to your child’s homeroom teacher between February 9 until the end of the school day on Friday, February 20. The winning class will be announced on Wednesday, February 25.

>>> Here’s a handy dandy tally sheet to make the reams of Box Tops easier to count. { PRINT: Box Top Collection Sheet }

What’s the big prize?
Each student in the class with the most Box Tops collected per student will win 15 Spring Fair game tickets. Also, the winning teacher will receive a $15 Target gift card.

Why, oh why, do we collect Box Tops?
Collecting Box Tops is a fun and easy way to raise money for our school. For every Box Top we submit, Shamona Creek earns $.10. So far this year, we have earned $1,284! Our goal for the school year is $2,000 and we can only achieve that with a little help from our parents.

So, sharpen your scissors and be on the look out for that Box Top logo on a variety of food packaging that you probably already have in your pantry. Start your Box Top collection now and send them in with your sons and daughters between February 9 and 20. May the best Box Toppers win!

Click here for more details about Box Tops for Education and products that participate in the program.

The LOVE Tree will be filled with heartfelt words

In November, the students filled the school’s giving tree with hundreds of stars and shared everything for which they were thankful. They filled the entire tree!

In this month of Valentine’s, the students have been asked to write what they LOVE. Did your child send in their completed heart? If so, what did they say was most important to them?

It’s not too late to return those hearts to their homeroom teachers and have their sweet thoughts fill the tree once again.

The Superbowl is over, but the ‘Souper Bowl’ is not

Downingtown’s 5th grade students are taking part in a district-wide “Souper Bowl,” which ends this Friday, February 6.

The purpose of this cooperative activity is to help others. Fifth graders are encouraged to bring in a can of soup or a food item (see below) to be placed in the boxes outside their classrooms. When finished, all the items collected from all schools will be taken to the Lord’s Pantry in Downingtown to help others. The collective goal is 1,800 cans!

All food items should be brought to school by this Friday. Here are the types of items that the Lord’s Pantry tries to keep in stock. Please feel free to choose anything from the list.

BEVERAGES
Coffee
Juice

BOXED GOODS
Spaghetti, Pasta or Rice
Macaroni & Cheese dinner
Instant Potatoes
Breakfast Cereal

CANNED GOODS
Spaghetti Sauce
Fruits
Vegetables
Tuna
Ham
Chicken
Stew and Pasta Meals
Soup
Beans

MISCELLANEOUS
Peanut Butter & Jelly
Sugar
Flour
Oil
Pancake Mix & Syrup

Mascot Madness: Can Shamona Defend its Title?

Between Monday, January 26 and Friday, February 13 students and staff will compete to become the most active school building throughout all of DASD. Shamona Creek won this friendly competition last year and Mrs. Welsh is looking for a repeat!

RULES

• All students and staff are eligible.
• Participate in physical activity or exercise for up to an hour each day.
• Log your daily results at http://www.dasd.org/mascotmadness
• Use your network ID to login.
• Do not enter more than 1 hour of activity per day.

WINNER
The most physically active building wins!

PRIZE
The winning building will receive $500 to use for their 2015-2016 wellness program and the Mascot Madness Cup!

Reminder: Jen Bryant Book Orders Due Tomorrow

On February 10, your child will enjoy an assembly, hosted by our SCHSA, welcoming local author, Jen Bryant. Jen is an award winning author who has contributed to the world of literacy with her picture books, novels and poems for readers of all ages. We are looking forward to welcoming her to Shamona Creek for the day.

As part of her visit and our Author Day program, we are giving you an opportunity to share her books with your child – along with a personalized note from Jen in the book of your choice. Barnes & Noble has graciously offered a 20% discount on select pre-ordered titles.

If you would like to preorder one of Jen Bryant’s books for your child and have her write your child a personalized message, please print the Order Form and return it to school NO LATER THAN TOMORROW, FRIDAY, JANUARY 23 (sorry, no exceptions).

Please make checks payable to: Barnes & Noble and return to school in an envelope marked “Author Day.”

Questions: Please contact Karen Byrne Hofmann.

Join us at the Science Fair. Clever Students on Display.

Is your son and/or daughter working feverishly on a project for the Science Fair next week? How are their experiments coming along? We are looking forward to seeing the many creative and fascinating presentations they have been creating for the past few weeks.

Here are a few last-minute pointers to help them be ready for the Science Fair, which will take place on Thursday, January 29 from 5:30 to 7:15 pm in the multipurpose room.

• Relax, smile and have fun, remember you are the expert and you had fun doing the project.
• Look sharp, feel sharp and you will be sharp. Dress nice that day, be polite (always) and speak clearly, and you will show the judges that you have confidence.
• Don’t forget to look the judges in the eyes, they are really quite nice.
• When you are done your presentation, shake hands with the judge and thank them for their time. Remember that they are volunteers who care about you!

For the Science Fair participants, the schedule is as follows:
5:00-5:30 PM – Poster setup
5:30-7:00 PM – Student presentations
7:00-7:15 PM – Awards ceremony

There will not be a concessions stand this year so please make sure your child eats prior to coming to school for the science fair. Students can bring in bottles of water to have during their presentation. Due to food allergies, we request that no food items be brought to the Science Fair.