This Thursday … Parent Talk: Setting Boundaries

Have you been struggling with…

• your child’s newfound independence?
• different houses, different rules?
• managing use of electronics?
• downtime and balance for your family?

Join fellow parents for parent to parent flyer. Karen Hemenway, Pickering Valley Guidance Counselor; Carmen Glenn, Safe Homes Coordinator; and Cynthia Black, Communities That Care volunteer, will facilitate the discussion.

Topic: Setting Boundaries
Date/Time: Thursday, March 17 at 7:00 pm
Location: Pickering Valley Elementary School

Parenting isn’t easy . . . we need each other’s support. This event will combine small group conversations and large group discussion to create an informal way for parents to gather information and exchange ideas.

Coffee and dessert will be served!

B-I-N-G-O is the GAME-O

Last year, as I sat with my family at our BINGO table, I came to the realization that I had lived a sheltered life. Before that night, I had only ever played BINGO one way.

Five in a row … BINGO!

While it was still exciting to try to be the first to claim a prize, my eyes were opened to the many other ways to play the game.

Four corners = BINGO! Big X = BINGO! Outside edges = BINGO!

For the second year, the SCHSA invites you to enjoy this fun-filled family event: PIZZA BINGO!  

Date: Friday, February 26
Time: 6-8 pm
Doors open at 6 pm.
Pizza served at 6:15 pm.
BINGO begins at 6:45 pm.

Important: This is a limited-seating, first-come, first-serve event. To reserve your table and pre-order your cheese pizza, you must complete the ORDER FORM and return it to school in an envelope marked “PIZZA BINGO” by Friday, February 19. All checks payable to SCHSA. (Last year, the house was packed.)

The BINGO event will support DASD’s “Read and Feed” food drive to help the Lord’s Pantry. Bring a non-perishable food item to BINGO night and you will receive a free raffle ticket!

A little competition among family and friends, along with dinner and raffles are sure to be memories your family will cherish forever.

• BINGO card packs are $4 each and must be purchased in advance to reserve a table for your family.
• Cheese pizzas will be $12 and also must be pre-ordered.
• You are invited to bring a peanut/nut-free dessert for your family to share.
• Water will be available for purchase that evening.

Your cards, raffle tickets and pizza orders will be waiting for you at the event.

Also, volunteers are needed for this event. If you are available, either share your availability on Sign-Up Genius or contact the organizers, Ann Durkin and Mary Sperling.

So, is everyone ready to get together for some classic family fun? BINGO!

 

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.

 

DASD offers new before and after-school care options for 2015-16

From the desk of Norma Jean Welsh

DASD has contracted with a new before and after-school care program for the 2015-16 school year. Here’s the buzz…

I wanted to write to tell you about the new before and after-school care program that will begin in our school on the first day of the 2015-2016 school year.  The School Board recently approved A Child’s Place to provide our children with a quality extended-care program led by staff counselors licensed by the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services.  Our new before and after-school care programs will be conveniently located in the safe, secure and familiar setting of our 10 elementary schools and the Marsh Creek 6^th Grade Center.

The after-school care program will provide a nutritious snack, time for homework, outdoor play as well as organized and independent activities.  A Child’s Place will also provide child care in our school on in-service days and during school closures.  An occasional use option is also available.  The DASD extended care programs will follow Pennsylvania’s Keystone Stars protocols.  As an added benefit, counselors will align activities with our rich DASD curriculum

Families can register immediately and throughout the summer months on the A Child’s Place website. (Click here to register).  A Child’s Place offers sibling discounts for full-time enrollment and scholarships for qualifying families.

We have heard many positive comments from parents and teachers currently using the A Child’s Place Extended Care Program in the West Chester Area and Tredyffrin-Easttown School Districts. If you have any questions or wish to register your child over the phone, please call A Child’s Place’s main office at 484-580-6528.

DASD adds extra safety and security measure, funded by a grant

From the desk of Robert A. Reed Jr., Ed.D, Director of K-12 Educational Programs (… and former Shamona Creek Principal)

As part of our continuous effort to improve the overall safety of students and staff, the Downingtown Area School District will be implementing a new security system in all of our schools.  Raptor V-soft security system is a web-based application that is able to conduct instant sex offender screenings for all visitors and volunteers in our school buildings.  The system is utilized throughout Chester County school districts as well as school districts throughout the Nation.  The 16 Raptor systems were provided to the Downingtown Area School District at no cost as they were funded by a grant received by Chester County Department of Emergency Services.

Example of Raptor device

When visitors or volunteers check-in at the schools, they will be asked to present a valid state issued ID for entering into the system.  Raptor will electronically check all visitors and volunteers against a registered sexual offender database, produce a visitor/volunteer badge with your photo, and will provide date and time tracking data on visitors/volunteers.  Again, the overall purpose of the Raptor system is to provide an additional identification and safety measure for our students and staff.

Over the past five years, the Downingtown Area School District has focused on improving safety and security for students and staff and will continue to do so moving forward.  The following list is some, but certainly not all, of the ways security has been improved:

1.) Single point entry to all schools;
2.) Swipe card access for staff;
3.) Secure entrances and vestibules;
4.) Increased security drills;
5.) Training and professional development;
6.) Hiring of Chief Security Officer;
7.) Improved partnerships with local and state police;
8.) Implementation of DASD Security Summit; and
9.) Participation in County and State Security Conferences.

Moving forward, DASD will be improving the surveillance systems in all schools – yet another layer of improving safety and security.

We feel certain the Raptor system will add an additional layer of security and will keep our schools a little safer.  We ask for your cooperation in presenting your valid state issued ID when checking in at the school.  Only your name, date of birth, and photo will be scanned from your state issued ID. Thank you in advance for your cooperation  with this very important  program.

Summer Enrichment Programs for DASD Students

From the desk of Pat McGlone, Director of Public Information and Development

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[ DCEF Summer Enrichment Programs – Monday through Thursdays this summer. Weeks of July 13 and July 20 at Lionville Middle School. 9:00 a.m. through 12:00 p.m. $140 per week. ]

Looking for a fun, educational summer program for your child?  Look no further than the Downingtown Community Education Foundation’s (DCEF) Summer Experience Program.  Featuring classes in Robotics 1 and 2, Programming 1 and 2, Forensics, Theatre, Rocketry for middle school students, and three new programs that will have your elementary child experiencing the culture, cuisine, art and language of three of the most popular Rosetta Stone Languages: A day in …. France, Spain and Mexico, or Germany.  All programs are taught by trained DASD teachers experienced in these fields.

One-week programs

July 13 through July 16, 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.  Programming 1 and 2, Robotics 1 and 2, Forensics ($140 for each class)

July 20 through July 23, 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Robotics 1 and 2, Programming 2 , Forensics, A Day in France, A Day in Mexico and Spain and A Day in Germany.  ($140 for each class)

Two-week programs

Summer Show Theatre for grades 3 – 6 – July 13 through July 23,  9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. ($280)

Rocketry for students in grades 7, 8 and 9 – July 20 through 27, 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. ($280)

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• More information can be found in the DCEF Summer flyer.
• To register for any of these programs, go to www.dasd.org/summer
• For more information, contact Pat McGlone, Director of Public Information and Development at pmcglone@dasd.org

N.O.P.E. Recap: Raising Healthy Families

The following post features the highlights from the N.O.P.E. (Narcotic Overdose Prevention Education) presentation on January 22 at DASD. It is being shared on behalf of the district’s Safe Homes Initiative.

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As elementary school parents, it’s easy to tell ourselves that we have many years before we have to start worrying about the rising rate of accidental narcotics overdoses and addiction problems in today’s youth.  However, it is important to remember that there are things that we can do NOW to reduce our children’s risk of being tempted into making the wrong choices, and teach them to step up and do the right thing, even if it seems hard or scary.

The link below shares some tips that will help you start preparing your elementary school child to navigate the waters of middle school, high school, and beyond when they get there.

Please see the Recipe for Preventing a Narcotics Overdose flyer to find some of the ingredients and steps that we can use to raise healthy families and a generation of heroes. Working together, we can start to see less stories of sadness and more stories of courageous young people.

This post was provided by the DASD’s Safe Homes Initiative. For more information check out these web resources.

• https://www.facebook.com/DowningtownSafeHomes
• https://www.facebook.com/DowningtownAreaCTC
• http://dtownctc.org/safe-homes/

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.

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