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Narwhal Newsletter
January 14th, 2024
Hello Marsh Creek,
I hope that everyone had a great week. January 19th marks the end of the second marking period and all grades can be tracked using Infinite Campus, so please reach out to our team if you or your student needs any support as the marking period closes. This week, our families began to receive information related to the course selection process for next school year. We will be sharing information related to the transition to Downingtown and Lionville Middle Schools, along with directions on how students and parents can make choices related to the electives they would like to take as 7th graders. Keep an eye out for separate email communications related to the course selection process, and we will be including all relevant information within our weekly newsletter as well. While the forecast for possible snow appears to be shifting this week, we communicated our Flexible Instruction Day (FID) schedule to our students just in case. A FID day allows us to provide instruction to students virtually using a modified early dismissal schedule. We have included that schedule in this newsletter, and it has been posted on Schoology for our students to access. Below you will also find information related to community sponsored events for our students and families, including opportunities for MLK day. I hope that you all have a fantastic week!
-Matt
This week at Marsh Creek - Week of January 14th
Monday - 1/15
- MLK Day of Service Activities - All Schools Closed
- CPR Training Event - Sponsored by Marsh Creek and Aidan's Heart Foundation - 9:00 am - Marsh Creek
Tuesday - 1/16
- Snow in the forecast - We will update our community as we get more information
Friday - 1/19
- End of the Second Marking Period
Notable Upcoming Dates:
Parents and students have started to receive communication related to the course selection process for our middle schools. The course selection window for students and parents will open officially on January 22nd. More information to come!
FID Day Schedule (Just in Case)
7th Grade Course Selection Headquarters
Submitting Course Requests through Infinite Campus (IC)
Between January 22 and February 2, students will submit their course requests electronically through IC. We will be sending out directions again related to accessing Infinite Campus prior to the 22nd. The majority of courses will be pre-loaded for your student prior to the 22nd. Below is a list of courses that will be pre-loaded when you access Infinite Campus.
Student Selected Encore Classes (electives)
1. Rising 7th Graders must pick four electives from the five Encore area options: Physical Education, World Language, Music, Family/Consumer Science, and Art (a required Tech Ed & Health course will be pre-loaded)
2. Please note that you are encouraged to take one course from each content area by the time you leave LMS/DMS at the end of 8th grade.
Below is a list of available electives for our students to choose in 7th grade. You will see that Technology & Engineering Foundations and Health have already been added, as all 7th graders will take these electives. Our students will need to select 4 additional electives from the options remaining.
Middle School Program of Study
For more detailed information related to course offerings at both Downingtown and Lionville Middle School, click on the link below to access the DASD Middle School Academic Program of Study.
A Day at Marsh Creek
Aidan's Heart Foundation's CPR/AED MLK Day of Service
Want to learn what your Narwhal learned last week? On Monday, January 15th, for the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service, Aidan's Heart and the DASD DEI Department will host a public Hands-Only CPR+AED Training and Community Partner Fair at Marsh Creek. Three one-hour sessions will be offered beginning at 9am. Bring your families, friends, sports teams and business associates to learn or refresh your skills at this student-led event. Please register ahead of time using the QR code provided in the attached flyer or the link in this email. It's simple to save a life-- make sure that you're prepared!
Please Support our Students and Childhood Cancer Research
In order to support St. Baldrick's and our student Frankie Knowles, long time friend Teaghan has decided to shave her head to support TEAM FRANKIE. Please consider supporting Frankie and Teaghan by clicking on the link below to donate to St. Baldrick's! We are truly inspired by these students, and want to do all that we can to support research designed to address childhood cancer. Thank you so much for anything that you can do to help support this worthy cause, and our amazing students!
Amphitheater Update
The Downingtown Community Education Foundation (DCEF) and our District are partnering together to provide innovative educational opportunities for our students. Construction on the new Amphitheater/Outdoor Classroom on the Marsh Creek campus is nearing completion. Our families and staff may continue to see increased activity on campus, primarily to the left side of our building as we arrive at Marsh Creek. We will continue to provide updates throughout the duration of the project.
Community and Family Support - Backpack Boost Program
This program provides supplemental nourishment for our students. Participating students receive a bag of non-perishable food items every Wednesday, which will be distributed in a discreet and caring manner by our staff. Click on the flyer below to complete the confidential form so that we can help in any way that we can.
Strengthening Families Program for Parents and Youth Ages 10-14 (SFP 10-14)
SFP 10-14 has been implemented throughout Chester County since 2010. SFP 10-14 is a universal, evidence-based prevention program that targets adolescents ages 10 to 14 and their parents/caregivers. This free skill-building program is delivered in seven weekly sessions and is offered as independent, concurrent learning sessions for caregivers and youth, followed by joint family sessions. The primary goals of the program are to build life skills in youth, including stress management, conflict resolution, and refusal skills. For caregivers, the program enhances parenting skills and promotes effective parenting styles, with the goal of strengthening family bonds, increasing positive communication, and enhancing collaborative problem-solving skills within the family unit.
Free dinner and childcare will be provided to all those in attendance. Dates, time and location will be announced shortly.
If you’d like your family to participate in the Strengthening Families program, please scan the QR code on the flyer with your cell phone and fill out the linked google doc to indicate your interest.
If you have any difficulty accessing the google document through the QR code and you’d like to register your family for the program, please reach out to your child’s counselor at MC:
Teams A, D, E – Mrs. Lyman at klyman@dasd.org
Team B and G- Ms. Mallon at dmallon@dasd.org
Team C, F and H- Mrs. Busby at mbusby@dasd.org
Counselor's Corner
Greetings from the Marsh Creek Counseling Department! We will use this area to keep you in the loop with updates from our department as well as helpful resources throughout the year. Please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions or concerns. We are here to help!
Hey Narwhals! Often, we spend time worrying about things we can’t control. This can make us feel stressed and overwhelmed. Pay attention to your thoughts and shift your focus to what you CAN control!
Check out these community resources!
RSVP Here by Jan. 22, 2024
Another great local resource! Communities That Care offers groups, blogs and podcasts to support parents and guardians in the Downingtown area.
Click here for more information.
Please encourage your child to check out the Marsh Creek Counseling Department Schoology course. It’s filled with lots of great resources including stress management strategies, study skills, directions for how to check your grades and more!
As always, reach out if you need anything!
Chromebook Care
The most frequent damage to a Chromebook is a cracked screen. Follow these tips to avoid damage.
- Always carry a Chromebook closed. Never hold a Chromebook by its screen and always use two hands to carry the device.
- If carrying the device from classroom to classroom, hold the Chromebook close to your chest much like a hug.
- Be sure to set a Chromebook on a flat surface during use and avoid slanted, uneven surfaces which could lead to the device sliding off and dropping to the floor.
For more tips about protecting your device, and information related to getting a protective case for your device, click the following link to our technology page. Thank you for your assistance!
https://www.dasd.org/departments/technology/11-technology-initiative/chromebook-care
Clubs and Intramurals
Below is a link to the Activities page on our Marsh Creek website, which has been updated with all information that students and parents will need to engage in our extracurricular programs. It contains information related to the options available this year, as well as information related to Activity Fees, and the Activity Shuttle Bus. Students can work with our teachers to pick up information and to express interest in the activities offered this Fall.
Cultural Connections Club
Join MC6 Cultural Connections Club!
The CCC will allow students to get together once a month for group discussions, activities, leadership opportunities, and games. It will be a fun way to make new friends while celebrating diversity and strengthening our connection to the school community.
There is still time to join MC Cultural Connections Club! Sign Up Here -
MC6 Cultural Connections Club Interest Form
“We are more alike, my friends, than we are unalike.” ~ Maya Angelou
Marsh Creek Home and School Association (HSA)
Thank you to our HSA for all that they have done this year to support our students and staff! We are so lucky to have a wonderful team of parents willing to help Marsh Creek. If you are interested in participating in our HSA this year, please consider joining us for future meetings. If you would like to contact our HSA to find other ways to support our students and school, please feel free to contact them at marshcreekhsa@gmail.com.
Employment Opportunities at Marsh Creek
Interested in working at Marsh Creek? We have several positions available for anyone interested in supporting students as a Paraprofessional. Please click below to start the application process, or feel free to reach out to Matt Barr at mbarr@dasd.org to express your interest! We would love to have you join our team!
Downingtown West MLK Basketball Clinic
2023-24 Yearbook Sale
Order your child’s 2023-2024 Marsh Creek 6th Grade Center Yearbook online at www.balfour.com. Click on Shop My School and enter our school name. Then click on the icon for Yearbook Products and Ads. You will need to enter your child’s name and grade. Then select your child’s Advisory teacher. Yearbooks cost $30 and will be delivered to students at school during the last week in May. Order now before they are all sold out!
Any Questions? Please contact:
Mrs. Allen at lallen@dasd.org or Mrs. Leister at rleister@dasd.org.