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Narwhal Newsletter
September 24th, 2023
Thank you Narwhal Nation!
It is hard to believe that we are approaching the halfway point of the 1st marking period already. Please continue to check in with your student on how their classes are going, look at grades on Infinite Campus, and please reach out to our team if we can help support your student in any way. For those interested in receiving extra help or assistance before or after school, we offer academic support for those students that may need any assistance. Information related to our Homework Club opportunities can be found on our Activities page through the Marsh Creek website. I hope you and your family have an amazing week!
-Matt
This week at Marsh Creek - Week of September 24th
Week of September 24th
Monday - 9/25
- SCHOOL CLOSED in observance of Yom Kippur
Tuesday - 9/26
- Modified Schedule for Aimsweb Assessment
Thursday - 9/28
- H team Paradise Farm trip
- HSA Meeting - 6:30 pm in the Marsh Creek Library
Friday - 9/29
- H team Paradise Farm trip
No Stress, Try Your Best! - Aimsweb Fall Assessment - Reading and Mathematics
Tuesday, September 26th
Our students will hear us use the phrase "No Stress, Try Your Best" often this year, as we want our students to always remember that assessment plays an important role for us to evaluate our students' skills, and utilizing student data helps us provide the best instructional experience possible. Taking assessments can be a source of frustration and angst for some students, so we will always reinforce that when taking assessments, they should always just concentrate on trying their best, and should not put too much pressure on themselves. We are always going to be proud of all of our students, no matter what!
What is AimswebPlus?
On Tuesday September 26, 2023, we will be administering the AimswebPlus Fall benchmark for Reading and Math. This benchmark is completed on the Chromebook, so please remind your child to come to school with a fully charged device.
AimswebPlus is a universal screening, progress monitoring, and data management system that supports Response to Intervention (RTI) and tiered instruction. Although not graded, AimswebPlus efficiently screens all students, identifying those at risk for academic failure and enabling early intervention and support. AimswebPlus progress monitoring helps determine the effectiveness of interventions and instruction for students, and whether students are progressing sufficiently to meet year-end goals. A report with your child’s benchmark scores will be uploaded into the Infinite Campus Backpack once results are available.
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! This past week, our Marsh Creek family had the chance to share breakfast together thanks to the dedication and support of the HSA, and 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 our first meeting of the year this Thursday evening, at 6:30 pm in the Marsh Creek library. 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.
The Spirt Wear store is now open! The store will be open through September 27th. You can access the options available by clicking the link below, or by scanning the QR code contained within the flyer.
Pennsylvania Youth Survey (PAYS) - October 4th
Our school is taking part in the 2023 Pennsylvania Youth Survey (PAYS) sponsored by the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency, the Pennsylvania Department of Education, and the Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs. The survey will ask questions about the behaviors of students in the 6th, 8th, 10th, and 12th grades, including questions about school climate, mental health, violence, bullying, and substance use.
The information we receive will assist us and our community partners in working to promote mental health and prevent substance use and other problem behaviors. We want to ensure that all parents and caregivers are notified the survey is being conducted as well as provide you with as much information about the survey as possible. As a parent or caregiver, you have the right to prohibit your child’s participation. The following facts about the survey will help you make an informed decision:
- Participation in this survey is completely voluntary. Students will be instructed by their proctor that they can skip any questions they do not understand or choose not to answer. If they have any questions or concerns after taking this survey, they are instructed to talk with their school counselor or a trusted adult.
- The survey is designed to protect each student’s privacy; it is anonymous and confidential. Students will not put their names on the survey, and no student will ever have their individual responses reported.
- The survey is well tested, having been administered to over 2 million Pennsylvania students since the 1990’s. The information collected has proved invaluable to prevention planners in selecting programming to promote healthy youth development.
You can request a list of the survey questions by visiting this link: https://www.episcenter.psu.edu/index.php/paysquestion . For more information about the survey, including a list of Frequently Asked Questions, please visit www.pays.pa.gov then click on “2023.”
The survey will be administered during the school day on October 4th, and will take one class period to complete. If you do not want your child to participate, please complete the Google Form below prior to October 2nd, 2023.
Culture Fest 2023 - Thank you for a wonderful evening!
This year, we had the privilege of hosting over 1,200 people who gathered to experience the rich tapestry of cultures represented in our community, and at our festival. On behalf of our school, our District, and the Downingtown Community Education Foundation, thank you for your time and support, and for allowing us to work with your family each day!
Paradise Farm Information
In September and October, each interdisciplinary team will be traveling to Paradise Farm Camp, a local educational facility. Students, teachers and administrators will participate in hands-on, outdoor, learning and team building experiences. The program is designed to facilitate team-building, resiliency and environmental awareness. Getting to know one another as a team and in small groups by working through different team challenges improves the all too important skills of cooperation, communication, and trust. Guardians will receive information from your child’s team over the coming weeks.
Mental Health Awareness
As part of our district and community's efforts to increase Mental Health awareness, and to reduce the stigma around discussing Mental Health for students, we will begin providing lessons and supports in the coming weeks designed to teach students about this topic, and encouraging them to seek help and support if needed.
Starting the week of October 9th, the BASC-3 Behavioral and Emotional Screening System (BESS) assessment will be administered for Marsh Creek students during their Health class. This assessment is provided to DASD students, and helps us to identify those that may be in need of support. This assessment should take approximately thirty minutes or less.
Information about the BESS :
- The BASC-3 Behavioral and Emotional Screening System is designed for schools to screen for a variety of behavioral issues that can lead to adjustment problems.
- It assesses a wide array of behaviors that represent both behavioral problems and strengths.
- It uses a Total Score on the report that is a reliable and accurate predictor of a broad range of behavioral, emotional and academic problems.
- It explores indexes that identify responses that may be overly negative or inconsistent.
Should results of the assessment indicate a need for interventions, our counseling team would share those recommendations with parents. If you would like to opt your student out of this screening assessment, please complete the opt-out form linked below by October 6th, 2023.
Pod Pride Update
Kindness Week was a huge success! We had many students win special “scratch off” tickets for fun prizes and drawings. Many more students signed up for our “Caf Connections” to invite students to sit with them at lunch. We heard so many pleases, thank yous and polite greetings. We are really starting to build a strong school community here at Marsh Creek. Keep up the great work Narwhals!
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.
Free Winter Coats Available
THE YMCA is partnering with DASD to distribute Winter coats to children in the area that are in need this Winter season. If you are a parent with a MC6GC student in need of a Winter coat, please contact school counselor Debra Mallon at dmallon@dasd.org. You can also request a Winter coat for your MC6GC child’s siblings. Please include your name, the name of your child that goes to MC6GC and the number of coats you need. Please note the gender and age of each child for which you need a Winter coat. Please contact Ms. Mallon on or before this Wednesday Sept. 27, 2023.
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 looking forward to working with your child!
September is Attendance Awareness Month!
Check out this 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!
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.
Help us support the Fight Against Childhood Cancer
This September, we are continuing to fight against childhood cancer, one mile at a time during The Million Mile! Log miles and help to bring us one step closer to safer, more effective treatments. Please consider donating for #TeamFrankie in honor of our student, Frankie Knowles.
Since the Million Mile #TeamFrankie began in 2020, the full group has helped raise over $45,000 for childhood cancer research and family support with this event alone!!
Thank you for joining, donating, or moving miles while sending the Knowles family your perpetual strength.
DCEF - After School Enrichment Program - Outdoor Exploration
Students will work outside using the new Narwhal Learning Trail. Studying outdoors with the beautiful backdrop of the outdoors of the Marsh Creek Sixth Grade Center, learning about nature including everything from insects to orienteering. This class will touch on the unique fauna and wildlife that can be found in beautiful Chester County. The opportunity will run on Tuesday afternoons from October 10th until December 5th, 3:30 - 5:30 pm.
More information can be found at : https://campscui.active.com/orgs/DCEDF?season=3386737&location=1084402