I hope you and your families are doing well and enjoying this fall weather! It is hard to be believe that we are almost concluding another month of school, in about a week and a half! I have been fortunate to be able to see first-hand the amazing activities and lessons that your children have been participating in during the school day. The staff is always working so hard at creating meaningful learning opportunities for the learners at Keystone! We would be at a loss without the amazing and talented staff that we have here!

Also, thank you to all the parents/guardians for your support and partnership. We are grateful to have such an amazing groups of parents/guardians! Thank you for your positive feedback and gratitude! It truly is appreciated!

We had an exciting week of activities last week at Keystone! We had a successful and fun Trunk or Treat, a fantastic fire prevention assembly by the Croydon Fire Company (Station 11), a day of Unity, opportunities to sample new fruits and vegetables, and an educational opportunity for selected fourth-graders to work on tree conservation with the Heritage Conservatory.

This week will be very busy with events as well, in support of Red Ribbon week. Please see the section in the newsletter called Red Ribbon Week, to see further details.

Please continue to review the "Important Dates" section of the newsletter each week. As new events and activities get added, we continue to revise that section to include them.

As always, if you ever need anything please don't hesitate to reach out! Have a marvelous week!

Respectfully,

Mrs. Smith-Herman, Assistant Principal

All month

October 23rd-27th

October 26th- 4:30pm

Wednesday, November 1st

Friday, November 3rd

Tuesday, November 7th

November 6th-November 14th

November 8th- Nighttime Book Fair

November 9th, 2023, from 6:00-7:00 pm,

Wednesday, November 22nd

November 23rd & 24th

November 30th- 4:30pm

December 6th

Wednesday, December 6th

English Language Arts-

April 22-26th- Grades 3-8

Mathematics, Science, and Makeups

April 29th-May 3rd- Grades 3-8

Thursday, June 6th- AM- K/1

Thursday, June 6th- PM- 2/3

Friday, June 7th- AM- 4/5

Rain Dates: June 10th and/or 11th

Huge shout out to Mrs. Kelly Hunt, our wonderful, awesome, and fantastic head custodian for keeping the parking lot beautiful and spotless during our Trunk or Treat event! She is appreciated today and every day for keeping our building in tip top shape, all while having a smile on her face! We value and appreciate you lots!

Support Keystone's SWPBIS program by purchasing a soft pretzel. Each soft pretzel will cost $1 each. Students will be asked to preorder their pretzel each Thursday, for a pretzel delivery to take place on Fridays.

First pretzel delivery date will be Friday, November 10th, with a pre-order to take place on November 9th.

The Keystone staff and students participated in Unity Day on October, 18th in support of creating a world without bullying.

Students and staff were encouraged to wear orange, sign the unity banners, and continue to stand together to prevent bullying and promote kindness, acceptance, and inclusion.

Many thanks and appreciation to our counselors Mr. Gianfrancesco and Ms. Surdo and to our social worker, Mrs. Como for organizing this event, as well as helping to create a world without bullying.

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Unity Day Information Video- https://video.link/w/2A03d

Paw shirts will be given to the students on Monday, October 30th!

We ask that students wear their paw shirts every Friday to show their school pride!

The Online Keystone Spirit Wear store is now live. Here is the link for you to start to browse and shop; https://keystone-elementary-fall-2023-ols-335.itemorder.com/shop/home/. The store closes on October 27th. This fundraiser helps to support Keystone's SWPBIS Behavior program. Thank you for your support!

SAVE 10% off your fall fun tickets at Shady Brook Farm and help Keystone raise money for positive behavior initiatives and SWPBIS!

Direct Website Link: https://shadybrookfarm.com/discount/23KEY?redirect=%2Fcollections%2F2023-fallfest-ticket-only

CODE: 23KEY

Keystone excitedly welcomed the Croydon Fire Company, Station 11 on October 20th, 2023. The students in Grades K-5 learned about fire safety, how to make a plan at home in case of a fire, and the purpose and use of the equipment of the firefighters, during the Fire Prevention Assembly. The students also had an opportunity to ask the fire fighters questions, as well as take a walk outside to observe the various features of an actual fire truck.

The Keystone staff would like to thank Station 11 for their partnership and support in continuing to educate our students on fire safety and prevention. In addition, we are grateful and thankful for their service and dedication to keeping our families and community safe!

To ensure the safety and well being of our students, as per the District Wellness Policy, no outside foods may be brought in by students for classroom parties or birthday celebrations. Shared snacks are not permitted in district schools.

If you would like to send something in to celebrate your child's birthday or for a classroom party, you may send in non food items such as stickers, pencils, play dough etc.

Fresh fruits an vegetables are sampled at school on Tuesdays, Wednesday, and Fridays.

The students in grades K-5 had the opportunity to autumn crisp grapes, sweet peppers, and Persian Cucumbers this week.

Many thanks to the students and staff in room A208 and A112 for providing the delivery of the fresh fruits and vegetables to the classrooms at Keystone Elementary School. You are doing a fantastic job! Thanks!

The Heritage Conservatory has partnered with Keystone's 4th grade to work on tree conservation. Twelve fourth grade students were chosen to be ambassadors to help with tree conservation in the Croydon Woods. The students started the day with a short lesson at the outdoor classroom about conservation. They then went into the woods to help the members from the Heritage Conservatory to construct cages to protect saplings. Each student had the opportunity to place spikes in the ground to anchor the cages. In another month, the students will work with the second grade to explain the process and the importance of protecting the trees. The ambassadors will also return in the spring to check on the health and growth of the saplings.

Many thanks and gratitude to Ms. Bryson for spearheading this project for our scholars!

To help children communicate their thoughts and feelings with family and peers, teach them how to state directly how they are feeling in a particular situation. One technique is the "I" statement: "I feel _______ (insert feeling word) when _____ (share what caused this feeling)." These statements open up the door to honest communication, authentic apologies and creative problem solving. Here are some examples of how "I" statements can be used social situations.

• I feel mad when my little sister goes into my room without asking me first.
• I felt sad when you formed a group at recess and didn't include me.
• I got upset when you caught the ball because I wanted to catch it. I'm sorry I yelled and ran off the field.
• 
  

https://www.pbs.org/parents/learn-grow/age-8/social-skills/social-problem-solving

Mrs. Stacy Cooke
stacy.cooke@bristoltwpsd.org

Mrs. Aimee Ramos
aimee.ramos@bristoltwpsd.org

What is Title I?

Title I is a project funded by the federal government under the Every Child Succeeds Act. The purpose of this Act is to provide all children with fair and equitable opportunity to succeed and close achievement gaps. Money is allocated by the federal government and distributed by the Pennsylvania Department of Education to the Bristol Township School. District.

Title I funding is based on a complex formula. These funds are allocated to the states who in turn allocate a portion of that money to the individual school districts within each state. The school district’s share is based on the economic need within a school area, that is, by the number of low income families living there. In our district the number of free and reduced lunch students is used to determine the economic need of a particular school.

The Pennsylvania System of School Assessments

Bristol Township School District students will be taking the Pennsylvania System of State Assessments, also known as the PSSAs, in the spring. What are the PSSAs used for and why should your child participate in the assessment?

What are the PSSAs used for?

The Every Student Succeeds Act or ESSA, requires students to take state tests in reading and math every year in third through eighth grade and once in high school. In Pennsylvania, students in third through eighth grade take the Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA) in English language arts and math. Students in fourth and eighth grade also take a test in science. High school students take end-of-course tests known as the Keystone Exams in Algebra 1 and 2, Geometry, English, Biology/Chemistry, U.S. History, World History, Civics and Government.

Why should my child take the PSSAs?

The PSSAs focus on grade level material aligned to the state standards. It gives parents, teachers, and school district leaders information to make decisions that affect student achievements.

• Parents and students see how well their student performed at grade level
• Teachers make informed decisions regarding instruction.
• District Leaders can make decisions about student learning and achievement.
• State leaders can determine which schools require more resources and/or additional funding.

Spring 2024 PSSA Testing Window

English Language Arts- April 22-26th- Grades 3-8

Mathematics, Science, and Makeups- April 29th-May 3rd- Grades 3-8

Coming soon, our newsletter will spotlight different Keystone staff members.

School Principal: Mr. Mark Wilicki

Email: mark.wilicki@bristoltwpsd.org

Assistant Principal: Crystal Smith-Herman

Email: crystal.smith-herman@bristoltwpsd.org

Special Education Supervisor: Jessica Kelch

Email: jessica.kelch@bristoltwpsd.org

Principal's Secretary: Mrs. Marianne Mensinger

Email: marianne.mensinger@bristoltwpsd.org

Assistant Principal's Secretary: Mrs. Donna Meehan

Email: donna.meehan@bristoltwpsd.org

School phone: 267-599-2470

School fax: 215-788-1041