Penn Wood Elementary School

Email: mgarvin@wcasd.net
Website: https://www.wcasd.net/Domain/752
Location: 1470 Johnnys Way, West Chester, PA, USA
Phone: 4842661900
Twitter: @PennWood1470

Penn Wood Vision: Highly Effective - Academic Excellence, Personal Growth, Creative Thinking, Service to the Community

From the Principal's Office

Greetings Penn Wood Community,

We are thrilled to announce that our Fall FUNdraiser was a tremendous success! Thanks to the incredible generosity of our families, we raised over $20,000. These funds will directly support our field trips, classroom enhancements, assemblies, and more! To cap off the event, six staff members will compete in an inflatable costume race this week. Stay tuned for photos—we can’t wait to share the fun!

In other exciting news, our 5th-grade band members had the opportunity to perform alongside other elementary musicians during the Rustin High School football game last Friday night. We love seeing our young musicians connect with older students at the culmination of our music and arts programs, showcasing the magic of music across our schools.

Lastly, we are calling all veterans! We would be honored to recognize your service at our annual Veterans Day assembly on November 11. Keep an eye out for more information—we look forward to celebrating with you!

With Penn Wood Pride,

Dr. Mike G. Garvin

mgarvin@wcasd.net

Follow us on X - @PennWood1470

October 21 Paradise Farms 5th Grade

October 22 Fire Truck Visit @ 1:30 Grade K

October 24 Blood Drive @ Spellman 12-5

October 29 Fire Truck Visit @ 1:00 Grade 1

October 31 Halloween Parade & Parties

November 1 Diwali/ No School

November 5 Election Day/ In-service Day

November 8 WCU Music Assembly, K-3

November 11 Veterans Day Assembly

November 19-22 Fall Book Fair

November 20 Picture Retakes

November 25 Half Day/ Conferences

November 26 Half Day/ Conferences

November 27 No School/ Conferences

November 28 & 29 Thanksgiving Break

Please refrain from dropping off students for Band, Orchestra, Chorus, and Garden Club prior to 8:00am. The office staff are not always here to let students inside and the teachers leading these clubs/activities are preparing for the club and cannot man the doors before 8:00am. Thank you for understanding and supporting the arts at PWE.

Thank you to all our parents and guardians who have registered for Pick Up Patrol. This system is our central hub for attendance and dismissal. Please use Pick Up Patrol for all attendance-related reporting, including absences, late arrivals, and early dismissals. Pick Up Patrol now includes a new feature, the Leave & Return option, for short-term dismissals.

We’re happy to inform you that we can now accept absences recorded in Pick Up Patrol as your Parent Note. You no longer need to forward your Pick Up Patrol confirmation to us.

Please make sure to report all absences and late arrivals in Pick Up Patrol by 9:30 am, so we can accurately track attendance.

Dismissal changes may be made until 2 pm each day. If sending an excuse form, it must include student name, date, and reason for absence. The absence of any student failing to comply with this time frame, will automatically become unexcused and/ or unlawful and the school laws of Pennsylvania shall be applied. Excuse notes via email from a registered email address in PowerSchool will be accepted without an original signature.

(Per District Attendance Guidelines Code 204AG1)

Pick Up Patrol Reports and excuse forms are kept on file in accordance with district and state policy.

Safe Arrival phone line at 484-266-1910, is still available to report your child’s absence.

Thank you for your understanding and cooperation with this policy.

Questions - contact Gillian Armstrong garmstrong@wcasd.net

All volunteers must have three up-to-date background clearances on file with the school: PA Criminal, PA Child Abuse, and FBI Fingerprinting. These clearances are valid for five years from the date of verification by the agency. When submitting your clearances, please provide all three documents together. Information and links to the three clearances is available on the District site under “Visitors & Volunteers

Morning Arrival Updates for Car Riders: A few reminders that would be helpful for morning carline.

1. Parents should not get out of the car
2. If kids need help with their backpack, they can get out of the car, on the “kids side” of the cones and staff can help.
3. Unload all along the cones, 5 - 7 cars should be able to unload at once to move the line along.
4. Arrival carline drop off - 8:30 - 9:00am (please do not arrive prior to 8:25)
5. The front bus lane is closed for drop offs until 9:15 am. If dropping off between 9:00 and 9:15, please park and walk your child to the front door

Afternoon Carline - 3:30 - 3:45 (after 3:45 children will be brought to the office).

Please follow these protocols:

1) Please stay in car

2) If students can't buckle themselves in the car...please pull forward to the cul-de-sac and buckle there. Please do not block any drive ways.

3) Please do not enter the carline until 3:10. Vehicles cannot line up and wait as this causes unnecessary congestion on Johnny’s Way.

4) Enter the campus eastbound on Johnny’s Way. (PM Carline Directional Map) Below...

5) Do not block driveways on Johnny’s Way or Bobolink Lane.

Have a child turning 5 years old on or before 9/1/24? Have a neighbor or friend with a child turning 5? Spread the word……….it’s time to pre-register for kindergarten! Click here to register for 2024-25. Please note that 23-24 is still open for new residents so be sure to select 2024-25 if your child will be starting next school year.

Items to upload electronically when pre-registering online:

- Birth Certificate

- Immunizations

- Physical Report

- Dental Report

- Proof of Residence #1 – copy of mortgage statement, deed or lease agreement

- Proof of Residence #2 – copy of utility bill, car insurance card, tax bill or insurance declaration page (we need to see current date, name and address)

Please be sure to complete all fields and upload all documents before clicking “submit”.

Once you click on “submit”, you no longer have access to the pre-registration file. If you have any questions, please email Jennifer Shearon at jshearon@wcasd.net