The Gator Guide
Gulph Elementary School - SEPTEMBER 2023
- From Mr. Dickerson -
Hello Gulph Families!
Welcome to the 2023-2024 school year!
Thank you for checking out the Gator Guide! You can expect to receive my monthly newsletter the first week of each month. Please refer here for important dates, school policy info, and exciting happenings at Gulph, our district, and the community.
This Thursday, from 5-7 PM, our Gulph PTC will be hosting their first event of the new year. Please join us at our Welcome Back Ice Cream Social in our cafeteria and playground. Bring your family to this free event and hang out with the Gulph staff! More information can be found below.
I hope you find this newsletter helpful and informative. If you need any additional clarification or have questions, please reach out to me at cdickerson@umasd.org.
Thank you for your continued support and I look forward to an amazing year of growth, learning, and fun. Chomp! Chomp!
Chris
Mr. Christopher Dickerson
Principal
Gulph Elementary School
- Save the Date -
SEPTEMBER - At-A-Glance
September 7 | Welcome Back Ice Cream Social, 5:00-7:00 PM - FREE EVENT (Cafeteria & Playground)
September 13 | Back to School Night, 6:30-8:00 PM (Gulph Elementary School)
September 21 | First PTC Meeting, 7:00-8:00 PM (Cafeteria)
September 25 | No School - Yom KippurSeptember 28 | Picture Day
Click Here for our full-year calendar
***Please note*** There was an incorrect date on our district calendar website. There is no school on APRIL 10th, not April 9th as previously indicated.
Handbook Highlights
Early and Alternate Dismissal
EARLY DISMISSAL:
- Parents should try to avoid disrupting their children’s school day. If at all possible, do not make medical or dental appointments during school hours.
- If it is necessary for a child to leave school early, email Ms. Johnson (bajohnson@umasd.org) and the classroom teacher, or send in a signed note with your child.
- If the parent/guardian is not picking up the child, your communication must state the name of the person authorized to do so. As a further precaution, all persons are required to enter the main office and present identification.
CHANGES TO DISMISSAL METHOD:
- If you are making a permanent change to your child's dismissal method (i.e. from bus rider to car rider), please send an email or written note to Ms. Johnson (bajohnson@umasd.org) and the classroom teacher.
- We will NOT change a student's dismissal routine without written confirmation from the parent/guardian.
LAST MINUTE DISMISSAL METHOD CHANGES (DAY OF):
- Please alert the school as early in the day as possible (BEFORE 2 PM).
- If you need to change your child's dismissal method AFTER 2 PM, please email AND CALL the office to ensure your message was received.
- We understand there are emergencies and last minute changes, however, it is helpful for students to keep a consistent dismissal routine.
Feel free to use the alternate dismissal form linked below.
Late Arrival to School
Children should leave home in time to arrive at school no later than 8:50 AM for attendance, lunch count, and school business. The instructional day begins promptly at 9:00 AM. Doors will not be open, and there is no supervision for students before 8:40 AM.
If a child is late because of an emergency or other situation, either email Ms. Johnson (bajohnson@umasd.org) or bring a signed note to the office explaining the lateness.
Absence From School
If a student will not be in school on a particular day, the parent/guardian must call or email Ms. Johnson (bajohnson@umasd.org) to report the absence. You may leave a message on the office's voicemail (610-592-2020). An automated call from our office will still be made to report the student's absence.
When a student returns to school, they must bring a signed excuse note or email Ms. Johnson (bajohnson@umasd.org) explaining the absence within three (3) days. If a note is not presented, the absence will be automatically recorded as unlawful.
According to PA state law, all absences are unexcused except those caused by illness of the student, quarantine, death in the immediate family, impassable roads, or exceptionally urgent reasons that directly affect the student.
Cell Phones, Smart Watches & Electronics
- Students may bring their phones to school but they must remain off and left in their backpacks during the school day.
- Students are also not permitted to wear Apple Watches or other devices with the ability to make calls, send text messages or record. Smartwatches are permitted in school, but should be treated like cell phones and remain off and left in the backpack during the school day.
- Students should leave electronics (i.e. tablets, video games, toys, etc.) at home.
UMASD Health and Wellness Policy
- Snacks sent in for classroom parties and/or bdays, must be nutritious (i.e. fruits, vegetables, pretzels, yogurt, etc.) All food should be prepackaged.
- We are a peanut/tree nut-aware school. Snacks should be peanut/tree nut free.
- For classroom celebrations (i.e. birthdays) please consider alternatives to food such as purchasing a book for your child's classroom library).
- Students are not permitted to share snacks with each other due to possible allergies.
Car Line Reminders
AFTERNOON DISMISSAL:
- Please remember to display your child's car line number tag in the dashboard of your vehicle.
- If you have misplaced your car line number tag, you can email Ms. Gussoni (mgussoni@umasd.org) to request a new one.
Volunteer at Gulph!
School volunteers play an increasingly vital role in our schools. They improve instruction by permitting more individual help to students under the direction of a teacher; enrich the curriculum by adding the experience of their interests, hobbies, and vocations to the classroom teacher’s knowledge; increase community relations by bringing more adults from the community to the children to demonstrate the relevance of their education; and close the generation gap by providing more opportunities for children and adults to exchange ideas.
In order to volunteer at Gulph, you must complete the application/form and submit the appropriate clearances as required by law on our new paperless system, "Red Rover". If you are already a cleared volunteer, you do not need to reapply unless your clearances have become outdated.
CLICK HERE to access the Red Rover website.
Once you apply through Red Rover and attach all required clearances, please allow three to five business days for processing.
Should you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to reach out to our administrative assistant, Ms. Gussoni (mgussoni@umasd.org).
* What's Happening at Gulph *
Gulph PTC Welcome Back Ice Cream Social - This Thursday, 9/7! Free Event!
Check Out Our Gulph Apparel Online Store!
*The store will remain open between now and September 17th. Orders will be processed after this date. The vendor will then set up another window at a later date for the next round of shipments.
Reach out to Bill O'Donnell (bill@doughertycsg.com) if you have any issues or questions about your order.
Meet Our New Lead Teacher, Mrs. Nicole Worth
Mrs. Worth will be an additional support for Gulph focusing on building-wide systems and she will be working closely with our special education programs. Mrs. Worth looks forward to meeting our families and collaborating with our Gulph community.
Be sure to say "Hello" to her at our Welcome Back Ice Cream Social this Thursday!
Join Us at Our First PTC Meeting!
Reach out to PTC President, Mary Bailer (mbailer@umasd.org) if you have any questions!
Save the Date! PTC Meetings for the 2023-2024 School Year (All Meetings Will Begin at 7 PM)
- September 21
- October 19
- November 16
- No December Meeting
- January 18
- February 22
- March 14
- April 18
- May 16
- Classroom Highlights -
Kindergarten Bootcamp
Back to School Smiles in Ms. Adkison's 1st Grade Class!
Mrs. Lewis' 2nd Grade Class - Getting to Know You Activity
Mrs. Law's 3rd Grade Class
STEM with Mrs. McDannell
Gators had a great first week of STEM! Students worked on being creative by completing a "Finish the Picture" activity. Even Mr. Dickerson joined in on the fun! Students also enjoyed Tinker Time, a time to practice using the Four Cs (collaboration, communication, critical thinking, and creativity).
* District and Community News & Events *
Upper Merion Homecoming T-Shirt Orders
All Homecoming t-shirt orders for the White Out game are due this Friday, September 8th! T-shirts are $15. We accept Venmo or cash. Venmo payments can be sent to @uppermerioncheerleading. Please help support the High School Cheerleaders!
- Useful Links -
- Gulph Contact Information -
Gulph Elementary School
Contact Information:
Principal | Mr. Christopher Dickerson (cdickerson@umasd.org)Lead Teacher | Mrs. Nicole Worth (nworth@umasd.org)
School Counselor | Mrs. Missi Besz (mbesz@umasd.org)
Admin. Asst. | Ms. Madeline Gussoni (mgussoni@umasd.org)
Attendance | Ms. Barbara Johnson (bajohnson@umasd.org)
Email: cdickerson@umasd.org
Website: https://www.umasd.org/Domain/963
Location: 650 South Henderson Road, King of Prussia, PA, USA
Phone: 610-592-2020
Twitter: @gulphedugator