Paw Power Press

Happy day of school to our students and staff! We enjoyed greeting everyone on Tuesday morning as students made their way to their new classrooms to meet their teachers and classmates! It is wonderful to be a part of this school community - it is sure to be a fantastic year! Enjoy these first day of school photos at Butler!

Butler had a very successful Summer Reading Initiative that supported our efforts with encouraging student reading throughout the months off from school. With the generosity of our local Chalfont/Montgomery businesses, students could earn items based on how often they read! Thanks, again, to the groups below who hung our Butler logo in their business all summer long! They helped to make our reading initiative a success!

Please note the following times to anticipate our Butler Schedule:

Butler School Day - "C" School:

Grades 1 through 6 - 9:05 a.m. — 3:45 p.m.

AM Kindergarten: 9:05 a.m. – 11:40 a.m. (Mid-Day Pick-Up)

PM Kindergarten: 1:10 p.m. – 3:45 p.m. (Mid-Day Drop-Off)

Typical 2-Hour Delay Schedule:

Delayed Opening Arrival - 10:45 a.m. (K-6)

Normal Dismissal - 3:45 p.m. (K-6)

AM Kindergarten - 11:05 a.m. - 12:50 p.m. (adjusted hours)

PM Kindergarten - 2:00 p.m. - 3:45 p.m. (adjusted hours)

** Early Dismissal Days / Or Scheduled Half Days - 12:25 p.m.

3rd Grade - 10:30-11:00 - Recess / 11:00-11:30 Lunch

5th Grade - 11:00-11:30 - Recess / 11:30-12:00 Lunch

6th Grade - 11:30-12:00 - Recess / 12:00-12:30 Lunch

1st Grade/EDK - 12:00-12:30 - Recess / 12:30-1:00 Lunch

4th Grade - 12:30 - 1:00 - Recess / 1:00-1:30 Lunch

2nd Grade - 1:00 - 1:30 - Recess / 1:30-2:00 Lunch

Central Bucks adopted a rotating specials schedule for the 23-24 school year (Art, Library, Music, Physical Education, and QUEST). It followed a Day-1 through Day-5 schedule with the main reason adjusting for a "better distribution" of scheduled special classes for all elementary students.

There will be a slight adjustment to this plan for the 24-25 school year. Tuesday, September 3rd, the first day for students, will be Specials Day-1. The remainder of the days will follow the school calendar and are set for the year. If there happens to be a day cancelled (due to inclement weather, etc.), the district specials schedule will follow the predetermined day. (We will no longer "push" the next number). This is being done so students, staff, and families know that each special class is assigned to one of the numbered days.

Days 1-4 will begin with September 3-6 followed by Day 5 on Monday, September 9th. Classroom teachers will be sure to communicate the classroom schedule regularly, so the children are prepared for each day's special.

Butler is always striving to create/maintain smooth dismissal procedures for our students, families, and staff! The system in place works well when EVERYONE follows the plans of the school. There is always a learning curve the first few days/week of school. Soon after, the efficiency of the system becomes optimal once everyone is familiar with the plan (Students/Staff/Families). Butler will be using a new program (Schoolhouse Driveline) assigning a specific number to each family. A placard will be provided to hang around the rearview mirror. Staff will enter this number into the system upon parent/guardian arrival to quickly identify and organize students to the flow of the carline.

Thanks to our Butler PTO for providing the funds for the new system!

Arrival and Dismissal procedures are paramount in our operation during the two busiest times of our school day - especially Car Line Procedures. Please be reminded:

ARRIVAL

• School Doors officially open at 8:45 AM.
• PLEASE have car-riders REMAIN in vehicles until staff is in place at 8:45 AM.
• Walkers will be assembling under the canopy by the front doors, but we request car-riders remain in vehicles so traffic is not moving while children are walking to school.
• We will have a crosswalk attendee supporting student walker arrival and traffic flow.
• Please keep your eyes open for student walkers and adhere to speed limit postings.

DISMISSAL

• Car Rider dismissal will again take place from our Gym Atrium Doors.
• A placard will be provided to each family on the first day/week - please make sure this is displayed around your rearview mirror each day.
• Parents remain in vehicles at all times; a staff member will identify the Schoolhouse Driveline Family number to call the student(s) to meet the family member's vehicle in our pull-around circle (See Details Above).
• Walkers will be released from Front or Back of the building once bus and car traffic has exited - usually around 4:00 pm.

With the start of the new year, timing will continue to improve - new routines for students and personnel makes things a little slower the first few days. There is always a dramatic improvement in timing from day one to day two - Thank you, families! Soon, our dismissal procedures will be efficient and familiar - we just ask (kindly) for your understanding and patience.

Any families in need of assistance with school supplies for your child, including backpacks, please contact our Butler Student Services Department and ask to speak to your child's student counselor. Mrs. Milotich is the student counselor for grades 1/3/5; Mrs. O'Connell is the student counselor for grades 2/4/6. Both work with Kindergarten. Items donated by Action Karate and the Bucks IU - We thank them for their support!

Thanks to the Butler PTO, our school will be receiving/installing a new sign for the back entrance of our property. It will be located by the end of the bus loop when pulling in from the Highland neighborhood. We are in the process of working with our CBSD Operations Department and the New Britain Township Public Works Department on the approved location while going through the proper channels for the install. We continue to strive in making Butler Elementary an attractive place within our neighborhood community and hope to have it installed by the end of August! Thanks PTO!

Visit the CBSD Technology and Innovation website to troubleshoot issues with any district-provided device. Place a Help Desk Ticket through the website if the tips listed on the website do not resolve the issue.

The Annual Student Information Update for the 2024-2025 school year is now available until September 30th. New this year upon logging into the Parent Portal, you will be directed to complete the Annual Student Information Update before accessing other information such as schedules, assessments, and demographics. To begin, login to Parent Portal, navigate to the menu (top), select “more” and then “Annual Student Information Update”. For assistance, please contact parentportal@cbsd.org.

UPDATING THE INFORMATION IS CRITICAL. Unless the update is completed:

• School nurses may NOT administer acetaminophen, antacids (Tums), antihistamines (Benadryl), or ibuprofen.
• The school may not be able to reach you in an emergency if phone numbers or email addresses are not up to date.
• You may miss school closing, early dismissal information, emails from classroom teachers, and MORE.

Instructional videos have been prepared to assist families in accessing and completing the update. Watch here: English| Spanish.

For more assistance you have any questions or would like help with this, please call or email Lori Rebstock at 267.893.5714/lrebstock@cbsd.org.

If you have moved, please make sure you update your address with Central Registration. The office can be reached at 267-893-2111 or centralregistration@cbsd.org.

All schools in CBSD will be implementing the Standard Response Protocol developed by the "I Love U Guys" Foundation beginning this school year. The SRP provides a framework for handling various emergency situations in schools by emphasizing the importance of consistent, clear communication across all schools and with law enforcement. Learn more.

Regular school attendance is necessary for a successful school experience. Instructional continuity is interrupted when a student is frequently absent, tardy, or dismissed early from school. Understanding that regular attendance in school is necessary for students to gain maximum benefits from public education, the Central Bucks School District urges all parents/guardians to stress punctuality and regular attendance habits with their children. Please read Important Updates from the CBSD Attendance Letter - Click Here.

Please review the "Managing Student Attendance Plan" from CB.

Beginning the first day of school, Sept. 3, CBSD is bolstering the safety of bus passengers through a new partnership with BusPatrol, a safety technology company, and in line with PA Motor Vehicle Code § 3345. CBSD buses are now equipped with photo enforcement cameras to detect vehicles that illegally pass stopped buses while the stop sign is deployed and red lights are flashing. Every captured incident will be reviewed by a law enforcement officer before a violation notice is issued to the motorist. Read more in an email sent to the CBSD community on August 19.

For the 24-25 school year:

School Breakfast is free for each student (State Grant).

School lunch meals cost $2.85.

We encourage all families to put money on their students account through MySchoolBucks.com - and are attempting to limit the need for cash transactions to simplify the process for your elementary child.

• All menus are available to be viewed online up to 2 weeks in advance by visiting cbsd.nutrislice.com.

The application for free and reduced meal pricing for the 2024-25 school year is now open. Breakfast is available at no charge to students, and lunch costs vary depending on grade level. Your child(ren) may qualify for free meals or for reduced price meals. Learn more and apply by visiting the full informational webpage here.

The 24-25 Before & After Care Community School Program is now open. Please visit the CBSD Childcare Program site for more information on how to register your child.

CLICK HERE to Register for Before/After Care with CB Community School!

CHIP is short for the Children's Health Insurance Program, Pennsylvania's program to provide health insurance to uninsured children and teens who are not eligible for or enrolled in Medical Assistance.

CHIP is brought to you by leading health insurance companies. You'll have a choice of major insurance companies with networks of physicians, specialists, and care facilities near you. Your kids may even be able to keep visiting the same doctors they see today.

Click here to find out more information & to apply!

The 1-to-1 fee payment system opened on August 14 for families of students in grades 3-12. There is no fee for families of K-2 students as devices for these grades stay at school. All CB students will either receive a device this year or continue to use the device that was issued last year. Even if your child has their own device, we ask that you participate in our program to allow for a consistent learning platform for our students. Read more about the plan, the fee amounts, and next steps here.

Required Health Examinations

Pennsylvania mandates the following health examinations as indicated: Physicals: School entry, grades 6 and 11 Dentals: School entry, grades 3 and 7.

Parents are urged to have physical and dental examinations completed by their family physician or dentist and submitted prior to October 15th of the year that they are due. Exams may be completed any time after September 1st of the prior calendar year. Forms can be found by clicking HERE. Please submit these forms to the school directly or via email to ggiovinco@cbsd.org.

The Pennsylvania Department of Health has the following immunization requirements for students:

• 4 doses of tetanus, diphtheria and acellular pertussis (1 dose on or after 4th birthday) (DTaP)
• 4 doses of polio (4th dose on or after 4th birthday and at least 6 months after previous dose given) (IPV)
• 2 doses of measles, mumps and rubella (MMR)
• 3 doses of hepatitis B (Hep B)-properly spaced
• 2 doses of varicella or evidence of immunity (chickenpox)

You may check your child’s school immunization record by logging onto the parent portal through the district website at www.cbsd.org or by consulting with your child’s physician. Immunization records can be sent to the school directly or via email to ggiovinco@cbsd.org.

September:

Sept. 2 - Labor Day Monday - School/Offices Closed

Sept. 3 - TUESDAY - First Day of School for Students (Day 1 - Specials Schedule)

Sept. 5 - BTSN Grades: 5 & 6 (Schedule Below); NOVA Parent Presentation @ 6:00 PM (Gym)

Sept. 9 - BTSN Grades: 3 & 4 (Schedule Below); PEN BTSN @ 6:00 PM (Gym)

Sept. 10 - Picture Day (Make-Ups 10/22)

Sept. 10 - CB School Board Meeting - 7:30 PM - 16 Welden (ESC)

Sept. 11 - BTSN Grades: Kdg (Gym), 1, & 2 (Schedule Below)

Sept. 12 - CB South BTSN

Sept. 19 - Unami BTSN (7th Grade)

Sept. 20 - Butler PTO Bingo Night - Evening

Sept. 23 - General Parent PTO Meeting - 7:00 PM (Library)

Sept. 26 - Unami BTSN (8th & 9th Grades)

Sept. 27 - PTO Monster Mash (Grades K-2 Only) - 6:00-7:30 PM

Sept. 30 - Half-Day for Students (12:25 PM Dismissal)

Sept. 30 - **Annual Student Update Information Due (Click Here)

• With the start of school comes our Back to School Nights (BTSNs) as they are an important opportunity for all parents to meet their child’s teacher and learn about the year ahead!
  

  
  

  BTS Nights will be held according to the following schedule:

  • Thursday, 9/5 - Gr. 5 @ 5:00 PM; Presentation - Social Media Awareness (Gym) @ 6:00 PM; Gr. 6 @ 7:00 PM. ** 5th & 6th Grade parents are encouraged to arrive for/stay through the 6:00 PM presentation in the gym. **
  
  
  • Monday, 9/9 - Gr. 3 @ 5:00 PM; PEN @ 6:00 PM; Gr. 4 @ 7:00 PM
  
  
  • Wednesday, 9/11 - Kindergarten @ 5:00 PM; Gr. 1 @ 6:00 PM; Gr. 2 @ 7:00 PM

  
  

  *Please Note: When you arrive, walk directly to your child’s classroom so you do not miss any of your teacher’s presentation - presentations will last 45-minutes. Kindergarten and PEN - please report directly to the Gymnasium. For each of our grade levels, BTSN will start promptly at noted times.

At 6:00 PM on Thursday (9/5) of Back to School Night, 5th and 6th grade parents are encouraged to attend NOVA's iSMart for Caregivers - Student Safety Online. Butler's partnership with NOVA is providing time to attend this informative event to support your efforts with children's online safety.

When: Friday, September 20 | 7:00-8:30 PM

Where: Butler Gymnasium

Join us for the first PTO event of the new school year... Butler Family Bingo! There will be light snacks and water, as well as fun prizes to win! We hope to see you there!

Please note, this is a family event (i.e. not a drop off event).

When: Friday, September 27 | 6:00-7:30 PM

Where: Butler Gymnasium and Cafeteria

Join the PTO for a brand-new event... The Butler Monster Mash! There will be music, crafts, Halloween activities, and a costume parade! Please sign up here to assist with the event. We hope to see you there!

Please note, this is a family event for current K-2 students (i.e. not a drop-off event).

Mark your calendars, comb/brush your hair, and find you best outfit for Butler's 24-25 Picture Day on September 10th! More details and information to be sent home in the Wednesday Folders!

Picture Retake Day is scheduled for October 22nd, 2024

Students in grades 1-8 are invited to attend the EAST meets WEST field hockey clinic, at WAR MEMORIAL FIELD on, Sunday September 22nd, 10:00-12:30. Students will need to bring a stick, mouth guard, shin guards, sneakers/turf shoes, and water bottle. The cost for the clinic is $50 and registration can be found at www.mypaymentsplus.com/welcome.

See below to learn how to register your children or visit www.lvbasketball.org

Our Butler 6th Grade Student Ambassadors led our newest Butler families on a tour of our school - introducing them to the building and what it means in becoming Butler Bears! Our Ambassadors identified many of the various rooms and areas of our school, with some sharing their favorite things about Butler! Mr. Funseth and Mrs. Dowd launched the event with an introduction and welcome while the PTO shared the important events we hold within our community. At the end, families met the teams of teachers across all grade levels - looking forward to the 24-25 school year!

Our Kindergarten Students and families joined the Butler Staff for a welcome to Kindergarten Event on Thursday, August 29th. Students met the principals, teachers, and staff as they were welcomed into our Butler Bear Family! Mr. Funseth and Mrs. Dowd read the School Bus and shared a video about safe bus riding - and then the Transportation Department spoke about getting on and off the bus. Parents and students got to experience (for some) their first rides on the school bus - all around the Butler neighborhood! We look forward to all the learning that will be taking place with Mrs. Camburn, Mrs. Habel, and Mrs. Ford, this year!

Butler was excited to meet Dr. Steven Yanni, our newly appointed Superintendent of all CBSD Schools! Dr. Yanni visited with staff and students on the afternoon of the first day of school. He saw how beautifully decorated each of the classrooms, and the amazing condition of our facilities following a full summer of preparations by our facility team led by Mr. Sutton and Mr. Garza. Butler was true to form, welcoming him to what will be an amazing school year!

Safety and security are priorities for Butler Elementary School and we coordinate among our staff and students early on in the school year. While we hold monthly fire drills 1/month throughout the year, our CERT Team and staff also hold state-mandated emergency preparations in the event of a weather alert or school threat. In all of our planning, our teachers will meet with students to share expectations, celebrations, and goals around our safety procedures. As part of last year's Butler PTO Spring Fair raffle award, Shea H. was able to pull the first alarm for the school year!

The Central Bucks School District launched into 3-days of professional development for our teaching staff prior to the start of school. Beginning August 27th, our district provided in-service and teacher training on curriculum, policy, safety, and more! Butler Staff took part in building updates.

The Butler PTO organized a delicious Olympic Themed" luncheon for our staff as we will be earning our Gold Medals throughout this 2024-2025 school year! On Thursday, August 29th, we had a delicious lunch that brought our teacher team together - with the support and care of our Butler PTO! Thanks to Mrs. Hartman, Mrs. Hood, and Mrs. Ficociello for organizing and setting-up the luncheon!

"Welcome Back!" - The Butler PTO Newsletter is an informative publication that provides insight and info for events hosted by the Butler PTO. Please click to open the newsletter.

On Monday, September 23rd, please join the Butler PTO for our first general meeting of the school year - held in the library at 7:00 PM! All parents are members of the PTO are invited to participate to learn more about the many ways to support our Butler School!

Superintendent: Steven Yanni, Ed. D.

Assistant Superintendent-Secondary: Charles Malone, Ed. D.

Assistant Superintendent-Elementary: Nadine Garvin, Ed. D.

Website: cbsd.org
Location: 20 Welden Drive, Doylestown, PA, USA
Phone: 267-893-2000
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cbschools/
Twitter: @CBSDSchools

Principal: Karl Funseth

Principal's Secretary: Peggy Bernabei

Assistant Principal: Lauren Dowd

Assistant Principal's Secretary: Michele Droxler

Website: https://www.cbsd.org/butler
Location: 200 Brittany Drive, Chalfont, PA, USA
Phone: 267-894-4250
Twitter: @CBButlerElem