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

🎃 Ghoul-morning, Penn Wood Families! 🎃

Happy Halloween! Today’s the big day—the Halloween parade and class parties are here! We’re opening the playground lot a little before 2:00pm so you can catch the adorable, spooky, and occasionally bewildering costumes (anyone else ready for a sea of zombies and superheroes?). Bring your cameras and get ready to cheer on the parade of Penn Wood's finest ghosts, ghouls, and goblins!

And because Penn Wood takes “spirit” to the next level, we’re hosting some fantastic service projects that give back—no tricks, only treats! Here’s what’s brewing:

1. Soles4Souls 👟: We’re collecting used shoes! Drop your pairs off with Mr. Miller in the gym.
2. Thanksgiving Food Drive 🥫: Mrs. Crystle’s got the details, so check out the flyer below to learn how to help support families in need.
3. Candy Collection for Troops 🍬: Leftover candy? (It happens.) Donate it for troops overseas! Ms. Treon is our “candy commander.”
4. Veterans Day Assembly and Honoring of PWE Veterans - November 11, 2025 @9:15am

And because Halloween isn’t all spooks, here’s some sweet news for Flyers fans—our very own Penn Wood choir will be singing in the atrium pre-puck drop, thanks to Ms. Carter! Let’s go Flyers!

So grab your costumes, bring your spirit, and let’s make this Halloween a howling good time! 🎃👻

Have a great weekend!

Dr. Mike G. Garvin

mgarvin@wcasd.net

Follow us on X - @PennWood1470

Ready to chat about all things Penn Wood? Parent-teacher conferences are just around the corner, and it’s time for us to put our heads together to celebrate the amazing things your student has accomplished (and maybe swap a story or two!). Grab a time that works best for you by clicking the link below to schedule. And don’t worry, we’ll have plenty of notes, encouragement, and maybe even a corny joke or two at the ready!

Parent-Teacher Conferences - Penn Wood

Take care,

Mike Garvin

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

Each year, Penn Wood students and faculty gather to honor our veterans in a special celebratory assembly. This is an important tradition where we come together to recognize the sacrifices and bravery of those who have served our country. During the assembly, our student choir will perform, and students will have the opportunity to share their gratitude by honoring their personal heroes.

This year, we are excited to incorporate new elements into our celebration to make it even more memorable.

In addition to our assembly, we’ll also be creating a “Heroes Hallway,” featuring stars filled out by students with the names and stories of veterans they know. These stars will serve as a powerful visual reminder of our appreciation and respect.

We invite Penn Wood veterans to join us in supporting this tradition, whether through encouraging your child to participate or attending the assembly to honor these heroes alongside us. Veterans Planning to attend please RSVP here.

Thank you for helping us make this year’s celebration a meaningful tribute to our veterans.

Directions below for the Veteran's Star Activity:

Star Paper.pdf

🌟 Veteran’s Day Hero 🌟

In honor of Veteran’s Day we are going to create a HEROES HALLWAY to show all the heroes we know, our appreciation. Please fill out the STAR paper that was sent home (also attached to this newsletter). Please do not include original pictures; students may draw pictures too of their hero. Please return your STAR by Wednesday, November 6th. You can complete as many stars as you wish. We appreciate your support and look forward to an amazing hallway display to honor our heroes.

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