Hello Marsh Creek,

I hope that everyone is having a wonderful weekend. I cannot believe that we are already starting the month of February with our students, and this Tuesday marks the 100th day of the school year. A few students remarked to me this week that, "they have more days behind them, than in front of them!" I found myself feeling a little bit sad, while seeing the smiles on their faces as they dreamed of summer and warmer days. There are no words that I can express to let you know how much I have enjoyed working with our students and families this year, and I can already tell that I am going to miss them terribly as they take the next step into their futures.

This is an important week for us as we prepare for our students' transition to Lionville and Downingtown Middle schools next school year. Thank you so much to all of our students and families that have completed the Course Selection Process, and for those that have not had the chance to do so, please review the section below entitled 7th Grade Course Selection Headquarters, where you can review information related to the course selection process for both schools. If your students have any questions related to selecting their Encore courses for next year, please encourage them to visit with our wonderful counseling team, who will be available to help in any way on Thursday, February 6th in the Library during all Recess periods. Please know that we will be working closely with our students here in school over the coming weeks to ensure that our students are ready to take the next step in their journey through our district, and will be communicating all important information to our families over the coming months. The window to enter course requests will remain open until February 7th. Thank you for all of your time and support so far this school year, and for allowing us to work with your students each day. I hope that everyone has an amazing week!

-Matt

Monday - 2/3

• C - Day

Tuesday - 2/4

• D - Day

Wednesday - 2/5

• E - Day

Thursday - 2/6

• F - Day
• Counselors available in the Library to assist with course selection questions (All Recess Periods)

Friday - 2/7

• A - Day
• Course Selection Window Closes

IMPORTANT UPCOMING DATES

January 29 - February 7 - Student/Parent Course Selection Window Open (Infinite Campus)

February 11 and 12 - CDT Testing

Between January 29th and February 7th, students and parents will submit their course requests electronically through Infinite Campus. Please take a few minutes to review the Rising 7th Grade Course Selection Video linked below for detailed information about the process. Below, you will also find directions related to accessing Infinite Campus on the 29th so that students can select their Encore classes. The majority of courses will be pre-loaded for your student on the 29th for both Lionville and Downingtown Middle Schools, but students will have to select FOUR Encore classes for next year.

Student Selected Encore Classes (electives)

1. Rising 7th Graders must pick four electives from the five Encore area options: Physical Education, World Language, Music, Family/Consumer Science, and Art (a required Tech Ed & Health course will be pre-loaded)

2. Please note that you are encouraged to take one course from each content area by the time you leave LMS/DMS at the end of 8th grade.

Below is a list of available electives for our students to choose in 7th grade. You will see that Technology & Engineering Foundations and Health have already been added, as all 7th graders will take these electives. Our students will need to select 4 additional electives from the options remaining.

PATH: Campus Student > More > Course Registration

1. After logging in to Campus Student/Campus Parent, select More from the Index. Then select Course Registration. A list of Course Registration Enrollments displays.

2. Select the desired enrollment (Next school year's enrollment).

3. You are now ready to enter Course Requests (Screenshots and Directions are included in the file linked below)

Required, Requested and Alternate Courses - Students are encouraged to select 1 Alternate Encore class in case of conflicts with first choices

● Courses that are preloaded display as Required. Changes to these requests cannot be made

● Courses you requested display as Requests. These requests can be modified (changed to alternates, removed, etc.)

● Courses you requested as alternates display as Alternates. These requests can be modified (changed to requests, removed, etc.)

● Change a course request to an alternate by selecting it from your list of courses and clicking the Convert to Alternate button

● Delete a request by clicking the red X from the Search Results or by selecting the course and clicking Delete Request.

For more detailed information related to course offerings at both Downingtown and Lionville Middle School, click on the link below to access the DASD Middle School Academic Program of Study.

Greetings from the Marsh Creek Counseling Department! We will use this area to keep you in the loop with updates from our department as well as helpful resources throughout the year. Please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions or concerns. We are here to help!

Please encourage your child to check out the Marsh Creek Counseling Department Schoology course. It’s filled with lots of great resources including stress management strategies, study skills, directions for how to check your grades and more!

Hey Narwhals! As you’ve probably heard, it’s Course Selection time! The window to go online and choose your encore choices is open until Friday Feb. 7th. After the window closes, School Counselors will be checking everyone’s course requests and we will help you make any needed changes.

Cartwheel is a trusted mental health partner to schools, offering helpful free resources to parents and guardians such as articles, podcasts and webinars like this one: Social Media and Youth Mental Health. Check it out as well as lots of other great resources on their website!

Communities that Care of Greater Downingtown offers many great parent resources including a Parent to Parent: Building Connections support group which starts October 1st. Check it out here!

This program provides supplemental nourishment for our students. Participating students receive a bag of non-perishable food items every Wednesday, which will be distributed in a discreet and caring manner by our staff. Click on the links below to complete the confidential form so that we can help in any way that we can.

Click here to enroll in Backpack Boost

Haga clic aquí para inscribirse en Backpack Boost

Thank you to all of our families for their willingness to support our Marsh Creek HSA this year as they work with our students and staff! We are so lucky to have a wonderful team of parents willing to help Marsh Creek. If you are interested in participating in our HSA this year, please consider joining us for future meetings. If you would like to contact our HSA to find other ways to support our students and school, please feel free to contact them at marshcreekhsa@gmail.com.

Hi Everyone!

Dr. Barr and Mrs. Fiske are always striving to make MC6 a fun, rewarding, and engaging environment for our students.

Over the coming weeks, students will learn about our Marsh Madness program, where students can earn tickets by completing personalized ELA and Math activities. These tickets can then be traded in for prizes: everything from pencils and candy, to stickers and fidgets—which we all know the kids will love!

To make this happen, Mrs. Fiske is asking for some help from parents to stock the prize closet! She has created an Amazon Wishlist filled with prize options at a variety of price points. If you’re willing and able to contribute, your support would mean so much. Prizes will ship directly to the school, so it’s super easy to participate!

https://a.co/g5sGptt

Thank you so much for always being so willing to help make MC6 such a special place for our kids!

2025 Yearbook Sales Are Open – Order Now Before They Sell Out!

Don’t miss out on your chance to order a copy of the 2025 Marsh Creek 6th Grade Center Yearbook! It’s the best way to capture memories of this year’s events, classmates, and friends.

Order now to guarantee your yearbook! We always sell out, and once they're gone, they’re gone! Ordering ahead also avoids last-minute stress. Be sure to note the date of your purchase. Keep your confirmation email handy!

How to order:

• Go to https://www.balfour.com/

• Create an account and place your order. Yearbooks cost $30 (pre-order price)

• Make sure you know your child’s Advisory Teacher’s name

• Save your confirmation email as proof of purchase

Pre-orders are open NOW through March 31, 2025

• After that, any remaining copies will be sold IN PERSON at the end of May, on a first-come, first-served basis. No email or phone requests to hold yearbooks will be accepted.

Secure your copy today and avoid missing out on this keepsake!

For questions, contact:

Lee Ann Allen (lallen@dasd.org)

Becky Leister (rleister@dasd.org)

The most frequent damage to a Chromebook is a cracked screen. Follow these tips to avoid damage.

• Always carry a Chromebook closed. Never hold a Chromebook by its screen and always use two hands to carry the device.
• If carrying the device from classroom to classroom, hold the Chromebook close to your chest much like a hug.
• Be sure to set a Chromebook on a flat surface during use and avoid slanted, uneven surfaces which could lead to the device sliding off and dropping to the floor.

For more tips about protecting your device, and information related to getting a protective case for your device, click the following link to our technology page. Thank you for your assistance!

https://www.dasd.org/departments/technology/11-technology-initiative/chromebook-care

Outstanding Technology Fee Obligations

All student technology fees have been updated through our District's PaySchools site. We ask that students clear all obligations prior to the conclusion of each school year. All fees can be viewed and cleared through the following link:

https://www.payschoolscentral.com/

Below is a link to the Activities page on our Marsh Creek website, which has been updated with all information that students and parents will need to engage in our extracurricular programs. It contains information related to the options available this year, as well as information related to Activity Fees, and the Activity Shuttle Bus. Students can work with our teachers to pick up information and to express interest in the activities offered this year. All information related to our clubs and activities will be communicated on Schoology.

Did you know that next year ALL kindergarten students will have full day instruction? Due to recent board approval, all Downingtown elementary schools are providing full day Kindergarten to all Kindergarten students. Visit this website for more information: https://www.dasd.org/departments/teaching-and-learning/full-day-k-implementation. Registration is now open.

This month, we come together to celebrate Black History Month—a time to honor the remarkable contributions, resilience, and legacy of Black leaders, artists, and visionaries who have shaped our past and inspire our future. It is a time for learning, reflection, and action as we continue to build a community that values differences and promotes respect for all. Through our collective efforts, we can ensure that every student feels empowered and celebrated for who they are.

Achieving Your Goals and Staying Focused

Join us for an inspiring session with Tony Award-winning actor, singer, and author Leslie Odom Jr., as he shares his journey of overcoming challenges and staying focused on his dreams. Leslie will provide invaluable insights on perseverance, setting goals, and making a meaningful impact in the world.

This engaging workshop will feature a 5-10 minute talk from Leslie followed by a dynamic Q&A session, giving students the chance to connect directly with a true role model. Whether in person or virtually, Leslie’s story is sure to leave students motivated to chase their dreams with purpose and determination.

Don’t miss this unique opportunity to learn from one of today’s most accomplished and relatable voices!

Register Here: Link

Building Partnership With Families To Ensure Student Success

Join us for an engaging workshop that explores how building strong partnerships with families can create a supportive and inclusive environment for every student to thrive.

Together, we’ll discover practical strategies to foster collaboration, personalize support, and unlock the full potential of students academically, socially, and emotionally. Let’s work hand in hand to empower student success!

Register Here: Link

UNITY DAY- March 28th 2025

Downingtown Unity Day!

Mark your calendars! Unity Day will take place on Friday, March 28, 2025. It will be a day dedicated to celebrating the power of community and the strength found in belonginess, empathy, kindness and respect. Our goal is to unite students and staff across the district to embrace differences and reinforce the importance of compassion and understanding.

We encourage everyone—students, staff, and teachers—to wear blue and gold on Unity Day as a symbol of solidarity. Let’s transform our schools into vibrant displays of unity and pride! Throughout the day, we will capture moments from each building to showcase how our collective efforts bring this vision to life.

Culture Fest 2025

The 3rd Annual Culture Fest is back on and rescheduled! Mark your calendars for May 22nd from 5-8 PM at Marsh Creek Sixth Grade Center!

We would love for you to join us again and be part of this wonderful event! Your participation has made a huge impact in the past, and we’re excited to have you back to help us celebrate the vibrant diversity of our community!

FREE & OPEN to all Downingtown Area School District (DASD) students (K-12) and their families! While registration is encouraged, this event is designed to be accessible to everyone.

🔗 Pre-register here: Culture Fest 2025 Registration

We can't wait to celebrate with you!