

The Paradise Press
February 2025 Edition
February Calendar Information
Click the button below to view the calendar for February. Information for the Daily Specials Schedule for Grades 1 through 4 is listed further down the page.
Highlights:
- 02/03/2025 - 100th Day of School
- 02/03-02/07/2025 - School Counselor's Week - please see below for spirit days
- 02/04/2025 - PTO Family Skate Night @ Magic Elm - 6-8 pm (parents must stay with their child/children; no dropping off). Families/siblings welcome.
- 02/05/2025 - student council meeting - 8 AM (student council students only)
- 02/07/2025 - Spirit Day - wear favorite team t-shirt/jersey
- 02/10-02/14/2025 - Show your Love Spirit Week - please see below for spirit days
- 02/17/2025 - HOLIDAY/NO SCHOOL for Teachers or Students
- 02/21/2025 - Teacher In-Service/NO SCHOOL for Students
- 02/24/2025 - Spring Picture Day
- 02/27 & 2/28/2025 - Mobile Dentist (music room)
- 02/28/2025 - Kids Heart Challenge -grades 1-4 fundraiser packets & money due
School Counselor's Week - February 3 - 7, 2025
February 3rd-7th is National School Counseling week! An important aspect of our career is supporting your child’s emotional and social well-being, supporting parents and teachers, working on preventative programs and so much more! Join us this week in recognizing some themes of school counseling with the corresponding theme days.
Show Your Love Spirit Week - February 10 - 14, 2025
February Menus
Click the button below to go directly to the Menu page on the district website.
Morning Announcements
Interested in seeing the morning announcements that are played at Paradise Elementary? Simply click the Morning Announcements button below. You may see a familiar face!
Attendance
The district's full Attendance Policy can be found at the following link: Handbook Policy - Attendance. Please reach out to our attendance secretary, Mrs. Sarah Thompson, with any questions. thompsos@sgasd.org or 717-225-4731 x 1561
The difference between excused and unexcused absences explained
What are excusable reasons that require only an excuse card?
- Illness of student- 1 or 2 days absent
- Family emergency - as approved by attendance officer
- Required court attendance
- Death in immediate family
What are excusable reasons that require an excuse card and medical note?
1. Illness of student - 3+ consecutive days absent
2. Obtaining professional health care or therapy service rendered by a licensed practitioner
What are excusable reasons that require a pre-approved educational trip form? (5 days per school year)
- An educational experience or trip planned by family
- Participation in a project sponsored by a statewide or countywide 4-H, FFA
- Observance of a religious holiday observed by a bona fide religious group
- An out-of-town funeral that requires more than a day or two out of school
What are inexcusable reasons to be absent?
- Absences which do not meet the criteria indicated above shall be considered an unlawful absence
- Absences that are not documented with an excuse card/medical note within 3 days as outlined in the handbook
Paradise Elementary Attendance % Report for January 2025
Kindergarten: 94.66%
First Grade: 95%
Second Grade: 94.25%
Third Grade: 92.77%
Fourth Grade: 94.61%
Building: 94.24%
Mrs. Bortner's Fitness Corner - February 2025
FITNESS
Fitness classes have been practicing their basketball related skills during January. We take a break from those skills to focus on improving our jump roping skills in preparation for the Kids Heart Challenge stations on February 14th (Day 1) & 18th (Day 2).
Students in 1st & 2nd grade will learn basic jumping fundamentals including turning the rope, single bounce and double bounce jumping, long rope jumping, and other skills.
Students in 3rd & 4th grade will be challenged with more advanced jumping tricks including the side swish, double turn jump & partner jumping.
WELLNESS
Wellness lessons focused on nutrition for all grade levels in January and we will wrap up that unit in February. Students will begin studying the Circulatory System and Respiratory System in February & March in conjunction with our Kids Heart Challenge event!
First and second grade students will learn how living a healthy lifestyle can help to keep our heart and circulatory system healthy! Healthy habits such as eating foods from the 5 food groups, exercising for at least 60 minutes every day, getting enough sleep each night and protecting ourselves from germs can help keep our hearts healthy!
Grades 3-4 will study the circulatory system in more detail by learning about the anatomy of the heart and the pathway of the blood flow through the heart. Students will also learn about blood oxygenation and expelling of carbon dioxide from the lungs during respiration.
KIDS HEART CHALLENGE
February 14 -Day 1 classes will have Kids Heart Challenge event in P.E. class
February 18- Day 2 classes will have Kids Heart Challenge event in P.E. class
If your family is collecting donations for the Kids Heart Challenge, please have all cash and/or check donations turned in to Mrs. Bortner by February 28, 2025.
All cash & check donations should be in a sealed envelope with your child’s name, teacher, and total amount enclosed written on the front of the envelope. On-line donations will be open until February 28, 2025.
Music Notes
SAVE THE DATE
The music classes in grades 1-4 will be presenting a performance for family and friends on Tuesday, March 18, 2025. More details will be coming soon!
News from the Nurse
Clothing Request
10 WAYS TO HELP YOUR CHILD HAVE A HEALTHY SCHOOL YEAR
- Be sure your child is up-to-date with immunizations, preventative healthcare, and dental visits before the school year starts; and schedule regular check ups.
- Get to know your child's school nurse.
- Choose healthy, nutritious foods for lunches and snacks.
- Update the school nurse if your child has medical conditions such as life-threatening allergies, asthma, or seizure disorder. Any prescription medications needed during the school day should be refilled and up-to-date.
- Don't forget the importance of appropriate eye-glasses/contacts and remind your child to bring them daily.
- Keep your child's teachers and school nurse in the loop about what's happening in your child's life.
- Make sleep a priority. Depending on age, 8-12 hours of rest per night is recommended.
- Limit screen time. This will work wonders for your child's eyesight, mental health, and overall wellbeing.
- Incorporate movement into the day. Students do a lot of sitting, so adding physical fitness into your child's before-school or after-school routine is important.
- Keep your child home from school when they are sick.
Mobile Dentist
Spring Grove School District has partnered with Mobile Dentists to provide an annual dental exam to any student in need. If your child has not seen a dentist in the past 6 months, they can be seen by the Mobile Dentist provider for free or reduced dental care during the school day on February 27 or 28, 2025. With completed permission slip and registration form, students may be seen during the school day. Permission forms were sent home in December. If you did not receive one and would like your child to be seen by the Mobile Dentist, please contact the health room. You can also sign up online with Mobile Dentists by clicking the button below.
Lisa Bahn M.Ed, BSN, CSN
Tech Help
Specials Schedule
Day 1 - Fitness or Art/String Lessons
Day 2 - Art or Fitness
Day 3 - Fitness or Library
Day 4 - Library or Fitness/Instrumental Lessons
Day 5 - Wellness or Music
Day 6 - Music or Wellness
Please note that students in grades 1 through 4 will have two days of Fitness this year. It is important that they wear sneakers on the days they have Fitness. The February calendar above has the dates for the specials schedule.