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West Word
An Update from Perkiomen Valley Middle School West
A Word From Mr. Creeden
Winter break has begun, and I want to wish you and yours a happy and joyful holiday season as well as a Happy New Year. It was been an exciting and very productive school year. I am very proud of our staff and students for their dedication, hard work, and commitment to making Middle School West an enjoyable and supportive environment to learn and grow. It is very rewarding to see so many of our students performing on stage during our talent show and winter concerts, competing on our many athletic teams, participating in our many clubs & activities, and working hard in their academic classes on a daily basis. I'm looking forward to seeing everyone in 2023 as we continue to provide all students with a safe, enjoyable, engaging, and successful learning environment at West.
Winter Break (No School for Students) - Friday December 23rd through Monday January 2nd
Quick Snapshot📸
- What's Up @ West
- Club & Activity Info @ West
- Homework Club
- After School Activity Transportation
- Save The Date: East/West Ice Skating Night!
- Power Packs
- Quick Reference Guide for Parents/Guardians
- PV West Athletic Update
- West Home & School Information
- Nurse Notes
- Be Part of the Conversation - Upcoming Programs
- PV West Attendance Information
- PVSD Food Service Updates
- January Breakfast/Lunch Menus
- Safe2Say
- National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
- PV West on Social Media
- Community Bulletin Board
- West Weeks At A Glance
- HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND and HAPPY HOLIDAYS!
What's Up @ West
Front Page News
Extra! Extra! Read all about it!
Chances are, if you opened a Sunday morning paper between the years 1787 and 1796, you would have seen a slew of headlines involving the United States. If the newly formed country wasn’t fighting Indians, it was arguing with France—if it wasn’t arguing with France, it was dealing with Spain, etc. Actually, these newspapers were pivotal in obtaining public support for the various campaigns and activities. It is important to remember that the money funding these papers controlled the article's information, and how that information should be presented to the reading public.
Students in Mr. Murphy's eighth grade social studies classes delved into the foreign and domestic issues facing our first U.S. president, George Washington this week. The students were asked to create a front page of one of a variety of newspapers that included articles and pictures that supported their papers’ stances on issues facing our young nation, using their textbook and notes for supporting details.
Name that State Competition
Name that State! West students in seventh grade Social Studies classes participated in the annual Geography Challenge Wednesday, December 20th. After weeks of intense “training”, contestants representing the Titan and Crusader Teams vied for points by naming the U.S. state and on white boards from a numbered map. This year’s Geography Challenge championship went to the mighty Crusader Team! Congratulations to all of the participants and thanks to Mr. Cook and Mrs. Glanski for organizing this exciting educational event.
Piano Lessons
Students in Mr. Sands' seventh grade music classes began the vector reacquainting themselves with the piano keyboards. They will work on their piano proficiency; practicing hand and finger placement, reading music and even composing! Studies have shown that learning to play an instrument can improve memory and brain speed, expand aural skills, sharpen concentration and focus, decrease stress and anxiety while boosting confidence and self-esteem!
Club & Activity Info @ West
Chess Club
Debate Club
C.A.U.S.E. Club
The CAUSE stands for Connecting And Uniting Students to Empower. This is club that was started to try and help other students and get all students involved in our school community. Students in the CAUSE Club will have opportunities to make positive change in the school environment in various ways as well as support our local community. The club meets every Tuesday from 2:30 - 4:00 and we welcome all students that would like to join.
Homework Club
Homework Club will resume after the break starting on Tuesday January 3rd.
Homework Club provides a quiet, comfortable, and supportive setting for students to complete school work and become better organized. Students will receive assistance and support when needed. School resources will also be provided for all students in attendance. If students are attending they can report directly to the Library after school on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
After School Activity Transportation
- 4:00pm Departure (outside main office) - Monday through Thursday
- 5:00pm Departure (outside gym entrance) - Monday through Thursday
For each day students intend to take either the 4:00pm or 5:30pm activity bus, they are asked to inform the school district and bus company for routing purposes using the electronic form provided. The form links are below and also available to students via the PV LaunchPad - Classlink. Students must submit their information each morning by 10:00 am if they intend to ride the afternoon activity bus that day.
Save The Date: East/West Ice Skating Night!
Power Packs
PV Power Packs is a weekend food program for students experiencing food insecurity. Bags of food, including 2 breakfast items, 2 lunch items, 2 snacks, and 2 fruits, are sent home with students prior to every weekend. There is no financial information required to participate in this program and students pick up their bags from their counselor or designated person every week.
Sign up for your child(ren) to receive a Power Packs bag by filling out this form: 2022-23 Power Packs or by emailing PowerPacks@pvsd.org.
Learn more about Power Packs at https://www.pvsd.org/families/pv-power-packs/ and follow us on Facebook @PVPowerPacks.
Quick Reference Guide for Parents/Guardians
PV West Athletic Update
Perkiomen Valley Sports Network
Welcome to the Perkiomen Valley Sports Network inaugural podcast featuring student-athletes and coaches from within the Perkiomen Valley School District. The production team is a collaboration of our Sports Marketing & Management classes, PVTV, and the Athletic Department here at PVHS. Our mission is to shine light and positive stories on impactful players, coaches, and teams within our school and discuss their experiences as student-athletes and coaches. This is the first of many podcasts that will be shared throughout the school year.
In this our first episode, our host Evan Kenny will be interviewing three PVHS Varsity golf team members: Ayush Patel, Abigail McCorkell, and Nadia Yackanicz. These golfers have all had very successful seasons and recently qualified for the PIAA District One Golf Championships. In the podcast they discuss their experiences and thoughts on being a part of the PV Golf Team this season.
We look forward to sharing more podcasts with you throughout the year.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1C9DqaLOYJTMlKLvrtxTzafVvFeLd3QHK/view
Middle School West 8th Grade Girls' Basketball
Unsung 8th grade athletes of the week: Brianna Lindsay paced the offense for the week with 13 points while playing tough, physical defense. Captains Claire Jonassen and Reghan Gilchrist combined for 15 points.
Upcoming Events:
Wednesday January 4th - Home vs. Spring-Ford Middle School @ 3:30pm
Friday January 6th - Away vs. Boyertown Area Middle School East @ 3:30pm
Friday January 13th - Away vs. Pottstown Middle School @ 3:30pm
Middle School West 7th Grade Girls' Basketball
Unsung 7th grade athletes of the week: Down 8 going into the 4th quarter against Phoenixville, Aria Vitelli and Anush Verma led a furious comeback to take the lead late. After a tough tying shot by Phoenixville with 9 seconds left, PV fell in overtime.
Upcoming Events:
Wednesday January 4th - Home vs. Spring-Ford Middle School @ 4:30pm
Friday January 6th - Away vs. Boyertown Area Middle School East @ 4:30pm
Friday January 13th - Away vs. Pottstown Middle School @ 4:30pm
Middle School West 8th Grade Boys' Basketball
Upcoming Events:
Wednesday January 4th - Away vs. Spring-Ford Middle School @ 3:30pm
Friday January 6th - Home vs. Boyertown Area Middle School East @ 3:30pm
Wednesday January 11th - Away vs. Perkiomen Valley Middle School East @ 3:30pm
Middle School West 7th Grade Boys' Basketball
Unsung athlete of the week: The bench.
Upcoming Events:
Wednesday January 4th - Away vs. Spring-Ford Middle School @ 4:30pm
Friday January 6th - Home vs. Boyertown Area Middle School East @ 4:30pm
Wednesday January 11th - Away vs. Perkiomen Valley Middle School East @ 4:30pm
Middle School Boys' Wrestling
Upcoming Events:
Wednesday January 4th - Away vs. Owen J. Roberts Middle School @ 3:30pm
West Home & School Information
If you would like to volunteer at any events that Home and School may have in the Spring, please email pvmswesths@gmail.com
Nurse Notes
How Sick is Too Sick for School?
The student must be fever free for 24 hours without the use of medications (i.e. Tylenol or Advil), and 24 hours without vomiting or diarrhea before returning to school.
For specific identified infectious diseases, students will be excluded from school according to the Office of Public Health guidelines.
Students are not permitted to carry any medications in school. All medication, including over the counter medications, must have a physician order and be brought to the nurse’s office by a parent or guardian.
If your student becomes ill at school they must report to the nurse. Safety dictates that students not go to the bathroom to deal with an illness on their own.
A parent/guardian or emergency contact will be called by the nurse if the nurse determines the student is too ill to remain in school, has a temperature of 100.0 degrees or more, has vomited or has diarrhea.
It is recommended that a parent or designee pick up a sick or ill student within an hour of being notified by the nurse.
Covering coughs/sneezes and proper handwashing will help prevent the spread of illnesses.
Be Part of the Conversation - Upcoming Programs
Be a Part of the Conversation equips families and communities in Pennsylvania with skills and resources to understand substance use, addiction, and related health issues. We provide community programs, foster supportive connections, highlight lived experiences, and challenge stigma.
We are a collaboration of community leaders, clinicians, students, school district representatives, and families who believe that having meaningful, inclusive conversations about substance use and addiction will support individuals and their families in their efforts to develop healthy coping skills and access support whenever there is a need. Learn more about us. See the link below for a number of programs that Be a Part of the Conversation offers.
PV West Attendance Information
If your child will be absent or missing any class time, please send an email (from the email you have listed in our new SIS system) to:
This will count as your call-out AND parent excuse. Please indicate in your email the date of absence, student’s grade and the reason for the absence. An absence is considered unexcused when the child’s school has not received an email or written parent note providing an acceptable reason for the absence, within a 3-day period.
You may also call our attendance line at: 1 (484) 977-7210, option 1. If you do this, you would still need to submit an email with the above information in order for it to be excused.
Any medical notes or Dr.'s notes should be placed in the Attendance Box, right outside the Guidance Department.
If you have any questions at all, please contact Lori Tropea at ltropea@pvsd.org or you may call her at x3540.
PVSD Food Service Updates
Parents/Guardians put money in their student(s) accounts electronically in SchoolCafe or by sending cash or checks in with their students. For more information about SchoolCafe please go to https://www.pvsd.org/departments/food-service/school-cafe-information/. If you are sending funds in with your students, please note the students’ names and account number on the envelope and ask them to give the envelope to their cashier in the cafeteria.
Upon entering the serving area, students make their selections and enter their 6 digit Student ID number on the pin pad or scanner. Our staff will be happy to help them become more comfortable with the system.
January Breakfast/Lunch Menus
Safe2Say
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
988 has been designated as the new three-digit dialing code that will route callers to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (now known as the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline), and is now active across the United States.
When people call, text, or chat 988, they will be connected to trained counselors that are part of the existing Lifeline network. These trained counselors will listen, understand how their problems are affecting them, provide support, and connect them to resources if necessary. Please see below for more information.
The previous Lifeline phone number (1-800-273-8255) will always remain available to people in emotional distress or suicidal crisis.
PV West on Social Media
We would love to have you join our social media accounts to stay updated on the latest West news and happenings. Please see below on where to find each of our accounts.
Community Bulletin Board
Want to find out what’s going on in the PV Community? Visit here for flyers about upcoming events in and around our area!
To submit an event for posting, please send a PDF version of your flyer to webmaster@pvsd.org for review.
Please note that Community Bulletin Board items may contain links to websites of organizations outside Perkiomen Valley School District. Items are posted to this bulletin board as a free service to the community, and should not be interpreted as being sponsored or endorsed by the district.
West Weeks At A Glance
Friday December 23rd - Monday January 2nd - Winter Break (No School for Students)
Tuesday January 17th - West Home & School Meeting @ 7pm in Library
Friday January 20th - West Spelling Bee; East/West Ice Skating Night @ 7pm at Spring Mountain
Tuesday January 24th - End of 2nd Marking Period
Wednesday January 25th - Half-Day for students (Teacher In-Service)
For more details on the 22/23 school year go to the 22/23 Instructional Calendar