Keystone Newsletter #35
Dear Keystone Families,
This week is Teacher and Staff Appreciation Week; May 6th-May 10th. This week is a dedicated week to show gratitude and appreciation for all they do to support students and education. When you see one of our awesome staff members please let them know are valued and appreciated.
Thank you to all the amazing teachers, counselors, social workers, anti-bullying specialists, coaches, special education liaisons, nurses, paraprofessionals, and the numerous other support staff out there who dedicate their time, energy, and knowledge to shaping the minds of our future generations. Your hard work, passion, and dedication does not go unnoticed. I appreciate all that you do to inspire, motivate, and support your students. Thank you for making a difference in the lives of so many. Happy Teacher and Staff Appreciation Week!
In addition, to show your support we encourage all to dress like a superhero on Monday, May 6th, since our teachers and staff are superheroes! (No masks of props permitted.) Even superheroes deserve a break from their capes, so on Tuesday, wear your comfiest, coziest clothing to show your support for the staff, as well as something blue to recognize Foster Care Day.
Wednesday, May 8th is National School Nurse Day. I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to all school nurses who play a crucial role in keeping our students healthy and safe. Thank you for your dedication, compassion, and unwavering commitment to the well-being of our children. If you happen to be in contact with one of our fabulous school nurse this week, please let them know that their tireless efforts do not go unnoticed.
Wednesday, May 8th is also Spirit Day for our fifth-grade students, at Truman High School. Go Keystone!
Be safe and Be Well,
Mrs. Smith-Herman
Important Dates to Remember
✏️Every Tuesday✏️
Smencil Sales ($1.25 each)
🥨Every Thursday🥨
Pre-Order Pretzels
No Pretzels this week (Friday, May 3rd)
👕Every Friday👕
Wear Paw Shirts
💲Trenton Thunder Ticket Money Due💲
May 7th
🏈5th Grade Spirit Day⚽
Wednesday, May 8th, 2024
Rain Date- Thursday, May 9th, 2024
It will take place in the stadium at Truman High School.
1st Grade Field Trip
May 9th
🎵Spring Music Concert🎵
Wednesday, May 15th at 7 pm
Keystone Community Dinner/Spring Engagement
May 29th- CANCELED DUE TO LOW ENROLLEMENT
Will be rescheduled in the fall of next school year
Kindergarten Field Trip
May 31st
Looking Ahead
🍎5th Graders Visit Future Middle School🍎
June 3rd
⚾BTSD Music Night at Trenton Thunder🎵
June 4th, at 7:00pm
Kindergarten Move-Up Day Celebration- Inside Each Kindergarten Classroom
June 5th- AM
👕Field Day⚽
Thursday, June 6th- AM- K/1
Thursday, June 6th- PM- 2/3
Friday, June 7th- AM- 4/5
Rain Dates: June 7th (PM), June 10th (AM and/or PM) and/or 11th (PM)
5th Grade Move-Up Day Celebration- Clap Out
June 11th- 10AM
June 12th- 10Am- Rain Date
😎Last Day of School- Students😎
Thursday, June 13th
May Calendar
Teacher and Staff Appreciation Week
ABC Countdown to Summer- Starting May 8th
Revised 2023-2024 District Calendar
2024-2025 District Calendar
Teacher Appreciation Week- May 6th-May 10th
"A Million Dreams" is a song from the musical film "The Greatest Showman" that celebrates the power of imagination and dreams. The song conveys the message that with belief and determination, anything is possible.
In the context of teacher and staff appreciation, this song is a beautiful tribute to all those that work with children who help their students dream big and reach their full potential. All school staff play a vital role in shaping the future by nurturing young minds and inspiring them to chase their dreams.
As we celebrate Teacher and Staff Appreciation week, let's take a moment to thank all the staff members who dedicate their time, energy, and passion to educate and empower the next generation. They are the ones who plant the seeds of knowledge and guide their students towards a brighter future.
So let's sing "A Million Dreams" for all the people that work in our school, who believe in the power of education and strive to make a difference in the lives of the students of Keystone Elementary School every day. Thank you teachers and staff for making our school a place where it is possible for a millions of dreams to come true. Your dedication and hard work inspire all students the ability to reach for the stars. Thank you for all that you do!
Happy National School Nurse Day- May 8th
National School Nurse Day is celebrated on the Wednesday of National Nurses Week each year, which falls in May.
This day is dedicated to honoring and recognizing the contributions of school nurses who work tirelessly to keep students healthy and safe.
School nurses play a vital role in promoting the overall well-being of students, providing care for a wide range of health issues, and helping to create a healthy school environment.
They offer a variety of services including health screenings, administering medications, managing chronic conditions, and providing health education.
National School Nurse Day is an opportunity to show appreciation for these dedicated professionals and the important work they do in schools.
Thank You to Ms. Merrill, Ms. Tannenbaum, and Ms. Kelly!
Ms. Merrill, Ms. Tannenbaum, and Ms. Kelly,
We want to take a moment to express our gratitude for all that you do. Your dedication to the health and well-being of our students does not go unnoticed. Thank you for providing care, support, and guidance to our students every day. Your hard work and compassion make a difference in the lives of so many, and we appreciate all that you do.
Thank you for being a vital part of our school community and for keeping our students safe and healthy.
Happy National School Nurse Day!
Keystone Staff Member Spotlight
Aimee Ramos
Position: Reading Specialist
Worked at Bristol Township School District Since:
I have worked at BTSD for 19 years and have volunteered for several years prior to working here.
Strengths:
1. Being creative especially in the arts such as photography, mixed media, culinary arts, and baking.
2. Technology... most of the time.3. Communication, helping others, and understanding other perspectives
4. Baking... or so I have been told.
5. Problem - solving
Being my kids' BIGGEST cheerleader
Pets:
Yes, we do have a pet. We have one hermit crab, named Hermie ;)
Hobbies: I have many hobbies !
1. I enjoy doing everything and anything that involves being creative, especially any type of art (photography is my passion) including culinary arts & baking, arts & crafts, both technology & hands-on projects, etc.
2. Reading...(mostly nonfiction)
3. Spending time with family & friends
3. Planning fun & engaging parties and events
4. Watching my children doing things that they love !
5. Relaxing with sand between my toes and rays on my nose while listening to good tunes.
6. Traveling to new places
Favorite Color(s):
Eggplant purple
Favorite Snack:
Any chips, pretzels, crackers, cheese with a dip.
Favorite Sports' Team:
I do not really have any "favorite" sport teams. I enjoy good games that are competitive, nail bitters, and games where a team has a great comeback and wins - no matter the sport.
3 Fun Facts:
1. I helped build homes in New Orleans for Hurricane Katrina victims
2. I have met the USWNT soccer player Carli Lloyd 3 times, my middle daughter has trained with her 2x, and we have several of her autographed soccer balls.
3. I have been on television several times. Once on VHI for a John Mellencamp fan documentary, and other times in the local news highlighting BSTD and BTSD students.
Fun Facts:
1.I am a BTSD graduate.
2. I am married with 3 children: a son who is a sophomore in college, a daughter in 8th grade, and another daughter in 4th grade.
3. My married name " Ramos" is Portuguese.
4. I enjoy talking with and collaborating with others even though I am really a shy & sensitive person on the inside.
5. Since high school, I have traveled to several states to complete missionary work
6. Growing up, my career interest were many : art therapist, archeologist, psychologist, photographer, counselor, architect, baker, and teacher ( art or elementary ).
7. I absolutely love the singer and songwriter = P!NK!
8. I have been teaching in various capacities since I was 16 years
9. I played multiple sports growing up : softball, basketball, and volleyball.
10. On the weekend, you can probably find me on a field or court somewhere along the east coast cheering on my daughters and their sports.
I love teaching & working with children.
Student Council Highlights- 2023-2024
1. The Student Council purchased wagons filled with games for recess.
2. The Student Council donated $780 to the Women's Animal Center.
3. The Student Council donated over 200 cans of soup and $150 in gift cards to the Truman Food Pantry.
Thank you very much to our fabulous student council. We appreciate all that you have done this school year! Your efforts do not go unnoticed, and we are grateful for your contributions to our school community. Keep up the excellent work, student council! We are very proud of you!
Spirit Day- May 8th- 5th Graders
Positive Office Referrals
“A system of positive referrals can change the way schools approach culture. This way of supporting student achievement is aligned to social and emotional learning (SEL) and PBIS practices” (Newman, 2020). In addition, it can boost student confidence levels, recognize those who don’t always get recognized for making good choices/following code of conduct, and showcase our students’ strengths and awesomeness. We are working hard to make sure that we acknowledge all the positive choices our students are making on a daily basis.
We are proud of all students who have been nominated for a positive office referral. Each students' positive attitude and willingness to help others make them a valuable asset to our school community. We are grateful to have them as Keystone students and believe they are all truly deserving of this recognition.
Mr. Pierce, Mrs. Smith-Herman, Mrs. Meehan, and Ms. Mensinger are looking forward to acknowledging more positive office referrals, as well as speaking with parents and guardians to let them know just how proud we are to have their child at Keystone!
Keep up the great work!
Timely Tigers
Student of the Month
Pawsome Winners
2024 Field Day Teams- June 2024
Kindergarten
- Gold- Nean, Smith, Rausch, Gulick
- Black- McAllister, O'Neil, Wood, Mamrol, Ehrgott, Houmas
First Grade
- Gold- Vorgity, Nober, Jablonski
- Black- Grafius, Tirpak, Houmas, Claudio
Second Grade
- Gold- Jahani, Doyle, Loeffler
- Black- Vraig, McFadden, O'Brien, Wenner, Houmas
Third Grade
- Gold- David, White, Brower, Wilhelm
- Black- Waldron, Halbherr, Burgess, Formicola
Fourth Grade
- Gold- Carmona, Carr, Krevitskie
- Black- Berrocal, Bryson, Formicola, Chepress
Fifth Grade
- Gold- Kennedy, Schweiker
- Black- Flint, Campbell, Branton, Formicola
Results from Last Poll
🌞Thank you for all who have participating in our newsletter's weekly poll! It looks like most people's favorite type of weather is sunny (65 %). 🌞
💐Something Fun!💐
What is your favorite type of superhero?
May Stories, Articles, and Videos
May
AAPI Month
Cinco de Mayo
National Space Day- May 5th
Teacher Appreciation Day
Mother's Day- May 12th
Social Emotional Learning Tips of the Week
Positive Thinking
Fresh Fruit and Vegetables- May
Attendance Policy
- Reminder, when your child is absent a written excuse note is required.
- For the first 10 absences the note may be from the parent.
- It can be in an email to: Donna.meehan@bristoltwpsd.org.
- If your child misses more than 10 days of school, then we only accept a medical note.
- Please email or send in the note within 10 days of their return to school, this is a PA State Law.
Dismissal Plans
In order to maintain the safety of all our learners, we are asking that families alert teachers, in writing, for any transportation/dismissal plan changes prior to 9am each morning.
We do understand that emergencies may arise throughout the day that requires a change to a child's dismissal plan for that particular day. For those situations, please make sure you are alerting the office staff as soon as possible, so they can communicate the change to the teachers as soon as possible.
We thank you for your support in helping us ensure the safety and wellbeing of each of our learners.
Snack and Birthday Celebration Policy
To ensure the safety and well being of our students, as per the District Wellness Policy, no outside foods may be brought in by students for classroom parties or birthday celebrations. Shared snacks are not permitted in district schools.
If you would like to send something in to celebrate your child's birthday or for a classroom party, you may send in non food items such as stickers, pencils, play dough etc.
Keystone's Fabulous Counselors, Social Worker, and Anti-Bullying Specialist
Title 1 Teachers
Mrs. Stacy Cooke
stacy.cooke@bristoltwpsd.org
Mrs. Aimee Ramos
aimee.ramos@bristoltwpsd.org
What is Title I?
Title I is a project funded by the federal government under the Every Child Succeeds Act. The purpose of this Act is to provide all children with fair and equitable opportunity to succeed and close achievement gaps. Money is allocated by the federal government and distributed by the Pennsylvania Department of Education to the Bristol Township School. District.
Title I funding is based on a complex formula. These funds are allocated to the states who in turn allocate a portion of that money to the individual school districts within each state. The school district’s share is based on the economic need within a school area, that is, by the number of low income families living there. In our district the number of free and reduced lunch students is used to determine the economic need of a particular school.
Helpful Links and Resources
Anti-Bullying and Climate Specialist
Mr. Pierce has the pleasure of being the Anti-Bullying Specialist at Keystone Elementary School.
In the short time that he has been here he has been able to build a great rapport and begin teaching the Second Step Bullying Prevention curriculum and TKF curriculum.
Some of his roles include bullying investigations, conflict resolution, peer mediations, large group lessons and small group lessons. He also have been working to support the school climate at Keystone.
Mr. Pierce- Anti-Bullying and Climate Specialist
Report Form for Complaints of Harassment/Bullying/Cyber-Bullying
Click here for an electronic version of form; Reporting Form
Social Worker and Counselors Contact Information
Social Worker
Mrs. Jody Como
jody.como@bristoltwpsd.org
Counselors
Mrs. Tammy Surdo
tammy.surdo@bristoltwpsd.org
Mr. Brian Gianfrancesco
brian.gianfrancesco@bristoltwpsd.org
Health Office Contact Information
Lynn Thomson-Merrill
Certified School Nurse 267-599-2473 or 2490
Anna May Tannenbaum
Staff Nurse 267-599-2496
Annamay.Tannenbaum@bristoltwpsd.org
Christine Kelly (M, T, TH, F after 12:30 PM)
Staff Nurse 267-599-2473
Christine.Kelly@bristoltwpsd.org
Our fax number is 215-788-1516.
May Breakfast and Lunch Calendars
We encourage each student and staff member to wear their Keystone Paw Shirts every Friday.
Support Keystone's SWPBIS program by purchasing a soft pretzel. Each soft pretzel will cost $1 each. Students will be asked to preorder their pretzel each Thursday, for a pretzel delivery to take place on Fridays.
Office Staff
School Principal: Mr. Mark Wilicki
Email: mark.wilicki@bristoltwpsd.org
Assistant Principal: Mrs. Crystal Smith-Herman
Email: crystal.smith-herman@bristoltwpsd.org
Special Education Supervisor: Justina Garofalo
Email: justina.garofalo@bristoltwpsd.org
Special Education Supervisor: Jessica Kelch
Email: jessica.kelch@bristoltwpsd.org
Principal's Secretary: Mrs. Marianne Mensinger
Email: marianne.mensinger@bristoltwpsd.org
Assistant Principal's Secretary: Mrs. Donna Meehan
Email: donna.meehan@bristoltwpsd.org
School phone: 267-599-2470
School fax: 215-788-1041