Glen Acres Elementary School

Dear Families,

We look forward to a great few weeks! The Scholastic Book Fair will be visiting from March 12th through March 24th. Please see information below.

On March 22, the students will have an assembly from Sky Dome ( it was in my previous letters). Thank you to the PTO and parent community for financing this special assembly.

Parent and teacher conferences are being held from March 25-27. Please schedule a time to meet with your child's teacher. We look forward to seeing you!

As a reminder, the students are off from school from March 27 th through April 1st.

Please join us at Glen Acres Wednesday, April 3rd from 6:00 to 7:00pm for great fun and creative learning activities at our school’s annual Reading Night event. Glen Acres staff and 5th grade students will be joined with West Chester University literacy students to provide reading related games and other activities. It’s going to be a blast! Please read the flyer attached below.

Enjoy the next few weeks.

Donna

The Scholastic Book Fair will be visiting GAE from Tuesday 3/12/24 to Thursday 3/21/24! Students will have a preview day, then the opportunity to purchase during their regularly scheduled library times on those days.

~ Would you like to donate books to your child’s classroom? Please visit our Classroom Giving Tree if you are interested in donating towards classroom books.

Book Fair Schedule

Buying Days: Mon.3/18- Day 1 classes, Tues. 3/19- Day 2, Wed 3/20- Day 3, Thurs-3/21- Day 4 classes (also makeup day for absent students)

Book Fair Purchasing

If your child is buying, please sign them up for eWallet here, a safe and secure alternative to cash. Simply create a free account to add funds and/or invite family and friends to contribute so your child can select their own books. Any unused funds can be spent at The Scholastic Store Online or to fund a future eWallet.

While we prefer that you use ewallet, we will also accept cash. No checks please.

Parents are also invited to shop at our school’s Online Book Fair. All orders ship directly to your home, and shipping is free for book orders over $25. Your online orders will also benefit our school.

Visit our Book Fair homepage to learn more and get started with eWallet and online shopping:

https://www.scholastic.com/bf/gaebookfair2024

We’re excited to celebrate our love of books together at the Book Fair. We look forward to seeing your child there!

If you would like to volunteer to work the book fair, please sign up here:

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/4090A4EA5AC2CAAFC1-48225907-march#/

On March 6, our students did an excellent job sharing their talents, warming our hearts, and making us smile. They worked together to put on a great show! Thank you to our student talent show performers and crew, the PTO for orchestrating the event, and the parent volunteers and audience members for supporting the event.

The Fugett Best Buddies Club is hosting. At Fugett Middle School, the Best Buddies program pairs students with Autism with a friendship group of their same age peers to help build a relationship between the students, and help develop an inclusive community in school. Students participate in both in-school and out- of-school activities. In-school activities include breakfast/ lunch groups, activities during club period, as well as working together in the classroom environment. Best Buddies also sponsors after school events such as going to sporting events, social events, and planning after school activities.

Library Book Fair - 3/12 through 3/21/24

Ramadan this Month

Saint Patrick's Day 3/17

Monday, March 18th - Day 1 - Grade 5 Math Club 7:30 AM; Young Rembrandts 3:15 PM

Tuesday, March 19th - Day 2- Grade 4 Field Trip; Grade 4 Boys Sports 3:30-4:30

Wednesday, March 20th - Day 3 - Chorus Rehearsal 7:45 AM; Report Cards Online

Thursday, March 21st - Day 4 - Grade 4 & 5 Band Rehearsal 7:45 AM; Grade 4 Girls Sports 3:30-4:30

Friday, March 22nd - Day 1 - Sky Dome Assembly - Grades 1-5 during specials; Wear Green and White or GA Spirit Wear

Monday, March 25th- Day 2 - Grade 4 Math Club 7:30 AM; Puppy visits for fundraising winners 11:00; Conferences; Dismissal at 11:40 AM; School Board Meeting 7 PM

Tuesday, March 26th - Day 2 - Group Photos; Conferences; Dismissal at 11:40

Wednesday, March 27th - Conferences (AM); No School for students

Thursday, March 28th - School Closed

Friday, March 29th - School Closed

Monday, April 1st - School Closed

Tuesday, April 2nd - SCHOOL REOPENS

We are going to have a visiting artist by the name of Michael Albert at Glen Acres on April 8th and April 9th . He is going to create special artwork with all students and for our school. Thank you to the PTO for supporting this event. If you are interested in helping with supplies, we need your help! We are looking for colorful, empty food boxes. If you could start collecting them and sending them in with your children, we would greatly appreciate it! We do need boxes to make the art work.

When your children bring the boxes to school, they can take them to Mrs. Lefler, our art teacher. You can also send in the cardboard disks from boxed pizza that you buy in the supermarket. If you have any questions, please email Mrs. Jessica Tigue-Lefler at jtiguelefler@wcasd.net.

Thank you for your support! We look forward to seeing what artwork our students create! More information on his visit to follow as the date approaches.

On February 1, your child was sent home with a hard copy of our WCASD Course Selection Guide (online copy) that includes more information about all middle school courses and levels.

We are over half way through your child's 5th grade year and it is time to start planning ahead for middle school with the course selection process. Please be sure to review the Course Selection Communication from Dr. Sara Missett, Director of Elementary Education, that was sent on January 22 .

Your next steps:

• Between February 1 and February 16, all 5th grade families must complete a music course selection.

• Sign up for spring parent and teacher conferences. While you are busy completing the music course selection, our homeroom teachers will be completing your child's academic course selection based on student data and learning this year. You will learn more about the recommended placements for academic courses at your child's Spring conference. We will send the sign-up link for Spring conferences in mid-February.

• If you did Not Attend the Middle School 101 Informational Night on Wednesday, February 21 @ 6:30PM, you can find the slides here.

• Attend ( optional) a middle school session hosted by the principal on Wednesday, May 1, 2024, to provide parents with a more personalized look at the middle school experience.

We will send you additional information about PSSA's soon.

For now, I wanted to let you know the dates of testing.

Assessment /Grade(s)

PSSA Testing Dates

English Language Arts Grades 3-5

April 24-26 - (W-Fri)

Mathematics Grades 3-5

April 30 and May 1 - (Tu-W)

Science Grade 4

May 2-3 (Th-F)

Please note that Science PSSA's will be online.

If you or someone you know has a child who will be 5 years old on or before September 1, 2024 you are now able to begin the kindergarten registration process online. The link is: https://www.wcasd.net/Page/12419. Be sure to click on the year 2024-2025.

You will need to upload: child's birth certificate, immunizations, two proofs of residency (one must be a copy of a current lease or mortgage statement, or deed and the second should be a copy of a current utility bill within the past 30 days. If you have a copy of the child's last dental and physical, please upload those as well.)

Any questions, please feel free to reach out to Mrs. Alice McVeigh at 484-266-1702 or amcveigh@wcasd.net .

Also, if your child will not be returning to Glen Acres (this does not include current fifth graders), please be sure to email Mrs. Alice McVeigh (amcveigh@wcasd.net) to complete the withdrawal process.

Our attendance secretary, Mrs. Theresa Weaver, will be your contact for all things related to attendance, dismissal and the pickup patrol app. She can be reached at tweaver2@wcasd.net or 484-266-1712.

Important Change to Absence Notes

Thank you to all of our parents/guardians who have registered for Pick-Up Patrol and already began using it this school year. Pick-Up Patrol (PUP) should be used for all dismissal plans and changes. Absences must be reported by 9:00 A.M., either through PUP OR through the Safe Arrival Line (484-266-1710). When we initially rolled out PUP, our understanding was that it could be used in lieu of submitting an excuse form. We have just learned that is not the case.

Excuse forms, completed with the necessary data such as child’s name, date and reason for absence, are to be turned in by the student within three (3) days, after his/her return from an absence. The absence of any student failing to comply with this time period, 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). If you are emailing a note, please email your note to our attendance secretary, tweaver2@wcasd.net.

Excuse forms need to be kept on file in accordance with district and state policy.

Safe Arrival phone line at 484-266-1710, is still available to report your child’s absence.

Thank you for your understanding and cooperation with this policy.

* Some families asked if there is a form that they can fill out regarding absences. Since we take emails and handwritten notes, a form is not needed. However, if it is easier for you to have a form, you can use the form in this link.

Ms. Donna Ryan

Principal

Email: dryan@wcasd.net

Address: 1150 Delancey Place, West Chester, PA 19382

Phone: 484-266-1700

website: https://www.wcasd.net/Domain/461

Twitter: https://twitter.com/WestChesterASD