Dear GES Families,

It was great to see so many families at the Kindergarten Orientation and Meet and Greet events this week! Teachers have been hard at work preparing their classrooms for students' arrival next Tuesday, September 3rd! With your partnership, we are looking forward to a fantastic year!

I also want to share that Ms. Kris Topley has accepted a position as an Elementary Technology Integration Specialist with Council Rock for the 2024-25 school year. Ms. Topley is an excellent choice for this opportunity as she will be able to offer her expertise to a larger scale of students and teachers throughout the district. Ms. Topley will be missed this year but we wish her much success in this role. Ms. Topley will remain at Goodnoe to open the school year as we work to fill this position.

There is a lot of information included in this newsletter that will help your family prepare for a smooth start to the school year. Please be sure to complete the Dismissal Form below if you haven't already. This information is necessary in order for us to implement a safe and seamless dismissal process. If you have questions or need anything prior to the start of the school year, please don't hesitate to reach out to me at bfox@crsd.org.

I am looking forward to seeing all students next Tuesday, September 3rd!

Have a wonderful Labor Day weekend!
Beth

• Tuesday, September 3rd- First Day of School for Students
• Monday, September 9th- Back to School Night Grades 1-3
• Tuesday, September 10th- Back to School Night Grades 4-6
• Thursday, September 19th- PTO Back to School Picnic/5:00-7:00 pm

• Thursday, October 3rd & Friday, October 4th- No School (Rosh Hashanah)

• Wednesday, October 9th- PTO Meeting/7:00 pm

• Friday, October 11th- Early Dismissal at 12:15 pm (Kindergarten AM attends)

To help families with their planning for the school year, the list of early dismissal days is provided below. On these days, students will be dismissed at 12:15 pm. Lunches will not be served so please pack a snack.

These are the early dismissal days for this school year:

· Wednesday, October 11th (KAM attends)

· Monday, November 25th (KAM attends)

· Tuesday, November 26th (KPM attends)

· Tuesday, January 28th (KPM attends)

· Friday, March 7th (KAM attends)

· Friday, June 17th (projected last day of school)

Updating Demographic Information:

At the start of every school year, the Council Rock School District requires parents/guardians to verify their demographic information through the Home Access Center (HAC).

It is important to know that District/School Notifications, Emergency Contacts, Medication Authorization information, etc. are directly dependent upon your completion of this process.

To update your student’s demographic form:

• Login to HAC.
• Click on “Update Registration”
• Click on “NEW” in the middle of the screen to open the Demographic Update Form 2024

HAC Support:

If you encounter any issues while trying to log into HAC, please click this LINK to contact HA support.

The grade level supply lists for the 2024-25 school year are posted on the GES website. Kindly click the button below to access the supply lists by grade level.

Making sure your child is safe is of utmost importance to us. We must know your dismissal plan if your child(ren) is not an afternoon bus rider five days a week. If your plans change during the year, please send your child’s teacher a note so the office can be notified of the change. On this note, please include your child’s name, day of the week for the change, method of transportation, start date, and end date (if any).

If you need to make a one-time change to your dismissal plan, please send a note in the morning with your child. Please include the following information on the note:

• Date of dismissal change
• Child’s first and last name
• Method your child should go home (i.e.: car, bus, Champions, etc.)

If a change to the dismissal plan arises during the day, please do not email your child's teacher. Instead, you should call the office directly (215-944-2108) and they will let the classroom teacher know of the change. We ask that you call the office and not email this information for a few reasons. Sometimes our internet is down and we may not be able to access email that day and therefore would miss your message. Similarly, we do not always get to check emails until after dismissal has occurred or we are absent and we would not have been aware of your message until after 4:00 p.m.

If your child will not be taking the bus home five days a week, please click on the following FORM

or click on the button below to access the Google Form where you can note how your child will be dismissed daily. Please complete this form no later than Thursday, August 29th.

Grades 1-6 Arrival & Departure times

8:45 - 9:10 AM - Student drop off

3:35 PM - Student departure

Kindergarten Arrival & Departure times

8:45 - 9:10 AM - Kindergarten AM arrival

11:45 A.M.- Kindergarten AM departure

12:50-1:05 PM - Kindergarten PM arrival

3:35 PM - Kindergarten PM departure

Recess

• Students in Kindergarten have one 15-minute recess each day
• Students in grades 1-3 have one 30-minute recess and one 15-minute recess each day
• Students in grades 4-6 have one 30-minute recess each day
• Students will participate in recess with their grade level

Lunch (grades 1-6)

• Lunch is 30 minutes in length
• On most days, students will eat with their grade level at an assigned table in the cafeteria.
• Students will use a provided PIN number to make lunch and snack purchases.

• This year, the prices of lunch and milk will remain the same. The price is $2.85 for the entrée and $0.55 for milk.

• If you have any questions, please contact the Cafeteria Manager, Mrs. Ritter at GESCafeteria@CRSD.org

If your child requires medication during the school day, please print out a district Permission to Medicate form which can be found HERE. This form needs to be completed by the doctor, signed by a parent, and completed each school year. An adult must bring all medications to/from school. Medication must be in the original pharmacy container with the original label attached. Please also have your student's doctor complete the Asthma Action Plan and/or Anaphylaxis Action Plan if specific to their needs. Medication can be dropped off on 8/26/2024 from 8:30AM – 4:00PM or beginning on 9/3/2024 during regular student hours.

Extra copies of all forms may be found on our district website under Department/Special Services/Health Services: HERE.

If you have any medical concerns you would like to discuss in further detail, please do not hesitate to contact the health office.

Thank you for your support!

Katie Engelhardt, RN, CSN, M.Ed

Certified School Nurse

katie.engelhardt@crsd.org

Goodnoe Elementary

215-944-2109

Per Pennsylvania state requirements, the health office requires a current physical examination form and dental form for all new incoming students. Physical exams are also required for all students entering 6th grade and dental exams are required for all students entering 3rd grade.

Below are the required Health Forms required for next school year. Please note that an Immunization Record is not considered proof of a Physical Exam, as these indicate different types of visits. When asking for Physicals, we are looking for proof of a well visit.

• Kindergarten: A dental and physical examination dated on or after 01/01/2023 meets the requirement for entry into kindergarten. Up to date immunizations records are also required.

• Third Grade: A dental dated on or after 01/01/2023 meets the requirement for entry into third grade.

• Sixth Grade: A physical examination dated on or after 01/01/2023 meets the requirement for entry into sixth grade.

All parents dropping off/picking up their children will do so by making a LEFT upon entering the parking lot, and follow the loop around the little house and then another LEFT into the loop located in front of our school entrance. Cars will exit the parking lot by the school sign. There are arrows indicating the direction to follow. Bus and van riders will arrive/depart on the blacktop that is located outside of the gym entrance in the back of the building. During the first week of school families will be provided with a placard to keep visible in their windshield to assist with our process.

Please review the map below, which reflects the above information. Visitor parking is located by the main entrance of the school. There will be staff outside assisting students during our daily arrival and departure times. They will also be present to assist new parents as they learn this procedure.

Below I highlighted a few things to ensure a safe arrival and dismissal process for car riders:

• Please remain in your car at all times during arrival and pick-up.

• Stay in line in the order you arrived in the pick-up line. Move forward only when the car in front of you moves forward. Do not pull out of line or go around the car in front of you.

• If your child cannot buckle their own seat belt, please pull into a parking spot to assist them. Please do not leave your car when in the car rider line.

• Students should only exit their car on the side closest to the sidewalk area. Students should stay in the car on the parking lot side.

After a two week trial at the end of last school year, and in consultation with district personnel and the Newtown Township Police Department, we will continue to use separate areas for walker and car riders. Below please find an outline of procedures for walkers.

Walker Arrival- students who are “walkers” will enter the school at the side doors in the back of the building.

Walker Dismissal- students who are “walkers” will be dismissed from the side doors in the back of the building.

*Students will follow the sidewalk next to the blacktop until they get to the sidewalk on Andrew Drive.

*Students will then either:

-turn right and walk up the sidewalk to the crossing guard, who

will assist them in crossing Andrew Drive at the crosswalk or

-turn left and walk down the sidewalk on the school side of

Andrew Drive

*Students are only permitted to cross Andrew Drive at the crosswalk. Please remind your child they are not to cross between parked cars.

*Please note for bike riders:

The bike rack is located near the picnic tables on the side of the building where students will enter and exit. Bike riders are asked to walk their bikes on the paved walkway until they reach the sidewalk.

• Buses will typically arrive to school each morning between 8:50 and 9:10 a.m. in the bus lane located in the back of the school building.

• Bus dismissal begins at 3:40 p.m.

• Parents and visitors are not permitted to pull into the bus lane in the back of the school building prior to 9:10 a.m. and after 3:30 p.m. to avoid bus arrival and dismissal.

• Bus riders enter/depart from the school's front doors.
• Children who ride the bus are expected to ride their own bus to and from school. Students are not permitted to ride other buses.
• Students will need to get on and off their buses at their assigned stops.

GES BACK TO SCHOOL NIGHTS

Monday, September 9th for grades 1- 3

Tuesday, September 10th for grades 4- 6

The format for the evenings is as follows:

5:30 - 6:30 PM: Special area teachers will be available in their classrooms to meet with parents

6:30 PM: Teacher presentations in classrooms

7:30 PM: Back to School Night Program concludes

Parents are invited to meet with their child(ren)’s teachers and learn about classroom protocol and procedures. More information about this evening will be forthcoming.

In order to determine eligibility for free or reduced-price meals for the 2024-25 school year, an application must be completed every school year. Even if you were found eligible last school year, a new application must be filed with your family’s current information.

To apply for free or reduced-price lunch:

• Visit COMPASS Homepage - COMPASS Homepage to apply online. (website offers language options other than English.)
• Click on this link to download a paper copy of the 2024-25 Free and Reduced Lunch Application
• Pick up a paper copy of the application at Chancellor Center or at any school office.

If not applying online via COMPASS, please email your completed application to kmoody@crsd.org or mail to Council Rock School District, Attn: Free and Reduced Lunch Program/Karen Moody, 30 N. Chancellor St., Newtown, PA 18940.

Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication for program information (e.g. Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language, etc.), should contact the Agency (State or local) where they applied for benefits. Individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing or have speech disabilities may contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339. Additionally, program information may be made available in languages other than English.

• To learn about affordable internet access from Comcast, click here.
• To download a flyer about Comcast's affordable internet access
• K-8 - What Makes A Healthy Meal Flyer
• Highschool - What Makes A Healthy Meal

CONTACT INFORMATION FOR THE SCHOOL LUNCH PROGRAM:

Aramark/ Student Lunch Accounts

Amy Sura

215-944-2797

Amy.sura@crsd.org

My Payments Plus Parent Helpline

1-877-237-0946

Free and Reduced Lunch Program

Karen Moody

215-944-1068

kmoody@crsd.org

Please take a moment to review this school year's attendance letter from the District that outlines information regarding Council Rock's policies on student absences. You can find the letter at the link below.

Mrs. Beth A. Fox

Principal

Email: bfox@crsd.org

Phone: (215) 944-2107
Location: 298 Frost Lane, Newtown, PA, USA