Hey Cougars!

Many thanks to our Home and School for their tremendous efforts with this year’s Fun Run. It was a huge success!

Total Raised: $21,558!

Winner of the Fun Run Champions Trophy: 5th Grade raised: $5,426

Winner of the Pretzel & Pajama Party: Team Jones raised: $3,470

Student that raised the most and got to pie Dr. Argonish in the face: Kael Guy raised $2,500

Pics will be up on FB and IG soon!

Everyone Matters at East Ward Elementary School. In all that we say and do, our faculty and staff strive to exemplify this message. It is my hope that everyone feels this at our school! We are working very hard this year to ensure that every child gets the instruction that they need to grow as learners.

Our WATCH D.O.G.S. program will kick off later this month. The DOGS stands for Dads of Great Students. This program recognizes that 99% the majority of our volunteers are female. The WATCH D.O.G.S. program goal is to promote and encourage more participation of male role models through involvement in WATCH D.O.G.S. The program is not looking to exclude in any way, but rather to increase this traditionally underrepresented group in our elementary schools. If anyone has a question about whether or not they can be a WD, please do not hesitate to reach out to me! We have welcomed, dads, moms, uncles, grandparents, etc. This year, in order to increase the number of adults who can participate, we will limit the number of times a person could be a WD to 1 per school year. The WD schedule will be 10:15- 1:30PM. We will send out a link to register the end of this week.

We need your help. I am hoping there may be a team of parents interested in running an Indian Heritage Assembly for our third graders. Mrs. Nupur Shah, parent of a 6th grader, had volunteered to coordinate this special assembly last year, but to date, we do not have any parents volunteering to lead this year's assembly. In order to ensure a positive experience for everyone, we need a team of volunteers to be involved and a parent to take the lead. If you are of Indian heritage, or want to learn more about Indian heritage, please consider volunteering. Our third graders have had such wonderful experiences in past years, and we want to continue to provide them this experience. Please email the office at ew_attendance@dasd.org if you are interested.

If you are interested in being a chaperone for fieldtrips, it is essential that you have your clearances submitted to the office. If we have all forms from previous years, you must submit the Act 24 Arrest or Conviction Report, which can be found on our website in the EW Backpack. All clearances are good for 5 years. The forms needed are: Criminal record, Child abuse, Volunteer disclosure form, and TB test results. They can all be found in the EW BackPack.

All absent students will receive an automated phone call. Please understand that if your child arrives late, a call may be received. In order to avoid calls, please send an email to ew_attendance@dasd.org. You do not need to email teachers. Doing this will serve as your absent note rather than have to send in a written note. If you do not have email, we will need a written excuse. Please know that the email or written note serves as written documentation for your child’s absence from school and is filed accordingly. If you know your child will be late to school due to an appointment, an email will also help to eliminate your written note upon arrival.

Your Proud Principal,

Dr. Argonish

The DASD Preschool Outreach Group will be holding a series of free events throughout the school year for preschool students who will be attending DASD kindergarten in the coming year. The goal of these events is to familiarize the children and their families with DASD and to help support the children's kindergarten readiness.

We are busy finalizing our schedule. Please keep checking back for dates to be posted. The November Outreach will be Music and Movement 11/4 (Lionville Elem.) and 11/6

LGBTQ+ History Month/ Bullying Prevention Month

October is a meaningful month for our community as we observe both LGBTQ+ History Month and Bullying Prevention Month. These observances remind us of the importance of fostering a space where every student feels safe, respected, and valued. Let’s continue to build on our commitment to understanding, kindness, and acceptance.

This month, classroom teachers are using our Social-Emotional Learning curriculum, Second Step, to talk with students about Growth Mindset. Growth Mindset is the belief that our abilities can develop over time given effort and persistence. With students, we talk about how our brain is like a muscle that can get stronger or grow. It's easy to feel defeated if we think that our abilities and intelligence are set at birth, but if we believe that our brain can grow as we practice new things, we're more willing to push through when things get hard. Here are some things to think about when you talk to your child:

• Praise effort over innate skill ("I love how you're working so hard!" vs. "You're so smart!")
• Reminding children of past successes when they're struggling with something new ("Remember that it used to be hard for you to tie your shoes and now you can do it!")
• Leaning into the power of YET (When kids say "I can't do this", reframe that thought to "I can't do this YET")

Counseling lessons this month align with the social-emotional topic of growth-mindset and goal setting in an effort to have consistent language and focus across the school day. You'll find linked the take-away note that will be posted to Class Dojo after each lesson.

K - Feelings

1st - Persistence

2nd - Appreciating Differences

3rd - Work habits

4th - Entrepreneurship

5th - Looking to the future

Rainbow Room Search: Find something in the room that is the color red. Then find something orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple.

Dr. Katie Rastetter, School Counselor

krastetter@dasd.org

610-269-8282 ext 23040

Tuesday, 10/8- Fun Fall, Fine Motor Activities, preschool event 6-7 PM

Tuesday, 10/8- Kindergarten Field Trip Cherry Crest Farm

Wednesday, 10/9- Early Band Rehearsal 7:45 AM- 8:45 AM

Friday, 10/11- Yom Kippur (Sundown)

Friday, 10/11- Early Chorus Rehearsal 7:45 AM-8:45 AM

Tuesday, 10/15- Early Orchestra 7:45 AM- 8:45 AM

Tuesday, 10/15- Tipi Rising Assembly- 5th grade

Thursday, 10/17- Early Band Rehearsal 7:45 Am- 8:45 AM

Monday, 10/21- Early Chorus Rehearsal 7:45 AM- 8:45 AM

Wednesday, 10/23- Early Orchestra Rehearsal 7:45 AM-8:45 AM

Friday, 10/25- Early Band Rehearsal 7:45 AM- 8:45 AM

Saturday, 10/26- Trunk Or Treat- (East Ward) 5-7:00 PM

Monday, 10/28- Scholastic Book Fair Family Night 6-8:00 PM

Tuesday, 10/29- Early Chorus Rehearsal 7:45 AM-8:45 AM

Wednesday, 10/30 - Scholastic Book Fair Family Night 6-8:00 PM

Thursday, 10/31- Early Orchestra Rehearsal 7:45 AM- 8:45 AM

Friday, 11/1- School Closed- Diwali

Tuesday, 11/5- School Closed- Professional Development Day (Election Day)

Thursday, 11/14- 3rd Annual Family Heritage Night

Wednesday, 11/6- Early Band Rehearsal

Thursday, 11/28- Turkey Trot (See event below)

East Ward is preparing for their third annual Family Heritage Night on Thursday, November 14 from 6pm – 7:30pm. This event is dedicated to celebrating the variety of cultures within our school community. The event feature displays, food, games, music, and more, all showcasing the diverse backgrounds of our families. We would love for your family to share your culture with the East Ward Community! If you are interested in having a table at Family Heritage Night, please go to https://tinyurl.com/ewheritage24 – Any questions, please reach out to Dr. Kessler – jkessler@dasd.org

Dear parents,

School pictures are ready!

To order, log in to your account on mylifetouch.com or create an account using your student's student ID number.

All families can also log on and order a FREE Digital SmileSafe card.

More about the Smilesafe program here.

Thank you!

Kids Who Blog

As the parent of a young child, you may think your child is too young to have his or her own blog. Here’s your chance to reconsider that idea! There are several free blog sites that make it as easy as 1-2-3 to get started. And writing for an audience gives kids a meaningful purpose – a reason to use their developing reading and writing skills. In constructing a blog post, your child will have to think about writing clearly and completely, and holding a reader’s interest for the whole time. If an online blog feels like too much, start with a special journal or notebook.

Step 1: Have a talk about Internet safety

Writing for an online audience is fun and exciting! It should also be done with caution. Talk with your child about who will have access to the blog, and make decisions about using full names, locations, and school name.

Step 2: Choose an online blog site

WordPress, Blogger and Edublogs are all free and easy to use. Parents create an account for their child to use, and accounts can be restricted during set up.

Step 3: Start writing!

The ideas for blog posts are endless. Here are a few suggestions to get a child started:

• What hobbies do you have? Share a picture of any collections you have or tell your readers how you got interested in that hobby.

• What’s the best book you’ve read lately? What did you like about it?

• Post a picture you’ve taken recently and tell about it.

• Describe your favorite thing to have for dinner.

• List all the ways you can think of to earn money around the house.

Blogging may not be for every child, but it might be for yours! While some kid blogs have many followers and have lasted a long time, most are read by relatives and friends, and a child’s interest in posting may come and go. Regardless, blogs can provide an outlet for creative and fun writing!

Interested in reading what kids are blogging about? Here are a few kid blogs to check out:

• National Geographic Kids http://kidsblogs.nationalgeographic.com/ Kids from all over the world write posts for this blog. Many posts provide kids-eye view into events and places. Other posts review books.

• Childtastic books “Great books for great readers” http://childtasticbooks.wordpress.com/ This blog is co-written by a Mother-Daughter blogging team. They blog about children’s books with each providing her own perspective on it.

• Sports Illustrated for Kids http://www.sikids.com/blogs Short posts written by kids about sport topics.

Dear Parents and Guardians,

Welcome back to a new school year! We hope you had a wonderful summer break and are ready for the exciting year ahead. As we return to school, we want to ensure that all students remain healthy and safe throughout the year.

When reaching out to us with any questions, concerns, or information regarding your child’s health, please be sure to include your child’s full name and the school they attend. This helps us to efficiently and accurately address your needs.

As a reminder, a new medication order form is required for each school year for any daily or PRN (as needed) medications, such as allergy medications or inhalers. Please ensure these forms are completed and submitted as soon as possible if your child requires medication during school hours.

Additionally, we kindly ask that you encourage your child to stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water (H₂O) and to practice good hand hygiene, which is essential in preventing the spread of illness.

We are committed to supporting your child’s health and well-being and are here to assist with any needs that may arise.

Wishing you all a healthy and successful school year!

Warm regards,

Nurse Jill and Nurse Brii

Brii Rose

Health Room Nurse

East Ward Elementary School

435 Washington Ave

Downingtown PA 19335

610-269-8282 EXT 23021

“Life isn’t about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself.” – George Bernard Shaw

Please refer to the link below this map for all the details for walkers or picking up students by car if you have not already done so. Many thanks!

Call DASD Transportation if you need assistance with a bus after 4:00pm.
Phone number: 610-269-8460. Select the transportation prompt to be connected with someone who can help you.

Email: ewinfo@dasd.org
Website: https://ew.dasd.org/
Location: 435 Washington Ave, Downingtown, PA 19335, USA
Phone: 610-269-8282
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dasdew
Twitter: @dasd_ew