Weekly Stony Brook Update

Dear Stony Brook Families,

As you are aware, we had some excitement this past week when a delivery truck accidentally struck one of the columns at our main entrance. We have had to make some changes to arrival and dismissal due to the main entrance and bus loop being closed. The children have done a FANTASTIC job adjusting to our new procedures for arrival and dismissal. Hopefully repairs will be able to be made soon; however, our main entrance will remain closed for a bit longer. If you need to come to the school for any reason during the school day, you will need to continue to use the doorbell at the parent pick up doors. Thank you for keeping Silver Spur Drive clear of cars. Our bus drivers have had enough room to navigate the new arrival and drop off areas. I appreciate your help and flexibility.

I am having a hard time believing that it is already November. Your child's first report card of this school year will be posted in Skyward later this month. Next Friday, we will have have our Fall Festival. During this time we will celebrate fall, talk about being thankful, and enjoy some fun time with our friends. Thank you in advance to our PTO and volunteers for making this a memorable day! This past week we practiced our severe weather drill and had another fire drill. The children did an excellent job practicing safety.

Have a wonderful weekend,

Kelly Harper, Ed.D.

Principal

Below is the November newsletter from our WIN team. Please note the special reading challenge that students can complete over the Thanksgiving break.

Please join us in helping Stony Brook families by sharing our blessings with the community.

The temperatures may be getting cooler, but we still try to get our students outside for recess as much as possible. Please make sure your child comes to school dressed appropriately for the weather and that he/she has a coat for colder weather. I recommend that your write your child's name inside every sweatshirt, sweater, or coat he/she wears to school. As much as we try to remind them, it is common for kids to forget their sweatshirt or coat in the gym, on the coat hook at breakfast, or even outside at recess when they get hot. Writing your child's name inside each piece of clothing will help us return items when they are found. If you need help providing a winter coat for your child, please contact Dr. Harper or Mrs. Frey. Thank you!

The Central York School District English Language Development Department is hosting an informational Title III Night for ELL/ESL families. Join us on Wednesday, November 20, 2024, at North Hills Elementary School from 6:00 - 7:30 PM to learn more about our programs, Skyward and Schoology, qualifying for services, graduation requirements and more!

Happy Friday SB Families!

On Friday, November 8 Stony Brook will be holding our annual Fall Fest! Each classroom will be having a Fall party, in additional to participating in school-wide activity stations outside and in the gym! While we ask that no costumes be worn this day, students can dress up in their best farmer/scarecrow attire!

If you will be volunteering at either activity stations or a class party, please plan to check in/enter the school at a table near the parent pick-up doors due the front of the school being inaccessible due to an accident earlier this week. If the main entrance is open by Friday, we will use the main entrance instead.

Save the date for our Roar Fest reward Glow Party- November 22! A volunteer sheet/class time list will come out next week. Thank you so much to all of our SB families who helped our students earn their party!

On November 13, join us at Texas Roadhouse for our November dine-out night! Show the attached flyer for a portion of your bill to come back to our school!

If you plan to volunteer for any of our PTO events, you will need to register/renew your CYSD volunteer badge:https://www.cysd.k12.pa.us/our-district/human-resources/clearances

We encourage parents and caregivers to follow us on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/stonybrookpto) as this is where you will get the most timely updates on volunteer opportunities, school events, and more.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Brittany Strine

Stony Brook PTO President

brittanystrine@aol.com

717-858-2104

Annual Notices

Breakfast/Lunch Menus

Free and Reduced Meal Program Forms

Community Flyers

Stony Brook Homepage

Parents and Families

Student Handbooks

Educational Trip Form

Volunteer Information

11/8 - Fall Festival Day

11/11 - No School

11/12 - SB PTO Meeting 6:30PM

11/14 - SB Picture Re-Take Day

11/19 - Report Cards Available in Skyward

11/26 - Early Dismissal 12:30PM

11/27-12/2 - No School

12/3 - School Resumes

ARRIVAL AND DISMISSAL PROCEDURES

Click on the documents below for more information about Stony Brook arrival and dismissal. If you are driving your child to school, you will stay in your car during drop off. Please have your child practice unbuckling the seat belt or car seat by themselves as parents stay in the car during drop off. If your child is in the walk zone, but you plan to drive your car to the school to pick up your child, your child is now parent pick up and you should follow the parent pick up procedures.

All kindergarten students are required to have an adult pick them up at the bus stop or walk zone. Kindergarten students will not be released from the bus or at the walk zone unless an adult is present to receive them. An adult must meet all kindergarten walkers at the designated crossing guard spot.

For any changes in dismissal, be very clear with your child if they are being picked up early or if they will be parent pick-up when they normally ride the school bus. Any changes in routines or dismissal plans should be communicated to your child's teacher via note or email prior to 9:00AM. If you need to make a change during the day, please call the main office. Our teachers often do not have time to check their email during the school day. The office staff also requests that if you need to change your child's dismissal plan after school has started for the day, please call prior to 2:00PM. It is difficult for our office to communicate to your child's teacher and ensure your child knows about a change if you call after 2:00PM. The school recognizes that sometimes emergencies happen and you need to make a sudden change, but this should be the exception rather than the rule. Thank you!

ABSENCES AND ATTENDANCE IN SKYWARD

Families are encouraged to use the Skyward Family Access Center attendance function to alert the school that their child is absent. This can be done in the Skyward phone app or website. In the event a family cannot log the absence in Skyward, a doctor's note and/or phone call will be accepted as documentation of the absence. If you are unable to mark your child's attendance in Skyward, families should use the school's automated attendance line to alert the school that their child will be absent. This can be accessed 24-7 at (717)846-6789. This number is checked every morning for absences. Families should notify the school no later than 9:00AM on the day of an absence. If we do not receive a call reporting your child absent by 9:00AM, and there is no absence request in Skyward Family Access Center, an automated phone call will be generated via our phone system in order to confirm the whereabouts of your child.

Please note - families have five days by law from the date of a child's absence to report an absence to the district. This may be done in Skyward Family Access Center or by phone on the automated attendance line. Failure to do so will result in an absence being recorded as "unexcused".

All families should be aware that under Act 29, upon a student's accumulation of 6 unlawful or unexcused absences from school, the parent may be referred to Children & Youth Services. Should attendance not improve, the parent may be cited to the district magistrate and could be responsible for fines.

EDUCATIONAL TRIP FORMS

Please be sure to note the policy for educational trips. Approval forms must be obtained from the school office or online through the district website. The educational value and activities of the trip must be stated in detail to be eligible for approval. Thank you for your cooperation with this school policy. For your convenience, click here to download the educational trip form. A reminder that ALL trips MUST be submitted at least 2 WEEKS prior to the trip to be approved.

PARENT VOLUNTEERS

Get the jump on obtaining your parent volunteer approval for the 2024-2025 School Year. ALL parents planning to volunteer must re-apply prior to volunteering in our schools. Additionally, all volunteers must also meet with me during a meeting that will be advertised in the near future. Click here for our district-wide Parent Volunteer Manual that outlines how to begin the process of applying to volunteer or, if you are re-applying for another year. We are looking forward to having a record number of volunteers this year!