GA Principal Newsletter

"Growing leaders every day by following the Eagles Way: Respect, Responsibility and Kindness."

Glen Acres: "Where students come first and adults make the difference!"

Dear Families,

Time flies fast! We are now in trimester 3 of the 24-25 school year. Trimester 2 report cards will be available online on 3/21.

Did you know that there are are six syllable types that are essential for developing strong beginning reading skills? These syllable types are —closed, vowel-consonant-e, open, vowel team, r-controlled, and consonant-le—help students understand how words are constructed and how sounds work together. By recognizing these patterns, children are able to decode unfamiliar words, improving both their reading fluency and comprehension. Here are examples of each syllable type:

• Closed: A syllable with a short vowel followed by a consonant, like "cat" or "dog".
• Vowel-consonant-e: A syllable with a long vowel sound followed by a consonant and an "e" at the end, like "cake" or "time".
• Open: A syllable that ends in a vowel, making the vowel sound long, like "he" or "go".
• Vowel team: A syllable with two vowels working together to make one sound, like "team" or "boat".
• R-controlled: A syllable where the vowel is followed by an "r," which changes the vowel sound, like "car" or "bird".
• Consonant-le: A syllable that ends in a consonant followed by "le," like "candle" or "little".
  Knowing these syllable types provides a structured approach that empowers students to break down complex words into manageable parts, making reading more accessible and less intimidating. Mastery of these syllable types is key in building a solid foundation for lifelong reading success.

In addition to learning these syllable types in school, families can play a crucial role in reinforcing these skills at home. One way to help is by practicing word sorting activities, where children identify and categorize words by their syllable types. For example, you could work together to sort a list of words into categories like closed (cat, hop) or vowel-consonant-e (cake, tape). Reading books that feature words with different syllable types can also be helpful, as it encourages students to recognize these patterns in context. Encouraging children to sound out and break down longer words by syllable type will help them build confidence in decoding unfamiliar words. Creating a fun, supportive learning environment at home where children feel comfortable practicing these skills regularly can significantly boost their reading abilities and reinforce what they're learning in school.

Finally, we are hosting a Reading STREAM night on March 26th from 6-7 PM. Please see the invitation below and respond if you are planning on attending.

Have a great few weeks.

Donna

On March 5th, our PTO held our third annual Glen Acres Talent Showcase at East High School. Over 50 children from Glen Acres participated in this show, across art crew, stage crew, 3rd-5th individual performances, and grade level performances for our K-2 students and 5th grade class. It was a night to remember, and we are excited to continue this tradition next year. Thank you to those students that participated, our parent volunteers, and to those families and staff that attended in the audience to cheer us on! We encourage you to ask our PTO about participation options for your child if they want to participate next year!

Kindergarten shared special books they brought in from home with their 5th grade buddies during Read Across America week! The 5th graders read to their Kindergarten buddies. Our Kindergarten friends were so excited to point out high frequency words and even read some of the books they brought in. It was wonderful to see both grades share their love of reading with one another.

When looking up GAE events, please refer to our monthly newsletter calendar prior to the district calendar as some event dates/times listed on the district calendar changed after publication.

• Monday, March 17 - Day 3: Hilarious Headwear or Hat Day; PTO Pretzel Fundraiser
• Tuesday, March 18 - Day 4: Disney Day - Wear your favorite Disney Character; 4th & 5th Grade Orchestra Rehearsal; After School Sports (4th & 5th Grade Girls)
• Wednesday, March 19 - NO SCHOOL FOR STUDENTS
• Thursday, March 20 - Day 1: Bluey Day - Wear Blue; 4th & 5th Grade Band Rehearsal; After School Sports (5th Grade Boys)
• Friday, March 21 - Day 2: Character Day - Dress like your favorite Character; Chorus Rehearsal; 5th Grade Field Trip
• Monday, March 24 - Day 3: Country Day - Dress in your favorite Cowgirl/Cowboy Attire
• Tuesday, March 25 - Day 4: Superhero Day - Dress like your favorite Superhero; 4th & 5th Grade Orchestra Rehearsal
• Wednesday, March 26 - Day 1: USA Day - Wear Red, White & Blue; Chorus Rehearsal; ASPCA Paws for Change; STREAM (Reading Night) 6-7pm
• Thursday, March 27 - Day 2: Pajama Day - Wear your comfiest clothes; Chorus Concert 7pm
• Friday, March 28 - Day 3: Sports Team Day - Wear your favorite Team attire; 4th & 5th Grade Band Rehearsal
• Monday, March 31 - NO SCHOOL

Important Upcoming Dates

March 19th - NO SCHOOL FOR STUDENTS

March 21st - Report Cards Available Online

March 26th - STREAM (Reading Night)

March 27th - Chorus Concert

March 31st - NO SCHOOL

These are additional optional spirit days picked by Eagle Egg Dollar winners.

Dress up days start on March 17th.

Author Alicia Klepeis will be presenting to all grades at Glen Acres on May 12th. If you would like to order one of her books to be signed and delivered to your child at school, please click on this link for more information! Strict deadline to order is April 13th.

Rachel Karrmann

Library Teacher

In the spring, we start to think about 2025/2026 enrollment, staffing, and scheduling. If you have a student who will be turning 5 on or before September 1st, please begin the school registration process now. Log into new student registration. You will need to upload the child's birth certificate, immunizations, two proofs of residency (one must be a copy of a current lease, mortgage statement or deed and the second should be a copy of a current utility bill, insurance, etc. dated within the past 30 days).

~More Information to Follow~

Students in grades 3-5 are taking PSSA's ONLINE during this testing window:

4/23 - 4/25: ELA for Grades 3-5

4/29 - 4/30: Math for Grades 3-5

5/1 and 5/2: Science for Grades 5

Makeups through 5/9

To ensure you have access to all of the Middle School transition information, we are sharing the February 12th WCASD Middle School 101 presentation recording, the YouTube link to “A Day in the Life of a Middle School Student”, 6th grade Course Description Guide, and the MS 101 slide deck below:

Middle School 101 Presentation

Day in the Life: Middle School

6th Grade Course Description Guide

FOURTH & FIFTH GRADE DISTRICT TRACK MEET 2025

May 14th (Rain Date May 16th)

Calling all 4th & 5th grade parents/guardians! We are excited to announce that our annual fourth & fifth grade district-wide track meet will be held in May. This is a school field trip held during school time hours. Our students will enjoy a day at the WCU Farrell Stadium track participating in friendly competitions with other WCASD elementary schools. WE WILL NEED YOUR HELP!!! The success of the track meets relies heavily on parent/guardian volunteers. More information will come with specific times & event responsibilities. YOU WILL NEED YOUR CLEARANCES. You can visit this link- CLEARANCE INFORMATION WCASD for information about obtaining your clearances. We suggest you apply for your clearances now as they sometimes take a bit of time to get back.

Reserve la fecha - Información para la habilitación de trabajo voluntario

13 de mayo de 2025 (Fecha por mal tiempo: 15 de mayo)

¡Llamado a todos los padres y tutores de 4º y 5º grado! Nos complace anunciar que nuestro encuentro anual de atletismo de cuarto y quinto grado del distrito se llevará a cabo en mayo. Nuestros estudiantes disfrutarán el día en la pista del Estadio Farrell de la Universidad de West Chester participando en competencias amistosas con otras escuelas primarias del distrito. ¡NECESITAREMOS SU AYUDA! El éxito de los encuentros de atletismo depende en gran medida de los padres y tutores voluntarios. NECESITARÁ SUS HABILITACIONES DE TRABAJO VOLUNTARIO. Puede visitar este enlace: INFORMACIÓN DE HABILITACIÓN DE TRABAJO VOLUNTARIO EN EL DISTRITO para obtener más información sobre las habilitaciones. Le sugerimos que las solicite ahora, ya que a veces tardan un poco en recibirse.

RESERVE LA FECHA - Por favor, considere ayudar a la escuela de su hijo(a) el día de la competencia de atletismo que lee a continuación. Habrá más información con los horarios específicos y el listado de las responsabilidades durante el evento. Esta es una excursión escolar que se llevará a cabo durante el horario escolar.

Joining our PTO is free and recommended. When you join, you get access to information about upcoming school and community events, parties, and fundraisers. PTO fundraisers support our assemblies, field trips, special events and classroom supplies.

See this link for helpful information.

We hope you would consider volunteering. Some volunteer opportunities are helping in the library, lunchroom, as a homeroom party planner, on field trips or at school and district events. If you are interested in volunteering, please be sure to have updated clearances (good for five years) on file with the school. It is important that you submit your clearances to the school when you get them. Please do not wait until you volunteer as we need to get the clearances within a year of you receiving them.

A cultural bridge in the community for Spanish speaking families and our schools.

Ms. Donna Ryan, Principal

Email: dryan@wcasd.net

Address: 1150 Delancey Place, West Chester, PA 19382

Phone: 484-266-1700

Glen Acres Website: https://gae.wcasd.net/

District Website: www.wcasd.net

District Twitter: https://twitter.com/WestChesterASD