Dear Keystone Families and Staff,

We had a fantastic and fun last week of October! The month ended with a fantastic costume parade and a wonderful performance by our district's very own Drummers with Attitude!

On October 31st, the students from Truman's DWA program performed at two assemblies for our learners. One for our K-2 students and another performance for our 3rd-5th grade students. In addition some of our staff members, as well as awesome students were selected from the audience to perform with DWA.

A huge shoutout to Armstrong's teacher Mr. Marlow for helping us create our very own Keystone News Network YouTube page, where we were able to live stream both of our parades. This is the very first time Keystone was able to live stream an event for our families. We hope to bring additional opportunities in the future to live stream events and upload videos from school-wide events. Please make sure to subscribe to the channel.

Many thanks to the two awesome Armstrong News Network students who came to Keystone on October 31st to assist with the costume parade by running the live stream and for taking photos through the parades and DWA assemblies. A shout out to Mr. Pierce for keeping the music going during the parade!

In honor of daylight savings time, students are permitted to wear their pajamas to school on Monday, November 4th. We kindly ask for a dollar donation to be made to our SWPBIS program, to help support school-wide positive initiatives.

This Tuesday, there will not be school for students, due to Election Day and there will be an early dismissal on Friday, November 8th (1:15pm dismissal).

School fundraiser will take place at Texas Road House on Tuesday, November 5th.

November 15th is picture retake day. Please see further down in the newsletter for some information from Barksdale. We have not been given a date yet, as to when we expect photos to arrive...but...if you have access to your parent portal account, you should be able to see your child's photo from picture day on there.

Have a fantastic start to your November!

Respectfully,

Mrs. Smith-Herman & Mr. Wilicki

Assistant Principal & Principal

Smencils will be sold.

Wear Keystone Paw Shirt

November 3rd

Monday, November 4th

Please consider donating a dollar to support SWPBIS.

Election Day

Tuesday, November 5th

November 5th from 4:00-10:00pm

November 7th

6:00-7:00pm

Friday, November 8th

Monday, November 11th

November 15th

November 27th

November 28th & 29th

December 11th at 7 pm

December 12th-18th

Evening conferences- Thursday, December 12th

March 6th

(More information to come later in the year)

March 24-28th

Evening Conferences- Monday, March 24th

April 1st

April 21-25 ELA

April 28-May 2- Math, Science, Make-ups

Wednesday, May 14th, with a rain date of Thursday, May 15th.

May 14th at 7 pm

Fifth graders, Emilia Li, Elianys Velazquez, Michelle Gonzalez, Rihanna Castro and Kelvin Robles created and posted multilingual signs for various areas in Keystone. Now our school signs represent the diverse population here at Keystone.

Please consider joining the Keystone News Network for awesome videos of school wide events!

Students in Ms. Gulick's class enjoyed fun fall activities this week! They enjoyed painting and decorating pumpkins, sampling pumpkin purée, and counting pumpkin seeds!

From Barksdale

What to Expect on Picture Day

Here is an overall review of what to expect;

1. Any student wishing to have a retake should bring their original picture package to exchange for the retake image.
2. When an order is placed online, the parent/guardian will receive a camera pass via email. This can either be printed or texted to the student and brought to picture day. The photographer will photograph the printed camera pass along with the student.
3. If a student is not able to print their camera pass, that is not a problem. We will match up the student to their order manually in the production process.
4. A parent may order from the flyer up until 24 hours after picture day. After 24 hours, the online ordering access may close. This will allow our imaging team to "Pull" all orders submitted and match them with the students photographed.
5. 5. When pictures are returned to school, all students that purchased pictures will receive their prepaid package. Any student that was photographed but did not order a package, will receive a "Proof" (PX) of their picture that was taken on picture day.

All proof packages offer parents a second opportunity to order prints. All orders are subject to shipping and handling costs of up to $8.50 and will be shipped directly to home.

Access School Picture Day Flyer and Web Banner

Access the site by clicking here: www.pictureportal.org or copy and paste this into your Chrome browser. Be sure to bookmark this for easy use in the future. Google Chrome is the required browser to run this site, when logging in if you do not have Chrome you can safely download it from the link on the login page.

Then click on Photo Events on the left menu. Find the event for your upcoming picture day (school pictures, class groups, etc.). Click the View (first icon) to download the Flyer or to resend the email for your web banner link.

If you do not have your login information, on the login screen you can click Forgot Password to have your password reset and emailed to you.

Feel free to contact our data department by emailing schoollist@barksdalephoto.com or your Sales Representative with any questions that you may have about picture day.

Due to low enrollment, screenagers is postponed.

Please save the dates of January 23, 2024 and February 4 (as a snow date).

This month we are talking about Responsibility. One way to define Responsibility is “taking action and understanding the impact of our choices.” Taking action can mean doing the right thing or completing the tasks you have been assigned. Understanding the impact of our choices means that our actions matter. Positive and responsible actions can help people and irresponsible actions can hurt others. Responsibility is 1 of 3 traits we will focus on throughout the year that helps students Be Strong. Throughout the school, students will be developing skills like focusing, organizing, and goal-setting.

We have all demonstrated Responsibility in our lives. Many of us have seen people practice Responsibility in ways that have inspired us. Stories are powerful tools for connecting as a family. Protect time this week to share stories about Responsibility with each other. At the end of the conversation, think of 1 way you can practice Responsibility this week.

Review Responsibility as a family! Responsibility is taking action and understanding how our choices affect others. Choose 1 household chore (or more!) that requires multiple steps. Then have each member of the family select 1 step to complete to help get the job done! Maybe it is washing the dishes, doing laundry, cleaning the living room, or unloading the groceries - whatever it is, see who can be the quickest or most effective at their task!

As a family, think of ways in which you might make someone’s life a little easier by helping a neighbor or family friend with 1 of their Responsibilities. Could you bring the garbage to the chute or out to the curb? Could you carry things in from the grocery store? Could you invite someone over for a meal or a show?

Have some fun connecting as a family this month while practicing Responsibility.

As we continue our journey through this academic year, we wanted to take a moment to share some valuable information about our Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) process. This approach is at the heart of our commitment to ensuring that every child in our community has the support they need to thrive. The MTSS process is designed to use a preponderance of data to assess and understand each student’s unique strengths and areas for growth. Here’s how it works and how it benefits your child:

1. **Comprehensive Data Collection**: We gather information from various sources, including assessments, classroom performance, and observations. This helps us get a complete picture of your child's academic progress and behavior.

2. **Informed Decision-Making**: Our dedicated team of educators analyzes this data to identify trends and patterns. By understanding where each student excels and where they may need additional support, we can make informed decisions that cater to their specific needs.

3. **Tailored Support and Enrichment**: Whether your child requires extra help in certain subjects or is ready for more advanced challenges, the MTSS process allows us to implement targeted interventions and enrichment opportunities. Our goal is to ensure that every student is engaged and making progress.

4. **Ongoing Monitoring and Adjustment**: We believe in the importance of continuous assessment. We regularly check in on each student’s progress and adjust our strategies as needed, ensuring that we are always meeting their evolving needs.

We are excited about the positive impact this process has on our students and are committed to partnering with you in this journey. Your involvement is crucial, and we encourage you to reach out with any questions or concerns regarding your child's educational experience.

Thank you for being an integral part of our Bristol Township community. Together, we can create a nurturing environment where every child can flourish!

Please read the attachment below in regards to the Title 1 Family Engagement Policy for 2024-2025.

All enrolled students of Bristol Township School District are eligible to receive a nutritious breakfast and lunch each school day at NO CHARGE to your household. A La Carte items will still be available to purchase.

Keystone Families,

We invite you to have a chance to be featured in our weekly newsletters, yearbook, and possibly on our school and district's social media pages! We would love to showcase your family or child(ren) participating in any outside-of-school events or activities.

Please submit a photo along with a brief summary that captures the essence of the event or activity. Whether it's a memorable vacation, a thrilling sporting event, or a cherished hobby, we want to celebrate these moments with our school community.

Please make sure to include your child(ren)'s names and grade level.

Please send all submissions to KeystoneNewsletter@bristoltwpsd.org for a chance to be selected for our Keystone Family Spotlight!

• Reminder, when your child is absent a written excuse note is required.
• For the first 10 absences the note may be from the parent.
• It can be in an email to the school secretary who handles attendance, at heather.saeger@bristoltwpsd.org
• If your child misses more than 10 days of school, then we only accept a medical note.
• Please email or send in the note within 10 days of their return to school, this is a PA State Law.

Outside Food Snack Policy- Per the district's Wellness Policy, " No outside foods may be brought in by students for classroom parties. Shared snacks are not permitted in District schools." If you would like to send something in to celebrate their child's birthday or a classroom party, you may send in non food items such as stickers, pencils, play dough etc.

In order to maintain the safety of all our learners, we are asking that families alert teachers, in writing, (written note) for any transportation/dismissal plan changes prior to 9:00am each morning.

We do understand that emergencies may arise throughout the day that requires a change to a child's dismissal plan for that particular day. For those situations, please make sure you are alerting the office staff as soon as possible, so they can communicate the change to the teachers as soon as possible.

We thank you for your support in helping us ensure the safety and wellbeing of each of our learners.

Bullying Prevention

Bristol Township School District is committed to providing a physically safe and emotionally secure environment for all students and staff. Local school policies assist school personnel in identifying bullying, intimidation, and harassment, and provide a framework for an appropriate response that reinforces positive conduct. The district defines positive behaviors as those which evoke non-violence, cooperation, teamwork, understanding, and acceptance toward all students and staff in the learning and teaching environment. It takes a community to prevent bullying of children--stopping bullying behavior needs a team of school people, students, and families. Together we can intervene to stop bullying behaviors.

In September 2023, Bristol Township School Board of Directors approved three new elementary Anti-Bullying/School Climate Specialists. These staff members focus on putting practices and approaches in place that prevent bullying and build positive relationships for the district’s youngest students.

The main role of the Anti-Bullying/School Culture Specialists is to lead the investigation of incidents of harassment, intimidation, and bullying in each school; and to act as the primary school staff member responsible for preventing, identifying, and addressing incidents of harassment, intimidation, and bullying in the school.

They are also responsible for coordinating and strengthening the school’s policies to prevent, identify, and address harassment, intimidation, and bullying of students, and help establish a positive school culture.

Reporting Procedures

Anyone who is the victim of or has witnessed bullying please submit the incident form to the Anti-Bullying/School Climate Specialist, Steve Pierce, (steve.pierce@bristoltwpsd.org ) and building administration. Students can also report bullying to guidance counselors, teachers, or any other adult in the building.

To access the bullying form please click on the attached form below.

Title 1 Teachers at Keystone

Mrs. Stacy Cooke

stacy.cooke@bristoltwpsd.org

Mrs. Aimee Ramos
aimee.ramos@bristoltwpsd.org

What is Title I?

Title I is a project funded by the federal government under the Every Child Succeeds Act. The purpose of this Act is to provide all children with fair and equitable opportunity to succeed and close achievement gaps. Money is allocated by the federal government and distributed by the Pennsylvania Department of Education to the Bristol Township School. District.

Title I funding is based on a complex formula. These funds are allocated to the states who in turn allocate a portion of that money to the individual school districts within each state. The school district’s share is based on the economic need within a school area, that is, by the number of low income families living there. In our district the number of free and reduced lunch students is used to determine the economic need of a particular school.

For more information please visit; https://www.bristoltwpsd.org/administration/state_and_federal_programs_/title_i .

Social Worker
Mrs. Jody Como
jody.como@bristoltwpsd.org

Counselors

Mrs. Tammy Surdo

Grades- K, 2, 4
tammy.surdo@bristoltwpsd.org

Mr. Brian Gianfrancesco

Grades- 1, 3, 5
brian.gianfrancesco@bristoltwpsd.org

Mr. Steve Pierce

Email: steve.pierce@bristoltwpsd.org

Phone: 267-599-2481

Michele Gentilcore

Certified School Nurse 267-599-2473 or 2490

michele.genticore@bristoltwpsd.org

Jessica Williamson

Staff Nurse 267-599-2496

Nurses' fax number is 215-788-1516.

Address:

940 Tulip Ave.

Croydon, Pennsylvania 19021

School phone: 267-599-2470

School fax: 215-788-1041

School Principal: Mr. Mark Wilicki

Email: mark.wilicki@bristoltwpsd.org

Principal's Secretary: Mrs. Marianne Mensinger

Email: marianne.mensinger@bristoltwpsd.org

Assistant Principal: Mrs. Crystal Smith-Herman

Email: crystal.smith-herman@bristoltwpsd.org

Assistant Principal's Secretary: Heather Saeger

Email: heather.saeger@bristoltwpsd.org

Special Education Supervisor: Jessica Kelch

Email: jessica.kelch@bristoltwpsd.org

For additional information please click on the buttons below.

This year, daylight saving time ends Sunday, Nov. 3, with clocks rolling back one hour at 2 a.m. In honor of daylight savings time.