Back to School Edition
Some thoughts for the starting school year
Dear Keystone Families,
It’s hard to believe the first week of school is already behind us! We’ve seen so much excitement and eagerness to learn. Let’s keep this positive energy flowing and make this school year the best one yet!
Thank you to all the families that came to Back to School night last week for students in kindergarten, second, and fourth grade. This Tuesday, September 10th, from 6:00-7:00pm, we welcome our Keystone families to Back to School Night, for our learners that are in grades first, third, and fifth.
For any parents/guardians, who are still experiencing issues accessing their parent account please email icampus.portal@bristoltwpsd.org.
Please make sure after reading through the Student Handbook, Code of Conduct, and Internet Use Agreement, please complete the Handbook & Internet Use Agreement Form linked here.
Please take note of the picture day dates below and which grades are assigned to get their picture taken on which one of the assigned picture days. The goal is to make sure each student has the chance to get their photo taken before their recess time.
We are also looking for a new name for our newsletter this school year. Please see the contest details below. We will be accepting name submission until September 20th at 4:00pm.
If you child has a Keystone paw shirt we kindly ask that you consider having your child wear it on Fridays, as they are our Tiger Pride Days. Kindergarteners' will be getting their shirts in the near future. Also, be on the look out for a Spirt Wear fundraiser coming soon as well.
For anyone that enjoys going to Shady Brook Farms in the fall, please see the fundraiser flyer below. The code will not only save you 10 percent off your ticket purchases, but also provide us with a kickback that will help support our SWPBIS program and positive interventions and initiatives.
Thank you for your continued support and partnership. Together, we’ll make this school year a memorable and successful one for all our students!
Respectfully,
Mrs. Smith-Herman
Assistant Principal
Important Dates
Every Friday
Wear Keystone Paw Shirt
September
🍎Back to School Night🍎
Tuesday, September 10th for Grades 1, 3, 5- 6:00-7:00pm
Go Gold
Childhood Cancer Awareness Month
Please considerer wearing yellow or gold.
Friday, September 20th
📷Picture Days📷
Initial Picture Days will take place over two days;
September 26th (Grades- K, 1, 2)
September 27th (Grades- 3, 4, 5)
PTO Meeting
Sept 26th @4:30 in the library
October
Rosh Hashanah
October 3rd & 4th
No School/Offices Open
Professional Development in PM for Staff- 1:15pm Dismissal
Wednesday, October 16th
Looking Ahead
📷Picture Retakes📸
November 15th
🎵Winter Chorus and Band Concert🎵
December 11th at 7 pm
1st Trimester Conferences- 1:15pm Dismissal
December 12th-18th
Evening conferences- Thursday, December 12th
2nd Trimester Conferences- 1:15pm Dismissal
March 24-28th
Evening Conferences- Monday, March 24th
5th Grade Spirit Day
Wednesday, May 14th, with a rain date of Thursday, May 15th.
🎵Spring Chorus and Band Concert 🎵
May 14th at 7 pm
District Calendar- 2024-2025
Keystone Newsletter Naming Contest
We are looking for an awesome name to call our weekly school newsletter for the 2024-2025 school year!
Last year we had many awesome submissions and it was very difficult to choose. Ultimately, Raelynn Beattie's submission of Extra, Extra Keystone is All About It was selected as the name of Keystone's newsletter.
Students are able to suggest multiple names that they would like to be considered. The deadline for submissions will be by 4:00pm on Friday, September 20th. The student who submits the winning name will receive a gift card to Barnes and Nobel. Thank you and good luck!
Kindergarten Orientation
Family Submitted Photos- Kindergarten Orientation
Family Spotlight- Jacob Wilson- 1st Grader
This week's family spotlight is The Wilson Family. Many thanks to Mr. & Mrs. Wilson for the below submission.
"Jacob has been in karate for 4 months. He has just earned his FIRST BELT and we are SO EXCITED!!! He is one step closer to Black Belt. We are so proud of him and all of his accomplishments. May he continue to Excel in all aspects of life."
Sincerely,
Shanika & Matthew Wilson
Mrs. Smith-Herman and Mr. Wilicki are very proud of your accomplishments, Jacob! Congratulations on earning your very first belt! Never stop giving up on your dreams!
Fresh Fruit and Vegetables
We are excited to announce that Keystone once again has been awarded a grant for the upcoming school year for fresh fruits and vegetables again!
Brandon Lang, the district's Food Service Director, shared the following information in regard to the program;
The three main goals of the FFVP are to
- expand the variety of fruits and vegetables our students experience
- increase their consumption of fruits and vegetables
- to make a difference in children's diets to impact their present and future health.
For this year, I am happy to say that we will be partnering with Smart Partners LLC (again!). Smart Partners LLC is a company based in Lancaster that offers a "turn-key" program for the FFVP. They house roughly 100 different samplings of fruits and vegetables, many of which are locally grown specifically for this program. With these samples, they also send a monthly menu which includes spec sheets, product quizzers and a morning announcement.
Program Details:
Scheduling - Sampling of the produce will take place 3 days a week (Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday; - possible start date- September 10th
Distribution - Each classroom will receive samplings of the fresh fruit or vegetable of the day
SWPBIS Fundraiser
Please help support our SWPBIS program at Keystone. In doing so you will save SAVE 10% off your fall fun tickets at Shady Brook Farm and help Keystone raise money for positive behavior initiatives and SWPBIS!
How to Update Parent/Guardian Contact Information in the Parent Portal
Any issues with Infinite Campus Parent Portal account please email icampus.portal@bristoltwpsd.org .
Handbook & Internet Use Agreement Acknowledgement & Signature Page
Students and parents are asked to review the Student Handbook and Code of Conduct (including the Internet Use Agreement) thoroughly and in its entirety for each student attending Bristol Township Schools. Knowledge of this information is essential to the student's overall success at Bristol Township Schools. After reviewing the Handbook and Code of Conduct (including Internet Use Agreement) on the Bristol Township School District website please complete this acknowledgement form. Failure to complete the electronic form will result in implied acknowledgement.
In order to assure the school staff that all concerned persons are familiar with the information in the Student Handbook, we ask each student and parent/guardian to review the Handbook and Code of Conduct on line. If you do not have access to the internet, there are a small number of printed copies available at your child's school. Parents and students are required to indicate with their name in the answer box that the Handbook has been reviewed.
Student Handbook and Code of Conduct (including Internet Use Agreement) Acknowledgement & Signature Page Student & Parent/Guardian. Please complete one for each student.
Please click on following link to sign; Handbook & Internet Use Agreement Acknowledgement
Welcome New Staff Members to the Keystone Family
We are thrilled to welcome some wonderful new members to our Keystone community! Please join us in extending a warm welcome to our new School Nurse, Michele Gentilcore, our new Assistant Principal Secretary, Heather Saeger, and Second Grade Teacher, Sydney Fondl.
We’re excited to see the positive impact that Michele, Heather, and Sydney will bring to our school. Their passion and dedication are sure to enrich our community and support our students' growth. Thank you for joining us in welcoming them aboard, and let’s look forward to a fantastic year ahead together!
Pictured: Michele Gentilcore
Pictured: Heather Saeger
Car Seat Check Up Event
Back To School Nights
September Educational Videos
September
Hispanic Heritage Month
Paralympic Games- August 28th-September 8th
Grandparents Day- September 10th
Meal Account Information- School Cafe
New for the 2024-2025 School Year!
Starting the 2024-2025 school year, The Bristol Township School District will be using School Café as the management system for school meal accounts. If your student(s) had funds on their My School Account, the positive balance will be transferred to their School Café account!
School Café allows you to:
- Add funds to your student’s account. As a reminder – Meals are FREE this year but you can still add funds so that your student can purchase snacks, beverages or additional lunches.
- View student transaction history – View your students purchases
- Low Balance Notification – Receive a notification when your student’s balance is low
If you would like to create an account to add funds to your student’s meal account Click here
Click below for step-by-step instructions on
how to create an account, add students, make payments and set up low balance alerts
English Spanish
Other ways to add funds to your student’s account
- Check – Please make checks payable to the Bristol Township School District.
- Cash – Cash can be applied to your student’s account at one of our registers.
Free Breakfast & Lunch at School
Exciting News: No-cost meals continue for the 2024-2025 School Year!
Dear Parent or Guardian:
We are pleased to inform you that the Bristol Township School District will be continuing the provision known as the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) in 2024-2025 school year.
This program is available to schools and districts that are participating in the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs.
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.
No further action is required of you. Your child(ren) will be able to participate in this meal program without paying a fee or submitting an application.
If you have a student who attends Bucks County Technical High School or another school outside of our district, please reach out to that school for information on program benefits and eligibility.
If we can be of any further assistance, please contact us at the telephone number or e-mail address below.
Sincerely,
Brandon Lang | Food Service Director | 267-599-2037 | Brandon.Lang@bristoltwpsd.org
Keystone Family Spotlight
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!
First Day of School Photos- September 3rd, 2024
SHADYBROOK FALL FUNDRAISER
Talking Points for Families- School/Home Communication Platform
Bristol Township School District TalkingPoints is a messenger tool that allows teachers to connect and communicate with parents and families across any language. Teachers can communicate with parents via text messaging or via a phone or internet-connected device in their native language.
The following video was created for our district as well; https://drive.google.com/file/d/1WFqE5ynppOz6PZa2-A7JTHoBKild3zid/view
POLICIES
Attendance Policy
- 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.
PROCEDURES
Dismissal Changes Communication
In order to maintain the safety of all our learners, we are asking that families alert teachers, in writing, for any transportation/dismissal plan changes prior to 9am 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 Policies and Procedures
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.
Kid Time- Before and After School Clild Care
Title 1
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 .
CONTACT INFORMATION
School Counselors and Social Worker
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
Anti-Bullying/Climate Specialist
Health Office
Michele Gentilcore
Certified School Nurse 267-599-2473 or 2490
michele.kershaw@bristoltwpsd.org
TBD
Staff Nurse 267-599-2496
Christine Kelly (M, T, TH, F after 12:30 PM)
Staff Nurse 267-599-2473
Christine.Kelly@bristoltwpsd.org
Nurses' fax number is 215-788-1516.
Office Staff
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
Additional Information Links
For additional information please click on the buttons below.