Narwhal Newsletter
April 7th, 2024
Hello Marsh Creek,
I hope that everyone is having a great weekend. This week, our students across the district will have the opportunity to observe a solar eclipse. The eclipse will partially darken the skies across PA, with the peak occurring between 3:15 and 3:20 on Monday afternoon. Please see below for more information on how our students will be provided with the opportunity to observe this rare event. On Monday evening, several Marsh Creek students will be honored at our DASD Board Meeting for their submissions to the District's Art Gallery. Take a look below at the amazing artwork that our students have created this year! On Thursday evening, our HSA is hosting the annual Dodgeball Tournament for our students. Please see below for more details related to this event. Over the coming weeks, we will be sharing information related to this year's administration of the PSSA Assessment. We are going to continue to emphasize to our students the idea of "No Stress, Try your Best" as it comes to taking their assessments. We will be sharing more detailed information related to the PSSA administration this year over the next few weeks, but please know that we are so proud of all of our students, no matter what! Finally, as many of you are aware, this week was very difficult for a number of our students and families that are grieving the loss of our friend and student Frankie Knowles. Please know that our counseling team will be available to support any students that are experiencing grief due to the loss of their classmate. Below, within the Counselors Corner portion of our newsletter, you will find some resources to assist you and your family with supporting our students at home, and if we can assist in any way, please reach out to us so that we may assist. My heart goes out to the Knowles family during this difficult time, and all that have been impacted by their loss are constantly in my thoughts. We look forward to seeing the students return tomorrow morning for a special day.
-Matt
This week at Marsh Creek - Week of April 7th
Monday - 4/8
- Solar Eclipse - Modified Schedule (See below)
Wednesday - 4/10
- School Closed for Students - Eid al-Fitr - Professional Development
Thursday - 4/11
- HSA Annual Dodgeball Tournament - 6:00-7:30 - Marsh Creek Gym
Friday - 4/12
- ELD Family Night - East Ward Elementary School
Notable Upcoming Dates
- PSSA Testing Dates
ELA- April 23-25
Math- April 29-30
Autism Acceptance Month
April is Autism Acceptance Month. The theme, “Celebrate Differences,” will be running for its 5th year. Join us as we raise awareness to promote autism acceptance, to celebrate each individual’s unique differences, and to foster inclusivity and connectedness. It’s a time to renew our commitment to honor the unique perspectives of people living with autism and support children with autism and their families, helping each child reach their full potential.
Solar Eclipse
This Monday, our area will be able to experience a solar eclipse, and we have partnered with our district team to obtain approved glasses for our students, so that they will be able to view the eclipse prior to dismissal. We will be running a modified schedule, which will end with the students in their Advisory classroom at the end of the day. Students will be provided with the safety glasses, and will be escorted by our teachers outside to view the eclipse prior to boarding their school bus around 3:30. Students that would prefer to remain inside will be provided with the option to view the eclipse through the NASA livestream, which we will broadcast for students.
DASD Message to Famiies
In our K-6 schools, we have purchased approved solar viewing glasses for each student which comply with the ISO 12312-2 international standard. This is, in part, to provide an opportunity for students to safely view the eclipse. The glasses also afford a safety measure, as K-6 students will be on buses during the second half of the experience.
For any parent/guardian who would like their child to be home during the eclipse, please follow the standard early dismissal procedures for your child’s school.
For your reference, we've included some resources below to learn more about the eclipse and how to view it safely:
- Eclipse Safety: NASA - Total Solar Eclipse Safety
- PA Viewing Information: PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resources - 2024 Solar Eclipse in Pennsylvania
- NASA Live Stream of Event: 2024 Total Solar Eclipse Broadcast
Dodgeball Tournament
HSA Narwhal Dodgeball Tournament
Thursday, April 11th 6:00 pm- 7:30 pm
MC6 Gym
The annual Marsh Creek Narwhal Dodgeball Tournament is around the corner!
Parents, if you are interested in helping, please click on the link below. Parents are not permitted to attend unless they are signed up for volunteering.
A Day at the Creek
The Chester County Tobacco-Free Coalition Contest
April 1st was the Take Down Tobacco, National Day of Action; a day that exposes the tactics tobacco companies use to target young people. The Chester County Tobacco-Free Coalition honored students by awarding the top four winners of our annual anti-vaping meme contest. They received over 180 entries from 6th, 7th and 8th grade students across Chester County and had an overwhelming response from our Marsh Creek 6th grade students! Thank you to our teachers, Ms. Pontzer, Ms. Deamer, Ms. Wallin and Ms. Britton for promoting the contest for our students!
Here are our winners:
HM: Lilah Witherspoon
3rd: Gabriella Mariani
2nd: Kennedy Schmitt
1st: Diya Umesh Sarathy
Artwork Spotlight of the Month
Congratulations to Lily Broadhead, Emily Lin, Sofya Seraya, Ellie Rotoloni and Bradley Stockton! These 5 artists have had their artwork chosen to be on display at the K-12 Trestle Art Gallery for the next two years, which is in the main meeting rooms at Trestle Place Administration Building. These student artists will be honored at the April 8th school board meeting.
Welcome to Marsh Madness!
Thank you for supporting and encouraging our students as they build their skills and confidence related to math! Just prior to Spring Break, we completed the Marsh Madness Event for our students. Overall, our students completed an additional 6,098 hours of practice skills in the IXL program, and completed over 43,000 skills assignments! I cannot say how proud I am of all of our students for their effort this month! A special Congratulations to our students on A team, for winning the Bracket Challenge by completing the most skills over the past weeks!
ELD Family Night
The Downingtown Area School District has a diverse population that continues to grow and expand. We have families from many countries across the world. Combined, these families speak over 40 languages. This diversity enhances our DASD community.
To help these families feel welcome and connected, the DASD’s English Language Development (ELD) team hosts an annual ELD Family Night. The event will take place on Friday, April 12th from 6:00-7:30pm at East Ward Elementary School.
The ELD Team will be raffling off prize baskets. We are asking for theme items and gift cards. Any donation is appreciated. If you are interested in donating to this event, please use the link below to access the Amazon Wish List created by our families.
A collection bin will also be located in the front office. Thank you!!
POD Pride Update
Downingtown Library Community Book Sale
The Friends of the Downingtown Library have scheduled a community book sale and would greatly appreciate donations from our families and staff. A box will be placed in the main office for anyone that would like to make a book donation.
The Downingtown Library thanks you for considering this request to provide affordable reading materials to our community families while ultimately benefiting the library as well.
Aidan's Heart Foundation CPR Certification Fundraiser
HELP SUPPORT OUR COMMUNITY'S YOUNG HEART HEROES!
Aidan’s Heart Foundation wants to provide FREE CPR certification classes for current Marsh Creek Narwhals! Please donate today to help make this possible!
Nearly all of our 1,100 Narwhals participated in basic CPR+AED skills training this past January with Aidan’s Heart Foundation. Recently, 30 members of the Marsh Creek Aidan's Heart Club received their official American Heart CPR certification cards. Now, the organization, in partnership with Good Fellowship Training Institute, wants to offer FREE certification classes to current Narwhals who want to take their skills to the next level. Please make a donation toward the foundation’s CPR Training programs to help provide three CPR classes this spring.
Please note, your donation helps support general AHF youth CPR training programs. It does not guarantee your child a spot in one of the upcoming certification classes at Marsh Creek. Interested students will be selected by random lottery. Information about how to register for the lottery will be coming out shortly.
Last year, we were able to certify all of the students who expressed interest, due to the generosity of the Marsh Creek school community! Please support Aidan’s Heart today!
Community and Family Support - Backpack Boost Program
This program provides supplemental nourishment for our students. Participating students receive a bag of non-perishable food items every Wednesday, which will be distributed in a discreet and caring manner by our staff. Click on the flyer below to complete the confidential form so that we can help in any way that we can.
Counselor's Corner
Greetings from the Marsh Creek Counseling Department! We will use this area to keep you in the loop with updates from our department as well as helpful resources throughout the year. Please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions or concerns. We are here to help!
As we face the loss of our friend and student Frankie Knowles, please know our counselors are available to support you and your student during this very difficult time. Below are some resources for supporting your child. Please do not hesitate to reach out to your child’s counselor for additional support.
Developmental Responses to Grief
Tips for Supporting Grieving Children
Helping Children Cope with Fear After a Death
Responding to Grief in your Community
Insight into Grieving Children
A Haven Grief Support
Check out these community resources!
A great local resource! Communities That Care offers groups, blogs and podcasts to support parents and guardians in the Downingtown area.
Click here for more information.
Please encourage your child to check out the Marsh Creek Counseling Department Schoology course. It’s filled with lots of great resources including stress management strategies, study skills, directions for how to check your grades and more!
As always, reach out if you need anything!
2023-24 Yearbooks
Attention Parents and Guardians: Online yearbook sales ended on March 31st. Fortunately, we still have yearbooks available for sale. Remind your child to listen carefully to the morning announcements to learn when the yearbooks will be on sale again. (Date TBD). They will be sold on a first-come, first-served basis for $30. We cannot reserve any books at this point. Thank you for your understanding.
Any Questions? Please contact:
Mrs. Allen at lallen@dasd.org or Mrs. Leister at rleister@dasd.org.
Chromebook Care
The most frequent damage to a Chromebook is a cracked screen. Follow these tips to avoid damage.
- Always carry a Chromebook closed. Never hold a Chromebook by its screen and always use two hands to carry the device.
- If carrying the device from classroom to classroom, hold the Chromebook close to your chest much like a hug.
- Be sure to set a Chromebook on a flat surface during use and avoid slanted, uneven surfaces which could lead to the device sliding off and dropping to the floor.
For more tips about protecting your device, and information related to getting a protective case for your device, click the following link to our technology page. Thank you for your assistance!
https://www.dasd.org/departments/technology/11-technology-initiative/chromebook-care
Clubs and Intramurals
Below is a link to the Activities page on our Marsh Creek website, which has been updated with all information that students and parents will need to engage in our extracurricular programs. It contains information related to the options available this year, as well as information related to Activity Fees, and the Activity Shuttle Bus. Students can work with our teachers to pick up information and to express interest in the activities offered this year.
Cultural Connections Club
Join MC6 Cultural Connections Club!
The CCC will allow students to get together once a month for group discussions, activities, leadership opportunities, and games. It will be a fun way to make new friends while celebrating diversity and strengthening our connection to the school community.
There is still time to join MC Cultural Connections Club! Sign Up Here -
MC6 Cultural Connections Club Interest Form
“We are more alike, my friends, than we are unalike.” ~ Maya Angelou
Marsh Creek Home and School Association (HSA)
Thank you to our HSA for all that they have done this year to support our students and staff! We are so lucky to have a wonderful team of parents willing to help Marsh Creek. If you are interested in participating in our HSA this year, please consider joining us for future meetings. If you would like to contact our HSA to find other ways to support our students and school, please feel free to contact them at marshcreekhsa@gmail.com.
Inclusion in the Workplace
Join us for a groundbreaking online program: "Inclusion in the Workforce with 321 Coffee"!
Discover the inspiring journey of Michael Evans '17, a proud DASD alumnus, who co-founded 321 Coffee—a revolutionary coffee shop and roaster in Raleigh, NC. With a mission built on inclusion, 321 Coffee proudly employs over 50 adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). From roasting the coffee to crafting the perfect latte, these individuals are at the heart of the operation, showcasing the power of an inclusive business model.
In this special event, Michael will share his story, from inception at North Carolina State University to the expansion of 321 Coffee to multiple locations across North Carolina. Learn firsthand about the challenges and triumphs of fostering a culture of inclusivity in the workforce.
But that's not all! Following Michael's presentation, we'll dive deeper into the topic of workforce inclusion with a panel featuring 321 Coffee baristas Logan and Megan. Gain valuable insights and perspectives as they share their experiences, challenges, and successes in their roles at 321 Coffee.
Don't miss this incredible opportunity to learn, connect, and be inspired by the transformative power of inclusion in the workforce. Mark your calendars and join us for "Inclusion in the Workforce with 321 Coffee."
Registration Link: https://downingtown-area-school-district.ticketleap.com/inclusion-in-the-workforce-with-321-coffee/details
Anxiety and Unmet Needs
Join us for an insightful virtual presentation on addressing student anxiety and unmet needs with Brendan Mahan, M.Ed., M.S.!
- Date: Tuesday, April 30th
- Time: 3:45 PM
- Location: Online via Zoom
Register Here: https://downingtown-area-school-district.ticketleap.com/anxiety--unmet-needs-with-brendan-mahan/details
In collaboration with the Downingtown Area School District, Brendan Mahan brings his expertise to shed light on crucial strategies to support our students in overcoming anxiety and reaching their full potential.
During this engaging 30-minute session, Brendan will delve into the intricacies of anxiety, exploring its impact on student behavior and performance. Drawing from his wealth of knowledge, he will introduce practical approaches rooted in Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs, offering valuable insights into addressing the underlying causes of anxiety.
What to Expect:
- Understanding the mechanics of anxiety and its effects on student performance.
- Exploring Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs as a framework for identifying and addressing student anxieties.
- Learning effective communication strategies to help students manage and reduce anxiety levels.
- Empowering students to navigate challenges with resilience and confidence.
This presentation is not just about understanding anxiety but equipping ourselves with actionable tools to support our students in their academic and personal growth journey.