Welcome to week 4 of the school year and to the beginning of autumn. We have a very busy week starting on Monday.

Monday starts our week of "Start with Hello." (See further down in newsletter for more information.) On Monday we also are asking all students and staff to wear purple for Chiari Malformation Awareness. On Wednesday, we are asking that everyone wear green to symbolize unity, inclusivity, and solidarity. We have picture day on Thursday (K,1,2) and Friday (3rd, 4th, 5th). For students not participating in picture day on Thursday, please consider to wear yellow for Childhood Cancer Awareness. Thursday, September 26th at 4:30pm there will be a PTO meeting. All parents/guardians are welcome to attend.

Picture day forms will be sent home on Monday. If you would like to order online please visit https://www.barksdalestorefront.com/store/event_login/ . ( Access code: QTSDH5ALTA )

Paw shirts for our kindergarten students have been ordered. It typically takes a few weeks for us to receive the shirts after placing the order.

We currently have a Shady Brook Farm fundraiser running to help support our SWPBIS program at Keystone. By using the code in the flyer further down in the newsletter you will SAVE 10% off your fall fun tickets at Shady Brook Farm and help Keystone raise money for positive behavior initiatives and SWPBIS!

We received many creative and awesome newsletter names. Please see the poll below to vote for your favorite. You can vote starting now until Saturday. Good luck to all who submitted a name!

Have a wonderful week!

Respectfully,

Mrs. Smith-Herman & Mr. Wilicki

Assistant Principal & Principal

Wear Keystone Paw Shirt

September 23rd (kindergarten)

Wear PURPLE on Monday, September 23rd

September 23rd- September 27th

This is a call-to-action week dedicated to making new social connections & creating a sense of belonging among youth.

September 25th

We are asking all staff & students to wear the color Green to symbolize unity, inclusivity, and solidarity.

Initial Picture Days will take place over two days;

September 26th (Grades- K, 1, 2)

September 27th (Grades- 3, 4, 5)

Thursday, September 26th

If not participating is picture day, please consider wearing yellow.

Sept 26th @4:30 in the library

October 3rd & 4th

No School/Offices Open

Wednesday, October 16th

Must RSVP- see flyer below

October 15th

5:30-7:30pm

November 15th

December 11th at 7 pm

December 12th-18th

Evening conferences- Thursday, December 12th

March 24-28th

Evening Conferences- Monday, March 24th

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

This year Keystone Elementary will be celebrating "Start with Hello Week" from 9/23-9/27.

Start with Hello Week is an initiative through the Sandy Hook Promise. This is a call-to-action week dedicated to making new social connections & creating a sense of belonging among youth. It has been proven that social connection is good for mental and physical health and can combat loneliness and isolation.

Throughout the week our students will be welcomed to school by some surprise visitors, taught about how the word “Hello” can make a difference to so many, and they will be encouraged to greet others around the building. On Wednesday 9/25, we are asking all staff & students to wear the color Green to symbolize unity, inclusivity, and solidarity. We are excited to celebrate our first Start with Hello Week and we hope our students enjoy the week.

We received many awesome submissions for a new name for our weekly newsletter. It is now you time to vote on which name you would like to see as our new weekly newsletter's name for this school year. Voting will be open now until Saturday, September 28th.

Good luck to all who submitted a newsletter name!

2nd Grade- Mrs. Nober's Class

Mrs. Nober’s class participated in a global celebration of creativity, courage and collaboration. We worked together to create a masterpiece, just by making a mark and seeing where it takes us.
We painted, dot a dot, used pom poms, coffee filters and markers to create one of a kind art.
We had an amazing day learning and creating!

2nd Grade- Ms. McCallister's Room

Kindergarten- Ms. Murphy's Class

Kindergarten- Ms. Mount's Class

2nd Grade- Mrs. Claudio

3rd Grade- Ms. David

5th grade- Team B- Schweiker, Branton, Campbell

Please RSVP at https://bit.ly/keystonedinner

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 Fridays)

Distribution - Each classroom will receive samplings of the fresh fruit or vegetable of the day

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!

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!

On Fridays, we encourage all our staff and students to wear their Keystone paw shirts.

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

Please consider helping support our BTSD family and friends to spread awareness for Chiari Malformation.

Wear PURPLE on Monday, September 23rd for Chiari Malformation Awareness Month.

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.

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.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.

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.