UMPS News & Updates

Primary School Hours: 8:35 AM to 2:45 PM

Students should be in the classroom and ready to work at 8:35 AM

Email Attendance & Dismissal Changes to psattendance@umtsd.org

Nurse Emails to psnurse@umtsd.org

February 3-7: School Counseling Week

February 5: World Read Aloud Day Celebration @ 6:00 PM - 7:00 PM

February 6: First Friday (Pajamas & $1)

February 7: Eagles Spirit Day

February 10: 100th/101st Day of School Celebration

February 12: African American Read-In & Community Event @ 6:00 PM, UMMS

February 13: UMPS Friendship Day

February 14: No School (Staff Development)

February 17: District Closed (Presidents Day)

In February, classrooms will work to earn 70 pawprints to earn a classroom reward. Students who earn 5 pawprints will earn a brag tag and a chance to earn a token for our Book Vending machine and a R.O.A.R. t-shirt!

Congratulations to the classes that reached the January goal!

Grade K - Ms. Seeton, Mrs. Keller, Mrs. China, Ms. Bell, Ms. Sherron, Mr. Carroll, Ms. Wolfenden, Ms. Frank

Grade 1 - Ms. Robinson, Mrs. Standen, Ms. Ferguson, Mrs. Juckniewitz, Mrs. Hausher, Mrs. Shuttleworth, Mrs. Imnadze
Grade 2 - Mrs. Denardo, Mrs. Landis, Mrs. Hall, Mr. Merrill, Ms. Tracey

Perseverance is a key trait that plays an essential role in helping children navigate challenges and pursue long-term goals. As parents, you can foster this valuable skill by modeling and encouraging perseverance in everyday situations. Here are some ways you can support your child’s development of perseverance:

1. Model Resilience: Children often learn by observing their parents. Demonstrate how to overcome obstacles in your own life. Whether it’s a work challenge or a personal goal, show your child how you persevere, adapt, and keep trying.

2. Praise Effort, Not Just Results: Instead of focusing solely on outcomes, recognize and praise your child’s effort. Acknowledge their hard work, dedication, and determination. This reinforces the idea that persistence is more important than perfection.

3. Set Realistic Goals: Encourage your child to set small, achievable goals that gradually increase in difficulty. Celebrate milestones along the way to build their confidence and teach them that success is a process that takes time.

4. Embrace Mistakes as Learning Opportunities: Help your child see that failure is part of growth. When they make mistakes, guide them in reflecting on what went wrong and how to improve. This will help them understand that setbacks are temporary, and they can keep moving forward.

5. Provide Encouragement During Tough Times: When challenges arise, offer your support and encouragement. Be a source of motivation and remind them of their capabilities. A reassuring voice can help your child push through difficult moments.

6. Teach Patience: Perseverance requires patience. Encourage your child to take their time and remind them that meaningful progress often takes effort over a long period. Help them understand the value of waiting for results, whether in school, sports, or personal pursuits.

By consistently reinforcing these ideas, you will help your child build the perseverance they need to overcome challenges and achieve their goals.

Upper Moreland Primary and Intermediate School Administrators and Staff have been observing multiple vehicles passing others waiting to enter campus. This creates a safety hazard as this is a NO passing Zone. Moving forward, staff will be redirecting vehicles back to wait in line to enter campus. Safety is our utmost priority and the risk of a collision is too high to permit this to continue. We ask for your continued cooperation to keep our elementary campus safe for everyone.

Show your Eagles pride! This Friday, February 7, is Eagles Spirit Day at UMTSD!

Students & staff are encouraged to wear their Eagles gear or anything green to support our team as they take on the Kansas City Chiefs in the SUPERBOWL this Sunday!

GO BIRDS! 🦅

When: Monday, February 10th at 7 PM

Where: Intermediate School Art Room

Volunteer meeting for the Art Goes to School program here at U.M. If interested in volunteering or want more information please email agtsatum@gmail.com or visit our Art Goes to School Upper Moreland Chapter Facebook page.

Our UMPS & UMIS Food Pantry is officially open! If your family is in need of any food items, please contact one of our school counselors or district social worker.

• Gr. K & 1 Counselor - Bella Pettinato, bpettinato@umtsd.org
• Gr. 2 & 3 Counselor - Tyler Groody, tgroody@umtsd.org
• Gr. 4 & 5 Counselor - Christie Foley, cfoley@umtsd.org
• Social Worker - Melissa Montella, mmontella@umtsd.org

Mark your calendars for our February First Friday. Please note that February's First Friday will be held on THURSDAY, February 6th supporting Children's Hopsital of Philadelphia. Students may bring in a $1 and wear pajamas!

We look forward to celebrating the 100th Day of the 2024-2025 school year at UMPS! Due to Eagles Spirit Day on February 7th, we will have our 100th Day celebration on Monday, February 10th (the 101st day of school). We invite staff and students to dress up as "100 years old" OR as "101 Dalmations!"

UMPS will celebrate Friendship Day on Thursday, February 13th. Students are invited to bring in valentines to distribute to their classmates on this day. Valentines that have a treat attached must be non-edible items. The HSA will provide a snack to each student - thank you!

The UMES HSA Popcorn Fundraiser has been extended to February 14th! Don't miss out on your chance to support our school and enjoy some delicious popcorn. Hurry and place your orders now before it's too late!

#UMESHSA #PopcornFundraiser #SupportOurSchool

Educational needs and funding change frequently. To keep up with these changes and expenses, our school partners with Weis Markets in their annual Weis 4 School Program. Register your Weis Rewards card online at weis4school.com or by scanning the QR code on this flyer.

On the homepage of weis4school.com, enter Upper Moreland Elementary in the Search for Schools box. Then select the LINK YOUR WEIS REWARDS CARD. Enter all required information and select SUBMIT. Once you register, you're in the program for this year. The sooner you register and shop the sooner you're helping us earn money for our school. Please be sure to register ASAP.

By participating in this program, you can earn money for our school simply by shopping and using your Weis Rewards Card. If you don't have a Weis Rewards Card, visit weis.com through this link to create an account.

Please share this information with your friends and family. The more interest and enthusiasm we generate, the greater the benefits to our school.

WHEN? February 5 @ 6:00 PM - 7:00 PM

WHERE? Upper Moreland Elementary Center

WHAT? Come listen to special guest readers, including...

• Local authors Jon Marshall & Amy Feldman
• UM Police & Fire Departments
• Some of your favorite UM Administration & Board Members

• Enjoy something from the hot chocolate bar
• Grab a special bookmark to color

All sessions will occur in the downstairs learning labs at the Intermediate School. Don’t forget to

grab your passport at the door and enjoy some hot chocolate in the cafeteria!

6:00 PM - 6:15 PM:

• Amanda Mills (Youth Services Librarian at UMFPL) reading There are no Bears in this Bakery - Julia Sarcone-Roach (5th grade LL)
• Dr. Criss (Primary School Principal) reading Iggy Peck, Architect - Andrea Beaty (5th grade LL)
• Chief Scott Bendig (UMPD) reading Where the Wild Things Are - Maurice Sendak (4th grade LL)
• Ieva Dovha (11th grade student) reading in Spanish Edi el elefante - Emily Ibrahim (4th grade LL)
• Ms. Antonuccio (Intermediate School Librarian) reading The Magic Word - Mac Barnett (3rd grade LL)
• Dr. Elliott (Superintendent) reading Two Bad Ants - Chris Van Alsburg(3rd grade LL)

6:15 PM - 6:30 PM:

• Amy Feldman (Local Author, Lawyer & Legal Correspondent) reading from her novel Ezra Exposed (5th grade LL)
• Dr. Bair (Intermediate School Principal) reading in Spanish Clifford El Perro Bombero - Norman Bridwell (5th grade LL)
• Mrs. Eastburn (Supervisor of STEAM) reading The Math Curse - John Sciezska (4th grade LL)
• Roxanna Senyshyn (Author, Penn State Abington Professor) reading in Ukrainian Велике місто, маленький зайчик, або Мед для мами (4th grade LL)
• Jolie Price (School Board Director) reading The Legend of Rock Paper Scissors - Drew Daywalt (3rd grade LL)
• Mrs. Gallagher (Supervisor of ELA & Humanities) reading What Do You Do With a Problem - Kobi Yamada (3rd grade LL)

6:30 PM - 6:45 PM:

• Jonathan Marshall (Local Author) reading from his own book If Dad Can Do It, So Can I (5th grade LL)
• Dr. Cannon (Assistant Superintendent) reading Jabari Jumps - Gaia Cornwall (5th grade LL)
• Mr. Ed Glassman (UM Fire Chief) reading Pete the Cat - James Dean (4th grade LL)
• Ms. Kilcollum (UM Reading Specialist) reading The Floating Field-How a Group of Thai Boys Built Their Own Soccer Field - Scott Kiley (4th grade LL)
• Kyle Magalona (11th grade student) reading in Spanish Si Le Das Un Pastelito A Un Gato Escrito - Laura Numeroff (3rd grade LL)

6:45 PM - 7:00 PM:

• Grant Rounds (School Board Director) reading Bear Snores On - Karma Wilson (5th grade LL)
• Mrs. Sullivan (UMPS Assistant Principal) reading Itty Bitty Kittycorn - Shannon Hale & Leuyen Pham (5th grade LL)
• Mrs. Lombardi (UM Reading Specialist) reading Chrysanthemum - Kevin Henkes (4th grade LL)
• Isabella Taurino (11th grade student) reading in Spanish Si Le Das Un Pastelito A Un Gato Escrito - Laura Numeroff (4th grade LL)
• April Stainback (School Board President) reading The Circus Ship - Chris VanDusen (3rd grade LL)
• Ms. McGill (Emotional Support Teacher) reading Hey, Little Ant - Phillip and Hannah Hoose (3rd grade LL)

The National African American Read-In (AARI) is an event to encourage communities to read together, centering African American books and authors. It was established in 1990 by the Black Caucus of the National Council of Teachers of English. (from NCTE)

Join us for our third annual AARI&C event at UMMS! All families and ages in the community are welcome! Wednesday, February 12, 6:00 PM - 7:30 PM, Upper Moreland Middle School.

Featuring:

• Local author Jonathan Marshall
• A performance by the middle school dance team, including a solo by London Warrick
• Local businesses including Nutz about Popcorn & The Sweet Spot
• Upper Moreland Free Public Library
• Literacy crafts & activities
• A book raffle
• Bookmarks made by the UMMS Crochet Club

Schedule:

• 6:00: Event begins! Come early to enjoy all the activities offered!
• 6:25: Lynette Smith from Nutz about Popcorn presentation on entrepreneurship
• 6:40: Local author Jonathan Marshall presentation
• 7:10: Dance team performance
• 7:25: Raffles pulled!
• 7:30: Event ends

Read Across America Week is a celebration of reading! We will "GLOW" together as we celebrate litearcy, books, and authors with a week of fun activities. Our UMPS Reading Committee has been working on fun, reading-themed activities for students to participate in all week long! Mark your calendars for our glow themed days and get reading!

• Monday, March 3 - "Get Your Glow On & Read" - Wear Neon Colors
• Tuesday, March 4 - "Golden Bears Glow" - Wear UM Gear or Purple/Gold
• Wednesday, March 5 - "Cosmic Glow Day!" - Wear something dark and get a surprise to light up the day!
• Thursday, March 6 - "Light Up Our School with Kindness" - Wear a shirt with a positive message
• Friday, March 7 - "Reading Makes Us Bright!" - Wear your "thinking cap" (favorite hat) and bring $1 to donate to Cradles to Crayons

Mark your calendars for Thursday, March 13th at 7:00 PM and join us at the Simmons Elementary School in Hatboro-Horsham School District for a special College Prep Night event.

This informative evening is jointly sponsored by State Rep. Nancy Guenst, State Rep. Melissa Cerrato, and PA Senator Maria Collett.

The event will feature a Q&A-style presentation with representatives from PHEAA and the Department of Treasury answering questions about:

• PA 529 Plans
• Financial Aid
• Scholarships
• FAFSA Applications & Deadlines
• Finding the Right Fit for Your Child

This is an excellent opportunity for families to gain valuable insights into planning for their child’s higher education. Don’t miss it!

• For information regarding Free & Reduced Meal Plans, please click here.
• If you have any questions regarding your account or Free & Reduced Meal plans, please contact our Food Services Department at umfoods@umtsd.org

• Along with school lunch, our cafeteria also has a variety of snacks and ice cream that are available for purchase. Did you know?

• You can load money onto your student's account through SchoolCafe.
• You can set restrictions for when and how much they are allowed to purchase snacks/ice cream.
• Classroom Catering: Cupcakes are no longer available. Click here for our options. No food for sharing in the classrooms are allowed to be brought in from the outside.

Breakfast is FREE for ALL Students during the 2024-25 School Year. Lunches are at cost.

We're excited to announce that we have transitioned to a new platform for processing applications and renewals.

If you have already been approved and are in our system, no action is required. The change only applies to new applicants and those renewing their applications.

For assistance with the online volunteer registration, please refer to the Volunteer Guide for an overview, or contact Human Resources Specialist, Matthew Mastrogiovanni, at mmastrogiovanni@umtsd.org for support.

• Attendance: Student absences, late arrivals, and early/change of dismissals should be reported in writing to the Upper Moreland Primary School attendance email at: psattendance@umtsd.org. It is recommended to also CC your student's homeroom teacher. Please make sure to include the student's first and last name as well as the homeroom teacher name. *We strongly encourage parents to send notifications and notes to this email prior to or on the day of a student’s absence.

• Student ID Badge Replacement: log in or create an account on the online fee payment center, (Payment center is available through the district website main page), select ID Replacement, follow directions to submit the $5 fee.

• Moving? If your family is planning to move out of the district or within the district, we need to hear from you in advance. Likewise, if your child will attend a private school, please also let us know in advance. Please use this link to learn what is needed for a smooth transition.

If you would no longer like to receive weekly email updates from Upper Moreland School District and wish to opt out from further communications, please email mmarass@umtsd.org.