Welcome to the GES Week In Review (WIR).

The WIR will be sent out weekly during the school year. In the WIR you will find upcoming dates and information relevant to your child here at GES. Please review regularly to stay abreast of the exciting things happening at Gilbertsville Elementary School.

October 25 GES HSA Trunk or Treat

October 28 Fall Picture Retakes 10am-11am

November 5 No School

November 11 Veterans Day -Wear Red, White and Blue

November 13 World Kindness Day-Wear a Cardigan to School Day

November 15 Unity Store in lobby

November 25-27 Early Dismissal

AM Kindergarten: 8:45 am - 10:35 am

PM Kindergarten: 10:35 am - 12:25 pm

Grades 1-5: 8:45 am - 12:25 pm

November 28-December 2-Thanksgiving Break-No School

We will be following a 6-day cycle for school this year. Your child's special schedule will be based on the cycle days rather than days of the week. For your planning, the next 2 weeks of school cycle days are listed below.

Week of October 28

Monday-Day 1

Tuesday-Day 2

Wednesday-Day 3

Thursday-Day 4

Friday-Day 5

Week of November 4

Monday-Day 6

Tuesday-No School

Wednesday-Day 1

Thursday-Day 2

Friday-Day 3

Our Trunk or Treat registration is now open! Please use the link below to register your family. This event is for GES families and immediate siblings only. Please follow the steps below to ensure you are fully registered for this event. Tickets will be sent home with the OLDEST child at GES on Thursday, October 24th. The trunk-or-treat committee would like to remind everyone that they have worked hard to create a positive and exciting experience for all families. Please only select the amount of tickets you need for your immediate family. We would like to accommodate as many GES families as possible in the 2 hour time limit.

Trunk or Treat 2024

1. Select a time slot to attend.
2. Record the total number of tickets you need including ADULTS and immediate family members in the QUANTITY box.
3. CONFIRM the total number of tickets you need. If these numbers do not match, you will be asked to redo your order.
4. CONFIRM the time slot you have selected.
5. Include your OLDEST student's first and last name and homeroom teacher.
6. Submit the form.

Click on the We Video link below to see this week's Where Are They Now GES Graduate Highlight.

We need you! Are you a GES grad? Do you know a GES grad? I am looking for your stories to help motivate our students about the possibilities for their future. If you are interested in contributing to our Where Are They Now announcements, please email Mrs. Petri at spetri@boyertownasd.org. Thank you!

Was your child eligible for free or reduced-price meals during the 2023-2024 school year? The Federal Government provides a 30-day grace period at the beginning of every school year for participating families to submit their required annual renewal application. The grace period ends on Tuesday, October 8, 2024. Families that have not completed their application for 2024-2025 will be charged for lunches beginning on Wednesday, October 9th. If you’re still in need of this program and have not submitted your annual application, please visit www.schoolcafe.com as soon as possible.

Full details regarding the program, including Federal Income Guidelines and the 2024-2025 Homebound Letter, are included in the Food Services Information Packet for 2024-2025. https://secure.smore.com/n/ztpme

Please see below for information on the Holiday Giving Program. Families interested in the Holiday Help should submit the application below directly to the multi-service. If you need a hard copy please reach out to Ms. Weber or Mrs. Petri. The multi-service will be checking with local schools and agencies to make sure that this is the only Holiday Help your family is applying for.

Please read the letter below explaining how this program works here at Gilbertsville. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out. Thank you for partnering in your child’s education.

Parent drop off in the morning:

• Parents must stay at their cars and may not walk their child to the building, You may assist your child getting out of their seat if needed but need to be conscious of the car line
• Be patient and stay in line. Parents should NOT go around other cars.
• Be cautious when exiting the drop off area, you will be merging with the busses.

Afternoon Dismissal/Parent Pick up:

• Please have yellow card in windows to help with speedy pick up.
• Do not use cell phone while in the parent pick up line. We want your attention on the students coming out of the building.
• If you are not a regular pick up parent/guardian, write a note including the name of the adult who is picking your child(ren) that day. This needs to be done daily as our pick up supervision changes some days.
• Please have your ID and be patient as we make sure all students are sent safely to their cars
• Please follow the car line one car behind the other do not pull up ahead or closer to the door
• Please do NOT go around other cars for safety reasons
• Be cautious when exiting the pick up area, you will be merging with the busses.
  

If you are planning to transport your child to school every school day, please complete the google form indicating the adults that you give permission to pick up your child after school. As we work through the first few weeks of school we ask for your patience as we all get used to our transportation procedures. Thank you in advance for that.

Click here to complete the Parent Pick Up Dismissal Form

(Only complete this form if your student will be picked up every school day. Otherwise, please send a note/email to the teacher on the days when your student will be picked up.)

Click here for a pdf version of Parent Drop-off and Pick-Up Maps and Procedures

Dear Parents of Multilingual Learners,

It's time to schedule a meeting with your child's ESL teacher. This is an excellent opportunity to discuss your child's English Language Development and address any questions you may have about their school experience. This is a great way to stay informed and engaged in your child's education.

Please use the link to select a time that works best for you: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20F0B44AEAB23AAF94-51126482-meet

I look forward to connecting with you and working together to support your child's success.

Best regards,

Mrs. Patti Baumgard

ESL Coordinator

LINK to 2024-2025 Student Handbook

Boyertown Area School District has developed a district-wide Student Handbook. The handbook is comprised of four areas:

1. Information that applies to all students
2. Additional information for our elementary schools
3. Additional information for our middle schools
4. Additional information for our high school

The book has a Table of Contents with hyperlinks that allow you to easily navigate to topics and sections throughout the document. It contains links to our forms, website, and the Board of School Directors’ policies.

Our student handbook is a working document and, therefore, subject to ongoing changes in information, personnel, processes, board policies, and more. We will update this page with the updated information if we need to add or change content.

Please contact your building principal with any questions or concerns regarding the Student Handbook.

If you are sending your child to school with a cell phone or smart watch, please review the expectation outlined in our district handbook related to students having these items in school. If your child has a smart watch, please put it on school mode during school hours. If your child is using their smart watch for anything other then telling time during the school day, they may lose the privilege to wear it during school hours.

Excerpt from District Handbook:

Cellular Telephones and Other Devices Cellular telephones and other devices must be: (1) turned off; (2) kept in the student’s book bag upon arrival at school and remain there until dismissal unless the device is approved for student use by an administrator. Repeat offenders must have the parent/guardian retrieve the phone and may be subject to disciplinary measures. The Boyertown Area School District is not responsible for lost or stolen cellular telephones at school.

● Head Lice: Please check your child regularly for lice and remind them not to share items and to be cognizant of personal space. Please refer to the district's lice policy. Contact the nurse if you have any questions.

● If your child is not feeling well, please keep them at home. If your child arrives at school not feeling well (and does not have a fever), they will be encouraged to try to complete the school day. Please see the BASD sick policy.

● If your child is in Kindergarten, or new to the district, please make sure that the nurse has all of the required health information (PA Physical Exam form, PA Dental Exam form, and all required immunizations with the correct spacing). If you have any questions, please contact the school nurse. If the school is missing any information, you should have received an email requesting the needed documentation.

● Mandated Health Screens: See the district’s policy regarding the mandated health screens. The school nurse will begin screenings during the month of October.

● Please remind your child(ren) not to share lunch and/or snacks. There are several students with food allergies and/or food sensitivities.

● Please remind your child(ren) to come to school with a refillable water bottle each day. There are water refilling stations in the student halls.

● If food items are brought in by students for birthday celebrations, they must be pre-packed with all allergen information listed.

● Please remind your child(ren) to wear closed toe and comfortable shoes as they will be going outside for recess as the weather allows (please discourage crocs).

● Please keep a spare change of clothing in your child’s backpack for lunchroom spills and accidents. Although we have some clothing in the heath room, we have limited sizes and selection.

● If your child requires medication during the school day (including prescription and over the counter (OTC) medication), please complete the district’s medication administration form. New orders are required each school year.

● 3rd graders will need to provide the Family Dental Form. Dental visits completed after 7/1/23 are acceptable for this requirement.

Please see below for information from the Health Room.

Food Service Newsletter

Reporting an absence: If your child is not feeling well and cannot attend school, please email attendance at AttendanceGES@boyertownasd.org, or use the link below to inform the school that your child will not be present due to an illness, or appointment. https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScvtpG7SKITdNqliElSWvB9u4el72hJiIntaN9LFeyTuq8TnQ/viewform

Educational Trip: Parents/Guardians must complete an Educational Trip Form 2 days prior to your child's absence. **Please note that failure to submit a trip form prior to departure will result in trip days being counted as an unlawful absence.

BASD hosts an online Community Bulletin Board. The electronic bulletin board features district and community activities, events, clubs, resources, and more. The board is updated regularly and is an excellent source of information regarding things happening throughout our community and beyond. Be sure to check it out regularly!

Canva is also used in the creation of this newsletter.

Any additional applicable copyright information for items used throughout the newsletter will be provided on a use-by-use basis.

Gilbertsville Elementary
36 Congo Road
Gilbertsville, PA 19525
(610) 369-7485