Falcon Flash

Dear Stetson Families,

The message this week comes at the end of a busy time for the Stetson community.

The Stetson community continues to celebrate the ways our students and teachers show their PRIDE. On Wednesday, students who were nominated for a PRIDE card met with Stetson Administration to receive their First Marking Period reward. On Thursday, our Students of the Month for the month of October received their certificates and had their pictures taken for our hallway displays. Please be sure to visit our school Twitter page @GAStetsonMS to see our recent posts highlighting our new Students of the Month for October.

Today, we honored the men and women who have served in defense of our nation by having students view a Veterans Day slideshow in social studies class and during lunch. This presentation is one small way that our students and staff show their appreciation for the current and past members of the Armed Services. If you or anyone in your family has served, consider this as a small gesture of thanks.

A PDF version of the presentation that students viewed today is attached below.

Mrs. Puchalla

Friday, November 11th, students in their 7th grade Social Studies classes participated in a service project to honor our Veterans. Students wrote letters, cards, colored pictures and began to organize a donation drive and possible cookie drive to be shared with our Veterans at the VA Hospitals in Coatesville, PA and Philadelphia PA for the upcoming holiday season.

*If you are interested in donating/organizing please contact Mrs. Franciscus at kfranciscus@wcasd.net, Mrs. Fisher at sfisher@wcasd.net, and/or Mr. Logan at alogan@wcasd.net.

Additionally, students and staff throughout the building were invited to honor a family member or friend who served our country. Many thanks to those who shared. The slideshow was run throughout the day in Social Studies Classes and during student lunch in the cafeteria.

Monday, November 14th --- Day 3

Tuesday, November 15th--- Day 4 ***Falcon Period***

Wednesday, November 16th --- Day 5

Thursday, November 17th--- Day 6 ***Falcon Period***

Friday, November 18th --- Day 1

Monday, November 21st --- Day 2

Tuesday, November 22nd--- Day 3 (HALF DAY OF SCHOOL)

(PM Parent Teacher Conferences 1-4pm, 5-8pm)

Wednesday, November 23rd --- Day 4 (NO SCHOOL) (AM Parent Teacher Conferences 8-11am)

Great job and congratulations to all athletes that participated in our fall sports. We are currently starting our winter sports. Please stay tuned for more info as we move into our seasons.

***8th Grade designate to play at 3:15 pm first unless otherwise noted. 7th Grade typically starts around 4pm.***

It is Stetson’s mission to help all students maintain passing grades, however, if a student is failing two or more academic subjects, or one academic subject, and two unified arts classes, they will be placed on our ineligibility list. Students who are on the ineligibility list are unable to participate in any extracurricular sport/activity. A report is generated every Thursday to determine eligibility status for the following week. Parents will receive an email the Friday before the ineligible week and students will receive a letter in homeroom. Students are encouraged to check their grades frequently on PowerSchool and Schoology.

During the week of November 7-11, 2022, our Stetson French classes will participate in National French Week. This year’s theme is “French: The Language of Diversity” . Students will participate in activities in class to celebrate their appreciation for their studies of the language and francophone culture. Madame Strauss held a tee-shirt design contest leading up to the week, and received 21 entries! The winning entry was drawn by 7th grader Quinn Koch, and will be seen on this year’s official NFW tee-shirt that debuts on Friday 11/11. Our SMS community will learn a French word of the day in our daily announcements, and the French students will decorate their lockers with French expressions, share why they chose to study French, wear their bleu, blanc et rouge, paint French pumpkins and even enjoy some trivia and popular French music. Amusez-vous bien!

This past Thursday we honored our Students of the Month for the month of October. Each of these 35 students were nominated by their teachers for demonstrating Stetson PRIDE in a variety of ways. Students were given a certificate of recognition and were recognized on their grade level hallway bulletin board. Team leaders also reached out to students parents to share the good news. We are extremely proud of these students for their hard work!

Remember to pre-order your 2022-2023 yearbook! You can pre-order at jostensyearbooks.com. They are currently $35 +tax until November 11th! Please let Miss Verna know if you have any questions! sverna@wcasd.net

Breaking news! We are offering one more opportunity to purchase Stetson Spirit Wear this year! Follow this link https://tuttlemarketing.com/store/products/stetson-middle-school---holiday-2022-1587 and place your order by November 20th. Items will be delivered directly to your home address before winter break. Don’t miss this last chance to stock up on Stetson gear and extra PE shirts … they make fun holiday gifts 😊

The Stetson Ski group for 2022/2023 is now active. This year we'll be offering bus trips to Blue Mtn on Friday JAN 27th, FEB 3rd and FEB 24th. If you would like more information on how to sign up send an email to: stetsonski@gmail.com

* Stetson Ski provides transportation to and from Blue Mtn. Priority for signing up will be given to students attending Stetson and their siblings until Nov 25th.

* If this is your son or daughter's first time skiing/boarding please get lessons first during daylight hours prior to going on one of these trips. I recommend Bear Creek which is only an hour away. Learning to ski or snowboard is difficult and typically requires lessons and many trips down the mountain to gain the confidence necessary to ski/snowboard safely. If your student is not familiar with skiing/boarding please plan to follow the bus and be prepared to assist.

Thanks,
Kip Volkman, Gabriela Stephens and Sara Trout

Stetson Student Council is working on their Annual Food Drive! We are collecting any non-perishable items in the Atrium between today and Tuesday, November 22! There will also be a Food Drive Drive-By on Saturday, November 19 from 10-12! Feel free to drop off food in the bus loop. Last year we donated 328 pounds of food, let's see if we can beat that this year!!

Are you a crafty person looking to expand your skill set or learn a new crafting skill, like hand sewing, knitting, crocheting and more? Come join Stetson’s Craft Club, meeting Tuesdays from 3-4. The club will begin meeting Tuesday, November 29th. Please see Mrs. Carlin in A131 or Sra. Stephens in E101 for a permission slip.

Permission Slip: https://docs.google.com/document/d/10I-yos-ejHYWGtgyThylcUF_wSmq9gpL38qMJzcJqus/edit?usp=sharing

Stetson MS Cheerleading

The cheerleading program will be starting again this year and coached by Miss Ramos and assisted by Ms. (Sra.) Stephens. They received a very detailed skills tryout packet (Skills Tryout Packet) that has several pages to be completed and handed back before the skills tryout on Sunday November 20th from 12-3pm in the Stetson gym. There is a cheer Schoology page also where you can find a lot of the paperwork and links. Please email me with any questions- lramos@wcasd.net.

Please enjoy the first edition of the Falcon Flyer Newspaper.

PTO welcomes new Board Members for the 2022-23 school year:

Patty Arabia, Vicki Babylon, Julie Finnegan, Jamie Grant, Dee Hurford, and Lindsey Rauch. We are asking families to consider making a contribution to the PTO, so we can continue to bring enhancements to our children’s education. Our suggested contribution is $25 per family, but whatever you can provide would be greatly appreciated. Cash and checks (made out to Stetson PTO) can be sent to school marked PTO Contribution.

(UPDATE***) Please join us for a PTO general meeting open to the parents/guardians of Stetson Middle School students who wish to get involved. The meeting will be held on Thursday, November 17th at 7:00 PM in the auditorium. The agenda items include: Introductions of the PTO Board and their roles, activities and events planned throughout the year, and ways families can get involved and support Stetson’s PTO.

Please rsvp here https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeE9DJW2_QXgLLutwAldsOD7x13ONQUKId1g4kBqQA4_n0lXw/viewform?usp=sf_link.

Hope to see you on the 17th!

As a school we are always looking to improve upon our building culture. This year we will be promoting positive relationships and growth with our students using the acronym PRIDE. Pride stands for:

P- Purpose (Having our students do things with intent and determination.)

R- Respect (Showing respect to our peers and adults.)

I- Integrity (Doing the right thing even when no one is looking. Strong moral principles.)

D- Diversity (Recognizing that we all come from difference places and experiences and we respect each others differences.)

E- Empathy (the ability to understand and share the feelings of another.)

One our first day of school, Monday, we held a Town Hall meetings with each of our grades to welcome them back and review expectations and PRIDE was the heart of our presentation. We encouraged all students to practice PRIDE every day at Stetson and we encourage parents to talk with their students about what PRIDE is and how they can show it. We wanted to make adults at home aware in case they hear their student mention it at home. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out.

Next week we will be starting to run our Falcon Periods on Tuesdays and Thursdays in the morning. Falcon Period runs as an extended HR from 8:15-8:50. The purpose of this additional period is to provide an academic support period during the school day for students to have the opportunity to complete work, receive remediation/enrichment, and participate in our social and emotional activities. Our bell schedule is adjusted to accommodate for the Falcon periods. Tuesday Falcon Period will concentrate on executive functioning support and Thursday will be focused on social and emotional learning. We believe through these opportunities students can make stronger connections with teachers, counselors, administrators, and peers.

Friendly reminder regarding the WCASD Dress Code Policy:

Students are expected to wear clothing appropriate for school. Unacceptable attire includes, but is not limited to, attire that is unsafe, unhealthy, disruptive, offensive to generally acceptable community standards, or contains obscene language; any clothing that reveals undergarments; torn clothing or clothing with holes in it; and tight fitting outfits that are inappropriate and/or revealing. During the school year and summer school, the following applies to male and female students:

1. Tops

a. Shirts, t-shirts, and sweatshirts shall not have inappropriate slogans, words, pictures, alcohol/smoking advertisements, etc.

b. No tank tops, no tops that show the midriff or cleavage, and no see-through tops shall be permitted.

2. Pants/Shorts/Dresses/Skirts

a. Dresses, shorts, and skirts shall be at an appropriate length, which has been determined to be no shorter than midway between the knee and the top of the leg.

b. No pants/sweatpants/shorts/etc. with writing located in inappropriate places are permitted.

c. Pants shall be appropriately sized and worn at the waist, and no lower than the top of the hips.

d. Undergarments shall not be displayed.

e. Pajamas shall not be permitted.

3. Outerwear

a. Coats, hats, hoods, scarves, and the like shall not be worn in the school building, except for religious reasons.

4. Footwear

a. No bedroom slippers shall be permitted.

b. Laces on shoes shall be secured.

c. Any footwear that poses a safety hazard shall not be permitted.

5. Other

a. No chain link belts.

b. Spike jewelry, chains or any other jewelry that could cause injury or constitute a hazard are not permitted.

Welcome Back! Below is a step by step breakdown to follow if you are experiencing Covid symptoms. Please pay close attention to the criteria for testing positive and experiencing symptoms as guidance has changed. Also, there are several options available for Covid testing kits and locations that are listed in the letter as well. As always, if you have any questions please do not hesitate to reach out our school nurse, Mrs. Czerpak at 484-266-2706.

Please remember if your child exhibits symptoms of illness, please keep the home!

Reminder about phones- As a friendly reminder, if a student is not feeling well they should report to the Nurse's office. The office will then contact home with any health concerns or if a student needs to be picked up.

Medication Reminder

Field trip season is upon us! Please see attachment regarding medication requirements, and a blank medication authorization form for physician and parent completion. Thank you.

All medications, even over-the-counter (OTC) medications, must be dispensed by the school nurse. Do not send medications with your child to take during the day. Sending medicines with your child is against school policy and the WCASD Discipline Code. A signed permission note must accompany medications that need to be given during school and a written order from the doctor with type, dosage, and time. A copy of the prescription to the pharmacy is not the same and cannot be accepted. Students are not permitted to bring their medications to school. A parent/guardian must personally deliver the medication to the school nurse, who must secure and dispense the medication. Students are not permitted to dispense medications to themselves. Our Nurse, Mrs. Melissa Czerpak, will be available for early medicine drop-off at various times in August. Please contact her to schedule the medication delivery by calling her at 484-266-2706 or emailing her at mczerpak@wcasd.net.

Stetson Middle School Code of Conduct

All students will be given access to an electronic copy of the WCASD Discipline & Records Policy through the distribution of the 1 to 1 laptops. Additionally, the administration will review the policy manual with each grade level during their town hall meeting the first week of school. It is vitally important to review every page of these documents with your child. Each child will be required to verify through a signature that they have received the policy. Knowing what is expected of each student and what consequences are for various offenses will be important to have a successful experience at Stetson Middle School.

Each student is responsible for knowing their bus number, stop location, and pick-up time. Students should be at their bus stop at least five minutes before the scheduled pick-up time. Per WCASD policy, students are neither permitted to ride a bus to which they are not assigned nor get off at an unassigned bus stop. Bus passes will not be permitted due to continued limited bus capacity. Bus drivers have the right to assign seats on their buses. BUS ARRIVAL TIMES MAY NOT BE EXACT IN THE FIRST FEW WEEKS SO PLEASE BE PATIENT AS WE WORK TO HIT OUR SCHEDULED TIMES.

Accidental Damage Policy:

Our students will be covered for one incidence of accidental damage coverage for each academic year. Any cost of repair/replacement of damage beyond the one incident per year will become the responsibility of the student or parent/legal guardian. This accidental damage coverage will not cover device loss or intentional damage.

Thank you for your cooperation with the start of this new school year. We have had a very successful start of the school year in regards to drop-off and pick-up. We enjoy seeing our parents smiling faces, waves, and cute dogs!

Student Drop-Off/Pick-up: Safety is the top priority at Stetson. Please use the designated lane to drop off/pick up students. There will be only one lane available for drop-off and pick-up in the morning and afternoon. Prepare for long lines and plan accordingly. Students may be dropped off as early as 7:30 am. Stay in the car line and follow staff members’ instructions. You will find the carline traffic flow map attached below. Please review the map and feel free to reach out with any questions. Students may only enter or exit cars at the designated cones. Student drop-off and pick-up can be challenging with the high volume of cars that enter the campus. We appreciate your efforts in helping keep our students safe during this time.

Due to the start time of the staff workday, students can only enter school after 7:30 am unless directed by a teacher for a pre-determined appointment. Students dropped off before 7:50 am will be directed to wait in the cafeteria (6th grade) or LGI (7th and 8th grade) until dismissed to lockers/homeroom.

Being on Time to School: Homeroom begins at 8:05 am and ends at 8:15 am. Students arriving late to homeroom (after the homeroom bell rings at 8:05 am) must report to the office for a late pass. The administration will handle lateness following the WCASD Attendance Policies and PA State Laws.

Lateness Clarification:

a. All Stetson students who are assigned and ride a bus that arrives late will NOT be marked late due to the bus’s late arrival.

b. A student who is driven to school and dropped off in the car line will be marked late if the student is not in their homeroom when the homeroom bell rings at 8:05 am.

Please refer to the document below regarding our attendance policies. We have created a comprehensive document which should provide clarity on things such as early dismissals, late arrivals, absences, vacation requests, etc. If you have any questions, please reach out to our attendance secretary, Mrs. Heather Mazza, at hmazza@wcasd.net.

Starting this marking period, teachers will now have the ability to use attendance codes when taking attendance during their classes. Teachers will use the code "ACT" or activity for when a student has checked in and is participating in a school sponsored activity. If a student is not present in the classroom and has not previously checked in with their teacher, they will use the code "LAW" meaning they are not present in the classroom. Students must previously have checked in with their teacher in order for the ACT code to be used. We use these codes as a safety and accountability measure for our building.

Cell phones and other unauthorized electronic devices are not allowed to be carried on a person during the school day. If a student chooses to bring a device to school, it must be turned off/silenced and stored in the student’s locker for the duration of the school day. Failure to follow this directive will result in the confiscation of the item and possible further disciplinary action, including, but not limited to, the student’s parent/guardian having to pick the item up from school.

Please check Stetson's website often to find updates and school information. You may also keep up-to-date on your child's academic progress by accessing our Parent Portal system. Please follow us on Twitter to check out our latest events and announcements @GAStetsonMS.

Young Men and Women In Charge Foundation (YMWIC) by its founder and President Mr. Rik Roberts, III. YMWIC partners with local employers to increase workforce diversity by preparing underserved youth for STEM careers through after school and summer programs for K-12 students. Please see attached flyers for more details regarding community events.

Your West Chester CTC is here to support the needs of youth and parents/caregivers in our community. Coming up on November 19th, we are partnering with the CCIU to host a Free Marketing for Mental Health event for middle schoolers in the area.

Youth will learn about building resilience in themselves through challenge,

creativity and purpose. After learning some marketing basics and using all

three of these resilience principles, participants will brainstorm design ideas

for a real world application of their ideas such as a bulletin board for their

school, a billboard for their community or a graphic design to share on social

media. With the knowledge they learn they will create designs to impact their

peers and encourage healthy choices.

Students from West Chester area schools will be encouraged to use WCCTC funds to turn

their ideas into a poster for their schools and connect with school counselors

or principals for permission to display their pro mental health messages.