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West Word
An Update from Perkiomen Valley Middle School West
A Word From Mr. Creeden
This week we had a blast when recognizing Red Ribbon Week. Red Ribbon Week is the largest drug abuse prevention campaign in the nation. Its mission is to support families and communities in nurturing the full potential of healthy, drug free youth. Students watched informative videos and had thoughtful discussions during their advisory periods. The students participated in a spirit week and also were informed about how to find their natural high. Natural High is a drug prevention nonprofit that inspires and empowers youth to find their natural high and develop the skills and courage to live life well. If you want to learn more about Natural High go to https://www.naturalhigh.org/about/.
Also, did you know that dogs can help alleviate stress and anxiety in humans? They can also help increase our focus. We were in luck this week because the therapy dogs are came back during lunch visits this past Tuesday, 10/24 (see pics below). If you would like the opportunity for your child to see and pet the dogs during future visits, parents must complete the parent permission form (link below) or in the Library Google Classroom. Parents only need to complete this form once per year. Please reach out to our 7th grade counselor, Mrs. Zielinski at czielinski@pvsd.org if you have any questions.
Quick Snapshot📸
- What's Up @ West
- End of Marking Period 1 is This Wednesday November 1st
- Oliver Jr. Auditions Coming Soon!
- PV West Halloween Guidelines
- Middle School West's Book Fair is Here!
- Safe2Say Training for Students
- Laurel House Presents Healthy Relationships Lessons to 8th Grade Students
- After School Clubs & Activities @ West
- After School Athletic/Activity Transportation
- American Education Week
- The West MakerSpace Club Is Looking For Donations
- West Home & School Info
- West School Store
- West Yearbook Art Contest
- Order Your 23/24 Yearbook Early and Save!
- 23/24 PV Middle School Handbook
- Raptor System
- PV West Athletic Update
- PV Power Packs
- Tween Talk Group
- Be Part of the Conversation - Upcoming Programs
- Safe2Say
- National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
- PV West on Social Media
- Community Bulletin Board
- West Weeks At A Glance
- HAVE A WONDERFUL WEEKEND!
What's Up @ West
Red Ribbon Week @ West
PVMS West recognized Red Ribbon Week during the last week of October. Red Ribbon Week is the largest drug abuse prevention campaign in the nation. Its mission is to support families and communities in nurturing the full potential of healthy, drug free youth. Students watched informative videos and had thoughtful discussions during their advisory periods. They were also encouraged to participate in a Red Ribbon themed spirit week that included "Use Your Head, Wear Red" day and "Team Up Against Drugs" day. Prizes were given to the homeroom in each grade level with the most spirit by week's end!
Expand your mind, read a book!
Independent reading provides students an opportunity to select and read books at their comfort levels on topics they find interesting. Book projects provide a way for them to reflect on their reading. They commonly describe what happens in a work; their focus is primarily on giving an account of the major plot, characters, thesis, and/or main idea of the work. Students in Mrs. Nelson and Mrs. Griffin's eighth grade ELA classes completed their independent reading projects this week with a summary of their book choice. They were also given a variety of imaginative options for their book report that included a song or poem, a movie poster or a comic strip to demonstrate their understanding.
Green Team Community Service
Ms. Emers and the West Green Team members did a PHENOMENAL job this past Saturday morning, sprucing up the courtyard in the memory care wing at Greenfield Senior Center in Schwenksville! They planted over fifty native perennials that all had wildlife value. The team plans to return in the spring to install two specially raised beds that will make it easier for wheelchair-bound residents to garden. Proceeds from Operation HELP's Spring BINGO event were used to purchase all of the native plants, the two raised beds, and an eight foot tall obelisk trellis for the residents, and hummingbirds sipping on the native honeysuckle, to enjoy!
End of Marking Period 1 is This Wednesday November 1st
- Review your child's grades on ParentVUE. For more information on accessing ParentVUE please see the following instructions or log-in information.
- If your child has no grade or a "0" for any assignments, have your child speak to his/her teacher asap to make-up assignments, if able or necessary.
- Review your child's Google Classroom pages with them. Your child can log on to their Google Classroom pages and show you completed assignments. Please note, students may submit a Google Classroom assignment without completing it. If your child received a "0" on an assignment and Google Classroom is indicating that it is submitted, it was submitted without it being complete.
- If you have any additional questions please email your child's teacher or team directly.
Oliver Jr. Auditions Coming Soon!
Our PVMS West drama department is also having a fundraiser to raise money for the upcoming musical. Join the Middle School West school community in wearing Orange on West Wednesdays throughout the school year with your West Wednesday shirt or sweatshirt. Please see the link below to purchase your shirt.
PV West Halloween Guidelines
Middle School West's Book Fair is Here!
The book fair is beginning next week at Middle School West and will run from 10/30-11/3! Please check out our book fair homepage here or scan the QR code below. There, you can view some of our book fair offerings, set up your child's e-wallet, order books online, and lots more! All students will visit the book fair during their ELA class on the dates below, and they may also shop throughout the week as their schedule allows. We look forward to your child having the opportunity to browse for and purchase some great books at our book fair!
- Monday, 10/30: 6th grade
- Tuesday, 10/31: 7th grade
- Friday, 11/3: 8th grade
Safe2Say Training for Students
The Safe2Say Something system teaches youth and adults how to recognize warning signs and signals, especially within social media, of individuals who may be a threat to themselves or others and say something, using our anonymous reporting system, BEFORE it is too late.
For more information about the Safe2Say platform and/or submitting a Safe2Say tip please watch the video below or go to https://www.safe2saypa.org/. If you have any questions please contact your child's grade level counselor (Grade 6 - Mr. Montgomery, Grade 7 - Mrs. Zielinski, Grade 8 - Mr. Specht). Thank You!
Laurel House Presents Healthy Relationships Lessons to 8th Grade Students
Laurel House located in Montgomery County will be presenting a couple lessons to our 8th grade students called Healthy Relationships. The presentations will discuss all types of relationships (dating, “talking”, hanging out, friendships, etc.), identify healthy/ unhealthy/ abusive relationships through realistic case scenarios, identify warning signs and barriers to leaving through a group scenario, and practice what to say to a friend who may be in an abusive relationship.
Lesson 1 will be shared with 8th grade students on Thursday 11/2 and Friday 11/3 and Lesson 2 will be shared with students on Thursday 11/16 and Friday 11/17.
For more information about Laurel House presentations for schools please go to https://laurel-house.org/about/our-programs/prevention-education/.
If you have any additional questions or would like to opt your child out of the presentations please email Mr. Creeden at rcreeden@pvsd.org.
After School Clubs & Activities @ West
Math Lab
Homework Club
Homework Club takes place every Tuesday and Thursday afternoon from 2:30 - 3:45pm in our Large Group Instruction space. Homework Club will provide a quiet, comfortable, and supportive setting for students to complete school work and become better organized. Students will receive assistance and support when needed. School resources will also be provided for all students in attendance. There is no sign-up required. If students are attending they can report directly to the Library after school on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Students attending Homework Club that need to take the 4:00 activity bus must sign up for the activity bus before 10:00am on the day of Homework Club. See below for more information about signing up for the activity bus.
The CAUSE Club
The CAUSE (Connecting And Uniting Students to Empower) is a student leadership group that works collaboratively to educate the larger school community on topics related to diversity, equity, and inclusion as well as to support the individual club members. Students joining The CAUSE Club will meet every other week to collaborate, plan, create, and help make positive change in our school community. The first meeting will take place on Tuesday October 31st from 2:30 - 3:45pm in Mrs. Moreno's room. If you are interested in joining The CAUSE Club please email Mrs. Moreno at tmoreno@pvsd.org.
After School Athletic/Activity Transportation
- 4:00pm Departure (outside main office) - Monday through Thursday.
- 5:00pm Departure (outside gym entrance) - Monday through Thursday. The 5:00 activity bus will begin running on Fridays starting after Thanksgiving break.
For each day students intend to take either the 4:00pm or 5:00pm activity bus, they are asked to inform the school district and bus company for routing purposes using the electronic form provided. The form links are below and also available to students via the PV LaunchPad - Classlink. Students must submit their information each morning by 10:00 am if they intend to ride the afternoon activity bus that day.
The West MakerSpace Club Is Looking For Donations
West Home & School Info
The next West Home & School Meeting is on Monday November 13th at 7pm in the West Library.
Contact Jodi Lieb (jodilieb@verizon.net) with any questions.
West School Store
The West School Store is open and ready for all of your school needs. It is open Monday through Friday from 7:30 - 7:40am in the Cafeteria. Students can purchase school supplies such as pencils (regular and mechanical), erasers, highlighters, and whiteboard markers. The store also has earbuds and PV West water bottles. Students can make their purchases in the cafeteria as they arrive in the morning and before they go to homeroom.
West Yearbook Art Contest
Order Your 23/24 Yearbook Early and Save!
23/24 PV Middle School Handbook
- Attendance (pg. 8)
- Educational Trips (pg. 9)
- Dress Code (pg. 13)
- Parent Questions/Concerns (pg. 20)
- Personal Equipment (pg. 20)
- Procedure for Administration of Medications in School (pg. 32)
Raptor System
PV West Athletic Update
SAFETY IN THE STADIUM
As our fall athletic contests conclude, the district would like to remind you about several safety measures it has in place pertaining to events held in Thomas J. Keenan Stadium.
When an athletic or Marching Band event is held in the stadium, the district requires all elementary and middle level students to be accompanied by an adult. No attendees are permitted to bring backpacks into the stadium. In the event someone happens to have a backpack with them, they will be asked to place the bag along the fence until the respective owner exits the stadium. There is no food or drink permitted to be brought in from the outside.
Attendees will continue to observe school security guards onsite during events and, as the year progresses, will likely begin to observe Perkiomen Valley School District school police officers in attendance as well. The school police will also be in and around our facilities, districtwide.
The efforts of the school district are to keep our students, staff, and community safe. In the event you have questions about any of the safety measures described here, do not hesitate to reach out to our Chief of Police, Mr. Dean Miller, dmiller@pvsd.org. Thank you for your commitment with us to do everything we are able to maintain safety in the Valley.
8th Grade Football Head Coach: Dr. Matt Weir
Next Game: Tuesday October 31st (Away) vs. Pottsgrove Middle School @ 3:45pm
7th Grade Football Head Coach: Christian Specht
Next Game: Wednesday November 1st (Away) vs. Spring-Ford Middle School @ 3:45pm
Middle School West Cross Country Head Coach: Matt Weygand
Results from last week: The cross country team had a fantastic day Friday in their only home meet of the season on our 2.1 mile course. Both the boys and the girls swept the day defeating OJR and Upper Merion. The girls remained undefeated for the season beating OJR 27-28 and UM 15-48. Scoring runners for the girls were Charlie Reed 2nd, Grace Beitler 3rd, Abi Seo 5th, Shamiso Mpfu 7th, Carmella Andreacchio 11th.
The boys avenged an early season loss to OJR beating them 27-28 and beating UM by a score of 15 to 48. Scoring runners were Caden Aguirre 3rd, Lucas Keysock 5th, Luke Snyder 6th, Matt Shuta 7th, and Connor Bates 10th.
Other runners Savannah Heffelfinger-Corona, Ja'Mariya Brower, Declan Curfman, Olakunmi Oladiran, Andrew Colvin, Cian Montminy and Jackson Skonier also ran great races working hard to improve their personal bests.
Next Race: No Upcoming Races
Middle School West Field Hockey Head Coach: Naveen Mehta
Next Game: No Upcoming Games
Middle School West Boys Soccer Head Coach: Chuck Heaps Sr.
Next Game: No Upcoming Games
Middle School West Girls Soccer Head Coach: Alesia Davis
Results from previous weeks: Tough loss 3-2 vs PV East. Maddie Hawkins and Captain Stella Guarino-McWilliams scored goals. Avery Stewart played her best game yet as GoalKeeper. Great job by the team.
W 6-0 vs Phoenixville. Willow Morgan and Ryann Lindsay had assists. Team captain Savannah Jorett, Amiah Rivera, Samantha Young, and Kenley O'Connor each scored a goal to contribute to the win, and Maddie Hawkins scored 2.
Tough loss against Arcola 2-0. Amiah Rivera and Captain Sarah Hartey played great defense.
Next Game: No Upcoming Games
Middle School West Volleyball Head Coach: Stephanie Glover
8th grade unsung athlete of the week: Nina Marsilio. 7th grade unsung athlete of the week: Claire Alvare.
Next Game: No Upcoming Games
PV Power Packs
ower Packs are weekend bags of food for students experiencing food insecurity. The bags include 2 breakfast items, 2 lunch items, 2 snacks, and 2 fruits. All food is non-perishable. There is no financial information required to participate in this program.
PV Power Packs is a volunteer run organization and all information is kept confidential. Names are shared with school counselors who arrange for students to pick up their bags prior to every weekend.
Please fill out a separate form for each child that you would like to receive a Power Pack, including children not yet in school.
We will begin handing out Power Packs on September 8th. If your child received Power Packs last year, they will automatically receive them this year.
If you have any questions, email Sarah at PowerPacks@pvsd.org.
Tween Talk Group
Tweens, ages 11 to 13, are invited to chat in a fun, informal atmosphere with Erin McMonagle, a guidance counselor at Perkiomen Valley East Middle School - as part of our Julia’s Joy Youth Empowerment Program. We have created a safe group, where they can come relax, unload and learn they are not alone all while meeting new friends. We believe learning Stress Management tips will help youth deal with the pressures they are feeling at this age and into the future!
This group is free thanks to donations, if you would like to make a donation, it is always appreciated, but not necessary!
Learn more about our workshops and our mission at http://www.JuliasJoy.org
Be Part of the Conversation - Upcoming Programs
Be a Part of the Conversation equips families and communities in Pennsylvania with skills and resources to understand substance use, addiction, and related health issues. We provide community programs, foster supportive connections, highlight lived experiences, and challenge stigma.
We are a collaboration of community leaders, clinicians, students, school district representatives, and families who believe that having meaningful, inclusive conversations about substance use and addiction will support individuals and their families in their efforts to develop healthy coping skills and access support whenever there is a need. Learn more about us. See the link below for a number of programs that Be a Part of the Conversation offers.
Safe2Say
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
Did you know that the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is now known as the 988 Suicide & Crisit Lifeline?
When people call, text, or chat 988, they will be connected to trained counselors that are part of the existing Lifeline network. These trained counselors will listen, understand how their problems are affecting them, provide support, and connect them to resources if necessary.
https://988lifeline.org/current-events/the-lifeline-and-988/
The previous Lifeline phone number (1-800-273-8255) will always remain available to people in emotional distress or suicidal crisis.
PV West on Social Media
We would love to have you join our social media accounts to stay updated on the latest West news and happenings. Please see below on where to find each of our accounts.
Community Bulletin Board
Want to find out what’s going on in the PV Community? Visit here for flyers about upcoming events in and around our area!
To submit an event for posting, please send a PDF version of your flyer to webmaster@pvsd.org for review.
Please note that Community Bulletin Board items may contain links to websites of organizations outside Perkiomen Valley School District. Items are posted to this bulletin board as a free service to the community, and should not be interpreted as being sponsored or endorsed by the district.
West Weeks At A Glance
Monday October 30th - Friday November 3rd - Scholastic Book Fair @ Middle School West
Monday October 30th - Safe2Say Student Training (Grade 6)
Tuesday October 31st - Safe2Say Student Training (Grade 7/8); Homework Club @ 2:30pm in LGI
Wednesday November 1st - End of Marking Period 1
Thursday November 2nd - Laurel House Healthy Relationship Lessons (Grade 8); Homework Club @ 2:30pm in LGI
Friday November 3rd - Laurel House Healthy Relationship Lessons (Grade 8)