![page background](https://cdn.smore.com/_fr/Ah4s5xADIHbEV1cguhrxzA.353d198d.jpg)
![Logo](https://cdn.smore.com/u/thumbs/e9cd/thumb-e84dad54d5c61b08f3fec83b991c57aa.jpeg)
![page background](https://cdn.smore.com/_fr/Ah4s5xADIHbEV1cguhrxzA.93f4114f.jpg)
Narwhal Newsletter
February 4th, 2024
Hello Marsh Creek,
I hope that everyone is having a great weekend. This week's newsletter contains information related to several fundraising opportunities, and community events taking place over the next month. This week, our students will be completing their winter wave of CDT assessments, and we have started to introduce our students to a fun and exciting supplemental math program that we have called Marsh Madness. See below for more detailed information related to this opportunity that has our students so excited to practice math! Additionally, this week we celebrate our School Counseling team, as we observe National School Counselors Week along with schools from around the country. It is not too late to support our Home and School Association this week as they plan a fun event for our staff, providing lunch this week through their Souper Bowl event. A link to help support our HSA's event can be found below. Thank you all for your support of our students, and our wonderful community. I hope that everyone has an amazing week!
-Matt
This week at Marsh Creek - Week of February 4th
Monday - 2/5
- CTC Parent Group Meeting - Marsh Creek Library - 6:30-8:00 pm
Tuesday - 2/6
- CDT Testing - Two Hour Delay Schedule
Wednesday - 2/7
- CDT Testing - Two Hour Delay Schedule
Thursday - 2/8
- Home and School Association Souper Bowl - Faculty Lunch
Notable Upcoming Dates
Monday - 2/19
- Presidents' Day - No School for Students
Thursday - 2/22
- Student/Faculty Floor Hockey Game - After School
Thank You to our Amazing Counseling Team!
A special thank you to our School Counseling team for all that they do to support the students and staff at Marsh Creek! Thank you Ms. Busby, Ms. Lyman, Ms. Mallon, Ms. Cello and Ms. Byerly for all that you do!
No Stress, Try Your Best - CDT Assessment
The Pennsylvania Classroom Diagnostic Tools (CDT) is a set of online assessments, divided into the content areas of Mathematics and Literacy and is designed to provide diagnostic information to guide instruction in order to support intervention and enrichment. We will be administering the Winter CDT test on Tuesday (February 6) and Wednesday (February 7). ELA will be administered on Tuesday, and Math on Wednesday.
Because it is an online assessment, please be sure your student comes to school with a charged Chromebook.
Welcome to Marsh Madness!
Here at Marsh Creek, we believe that Mathematics plays a pivotal role in shaping the cognitive abilities and problem-solving skills of our children. Mathematical literacy is an invaluable skill that will serve our students well throughout their lives. While math can at times cause frustration for students, we wanted to develop a fun way for our students to practice and build confidence in themselves.
This month, our amazing math team will be introducing our students to a math intervention and enrichment program called Marsh Madness. This opportunity is designed to enhance our children's mathematical skills and create excitement for the students! Spiraling back on previously learned skills, and providing enrichment opportunities using the IXL program, students will have the opportunity to earn tickets as they complete the skills and activities assigned to them. These tickets can be used to earn prizes chosen by them, much like they would earn when playing arcade games to win tickets. As students complete their skill sheets, they can ask their teachers and parents to initial completion of the skills, and will turn their sheets into their math teacher in order to collect their tickets.
We are grateful for the collaborative efforts between our teachers and parents to create an environment that fosters a love for learning and success in mathematics. Stay tuned for more updates related to Marsh Madness over the coming weeks!
Donuts with Your Driver
This week we get to celebrate the students on Bus 52, and their wonderful driver that supports the students on the trip to and from Marsh Creek every day. Keep up the good behavior on the bus Narwhals for a chance to have your bus be the next monthly winner!
POD Pride Update
Congratulations to the students on Bus 35! Keep up the great work students, and thank you for displaying positive behaviors on the trip to and from Marsh Creek!
Please Support our Students and Childhood Cancer Research
In order to support St. Baldrick's and our student Frankie Knowles, long time friend Teaghan has decided to shave her head to support TEAM FRANKIE. Please consider supporting Frankie and Teaghan by clicking on the link below to donate to St. Baldrick's! We are truly inspired by these students, and want to do all that we can to support research designed to address childhood cancer. Thank you so much for anything that you can do to help support this worthy cause, and our amazing students!
Student/Faculty Floor Hockey Game
Our annual student faculty floor hockey game will be held immediately after school on Thursday February 22nd. Please plan pick up for 5:15pm. We encourage all students to attend. Tickets will be on sale the week of February 12th and at the door for $3. Admission money will be donated to the Backpack Boost Program at Marsh Creek. There will be water and pretzels for sale during the first intermission. This event is always a lot of fun, and we look forward to seeing people there!
Community and Family Support - Backpack Boost Program
This program provides supplemental nourishment for our students. Participating students receive a bag of non-perishable food items every Wednesday, which will be distributed in a discreet and caring manner by our staff. Click on the flyer below to complete the confidential form so that we can help in any way that we can.
Strengthening Families Program for Parents and Youth Ages 10-14 (SFP 10-14)
SFP 10-14 has been implemented throughout Chester County since 2010. SFP 10-14 is a universal, evidence-based prevention program that targets adolescents ages 10 to 14 and their parents/caregivers. This free skill-building program is delivered in seven weekly sessions and is offered as independent, concurrent learning sessions for caregivers and youth, followed by joint family sessions. The primary goals of the program are to build life skills in youth, including stress management, conflict resolution, and refusal skills. For caregivers, the program enhances parenting skills and promotes effective parenting styles, with the goal of strengthening family bonds, increasing positive communication, and enhancing collaborative problem-solving skills within the family unit.
Free dinner and childcare will be provided to all those in attendance. Dates, time and location will be announced shortly.
If you’d like your family to participate in the Strengthening Families program, please scan the QR code on the flyer with your cell phone and fill out the linked google doc to indicate your interest.
If you have any difficulty accessing the google document through the QR code and you’d like to register your family for the program, please reach out to your child’s counselor at MC:
Teams A, D, E – Mrs. Lyman at klyman@dasd.org
Team B and G- Ms. Mallon at dmallon@dasd.org
Team C, F and H- Mrs. Busby at mbusby@dasd.org
Counselor's Corner
Greetings from the Marsh Creek Counseling Department! We will use this area to keep you in the loop with updates from our department as well as helpful resources throughout the year. Please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions or concerns. We are here to help!
Narwhals, let’s become amazing test takers in the third marking period. Over the next few weeks, we will share tips to help you ace your tests! You got this!
Check out these community resources!
A great local resource! Communities That Care offers groups, blogs and podcasts to support parents and guardians in the Downingtown area.
Click here for more information.
Please encourage your child to check out the Marsh Creek Counseling Department Schoology course. It’s filled with lots of great resources including stress management strategies, study skills, directions for how to check your grades and more!
As always, reach out if you need anything!
Chromebook Care
The most frequent damage to a Chromebook is a cracked screen. Follow these tips to avoid damage.
- Always carry a Chromebook closed. Never hold a Chromebook by its screen and always use two hands to carry the device.
- If carrying the device from classroom to classroom, hold the Chromebook close to your chest much like a hug.
- Be sure to set a Chromebook on a flat surface during use and avoid slanted, uneven surfaces which could lead to the device sliding off and dropping to the floor.
For more tips about protecting your device, and information related to getting a protective case for your device, click the following link to our technology page. Thank you for your assistance!
https://www.dasd.org/departments/technology/11-technology-initiative/chromebook-care
Clubs and Intramurals
Below is a link to the Activities page on our Marsh Creek website, which has been updated with all information that students and parents will need to engage in our extracurricular programs. It contains information related to the options available this year, as well as information related to Activity Fees, and the Activity Shuttle Bus. Students can work with our teachers to pick up information and to express interest in the activities offered this Fall.
Cultural Connections Club
Join MC6 Cultural Connections Club!
The CCC will allow students to get together once a month for group discussions, activities, leadership opportunities, and games. It will be a fun way to make new friends while celebrating diversity and strengthening our connection to the school community.
There is still time to join MC Cultural Connections Club! Sign Up Here -
MC6 Cultural Connections Club Interest Form
“We are more alike, my friends, than we are unalike.” ~ Maya Angelou
Our Cultural Connections Club hangs posters in celebration of Black History Month.
Marsh Creek Home and School Association (HSA)
Thank you to our HSA for all that they have done this year to support our students and staff! We are so lucky to have a wonderful team of parents willing to help Marsh Creek. If you are interested in participating in our HSA this year, please consider joining us for future meetings. If you would like to contact our HSA to find other ways to support our students and school, please feel free to contact them at marshcreekhsa@gmail.com.
DASD Community Events
Downingtown Area School District is thrilled to announce that Philadelphia Eagles' defensive end, Brandon Graham, will be visiting Downingtown High School East on February 26th, 6-8 pm, for a special program titled "The Importance of Community." The event is organized by the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) office, showcasing Graham's insights on fostering unity, looking out for one another, and sharing lessons learned during his time with the Eagles, including his experience as part of a Super Bowl-winning team.
To register: Click Here
Cornelius Minor, a distinguished Brooklyn-based educator is set to lead a transformative training session for the Downingtown Area School District (DASD) Cultural Equity Taskforce. The training, scheduled for February 26th at 3:45 pm, will take place on the Zoom platform and is open to teachers, staff, and community members. This event is offered free of charge, aligning with Minor's commitment to advancing equitable literacy reform.
Date: February 26th
Time: 3:45 pm
Location: Zoom Platform
Registration: Click Here
Employment Opportunities at Marsh Creek
Interested in working at Marsh Creek? We have several positions available for anyone interested in supporting students as a Paraprofessional. Please click below to start the application process, or feel free to reach out to Matt Barr at mbarr@dasd.org to express your interest! We would love to have you join our team!
2023-24 Yearbook Sale
Order your child’s 2023-2024 Marsh Creek 6th Grade Center Yearbook online at www.balfour.com. Click on Shop My School and enter our school name. Then click on the icon for Yearbook Products and Ads. You will need to enter your child’s name and grade. Then select your child’s Advisory teacher. Yearbooks cost $30 and will be delivered to students at school during the last week in May. Order now before they are all sold out!
Any Questions? Please contact:
Mrs. Allen at lallen@dasd.org or Mrs. Leister at rleister@dasd.org.