Inside this issue: From the Principal...

March 2013

Dear Families, We so appreciate the continued good partnership between home and school. Each and every child is a unique part of the Willow Dale community, and we value the op-portunity to educate all of our students. Here’s looking forward to a month of good cheer and enjoyable days for all! March is here, which means that Spring is right around the corner! Within the walls of Willow Dale there has been a constant flurry of activity, despite the lack of snow this Winter. February brought the beginning of the third marking period, which means that we are more than half-way through the school year. Our boys and girls began their quest for the title of “champions” of the annual March Madness basketball activity. Valentine’s Day parties took place and the boys and girls were so excited to see the smiling, reassuring faces of their special invited guests. (A special thank you to the Room Parent/Captain committee for its work to prepare for the afternoon!) The Willow Dale Home and School was honored at the February 27th meeting of the School Board of Directors for their recent donation to purchase listening centers, headphones with microphones, and electric pencil sharpeners. Also, our dedicated Events Committee put on an ice cream social for our students and their grown-ups in grades two and three. Let’s not forget about the Fifth Grade Committee’s fundraiser at Chick-Fil-A! We are looking forward to continued celebrations of success each and every day here at Willow Dale. March will be a month filled with spirit days, PSSA testing (writing) for our fifth grade students, Reading Olympics event, a visit from a magician, and a couple of days respite at the end of the month. Don’t forget that March 10th, Sunday, is a day that we all spring forward! The daylight will become greater and the cold, hopefully, will soon be a distant memory.

May the luck of the Irish be upon you,

Mr. Michael W. Donnelly

Principal

“Praise the young and they will flourish.” ~Irish Proverb

-PSSA Testing Dates

February 13: PSSA

Writing Field Test

(Grades 3, 4, 5)

March 11—15: PSSA

Writing (Grade 5)

April 8—19: PSSA Math

and Reading (Grades 3,

4, 5)

April 22– 26: PSSA

Science (Grade 4)

The PSSA is a state-

mandated test, which

means all students must

take the test. Please do

not schedule vacations or

appointments during

these testing days.

Thank you!

Kindergarten Registration 2

CEF Annual Giving

Campaign

2

Lost and Found 3

Inclement Weather 3

Recess 3

The Wellness Committee 3

March Calendar 4

Counselor’s Corner 5

Home and School News 6

Reading Specialists 7

From the Health Suite 8-9

Character Counts 10

Attendance 10

Family Vacations 10

March Madness 11

Cafeteria Balances 11

PETE&C 11

Digital View 12

Read Across America 13

Read Across America High- 14

5th Grade Spelling Bee 14

Page 2 March 2013

Kindergarten Registration

If you or a neighbor that you know

has a child who will be 5 years old

by August 31, 2013, then it is time

to mark your calendar for

kindergarten registration. This

year kindergarten registration will

take place on Wednesday, March

6, in the Alta S. Leary All-Purpose

Room at Willow Dale, beginning

at 7:00 PM. During the evening’s

presentation, you will meet school

staff, learn about the kindergarten

curriculum, and have the

opportunity to complete the

required forms to register your

child for kindergarten.

To register your child, you must

bring the following items to

registration:

The child’s birth certificate (We will make a copy at registration.)

The child’s social security

number The child’s immunizations Mandatory proof is a lease,

agreement of sale, or mortgage statement

3 other examples are a

telephone bill, electric bill, driver’s license, etc.

If you would like to complete the

registration forms before coming to

registration, they are available on

the district website.

Keep in mind that this will be the

only opportunity to register a

kindergarten child at Willow Dale.

After March 6, the Centennial

School District administrative offices

in Johnsville will handle

kindergarten registration. In order

to register there, you will need to

call for an appointment (215) 441-

6000, ext. 11046.■

CEF Annual Giving Campaign

The Centennial Education

Foundation is a nonprofit

organization dedicated to

providing the best opportunities

for our children, which helps to

fund grants throughout the

district. Our commitment is that

all funds go directly to the

students. By investing in our

children, we enhance the

enrichment of our community’s

future.

Are you looking for the perfect

gift for that special staff or

faculty member? Then look no

further than the CEF Annual

Giving Campaign. You may

make a donation, starting as low

as $10, in honor of any staff

member. The staff or faculty

member will receive notification

that a donation was made in their

honor. Your donation will be used

to help fund grants that staff

members can apply for during the

school year. If you are interested

in making a donation, please

contact Bob Schrader at 215-441-

6000 ext. 11008.■

CEF “Casino Night”

If you are looking for a night

filled with food, fun and games of

chance and you would like to help

out the foundation, then we have

the answer for you. “Casino

Night” will take place on Friday,

April 5th at Ann’s Choice from

7:00 PM until 11:00 PM. Cash in

on beef and beverage and $50 in

casino chips while supporting the

CEF. Get schooled at the black

jack and poker tables, slots,

roulette and craps.

The dealers will educate you on

how to play any game. Winnings

will be redeemed for raffle tickets

to be entered in prize drawings.

Cash bar will be available. The

ticket price is $35 a person or 2

for $60 and we recommend

purchasing your tickets in

advance. If you are interested in

joining us for a fun evening, please

contact Bob Schrader at 215-441-

6000 ext. 11008. ■

Page 3 March 2013

Recess is an opportunity for students to get some fresh air and to play with their friends. However, when the winter months (and temperatures) arrive, many families and teachers often ask, “Should we have outdoor recess?” To make this decision, we will use the outdoor recess guidelines listed below and ask that you dress your child accordingly. (For the colder temperatures, the wind chill factor will be taken into consideration.) Below 60 degrees—Jacket or long sleeves Below 50 degrees—Coat and long pants Below 32 degrees—Gloves and hats to go outside

Below 15 degrees—Shortened recess (5-10 minutes) Below 10 degrees—Indoor recess

To access the current local temperature including the wind chill— 1) Type www.weather.com 2) Type in your zip code or Warminster, PA 3) Look at the current temperature for Warminster 4) Look below the current temperature to get the “Feels Like” temperature■

Lost and Found

Although the weather, at times,

feels spring-like, we are still in the

middle of the winter season.

Sometimes winter weather can

interrupt the school day or cause

the school district to close. Take

time to review with your child your

family’s plan if there is an early

dismissal or a school closing. When

inclement weather arrives,

announcements of school closings

will be made on KYW (1060 AM).

The radio stations identify school

districts by name and/or by specific

numbers. Centennial’s school

closing number is 753. When

schools open late, 753 will be

announced, along with details of the

delayed opening. Additional

channels (3, 6, and 10), as well as

the local Comcast cable channel,

28, and Verizon cable channel, 36,

will post information. As always,

the district website,

www.centennialsd.org, will be

updated with up-to-the-minute

information. Don’t forget that

this information can be sent

directly to your inbox if you are

signed up for e-alerts. Visit the

district website for further

information.■

Recess

Inclement Weather

Is your child missing a hat, gloves,

lunchbox, or even a coat? If so, you may

want to stop in the cafeteria and check out

the Willow Dale Lost and Found. To help

in identifying misplaced items, please take

time to label your child’s clothing. This

assists us in returning those lost items

more quickly to their owners. Thank you!

Any items unclaimed by April 1 will be

donated to a local charity.■

The Wellness Committee

This year the wellness committee

will be working hard on several

events that will help lead our

PUMA families down the path to

healthy lifestyle. Be on the lookout

for several events focusing on the 6

major nutrients (Protein, Carbohy-

drates, Fat, Minerals, Vitamins and

Water) that our body needs to

function properly. In the spring we

will be hosting a Willow Dale’s

Healthy Families Day-Health

Fair.■

Page 4 March 2013

March 2013 Calendar

Page 5 March 2013

Counselor’s Corner

Test taking can be a stressful time for students. As parents, we want to help our child succeed and make them feel confident in their ability to do well in the academic setting. There are several things you as a aren’t can do to help better prepare your child for taking tests. Here are some tips from Familyeducation.com to help your child prepare for tests.

1. Help your child to relax. If your child feels overwhelmed when he sits down to study, the material will not sink in. Try doing a relaxing activity, such as drawing or

reading a book, before your child begins studying.

2. Help your child study. Being familiar with the material will allow your child to feel

more confident on test day and boost his likelihood of doing well. Sit down with your

child and review the material with him.

3. Set a study schedule. Have your child sit down for a certain amount of time every-day to review the material for several days prior to the test. Don’t allow your child to

wait until the night before to “cram” for the test.

4. Get plenty of sleep. Make sure your child gets an adequate amount of rest the night before the test. If your child is tired the day of the test, his chances of doing well

diminish substantially.

5. Have a wholesome breakfast. Make sure the morning of the test your child has a

nutritious breakfast that will give him the energy he needs.

6. Reach out to teachers. If your child is especially nervous about a particular test,

reach out to the teacher and see if she can offer any study suggestions that may

help your child.

7. Be a cheerleader. Make sure your child knows you’re confident in his ability to do well and cheer him on. Give him words of encouragement while he’s studying and

try not to let him get down on himself if he struggles to learn the material.

Page 6 March 2013

Home and School News

Willow Dale Home & School News

Have some new ideas or want to know what WDHS is all about? Come to our next meeting on Monday,

March 11 at 7:00 PM in the library.

With all our fundraising efforts, WDHS was able to purchase several things for our school: electric pen-

cil sharpeners, listening centers, headphones and hallway banners. These items were greatly needed by

our staff and will help enhance our children’s education.

The Annual Willow Dale

Walk-A-Thon

will be held on

Friday, April 5th.

Rain date is Friday, April 12th.

If you would like volunteer

or have questions,

please email:

willowdalehsa@gmail.com

Save the Date!

Our Special Events Committee

is hosting:

The Hilarious Magic of

Sam Sandler Friday, March 22

Showtime is 7:00 PM.

Tickets are $4.00 each.

Order form available on the Willow Dale website.

Thank you to all who attended our

Candy Bar Bingo!

Even though the weather didn’t cooperate, there was a great turnout!

Campbell's Labels For Education &

BOX TOPS Contest

Monday, April 22- Thursday, April 25th.

A soft pretzel treat will be given

to the classroom that turns

in the most labels.

*Labels turned in prior to the contest period will

NOT count towards the results totals.

It’s so easy to earn money for Willow

Dale!

Check out the long list of products that

partner with Campbell’s Labels for

Education on the WD website!

Page 7 March 2013

Reading Specialists

Page 8 March 2013

From the Health Suite

Page 9 March 2013

From the Health Room Suite

Page 10 March 2013

CATS Ticket Winners

As part of our Character Education

Program here at Willow Dale, we

celebrate the pillars of character

each and every day. Students,

teachers and staff are invited and

encouraged to complete CATS

coupons to honor others for their

good character. CATS stands for:

Character, Achievement,

Teamwork and Service. Each

Friday morning, on the

announcements, a handful of

names are read aloud, and these

students receive a small prize from

our Guidance Department. While

all of our students and staff at

Willow Dale know that character

counts, everywhere, all the time,

the following students and staff

were selected in February for being

of especially outstanding

character!:

Congratulations to Mrs. Davis,

Mrs. Dewald, Mrs. Hopkin,

Ms. Jenkins, Mrs. Mahaffey, Mr.

Soncini, and Ms. Wirsch for having

been our February staff members

nominated for a CATS coupon!

Keep up the great work■

*Angelina Ardeljan

*Gianna Adamson

*Nicholette Attarian-Kimber

*Valerie Baez

*Mark Bshay

*Cantrell Brown

*Juan Cerevantes-Ramirez

*Cody Cramer

*Kaitlyn Decker

*Daniel Divita

*Dayton Dunham

*Dylan Dunham

*Christopher Dunn

*Dayton Dunham

*Macy Elliott

*Serenti Figueroa

*Michael Freed

*Ava Garner

*Gwendolyn Garvin

*Liam Gibson

*Chase Gillman

*Alyssa Gorman

*Bridget Gottschall

*Jordan Hahn

*Michael Hartline

*Trevarian Hellwig

*Stephanie Ionata

*Vanessa Johnston

*Andrew Kline

*Andrew Lapinsky

*Sean Maddox

*Isabella Meehan

*Hiram Montgomery

*Aubree Palangio

*Joseph Paris

*Austyn Peronace

*Joseph Primus

*Nathan Quinones

*Izabella Reyes

*Abdia Rivera

*Matthew Rotchford

*Elizabeth Ruppman

*Arianna Santiago

*Miguelito Santiago

*Gianna Scarcelli

*Jakeb Shaw

*Beau Smiley

*Julia Stracilo

*Griffin Whalen

Attendance

While we all recognize the

importance of daily attendance at

school, we also need to keep in mind

that students need to be on time for

the start of the school day. When

students consistently arrive late to

school, they miss the opportunity to

participate in the morning routines,

including time to meet and greet

their classmates and time to discuss

the day’s schedule with the teacher.

Sometimes a doctor’s appointment

makes it necessary for students to

arrive late to school, which is

understandable, as it is not

something that happens every day.

However, when students arrive late

on a regular basis, learning may be

affected. Let us work together to

have our students arrive on time,

take part in the morning routines,

have a clear understanding of the

day’s schedule for learning, and be

full participants in the learning

process.

Remember, the student day begins

promptly at 8:45 AM. If a student

arrives to class after 8:45 AM, s/he

must then report to the main office to

receive a pass to class so that his/her

attendance record can be updated to

reflect “present”, but tardy. Should

you have any questions regarding

your child’s attendance record, please

contact your child’s homeroom

teacher.■

Family Vacations

Are you planning a family trip or

vacation during the school year?

If so, keep in mind that district

policy specifies that trip/vacation

requests must be made to the

Principal at least two weeks

before the trip occurs. Request

forms are available in the main

office or on the Willow Dale

website.■

Page 11 March 2013

March Madness

Our boys and girls are enjoying

their chance to participate in

the Centennial Elementary

School’s March Madness

Basketball Tournament. We

will feature our Willow Dale

winning teams in the April

newsletter. A big thanks to all

of the faculty, staff and grown-

ups who are helping to make

this experience so much fun for

our students.■

Cafeteria

Balances

The Food Service Department

has a procedure that students

owing more than an established

obligation ($25.00 ELEM, $8.00

MS/HS) be provided with a basic,

healthy “snack” in lieu of the full

lunch when these amounts are

exceeded. The cafeteria continues

to enforce this procedure and asks

that payments are made in a timely

manner.

If you are eligible, free or

reduced price lunches are available

by filing an application through the

Business Office of the Centennial

School District. You can also pre-

pay for lunch through the “Pay-for-

It” system and credit can be

immediately applied to the

account. If you have any questions,

please contact Bill Gretton at

215-441-6000 ext. 11006.■

Pennsylvania Technology Expo (PETE&C)

The 4th grade IMG students have been collaborating

with each other during their study of alternative energy

sources through the use of Edmodo. Although in

separate buildings and having never met face-to-face,

the students have been sharing classroom assignments

with their peers, collaborating with facts and concepts,

sharing their thoughts and feelings about the future use

of energy and out of the classroom brainstorming,

writing, and editing the answers to the specific

questions. In addition, they use classtools.net to

collaboratively complete a 3-circle Venn Diagram

comparing and contrasting the different energy sources.

On Tuesday the 12th of February, they went to

the Hershey Lodge and Convention Center, where the

students had the opportunity to share their projects with

adult educators from across the state! Going to the

PETE&C (Pennsylvania Educational Technology Expo

and Conference) gave the students an opportunity to

share and teach the 2500 people in attendance about

their project. This real life experience will benefit them

now and the years to come!■

Page 12 March 2013

Digital View - Character Counts Assembly

Page 13 March 2013

Read Across America

Page 14 March 2013

Centennial School District

Willow Dale

Elementary School

720 Norristown Road

Warminster, PA 18974

Phone: 215-441-6093

Mr. Michael W. Donnelly

Principal

Mr. Miles Roe

Assistant Principal

5th Grade Spelling Bee

earned a second place finish.

Willow Dale’s top speller was

Chelsea Sabariyanto. C-o-n-g-

r-a-t-u-l-a-t-i-o-n-s, Chelsea!

We wish Chelsea luck as she

participates in the county-wide

contest, to be held on March

16th at Pennridge High

School.■

Fourth graders, fellow Fifth

graders and special guests

looked on as our master

spellers took the stage to

participate in the annual

Scripps National Spelling Bee.

Each of our students did a

fantastic job! The fun-filled

competition resulted with

three students who were

named our top spellers!

Caitlin Mokros earned a third

place finish and Faith Fallins

Read Across America Highlights