February/March

Volume 1, Issue 3 OV News

Hello OV Families!

We are back in the groove here at OV after our break. We have some fun and

important events happening over the next few months that I want to highlight.

Courtesy of our wonderful PTO, we have a couple of student and family events to look

forward to. In February, the PTO is hosting a family Paint Night where you can come

with your child to paint and have some fun. This is not a fundraising event, simply a

night for you to spend with your child doing something interesting here at school. In

March, the PTO will be treating our students to a fun and exciting laser assembly.

This assembly has an anti-bullying theme that is an important message to share with

our students. We at Oxford Valley, and all of the Pennsbury School District, are

proud to be an inclusive community.

In keeping with our spirit of inclusiveness, the Pennsbury School Board has adopted a

new Board Policy that also keeps us in compliance with Federal guidelines. This

policy honors inclusiveness and protects the needs of transgender and gender

expansive students. This ensures that our programs and practices are free from

discrimination. Please click here to read the BOARD POLICY 253.1 which can also be

found on the main district webpage.

For your planning purposes, we will begin our district and statewide testing

throughout January, February, March, April, and May. More specific information

will follow as we get closer to testing dates. The data that is generated from student

testing provides important information that will help us improve the way we plan for

educating your children. Please take testing dates into consideration when

scheduling any appointments. Students must be present and not feel

rushed in order to do their very best. You will be receiving more details as we

get closer to specific testing dates.

As we enter this half of the school year, there will be opportunities for parents/

caregivers to volunteer for parties, classroom writing helpers, field trips, etc….

Remember that you MUST have your clearances on file with our office, AND come in

to meet with me prior to any event. If we do not have your clearances, you will not be

able to attend. Please refer to the volunteer link on our OV home page on the rightt-

hand side of the page or by clicking here: Volunteer Clearances Link.

As we begin this New Year, let’s continue our partnership as a school-home

community. Working together, we can support our OV children to grow and become

stronger learners and citizens.

Fondly,

Donna Minnigh, Principal

Important Dates:

February

1… Fifth Gr Parent Meeting —6:30 pm

1-8….CogAT & ITBS testing—2nd grade

3...“Me and My Guy” PTO Dance—

6:00—9:00 pm

8,9,10...Candy Gram Sales at lunch

14...Valentine’s Day

15...PTO Meeting—7:00 pm

16...Naglieri Testing—1st grade

20...No School—Presidents’ Day

21...No School—Teacher Workshop

Day

24...PTO Paint Night—

6:30-9:00 pm

March

2...Dr. Seuss’s Birthday

2-3...Elementary Honors Band Festival

3...Prismatic Magic Assembly

3… Fifth Gr Parent Meeting—6:30 pm

10...Fifth Gr Class trip to Medieval

Times

15… PTO Meeting —7:00 pm

17...Irish Dance Assembly

18...Fifth Gr Elementary Honors

Chorus Festival

20...School Physicals

20-24...Kids Basket Auction

24...Spring Fling Bingo

29...Reading Olympics

Home of the Oxford Valley Owls

Oxford Valley Elementary School Donna L. Minnigh, Principal 215-949-6808 www.pennsburysd.org

DROP OFF TABLE

SCHOOL CLOSED...

Please use our “Drop Off” table located in the vestibule of the school to drop off any items for your child. Be sure to label everything with both the child’s name and the teacher’s name. The table is checked periodically and items will be properly delivered. Students continue to be discouraged from calling home for forgotten items to help promote responsibility.

2

KEEP YOUR CONTACT INFORMATION UP TO DATE

All schools in the Pennsbury School District will be closed on Monday, February 20th to celebrate Presidents’ Day and on Tuesday, February 21st for a Teacher Workshop Day.

LOST AND FOUND

Please be sure to label all articles of clothing, including hats and gloves, with your child’s name. If your child has left behind anything at school, please ask them to check the LOST AND FOUND in our school cafeteria.

Please remember to inform the office of any change in your

phone number or e-mail address so we may update our

records. The ConnectEd Emergency Notification system uses

the current phone numbers when placing calls.

SAVE THE DATE!!!

IMPORTANT UPCOMING EVENTS:

April 11 STEM Fair

May 12 Spring Concert

May 25 Field Day

Without winter, there can be no spring. Without mistakes, there can be no learning.

Without doubts, there can be no faith. Without fears, there can be no courage.

Our mistakes, our fears, and our doubts are our path to wisdom.

Author unknown

We will soon be approaching the time of year when winter weather conditions may force the closing of school, a delayed opening or an early dismissal. I have often been asked how the decision is made. The simple answer is that it is a calculated decision based on a number of factors with the primary con-cern being the safety of all district children and employees. The long answer is outlined as follows: Who monitors the weather? Typically with the prediction of bad weather, the superintendent and other school administrators are up early in the morning monitoring the weather con-ditions. Where do we get our information? Our school district staff listens to local and national weather forecasts and road condition reports received as early as 3:00 a.m. from employees and local police contacts. Careful consideration is given to conditions in each mu-nicipality comprising Pennsbury, since there can be situations in one section of the district that affect the entire district. What factors are considered when making the decision to close school or delay the opening? Typically the following factors are considered:

Information on road conditions from the supervisor of transportation, the local and state police and other superintendents

Weather predictions including the time snow or freezing rain is expected to start and the amount of precipitation anticipated

Building conditions (e.g. Do we have power and heat in all schools? Have the walkways been cleared?)

Parking lot conditions (e.g. Have the school parking lots been cleared?) It takes up to 6-8 hours to clear all district parking lots and driveways de-pending on the amount of snow.

Temperature and wind chill factors Who makes the decision? The superintendent is responsible for the final decision to either close school or to delay the opening based on the above factors and information. When is the decision made? The decision to close or delay the opening of school must be made no later than 5:00 a.m. so that radio and TV stations can be notified. This also gives our Connect-Ed system time to notify the entire district. On occasion, what begins as a two-hour delay can change to a school closing should weather conditions not follow predictions. Weather conditions may be such that a de-layed opening of two (2) hours will be necessary. Notification of delayed opening will be communicated in the same manner as a school closing. Bus-es will arrive at stops two hours later than usual, and school will begin two

hours later (11:00 a.m.).

DATE CHANGE:

OXFORD VALLEY’S

ANNUAL SCIENCE /

STEM FAIR

WILL NOW BE

HELD ON

TUESDAY,

APRIL 11, 2017

ALL STUDENTS IN KINDERGARTEN

THROUGH GRADE 5 ARE

ENCOURAGED TO PARTICIPATE.

LOOK FOR THE ENTRY

FORM AND T-SHIRT

ORDER FORM TO

COME HOME WITH

YOUR CHILD.

3

SCHOOL CLOSINGS AND EARLY DISMISSAL

February is Dental Month

Here are some recommendations for brushing teeth and good dental health

1. On outer and inner surfaces place toothbrush at a 45-degree angle. Start along gum line and use gentle, short tooth-wide strokes against the gum line. 2. On chewing surfaces of the tooth, hold the brush flat and brush back and forth. 3. On inside surfaces of front teeth, tilt the brush vertically and use gentle up-and-down strokes. 4. Brush the tongue. 5. Brush at least twice a day-in the morning and just before bed and floss daily. 6. Do not share toothbrushes. 7. Visit your dentist regularly. 8. Eat healthy: Choose nutritious snacks for your child such as vegetables, low-fat yogurt, fruits, low fat cheese and milk. FYI - each serving of a carbonated, sweetened soft drink contains the equivalent of 10 teaspoons of sugar.

NOTES FROM THE NURSE

School dentals will be scheduled soon and school physicals are scheduled for March 20

th. Please respond ASAP if your

child needs a state mandated exam for their file and you are planning on taking advantage of these free exams. Otherwise, please turn in your private physical and dental forms. If you need a form to take to your private exam, please call me and I will send it home with your child. Also, any students who are “provisional” due to lack of mandated immunizations, must show proof of immunizations. The state mandates exclusion if this requirement is not met.

Mrs. Demi, School Nurse 215-949-6808 (Ext. 16820)

4

PLEASE REMEMBER: Keep your child home

from school when he or

she is sick. They must

be fever-free for 24

hours before returning.

Reading Olympians Train…

By Exercising Their Brain!

Oxford Valley will once again be sending two teams to compete in the Bucks County Reading Olympics on Wednesday March 29, 2017, and our Olympians have been reading, reading, reading in order to train for this challenging event. As a team, these readers must read a total of 45 books chosen by the Reading Olympics Committee. Not only must they read the books, but they also need to recall detailed information in order to answer questions and earn points for their team. This is no easy task. We wish our Olympians the stamina to be successful. Here are this year’s Oxford Valley Reading Olympic teams:

The Brainy Bunch We’re Bookin’ It

Krista Colozza Armaghan Alvi

Hayden DiFranchi Jordan Davis

HaleyEliason Salma Elenany

Malissa Hludzinski Conor Fallon

Anastasia Kurtz Austin Flinn

Camryn Luchansky Michael Foley

John Luchansky Gabriel Fuentes

Delara Noorani Regan Kelso

Sarah O’Neill Alaina Nagata

Shawn Secrest Rishi Patel

Eddie Wright Elizabeth Pelkey

Emily Wright Gianna Price

KINDERGARTEN

Dafny Macedo

Addyson Clark

Carter Davis

Benjamin Fox

Deacon Ecceston

Yaniris Thornley-Roman

Kaylee Sweeney

Mark Valadzko

Aneesh Bhuma

Jayla Whitehead

McKenna Steigerwalt

Lukas Hozak

Lucy Kelley

Adriana Fernandes

Ryan Ogrodnik **

Emma Prosperi

Chase Waslenko-Harris

Lucy Kepcsynski

Carter Davis

Madelynn Lavin

GRADE ONE

Makenzie Fabre

Keenan Beier

Jayden Ramos

Daniel Pelkey **

Johnny Polanco ***

Jordan Brandt

Aditi Amin

Malcolm Coady

Emma Carslake

Mackenzie Andujar

Claire Robbins

Teagan Manzo

Bridget O’Malley

Vincent Saiz

Abigail Spotts

R.J. Bates

Hunter Sippos **

Michael Hanes

Breanna Speise

Victoria Vernitsky

Caitlyn Etier

Rodvin Noorani **

Mason Rowe **

Cole Petix **

Sachi Chauhan

Shayne Flinn **

Jocelyn Lapeyrouse

Lilyana Poland

Cailin Custer **

Sean Lacroix

Jessica Musse **

Ellie Duffin **

Wyatt Sachs

Daniel Pelkey ***

GRADE TWO Stephanie Polichtchouk

Alaina Raymond **

Aidan Bunnell **

Matthew Wright **

Hannah Rapciewicz

Kylee Rose

Morgan Keiluhn

Alliya Phipps

Colin Horan **

Anthony Repoley **

Hannah McGettigan

Yashasvi Patel **

Adrianna Rosetti **

Peyton Brazell

Maddison Martin

Nate Kepcsynski

Lilahy Gallace

Ben Gates **

Kyleigh Urban

Bevin McCool **

Tyler Kelso **

Sara Lemanski **

Emily Ogrodnik **

Jackson Tasker **

Dale Tomlinson **

Jasmin Manalili **

Bryce Eliason **

Natalie Kudla **

Daniel Connor ***

Shawn Gorman **

Matthew Wright ***

Alaina Raymond ***

Justin Stewart **

Evan Prosperi **

Cameron Belser **

Dafina Kabashi ***

Layla Brennan **

Colin Horan ***

Jerry O’Neill

Anthony Repoley ***

Sophie Patterson **

Olivia Dittman **

** 200 STEPS

***300 STEPS

*** 300 STEPS ****400 STEPS

6

DECEMBER 2016/JANUARY 2017

Oxford Valley Elementary School is pleased to announce that the following students have completed 25 hours (100 steps) of reading. One step = 15 minutes of reading.

GRADE THREE Angelina Chan ** Dylan Beynon Isabella Ceriani Daniel Connor ** Dafina Kabashi ** Wyatt Feeley ** Liberty Navarro Paige Adams Joseph Kearns ** Adreannya Kearns ** Berkay Ersoy ** Narin Yildiz Matt Fine Jayla Caucci ** Jennifer Rubio Maggie Kopec Nicole Price Madelyn McClung Maya Klosek ** Olivia Maule *** Alessandra Figueroa Brady Hirst Evangeline Grotz Jeselle Simon ** Addison Brazell Keira Hoffman Madison Foley ** Ava Slavin ** Angelina Chan *** Addisyn Brazell Julian Nicol ** Matt Daley Lucas Simicic Danny Kormuth ** Nika Valadzko ** Jayla Caucci *** Colton Fee Conner McClister ** Chase Davis ** Kevin Urgiles Wyatt Feeley *** Madison Doyle ** Maryssa Corsey ** Shane Robitson ** Troy Harvey ** Miranda Miller ** Holly Gianola Crystal Stargell ** Nika Valadzko ***

GRADE FOUR Darius Keating Gavin Rose Anthony Aponte Chris Stargell Ryan Clark Regan Kelso ** Mahek Patel ** Larry Makemson ** Rishi Patel ** Camryn Luchansky ** Aidan Kenney ** Alexia Singh

Brody Beier Matt Carslake ** Alaina Bird ** Delara Noorani ** Yug Patel ** Elizabeth Pelkey ** Corey Osterhout Julia Geffrard Trina Kabashi ** Armaghan Alvi *** Alyssa Cancel Olivia Miller Tyler Sparks Austin Flinn ** Orlando Hernandez ** Cole Jacobson Eddie Wright ** Kitty Raymond ** Adrian Martinez Fiona Bunnell *** Josh Dean Alexandria Thompson Darius Keating ** Yug Patel *** Sadie Zidek Kyle Gorman ** Shane Quinlan ** Anthony Aponte ** Robbie Montgomery ** Derek Gilvear Armaghan Alvi **** Josie Desjardin Madison Fidishun Larry Makemson *** Rishi Patel *** Rylee Wagner ** Anna Bodine ** Christian Huth ** Sarah Mudrick ** GRADE FIVE

Mia Feeley ** Emily Wright **

Gianna Price ** Logan Clark ***

Michael Foley **

John Luchansky ** Payton Wilson **

Austin Kelso ** Morgan McCullon

Ryan Hill Gianni Serenelli ***

Esmeray Onal **

Jacob Cruz ** Shawn Secrest **

Chole Dempsey ** Haley Eliason **

Max Sachs

Steven Cassell ** Jaiden Simon **

Zane McGarvey ** Maddie Kormuth **

Ana Kurtz **

Mia Feeley *** Nicole Rago *****

Aaron Hammer ** Niya Adams **

Jenna Ogrodnik ** Nasyr Coleman **

Eric David **

Phillip Polichtchouk ** Ean Park **

Jenna Fleisch ** Gabe Fuentes **

Michael Foley ***

Logan Clark **** Ean Park **

Wyatt Haynes ** Addy Lacarruba **

Ahnika Hernandez ** Ben Howell **

Gabe Fuentes **

Paul Weiman ** Aaron Kaltman **

Payton Wilson ** Austin Kelso **

Hayden DiFranchi **

Sarah O’Neill ** Emily Wright ***

Gianni Serenelli **** Justin Johnson **

Griffin Kelley **

J.D. Harvey ** Savanna Tafrow **

Lydia Filosi ** Dakota Thomson **

Kiely Gray ** Andrew Romaneev **

** 200 STEPS

***300 STEPS ****400 STEPS

*****500 STEPS

7

DECEMBER 2016/JANUARY 2017

Oxford Valley Elementary School is pleased to announce that the following students have completed 25 hours (100 steps) of reading. One step = 15 minutes of reading.

KINDERGARTEN

Happy New Year to everyone from

kindergarten! Kindergarten students started

off January by using their Kid Writing skills to

write their New Year’s resolutions. We will

also study nature, snow and what makes

water change into a solid, liquid, or gas.

February promises to be a busy, fun

filled month as the students celebrate love

and friendship by writing notes, letters and

cards to friends and family. This will

culminate in our Valentine’s Day parties

scheduled for Tuesday, February 14th.

February also brings with it the 100th

Day of school, which is scheduled for

Thursday, February 16th. This is a day to

celebrate 100 days of learning and fun with a

variety of exciting math activities. Families will

be asked to create a 100th day project to

share on this date-be on the lookout for

information coming home soon about the100th

day celebration and project.

Throughout January and February we

will be learning about famous Americans

such as Martin Luther King, Jr., George

Washington, Abraham Lincoln. We will also

learn about Ruby Bridges and other African

Americans who made an impact on our

country.

We are looking forward to all the fun

and learning that January and February have

in store for us in kindergarten!

FIRST GRADE

The first graders have enjoyed our

science unit titled, “Organisms.” They were

treated to special “classroom pets.” The

students observed the pets as they lived in

terrariums and aquariums! Feel free to ask

your child what a living organism needs to

survive! We are looking forward to our next

unit in science: “States of Matter: Solids,

Liquids, and Gases.” The children will learn

the properties of matter and experiment with

various materials in the different states. The

students have been hard at work on their

narrative stories in writing! They have

learned about the beginning, middle, and end

of a story, the use of transition words, and

adding quotations when someone is

speaking. In reading, we have been learning

why an author writes a story, why the order of

story events is important, as well as what

clues help you figure out why events happen.

In math the students are working with base

ten blocks, coins and measurement using

various tools! Please continue to review your

child’s home link family letter. This is

extremely important because it will explain

the concepts and vocabulary that your child

will be exposed to.

We will be celebrating the 100th day,

having a visiting dentist teach us about

proper dental care, discussing presidents,

and celebrating Valentine’s Day! Your child

will have the opportunity to share Valentines

with classmates. We will send home a list of

first names shortly. We ask only one thing…

that if you send a valentine for one child in

class, you send one for every child. They

will go into the children’s valentine

“mailboxes” in school to be opened on

Valentine’s Day.

CLASSROOM HAPPENINGS

SECOND GRADE

Things are very busy this time of year

in 2nd grade! We have just finished up our 4th

unit in math. Please make sure your child

continues to practice counting coins and

telling time on a clock at home. Also, when

riding in the car, ask your child basic addition

and subtraction facts. These are great ways

to continue to improve their skills.

In reading, we are going to be learning about

Helen Keller and the amazing challenges she

overcame in her lifetime. Ask your child to

recall some examples of how she helped

others. Also, please be sure to continue to

read with your child each night. Also, feel free

to read to them as well. Hearing you model

good reading helps them further develop their

own reading skills.

We finished up our science unit on Balancing

and Weighing and are working on how to

read maps in social studies. Soon, we will be

moving back into science and working on a

unit on Pebbles, Sand and Silt. This is a very

hands-on unit and is a lot of fun!

THIRD GRADE

Happy 2017!! We hope that everyone enjoyed

the holiday season. We are beginning to

prepare for the PSSA’s. You can help at

home by getting on Study Island with your

child throughout the week to complete the

assignments that their teacher has posted.

The end of the second marking period is

approaching quickly; every third grader

should be at 200 steps by then. Students,

please remember to complete your reading

log each night. Parents, please continue

checking and initialing the orange homework

book each night. In EM4 we will be starting

Unit 5 which is made up of fractions, and

graphing. In reading we have started Unit 2

in Journey’s- Express Yourself. The Big Idea

is that we communicate in many ways. Be

sure to ask your child how they are enjoying

the stories. In Writing we are going to be

focusing on Informational and research. Later

in the 3rd marking period we will begin

switching classes for Science. The Science

Units are: Rocks and Minerals, Chemicals, and

Plants. Remember as the weather gets colder

please send your child to school with a heavy

winter coat. Also, it is imperative that your

child is at school by 9:00 a.m. We begin our

math lessons at 9:05. Thank you so much for

all of your continued support.

FOURTH GRADE

Brrrrrr! It’s cold outside! But not to worry, fourth graders are keeping busy with all kind of exciting classroom activities! Sci-ence is in full swing in all four classrooms. Students are currently studying the water cy-cle, solar system and animals. Each unit is full of interesting activities and amazing facts. Ask your young scientist about some of the fascinating things they have discov-ered in science class.

Can you believe that we are halfway through our school year! We have completed Journal One in math and we will be moving to Journal Two. So far, our students are showing that they have gained some amaz-ing skills in math! Keep trying to memorize those facts and earn a spirit stick. Also, we encourage all students to try the math chal-lenge each month.

As Mrs. Fay likes to say, we hope our fourth graders are still “reading, reading, and reading!” Students should be completing their 200 step log and moving on to achieve 300 steps! We are also reading some very interesting stories in the classroom. Please be sure to ask about the latest Storyworks stories that are engaging our students!

FIFTH GRADE

It is hard to believe we are halfway through the year! We have been very busy in 5th grade, and we have many upcoming fun events such as the 5th grade dance and our field trip to the Medieval Times in Lynd-hurst, New Jersey.

Fifth grade is having a great year. We are well into our new EDM4 math pro-gram. The kids are adjusting well to the rou-tines of the programs and love the games that go along with it. We have just finished testing our 4th unit and have our mid-year assessment coming up soon. Remember,

students are able to access all lessons and homework online on the Connect Ed, EDM4 website.

In reading, we have read some won-derful Storyworks articles as well as some of our Journey’s stories. We are continuing to learn about different text structures such as: cause and effect, compare/contrast, problem and solution, and using story maps for sum-marizing. We are also learning about figura-tive language, sentence parts, and verbs, as well as strengthening our vocabulary.

We have just finished up our science units for the year. We are very excited to start a new Social Studies Alive program. It is a fun, interactive program to gets kids in-volved in learning. We will be covering Eng-lish Settlements, Colonial life, the Declara-tion of Independence, and finally the Ameri-can Revolution. We are excited about this because we will be taking a special field trip in May to the brand new American Revolu-tion Museum in Philadelphia. We are looking forward to the second

half of this year and all it has in store for

us. The students are well on their way to be-

ing prepared to enter middle school in the

fall!

STUDENT COUNCIL

The students of Oxford Valley have been working very hard this holiday season to give back to our local community and our school. Student council Advisors, Katy Stumbaugh and Lou Cammiso are proud to share that the officers and representatives organized several fundraisers to benefit others in need.

In November, the Student Council held a “Backwards Day” event at our school. In an effort to raise funds for Bucks County Emergency Homeless Shelter students were asked to bring in $1 and invited to wear their clothes into school backwards. The students were eager to help out the homeless shelter and excited to participate in this event. Many students who did not even wear their clothes backwards were happy to dig in their backpacks for some loose change to donate to a good cause. With the generous donation of the students, faculty and staff we were excited to make a donation of $285 for the shelter.

Our Backwards Day was soon followed by an Ugly Sweater Day in December. The students and faculty were thrilled to wear their ugliest sweaters into school. Each participant, and even some who didn’t participate, brought in $1 to benefit the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Student Council was able to raise $154! It was amazing to see all the students eager to donate for a good cause. OV is the best!

Finally, also during the month of December, we also held our annual Gingerbread House contest. Our lobby smelled extra delicious this year because we had more participants than ever, 47 to be exact! It was amazing to see all the creative ideas come to life here at OV. We raised $205 for the Fran Nitkin Cornerstone Courtyard! This year we also changed our voting system and had four separate categories. The student council decided on Most Creative, Most Delicious, Most Traditional, and Best Overall Gingerbread house. The winners are as follows:

Most Delicious – John, Camryn, and Kelsey Luchansky

Most Creative – Christian Boyd-Riddle Most Traditional – Emma Prospen

Best Overall – Eddie, Emily, and Matthew Wright Our Student council has been on a roll, and we look forward to many more fun filled activities to help out our school and most importantly our community throughout the year. Our OV family always pulls together to support one another.

ELEMENTARY HONORS BAND FESTIVAL

Congratulations to the following students who were selected to participate in this year’s Elementary Honors Festival. The festival will be on Thursday, March 2, 2017 and Friday, March 3, 2017. The festival will take place at Pennsbury High School East. The students will rehearse on Thursday from 4-9 pm and on Friday from 4-6 pm then perform the concert at 7:00 pm. The Director for the band portion will be Mrs. Elizabeth Sokolowski, and Mr. Nick Wehr will be directing the Orchestra. Band members Flute- Kristen Colozza Oboe- Steven Cassell Clarinet- Zane McGarvey French Horn- Griffin Kelly Trombone- Aaron Hammer Baritone Horn- John Luchansky, Anthony Klyuchnyk Percussion- Adeline LaCarrubba Orchestra members Violin- Aaron Kaltman Cello- Nicole Rago Cello- Emily Wright Double Bass- Conor Fallon Mr. D’Alicandro, and Mr. McGarry

Barnes & Noble Night

Thank you to everyone who came to Barnes & Noble Night ! What a

fun time!

The winner of our attendance contest was Mrs. Caron’s class.

Congratulations! You have made the Hall of Fame again!

Mrs. Dillon, Library

PTO Happenings February - March

5th Grade News Candy Gram Sales – Pre-order Sales begin January 30th, lunch sales will be February 8th, 9th, and 10th. Upcoming Smencils and Smens Sale 5th Grade Class Trip to Medieval Times – March 10th Kids Basket Auction for Entire school, proceeds benefitting the 5th Grade – Week of March 20th

Please continue to send in your Box Tops, Campbell’s Labels for Education, Shoprite and Redner’s Receipts

Our Fritz’s sticky bun voucher sale is still on

going. Gertrude Hawk Spring Sale will kick

off in March, waiting on vendor confirmation of

start date and will run for 2 weeks. The Spring

Fling Bingo is scheduled for March 24th, look

for ticket order forms, and donation letters

coming home shortly.

February PTO Meeting will be held

on the 15th at 7pm in the Library, and

March PTO Meeting will be held on

the 15th, at 9:30 am in the Cafeteria.

5th Grade Parents meeting will be

February 1st, and March 3rd at 6:30, in the library. Please come out to make your voice heard!

COUNSELING CORNER

February / March 2017

Counseling Resources and Support Facilities

Network of Victim Assistance (NOVA), confidential counseling, free counseling services to

families…………………………………………….………..215-343-6543

A Woman’s Place Shelter: For battered/abused women and their chil-

dren.....................................................................................................800-220-8116

Tough Love……………………………………………………………..215-348-7090

Poison Control…………………………………………………………..215-386-2100

Childline and Abuse Registry…………………………………………...800-932-0313

Grief and Bereavement

Safe Harbor, at Abington Memorial Hospital: Inquire about Camp Charlie for grieving

children and teens…………………………………………..215-481-5983

Crisis Center

Lower Bucks Hospital: Lenape Valley Crisis, Bristol………………215-785-9765

Counseling

Outpatient Community Based Services in Bucks County

Each of the following agencies take either Medical Assistance, CHIP or work on a Sliding

scale fee. All provide individual and family therapy and others provide group therapy,

wrap-around services, drug and alcohol treatment and psychiatric assistance.

Bethanna: 1030 2nd Street Pike, Southhampton…………………………...215-355-6500

Bucks County Mental Health Clinic: 1270 New Rodgers Rd., Bristol……215-788-5730

Catholic Social Services: 100 Levittown Pkwy., Levittown……………...215-945-2550

Family Services Association of Bucks County: Langhorne………………215-757-6916

Foundations Behavioral Health: 833 East Butler Ave., Doylestown…..…215-947-8654

Growth Opportunity Center: 82 Buck Road, Holland…………………….215-947-8654

Indio Foundation, Inc.: 1098 Washington Crossing Rd., WC…………….215-321-6255

Lenape Valley Foundation: 500 NW St., Doylestown……………………215-345-5300

Pan American: 1 N. Wilson Ave., Bristol…………………………………215-788-0680

Penndel Mental Health: 1517 Durham Rd., Penndel……………………...215-752-1541 14

Parenting Tips

It is often difficult for families to recognize that their child may be struggling with a be-

havioral health concern. During these times families have a lot of questions and don’t

know where to turn. Realizing that your child needs behavioral health treatment can be

overwhelming and, at times confusing, but help is available.

20 % of all children and adolescents have behavioral health concerns, according to the

Department of Health and Human Services.

The good news is that children’s behavioral health problems can be successfully rec-

ognized and treated. Studies indicate that with the right treatment children and

adolescents do improve.

If you believe your child has a behavioral health problem begin by calmly talking

about your concerns with him/her. Ask questions about how they feel, and take

the time to listen.

Warning Signs that your Child may need an Assessment

If you see changes in your child’s behavior, i.e. increasingly upset, angry or cranky.

If your child appears unhappy or depressed for long periods of time.

If there is a big change in your child’s life and they continue to have difficulty adjust-

ing.

If your child is not eating or sleeping as he/she normally does.

If your child is increasingly worried or scared, or complains of illness often.

If your child stops being interested in playing with friends.

If your child has difficulty keeping up in school or can’t seem to concentrate.

Any changes in eating or sleeping habits or toileting changes (i.e. wetting him/

herself).

If your child is fighting with others a lot or is engaging in inappropriate play.

Look for new “Parenting Tips” in each months Newsletter

15

EVERYDAY

MATHEMATICS 4

HOME TIP:

Snow, snow, snow! Now that we are in the mid-dle of winter, a fun activity after a snowstorm involves measurement. Pull out your rulers and yardsticks. Have your child find a fresh pile of snowfall and measure how much snow fell. Let’s hope only a ruler is required for this activity! After shoveling, and high snow piles are made, have your child meas-ure with a yardstick. How tall is your pile in feet? inch-es?

Also, bring a ther-mometer (you can get them at the Dollar Store) outside in the morning and record the temperature. Do it again at lunchtime and dinner time. How has the temperature changed throughout the day? Bundle up and do some math outside!

SNOW CLOSING AND WEATHER

INFORMATION:

Notification via ConnectED automated calling system

The Pennsbury Website: www.pennsburysd.org

Hotline: 215-428-4100, option 8

Comcast Cable Channel 28

OXFORD VALLEY

Elementary School

430 Trenton Road

Fairless Hills, PA 19030

Phone: 215-949-6808

Fax: 215-949-6810

SCHOOL STORE NEWS

Come in from the cold this winter and check out what’s new at the school store! We have re-stocked with some new items and some oldies but goodies. We also sell many basic school sup-plies like pencils, crayons, folders, glue sticks and notebooks.

Join in on the fun of the Hershey Kiss Surprise Game to win fun prizes and snacks. Kisses will be sold from January 31st through February 14th at the school store, and the cost is 25 cents each or 5 for $1.00. Several prizes will be award-ed each day during school store hours.

Visit the school store every Tuesday morning from 8:30 - 9:00 a.m. Bring your spare change and help raise money for our school!