Newsletter from VFES PTO

VFES PTO Newsletter

Issue: 10 January 25, 2013

Help Wanted

Make A Difference at VFES! Leaders Needed!

The VFES PTO has several open board positions for the 2013-14 school year. Working on the board is a great way to meet people, strengthen a resume and help out the school. While it may seem early to be advertising for next year, if you are interested, now is a great time to sit in on a board meeting or shadow a board member to see what the job is all about. The following board positions will be open:

Treasurer

Assistant Treasurer

VP of Socials

Communications Coordinator

If you are interested in any of these positions, job descriptions & FAQ can be found at www.vfespto.org on the "About the PTO" page or you can contact Raquel Hunter at ptopres@vfespto.org. We need parents with younger children to get involved! The next monthly board meeting is on 2/5. Let us know if you would like to sit in and observe.

Spring Fair Raffle Committee Needs New People To Get Involved

The Spring Fair Raffle committee is getting ready

to start planning for this year's Spring Fair raffle.

It is the highlight of the Spring Fair and the kids love it!

Next year the chairs are moving on so now is a great time to shadow the current chairpersons and learn the ropes. Sit in on a few meetings in February and see the process. Help out this year if needed. Heidi Kelly, Katie Ginter and I have had so much fun being a part of this great fundraiser. Please contact me, Linda Brewington, at lindabrew@aol.com if you & a few of your friends would like to get involved now in order to take it over next year.

Volunteers Needed To Help With The Bowling Party

February 27th, 4:00 to 6:00 PM

The Bowling Party chairpersons need

5-7 volunteers to assist on site at

Devon Lanes with the Bowling Party.

Please contact Crystal Wichard, cwichard@comcast.net, or Kelly Bunting at buntingk@gtlaw.com, if you can help out at this event.

Music Recording Volunteers Needed

Volunteers needed to help with recording your children's voices this spring. The PTO has a program where each child in the school is recorded singing their favorite song of the year. At the end of 4th grade, the kids bring these CDs home and you have great memories of what your child sounded like when they were young. However, we need help! If you would be interested, please email Julie Kanto at kantofamily@verizon.net.

We will be having an informational meeting after the holidays. This is a fun project that doesn't take a lot of time. Please consider helping!

Volunteers Are Needed for the PTO Annual
Pizza Bingo Night Social!

Friday, February 8th 6:00-8:00 PM

Place: at the Conestoga High School

Please click on the link to sign up!

Kindergarten Bake Sale Coordinator Needed

Sale is 2/27

Coordinate contributions from list of hospitality bakers and run a table selling baked goods. The Kindergarten Bake Sale proceeds will go to the Elmwood Park Zoo. Complete instructions on running and advertising the sale, along with sample flyers, will be provided. Email Monica Moore at monicamoore@comcast.net if you are interested.

PTO News

Pizza Bingo

Friday, February 8, 2013

Get your B-I-N-G-O hat on and join us for the VFES PTO Annual Family Pizza Bingo Social to be held on:

Friday, February 8th

6:00-8:00pm

Conestoga High School!

Family admission of $20 includes pizza, drinks, bingo and prizes for ALL children who attend. Please click here to download an RSVP form and make sure you turn yours in today!!!

Valley Forge Elementary School Bowling Party

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Come join us for bowling, pizza and fun at the

2013 Valley Forge Elementary School Bowling

Party, on Wednesday, February 27, 2013,

from 4 to 6 pm at Devon Lanes in Devon.

Just $12.00 per bowler gets you pizza, shoe

rental, soda, music, and of course, a great time

bowling and socializing with other VFES students.

Don't miss it! Sign up early so you and your friends can request a lane to bowl together. Walk-ins are also welcome. For more information, click here.

Save The Date For The Adult Social!

April 6th, 2013 at Phoenixville Country Club

The VFES Adult Social/Silent Auction & Casino Night will be held on Saturday, April 6th at Phoenixville Country Club. This is a fun event that raises around $10,000 each year for VFES. In addition to the casino games, there will be a DJ, 2 hour open bar, light dinner, silent auction and raffle baskets. It's a great time to socialize with other VFES parents and have some fun! Invitations will be sent home in mid-February. If you would like to help, please email Raquel Hunter at ptopres@vfespto.org . Please click here for a flyer listing donations needed for the event.

Keep Clipping!
Last collection deadline is February 22nd

Every coupon clipped earns 10¢ for our school.

Please check your expiration dates.

Missed the last collection? No problem.

Keep bringing your Box Tops to Valley Forge Elementary School.

School News

Staying Well

As an ongoing effort to promote wellness, the preventative steps below have been reviewed with students.

Coughing or sneezing into the bend of your elbow or a tissue;
Proper disposal of used tissues;
Washing your handsfrequently and thoroughly with soap and warm water;
Using an alcohol-based (at least 60 %) hand sanitizer;
Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth.

Students are encouraged to follow these procedures. Hand sanitizer dispensers are available in all classrooms and common spaces of the building. Click here for additional information that was developed by the TESD Certified School Nurses.

Head Lice Reminder

As we head in to cold weather you need to

remind your children to keep their coats

separated and not to share hats and scarves.

Head lice are not a health hazard but can be

quite a nuisance to deal with at home. You

should watch for signs of head lice in your

own family. One telltale sign is a persistent itching of the scalp, often accompanied by scratch marks. The person inspecting the head should look for tiny, gray-white oval eggs called nits, glued to the hair shafts near the scalp, often at the back of the head and behind the ears. Eggs may look like hairspray droplets or dandruff, but these are easily dislodged and brushed away, while nits remain firmly cemented in place. Live lice are tiny, quick, and easily hidden in the hair.

Head lice are usually spread from one person to another by direct head to head contact, or by sharing personal items such as combs, brushes, hats, towels and bedding.

If you suspect that your child has head lice, contact your physician or pharmacist to purchase the proper insecticide shampoo. Do not treat family members who do not have head lice. The shampoo is not a preventative product. It is for active cases only.

Please notify the school nurse if you find head lice and/or your child has been treated.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact your school nurse. Additional information may be found on the TESD website under School Health Services.

76ers Read for Ronald Program

We are excited to be participating in a

new service project, 76ers Read for

Ronald Program! This project benefits

many different members of our community

including the families of the Philadelphia Ronald

McDonald house, our school, and our children.

Our children will benefit from the encouragement to read more at the same time they are learning to help other children. A kick off assembly is scheduled for February 5th and the project runs through March. Please look for the program packet in your child's folder in Early February. This is a wonderful way for our children and our community to work together for a common goal that benefits so many people! Thank you, in advance, for your support of this service project.

Community

"Friday Winter Date Night": Babysitting Fundraiser

Friday, January 25, 2013

Conestoga Girls Lacrosse is holding its second fundraising babysitting event on January 25th.

WHERE: St. John's Church - 217 Berkeley Road, Devon

Fellowship Hall

WHEN: Friday, January 25

6:00pm - 10:00pm

COST: $5.00 per hour/child ($12.00 maximum per hour/family. To reserve a spot for your tot;

Email: LadyPioneerLacrosse@gmail.com

For more information, please click here.

Harlem Wizards and T/E Students and Teachers Play Basketball to Help FLITE

Friday, March 15, 2013

The Harlem Wizards will return Friday March 15 to play a spirited basketball game against students, teachers and administrators from every T/E school.

This event is FLITE's largest fundraiser of the year and we need your help for it to be successful. There are several exciting opportunities for local businesses or individuals to sponsor this years' Wizards game.

Presenting Sponsor for $2000
Concession Sponsor for $1500
Security Sponsor for $1000
School spirit T shirt Sponsor for $500
Ticket Sponsor for $250- no longer available

Each sponsorship level comes with some free tickets to the game as well as recognition in various ways. For details on how to help FLITE help kids, go to www.flite-pa.org or email FLITE Coordinator Chris Caine at cdcaine@yahoo.com. Tickets for the Wizards game will go on sale in early February. Don't miss this fun night in T/E. This is what our school district is all about.

For ticket information and order form, please click here.

Gratitude Corner

Thank you Cultural Arts volunteers!

Lynne Spangler and Donna Costin covered the Kit's Interactive Theatre "Road to Revolution" program for the 4th grade, Susan Moyer covered the "Betsy Ross" visit to the 3d grade, and Donna Costin covered the Philadelphia Zoo "Remarkable Rainforest" program for the 1st grade. We appreciate it!