DRAGONBITES
Welsh Valley Middle School
Home and School Association
Weekly Newsletter
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Calendar of Upcoming Events
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Thursday, October 17
- Parent/Teacher Conferences 6-8 pm
Monday, October 21
Tuesday, October 22
Wednesday, October 23
Tuesday, October 29
Thursday, October 31
- Early Dismissal 11:55 am, No lunch served
- Staff Development Day
Monday, November 4
Tuesday, November 5
- No School for Students (Election Day)
- Staff Development Day
Wednesday, November 6
Thursday, November 7
Friday, November 8
Tuesday, November 12
- General ISC Meeting 9:30 am (Academy Bldg)
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This Week's FORUM
This week for FORUM, students will be participating in an interactive lesson around the different roles that students can play in a bullying situation. They will do a role play called "bullying circle". Students will have the chance to volunteer to act out the different roles and be a part of a group discussion to review the common language around these situations, self-reflect on where they see themselves in the circle and go over different ways to defend or help in bullying situations.
FORUM is a place where we work on building our community and it is important for us to take some time to discuss this important topic.
Please see below for the "bullying circle" and the common language we will be discussing.
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HSA Needs Your Help
The HSA is looking for a Welsh Valley representative for the Committee for Special Education (CSE) which is a parent-led volunteer organization serving families of children with IEPs, GIEPs, and/or 504 Service Agreements in Lower Merion School District If you are interested, please contact Nanette Taraya-Vonk at ntarayavonk@comcast.net . We also have various school events that need volunteers. Please go to www.SignUpGenius.Com to signup to help.
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Principal Advisory Committee
The Principal Advisory Committee is looking for a new parent volunteer to serve as a representative on behalf of parents with children from Penn Valley Elementary School. Principal Advisory Committee members will meet monthly with Mr. Hall and a group of faculty representatives from 3:15-4:15pm. If you are interested, please contact Mary Ann Fusaro at fusarom@lmsd.org by Thursday, October 24th.
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Health Screening Next Week
Pennsylvania state-mandated annual health screenings are scheduled to take place in the library next week. We will be screening grade 8 on Monday, grade 7 on Tuesday, and grade 6 on Wednesday. All students will be asked to participate in vision testing and growth measurement for height, weight, & Body Mass Index (BMI) calculations. In addition, 7th graders and students new to the school district this year will also be screened for hearing. If your child wears glasses or contacts, please remind them to bring them to school on their scheduled screening day.
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READING OLYMPICS --starting mid-October!
Encourage your child to come out and join the WV Reading Olympics Team! Students will meet to read and discuss the books on Wednesdays, 3:05 - 4:20 p.m.. Students who cannot make it on Wednesday afternoons may come in before school on Mondays at 7:30 - 8:15 a.m., and after school every other Monday, 3:05 - 4:20 p.m.. Those who cannot attend any of these meetings may still be a part of the team, but need to speak to Ms. Wolfe first. All groups will meet in Ms. Wolfe's room, MOD #3. Students are required to read a minimum of eight books, from a list of forty-five. See the list here. The books vary in content, style and difficulty, so there is something for everyone! The goal of Reading Olympics is to increase students' reading skills as well as their enjoyment of reading. The Olympics' "competition", against other middle school students from throughout Montgomery County, will be held in the spring (date and location to be announced). Questions? Please contact Debbye Wolfe (Reading Olympics Coach and 6th grade teacher) at wolfed@lmsd.org or Amy Norr (parent assistant) at norrmetz@verizon.net. Your student may stop by Ms. Wolfe's room, MOD #3, to pick up a Reading Olympics Packet. Short informational meeting for interested students on October 11th (during period 10) in E213. Regular meetings start on Mon. Oct. 14th/Wed. Oct. 16th.
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SCHOLASTIC BOOK FAIR - is coming to WVMS, Mon. 11/4 - Fri.,11/8
This year's theme is "Reading Oasis - A Cool Place to Discover Hot Books". Read about some of these hot books in the Sneak Peak flier that your child will be bringing home next week.
NEW THIS YEAR - books can be purchased online starting October 21 - November 16.
Orders will be delivered to Welsh Valley one week after the completion of the online sale and then distributed to the students.
Go to http://bookfairs.scholastic.com/homepage/welshvalley to place an order.
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 WVMS Activists Honored at State Capitol
Last year, Welsh Valley Middle School students and teachers worked in partnership with the international charity, Free The Children, to raise awareness and funds for a variety of important global issues. Free The Children "believes in a world where all children are free to achieve their fullest potential as agents of change" and works to make that belief a reality through the education, engagement, and empowerment of youth to become active local and global citizens. Through their sustainable development model, known as Adopt a Village, Free The Children works to remove barriers to education and to empower communities to break the cycle of poverty. For their dedication to this effort, the Welsh Valley team - a mixture of current and former teachers and students - was invited to Harrisburg, PA to celebrate House Resolution 438, honoring the work of the Free The Children Campaign and the youth throughout Pennsylvania who helped support the campaign efforts. Read more. |
BCWV Fall/WInter Middle School Squash Season Kicks Off October 20th!
The BCWV Fall/Winter session consists of a 10 week program for players of all abilities in grades 6-8.
"Registration for the BCWV Squash program is Now Open! For more information and application form, click here. Please visit the BCWV eboard for more information: bcwvsquash.lmsd.site.eboard.com. Registrations close October 20th."
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School Supplies Collection to Help Philadelphia School in Need, Oct. 21 - Nov. 8
Here at Welsh Valley we are very fortunate. But, there are some schools in Philadelphia that are not as fortunate. The Andrew Jackson School in Philadelphia is in dire need of school supplies for their students. The students in this school are in Kindergarden to 8th grade. We would love to help this school by donating supplies. Some of the things that they need are: Gently used books (K-8) Folders with pockets Large labels for the folders Loose leaf Copy paper Electric pencil sharpeners Colored pencils Photo paper to print pictures Winter Gloves!! Winter Hats!! Scissors Gluesticks Bookmarks USB sticks copy books pencils. Band aids Hand sanitizer Neosporin To get enough of these supplies, we'll need your help. So please Welsh Valley, let's help. Help kids in need who don't have what we have. Collection boxes are placed in every homeroom and in the main office. We need you, and they need us. Come on Welsh Valley what do you say? The collection will run from October 21st until November 8th.
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TSA Engineering team officially begins in November
The TSA Engineering team officially begins after-school meetings for ALL students in November. Preparations for Washington, DC will begin with the series of meetings that are listed below. Students interested in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) based competitions should report according to the following schedule: * Monday, October 28th - Homeroom - TV26 will begin showing information about TSA on the morning announcements * Wednesday, November 6th - Period 10 Homeroom - ALL interested students - in the tech ed rooms (only for picking up permission forms) * Thursday, November 7th - 3:10 to 4:30 - Returning Members ONLY - in the tech ed rooms * Tuesday, November 12th - 3:10 to 4:30 - New Members ONLY - in the auditorium Any student interested in joining the team this year should visit Mr. Weaver's eBoard for more information and to obtain a permission form. Forms must be returned before attending afterschool meetings. TSA typically meets afterschool on Tuesday and Thursday until 4:30. Please visit the TSA website for a description of each event.
Coaches: Mr. Weaver, Mr. Brockman, Mr. Birch, Mrs. Morris
2013 Leadership Conferences:
Regionals - February 8, 2014 - Quakertown, PA (Snow Makeup - February 22, 2014) States - April 9 - 12, 2014 - Champion, PA Nationals - June 27 - July 1, 2014 - Washington, DC
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Welsh Valley Musical
Mrs. Vaughan and Mrs. Hunt are pleased to announce this year's musical. This year, the musical will be Once on this Island Jr. Please go to Mrs. Vaughan's eBoard for a synopsis of the show and information on auditions. There will be drama club after school on Fridays until 4:15 pm in Mrs. Vaughan's room. Link to Mrs. Vaughan's e-board
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Parents of 7th and 8th Grade Chorus and Advanced Chorus Students:Your timely response to the chorus shirts order forms was appreciated. The student chorus will look professional for their three plus performances this year. If you have not done so already, please submit the $25 dollar shirt charge in cash or check (made out to Welsh Valley Middle School) as soon as possible so that the shirts can be ordered in a timely fashion. If any family may require require financial assistance in order to pay for their child's shirts, please contact the school office.
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PowerSchool Parent Portal Single Sign-On Account Creation InstructionsFamilies should have received an email from the district with information about a "single sign-on" feature for parents with multiple children. Click here to see the instructions.
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Dragon Pride Student Commendations
We are pleased to recognize our Dragon Pride Commendation award winners. The following students were recognized by our staff for demonstrating Random Acts of Kindness or Contributing to the Welsh Valley Community. We encourage all students to do the right thing for the sake of it being the right thing to do. We want to recognize students for good deeds, sometimes with a smile or thank you, other times with a commendation. But our overall goal is for our staff with the commendation program is to acknowledge students for doing the right thing in the most genuine sense. The Character and Citizenship Committee and WVMS faculty would like to thank these students for helping make Welsh Valley a better place.
Congratulations to the following students for receiving a "DRAGON PRIDE" commendation for the week of October 7th:
8th GRADE
Ava Lauren Weber commended by Mr. Gari
7th GRADE
Danielle Sclafani commended by the 7B Teachers
6th GRADE
Emily Sandler commended by Mr. Gari
Jason Aoyama commended by Mr. Gari
Jake Silberstein commended by Ms. Kauffman
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Welsh Valley Athletics - Go Dragons
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Fall Sports - 7th & 8th Grade
Any 7th and 8th grade student who wishes to participate in Cross Country must turn in a completed PIAA form to Mrs. Petty in the Main Office. PIAA forms are available in the main office. Practices are Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays until 4:15pm. Please contact Mrs. Vaughan ( vaughal@lmsd.org) for further questions.
Please review the Transportation Policy for home and away games and practices. Please contact Megan Kiczek, athletic director, if you have further questions.
Athletics Schedules
Welsh Valley Middle School uses DigitalSports.com to share all important information related to our athletic teams. http://wvdragons.digitalsports.com is where you can see all upcoming events, sign up to receive email alerts of any schedule changes, and access complete team schedules. For more information, visit the link above or see the documents linked below.
DigitalSports.com Guide
Athletic Director: Megan Kiczek KiczekM@lmsd.org
Link to WV Athletics
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Ms. Barbara Giorgio's Presentation at ISC General Meeting
Ms. Barbara Giorgio, LMSD Supervisor of Secondary Humanities, provided an update on the grades 6-12 writing program and how it dovetails with writing as it is taught in the elementary grades at an Interschool Council (ISC) General Meeting on 10/8/13. Minutes from the meeting - including a copy of Ms. Giorgio's presentation - can be viewed in the ISC section of the LMSD website (http://www.lmsd.org/community/parents/isc/minutes/index.aspx). The next ISC General Meeting will be on November 12th at 9:30 am. Speaker and location information will be posted in advance. All parents and guardians in the district are encouraged to attend these informative meetings.
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National Merit Scholarship Program recognizes 63 LMSD studentsOf the 1.5 million entrants nationwide, only 50,000 students qualify for recognition in the NMSP.
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 Bethel Academy launches 2013-14 after-school tutoring program
While parents registered their children for this year's Bethel Academy - an award-winning, free after-school tutoring program in Ardmore - hordes of new and returning volunteer tutors filled Fellowship Hall at Bethel A.M.E. Church to be brought up to speed on the Academy and its mission, student schedules, expectations for the volunteers, and best practices in working with the students. Once again, Harriton and Lower Merion high school students from the Service League, buildOn, and National Honor Society were among those registering to volunteer, along with music instructors (funded by the Maestro the Lion Foundation), local college students, parents, and current and retired Lower Merion School District teachers. Read more. |
ESL Family Night Dinner
The goal of English as a Second Language (ESL) in the Lower Merion School District is to provide services to ensure the success of students learning English.
At the annual ESL family dinner, held in the Bala Cynwyd Middle School cafeteria, district students and their families gathered for a welcoming/get-acquainted dinner featuring samples of global gourmet specialties brought by parents. Around the cafeteria were posters created by the students with flags of their homelands, welcoming words, photos of the students and a list of their favorite activities. Read more.
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Emily Broad Leib '99 authors Harvard study that finds food expiration dates misleadingBroad Leib recently appeared on CNN, the NBC Today Show, and participated in an interview with Scientific American to discuss her findings. Read more.
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Harriton High School National Honor Society Fund Raiser
Support the Harriton National Honor Society in our Annual Thanksgiving Food Drive! Come out to the Harriton vs. Strath Haven Football game on October 25th at 7:00 pm at the Harrtion HS Field. Free admission with a can (Elementary students only!) Please bring canned goods (vegetables, yams, turkey gravy, etc.) to be donated to local families. We hope to see you there! See flyer here.
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Harriton Girls Basketball Clinic - Sun. Nov. 17, 1-3 pm for grades 4-8
This Harriton Girls Basketball clinic is run by Harriton High School and will feature many of the same kids you see now at the clinics. Not only will you get high quality instruction, you will get the chance to use one of the top facilities in the area. The best part though, parents you don't need to just wait around you can take a Zumba class (see flyer here) during the same time!! It's a great way to kill two birds with one stone! Please see the basketball clinic registration form here and for more information please contact Monica Tabasso at mmtabasso@hotmail.com. Don't miss out!!!
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Understanding and Reducing Anxiety in Children - Tues., Nov. 5 at 7pm, LMHS Aud
Join us for an evening with Dr. Paul Foxman, Ph.D., Founder and Director of the Center for Anxiety
Disorders in Vermont and author of The Worried Child and Dancing with Fear. See flyer for more information.
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Register now for EFLM's Annual Trivia Night! - Sat.,11/9
at 7:30 pm at The Cynwyd Club
Registration is now open for the Education Foundation of Lower Merion's 4th Annual Trivia Night & Auction. Organize a team in advane or at the event. Win or los, you'll show smarts by supporting the EFLM's mission of enhancing the excellence of Lower Merion Public Schools. Read more.
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buildOn Fundraiser through 11/24 with Whole Foods MarketLower Merion High School is having a huge fundraiser for buildOn at the Wynnewood Whole Foods Market. buildOn is a charitable foundation committed to breaking the cycle of poverty. This year, Lower Merion's buildOn chapter is raising funds to build a school in Nepal. From now until November 24th, Whole Foods Market will donate 5 cents to buildOn for every reusable bag used. When you checkout, ask the cashier for your nickels to go to buildOn. Please spread the word to your friends and family!
View the flyer here.
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Coffee and Conversations on Gifted Education
Following in the success of last year's series of parent workshops, the Lower Merion School District in Collaboration with Chester County Intermediate Unit is offering informational sessions for parents on Gifted Education for 2013-2014. Each Session will be presented with a choice of a morning OR an evening time. For a list of dates and topics, click here.
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C-MITES Weekend Workshops - Sat., 11/9
C-MITES is once again offering Weekend Workshops at Lower Merion High School this Fall. Classes include Marine Biology, Funky Science, Rockets - Action and Reaction, Chemistry Chaos, LEGO Pneumatics, Science of Harry Potter and Stellar Geometric Stellations.
These challenging, hands-on classes are designed for academically-talented students in grades K-8. Classes meet from 9am-noon or 1-4pm on Saturday, November 9th. Parent sessions will also be offered - The ABC's of Gifted Education and Social and Emotional Experiences of Gifted Students. For more information or to register online, visit http://www.cmu.edu/cmites/weekend_workshops.html. Registration is on a first-come, first-served basis and financial aid is available.
C-MITES (Carnegie Mellon Institute for Talented Elementary Students), based at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, has offered challenging and fun classes for gifted students for more than 20 years. Link to Informational Post Card
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Lower Merion School Board
6/10/13 Revised Timeline Presentation - Continued Public Engagement for Expanded School Choice Proposal: information available on lmsd.org, click here.
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Special Education: Know Your Child's Rights
Concerned Black Parents' Special Education Buddies program is hosting a seminar series with Sonja Kerr of the Public Interest Law Center of Philadelphia (PILCOP). Attend "live" seminars with PILCOP or join Concerned Black Parents for webinars at the Ludington Library. Topics include: psychological testing, children with autism, transition services and children with emotional needs. For more information, see flyer here.
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Lower Merion Youth Wresting Club - Parents Orientation, Mon. 11/4 at 7pm, LMHS Caf
The Lower Merion Youth Wrestling Club is open to children in grades K through 6th. See flyer for more information.
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Main Line Girls Basketball Association (MLGBA) 2014 Season - Registration Open!
Online registration is now available for the upcoming season. For more details, click here.
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The Ardmore Library needs your used books!
Not sure what to do with all those already-read books spilling from your shelves and closets? The Ardmore Library Used Bookshop welcomes your book donations of clean, undamaged, and current fiction and non-fiction; hardcover and softcover; adult, young adult and children's books. Please, no textbooks, encyclopedias, magazines or VHS tapes. All proceeds from the sale of used books benefit library acquisitions and programs for the community. Please bring donations to the front desk at the Ardmore Library, 108 Ardmore Avenue during regular business hours (M, T, Th 10am-8pm, Wed. 1pm-8pm, and Fri., Sat. 10am-5pm). Thank you!
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LM Parks & Recreation Dept. along with Young Rembrandts presents Art Classes for ages 3-1/2 to 12 years old
Click here for more information.
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Parenting on the Main Line: Growing up together: How to foster independence
Mon., 10/21, 7 pm at Bryn Mawr Presbyterian Church
Please join Dr. Zeitlin and Dr. Hitelman for a lively discussion to share your insights with other parents.
They will explore the many ways to remain connected to your teenagers as they become more independent and the importance of an evolving relationship as your teen transitions to young adult and leaves the home.
Parenting on the Main Line is an interfaith effort to provide parents with opportunities to discuss how to raise healthy, well-adjusted, ethically-grounded children on the Main Line. The program, now in its third year, was developed by Bryn Mawr Presbyterian and Main Line Reform with support from Lower Merion School District. For more information and event dates go to www.parentingonthemainline.com.
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"The Hills Are Alive" - Belmont Hills Library Fall Fundraiser, Sat., 11/9, 7:30-11 pm
Come enjoy great food, drinks and dancing and auction with great prizes. Tickets can be purchased at the Library for $30 ($35 at the door) or through the following link: http://www.eventbrite.com/event/8414507017. If you have any questions, or wish to donate any food or auction items, please contact danjamie@hotmail.com. The event will take place at the Belmont Hills Fire Company, 4. S. Washington Avenue, Bala Cynwyd. Must be 21 or older to attend.
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RESOURCES: Contact information and links
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School Hours: 8:20 am - 3:05 pm
Early Dismissal: 8:20 am - 11:5 am Welsh Valley Administration
| MAIN OFFICE | | 610-658-3920 | | PRINCIPAL | Mr. Christopher Hall | | | ASSISTANT PRINCIPALS | Ms. Sarah Stout | | | | Mr. Scott Weinstein | | | COUNSELORS | | | | 6th Grade | Mr. Josh Gansky | | | 7th Grade | Mrs. Beth Cooke | | | 8th Grade | Mr. Boris Oden | | | SCHOOL NURSE | Kathy Bromley | | ABSENTEE, LATENESS &
ARRIVAL HOTLINE | | 610-658-3946 | | DAILY ACTIVITIES HOTLINE | | 610-658-3901 | | SCHOOL CLOSING NUMBER | | 302 | | WELSH VALLEY OFFICE | | | | Principal's Secretary | Mrs. Mary Ann Fusaro | | | Attendance | Mrs. Cheryl Campbell | | | Guidance | Mrs. Sherri Pitts | | | Athletics | Mrs. Kim Petty | | | Scheduling Secretary | Mrs. Lori Davies | | | TRANSPORTATION | | 610-645-1940 |
Reminder: WV is not permitted to issue bus passes to students. This is a transportation policy, which is written in the WV student handbook. Please know that this policy is in place for safety reasons and is in the best interest of all students. WVMS Home and School Association (HSA) 2013-14
Co-Presidents: Lynn Hertzfeld & Nanette Taraya-Vonk
Co-Vice Presidents: Ellen Finn & Rebecca Segall
Secretary: Yaz Rosner
Co-Treasurers: Bill Cook & Aliza Remer
President Emeritus/Member at Large: Kiki McKendrick
Helpful Links
WELSH VALLEY MIDDLE SCHOOL:
DISTRICT INFORMATION:
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Listserv Information
Dragonbites is published every Thursday during the school year. New submissions should be emailed by noon on Tuesday to WVDragobites@gmail.com in order to be included in Thursday's email edition. Dragonbites is intended to publish news and announcements related to Welsh Valley Middle School and the Lower Merion School District. An Archive of past Dragonbites is available by using the link in the Resource section of this issue or go to the WV page of the LMSD website under Parents/HSA.
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