DRAGONBITES
Welsh Valley Middle School
Home and School Association
Weekly Newsletter
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Calendar of Upcoming Events
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Thursday, January 9
- WV 8th Grade Students to visit HHS - 10 am - Auditorium
- Meeting for all parents and guardians of 8th Grade Students who will be Attending either LM or HH (HH Aud) 7 -9 pm
Friday, January 10
- Family Spaghetti Dinner at WV (rescheduled for Friday, Feb 21st)
Tuesday, January 14
- ISC Presents: Leadership Training Opportunity (see details)
Wednesday, January 15
Friday, January 17
- Early Dismissal at 11:55 am, No Lunch Served
- MLK Afternoon of Service See details
- 8th Grade SCHOOL CHOICE DEADLINE - students who reside in the walk-zone should submit their high school choice form to the school office
Monday, January 20 (Martin Luther King Day)
- All Schools Closed
- Administration Offices Closed
Saturday, January 25
- Schuykill Valley Area Band Rehearsal at Great Valley MS
Monday, January 27
- 8/9 Transition - HS mailing to include parent letter, individualized course selection sheet and course offerings as presented in the Program Planning Guide
Tuesday, January 28
- Schuykill Valley Area Band Rehearsal at Great Valley MS
Thursday, January 30
- Schuykill Valley Area Band Rehearsal at Great Valley MS
Friday, January 31
- Schuykill Valley Area Band Concert at Great Valley MS 8 pm
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FORUM - Wednesday, January 15
We are modeling our FORUM theme around the idea of Character Strengths while tying in bullying and timely, relevant subjects that affect middle school aged students. The Character Strengths theme comes from the work of Dr. Martin Seligman, director of The Positive Psychology Center at the University of Pennsylvania and founder of Positive Psychology. If you would like to view the Character Strengths please refer to this link: http://www.authentichappiness.sas.upenn.edu/aiesec/content.aspx?id=821
Our staff took time early in the school year to review this work and ranked which of these traits we felt were most important in developing in our WV students. Later this year, we will have our students review them so that we can get their input on future FORUM lessons.
We have already covered one of the Character Strength topics, Gratitude, just prior to Thanksgiving because of the natural fit. Next week Wednesday, January 15th, the FORUM topic will be Citizenship, another character strength. The placement of this topic is also intentional to tie into Martin Luther King Day the following Monday.
Please take time to ask your students about what they discussed in FORUM next week. Thanks so much and have a great day! - WV Counselors
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HSA Needs Volunteers
We have various school events that need volunteers. Please go to www.SignUpGenius.Com to signup to help. Attention Parents with a Green ThumbWe are looking for volunteers to join our Campus Beautification Committee and help organize, design and plant flowers in our new planters and throughout the school. If you are interested, please contact Nanette Taraya-Vonk at ntarayavonk@comcast.net or click the following link: www.SignUpGenius.Com
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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 December 16th:
8th Grade Kahveke Taylor commended by Mr. Wyatt and Mr. Murray 6th Grade David Fitzgerald commended by Ms. Porter
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Welsh Valley Athletics - Go Dragons
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Winter Sports - 7th & 8th Grade
Winter sports include Boys & Girls 7th and 8th grade basketball and Boys wrestling.
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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Upcoming InterSchool Council ("ISC") Meetings--Open to all district parents & guardians
Next Tuesday - January 14th, 11 am to 1 pm, Leadership Training Opportunity, Black Box Theater at Harriton High School
This is a unique opportunity to learn The Bigger Game™. Evan Marcus, Co-Founder of Dillon Marcus Executive Retreats, will teach us to use this dynamic and intuitive framework designed to challenge you to get out of your comfort zone and invent the life you want. For more information about this free program for all LMSD parents and guardians, please visit www.TheBiggerGame.com.
Any questions, please feel free to contact ISC Co presidents Amy Norr (norrmetz@verizon.net) or Deb Rocco (DRocco@roccolaw.com). If you would like to attend, please rsvp (space may be limited) to Ellen Keefe (keefeisc@gmail.com) by Friday, January 10th.
December Interschool Council Meeting Rescheduled Feb 11th, 9:30-11 am @ Academy Bldg
The December 10th ISC meeting, cancelled due to snow, has been rescheduled for Feb 11th, 9:30 -11 am, at the Academy Buidling (adjacent to BCMS). The topic will be "Getting Beyond Survival Mode: How to Parent in the Teen Years"; LMSD psychologists Craig Cosden (BCMS) and Andrea Fina (Harriton) will lead an interactive discussion
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Martin Luther King, Jr. Afternoon of Service - Fri., 1/17 @1 pm, LMHS
Join us as Lower Merion School District celebrates the life and works of Martin Luther King, Jr. with an Afternoon of Service at 1 PM on Friday, January 17th at Lower Merion HS. Service projects for all ages including Valentine cards for veterans, packing care boxes for military families, music, the Dream Flag project, hunger advocacy activities and more. Please bring donations of food for our local food banks. Any questions or to sponsor or volunteer to setup the event, please contact Leslie Bullitt bullittl@lmsd.org or 610-891-7974.
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LMSD, Cradles to Crayons "Keep a Child Warm" Drive 
Lower Merion School District is partnering with Cradles to Crayons to "Keep a Child Warm" by collecting new and gently used essential children's items as part of the District's annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Afternoon of Service!
The drive will take place January 2-17 with drop off sites in the main offices of each of the ten District schools. Your donation of new and gently used children's items will support Cradles to Crayons' efforts to provide children living in homeless or low-income situations with the essentials they need to thrive. Cradles to Crayons supplies these items free of charge by engaging and connecting communities that "have" with communities that "need."
Link to flyer.
Click here to view more information on the Cradles to Crayons, what they do, and how you can help the "Keep a Child Warm" drive.
Click here to view Cradles to Crayons' impact Statement.
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Cynwyd Elementary is turning 100 in 2014!
We cordially invite all alumni 18 and older to our Alumni & Community Reception on Tuesday, February 11 from 7:30-9:30pm. Take a tour of the school, view the premier of our commemorative video, and connect with neighbors and alumni. We hope you can celebrate this momentous occasion with us! Heavy hors d'oeuvres, "mocktails," and birthday cake will be served! Buy tickets online to get advance pricing. Click here to buy tickets online.
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The Coalition for Youth of Lower Merion and Narberth is offering its first newsletter for parents, "Spotlight on Parenting"
The newsletter will be published 4-5 times each year and includes parenting tips, news items pertaining to youth, and community events for youth and/or their families. Link to the coalition website.
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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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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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