Principal's Report

Dear PV East Parents and Guardians,

The First Semester concluded on Friday. This is an excellent time to review grades and discuss progress with with your student. Please reach out to their teachers or counselors if you have any questions or concerns. We look forward to the Second Semester being another period of exceptional growth for each and every student. We offer Homework Club on Mondays and Wednesdays as well as Math Lab on Tuesdays and Thursdays. These are excellent afterschool resources that are availabe to every student.

Our Interim Assistant Principal, Mrs. Leyla Nedin and I wiil be leading grade level meetings as we review progress at this mid year point. We will be discussing our PBIS behaioral data as well as reviewing academic expectations with each class. We are continuing to offer math intervention during 10th Period for students who demonstrate learning gaps.

We are very proud of all of our Spelling Bee Contestants. It was a thriling contest that went through 15 final rounds before Ryan Kumar became the winner by correctly spelling 'surname'. Several students also participated in the American Mathematics Contest. The AMC 8 is a 25-question, 40-minute, multiple choice contest. The material covered on the test is based on the middle level math curriculum, including topics such as: probability, estimation, percent, spatial visualization, everyday application, and reading/interpreting charts.

Please take a moment to complete our school district climate survey. Your feedback is really important and greatly appreciated. There is information below.

In addition, a middle school and high school mountain biking team is being proposed for this summer. There is also some information below if interested.

Sincerely,

Seamus Clune, Ph.D.

#EastROCKs

To gain insights into the perspectives of our PV community, we are conducting a Climate Survey and invite the participation of our families. The survey is confidential, and responses will be aggregated to ensure anonymity. The input received will be invaluable for assessing various aspects of the school environment, including safety, belonging, bullying, and diversity, equity, and inclusion. Candid feedback from participants will guide decisions aimed at enhancing the overall experience for students, staff, and parents.

The survey is now open and will be available for participation until Wednesday, January 31, 2024. Please click here to complete the PARENT SURVEY.

On Tuesday (1/23) 8th Grade students were given a presentation about their courses in high school and electives. Please see this letter or visit East's Counseling Center Website for more information: https://docs.google.com/document/d/19txCQW5mbiC0VIrnN9anSLdqwaPLT3udg7g9Y2tz53k/edit?usp=sharing

Our students are hard at work in round 3 of math intervention for this school year! Students with identified needs are currently participating in small group sessions, twice a cycle during period 10, focused on one of four key math domains: Numbers and Operations, Algebra and Algebraic Thinking, Measurement and Data, or Geometry.

During each intervention session, our students receive targeted small group instruction from a math teacher for 20 minutes. Following this, they engage in independent learning via the iReady platform for an additional 20 minutes, monitored by an additional staff member. The individualized learning path is created from their iReady diagnostic assessment. Students are provided opportunities to work on specific skills and problems in their targeted domain at their current math level.

This multifaceted approach provides our students with a diverse range of instructional approaches to enhance their learning experience. Thank you for your continued support in fostering a dynamic and enriching learning environment for our students.

Our 8th Graders took their class photo the other day. If you are interested in a copy, there is a form below for ordering.

If your 8th Grade student is interested in applying to North Montco Technical Career Center the applications are due February 20th. There are extra applications available in the counseling center.

Another way students are rewarded for their ROCK behavior is through weekly drawings. Students win time in our Backstage Lounge which was so generously furnished by the PV Foundation. The lounge has cool furniture where students can eat lunch, an air hockey table, and an XBox One. We need parents to help us out during lunches to monitor students in the lounge. There are only 6 students in the lounge at a time, so it is a small group. Would you be able to donate some time during our lunches? If so, please sign up using this form:

https://forms.gle/t6TdQN2tcE4CREJR7

Please complete the Parent Mountain Biking Survey (Gr. 5-11). PVSD is considering a Mountain Biking Team for this summer. Your feedback is very helpful and greatly appreciated.

Mountain Biking Link Parent Survey

Homewrk Club meets every Monday and Wednesday from 2:45 - 3:45. Please contact Ms. Maldonado jmaldonado@pvsd.org or Mrs. Slater nslater@pvsd.org if you have any questions.

Craft Club will be meeting every other Thursday from 2:45 - 3:55PM. Please contact Mrs. Dolan adolan@pvsd.org if you have any questions.

Parents, we need your help! Your students have been working hard to show ROCK behavior and it is time for them to be rewarded. Students have been earning ROCK tickets throughout the first marking period and it is time for them to start cashing them in for prizes, but we need your help. Please consider purchasing an item or two from our PVMS East ROCK Shop Amazon Wishlist. Purchases will be sent to East and delivered to the ROCK shop where your students can purchase them with their hard-earned tickets. Here is the link to the list:

https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/23T8340T72HK3?ref_=wl_share

We can also use Amazon gift cards, gift cards to local restaurants and stores, as well as any Philadelphia sports fan gear you would like to donate. We love our community and appreciate your support of our students and school.

Our Math Counts Club is meeting every Tuesday from 2:45 - 3:45. This club is for students interested in having fun with math from playing math games to competing in math competitions. Please reach out to Ms. Rebecca McGowan rmcgowan@pvsd.org for more details.

Math Lab is every Monday & Wednesday. Students needing math help can report to Mrs. Espersen's Room (Rm. 243). Students who come for assistance must remain for the entire session from 2:45-3:45PM. Please contact Mrs. Espersen nespersen@pvsd.org or Mr. Darren Thompson dthompson@pvsd.org if you have any questions.

The CAUSE (Connecting and Uniting Students to Empower) is a student leadership group that works collaboratively to educate the larger school community on topics related to diversity, equity and inclusion; as well as to support the individual club members. Students joining the CAUSE will meet every other week to collaborate, plan, create, and help make positive change in our school community. The first meeting will take place during 10th period on Thursday, November 30th, in the Counseling Center. If you are interested in joining the CAUSE, please email Mrs. Good at kgood@pvsd.org

Our Green Team and Loss Group are co-sponsoring a certified butterfly garden and wildlife habitat that was designed by Master Gardeners at Penn State Extension. It will be located at the front of the school by the main office and include 3 benches and a picnic table. This garden is yet be named by the students but will be a place to memorialize and honor people and events through a personalized brick pathway that will run through the middle of the garden. You can help us fundraise by purchasing a brick for the pathway.

https://4everbricks.com/donors/PVMSE/

Please email Dr. Clune directly if you want to sponsor the picnic table ($1,400) or a bench ($800) or be listed as a sponsor ($1000) on the sign.

Join us for our 2024 Dodgeball Tournament on Saturday, March 2nd (rain date: Sunday, March 3rd) at the High School (509 Gravel Pike). The event starts at 12:00 pm, but times will vary based on divisioning.

Registration is open from now until Monday, February 5th. The cost per team is $175 due at the time of registration. There is an option to upgrade the WHOLE team's tee to a dri-fit tee for an additional $25. Please note, the whole team must do either cotton tees or dri-fit tees, we cannot accommodate mix-and-match team tees. See the link below to register.

What you need for registration:

Team Name

Information for 6-10 players on a team (70% must be PV residents):

• Name
• Parent/Guardian Email Address
• School
• Grade
• Shirt Size

Registration is now open and will remain open until Monday, February 5, 2024. Register here.

IMPORTANT DATES FOR SPRING SPORTS

Spring sports registration must occur by FEBRUARY 20.

First day of Middle School Sports is MARCH 11.

If the spring sports season will be the first sport of participation at PV this school year: Registration for spring sports must occur by February 20. This can be done at http://www.planeths.com. In addition to registering, student-athletes must have a PIAA physical examination done by a doctor and the proper paperwork completed by the doctor. In order to count for the 2024 school year, the physical must occur June 1, 2023 or later. The form is found on www.planeths.com when you register.

If the spring sports season is your second or third sport season this school year: Complete section 7 Spring Recertification at http://www.planeths.com by February 20. If there has been a change to your health history or an injury since completing your last physical, an additional section 8 form is required as well. This does require a clearance from a doctor.

We reviewed our Safe 2 Say program last week. Our students viewed the video below during their Advisory period.

Our students can submit an anonymous tip through the Safe2Say Program. Tips are typically related to a variety of challenges our students experience or witness, such as bullying, harassment, disrespectful language, safety concerns, etc. When a tip is received, the State (who runs Safe2Say) immediately follows up with building administrators.

Be a Part of the Conversation equips families and communities in Pennsylvania with skills and resources to understand substance use, addiction, and related health issues. We provide community programs, foster supportive connections, highlight lived experiences, and challenge stigma.

We are a collaboration of community leaders, clinicians, students, school district representatives, and families who believe that having meaningful, inclusive conversations about substance use and addiction will support individuals and their families in their efforts to develop healthy coping skills and access support whenever there is a need. Learn more about us. See the link below for a number of programs that Be a Part of the Conversation offers.

Did you know that the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is now known as the 988 Suicide & Crisit Lifeline?

When people call, text, or chat 988, they will be connected to trained counselors that are part of the existing Lifeline network. These trained counselors will listen, understand how their problems are affecting them, provide support, and connect them to resources if necessary.

https://988lifeline.org/current-events/the-lifeline-and-988/

The previous Lifeline phone number (1-800-273-8255) will always remain available to people in emotional distress or suicidal crisis.

Want to find out what’s going on in the PV Community? Visit here for flyers about upcoming events in and around our area!

To submit an event for posting, please send a PDF version of your flyer to webmaster@pvsd.org for review.

Please note that Community Bulletin Board items may contain links to websites of organizations outside Perkiomen Valley School District. Items are posted to this bulletin board as a free service to the community, and should not be interpreted as being sponsored or endorsed by the district.

January 29 - 8th Grade - Mid Year Meeting

February 1 - 6th Grade - Mid Year Meeting

February 9 - 7th Grade - Mid Year Meeting

February 7 - Superintendent's Roundtable - 6:30AM

March 1,2, & 3 - MSE Musical - Moana

Email: sclune@pvsd.org
Website: https://sites.google.com/a/pvsd.org/perkiomen-valley-middle-school-east/
Location: 5 Tammanund Circle, Collegeville, PA, USA
Phone: (610) 409-8580
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PVMSE/
Twitter: @PVMSEast