Wednesday Folder

Hello Bywood Families,

I want to take a moment to remind everyone how important it is for our students to complete their homework each night, Monday through Thursday. Homework is not just about completing an assignment. It is an opportunity for students to practice the skills they are learning in the classroom, build confidence, develop responsibility, and strengthen their academic abilities. Just a little extra practice each night can make a BIG difference in your child's success! We need your help at home! Please make homework a part of your family's Monday through Thursday routine. Take a few minutes each evening to check in with your child, ask about their assignments, and make sure their work is completed. Consistency is KEY! When students practice what they are learning at school, they become stronger, more confident learners. Our teachers work incredibly hard each day, and your support at home helps reinforce all that hard work.At Bywood, we want EVERY child to be successful, and we cannot do it alone. It truly takes a village, and YOU are such an important part of our Bywood village!

Thank you for your continued support and partnership in your child's education. Together, we can make a difference!

Keep Smiling,

Mrs. Kristin Meehan

There is no school on November 3rd for Election Day.

Equipping families with strategies to support children experiencing anxiety and barriers to regular school attendance

On October 19, 2026, Dr. Katherine Dahlsgaard will be speaking to our families concerning supporting children who are experiencing anxiety and school avoidance behaviors. The event is taking place at Beverly Hill Middle School. We will have dinner for our families starting at 5:30 PM. Dr. Dahlsgaard’s presentation will begin at 6:30 PM. If you know someone who is struggling in these areas, you will definitely learn strategies that will help. This event is open to all Upper Darby School District families. If you would like to learn more about our speaker, please visit https://www.katherinedahlsgaard.com/about.

What a great first PBIS Assembly! Our scholars had a wonderful time celebrating positive behavior and making memories together. We kicked things off with some fun Minute-to-Win-It games featuring our Scholar Dollar winners, and one lucky Scholar Dollar winner even received a special gift!

In September, we celebrated the students who demonstrated excellent problem-solving skills throughout the month. We also recognized classrooms that have been doing an outstanding job during their specials and throughout our school community.

We are looking forward to next month when the school store opens! We are also looking to recognize those students who show respect in and out of the classroom.

There is an early dismissal Wednesday, November 4th at 12:30pm. Please make sure that your child knows of his or her dismissal plan.

Join us for our first community read tonight at 7pm. You are your family will listen to one of our staff members read a book to the families of UDSD. It is always a wonderful event and all you have to do is jump on google meet to listen to the story. Please see the attached flyer for more information.

We want to remind families of an important safety procedure regarding early pickup/ dismissal.

Only a parent/guardian listed as a guardian in our records may pick up a child early from school. An individual listed only as an emergency contact is not automatically authorized to pick up a student early.

If someone other than a listed guardian needs to pick up your child early, we must receive written permission directly from the guardian’s email address on file giving that individual permission to pick up the child.

We understand that this procedure can sometimes be frustrating or inconvenient, but the safety and security of our children is our top priority. We must be able to verify that a guardian has authorized the early dismissal before releasing a student.

If you need to update or change your child’s guardian or emergency contact information, please come speak with our office staff. We will be happy to provide you with directions for making the appropriate changes to the information we have on file.

Thank you for your understanding, patience, and cooperation as we work together to keep all of our Bywood students safe.

Check out October's Newsletter from our School Counselor Mrs. Gina McCaughan

"Hello, Bywood Families!

My name is Mrs. Jill Gillin and this is my 5th year as your Bywood School Social Worker. It is my pleasure to help make connections between families, school and community. Please feel free to call, email or visit me in the office for any questions or concerns. I am here to help and to connect you with resources both in and out of school.

jgillin@upperdarbysd.org

610-352-6842 x6405

Please contact the nurses office for any medications that are needed at school.

All asthma inhalers, epi pens, and other meds need a new doctor's order every year. Please send in medication with the doctor's order, and labeled prescription box.

All First grade students need a physical, and dental exam form on file for Kindergarten or First grade. Please send forms into school during the year.

All third grade students need to have a dental exam sent into school this year.

Thank you for your help, Please contact me if you have any questions.

Nurse Meg

Please remember that if you park your vehicle on Bywood Elementary School property overnight, your car must be removed from the property by 7:15 a.m.

Vehicles remaining on school property after 7:15 a.m. are subject to being towed. We absolutely do not want that to happen, but we need to make sure our parking spaces are available for our teachers and staff as they arrive for the school day.

Thank you so much for your cooperation and understanding!

if you have moved, changed addresses, or changed any of your contact information, please let us know right away. It is extremely important that Bywood always has the most accurate and up-to-date information for every student.

Having correct addresses, phone numbers, and emergency contacts is essential for the safety of your children and ensures that we can reach you quickly if needed. Please do not wait to notify us of any changes throughout the school year. Your child’s safety is always our top priority! 💜

Wednesday, October 14, 2026

Dear Upper Darby School District Families,

The Upper Darby School District is committed to keeping our families and community informed about the ongoing exploration of Act 80/Section 133 and its potential implications for our schools, students, and staff.

Since January 2024, the District has discussed the possibility of exploring Section 133/Act 80 through numerous public forums and opportunities for engagement. These discussions have included information about instructional hours at each school level, required school days, and other relevant considerations.

Information has been shared through Superintendent’s Reports, District-Wide Home and School Association (HSA) Meetings, individual school HSA Meetings, Morning Coffee Conversations, Board Committee Meetings, and Regular Board Meetings.

In November 2025, the District held a public discussion regarding approval to form a committee to explore this topic. In December 2025, an invitation to participate in the committee was shared with our school community through the Wednesday Folder. The committee formation process was also revisited during the Superintendent’s Report in January 2026.

Most recently, the District provided an update in August 2026. Community engagement has continued into the fall through meetings with school communities and staff, Districtwide HSA Meetings offered during morning and evening hours, and Districtwide staff question-and-answer sessions. Act 80/Section 133 has been addressed with staff on multiple occasions as part of these ongoing conversations.

Following a recent District-Wide HSA Meeting, a parent expressed interest in receiving an email summarizing the District’s ongoing discussions and providing access to information shared publicly, including the District’s presentation available through BoardDocs. In response to this feedback, we are sharing this overview to help families access information about the topic and revisit materials presented during public meetings.

Review the District’s BoardDocs presentation:

https://go.boarddocs.com/pa/udar/Board.nsf/pfiles/DX5THG77724B/$file/Act%2080%20Exploration%20Committee%20Update%20Board%20Presentation%20082526.pdf

Join the Act 80 Exploration Committee

As a follow-up to the invitation shared in December 2025, the Upper Darby School District is seeking additional parents and community members to join the ongoing Act 80 Exploration Committee, led by Dr. John Council, Assistant Superintendent of Recruitment, Retention, and Culture.

Your input is essential to ensuring that family needs, childcare considerations, student experiences, and community perspectives are included in the exploration process. We encourage interested parents and community members to participate and share their perspectives as the District continues this work.

If you are interested in participating, please click the link below and provide your contact information.

https://forms.gle/hmoKNPzedd6doRui9

Current Status of the Act 80 Exploration

The Act 80 Exploration Committee is part of the District’s ongoing exploration and information-gathering process. No decision has been made regarding the implementation of Act 80/Section 133. The purpose of this process is to examine the relevant considerations, gather input, and ensure that family needs, childcare considerations, student experiences, and community perspectives are taken into account as the District explores this option.

Future Updates

The District remains committed to transparency, open communication, and meaningful opportunities for our community to stay informed and engaged as we continue exploring this topic. We appreciate the interest our families and community members have demonstrated and encourage continued participation in these important conversations. We will keep you up to date as the exploration process continues and will provide an update at the March 2027 Board Committee meeting.

Other Considerations — AI and Screen Time

As artificial intelligence (AI) and digital technology continue to shape education, the District is examining their impact on teaching and learning. While these tools can personalize instruction and address students’ diverse learning needs, it is equally important to consider their effects on student well-being and social development. The District seeks to balance meaningful, age-appropriate technology use with hands-on learning, discussion, collaboration, and movement.

To guide this work, the District has established a committee led by Dr. Christine Kelley, Director of Curriculum, and Daniel Kitchen, Director of Technology. The committee’s findings will inform the work of the Act 80 Exploration Committee. Please contact Dr. Kelley at ckelley@upperdarbysd.org if you are interested in joining the AI & Screentime Committee.

Thank you for your continued engagement and partnership in supporting our students and the Upper Darby School District community.

Sincerely,
Dr. Daniel McGarry
Superintendent of Schools

This is a friendly reminder about an important building safety procedure. When you are leaving our building, please do not hold the door open to allow another visitor to enter, even if you recognize the person. Every visitor must be individually let into the building and scanned by our security team before entering. This procedure is an important part of keeping our students and staff safe each day.

We truly appreciate your cooperation and understanding as we work together to keep Bywood safe!

The Children's Health Insurance Program — or CHIP — is Pennsylvania's program to provide health coverage to uninsured children and teens who are not eligible for or enrolled in Medical Assistance. Regardless of the reasons your children might not have health insurance, CHIP may be able to help you.

For more information on CHIP, please visit this link and see the attached flyer: https://www.dhs.pa.gov/CHIP/Pages/CHIP.aspx

Our next Home and School Meeting is scheduled for October 15th and it a virtual meeting!

Please see our Breakfast and Lunch Menu for the month of October.