Principal's Newsletter

February is a busy month for our students and staff! This month we celebrate Black History Month, our 100th Day of School and enter into our third marking period. This month we will also celebrate 2/22/22! Stay tuned to our Class DoJo School Story for more information!

As the winter weather continues, we strongly encourage you to send your child to school each day dressed for the cold weather and with a mask!

Second Quarter Report Cards will be sent home with students on Friday, February 111th. Please be sure to check your child's Friday Folder/Backpack for a copy of the report card.

Did you know that with Power School Parent Access, you can check your child's progress at any time? Please see below with information on how to get connected with your Power School Parent Access.

All student and parent login information has been emailed to the Morrisville student email accounts as well as sent home with students on the first day of school. Upon the initial creation of accounts, please use the usernames and temporary passwords provided, and be sure to click on the CREATE ACCOUNT tab with the login information provided. To be clear, the confidential ID that is contained in the email/letter is your username.

You can find specific instructions here.

If you have not received your credentials, please contact Mr. Shiota, jshiota@mv.org, or 215-736-2681,x8085.

If you do not have your K-2 student's email address or password ,please contact

Allison Pilla at 215 - 736-5280 or apilla@mv.org.

If you do not have your 3-5 student's email address or password, please contact Midge Grabowski at 215-736-5270 or mgrabowski@mv.org

In partnership with Snipes Farm and The Nutrition Group, we are thrilled to announce the launch of the Farm-to-School Fresh Food Program!

Begining in February and over the course of the next few months, Farmer Mel will be visiting K-5 classes to get students really excited about yummy fresh veggies! As food detectives, students will have the opportunity to learn more about the growing of fresh vegetables and have a chance to sample the selected vegetable of the lesson! Our wonderful food service staff at The Nutrition Group will also prepare recipes for the lunch line with the vegetables learned throughout the lessons for the month.

We are greatful for this incredible opportunity for our students!

Throughout the last couple of years, we have all experienced a higher level of anxiety than normal and were required to adapt to many changes that occurred. Children have also experienced this anxiety, or become upset for various other reasons. Many times, we often tell them to calm down without giving any explicit directions on how to deal with stress and anxiety. Here is a list of helpful tools and tips to teach your child how to calm themselves in moments of anxiety and/or frustration.

• Imagine your favorite place - it’s like taking a mini vacation wherever you are
• Think of your favorite toys or games
• Name animals alphabetically (alligator, bear, cow, dog, etc…)
• Squeeze Something (play dough, clay, silly putty, your fists, a stress ball)
• Get a cold drink of water or hold ice cubes
• Practice deep breathing together (fill your belly like a balloon and then let the air out slowly)
• Create a calm down spot at home (have your child help to make it cozy with some calming items)
• Make a calming glitter jar (containing water, food coloring, glitter or glitter glue) together

The language we use with children is also important in times of stress or anxiety. Use the following phrases to help your child know that you are there to understand and support them.

“I am here, you are safe”

“Which calming strategy would you like to use?”

“How can I help?”

“Together, we can work on this. We’re a great team”

“I love you”

“Do you want a hug?”

“If you gave your feeling a color, what would it be and why?”

“We will get through this together”

If you would like more information about supportive services in school or in the community, please contact Ms. Leary, school counselor, at 215-736-2681 ext. 1470 or gleary@mv.org.

Starting with the new year, we have decided to begin a reading incentive for all students in grades K-5. To help promote the benefits and excitement of reading, any student who completes their reading assignments for their teacher each week will have their name entered into a raffle for a chance to win a $20 gift card for our upcoming book fair in May. At the end of every month, we will draw one winner for each grade. So, the more reading they do, the more tickets they earn, the more chances to win.

We are excited to announce the winners for our January Reading Raffle:

January Winners

K: M.V. (Mrs. Phelan's Class)

1st: G.G. (Mrs. Osterhout's Class)

2nd: L.J. (Mrs. Lang's Class)

3rd: E.W. (Mrs. Dyer's Class)

4th: G.J. (Mrs. Mallino's Class)

5th: J.M. (Mrs. Branche's Class)

• February 2nd - Early Dismissal (11:30 a.m.) / End of the Second Marking Period
• February 11th - Report Cards Sent Home
• February 16th - Spring Picture Day, Grades 1-5 100th Day of School, Kindergarten Farm-to-School Lesson, General Fund Budget Hearing (6:30 p.m.), School Board Agenda Meeting (7:30 p.m.)
• February 17th - First Grade Farm-to-School Lesson
• February 18th - Kindergarten 100th Day of School
• February 21st - Schools Closed in Observance of President's Day
• February 22nd - 2/22/22 Celebrations, Second Grade Farm-to-School Lesson
• February 23rd - Third Grade Farm-to-School Lesson, School Board Meeting (7:30 p.m.)
• February 24th - Fourth Grade Farm-to-School Lesson
• February 28th - Fifth Grade Farm-to-School Lesson