Principal's Report

Dear PV East Parents and Guardians,

October is off to a great start. There are many things happening at PV East. Remember to mark your calendars. There is NO School this Monday, October 9th.

October is Bully Prevention Month. Students will hear different bully prevention tips during announcements and we will have a spirit week October 16th-20th. Please see below for the daily themes. Bully prevention is imbedded into our PBIS program - 'East ROCKs". We are Respectful, Own it, Careful, and Kind.

There are many clubs that are starting. The most up to date information on clubs can be found on our PV East website under 'Activities'. You can reach out to the advisor for more information.

Please mark your calendars for East H&S Activity Night on Friday, October 13th. It will be loads of fun!

ACTIVITY NIGHT

Date: Friday, October 13th, 6:30 - 8PM

Place: Middle School East cafeteria and gym

There will be a DJ, games, obstacle course, snacks and an awesome NACHO food Truck!

Calling all 8th Graders!! There will be a special section at activity night for 8th grade only that includes a game truck! We hope to see a lot of 8th graders out at the event!

Check out the great Nacho Depot Menu - this will also includes plain chips and cheese nachos for $6

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITY

To make the night great we will need some parent volunteers. We greatly appreciate your help!! Please sign up below.

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0D44AAAE2DA1F94-44708947-activity#/

If you have any questions or concerns please contact our counseling center or main office. We are here to help.

Sincerely,

Seamus Clune, Ph.D.

#EastROCKs

MS EAST ACTIVITY NIGHT

The 6th Grade was treated to a Kona Ice Truck treat on October 4th, as a prize for having the highest participation in the school during Clash of the Classes. Thank you so much to all who donated!!

Save The Date: Friday, October 13th, 6:30 - 8PM

Location: Middle School East gym and cafeteria

There will be a DJ, games, obstacle course, snacks, a food truck and more!!

Also, there will be a special 8th Grade Zone.

To make the night great, we will need some parent volunteers. We greatly appreciate your help!! https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0D44AAAE2DA1F94-44708947-activity#/

Stay Connected

For the latest news and information, follow our Facebook page at Perkiomen Valley Middle School East Home and School Association.

We look forward to seeing you at an upcoming meeting or event. We hope everyone has a wonderful 2023-24 school year!

Please email any questions to: pvmsehs@gmail.com

This Tuesday, October 10th we will begin providing a short-term math intervention with select students during our Advisory Period (Per. 10). The parents of students who are recieving this support with our math teachers have already been notified. This will occur on two days every cycle for approximately 9 meetings. Our other students will also be engaged in review, remediation, extension, and enrichment activities. Each team has decided on what they will focus on. Our school counselors will be also offering a "Middle School Survial Skills" lesson on study skills and organization. There will also be character education lessons connected to our PBIS program. In addition our librarian, Mrs. Kratz will be offering a book study. We will monitor and adjust this important insturctional time as we seek to engage all students in learning. Our goal is to provide every student with that they need.

If you have any questions do not hesitate to contact the school principal, Seamus Clune sclune@pvsd.org

School Photos

If your child had their picture taken on September 20, the photos were sent home this week. Your child should wear his/her ID to school each day. It is needed for the hallways, cafeteria and library. If you ordered photos, but did not receive them, please reach out to the photographer at 610-495-1900. Picture retake day is November 17 for anyone who is not satisfied with the pictures or was absent on the original date.

Scholastic Book Fair

Monday 10/30 through Friday 11/3

7:45 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.

Students will visit the fair with their ELA class.

Book Fair Website Link : https://www.scholastic.combf/pveast

Our 7th & 8th Graders will be particpating in health & wellness programs during their Social Studies classes that will be provided by either Creative Health Services, Victim Services, or Laurel House. There is a virtual parent information session on Tuesday, October 24th at 7PM. More information to follow this virtual parent information session.

Join Zoom Meeting:
https://pvsd-org.zoom.us/j/7581033537

• Better Boundaries - Nov. 8 - 17 - Victim Services (7th Grade - 3 sessions)
• Signs of Suicide - Nov. 14 - 17 - Creative Health Services (7th Grade - 2 sessions)
• Healthy Boundaries - Nov. - Dec. 8 - Laurel House (8th Grade - 2 sessions)

What is Reading Olympics?

Reading Olympics is a program designed to promote reading, teamwork, self-confidence and fun! The club members work as a team to collectively read 25 books over the course of the year and compete in a reading competition in the spring.
Time Commitment – Students will be responsible to independently read at least 6 books from the Reading Olympics book list. Meetings will be held throughout the year. Meetings are not mandatory but will run until 3:45 after school.

Join Reading Olympics- If your child would like to join Reading Olympics, join our Google Classroom using the following link: https://classroom.google.com/c/NjI0NTA4MTEwNDI1?cjc=srtsyt3
Once in the Google Classroom, complete the Parent Permission Slip on the Classwork Tab. Our first after school meeting is on October 12th.

If you have any questions about Reading Olympics, please contact Mrs.Gina Kratz (gmkratz@pvsd.org) or Mrs. Hillary Murphy (Hmurphy@pvsd.org).

Game Club will be starting in October.

Game Club is an after school activity for students interested in board games, playing cards, learning card tricks, playing ping-pong, and foosball. The goal is to bring students together to participate in games and meet new people.

Ski and Snowboard Club is back again this year. We will have 4 trips to Bear Creek Mountain Resort on Thursdays in January and February. The ski and snowboard club website has last year's information on it if you would like to get an idea of pricing, but will be updated closer to Thanksgiving. We will have a meeting in school about 2 weeks prior to Thanksgiving break. Our goal is to provide opportunities for students to participate in skiing or snowboarding and to provide an active social setting to make stronger connections with friends and the outdoors.

Cooking Club will have its first meeting on October 3rd. Groups 1 and 2 are mostly full but for those wanting to join later in the year, new groups starting in February have several spots open. Permission slip to join can be found on the Activities page or students can see Mrs. Anestad.

This year's yearbook is currently available for pre-sale. You can order online using the following link: www.jostens.com. The price for the yearbook is $35 until November 10th; after Nov. 10th the price will increase. So place your order early.

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.

After-school activity transportation will be available at Middle School East for this upcoming school year. Transportation is available to any student participating in an after-school activity such as athletics, music practice, or student clubs. Activity transportation will take place at the following times below each week.

• 4:00pm Departure (outside main office) - Monday through Thursday. The 4:00 activity bus will begin running on Monday September 25th.
• 5:00pm Departure (outside gym entrance) - Monday through Thursday. The 5:00 activity bus will begin running on the first day of school, Monday August 28th. The 5:00 activity bus will begin running on Fridays starting after Thanksgiving break.

For each day students intend to take either the 4:00pm or 5:00pm activity bus, they are asked to inform the school district and bus company for routing purposes using the electronic form provided. The form links are below and also available to students via the PV LaunchPad - Classlink. Students must submit their information each morning by 10:00 am if they intend to ride the afternoon activity bus that day.

• MSE - Athletic/Activity Bus Registration

Power Packs are weekend bags of food for students experiencing food insecurity. The bags include 2 breakfast items, 2 lunch items, 2 snacks, and 2 fruits. All food is non-perishable. There is no financial information required to participate in this program.

PV Power Packs is a volunteer run organization and all information is kept confidential. Names are shared with school counselors who arrange for students to pick up their bags prior to every weekend.

Please fill out a separate form for each child that you would like to receive a Power Pack, including children not yet in school.

PV Power Packs Form

We will begin handing out Power Packs on September 8th. If your child received Power Packs last year, they will automatically receive them this year.

If you have any questions, email Sarah at PowerPacks@pvsd.org.

Required Immunizations

Please make sure that your child has their required immunizations to start school. Our nurse will be reaching out to individual families without their proper paperwork.

Physical & Dental Exams

Sixth grade students require a physical examination and seventh grade students require a dental examination. Exams from July 1, 2022 to the present are acceptable. If your child has had these examinations, please be sure to send a copy to the Nurse's office. Forms are available on the PV website. Your cooperation with this is most appreciated!

Medication

If your child requires medication during the school day, parents must bring the medication to school with the appropriate forms completed by the physician. The forms can be found on the PV website. No medication should be in the student’s possession (pockets, lunch, purse/handbag, or backpack) unless designated by the nurse per state laws.

It is especially important if your child has been diagnosed with a life-threatening allergy, seizures or asthma AND requires emergency medication that you supply the nurse with the required medication.

All medications are to be delivered directly to the nurse’s office and kept in the health room unless otherwise designated by the school nurse. Medication may be delivered at the start of the school year.

Our schools are taking part in the 2023 Pennsylvania Youth Survey (PAYS) sponsored by the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency, the Pennsylvania Department of Education, and the Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs. The survey will ask questions about the behaviors of students in the 6th, 8th, 10th, and 12th grades, including questions about school climate, mental health, violence, bullying, and substance use.

The information we receive will assist us and our community partners in working to promote mental health and prevent substance use and other problem behaviors. We want to ensure that all parents and caregivers are notified the survey is being conducted as well as provide you with as much information about the survey as possible. As a parent or caregiver, you have the right to prohibit your child’s participation. The following facts about the survey will help you make an informed decision:

• Participation in this survey is completely voluntary. Students will be shown a student video and instructed by their proctor that they can skip any questions they do not understand or choose not to answer. If they have any questions or concerns after taking this survey, they are instructed to talk with their school counselor or a trusted adult.
• The survey is designed to protect each student’s privacy; it is anonymous and confidential. Students will not put their names on the survey, and no student will ever have their individual responses reported.
• The survey is well tested, having been administered to over 2 million Pennsylvania students since the 1990’s. The information collected has proved invaluable to prevention planners in selecting programming to promote healthy youth development.

For more information about the survey, including a list of Frequently Asked Questions, please visit PAYS then click on “2023.” You can request a list of the survey questions by visiting PAYS question request.

The survey will be administered during the school day of Tuesday, October 24, 2023 and will take one class period to complete. If you do not want your child to participate, please click here to fill out an opt out form by Friday, October 20, 2023.

Thank you for your help in our efforts to keep our schools drug free and safe for learning. If you have any questions, please contact Erin Dreisbach, Supervisor of Health & Wellness, at 610-489-8506 ext 1133.

SAFETY IN THE STADIUM

From Dr. Russell:

The beginning of the school year is a very exciting time. Not only are students meeting new teachers, engaging in new coursework, and making new friends, there are lots of activities to participate in and events to attend onsite. As our fall athletic contests get underway, the district would like to review several safety measures it has in place pertaining to events held in Thomas J. Keenan Stadium.

When an athletic or Marching Band event is held in the stadium, the district requires all elementary and middle level students to be accompanied by an adult. No attendees are permitted to bring backpacks into the stadium. In the event someone happens to have a backpack with them, they will be asked to place the bag along the fence until the respective owner exits the stadium. There is no food or drink permitted to be brought in from the outside.

Attendees will continue to observe school security guards onsite during events and, as the year progresses, will likely begin to observe Perkiomen Valley School District school police officers in attendance as well. The school police will also be in and around our facilities, districtwide.

The efforts of the school district are to keep our students, staff, and community safe. In the event you have questions about any of the safety measures described here, do not hesitate to reach out to our Chief of Police, Mr. Dean Miller, dmiller@pvsd.org. Thank you for your commitment with us to do everything we are able to maintain safety in the Valley.

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.

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.

PVSD is seeking qualified, flexible Substitute Food Service Assistants to work in our school cafeterias. The rate of pay is $14.00/hr and the link to apply is here.

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.

October 9 No school

October 13 Activity Night 6:30 - 8:00

October 18 Therapy dogs 10:15 - 12:00

October 25 1/2 day in-service

October 30 - November 3 Bookfair

November 1 End of MP1

November 7 No school

November 17 Picture retakes

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