GARRETTFORD GOOD NEWS

PSSA time is hard for everyone, but we all came together to make the time and school environment as supportive as we could. We decorated the school halls with inspirational messages and greeted the students with music and cheers in the morning. Some of the students even broke spontaneously into dance. We had a wonderful pep rally with participation by staff and students. The UDHS Cheer Team also came to raise the students' spirits. The activities and races were a real source of enjoyment for all

One student brought healthy snacks for the entire class to enjoy, which was very kind and generous! At the end of the two weeks Mr. Brydges and Ms. Mantzaridis held a raffle and the winning students selected a prize of their choice. Students earned chances on the raffle by coming to school on time and prepared and working hard each day.

Garrettford Running Club is led by Mr. Donahue and Mrs. Clayton and welcomes 61 fourth and fifth graders. The members began practicing in March in preparation for running the Schoener 5K on May 16th. They started out by doing laps around the school after some warm up exercise. Eventually, they progressed to running through town, with the help of several volunteers who assisted with street crossing. One student, Skylar Battle, prepared for the Brad Schoener 5k by completing the 10 mile Broad Street Run. On race day, the team showed up and showed out. Their hard work over the last two months really paid off at the Music Man 5k. A special congratulations are in order for 4th grader, August Wright for being the fastest male runner and 5th grader Mahrosh Younis for being the fastest female runner at Garrettford. Also, congratulations to 5th grader Dahlia Garcia for winning the inflatable mascot race! We are so proud of all the hard work you all put in!

The Home and School Association sponsored the annual Garrettford Fun Fair, on May 2nd. It is a beloved Drexel Hill tradition! There were many vendors, games, mini-golf, face painting, all kinds of food and treats, and lots of fun! We were very fortunate that the weather, although a bit windy, turned out to be sunny and bright. Many of our past Garrettford families and students stopped by to join in the fun. Even Mr. Buggy came back to help Mr. Sean with the clean up! The Garrettford Fair is a great family time and a real community builder.

The Upper Darby Arts Festival, held at the High School, was well attended and had a lot to offer! Garrettford students had a variety of beautiful artwork on display. One project, a mixed media dragon, created by Logan Steigelman, grade 4, drew a lot of attention. Another favorite was the beautiful clay projects created by our students. Congratulations to all our young artists!

Garrettford's Spring concert was held at the high school on Thursday May 14th. Beginning and Advanced Orchestras performed with the 4th and 5th grade chorus and the Combined 4th and 5th grade bands. The 3rd grade string students were very excited to show off what they have learned this year. Their favorite piece was first finger rock in which Hayden Buxton accompanied them on drum set. The 4th and 5th grade orchestra played the best they had all year, especially wowing the audience with Cooper Ford's piece Exhilaration. The band concluded the concert with 3 pieces. Students were mixed on if their favorite was the district- wide piece Dragonfire, Willy Wonka's Oompa Loompa or Mrs. Lesniak's favorite Battle of the Samurai in which they used pencils hit on the music stands to depict a warrior battle. It was an incredible night of music

Congratulations to the Garrettford Elementary Chorus on a fantastic Spring Concert! Our 4th and 5th grade singers shared a variety of musical styles, including folk songs from around the world, contemporary choral music, and gospel-inspired selections. A special highlight was If I Were a Fish, where students had the chance to perform on kazoos, adding a fun and memorable element to the show. We were also excited to welcome former Garrettford student Owen Innis, who accompanied the chorus on drum and cajón. We are so proud of our singers for their hard work, growth, and outstanding performance!

Ms. Clark, the Garrettford Librarian, arranged for a virtual author visit with Lauren Tarshis, author of the I Survived Series. Her presentation demonstrates just what it takes to create a work of historical fiction that is rooted in actual events. Her series is very popular with students and opens up doors to curiosity as the children travel back in time.

The presentation was dynamic and interactive and had visuals throughout. Ms. Tarshis’ presentation not only allowed the students to explore the historical events which are the subject of the series, but also guided them on the process of researching, writing and editing. Her over 25 years of experience as a creator of stories and language arts resources for elementary and middle school children has been dedicated to initiatives designed to spark curiosity and build skills that students need to become analytical readers and engaged learners.

Additionally, Ms. Tarshis’ personal story involves reading difficulties as a child to becoming a children’s author. Her history with reading difficulties resonates with many in her audience and her eventual success is inspirational for them to keep trying.

Color Day had to be postponed because of the weather, but we lucked out that the rain date was a beautiful day! We were allso fortunate to have two of the Phillies Ball Girls here to work on throwing skills with our students. Faith (who went to Garrettford) and Nadia are on the field with the Phillies, so the children were really lucky to have their guidance on this fun day. There were also many other fun activities and some friendly competition. The Purple Team won, but it was very close up until the end.

Garrettford Elementary School

3830 Garrett Road

Drexel Hill, PA 19026

(610) 626-9168

Allen Brydges, Principal

Kelly Mantzaridis, Assistant Principal