THE LIONS DEN

Email: aorlando@neshaminy.org
Website: www.neshaminy.org
Location: 30 Harmony Road, Levittown, PA, USA
Phone: 215-809-6380
Facebook: facebook.com/Schweitzeres

There were many activities that students had an opportunity to take part in this month to celebrate Read Across America! The celebration began with a School Meeting led by the Reading Specialists, Ms. Maurizi and Ms. d'Entremont. We had special days leading up to the School Meeting including Crazy Hat Day, Mustache Day in honor of the Lorax, and wearing your favorite socks. Students also completed a Bingo Board challenge to win a classroom popsicle party and received 'Got Caught Reading' slips to be in a drawing for a $10 Barnes & Noble gift card sponsored by the PTO. In conjunction, Dr. Orlando and Mrs. Moyer got taped to the wall since we are "STUCK ON READING" at Schweitzer! Mrs. Bowman and Ms. Flynn's class won a Dr. Seuss Deco Door Contest to take part in the duct taping! Please be sure to visit our Schweitzer Facebook page to view the video.

Staff at Schweitzer participated in Instructional Rounds on March 21, 2019. A district-level team comprised of district administrators, teachers, and staff came to our school to observe classrooms. The Instructional Rounds model practice follows the medical rounds model where the building is focused on a targeted area of instruction. The process was led by Mrs. Rachel Holler from the Bucks County IU. Small teams of 4-5 teachers and administrators visited classrooms to collect observational data and bring it back to the larger group and building principal for suggestions for next steps in professional growth in that area. Albert Schweitzer's area of focus, or 'Problem of Practice' will be on levels of questioning in the classroom and student engagement. We look forward to our continued growth as professionals!

Dates are as follows:

ELA - April 23, 24, & 26 (3rd & 4th grade)

MATH - April 29 & 30 (3rd & 4th grade)

SCIENCE - May 1 & 2 (4th grade only)

Please remember the importance and dates of this year’s PSSA.

It is critical to our overall and individual success to have the best possible attendance during our testing period. You can help by following the additional recommendations:

· Make sure your child comes to school well rested.

· Students should arrive on time!

· Children should eat a nutritious breakfast — at home or available here in our cafeteria before the start of school.

· Encourage your child to do his/her best!

Attached to the email blast are the parent letters sent from the Curriculum & Instruction office related to PSSA testing. These letters outline the district expectations and dates of testing. The Parent Information highlights general FAQ for parents, and the Security letter outlines the protocol for electronic devices during testing.

Tests are important because they help the teacher evaluate a student’s needs and progress, the student can gauge his or her own level of mastery, and the parent can monitor his or her child’s progress.

You can help your child prepare for tests by doing the following:

• Make sure your child gets a good night's sleep before a test, and make sure your child eats properly the day of a test.
• Maintain a pleasant home environment and avoid unnecessary conflicts. Try to make the morning of the test a pleasant one. Do not add to your child’s stress.
• Make sure your child has taken any needed medication.
• Ensure that your child is present during testing (children generally perform better when taking tests in their groups rather than at a make-up time).
• Get your child to school on time the day of the test.
• Wish your child good luck on the morning of the test. Tell your child that he/she is special and that you believe in him/her!
• Remind your child the test is important. Encourage him/her to do his/her best.
• If the test is on a subject for which you can review (such as a spelling test), help your child go over the material.
• Remind your child to listen carefully to the instructions from the teacher and to read the directions and each question carefully.
• Explain to your child the importance of using time wisely. If your child gets stuck on a question, encourage him or her to make the best guess and move on.
• Tell your child to attempt to answer all of the questions and not to leave any blank.
• Encourage your child to stay focused on the test, even if other students finish early.
• If your child is disappointed after taking a test, reassure him or her that there will be plenty of opportunities to improve and succeed.

Thank you to parents and students for coming out on our PTO Bingo Night to raise money for our school. There were prizes after each of the 10 Bingo games, over 40 baskets of donations that were awarded as well as a 50/50. The final prize of the evening for the Bingo games was a Chromebook! A great big thank you goes to the parent volunteers on the PTO for organizing all of the donations and help for the night. It was a great success!

Albert Schweitzer second grader, Andie Chavez, was honored at the Bucks County IU Art Gallery reception on March 19, 2019. Students from all over Bucks County were honored at this prestigious event. Andie was the only student from Neshaminy School District that was represented, so we are very proud of her! Mrs. Theresa Todd, Albert Schweitzer art teacher, along with Dr. Orlando and her family were in attendance.

What is Title 1?

Title 1, part A, provides supplemental federal funds to ensure all students have fair, equal, and significant opportunities to obtain a high-quality education and reach, at minimum, proficiency on challenging state academic achievement standards and state academic assessments.

The program is focused on improving the academic achievement of students in schools with high concentrations of children from low-income families and is governed by statuary and regulatory requirements of Title I, Part A (ESEA).

Albert Schweitzer Elementary School is a Schoolwide Title 1 school. As such, our Title 1 funds and services can provide comprehensive strategies for improving the entire school so that every student achieves high levels of academic proficiency.

Title 1 News

Celebrating our enthusiasm for reading! Each Schweitzer student received a Title 1 sponsored book of their choice for Read Across America Day. Read Across America, an annual project of the National Education Association (NEA), began in 1997. Its purpose is to motivate kids to read and to spotlight the importance of reading. Read Across America Day, the annual celebration of reading, takes place on or around Dr. Seuss's birthday, which is March 2nd. According to the NEA, "Motivating children to read is an important factor in student achievement and creating lifelong successful readers. Research has shown that children who are motivated and spend more time reading do better in school.

Free programs for parents and kids this Spring

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Know a Child or Teen Impacted by
Addiction in their Family?

Caron's Student Assistance Program is offering special programs for kids and parents in Plymouth Meeting this Spring. The Kids of Promise (KOP) Children and Teens Program, designed for ages 7-15, serves as a way to educate participants about the disease of addiction and how each family member is affected. We are currently accepting registrations for both our informational event for parents in April, and our just-for-kids workshop in May. These programs are free of charge, thanks to the generous funding from the Independence Blue Cross Foundation! Both events will be held at the Caron Recovery Center in Philadelphia. If you are working with a student or family who may benefit from these free programs, please contact us today.

Caron Recovery Center in Philadelphia

401 Plymouth Road, Suite 325

Plymouth Meeting, PA 19462

Saturday, April 13, 2019
Parent/Caregiver Informational Session
9:00 - 11:00 a.m.
(Childcare and Breakfast will be provided.)

View & Download Parent Event Flyer

Saturday, May 4, 2019
Kids of Promise Children & Teens Program
9:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
(Lunch and snacks will be provided.)

View & Download KOP Event Flyer

For more information and to register, please contact
Christine Storm at cstorm@caron.org or 302-420-4018

Board Policy allows for service animals to be on school property during the school day. If you bring your pet to our school during morning drop-off or afternoon pick-up, the animal should remain in your car. Please do not allow your dog, cat, or other pets to exit your vehicle during our arrival or dismissal unless the animal is a service animal. We have some students that are allergic to dogs and cats. We have some students that are afraid of animals. This is why we generally only allow service animals on school property during the school day. We appreciate your help and support in this area.

We are working hard to keep our Albert Schweitzer Facebook page updated with lots of photos from school events. Please be sure to visit our site often and 'Like' our page!

https://www.facebook.com/schweitzeres/

March 29 - PTO Movie Night: Ralph Breaks the Internet
April 6 - Harlem Wizards at Neshaminy High School
April 15 - NO SCHOOL for Students (Professional Development for Staff)
April 16th through April 19th - NO SCHOOL for Students (Spring Break)
April 23, 24, 26 - PSSA Testing (ELA Grades 3 & 4)
April 29 & 30 - PSSA Testing (Math Grades 3 & 4)
May 1 & 2 - PSSA Testing (Science Grade 4)
May 3-PSSA Make-Up Testing

~~ WE BUILD FUTURES ~~