Glenwood

Welcome back, Glenwood families!

We are excited to welcome our Glenwood students and families back for another great year! There is always something special about the start of a new school year as students reconnect with friends, meet their teachers, settle into new routines, and begin a year filled with learning, growth, and new experiences.

By now, you should have received your child’s homeroom teacher assignment and a welcome message from their teacher.

For families who use district transportation, bus information has been mailed home. The letter includes your child’s bus schedule along with information about the MyRide K–12 app. This is a helpful resource for staying up to date on bus information throughout the year. Once routes are finalized, the app will also provide estimated afternoon drop-off times.

We look forward to welcoming families to our Open House on Thursday, August 27th. This is a great opportunity for students to meet their teachers, visit their classrooms, and become more comfortable with their new spaces before the first day of school.

Students are welcome to bring their school supplies to Open House. For families who ordered PTG supply kits, those will be waiting for students in their classrooms.

Please also take a moment to visit the Food Services website to review school menus and set up a MySchoolBucks account, if you have not already done so.

We are looking forward to seeing everyone, welcoming our students back, and kicking off another great year at Glenwood!

Best,

Josh Rehak, Principal

New Faces

Please join me in welcoming the newest members of our GES team!

• Miss Macey Segal, School Counselor (Grades K, 2, and 4)
• Mrs. Amy Matijasich, School Psychologist
• Miss Emily Burgess, Long-Term Substitute for Christine Strawn
• Miss Brigid Yachetti, Long-Term Substitute for Katie Constable
• Ms. Heather Wooding, Title I Math Support
• Mr. Ian O'Malley, Title I Support Staff II
• Mr. Al Bonaparte - Custodian - Night Shift

Familiar Faces, New Roles

We also have a few familiar faces taking on new roles this year:

• Mrs. Mackenzie Forsyth has moved to 2nd grade.
• Mr. Carl Holland has transitioned to the day shift with our custodial team.
• Ms. Lauren DeMarco has changed her name and is now Mrs. Ward.

Please help me welcome our new team members and congratulate those stepping into their new roles. We are excited to have everyone on board for another great year at GES!

This year marks many significant milestones. As a nation, we are celebrating the 250th Anniversary of signing the Declaration of Independence, acknowledging America as an independent country. We will also observe 25 years after September 11th and “Patriot Day” as well as the 85th Anniversary of Pearl Harbor, another reminder of resilience, reflection and remembrance. In the past few months, our area was host to several enormous sporting events including the FIFA World Cup, the MLB All-Star Game and the PGA Championship. The iconic American highway Route 66 will commemorate 100 years since its opening on November 11 and February 28th, the American railroad will turn 200! In our region, Valley Forge National Historical Park turned 50 this summer and 2027 will be the 20th season for Media’s Dining Under the Stars.

We often boast that at Glenwood we celebrate everything… Well, this year we truly will! With our theme of “celebration”, we will aim to highlight all accomplishments, birthdays and festivities – big and small! While there are many prestigious accolades, we intend to focus on the daily achievements of all students: in their time – at their pace. We ask you to help us share these monumental moments throughout the school year.

We are excited to welcome our newest students and families to Glenwood! Kindergarten Orientation will be held on Thursday, August 27, and is designed to help your child become familiar with the school before the first day. During your visit, you will learn about Glenwood, meet your child's teacher, visit the classroom, tour the building, and connect with other kindergarten families. Siblings who are not yet Glenwood students are welcome to attend.

AM Kindergarten

PM Kindergarten

Both sessions will begin in the Large Group Room. Families may enter through the Glenwood Main Entrance and will be escorted to the LGR at their designated session time. Parking is available in the side lot.

Tuesday, August 25

9:30–10:30 a.m.

Penncrest High School Auditorium (134 Barren Road)

This special event is designed to help first-time bus riders feel comfortable and confident before the first day of school. Bonnie Kinsler, Supervisor of Transportation, will share helpful information about riding the bus, followed by a bus ride to Glenwood Elementary School so students can experience the trip ahead of time.

To help us plan for the morning, please using this link: FIRST TIME BUS RIDER RSVP

The Rose Tree Media School District uses the MyRide K-12 app, which allows families to track their child's school bus in real time. After downloading the app and setting up an account, parents and guardians can view the location of the bus along its route and receive

transportation updates.

MyRideK12

Our Glenwood PTG is excited to host Playground Meet-Ups before the start of the school year! These informal gatherings are a great opportunity for students and families to reconnect with friends, meet new classmates, and help children feel comfortable before the first day of school. Whether you are new to Glenwood or a returning family, we hope you'll stop by, say hello, and enjoy some time together. We look forward to seeing you there and kicking off another great school year!

Returning Families (Grades 1st - 5th) are invited to visit during selected times from 1:30 pm to 2:40 pm on Thursday, August 27th to find your new classroom, meet your teacher, drop off school supplies, and visit with classmates. All returning students grades 1-5 will select a 20-minute time slot to visit their classroom. The sign up link will be sent with teacher assignments on August 19th.

Session 1: 1:30 - 1:50

Session 2: 1:55 - 2:15

Session 3: 2:20 - 2:40

Only returning students MUST pre-register for a visitation time.

Back to School Night is an opportunity to become more familiar with the expectations that we have for our students, as well as the curriculum being taught in the school. We look forward to welcoming parents and guardians to this event. More details to follow!

• Tuesday, September 15 - Back to School Night - Grades K-2 (6:30 - 7:30 PM)

• Wednesday, September 16 - Back to School Night - Grades 3-5 (6:30 - 7:30 PM)

Kindergarten participants will run the length of the turf field together before our 7:00 pm home football game on Thursday, September 3rd, vs. Strath Haven!

All kindergarten participants will receive a "Future LION" t-shirt to wear for the event. Kindergarten families should arrive at 6:15 pm and meet on the track at 6:30 pm (near the scoreboard end of the field). The dash will be held at 6:40 pm. Students will be asked to quickly leave the field after the run to allow the football team time to warm up. Please note that this is NOT a drop-off event. We ask that only one parent or guardian accompany each kindergarten student on the field (no siblings, please).

Football game admission is $5 per adult (ages 12 and up). Cash only—please try to have exact change. Known as the "Media Bowl," this game typically draws a large crowd, so please plan to arrive early as parking may be limited. (Due to the holiday weekend, there will be no school on Friday, September 4th.)

Homeroom Room Volunteers - Clearances must be up to date. Please see the information below. Remember clearances can take several weeks to complete. If you do not have your clearance, please be proactive in getting them done, as it takes a few weeks to get them all back.

Just a reminder that all school volunteers must submit the following clearances:

• PA Criminal Background Clearance

• PDE FBI Clearance

• Child Abuse Clearance

Information about obtaining these clearances can be obtained by accessing the following link: https://www.rtmsd.org/Page/39

Please contact the main office at Glenwood main office with any questions or to drop them off for approval.

School Meals Information – 2026–2027

• Breakfast: Free for all elementary students (begins Monday, August 31, 2026)

• Lunch: $3.55 per meal

• Free/Reduced Meals: Families may apply online through the district website. Students receiving Direct Certification do not need to apply.

• Menus: Available on the district homepage under the Meals tab

• Meal Accounts: Funds can be added through MySchoolBucks.com, or by sending cash/checks to school (change is added back to the student’s account).

For complete details, please see the attached letter from Food Service Supervisor Jenni Lee.

Hello Glenwood Families!

I hope you’re enjoying a fantastic summer! I’m excited to let you know that I’ll be back in the office on August 19. At that time, I’ll be ready to collect any epi-pens, inhalers, and medications, along with your updated action plans and orders from your primary care provider.

Please take a moment to update your emergency cards for each student through the parent portal. Having the most current emergency contact and health information is essential for our records.

A friendly reminder: all Kindergarteners and new Glenwood students need to submit a physical exam and dental exam completed after August 31, 2025. Additionally, all 3rd graders are required to provide a dental exam form done after that same date.

If you have any new health concerns or updates about your student, please don’t hesitate to reach out! You can contact me via email at mailto:dshields@rtmsd.org or give me a call at (610)627-6903.

Looking forward to a great school year ahead!

Demi Shields BSN, RN, CSN

dshields@rtmsd.org

(610)627-6903

Please consider signing up and/or updating your student's information for our Parent-Teacher Group (PTG)!

The Glenwood Elementary PTG is pleased to continue providing Membership Toolkit as our school's family directory. Membership Toolkit is the PTG's tool for our family directories, online store, field trip payments, volunteer signups and email communications, including emails from your child's homeroom parents. It's secure, easy to use, and free to families of Glenwood Elementary.

Already signed up for MTK in past years? Your child has already been graduated to this year's grade level - please just log in and update your child's teacher in the database once class assignments have been sent out.

New to the school? Register at glenwoodptg.membershiptoolkit.com and create a new account. You can choose what information you want to be visible in the online directory.

Questions? Contact our system administrator at glenwoodptg@gmail.com.

Install the Free app! After you get your login information, download the app by searching for Membership Toolkit in the iTunes App Store or Google Play. The app allows you to access our directory, manage your family information, purchase in our store and signup for volunteer activities all from your phone!

School hours for the 2026-27 school year are as follows:

Grades 1-5

• Student Arrival: 8:40 - 8:50 AM (Note: School Day starts at 8:50 AM)
• Student Dismissal: 3:30 PM

AM Kindergarten

• Student Arrival: 8:40 - 8:50 AM (Note: School Day starts at 8:50 AM)
• Student Dismissal: 11:25 AM

PM Kindergarten

• Student arrival: 12:55 PM (Note: School Day starts at 12:55 PM)
• Student Dismissal: 3:30 PM

Josh Rehak, Principal

Email: jrehak@rtmsd.org
Website: ges.rtmsd.org

Address: 122 South Pennell Road Media, PA 19063

Phone: (610) 627-6900

2026-2027 SCHOOL HOURS: Monday thru Friday

Grades 1-5: 8:50 am - 3:30 pm
AM-Kindergarten: 8:50 am - 11:25 pm

PM-Kindergarten: 12:55 pm - 3:30 pm