Principal's Report

Dear PV East Parents and Guardians,

December has arrived! This is traditionally a very busy month for holiday celebrations and student activities as we look forward to Winter Break beginning after school on Friday, December 22nd. There is a Holiday calendar below that shares many of our events. Our PBIS Team has organized a holiday spirit homeroom competition to promote student particpation. A few important holiday events to be aware of include the following:

• 7th & 8th Grade Winter Concert on December 6th at 6:30PM.
• Holiday Movie Night on December 13th at 6:30PM
• 6th Grade Winter Concert on January 17th at 7:00PM

Despite all of the holiday fun, we are very focused on our academics. This is an excellent time to review progress and ensure that your student is keeping up with their work before they leave on their Winter Break.

Did you know that proximity to your cellphone impacts your working memory? Please help our students with their cognitive focus by encouraging them to place their cell phones in their locker. It is also helpful that students to do not sleep with their cellphone in their bedroom. Proximity actually matters.

You can’t hide from it. A 2017 study found that working memory is compromised by the mere presence of your cell phone, even when you turn it off or ignore it.

Learn more: https://edut.to/3Mtztcp

Sincerely,

Seamus Clune, Ph.D.

#EastROCKs

Holiday Movie Night - Wednesday, December 13th, 6:30-8:30.

The Grinch will be shown in the East gym. Please send a chair or blanket for your student to sit on.

Students can wear pjs or their coziest outfit.

There will be cookies and hot chocolate for sale. Please RSVP at this link -- RSVP > https://bit.ly/msehs-grinch

(RSVP is not necessary to attend, but is helpful to determine hot chocolate quantities!)

Gingerbread House contest! Bring your decorated gingerbread house to the event and be entered into the contest for a chance to win a prize.

We need some volunteers to help the event run smoothly!! We greatly appreciate your help.

Sign Up Genius SUG --> https://bit.ly/msehs-grinchSUG

We will be collecting items for PV Power Packs at movie night. These donations go right back to the community.

Individual sized boxes of cereal

Packets of oatmeal

Granola bars

Canned soup/pasta

Canned tuna

Ramen

Fruit/applesauce cups

Fruit snacks

Individual snack items

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

Parents, we need your help! Your students have been working hard to show ROCK behavior and it is time for them to be rewarded. Students have been earning ROCK tickets throughout the first marking period and it is time for them to start cashing them in for prizes, but we need your help. Please consider purchasing an item or two from our PVMS East ROCK Shop Amazon Wishlist. Purchases will be sent to East and delivered to the ROCK shop where your students can purchase them with their hard-earned tickets. Here is the link to the list:

https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/23T8340T72HK3?ref_=wl_share

We can also use Amazon gift cards, gift cards to local restaurants and stores, as well as any Philadelphia sports fan gear you would like to donate. We love our community and appreciate your support of our students and school.

Please consider attending the Fall 2023 Resource Expo at the Montgomery County Intermediate Unit (MCIU) on December 5th from 6-8 p.m. For the past 20 years, MCIU has coordinated this event for families, caregivers, educators, and the community to come together and share resources that support students with disabilities. While students receive many services within their school programs, the goal of the Resource Expo is to expand awareness of resources that address needs beyond school life. MCIU invites service providers who can help with financial/estate planning, camp options, colleges, social and leisure groups, service coordination, and much more.

The VIP Crew is encouraging homerooms to participate in their Warm and Fuzzy drive to help our PV families and local shelters this holiday season. Please encourage students to bring in new winter hats, gloves, mittens, or earmuffs to our donation bins.

In addition, students will fill out a pair of gloves/mittens or a hat with “warm wishes” to a teacher or staff member they have or had this school year. Students can color the mittens and write messages on the front or back for teachers. These items will need to be returned in the envelope provided to Mrs. Flicker’s room or mailbox by Dec. 15th. The “warm wishes” will be displayed on the first floor bulletin board by the bathrooms.

Another way students are rewarded for their ROCK behavior is through weekly drawings. Students win time in our Backstage Lounge which was so generously furnished by the PV Foundation. The lounge has cool furniture where students can eat lunch, an air hockey table, and an XBox One. We need parents to help us out during lunches to monitor students in the lounge. There are only 6 students in the lounge at a time, so it is a small group. Would you be able to donate some time during our lunches? If so, please sign up using this form:

https://forms.gle/t6TdQN2tcE4CREJR7

Our Math Counts Club is meeting every Tuesday from 2:45 - 3:45. This club is for students interested in having fun with math from playing math games to competing in math competitions. Please reach out to Ms. Rebecca McGowan rmcgowan@pvsd.org for more details.

Math Lab is every Monday & Wednesday. Students needing math help can report to Mrs. Espersen's Room (Rm. 243). Students who come for assistance must remain for the entire session from 2:45-3:45PM. Please contact Mrs. Espersen nespersen@pvsd.org or Mr. Darren Thompson dthompson@pvsd.org if you have any questions.

The CAUSE (Connecting and Uniting Students to Empower) is a student leadership group that works collaboratively to educate the larger school community on topics related to diversity, equity and inclusion; as well as to support the individual club members. Students joining the CAUSE will meet every other week to collaborate, plan, create, and help make positive change in our school community. The first meeting will take place during 10th period on Thursday, November 30th, in the Counseling Center. If you are interested in joining the CAUSE, please email Mrs. Good at kgood@pvsd.org

We have several items in our lost and found. If your child is missing anything, please have them check the lost and found bins near the cafeteria and in the two locker rooms

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.

Perkiomen Valley School District is excited to once again support families in need this holiday season through the PV Power Packs Holiday Shop run by community volunteers.

If you are a parent or guardian of a student in the Perkiomen Valley School District who is in need of assistance this holiday season, you can come to shop for your student and any younger siblings. There is no financial documentation needed.

The PV Power Packs Holiday Shop will be open on the following dates and times in the Middle School East Library.
Tuesday, 12/5: 5-8 pm
Wednesday, 12/6: 11 am - 1:30 pm
Thursday, 12/7: 5-8 pm

During the evening shop hours, enter through the auditorium/gym doors. During the daytime hours, you will need to enter through the main office and present your photo ID.

We will have extra volunteers in a separate room to supervise younger children if you are unable to get childcare.

If you have specific needs or are unable to come during these times, please email Sarah at PowerPacks@pvsd.org or reach out to your school principal or counselor.

If you are interested in donating to the Holiday Shop, we are collecting new, unwrapped gifts for infants through high school age. Needed items include toys, gift cards, hoodies for teens, electronics, crafts, and beauty items. We suggest a value of $10-$40. Donations can be dropped off at any school or mailed directly to

Power Packs

100 Kagey Road

Collegeville, PA 19426

The donation collection will be ongoing through 12/4.

Middle School East 8th Grade Girls' Basketball Coach: Mickey Marsilio

Coach Marsilio enters his third year in this position, however, he has been involved at the JV and Varsity level basketball and also has served as a PVHS JV softball coach and will be our varsity softball coach this season. He lives in Skippack and is a project manager for Merck for 25 years. He and his wife Sabrina of 21 years, have 2 daughters - Emilia 10th grade at PVHS and Nina 8th grade at PVMS East. He is a 1993 graduate of PVHS, 1998 graduate of Penn State University (BA), and 2016 graduate of Temple University (MS). His favorite part of coaching is preparing students-athletes for a successful future. His message to the PV athletic community is that the future is bright at Perk Valley, on & off the field/court.

Middle School East 7th Grade Girls' Basketball Coach: Mark Greer

Head Coach Mark Greer is entering his 1st year as the head coach of the 7th Grade girls’ basketball team. He is a PV graduate of the class of 2010, and is currently in his last year of his teaching certificate program from Eastern University. He is very happy to return to the PV community with his wife, Brigitte, and 3 year old daughter, Layla. He is excited to get to share his love of basketball with his players. When asked about his goal for the season, he said, “I want to help these players develop the skills not only to succeed on the court, but also outside of basketball. I want to emphasize the importance of putting the Student in Student-Athlete first.”

Middle School East 8th Grade Boys' Basketball Coach: Chuck Heaps

Coach Heaps is entering his 5th year coaching middle school basketball and his 3rd year as the 8th grade head coach. He is also the JV boys soccer coach at PV. Coach Heaps is a PV graduate and currently lives in the school district with his family. He looks forward to another fun season with the team.

Middle School East 7th Grade Boys' Basketball Head Coach: Dan McFarlin

Coach Danny McFarlin Jr is entering his 1st yr as coach of the MS East boys basketball team. He joined PV last year as security personnel and quickly integrated himself into the community including coaching the HS track & field team last spring. Coach McFarlin is entering his 16th season as a basketball coach. He has head coaching experience at every level in various local districts. He is also the founder and president of the local 610 City Sports organization. Coach McFarlin’s main focus is to further develop the student-athletes’ skill, character and work ethic.

Middle School Boys' Wrestling Head Coach: Kyle Barnes

Middle School Girls' Wrestling Head Coach: Mike Moyano

Mike Moyano is the Head Coach for the inaugural season of Girls Wrestling at PV. Coach Moyano has coached boys and girls wrestling for almost 25 years, most recently at Pope John Paul II last year where he grew the program from just 6 athletes to 18. Originally from California, Coach Moyano moved to the area with his wife, Denise, and their two children, Michael and Samantha in 2020. They love their new home and the opportunities to be part of the community. Coach Moyano owns a sports card shop, "What's Hot Cards & Collectibles" in Limerick, and has a passion for all sports, especially the San Francisco Giants. When asked about what brought him to PV, Coach Moyano said, "I came to PV because I'm excited about the opportunity to start a new program and tradition at the school. Wrestling is a sport that teaches lessons that the athletes will carry with them the rest of their lives, and I'm passionate about building a legacy that our student-athletes can be proud of when they graduate."

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

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.

We reviewed our Safe 2 Say program last week. Our students viewed the video below during their Advisory period.

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.

Be a Part of the Conversation equips families and communities in Pennsylvania with skills and resources to understand substance use, addiction, and related health issues. We provide community programs, foster supportive connections, highlight lived experiences, and challenge stigma.

We are a collaboration of community leaders, clinicians, students, school district representatives, and families who believe that having meaningful, inclusive conversations about substance use and addiction will support individuals and their families in their efforts to develop healthy coping skills and access support whenever there is a need. Learn more about us. See the link below for a number of programs that Be a Part of the Conversation offers.

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.

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.

December 6 - 7th & 8th Grade Winter Concert @ 6:30PM

December 7 - 8th Grade Fieldtrip to Allentown Theater

December 13 - Holiday Movie Night @ 6:30PM

December 23 - January 1 - Winter Break

January 9 - Home & School Meeting @ 7:00PM

January 17 - 6th Grade Winter Concert @ 7:00PM

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