The Paw Power Press

Butler Elementary has a fabulous team of building facility custodians who help to make our school safe to learn, teach, and work. Whether they are shoveling snow on weekends, cleaning classrooms after school, or maintaining that everything is in working order for our Butler Bears - our team of five individuals do it with a smile and appreciation. Thanks to our team - Mr. Sutton, Mr. Garza, Mr. Acevedo, Mr. Lukens, and Mr. Tongue for helping to keep Butler Pride high with a wonderful/beautiful building!

Thank you to those who have provided feedback and helped guide our decision-making processes. You can watch a recording of the Feb. 21st informational meeting held at Tohickon and view more information on realignment in CBSD here.

Our realignment committee presented its findings to the School Board at its Board Operations Committee meeting on February 28th. They included a recommendation for the timing of these changes – based on how much time the district felt it will need to adequately prepare for these changes to ensure a smooth and successful transition. The full Board must then choose to decide whether to accept a recommendation on realignment, including a decision about timing. The official full School Board vote on the realignment plan is expected at the Board meeting on March 12 at 6 p.m. in the district offices located at 16 Weldon Drive, Doylestown, PA.

If you have questions, concerns, or feedback, you can share it here.

Dr. Scanlon, Superintendent

Each year, we reach a point where absences increase due to illness from colds or the flu - as so many are involved in activities and day-to-day interactions that can result in some feeling "under the weather." Our custodial staff manages cleaning and protocols based on the needs of a particular class or grade level, as we manage close communication among the office, health room, and cleaning team - and knowing the health trends of our school. In this week's Parent Report from NAESP's: Report to Parents, they explore 4 Tips to Promote Winter Wellness.

"During the winter season, it becomes easier for kids to come into contact with germs that cause illnesses like cold and flu. Encouraging healthy habit practices at home—starting with these strategies—is a proactive measure to help ensure kids maintain their health and contribute to the overall well-being of their school communities..."

To read the entire article about Winter Wellness, please click here.

The Butler Lost & Found has acquired a collection of jackets, sweatshirts, hats, gloves, and water bottles across varied outdoor recesses/basketball nights throughout the season. Encourage your child to visit the Lost and Found (or seek an office staff member to help) by the gym atrium doors. At the end of March (Spring Break Week), we will send to donation. So, if you cannot seem to find your child's warm, outdoor clothing at home, there is a good chance it was left behind at school waiting for your retrieval! Please visit the main office to peruse the racks to find you child's missing item!

Visit the CBSD Technology and Innovation website to troubleshoot issues with any district-provided device. Place a Help Desk Ticket through the website if the tips listed on the website do not resolve the issue.

This year, Central Bucks is launching into our Portrait of a Graduate initiative through our Comprehensive Plan highlighting seven attributes:

• Balanced Individuals - February Focus
• Responsible Citizens - October Focus
• Resilient Learners - December Focus
• Critical Thinkers - January Focus
• Effective Communicators - November Focus
• Thoughtful Collaborators - March Focus
• Adaptable Innovators

To learn more about our monthly Portrait of a Graduate Page, please click here.

To celebrate Black History Month in Music, each grade is focusing on an artist that relates to their show theme or unit of study:

1st Grade was all about musical movement! We learned about dancer Misty Copland who was the first African American to be a principal ballerina for the American Ballet Theater.

2nd Grade practiced for their show, “Sing Me A Story” and learned about Louis Armstrong and his beautiful lyrics to “What a Wonderful World”. The descriptive lyrics were made into a beautifully illustrated book by Ashley Bryan.

3rd Grade sang songs like “Keep Your Eyes on the Prize” to honor Martin Luther King Jr. These freedom songs were popular in the 1960’s to help keep the peace at protests.

4th Grade played the Spiritual tune “When the Saints Go Marching In” on the recorder. It was recorded by Louis Armstrong in 1938 and made into a Dixieland Jazz standard.

5th Grade continued their American Folk Song unit. We learned how music that originated as slave songs influenced the music we listen to today. We sang “Follow the Drinking Gourd” and talked about its connection to the Underground Railroad.

6th Grade finished the Opera unit, with a spotlight on the great operatic contralto Marian Anderson. Miss Anderson was one of the first black musicians to perform in Washington DC and help promote desegregation in music.

This is a small sampling of the remarkable and diverse musicians that are showcased all year in music, not just during the month of February.

Students in grades 1-6 continued their manipulative skills unit this past month.

• Students in 1st & 2nd grade have been working on long jump rope skills.
• Students in grades 3-6 started a racquet sports unit featuring pickle ball for all grades 3-6 and badminton for 5th and 6th grade.
• 5th & 6th graders also enjoyed playing a classic PE favorite- crab soccer.

It was a great month of activity!

5th and 6th grade PEN students have been working hard this year building and programming their EV3 and NXT robots. Nine teams competed in our Robotics Olympics, working collaboratively to complete fourteen different missions. Depending on the number of missions accomplished, teams earned bronze, silver or gold medals. Congratulations Robotics Olympians! (Additional photos from our PEN Robotics Parent Open House!)

• 1st Grade- We’ve just finished writing, illustrating and narrating our own electronic books on Book Creator! We’re hoping to share these with families soon!
• 2nd Grade- Most recently we have solved a Historical Presidential Mystery! Students learned about a political cartoonist from the early 1900’s and the story behind how Teddy Bears got their name.
• 3rd Grade- Game design is well underway! Students are working to plan and design their own unique board game as a culminating project for our Game On Unit.
• 4th Grade- Over the last few weeks, students have been brainstorming and investigating ideas for possible new inventions. They are currently in the elaborator phase of product development as they refine and detail their ideas.
• 5th and 6th Grade- We have concluded our Robotics Unit with our closing Olympic ceremonies. We are just beginning a new unit, Dynamic Content Production. First up, public speaking tips and practices to maximize their presentation skills.

Recently in Library class, third graders learned how to take bullet-pointed notes. Following the reading of nonfiction text, students identified, discussed, and determined, in small groups, the information that was most important and formed bullet-pointed notes. After practicing this skill over multiple classes, students are currently applying their newly acquired note-taking skills while working on a “Who Would Win” research project.

Extended Day Kindergarten students are learning the basics of coding. Students are exploring using pictorial direction cards to plan a path for a purple-coding mouse robot. Once the path is planned, students then program the mouse with easy push-button controls and send him on his way to follow the commands.

This activity is one of many coding challenges to help students think critically, solve problems effectively, and acquire skills needed for more advanced tasks. Next up, students will build on their skills to solve math puzzles with their mice!

1st gr. Project: First grade artists observed similarities in many of Amedeo Modigliani’s portraits. They discovered that artists could have a unique style. The Italian painter and sculptor was known for elongating the face and neck in his portraits. Sometimes using only one color for the eyes, making the face look like a mask. His artistic style was influenced by sculptures and masks. First grade artists drew half the face with chalk and folded the paper to transfer one half to the other half as an introduction to symmetry.

March:

Mar. 2 - Read Across America Day (Saturday)

Mar. 4-8 - Read Across America Week - Celebrating Reading!

Mar. 4-6 - Mobile Fab Lab at Butler (Gr. 5)

Mar. 5 - PTO Dine & Donate - Peppinos (10:30 AM-8:00 PM)

Mar. 8 - End of Trimester 2 (Half Day Dismissal 12:25 PM)

Mar. 8 - PM Kindergarten Attends in the AM (No AM Kdg.)

Mar. 8 - Spirit Assembly (AM)

Mar. 10 - Daylight Savings - Spring Forward (Sunday)

Mar. 16 - Spring Fair - 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM (Saturday)

Mar. 17 - St. Patrick's Day (Sunday)

Mar. 19 - First Day of Spring

Mar. 21&22 - Butler Musical Performances (Evenings)

Mar. 25-29 - Spring Break - No School for Students

Mar. 31 - Easter Holiday (Sunday)

Happy Read Across America Week at Butler!

Next week, March 4, Butler will hold "March Reading Madness!" We are asking families to track their child’s minutes for at home reading during the first three weeks of March.

• In grades Kindergarten-Grade 1, students are challenged to read 15 minutes daily.
• In grades 2-6, students are challenged to read 20 minutes daily.

Starting next Friday 3/8, families will receive a blast from Butler to log your child's minutes. Classrooms will be competing to award the Reading Champions in each grade level. Please look for the email blast each Friday in March to log your child’s minutes!

Happy Reading!

See below for the Read Across America Spirit Day Themes

The Buter PTO's next Family Night out for Dinner or Take out will take place on Tuesday, March 5th. Support local, Support your school, and Enjoy a great meal! Details below.

The Central Bucks School District is hosting a college and career fair for all that are interested. On Wednesday, March 13th from 6:30pm-8:30pm at Central Bucks High School South, all are welcome to get more information from numerous colleges and local businesses. If you have a high school student, then this event is for you! Please see the attached Save-the-Date and be on the lookout for additional information.

Please see the community resource for grandparents who are raising children of loved ones.

CB Art Show T-Shirt Sale - 3/8-4/12

Information was shared in Wednesday Folder - Family Count (one per family). Submit ALL Order and Payments via MY Payments Plus “CB 2024 District Art Show T-Shirt”. You will be prompted to select color & size. *Shirts will be delivered to your school’s Art Teacher when ready.

"Each year, a distinguished scholarship is bestowed upon one graduating senior from every high school, empowering aspiring artists to pursue their passion for the arts. This initiative aims to

support and celebrate the next generation of creative minds by providing financial assistance for

their art education, fostering a brighter future for talented individuals in diverse artistic fields."

Thank you for your support- CBSD K-12 Art Department

CB South Operation Eternal Gratitude is a military support group, and we send care packages to troops overseas. OEG is hosting an egg hunt fundraiser. Each participant is asked to donate at least $5 or bring items from the list (found on our website or by scanning the QR code) The donations will help support our troops!

March 16 - 3:30 - 5:00 PM at the CB South Football Stadium

The CB East Patriot Players are excited to present SCHOOLHOUSE ROCK LIVE, JR! Based on the ever-popular award-winning 1970s cartoons, this fast-paced 1-hour musical teaches lessons with clever, catchy tunes. Tickets are only $10 and sold at the door. Senior student directors, Caeli Coyle and Molly Pecic, will proudly present ALL PROCEEDS to the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

PERFORMANCES:

· Saturday, March 16, 2024, 3 pm and 7 pm at CB East

· Friday, March 22, 2024, at 7 pm at Warwick Elementary

https://LVBASEBALL.org

CB East Girls Lacrosse is hosting a Lacrosse Clinic for skills and training - Grades 1-8

CB East is hosting a swim clinic at CB South Natatorium - April 13th - Details below!

CB Kids Triathlon is on May 19th at CB South High School. This is a district-supported event that is only open to Central Bucks K-6 elementary school students. The event registration is open and is limited to 1,000 students, so once the limit is met, no additional students will be able to participate in the event. Register now! CBSD.org/triathlon

April 15 - June 10

Join Chess Wizards this year for challenging chess lessons, exciting tournaments, fun, team activities, and more! If you’re brand-new to chess, we’ll teach you the basics and get you playing right away. If you’re a seasoned checkmate artist, we’ll show you new ways to let your creativity show on the chess board. Click Here for more details.

After School Paint & Create Club - April 4 - May 16

Contact Anu with registration or MyPaymentsPlus questions - araman@cbsd.org

Click here to register - My Payments Plus.

Refer to this Calendar to anticipate Spirit Days for the year! **Updated dates for December and January.

As part of our Positive Behavior year-long initiative (PBIS), Butler Elementary continues to focus on our building-wide attributes! On Monday, February 26th, Butler invited Central Bucks Assistant Superintendent of Elementary Education, Dr. Nadine Garvin, to share her important message about educational excellence and "being prepared for each day". Her conversation with students highlighted for each of us to focus on the details - not only in school, but at home and during our evening/weekend activities, as well.

She met twice with Butler students, once with primary and then intermediate - highlighting age-level appropriate message to discuss how they each can strive to be their best as Butler Bears! Thank you, Dr. Garvin!

Every February, people in the United States celebrate the achievements and history of African Americans as part of Black History Month. As a school, Butler classrooms and specials classes looked at the contributions of Americans honoring people from all eras of US history. At Butler, this was done in varied ways with displays/reading in Library class to studying the contributions of African Americans in music and the performing arts. In Mrs. Szczypiorski's room, their HERO Unit explored biographies by learning of "heroes" like Maya Angelou and Rosa Parks.

Butler Elementary celebrated Family Fun & Fitness Night focusing on health and wellness with a community-building evening event. Thanks to Mrs. Engert and the Wellness Committee for coordinating the efforts of local businesses to celebrate wellness and sports. We had representation from Aramark food services, Doylestown Health, Yoga, Dance, Fitness, and Karate! Thanks to the CB South students who helped facilitate, as well as many from the Butler Staff!

Students and staff enjoyed this "once every four year" event that occurs on February 29th! Classrooms and grade levels held fun opportunities with "leaping" or things in sets of "4"! Even the teachers and staff had a contest looking for "Leap" frogs hidden around the building. We hope the children enjoyed their time celebrating in fun and creative ways!

Third Grade was bursting with excitement as they welcomed their baby chick eggs this week - being part of their Life Cycles Unit for the school year! In the coming days, the students will continue to care for the eggs until they hatch - where they will study their growth and development across the next few weeks. It is a popular time of year, and the hands-on learning is always key to their explorations! We will be sure to update their growth in the next issue.

Third Graders conducted research through the inquiry process to learn about a hero of their choice. Students used online resources and books from the library to gather facts, create an informational brochure, and write a short speech about their hero. On “Presentation Day” students came to school dressed as their heroes and presented their inquiry projects to their class.

On Thursday, February 22, Butler Elementary welcomed visiting author, Annette Whipple. Ms. Whipple is a former elementary and middle school teacher and has also worked as an environmental educator. Her love of science and history is what led her to become a professional author of award-winning nonfiction books for kids. Ms. Whipple shared with our students how both a nonfiction writer’s and a student’s use of the writing process are very similar. She also shared her experiences with the wild animals that are the topics of her books. Butler students were extremely engaged listening to Ms. Whipple’s stories of holding frog eggs in her bare hands and how she felt having a Eurasian Eagle Owl perched on her arm.

Simon Butler's students and staff embrace the Butler Pledge, the foundation of our school's positive behavior program. Our Butler Community promises to:

Be Respectful * Be Responsible * Be Kind

This pledge to all Butler Bears upholds our traditional Pillars: B.U.T.L.E.R.

Butler (at its Best!); Understanding; Teamwork; Leadership; Educational Excellence; Respect

Each week, students earn Positive Paw Power Coupons for their good deeds and honorable actions as recognition. Children enter them into our collection bins where names are drawn to earn a special "Breakfast with the Principals".

2/23 Winners: Mikey P. (Kdg.), Pierson H. (Gr.1), Luke H. (Gr.2), Cole W. (Gr.3), Zack M. (Gr.4), Brandon M. (Gr.5), Rocco G. (Gr.6), T-Shirt - Everett G. (Gr.5)

3/1 Winners: Nolan W. (Kdg.), Reagan O. (Gr.1), Owen V. (Gr.2), Amy S. (Gr.3), Corvin B. (Gr.4), Matthew N. (Gr.5), Makisim S. (Gr.6), T-Shirt - Mahi S. (Gr.4)

Congratulations to all students who earned Positive Paw Power awards!

The Butler PTO Newsletter is an informative publication that provides insight and info for events hosted by the Butler PTO. Please click here to open the newsletter.

Principal: Karl Funseth

Administrative Assistant to Principal: Peggy Bernabei

Assistant Principal: Lauren Dowd

Administrative Assistant to Assistant Principal: Michele Droxler

Website: https://www.cbsd.org/butler
Location: 200 Brittany Drive, Chalfont, PA, USA
Phone: 267-894-4250
Twitter: @CBButlerElem

Acting Superintendent: James Scanlon, Ed. D.

Assistant Superintendent-Elementary: Nadine Garvin, Ed. D.

Assistant Superintendent-Secondary: Charles Malone, Ed. D.

Website: cbsd.org
Location: 20 Welden Drive, Doylestown, PA, USA
Phone: 267-893-2000
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cbschools/
Twitter: @CBSDSchools