Weekly Message

Have you heard the saying, "there's an app for that?" Well...I'd like to amend that popular slogan to "there's a day for that!" Each day, week, and month highlights several celebrations, recognitions, or observances. April has many, and in addition to those mentioned last week, it is also Families and Reading Month (promoted by the Keystone State Literacy Association).

In Perkiomen Valley, we take reading very seriously and focus intently on developing literacy skills early in our youngest learners. Many of our students are reading by the conclusion of kindergarten. As they progress through the grades, there is a shift from learning to read to reading to learn by fourth grade. As we develop our students, we strive to nurture a love (or at least a liking) for reading at all levels. In observance of Families and Reading Month, I'd like to invite families to take time to read together or discuss something your child has read.

As always, we appreciate your partnership.

Sincerely,

Dr. Barbara A. Russell

Superintendent

National Library Week extends from April 3-9. We celebrate our libraries and the individuals leading them!

PVSD is honored to be hosting members of the 5 federally-recognized Lenape tribes as they arrive in Pennsylvania this month. During their stay, the Lenape will be reburying their ancestors at Pennsbury Manor and participating in the PV Woods Community Day. This day will host community partners onsite and engaging activities for all ages. The day will culminate with the Lenape Woods Dedication and Community Feast. Speaking of feast, do you have a favorite recipe? Please consider sharing it with the community on April 10th! All are invited to attend this special feast in our high school cafeteria; there will be plenty to eat! We hope to see you there.

For more information visit the PV Woods website.

PV's Path to Health & Wellness begins the week of April 18 and continues through the weeks of April 25 and May 2. During each of these weeks, the District will offer parent information session(s) in a fully virtual mode, while also providing age appropriate and aligned information to students during the school day. On May 18, PVSD will host a motivational speaker and onsite resource fair.

During the week of April 18, the focus will be on "community" and respectful interactions. A representative from our staff will share information about social media and the platforms our students are accessing today. We strive to lead our students in positive and respectful communication when engaging with social media.

The week of April 25 will focus on substance use and in particular, marijuana and vaping. Be a Part of the Conversation is a local organization that partners with school districts to assist parents and school staff in holding discussions with students about recreational drug and tobacco use. Be a Part of the Conversation representatives will share general information about THC and CBD as well as answer questions about how we might support our children.

During the week of May 2, Embark Behavioral Health will offer information on anxiety and depression. The presentation will include general information and opportunities for questions and answers.

We have designed these fully virtual informational sessions to take place in the evening so that families can connect from the comfort of home. On May 18, we hope to see you at the high school in person to engage with motivational speaker Marc Mero, and peruse a resource fair that will include representatives of local resources available to assist in a variety of ways.

The District is considering teletherapy services for students. These services would be arranged through outside vendors and provided to students virtually (i.e., students would be in their home and connect with a therapist via Zoom). The services would extend for 30-60 minutes and offer mental health support.

The District is trying to gauge interest in this resource and learn how many families would be interested in these services for their child. There may be opportunities for PVSD to offset or cover the costs of some number of teletherapy sessions if families do not qualify for coverage through their insurance.

If you are interested in teletherapy services in support of your child’s mental health, please indicate your interest using this form: Teletherapy Interest Form. Once the District determines what is possible based on the number of families expressing interest, a representative from the PV counseling department will reach out to follow up.

Visit the PV Showcase for March News & Happenings from the classroom. Learn about:

• Therapy Dog visits
• Hoplites of Ancient Greece
• Food Truck Competitions
• Coding in Kindergarten
• and more!

Students in grades three, four, and five in our elementary schools and six, seven, and eight in our middle schools will be participating in the Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA) during late April and early May. The PSSA is made up of three separate tests which assess to what degree our students have become proficient in English Language Arts (reading and writing), Mathematics, and Science. Principals will provide further details as we approach the testing dates. For additional information regarding this year’s assessment, please review our parent letter and frequently asked questions document.

Art is for everyone! The 2022 Art and Food Truck Festival will host a wide range of artists and vendors from within and outside of the Perkiomen Valley community. Our event is open to professional and student painters, woodworkers, ceramists, jewelry designers, photographers, fiber artists, etc.

We believe the arts in our community fosters social connection that bonds people.

Plans for our summer LIFT (Learning Is Fun Together) program are well underway. We will offer remediation, enrichment, and credit recovery options this summer. We are finalizing offerings in each area and plan to launch programs in mid May. Programs will be scheduled on Mondays - Thursdays throughout the summer. For your planning purposes the following dates have been identified for each program.

• Elementary & Middle School Remediation ~ June 27 - July 27

• Elementary & Middle School Enrichment ~ Weeks of July 11th, 18th, & 25th

• High School Credit Recovery ~ June 27 - August 4

• Our libraries will also be open on various dates throughout the summer for book selection and activities.

We hope you will consider joining our LIFT programs, so we can LIFT up our students through fun learning experiences.

The Annual Report for the 20-21 School Year has been released. To view or download an electronic copy, visit our webpage: Annual Report.

As a reminder, we have made changes to our district COVID-19 dashboard. In alignment with reporting to the Montgomery County Office of Public Health (MCOPH), PVSD data will now be shared weekly, on Mondays, to reflect onsite positive COVID cases for the previous week (Saturday through Friday). The information, broken down by level, includes onsite positive cases for students and staff. To view, visit District COVID-19 Dashboard.

Consult the District calendar for details regarding these upcoming activities.

• Sunday, April 10: PV Woods Community Day
• Monday, April 11: Board Business Meeting @ 7:00pm
• Tuesday, April 12: PV Partners Meeting @ 7:00pm
  
• Wednesday, April 13: In-service Day, No School for Students
• Thursday, April 14- Monday, April 18: Spring Holiday, No School for Students
• Sunday, April 17: Happy Easter!

Email: brussell@pvsd.org
Website: https://www.pvsd.org/about/superintendent/
Location: 3 Iron Bridge Drive, Collegeville, PA, USA
Phone: (610)489-8506
Twitter: @BarbaraARussell

Here are a few friendly reminders from the Technology Department about where to go if you are having issues with any of the following:

• Chromebook malfunctions/damages: Email the helpdesk@pvsd.org
• Forgotten student passwords: Go to https://accounts.pvsd.org
• FAQs about Chromebooks can be found on our website

As a note, in addition to always encouraging our students to share questionable or concerning information with a trusted adult, they 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 the respective building administrator and the information is investigated.

21-22 v29 4/6/22