EAST WARD COUGAR NEWS - SEPT '25

Dear Cougar Families,

Welcome to the fourth week of school! We hope by now your children have settled into their routines and are enjoying the start of a fantastic school year. It’s been a busy and exciting time here at East Ward Elementary, and we are grateful for your continued support as we work together to ensure every child has a successful school experience.

We’d like to remind you that our first Home and School Association (HSA) meeting is Wednesday, September 17 at 7 PM in our library. This is a great opportunity to get involved and stay informed about upcoming school events and activities. At the meeting, I will review lunch ordering procedures for caregivers. Since there are currently about 100 students who eat in our cafeteria, but do not order daily, our cafeteria staff guess and make extra to ensure all students get their choice of food at lunch. If you are unable to attend the HSA meeting, but want to review the process of ordering meals, click HERE.

After a few years at EW, Mrs. Merritt has taken a new position in DASD supporting our Pupil Services Department. I am excited to introduce our school community to Ms. Kristen Dirato. Ms. Dirato joins us with a diverse and impressive background in media production, communications, and project management. Her extensive experience includes roles with the Garden State Film Festival and CBS3 Philadelphia, as well as a background as an educator in media production. With her skills in communications, organization, and event planning, she is a fantastic addition to our main office. If you are in the office, please take a moment to introduce yourselves and make her feel welcome. We're so excited to have her on board and look forward to the great work we'll accomplish together.

Last week we held our Cougars Care Kickoff, which introduced our students to our school-wide Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) program. The students did a fantastic job, and we are looking forward to seeing them continue to be respectful, responsible, safe, and kind throughout the year.

We have been implementing school-wide PBIS since 2018. Our Cougars Care Team has worked very hard to support our work as a school, and every year since, we have received recognition by the Pennsylvania Positive Behavior Support MTSS Implementers' Forum. This year, we will again receive recognition as a Tiers 1-2-3 Sustaining School! We are so proud of our efforts as a school community!

Lastly, we appreciate your involvement in making our school community thrive and look forward to seeing you throughout the year at the many events we share together.

With gratitude,

Dr. A.

Hispanic Heritage Month is celebrated in the United States from September 15th to October 15th each year. This month provides an opportunity for our DASD community to recognize and honor the contributions, culture, and history of Hispanic and Latino Americans. The celebration begins on September 15 to coincide with the independence anniversaries of several Latin American countries, including Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Mexico, and Chile.

Rosh Hashanah - September 22th-24th

As families in our community celebrate, we wish you a happy and sweet new year—Shanah tovah um’tukah! Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, is a time for rejoicing, reflection, repentance, and renewal.

Please note that there will be no school for DASD students on Tuesday, September 23rd in observance of the holiday.

SEPTEMBER IS NATIONAL SUICIDE PREVENTION AWARENESS MONTH

We take time this month to raise awareness, encourage conversations about mental health, and remind our community that help is always available.

If you or someone you know needs support, contact:

• 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: Call or Text 988
• Valley Creek Crisis Intervention: 610-280-3270
• Safe to Say Something: 1-844-SAF2SAY | www.safe2saypa.org

Dear EW Caregivers,

Our school uses PickUp Patrol to help us track attendance and dismissal information. PickUp Patrol provides you with a convenient way to make changes to your child’s dismissal plans, saves time in the office, reduces disruptions in the classroom and most importantly helps ensure that our students are accurately and safely dismissed each day.

Notes, emails, or phone calls are not accepted for changes, except in emergencies.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR THIS SCHOOL YEAR

RETURNING PARENTS: Please enter and confirm your child’s default plan here: https://app.pickuppatrol.net/parents by Thursday August 21, 2025 For a safe dismissal, it’s essential that we know your student’s regular daily dismissal plans before the first day of school.

NEW PARENTS: You will receive a registration email (please let us know if you need us to send you another email)

• The PUP web app is free for parents and you can use it from your smartphone or computer.

• Instructions for how to add the web page to your phone are included in the registration email.

• You will need to register before you can enter default plans.

• How it works:

• Your child's regular dismissal plan is entered into the system. This is called their Default Plan. Whenever you have a change to the Default Plan, you’ll submit it through the PickUp Patrol app. When the change is submitted, the school will be notified and your child’s teacher will relay the change to them.

• Use the PickUp Patrol app for:

• ATTENDANCE: Notify the school office when your child will be absent, arriving late or leaving early.

• DISMISSAL CHANGES: Submit changes to your child’s regular dismissal plans.

• For example:

· Your child normally rides the bus, but is getting picked up today.

· Your child is staying after for an activity.

Thank you for using PickUp Patrol to make safety a priority and to ensure our dismissal process is efficient for all our students.

If you have any questions, please check the PUP Parent Guide. If you still need help, contact the office at ewinfo@dasd.org or PickUp Patrol at support@pickuppatrol.net.

School counselors have many different roles and wear many hats. As the only counselor for a school of 575+ students, the days can get very busy! Here are a few things you can expect from me this year!

· Conduct monthly counseling lessons during iDesign time around social-emotional topic areas

· Meet with small groups to teach topics like emotional regulation, social skills, or managing stress/anxiety

· Meet individually with students to help manage day-to-day concerns

· Work with teachers to support students in their classroom

· Partner with parents to bridge the connection between home and school

· Provide resources to families who are struggling financially

If you need help or support for either you or your child, please reach out using the below contact information.

Counseling lessons this month align with the social-emotional topic of growth-mindset and goal setting. Homeroom teachers will also be teaching Second Step lessons, part of our social-emotional curriculum, that highlight similar topic areas. You'll find linked the take-away note that goes home to caregivers after each lesson.

K - Counselor Introduction

1st - Persistence

2nd - Accepting feedback

3rd - Work habits

4th - Peer pressure

5th - Intention Setting

Draw a picture or write about one of your worries. Crumble it up and throw it away.

Dr. Katie Rastetter, School Counselor

krastetter@dasd.org

610-269-8282 ex 23040

Monday, September 15: Early Chorus Rehearsal 🎤 8:00 AM

Wednesday, September 17: Home and School Parent Meeting 7:00 PM (EW Library)

Tuesday, September 23: School Closed - Rosh Hashana

Wednesday, September 24: Spirit Day

Wednesday, September 24: Early Chorus Rehearsal 🎤 8:00 AM

Monday, September 29: Picture Day

Tuesday, September 30: Early Band Rehearsal 🥁 7:45 AM-8:45 AM

Thursday, October 2: School Closed - Yom Kippur

Friday, October 3: Early Chorus Rehearsal 🎤 8:00 AM

Friday, October 3: Fun Run (EW)

Monday, October 6: Early Orchestra Rehearsal 🎻7:30 AM-8:45 AM

Thursday, October 9: Early Band Rehearsal 🥁 7:45 AM-8:45 AM

Friday, October 10: Spirit Day

Place your order on mylifetouch.com using your
Picture Day ID: EVT8GG92Q

Order before midnight on Picture Day to get FREE shipping!

Your child can also bring their completed flyer with cash or check on Picture Day.

Orders after Picture Day must be placed online only on mylifetouch.com .

Parent Helpers Wanted:

Help us make the Picture Day smooth and effortless. Contact the office if you'd like to volunteer at Picture Day.

Creating a Home Library

Starting a home library for your child shows her how important books are. Having books of her own in a special place boosts the chance that your child will want to read even more. Here are some ideas for creating your own home library.

Finding books

• Become a treasure hunter! Browse book store sales, garage sales, flea markets, used book stores, and sales at your local library
• Organize a children’s book swap with friends, community groups, or your school
• Encourage family and friends to give books as gifts for birthdays, holidays, and other celebrations.
• Don’t forget quality nonfiction and children’s magazines!

Building your library

• A cardboard box or small wooden packing crate that you can decorate together might make a good bookcase. Or you might clear one of the family bookshelves.
• Pick a special place for your child’s books so that she knows where to look for them – in a cozy corner of your child’s bedroom, or close to where the rest of the family gathers and reads if your child is very social.
• Help your child to arrange her books in some order – her favorite books, books about animals, or holiday books. Use whatever method will help her most easily find the book she’s looking for.
• “This book belongs to...” Bookplates give your child a sense of ownership and can add “newness” to a used book. You can make your own or download and print these colorful designs by children’s book illustrators: http://www.myhomelibrary.org/bookplates.html
• If you and your child make your own books together, you can add those to your home library, too.
• Borrow books from your local library. Go to the children’s section and spend time with your child reading and selecting books to take home and put in her special spot. You might even have a box or space just for library books, so that they don’t get mixed up with your child’s own books.

When collecting and reading books are a part of family life, you send your child a message that books are important, enjoyable, and full of new things to learn!

For information on selecting great children’s books, visit:

www.ReadingRockets.org/books/aboutkids

Article adapted from “Helping Your Child Become a Reader.” U.S. Department of Education. 2005.

Hello EW Families! Here is the 2025 updated DASD Medication Administration Form. Please use this form if your child should need to take medication this school year. If you have already gotten medication administration paperwork for the start of school, it is perfectly fine. At your convenience, please complete the new version and return to the nurses. Please have this one signed by you and your healthcare provider and we will take it once it is ready. Thank you so much; we look forward to a fantastic school year! Nurse Jill and Nurse Brii EWNurse@DASD.org

Please also take a moment to read the article in the link below. Just for your information.

Hand Foot and Mouth Disease

Email: ewinfo@dasd.org
Website: https://ew.dasd.org/
Location: 435 Washington Ave, Downingtown, PA 19335, USA
Phone: 610-269-8282
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dasdew
Twitter: @dasd_ew