Good afternoon Cougar Community!

I am so thankful for the support, flexibility, and efforts of everyone to make this school year the best it can be for everyone. Your involvement and support makes a big difference. Thank you for participating in our conferences. When home and school work together, good things happen with student learning. Report Cards

This Wednesday, our East Ward musicians will share their skills during the Winter Concert. Our orchestra, chorus, and band students will play a variety of music to get us in the holiday spirit! It is no easy task to perform in front of hundreds of people, but their hard work and preparation will pay off. There will also be a special performance during the day. I hope you all enjoy the upcoming winter break!

It has been quite cold outside recently, and will be getter colder. I want to let everyone know we have a few winter coats available for students who may need them. We also have many hats and gloves. If your child/ren need winter jackets hats, gloves, please let Mrs. Greider know!

We are so proud of our students! They have exemplified what being respectful, responsible, safe, and kind means! As a result of their efforts, students have earned a school-wide reward day. On Friday, December 13, we will have a “White Out”. Students can either wear white or a festive sweater. They will participate in several fun activities including door decorating!

All DASD devices, regardless of physical location (at home or school), shall have all internet activity filtered and monitored by the district. The Securly Home app for caregivers is a valuable tool to help keep students safer when on their school-issued devices. The parent app has the ability to block sites, like YouTube, and allows caregivers to create schedules when the device is inaccessible to the web, like dinner time and bedtime. The app also displays a real-time view of your child’s activity on their school-issued device. Caregivers also receive a weekly email from Securly with a snapshot report of the week’s activity. Please review the written directions or video directions to access the Parent Securly Home app. If you want to learn more about Securly’s online safety solutions, please visit www.securly.com. A list of Securly DASD Parent Frequently Asked Questions, as well as all other technology information can be found here. For additional information, please email homesupport@securly.com. While technology has many benefits, I recommend you watch the getting started guide video so you are able to see what your child is accessing online and set screen time limits to devices while at home.

Lastly, in looking toward the 2025-2026 school year, NEW STUDENT REGISTRATION is OPEN! To register your incoming student, please see our District's webpage.

Wishing you all happy holidays to come!

Your Proud Principal,

Dr. Argonish

Congratulations to our November, Cougars of the month!! Respectable, Responsible, Safe and Kind.

We have been here for a few months now, and there are a lot of things in our lost and found. We will continue to encourage children to look in the lost and found during school, but I wanted to suggest caregivers stop at the lost and found when at EW. We will keep things in the lobby until winter break before donating.

Writing your child's name or initials on the tag is most helpful. We return items when they are identifiable.

“Magic Story Time”, where students and Parents can come and listen to stories from 7pm to 8pm in their pajamas.

In wanting to create a positive and reflective model for our Building Equity Task Force, our Books selected are aligned with the cultural initiatives set fourth by the district for our story time session.
Parents will join their children and be available for question and answer sessions after stories are read for further positive discussion.

The goal is to get…

*books of different cultures and traditions read to students

*get students inquisitive about the beauty of books and their stories

*get students to ask questions in an open setting with parents as a guide

*to deepen our community as a whole

*an opportunity for students to check those books out at a later time if they wanted to.

Thank you for the possibilities of making this a big success. Truly appreciate all of you.
Hope to see you in the iDesign Room (Next to library-2nd floor) on February 12th at 7:00 PM!
- Brian Hearns

The DASD Preschool Outreach Group will be holding a series of free events throughout the school year for preschool students who will be attending DASD kindergarten in the coming year. The goal of these events is to familiarize the children and their families with DASD and to help support the children's kindergarten readiness.

November's Outreach was Music and Movement 11/4 (Lionville Elem.) and 11/6. The DASD Preschool Outreach webpage continues to be updated and RSVP's added. The next outreach will be Books and PJ's on January 6th and 7th.

What is Mindfulness? Mindfulness is the awareness of one's current emotional, physical, and mental state and environmental surroundings. Practicing mindfulness results in focusing one's thoughts on present experiences rather than past events or thoughts of future tasks.

Why is it important? A literature review found the following key findings:

• Mindfulness can work for both adults and kids
• Mindfulness can help individuals calm down, focus, and connect
• Mindfulness is associated with improved emotional awareness
• Mindfulness supports social connection

Overall, mindfulness practices in schools can reduce behavioral problems, aggression, anxiety, and increase focus and positive feelings.

How can we help students practice? You can help your family practice mindfulness by taking walks outside and paying attention to the world around you. Listen to the sounds, see how many colors, textures, or shapes you can identify, and smell the fresh air! Try using all five of your senses and see what you notice (see the grounding strategy below!).

Counseling lessons this month align with the social-emotional topic of emotional regulation in an effort to have consistent language and focus across the school day. You'll find linked the take-away note that will be posted to Class Dojo after each lesson.

K - Decision Making

1st - Feelings

2nd - Part 2 and Part 3 of our Bullying lessons

3rd - Relaxation/Mindfulness Techniques

4th - Flipping Your Lid

5th - None this month!

54321 Grounding: Notice 5 things you can see, 4 things you can feel, 3 things you can hear, 2 things you can smell, and 1 thing you can taste at this moment in time.

Dr. Katie Rastetter, School Counselor

krastetter@dasd.org

610-269-8282 ext 23040

Tuesday, 12/10- Early Chorus Rehearsal- 7:45 AM

Tuesday, 12/10- D West Girls' Basketball- Everybody Belongs Night 6:45 PM (See flyer below)

Wednesday, 12/11- Teachers/Staff Cookie Appreciation

Wednesday, 12/11- Winter Concert 6:30-8:30

Sunday, 12/15- Panera (Exton) Dine and Donate 1-8:00pm Fundraiser

Monday, 12/23-12/31- School Closed

Thursday, 1/2- School Re-Opens

Tuesday, 1/14- Screenagers- EW LGI- See Event Flyer below

Everybody Belongs Night

The DWHS Best Buddies Club is thrilled to invite you to join us for DWHS Best Buddies inaugural "Everybody Belongs," basketball game in partnership with the DWHS Girls Varsity Basketball team!

The event will take place on December 10th when the basketball team will be taking on Penn Wood High School! This night promises to be filled with basketball, fun, and, most importantly, inclusion and friendship.

Rally Towel Order

Dear EW Caregivers,

School pictures are ready!

To order, log in to your account on mylifetouch.com or create an account using your student's student ID number.

All families can also log on and order a FREE Digital SmileSafe card.

More about the Smilesafe program here.

Thank you!

Playing with Words

Is your child already enthusiastic about rhyming games, Scrabble, anagrams, or Pig Latin? Try adding a new kind of word game to your collection: riddles!

What is gray, has four legs, big ears, a tail, and a trunk? A mouse going on vacation!

Riddles are an excellent way for kids to learn how to really listen to the sounds of words, understand that some words have more than one meaning, and how to manipulate words. Riddles also help build a rich vocabulary and strengthen reading comprehension. And finally, riddles are familiar and fun – a good incentive for thinking about words and reading. Here’s how to get started with riddles:

Riddle books

There are lots of wonderful riddle books (visit http://www.readingrockets.org/articles/books/c369). Dive into one and just start reading some of the riddles out loud – the questions and the answers. Talk about the structure of the riddle (question/answer) and why the answers make silly sense if you understand the multiple meanings of the words. Share your thinking about the word play to help your child understand the riddle more clearly. Riddle books are especially entertaining for family trips or long drives, and can inspire original riddle-making by parents and kids alike.

Homonym fun

Homonyms – words that sound the same but have different meanings – provide a great opportunity for word fun. Say a word out loud, and see if your child can generate more than one meaning for the word. For example:

ball: a round object used in games ball: a fancy party

moose: the animal with antlers mousse: a chocolate dessert

Word meaning and context

Show your child how to figure out what a word means by thinking about the words around it. For example, the word “school” can refer to your child’s classroom or a group of fish. Once your child becomes aware of the double meaning of “school” he can start to appreciate or even invent riddles like this:

Why are fish so smart? Because they swim in schools!

For more information on teaching kids about riddles, take a look at this article:

www.ReadingRockets.org/article/28315

🎄Hello Parents and Guardians,

As the weather cools and the leaves change, we’re here to keep your children healthy and safe this season. With fall in full swing, here are a few timely reminders to ensure students are healthy and ready to learn each day.

1. Fighting Fall Allergies & Colds:

Seasonal allergies and colds are common in the fall. Please remind your children to wash their hands frequently and to cover their mouths and noses when they sneeze or cough. If your child shows any cold or flu symptoms, keep them home to rest and recover.

2. Dressing for the Weather:

Mornings are chilly! Make sure your child is bundled up as they head out, especially with hats, gloves, and layers they can remove as the day warms up. A jacket is a must for recess and outdoor activities.

3. Staying Hydrated:

Even as the weather cools, it’s important for students to stay hydrated. Encourage your child to bring a reusable water bottle to school and remind them to drink water throughout the day.

4. Nutrition for Energy & Focus:

With Halloween candy around, it’s easy to forget the importance of balanced meals. A nutritious breakfast and snacks packed with fruits, vegetables, and whole grains provide the energy needed for a productive school day.

5. Flu Season Reminder:

If your child hasn’t yet received their flu shot, now is the perfect time. The flu vaccine is one of the best ways to keep students, staff, and families healthy throughout the season.

6. Pertussis & Pneumonia Alert:

We’re seeing a rise in pneumonia and pertussis (whooping cough) cases here in Chester County and across the nation. We encourage you to keep an eye out for these symptoms in your child, especially if they develop a cough.

• Common Symptoms: Persistent or severe cough, difficulty breathing, fever, chills, chest pain, or a cough that produces mucus.

• Recommendations: If your child has a persistent cough or any of the symptoms above, consider visiting your healthcare provider for an evaluation. Ensure children stay home if they are coughing frequently, as rest and hydration aid in recovery and prevent spreading illness to classmates.

Thank you for your support in keeping our school community safe and healthy. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to the school nurse’s office.

🍂 Warm Regards,

The School Nurses Team

Health Room Nurse

East Ward Elementary School

435 Washington Ave

Downingtown PA 19335

610-269-8282 EXT 23021

“Life isn’t about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself.” – George Bernard Shaw

Please refer to the link below this map for all the details for walkers or picking up students by car if you have not already done so. Many thanks!

Call DASD Transportation if you need assistance with a bus after 4:00pm.
Phone number: 610-269-8460. Select the transportation prompt to be connected with someone who can help you.

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