Greenwood Guide

Happy New Year, Greenwood families!

It's hard to believe we are already about halfway through January! We hope you and your loved ones had a restful, joyful holiday break and that 2026 is off to a wonderful start. January brings a fresh sense of possibility, and it has been so nice to welcome students back into classrooms ready to learn and grow.

We also want to extend a heartfelt thank you to our homeroom parents for all of their time, creativity, and care in organizing the Winter Wonderland classroom celebrations. These moments created such special memories for our students and truly brought the spirit of the season to life.

In addition, thank you to our entire Greenwood community for supporting our holiday giving efforts. Together, we raised $2,290, which allowed us to support many families and help ensure a joyful holiday season for those in need. We are so grateful for your generosity and partnership—what an incredible example of who we are as a community.

As we kicked off the new year, students began their winter math and reading assessments. These give us a clear snapshot of how students are progressing and help us plan strong, targeted instruction moving forward. We’ll be sharing more information about this data with families in the coming week, and we are excited about the growth we know students will show.

Later this month and into early February, students will also participate in the second round of the DESSA (Devereux Student Strengths Assessment). The DESSA is a brief, teacher-completed screener that looks at important social-emotional skills such as self-management, relationship skills, perseverance, and decision-making. Just like academic assessments, this helps us better understand how to support the whole child—academically, socially, and emotionally.

Please be sure to review the full newsletter for important updates and may ways to support our school in the upcoming weeks. As always, our doors are always open—please reach out if there is anything we can do to support you and your student(s).

Best wishes for a fantastic 2026,

Erin & Jaime

Arrival & Breakfast

🚌 Bus Riders: Students arrive around 8:25 AM and head directly inside. Those eating breakfast should go straight to the cafeteria.

🚗 Car Riders: Students should not be dropped off before 8:35 AM, as there is no staff supervision prior to that time.

• If your student is eating breakfast, they may walk directly into the building upon arrival.

• If your student is not eating breakfast, please have them remain in the car until 8:35 AM. Staff will begin supervision at that time.

• At 8:35, please have your student exit the car from the right side with all of their belongings ready. This will help ensure a smooth and efficient drop-off for all families.
• ⏰ Please note: Drop-off ends promptly at 8:45 AM. Staff will head inside right at 8:45 to begin supporting students and starting the school day. Any students arriving after 8:45 AM must be signed in at the front office.

• Dismissal runs from 3:30–3:40 PM.

• For car riders, please help ensure a smooth and efficient process by pulling all the way forward in the dismissal lane when possible.

Busses

• Thank you for your patience with delays in bussing! If you continue to experience delays, please notify the office.

Lost & Found

• The Greenwood Lost & Found is filled! Is your student missing a jacket, lunchbox, water bottle, etc.? Come take a look to see if we have it!

Inclement Weather

• If school needs to close, we will share information on our district website, by phone message, email, Facebook, and text message.

  • To receive text alerts: Make sure your contact information is up to date in the Skyward Family Portal. To opt in, text “Y” to 67587 from the phone number listed in your student's Skyward account. If you’re already enrolled, no further action is needed.

  • Snow Day Reminder: Our first three snow days will be traditional snow days with no school.

  • How decisions are made: Student safety is always the top priority. We monitor National Weather Service forecasts, assess road conditions, and consult with transportation staff, neighboring districts, and state agencies. When forecasts are clear, decisions may be made the night before; when weather is uncertain, decisions are made closer to the morning to ensure the safest call.

The school bus is an extension of Greenwood, and just like in our building, we expect all students to follow our Groundhog Habits: Be Safe, Be Respectful, and Be Responsible. These expectations help ensure that every student arrives to and from school safely.

Recently, we have heard from several bus drivers that students are struggling to meet these expectations. For safety, it is especially important that students remain in their seats, stay in their assigned seat, keep voices calm (no screaming), and never throw objects. Moving around the bus or creating distractions can put everyone at risk. If a student is not meeting bus expectations, they will receive consequences, which can lead up to being suspended from the bus.

We appreciate your partnership in talking with your student(s) about bus safety and reinforcing these expectations at home. Thank you for helping us keep all of our Groundhogs safe on the ride to and from school!

At Greenwood, we focus on a specific character trait each month to help our students grow as kind, caring, and responsible members of our community.

This month, our focus is Perseverance — pushing yourself to work through challenges and obstacles. Perseverance helps students keep going when learning feels difficult, try new strategies when something doesn’t work the first time, and believe in their ability to grow. Throughout January, students will explore what perseverance looks, sound , and feels like!

Practicing Perseverance at Home

Below are a few simple ways you can support perseverance at home this month:

💬 Conversation Starters

• What does perseverance mean in your own words?

• Can you share something that felt hard but you kept working on?

• What do you do when you make a mistake?

• Who is someone you admire because they doesn’t give up?

🏡 Family Activities

• Effort Talk: When your student is working on something tricky, name the effort instead of the outcome. For example: “I noticed you kept trying even when it was hard—that’s perseverance.”

• Try-It-Again Challenge: Pick one small family goal for the week (a puzzle, a new recipe, a book series, or a chore routine) and talk about how it feels to stick with it.

• Reading for Resilience: While reading or watching a story, pause and ask, “What obstacle is this character facing?” and “What keeps them going?”

• Perseverance Walk: Take a walk together and talk about something each person is working hard on right now. Share what’s challenging and what helps you keep going.

Previous Monthly Traits

• September: Respect – Seeing value in all people and things and treating them with care.
• October: Responsibility – Taking action and understanding the impact of our choices.
• November: Gratitude – Choosing to appreciate the people and things in our lives.
• December: Empathy – Understanding and connecting to other people’s feelings.

Our Greenwood Citizens of the Month for December (one student per class) were celebrated for demonstrating our December character trait: Empathy—showing kindness, understanding others’ feelings, and choosing to care for those around them. These students consistently went out of their way to make others feel seen, heard, and supported, and we are so proud to recognize the positive example they set for our school community. Some students are not pictured due to absences. Way to go, Groundhogs!

Greenwood will be celebrating 💗Friendship Day (our inclusive, kindness-focused version of Valentine’s Day) on Friday, 2/13. Students are encouraged to wear Valentine’s colors or hearts, and each class will enjoy a Friendship Day celebration in the afternoon. Families may send in Valentine cards for classmates, with one for every student in the class to ensure everyone is included.

More details about classroom celebrations and card guidelines will be shared toward the end of the month.

Homeroom Class Funds
Thank you to all families who have already contributed — we are truly grateful for your support. If you would still like to contribute, we are welcoming a $20 suggested, optional donation per student to help support class celebrations and activities. This contribution is not required, and all students will participate in class celebrations regardless of whether a donation is made. If you choose to contribute, please feel free to send it in with your student. A huge shout-out to our homeroom parents for helping support these special moments for our Greenwood community!

• Yearbook order forms have been sent home with students.
• Families can order online HERE or submit cash using the order form.
• The cost of the yearbook is $20.
• Orders will be accepted until April 22nd, and yearbooks will be delivered in June. Capture the memories—don’t miss your chance to order!

January is a time for fresh starts, and families and schools are the perfect partnership to help students succeed in 2026. Family engagement is a required and essential part of Title I. Greenwood’s Title I Family–School Compact outlines how families, students, and staff share responsibility for student learning. As we begin 2026, we encourage families to focus on three simple New Year goals that support student success:

• First, stay connected to learning at home. Reading together, talking about school, and encouraging your student to explain their thinking helps reinforce skills and builds confidence. See the newsletters below for some strategies and ideas!
• January 2026 Parent Newsletter
• January 2026 Parent Newsletter- translated

• Second, support consistent routines and attendance. Regular attendance, predictable routines, and communication with teachers help students feel prepared and supported.
• Third, stay engaged and share your voice. Attending meetings, participating in Title I events, and providing feedback helps guide our programs and strengthens our school community. Your involvement plays a critical role in student success. As we move forward in 2026, we look forward to continuing our partnership with families to support learning and growth.
• Click here for our Title I Parent Survey- We welcome all feedback!

Greenwood Elementary is on Instagram — @greenwoodgroundhogs! Follow along to see all the amazing things happening at Greenwood:

✨ Student celebrations
✨ School events & updates
✨ Behind-the-scenes moments
✨ Our journey to Root. Grow. Rise. every day

Get Involved with the Greenwood PTO! The Greenwood PTO is an important part of our school community, and all families are welcome to join! This is a great way to stay connected, support our students, and help make Greenwood the best it can be.

📅 Meetings: The PTO meets on the first Wednesday of each month at 7:00 PM.
🙌 Volunteering: Parents interested in helping with school events are encouraged to have their clearances on file with the district. Opportunities are shared through PTO meetings, flyers, and Greenwood’s Facebook page.

You can also reach out directly to any board member with questions or to get involved:

• Co-Presidents: Jennifer Lelinski (Jennifer.lelinski@gmail.com) & Nicole Tinney (Nictinney@gmail.com)

• Co-Vice Presidents: Marianne Schickram (Marianne.leeman@gmail.com) & Sarah Hutchins (hutchins.sarahs@gmail.com)

• Secretary: Katy Pruckmayr (pain75@verizon.net)

• Co-Treasurers: Meg Johnston (gwptotreasurer@gmail.com) & Caitlin Detzel (cedetzel@gmail.com)

Enjoy a delicious and easy dinner while supporting Greenwood—Talula’s Table Gourmet Soup To-Go orders are open now for pickup on Friday, February 6th. Families can pre-order quarts of soup, bread, mac and cheese, dips, and desserts by February 2nd, with all proceeds benefiting the Greenwood PTO. Link to order: Talula's Souper Bowl Fundraiser

Need a cozy night out? Drop off your student(s) (ages 4 and up) at Legacy Kids – Kennett’s Best for a fun-filled Winter Parent’s Night Out on January 16, 2026, from 6:15–9:15 PM at 511 Schoolhouse Rd., Suite 300, Kennett Square. Kids will enjoy games, crafts, and snacks during three hours of winter-themed fun—while you enjoy a well-deserved evening to yourself! Click here to register and save your spot!

Greenwood’s Winter Raffle is coming up! Each class needs families (or groups of families) to sign up to create a themed raffle basket. The raffle will take place at Winter Raffle Night at the Creamery on Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026. 🎟️🍦

We are collecting specific items each month throughout the year. See the flyer below for details on what we’re collecting this month and in the months ahead. Every contribution—big or small—makes a meaningful difference for families in our community. Thank you for your continued support and for showing what it means to be a caring Greenwood Groundhog!