MES Weekly Update
Hello Media Elementary Families!
We had a wonderful day welcoming our grandparents and special friends into our classrooms. Thank you for sharing this very special day with!
Our Candy Monster is ready for candy donations for our PTG Truck or Treat! Please consider sending in candy for this fun event!! For more information, please see the flyer below.
Did you know each morning our cafeteria serves breakfast? Breakfast is free for all students to enjoy before they start their day. When students arrive at school, they should go directly to the cafeteria to eat their breakfast. If students arrive late, they can still go to the cafeteria to get a breakfast to go.
Friendly reminders:
- Front Street is a one way street traveling towards Edgmont.
- Please submit Pre-Planned Absence form at least 5 days prior to your trip.
- Please remember to label your child's items (clothing, water bottles, hats, lunchboxes, etc...).
If you have questions, please contact Mrs. Stoddard at lstoddard@rtmsd.org or 610-627-6800.
Mustang Pride!
Mrs. Stoddard
October 13: Principal Advisory Board (PAB) in the MES Conference Room 8:30-9:30 AM - PARENT INPUT FORM
October 16: Early Dismissal for Teacher In-Service
- AM Kindergarten dismisses regular time at 11:25 AM
- Grades 1-5 dismissed at 12:20 PM
- No PM Kindergarten
October 20: PTG Goodies, Grown-Up & Kids in the MES Cafeteria 8:00-8:40 AM
- All families with the last name beginning A-I are welcome to join us for light refreshments.
October 21: Picture Make-Up Day 9:00-11:00 AM
October 22: Wear PINK to support October's Breast Cancer Awareness Month
October 26:
- October Birthday Lunches with Mrs. Stoddard
- Superintendent's Advisory Board at the Ed Center 7:00-9:00 PM
October 26-30: Red Ribbon Week - Theme: "Make a Difference. Be a Hero!"
October 30:
- Halloween Parade & Classroom Festivities
- MES PTG Trunk or Treat (see flyer below)
PRINICIPAL'S ADVISORY BOARD
In anticipation of the Principal Advisory Board (PAB) meeting that will be taking place on October 13th, we would like to invite our parents and guardians to submit agenda items to be discussed at the meeting. If you'd like to let us know what you think has been working well at Media Elementary, share a challenge, or simply make a suggestion, please consider submitting a survey response. Our PAB discussions are focused on Media Elementary.
If you have a topic that is specific to RTMSD, consider submitting a talking point to our Superintendent Advisory Board representatives.
PAB DISCUSSION TOPICS INPUT FORM
PAB Representatives for each grade level:
Kindergarten: Allison Porter
Grade 1: Brittany Leight
Grade 2: Ivan Carter
Grade 3: Jen Reinert (also SAB rep)
Grade 4: Emily Link
Grade 5: Lydia Jeffress (also SAB rep)
Teacher Representatives - Kristin Connell and Gemma Amoroso
THIS WEEK AT MES
Mrs. Bellamy and our students created this beautiful mural to highlight our Media Elementary School Theme, "Lifting Others with Kindness."
Mighty Mustangs
5th Grade Ambassadors
Grandparents' & Special Friends' Day
UPDATE! We have 20 cars signed up! YAY! We are half way to our goal and we are looking for 20 more fun familieis to join us with a trunk decorated for all the fun! Your family will get free entry to the event. Please sign up here Trunk or Treat Sign Up!
Starting NOW we are collecting candy with our monster box in the office! Please support this event by sending a bag of candy to be distributed by the trunks during the event. If it is easier you may use this Amazon Wish List for easy shopping!
Event Details:
Join us for a spook-tacular evening of fun at our Media Elementary School Trunk or Treat! On Friday, October 30th from 5:30 to 7pm, families are invited to the Media Elementary faculty parking lot for a safe, family-friendly trick-or-treating event. We are encouraging families with a K-2nd grader to come at 5:30 and those with 3rd-5th graders to come closer to 6:15 to stagger the trick-or-treating!
We'll be awarding prizes for BEST COSTUME and BEST DECORATED CAR, so bring your A-game and your Halloween spirit!
Admittance is $3 per kid with a $5 per family maximum at the door in cash or venmo. For those bringing your decorated car, the child attendee fee will be waived. Please sign up here Trunk or Treat Sign Up! For questions, please email evp@mesptg.org.
PENNCREST HIGH SCHOOL TRUNK OR TREAT
GRADES 3-5 FALL SURVEYS
Dear Parent/Guardian:
We are conducting surveys of all students in third through twelfth grade in order to gain a better understanding as to the students thoughts and feelings about their school. There are two surveys that seek to find information focusing on Academic Challenge and School Culture. For each student there is one survey that is specific to their level (Elementary/Middle/High) and a second survey that is applicable to all students. While we will collect basic demographic information from students as part of the survey, we will not be able to link survey results to individual students. To reiterate, survey respondents will remain completely anonymous. Students will take the surveys in school on Friday October 16th and they should take only a few minutes. This information is for our internal use as we develop our district's strategic plan and work on continuous improvement in both academics and school culture.
We are committed to maintaining and enhancing an affirming and supportive learning environment for all members of the Rose Tree Media School District. The information collected from the students will be helpful in this endeavor. However, if you would prefer your child not to participate in this survey please let us know by completing this link. MES OPT-OUT LINK
Included is a link to a copy of the survey for you to preview
ORDER YOUR MES YEARBOOK!
Media Elementary yearbooks are on sale now! Get your early bird sale price through October.
Yearbook prices increase after October 31.
LOST & FOUND
Does anything on this table look familiar? Mrs. Stoddard's goal this year is to keep our Lost & Found table to ONE table. You can help by labeling your child's items - sweatshirts, sweaters, t-shirts, hats, water bottles, lunch boxes.
PARENT TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES
2026-2027 PTG EXECUTIVE BOARD
PRESIDENT: Nader Ali-Hassan
EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT: Megan Moore
SECRETARY: Kortney Hyslop
TREASURER: Josh Young
Our Parent Teacher Group (PTG) is an integral part of our school made up of parent volunteers who support our students, staff and families. We meet each month to discuss upcoming events, fundraisers, and school happenings. All families are invited to attend to learn more about volunteer opportunities, better understand how the PTG supports MES and have open discussions.
2026-2027 PRINCIPAL ADVISORY BOARD (P.A.B.)
KINDERGARTEN: Allison Porter
GRADE 1: Brittany Leight
GRADE 2: Ivan Carter
GRADE 3: Jen Reinert (also SAB rep)
GRADE 4: Emily Link
GRADE 5: Lydia Jeffress (also SAB rep)
TEACHER REPRESENTATIVES: Mrs. Connell & Mrs. Amoroso
Our P.A.B. is made up of seven parent volunteers and two teachers who meet four times a year with Mrs. Stoddard to discuss topics brought up by parents on how to support and improve Media Elementary. Prior to each meeting, a parent input survey will be shared in the MES Weekly Update for parents add agenda items for discussion.
MES 2026-2027 PTG VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
We, the PTG, are looking for volunteers to chair, co-chair or volunteer for events at Media Elementary. This is a great way to get more involved with events and activities happening at MES! These events happen all year long which require different levels of commitments. We need your help in order to make this year a success. Take a look at this form to volunteer for one or more opportunities to become involved with your child's school!
MEMBERSHIP TOOLKIT
Cold Season Is Here
Cold season is upon us, and more students are visiting the nurse’s office with stuffy noses, sore throats, sniffles, and coughs. Students can attend school with mild cold symptoms, but please keep these guidelines in mind when deciding whether your child is well enough for school:
Fever: A temperature of 100°F or higher means your child should stay home. They may return to school after being fever-free for at least 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medication.
Runny nose/sniffles: Mild sniffles and congestion are generally okay for school.
Cough: An occasional cough is okay, but a frequent or persistent cough that interferes with your child’s ability to participate in class may be a reason to stay home.
Sore throat: If your child develops a sudden or significantly painful sore throat, especially with other symptoms such as fever or difficulty swallowing, please keep them home and consider contacting their healthcare provider.
How they feel matters: Keep your child home if they are too tired, uncomfortable, or unwell to participate in their normal school day.
Help Stop the Spread
Please remind your child to:
Cough and sneeze into their elbow, not their hands.
Wash their hands frequently with soap and water.
Avoid touching their eyes, nose, and mouth.
Get plenty of rest and sleep each night.
Sleep Is Important, Too!
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children ages 6–12 get 9–12 hours of sleep each night. Getting enough sleep supports a healthy immune system and is associated with better school performance, behavior, memory, and mental health.
A consistent bedtime routine can help children get the rest they need to feel their best and be ready to learn each day.
Learn more: Healthy Sleep Habits: How Many Hours Does Your Child Need? – American Academy of Pediatrics
Sincerely,
Mrs. Porter, BSN, RN, CSN
FOOD SERVICE
School Meals Information – 2026–2027
Breakfast: Free for all elementary students (begins Monday, August 31, 2026)
Lunch: $3.55 per meal
Free/Reduced Meals: Families may apply online through the district website. Students receiving Direct Certification do not need to apply.
Menus: Available on the district homepage under the Meals tab
Meal Accounts: Funds can be added through MySchoolBucks.com, or by sending cash/checks to school (change is added back to the student’s account).
For complete details, please see the attached letter from Food Service Supervisor Jenni Lee.
VOLUNTEERING AT MES
In order to volunteer at any school events, all volunteers at MES must have clearances on file with the district. All clearances must be updated every 5 years. Once you receive all three clearances, copies can be dropped off at the main office.
- PA Criminal Background Clearance
- PDE FBI Clearance
- Child Abuse Clearance
If you have any questions, please contact Mrs. Boyer at 610-627-6802 or email dboyer@rtmsd.org.
LEADING EDGE
Leading Edge provides before and after school care for the students of the Rose Tree Media school District. Media Elementary's Leading Edge program is located in our cafeteria.
More information can be found on this Leading Edge Kids page.
What is PBIS?
- PBIS is our Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports system to promote our school wide expectations.
- We use direct instruction to explicitly teach students the expectations in all areas of the school.
- Happy Horseshoes are given to students who exhibit our 3 R's (Ready, Respectful and Responsible). AND this year we are practicing a 4th R - RESILIENT!
- Golden Horseshoes are given for our monthly focus areas.
- Each grade works toward a goal of earning a specific number of Happy Horseshoes which leads to our school earning a whole school reward. Grade levels vote on their grade reward when they reach their goal. The whole school votes on a school wide reward when we reach our school goal.
- Media Elementary PBIS Matrix - review this document to learn more about our school expectations.
SCHOOL HOURS
Grades 1-5
Student Arrival: 8:40 - 8:50 AM (**Any student arriving after 8:50 must enter through Front Street doors and will be considered tardy.)
Student Dismissal: 3:30 PM
AM Kindergarten
Student Arrival: 8:40 - 8:50 AM (**Any student arriving after 8:50 must enter through Front Street doors and will be considered tardy.)
Student Dismissal: 11:25 AM
PM Kindergarten
Student arrival: 12:55 PM
Student Dismissal: 3:30 PM
Media Elementary School
Principal: Mrs. Lisa Stoddard
Email: lstoddard@rtmsd.org
Website: Media Elementary School
Address: 120 E. Front Street Media, PA 19063
Phone: 610-627-6800