Special Thank You to the PTO for a wonderful Winter Carnival last weekend! All the families I spoke with were having a great time, and those raffle baskets were AMAZING! The carnival is an excellent fundraiser for our school. The PTO supports all students through funding assemblies, field trips, and special events. The PTO supports families in need with supplies and field trip expenses. They support teachers with the "extras" for their classroom. We have several more PTO events coming up in March, hope to see your family there!

Please help support our Pack-The-Pantry Food Drive! We are collecting food and household staples to share with Hillsdale families coming in for conferences. Each grade has been asked to focus on a specific category so we have a wide variety of goods to choose from! Drop off your donations at the front entryway through Mar. 7.

Please check out several great opportunities students, parents and families below.

Students will be dismissed at 12:10 on Wednesday and Thursday. No lunch will be served.

There is NO SCHOOL on Friday March 10th for students.

1. 1. Please continue to dress your children for the weather
   2. K and 1st grades-please put a weather appropriate change of clothes in your child’s backpack
   3. PA state school health requires all 3rd grade students to have an updated dental examination. If your 2nd grade child has had or will have a dental examination on or after September 2022, please send a report in to the nurse. A blank dental form can be found on WCASD website.

   
   

   Colette Dugan, MEd, BSN, RN, CSN

   Certified School Nurse

   cdugan@wcasd.net

   Hillsdale Elementary (M-F – 484-266-2006)

Frequent handwashing is still one of the best ways to prevent the spread of illness. Make sure you dry your hands well to prevent dry/chapped skin.

We will soon be visited by cartoonist, Duane M. Abel, creator of the comic strip ZED. Duane will be at Hillsdale presenting Draw Your Destiny. This program teaches children how to establish goals, learn to love reading, and the value of education. Duane’s comic strip, ZED has been endorsed by Comics in the Classroom and Curled Up With A Good Book as “a great way to introduce children to comics strips!”

Below is an order form that allows your child to bring ZED home! The books will arrive directly to your school and will be autographed by Duane! You can also see all of ZED’s books by visiting www.corkeycomics.com. The goal of Duane’s visit is to educate and motivate, while the comic strip, ZED is to introduce wholesome family entertainment...one laugh at a time.

• 3/8 - 3/10 - Parent- Teacher Conferences
  
• 3/16 - Dress up day; PTO mtg
• 3/17 - ZED Assembly
• 3/20 - Grades 3-5 Poetry reading and workshop
• 3/22 - No School - Teacher In-service Day
• 3/24 - 4th & 5th grade Talent Show
• 3/25 - PTO Green Bash
• 3/31 - 5th grade vs. Faculty Basketball game

Is your child in 4th or 5th grade? We are excited to share that our annual 4th and 5th District-Wide Track Meet will be held this May. Our students will enjoy a day at the WCU track in a friendly competition against other WCASD elementary schools. WE WILL NEED YOUR HELP!!! The success of the track meet rests heavily on the parent volunteers. YOU WILL NEED YOUR CLEARANCES. You can visit this link on the district website for information for information about obtaining your clearances. We suggest you put in for your clearances now as they do sometimes take a bit of time to receive them back.

Save the Date to attend as a parent volunteer. More information will come with specific times.

May 17, 2023 (rain date – 5/19) : East Goshen, Hillsdale, Greystone, Glen Acres, and Westtown Thornbury

May 18, 2023 (rain date – 5/22) : East Bradford, Penn Wood, Starkweather, Exton, Fern Hill, Mary C. Howse

A few things to note:

1) Volunteers must have clearances.

2) Younger siblings are not permitted at school while you volunteer.

3) Volunteers are held to the same confidentiality standards as any WCASD employee.

4) While you may see and interact with your child when you are volunteering, you are here to assist all children.

5) Volunteer links will be sent out every other month for two months at a time.

Registration is open for new students. Please go to the District website to fill out an online application. Our school secretary. Mrs. Taggart, will be in touch to finalize the registration. Tell your neighbors and friends!

When your child is absent please update Pick Up Patrol to reflect this AND send us an email or note after the absence. Please also use PUP to communicate any appointments (late arrival/early dismissal) and/or any changes to your child's dismissal plan.

A few things to note:

• Pick Up means you are driving through the car line to get your child after 3:30
• Early Dismissal is for when you are signing your child out before 3:30pm for any reason
• Walker means you are walking to school or parking your car and walking up to retrieve your child.

Even with Pick Up Patrol, if your child is absent, we must have a note from you to explain the absence within 3 days of your child's return. Otherwise the absence is marked as Unlawful and you will be receiving a letter from the office. (No one likes sending or receiving these letters!)

Each child is permitted 10 parent notes and 5 family vacation days each year for absences. Please use the family vacation form below or email me (pmerten@wcasd.net) with vacation requests.

Doctor’s notes are appreciated whenever you see a doctor due to illness.

Si usted prefiere comunicarse en español por favor llame al 484-266-1690 para contactarse con personal escolar.

(If you prefer to speak to a Spanish speaking operator, please call 484-266-1690 to connect with school personnel.)