The Bear Essentials Volume 8, Edition 3
November 2011
Three wonderful No Place for Hate events happened
Mix It Up Day took place on Oct. 18th. Students came in to lunch with a paper
at Glenside over the past few weeks! First, Glenside received its 5th consecutive
crayon. They were seated according to the color of the crayon they had received, so
designation as a ―No Place for Hate‖ school. That means that for another year, Glenside Elementary School has made a commitment to creating an inclusive school community that respects ALL people! Look for the banner the next time you are in the school. The second event occurred on Oct. 17th and was facilitated by Susan Cooney (School Counselor) as well as Tasha Holland and Shira Neuberger (parents of Glenside
they ate with a different group of children for lunch. After a brief discussion about The Crayon Box that Talked, led by Mrs. Holland and Mrs. Cooney, the students were asked to interact with each other, sharing information about themselves and learning about each other. Though the students were ―mixed up‖ for only a single lunch period, the experience is designed to build on school themes of tolerance, caring, and appreciation of diversity.
In this issue:
Book Fair
2
Wrapping Paper Sale
3
Meet the Teachers
5
Calendar
7
Please continue to check in with your
students). All of the students were gathered for a reading of The Crayon Box that Talked.
student about her/his friendships. Ask how she/he spends recesses and who sits
(Have you ever read this book? A guide for discussing the story with your child was emailed to Glenside families; please contact
together at lunch; encourage openness to new friendships and inclusive behavior in
Special points of interest:
the No Place for Hate Co-chairs, Tasha Holland, Kelly Durand, and Shira Neuberger,
general. Share some of your own learning experiences in elementary and middle school, and encourage your child to
Green Tip
Rainbow of Friends
if you would like the email re-sent to you, or if you need a hard copy of the guide. Email:
empathize with other students and actively model being inclusive in social situations.
Wrapping Paper
goose10206@gmail.com)
Glenside runs on Dunkin’ ―Donuts with Someone Special‖ will take place 7:45 am—8:45 am on November 3rd & 4th, at Glenside Elementary School. Each student may invite someone special in her/his life. Coffee, juice, and donuts will be served to attendees. Children with last names A-L should attend on Thursday, Nov. 3rd, and those with last names MZ should attend on Nov. 4th.
Because we know you were dying to go to the book fair, but always interested in reducing the number of trips you make to and from school… The book fair will open at 8am on both mornings, so that you (or that someone special) may go browse with the children.
If you are interested in volunteering, please contact Alicia Sinha-Thomas: p.athomas@comcast.net
Sale
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Book Fair —Read All About It! Did you forget about the Book Fair? Well, lucky you, it’s not too late! Book Fair Hours:
Reconfiguration Meeting
10/31 – 11/3 school hours 11/4 – school hours, including packing up in the afternoon (8-10 volunteers) Don’t neglect to support this wonderful cause! Why, you might ask? Not only do your children get to choose their own reading material and learn to love reading, but Glenside also gets part of the profit from the sale. Based on our sales, we earn cash that goes to help fund PTO events, and we also earn books for the library and the classrooms. This sale is a win-win for everyone. Really, is there anything better than the gift of reading? Looking for a great holiday gift? Don’t forget to check the teachers’ wish lists!
S ay C h e e s e ! L A S T C H A N C E ! Patrick Snook has some time-slots remaining on November 5th & 6th! Remember, the sitting fee is only $25 and well worth the money! Proofs are provided for you to choose your favorites. Once you’ve chosen, you pay an additional fee for any photos you want printed. Glenside Elementary receives a 100% donation of all sitting fees. Appointment Required To schedule an appointment , please contact Patrick Snook at 215.881.9404, patrick.snook@mac.com.
Like Reading? Swap a book Please donate gently used children’s books to our Glenside Bears’ Book Swap, being held December 1st and 2nd. The Book Swap benefits both you and your child; you get to send in any books your children are finished with, and your child gets to pick out a book of her/his very own to keep. All children will participate, regardless of whether they donate any books. The donation bin will be in the school lobby over the next several weeks; the more books we collect, the more varied the selection will be. The students are always very excited to choose their ―new‖ book! For more information, or to volunteer for sorting and distributing the books (hint, hint), please contact Elizabeth Bitterman at elizabethb612@yahoo.com or Michelle Leister at mleister@comcast.net. Thanks!
Reconfiguration is still up for discussion. If you haven’t heard this before, the reconfiguration process would consist of making K5th grade elementary schools, moving the administration building, and making other changes to the schools in our district. A roundtable discussion with the community scheduled for October 25th HAS BEEN RESCHEDULED for November 14th at 7 pm at the Administration building.
NOW is the time to make your opinions known! Please attend this meeting if you have any concerns or questions about the changes being considered.
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G l e n s i d e - A R a i n b ow o f F r i e n d s Our October and November Rainbow of Friends trait is CARING. We will be writing about, drawing about and talking about the many ways we can be kind and helpful to others. At the October 24th Rainbow of Friends assembly, the children learned about several ways that we can show we care. The first happens now as Halloween candy fills the stores. We are collecting candy, with Operation Gratitude, for the troops overseas. Although many will soon return home, at least 100,000 troops will remain in Afghanistan. Our students can write letters to them and we will send the letters along with the candy. If you are writing together at home, ―Dear Hero,‖ is a very appropriate greeting. Candy will be sent after Halloween. November 1st is our last official weighing. Jules Pizza will be awarding the class that collects the most candy (by weight) a Pizza Party. November is dedicated to helping the children who spend countless days at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP). Beginning with the Book Fair, children may bring their spare change to school during the last week of October. Scholastic will match what we donate for CHOP. Additionally, on Mondays during November, under the direction of Mrs. Dana Harbison, we will have weekly Bake Sales during all lunches. The money earned will pay to purchase items on CHOP's wish lists. Finally, the first Film Club will meet on November 2nd to discuss the student production of a Rainbow of Friends movie. This club is being run by Mrs. Kaltwasser and Mrs. Goldberg, with the expertise and guidance of CHS senior Dillon Toliver. Expect to see this movie at the Hiway in Jenkintown upon its completion! Questions or offers of support with our ROF program can be directed to Mrs. Goldberg at cygoldberg@cheltenham.org.
Winter Wonderland Wrapping The Winter Wonderland Wrapping Paper Sale, Glenside Elementary's biggest fundraising event, began on Monday, October 24th. We are asking for every family to participate in order to reach our goal of $11, 000. This fundraiser helps with many of our children's activities throughout the year! Your family, friends and co-workers will enjoy the great values in the catalog, which features a variety of gift, wrapping paper, edibles and much more! You should have received selling materials and packets. Detailed information is enclosed with each packet. The sale is expected to end on November 7th. As always, 50% of the proceeds go to the school. The classroom with the highest sales will receive the party of its choice! Please feel free to contact your co-chairs with any questions you may have: kellyatimbers@gmail.com Thank you in advance for all of your efforts and support.
A big thank you to everyone for sending in Box Tops! As a school, we collected 3,478 Box Tops for the first collection of the school year!! What a great effort! The top classroom, as promised, will receive an ice cream party, and that class is...Room #20 Mrs. Wagner - Congratulations! Mrs. Wagner's 3rd grade class brought in a total of 396 Box Tops. Way to go! The runners up are: Room #8 Mrs. Duarte (Kindergarten) Total: 363 Room #21 Mr. Kelly (3rd grade) Total: 350 Room #9 Mrs. van't Hoenderdaal (Kindergarten) Total: 336 Room #11 Mrs. Ward (2nd grade) Total: 333 Please continue to look for Box Tops on your household items, and when you see them, clip them and send them in to school. We will have another big collection and contest after the new year.
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Holiday Store It's that time of year again! The holiday We are looking for people over store is right around the corner. In Thanksgiving Break to come in and help case you aren't familiar, this is a "store" price merchandise, on Dec. 2nd for store run by the PTO where students can buy set-up, and at the actual running of the gifts for their loved ones. Items range store. We need your help! in price from less than $1 to several Please contact Kathleen Brown dollars, with the PTO providing a $1 (matkatpat@msn.com) to volunteer, or coupon for every child. The store runs with any questions. Monday, 12/5 - Wednesday, 12/7. We will need lots of volunteers to run this event.
Green Tip As we enter the season of abundance, let’s take a moment to think about how we can positively impact our food system. All across the country, people are creating healthy, vibrant, sustainable, and local food systems. Help change the food system in your area in the following ways: Start your own garden…many of your neighbors already have a garden. If you are unsure how to do so, ask a neighbor or check out your local garden shop. Primex (in Glenside), or your own favorite garden center, can offer tips and advice. Eat local and organic. Join a CSA, buy from farmers' markets, and visit locally owned restaurants. Find them at LocalHarvest.org. Eat less meat, more veggies. Reduce your personal climate emissions and care for animals. Consider eating a meat-free dinner at least once a week. Involve your children. Most children would love to dig in dirt, plant seeds, or pick their own fruit or veggies. When they invest time in these things, they become excited to eat the fruits of their labor! Advocate for healthy, chemical-free foods. Ask your local grocer to stock organic, healthy foods. The more we demand these products, the more they will become ―mainstream,‖ and prices will come down.
Meet the Candidates! Do you care about what goes on in the schools and how decisions are made? Well, the candidates running for the school board have agreed to take part in a ―Meet the Candidates Night‖ where you can ask your questions and voice your concerns. “Meet the Candidates Night” is scheduled for November 3rd from 7:30-9:00 pm in the Auditorium of the Administration Building. Send UPG (upg@upgct.org) your questions or concerns so that we can formulate questions for the candidates that will help the community make a very important decision. We are working on televising the event, as it is a packed week of important meetings. This event is co-sponsored by UPG and The League of Women Voters.
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PTO Announcements Glenside Googlegroups Have you received the first 2 editions of the newsletter? They included information about the book fair, Kidstuff books, and Mix It Up Day. If you didn’t receive the emails with the newsletters, you aren’t on Glenside’s Googlegroup email list. The PTO distributes TONS of useful information via this group. In an attempt to be ―green,‖ fewer hard copies of information are being sent home. We will NOT be sending home The Bear Essentials in hard-copy
Read all about it!
KIDSTUFF BOOKS ARE DUE! So, it seems that communi-
Please send in payment for the book, or return it. If you misplaced it, please send in payment.
We will be including a list of people that haven’t returned their books in the next isanymore, unless you contact the editors. sue of The Bear Essentials. Just kidding! But please don’t Sign up now! make us go there! Please email gottagoglo@comcast.net
cation has changed a little in the past decade! That means that our schools are communicating with us differently, too! There are TWO email groups for Glenside Elementary. The first group is Cheltenham School District’s distribution list which Mr. Williams uses to inform parents of school district business. You can sign up for this at www.cheltenham.org. The second email list is Glenside’s googlegroup. This group is for official
The PTO Wants YOU!
PTO business. The PTO board uses this email list to disseminate information
The PTO wants you, and more specifically, your ideas! The PTO wants to gather a list of topics, speakers, etc. to have at PTO Meetings. So, what topics would inspire you to come to a meeting and captivate your attention? As the Parent-Teacher Organization in the school, we want to meet the school community’s needs. Please send suggestions to Nancy Bower (nancyjbower@gmail.com) and Tom Durso (tom@tomdurso.com).
about special events, to distribute the Bear Essentials newsletter, to solicit volunteers, etc. You can get on this group by emailing the PTO Presidents. If you aren’t receiving emails from both lists, please sign up!
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Meet the Teachers You may have noticed (or heard) that Glenside Elementary has some new
Parents Need Love, too!
teachers around the building. We thought that you might be interested in learning a little about them! Here is a brief introduction to our talented new teachers...
For those of you who
Ms. Gober (1st Grade): I am a graduate of East Stroudsburg University and I recently moved into Cheltenham Township over the summer. I live with my fiancé, Sam, and my puppy Ruby. I am originally from Allentown, where my family still resides. I am very excited to be working at Glenside Elementary and I am looking forward to enjoying all that this school has to offer!
haven’t had the pleasure of meeting these wonderful people, UPG is a group of concerned parents who meet monthly to address concerns throughout our school district. Attending meetings is a great way to
Ms. Farnsworth (Life Skills): I graduated from East Stroudsburg University in
become better informed, brainstorm ideas with other
January, 2011, with a degree in both elementary and special education. I was hired in my student teaching placement as a Long Term Sub in a middle
parents, and share concerns about various topics. UPG
school Life Skills Support classroom located in the Bethlehem School District. I have spent the last three summers teaching ESY through Variety Club of Philadelphia, a non-profit organization. I was hired to work in the elementary life skills support position at the new school, Glenside Elementary. I absolutely love my position, my students, colleagues and staff. Everyone in the Cheltenham School district has been very helpful, open and supportive of my first year of teaching. I am looking forward to a long and successful career here!
Mrs. van’t Hoenderdaal (K): My name is Maggie van’t Hoenderdaal, also known as Mrs. V, and I am so excited to join the School District of Cheltenham Township this year as a Kindergarten teacher at Glenside Elementary School. I have my Master’s Degree in Education from Saint Joseph’s University, and prior to coming to Glenside, I taught in the School District of Philadelphia. It has been great getting to know the staff, students, and parents here in the district, and my class is off to a great start. Thanks to those I have met for the warm welcome, and I look forward to meeting the rest of the Cheltenham family.
also brings in guest speakers to address topics relevant to our community. There are several advocacy groups that UPG has connections to and information about, which can serve as resources for parents. These groups include: CAGE (Cheltenham Association for Gifted Education); CAAA (Cheltenham African American Alliance); and SNAG (Special Needs Advocacy Group). So, come on out to a meeting and feel the love! The next UPG meeting will be held on December 5th @ 7pm, in Room 102 of the School District Administration Building.
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M a r k Yo u r C a l e n d a r
~
Upcoming Events November
December
1st– 4th - Book Fair
5th -
UPG Mtg. (7 pm—Admin. Bldg)
3rd-4th -
Donuts w/ Someone Special
21st -
Early Dismissal (2:45 pm)
8th -
No School - Election Day
23rd -
Holiday Dismissal (1:00 pm)
9th -
PTO Mtg (7:30 pm)
16th -
Early Dismissal (2:45 pm)
21st -
Early Dismissal (1:00 pm) Parent Conferences
26th-30th - Winter Break
22nd-23rd - No School - Parent Conferences 24th-25th - No School - Thanksgiving
Thank you! Merci!
This newsletter made possible by
Our sincere thanks go to -
Mark Kelly, for his wonderful assistance at Family Fun Night, and for graciously allowing ―Mike‖ to take all the credit last month! An extra thank you to Mark!
Tasha Holland, Mrs. Cooney, Shira Neuberger, and all the enthusiastic crayon hatwearing volunteers at Mix It Up Day. You were terrific!
Joel Fox and Alicia Mayes Moore for stepping up and volunteering to be co-Treasurers of Glenside Elementary School the PTO. Welcome!
Glenside, PA 19038
New teachers, Ms. Gober, Ms. Farnsworth, and Ms. van't Hoenderdaal, for joining the
215-881-6440 (p) | 215-886-6797 (f)
Glenside community with such energy and excitement!
www.cheltenham.org/glenside
All those family members who are completing the new requirements for school volunteers—it will be worth the effort!
400 Harrison Avenue
Contact the Editors: Shira Neuberger | 267--735-0233 shiraneu@yahoo.com
Carmen Formento for many wonderful years of dedicated custodial work at Glenside
Kelly Durand
| 215--901-6370
Elementary! (Carmen is now working at Cheltenham High School.) Thank you so much, goose10206@gmail.com Mr. Formento!
Contact the PTO Co-Presidents:
, our new custodian at Glenside Elementary School. Welcome!
Nancy Bower | nancyjbower@gmail.com Tom Durso | tom@tomdurso.com