
EPE Express
East Pennsboro Elementary School Newsletter
November 2021
Principal's Message
Greetings EPE Families,
We have many exciting things going on at EPE in the month of November. We are optimistic about the academic, social, and emotional growth we have seen in our students so far this school year, and just as excited for the coming months ahead! You as parents, and we as a school are partners in this growth of your child(ren).
As the weather begins to turn cooler, please be conscious of the weather on a daily basis. If the weather is cold, please send your student with a coat so they aren’t cold at recess.
Report cards will be issued on November 3rd for the end of the first marking period. You will notice many changes with our new standards-based report card. This update to the report card allows families to see their students level of mastery toward grade level standards. We hope this new report card and companion guide that is included provides families with more insightful information about their student’s progress. As always, if you have specific questions or concerns about your students grades, please reach out to their teacher.
Click the link to view the report card companion guides: https://www.epasd.org/apps/pages/index.jsp?uREC_ID=2167522&type=d&pREC_ID=2260145
On November 10th, we will pause to celebrate Veterans Day. While at school, students will be participating in activities that focus on the importance of appreciating our Veterans. We thank our Veterans for their service to our country, and the many sacrifices they’ve made. EPASD Schools are closed on November 11th, in observance of this holiday.
The EP Elementary PTO will soon be starting a school spirit clothing fundraiser. Anyone looking for EP gear will be able to buy it through the virtual store, while also supporting our PTO. We also look forward to having PTO-sponsored events such as movie night, bingo night, and other fun events in the near future! Your support with all PTO fundraisers goes toward funding teacher and student initiatives, as well as these fun events for families.
We are excited to celebrate American Education Week from November 15th -19th. We will take this week to celebrate public education and the honor individuals working to ensure every student receives a quality education. We look forward to having parents into our building to feature our new Math Program (Everyday Mathematics). Parents will have the opportunity to see this new program and many of its essential math games, as it’s implemented in the classroom. Please see the graphic below regarding EPE's AEW plans.
We are very excited to have the Science Explorers after school STEM club back at EPE! We are still looking for a few more students to fill up all of the available spots. Please see the flyer below for club options and registration procedures.
Lastly, please take a moment to recognize a teacher or staff member who you feel is deserving of recognition. Our teachers and staff work very hard to meet the diverse needs of students and families, and take great pride in their work. Even though it is never expected, it means the world to get a “thank you” in recognition of one’s hard work. Thank you in advance for taking time to recognize a teacher in our “Panther Spotlight” section below!
Respectfully,
Rich Tysarczyk, Principal
Dan Etter, Assistant Principal
717-732-0441
EPE Welcomes New Staff Members
Emilie Lambert - Attendance and Discipline Secretary
High School: East Pennsboro Area HS
Hobbies: Listening to music and taking walks
Favorite Restaurant: Olive Garden
What she likes to do in her spare time: Spend time with her kiddos
"I am very happy to be a part of the School District, Thank you all for having me! 😊"
Alexis Hess - Second Grade Teacher
College: Shippensburg University
Hobbies: playing/watching sports, DIY projects
Favorite Restaurant: El Sol
What she likes to do in her spare time: Spend time with family and friends, watch tv/movies, and shopping
An accomplishment she is most proud of: Alexis applied to and was accepted as a volunteer to teach in South Africa while she was in college. Alexis met people from all over the world that she still keeps in touch with. Alexis holds the time spent with the 1st graders taught in South Africa close to her heart.
Terran Miller - Autistic and Emotional Support Teacher
High School and College:
Donegal High School & Penn State University (We Are!)
Hobbies: Baking
Favorite Restaurant:
Bistro Barberet & Bakery
What she likes to do in her spare time:
She loves traveling and attending any Philly sporting event!
An accomplishment she is most proud of:
Being a first generation college graduate!
"I am super excited for this opportunity and look forward to working with all of you! Here’s to a great year :)"
EPE Halloween Parade Route
Friday, October 29th at 2:15 PM
Note about costumes:
Students are permitted to dress in costume on October 29th to celebrate Halloween. In an effort to keep our students and staff safe, please follow these guidelines pertaining to costumes.
- No bloody/gory costumes.
- No political costumes.
- Students may not bring 'look alike' weapons.
- Students must be dressed school appropriate. Skirts, shorts, shirts, etc. must follow the school dress code guidelines.
Rain Plan: If there is inclement weather on October 29th, we will cancel the outdoor parade and an email will be sent to families on the Blackboard communication system. Students will be able to participate in an indoor parade around the building with their class. Families will not be able to attend the indoor only parade. This would only occur if there is rain on October 29th.
American Education Week
Please see the below parent/guardian guidelines if you plan to attend during AEW:
• A reminder to silence cell phones.
• Please respect student and teacher privacy and do not photograph/video.
• Please try to enter classrooms quietly since instruction will be taking place.
• There will not be an opportunity to conference or ask questions about your child during this visit. Please email, seesaw message, or call your child’s teacher for specific needs.
• There may be standing room only in some classrooms.
• A reminder to not bring young children.
• Face coverings are required by the Order of the Secretary of Health.
EPE Welcomes Student Teachers and Pre-Student Teachers from Messiah University
2nd Grade Student Teacher Mikayla Frederick
Kindergarten Student Teacher Leah Neiswender
Special Education Student Teacher Katie Anderson
Pre-Student Teacher in Kindergarten - Sarah Albin
Pre-Student Teacher in Kindergarten - Hannah Olson
Science Explorers is Back at EPE for 2021-2022
Nominate an EPE Staff Member With Our "Panther Spotlight" Form
https://forms.gle/f13ZhDceewQp42wX8
We appreciate the feedback and may share it in future newsletters.
Please see these fine commendations from the past month:
Ms. Emick is wonderful at inspiring her students, making learning fun, meeting her students at their individual levels, encouraging positive behavior, and creating a welcoming/engaging classroom environment. We are grateful that our son has this dedicated teacher!
Mrs. Beaver is an absolute godsend to our family. Our daughter struggled at the beginning of the year and Mrs. Beaver went above and beyond to make sure she was comfortable. Not only did she support our daughter, but she supported myself & my husband, who are first time parents transition to the "schooling life". We are forever grateful for Mrs. Beaver's expertise and caring nature and she will forever be a family friend. Thank you EPE!
EPE Happenings
Fire Prevention Day
Scholastic Book Fair!
Mrs. Barcavage is getting the final preparations in for the Fall Scholastic Book Fair! This is always an exciting time for our students!
Dates:
November 18, November 19, and November 22 - Students will shop with their teacher on the following dates:
Nov. 18: Carroll, Emick, Garlinger, Houtz, Kerschner, Krnjaic, Kulp, Lewis, Ryan, Trason, White
Nov. 19: Beaver, Hess, Knox, Mason, Piper, Runk, Smith, Staub, Sundy, Wertz, Wilcox
Nov. 22: Anderson, Baker, Burgard, Crowther, Hegman, Hull, Long, Powers, Walsh
November 22 - Evening Conference Time - 6:00 PM - 7:45 PM - Families can shop together before or after parent/teacher conferences.
November 23 (Parent/Teacher Conference Day) 8:15 AM - 4:00 PM
E-wallets can be set up as early as this week. Please see the link below:
https://www.scholastic.com/bf/epennsboroelementaryschool1
The webpage also includes the flyer and a link to our online fair.
Become a Junior Achievement Volunteer!
- Volunteer basis in our school
- 5-8 sessions with a class per year
- Scripted lessons from JA
- Topics centered around careers, entrepreneurship, financial literacy, community.
Interested community members may email the EPE Administration or our JA contact, Gini Riese, directly at griese@jascpa.org.
To learn more about Junior Achievement, visit the following websites:
https://www.jascpa.org/classroomk-5
General EPE Information:
Change in Routine Procedures
The classroom teachers follow routine dismissal procedures daily. Changes in those routines
should be for urgent reasons and must be accompanied by a Change of Routine Notice or a
written parental notice requesting such a change. All student verbal requests for such changes will be denied without written notice or a phone call from a parent/guardian. Seesaw messages, text messages, and emails will not be accepted during the school day of a change of routine. Please have these requests into the school ahead of time so we can ensure students are where they need to be for a safe and secure dismissal.
EPASD Attendance Procedures
EPE accepts attendance notifications (excuse cards, absence notes, etc.) via email. Parents can email epesattendance@epasd.org as a means of reporting your child’s absence. Paper notes will still be accepted as well. Reminder that all excuse notifications are required to be submitted within three school days of your child’s absences.
Excused Absences:
When a child is enrolled in the district’s educational program, the student is subject to the
Pennsylvania State Attendance Laws. The Board considers the following conditions to constitute an excused absence from school:
1. Illness
2. Quarantine
3. Student required court attendance
4. Prearranged doctor and dentist appointment for time of appointment and appropriate travel time only
5. Authorized school activities
6. Pre-approved educational tours and trips, not school sponsored
7. Other urgent reasons, including funerals, that apply to the child and approved by the building administrator
Parents/guardians are expected to telephone the school when students are absent for any reason. In addition, a written excuse from a parent/guardian is required for each absence.
Unexcused Absences:
An unexcused absence shall be defined as:
• Absence from school with parent/guardian consent for reasons other than those considered
excusable.
• Leaving school during school hours without permission from the administrator.
• Absence from school without knowledge/permission of parent/guardian (truancy).
• Absence from school without knowledge/permission of school authorities.
• Absences from school without written parental excuse submitted within 3 school days of the absence.
You may refer to the Elementary Student Handbook in the link below to review more specific information about our attendance policies in certain situations (Page 10 of the document). Please contact our school office if you have any questions about our attendance policies or procedures.
https://4.files.edl.io/69d5/07/19/21/151326-d52fa66e-ffe7-4c30-b50d-154126ce7428.pdf
Automated Absence Alert:
EPE will begin sending automated absence alerts this school year. The Automated Absence Alert system was implemented to inform parents when their students are absent from school. If/when your student is absent or does not report to their classroom they are recorded as absent. When the daily attendance is submitted electronically, an automated message will be sent to a phone identified by the parent/guardian. This call will normally occur by approximately 10:00 am. Should you have questions or concerns you may contact the
attendance secretary by calling: East Pennsboro Elementary School (EPE), (717) 732-0441.
Car Rider Procedures
School Buses:
School buses will queue at the rear of the school building, behind the new addition for arrival and departure.
Car Riders:
Cars for parent drop off and pick up will queue in front of the school. Please pull up to the stop sign rather than stopping midway through the loop to unload. In the afternoon, parents must have their name hanger tags visible for student pickup. Students may only be dropped off or picked up within the “loading zone” that will be marked in the front of the school - approximately the first ten cars at a time. Parents may not park in the parking lot and walk up to the loop attendant. Please stay in your car at all times. Please review the map below of the car rider loop.
School Vans:
School vans will utilize the small loop near the baseball fields for arrival and dismissal. No cars should be in this loop.
Times:
Parent drop-off begins at 8:25 AM. Students must be in the building by 8:50 AM.
Parent pick up times run from 3:20-3:40 PM.
We certainly appreciate your understanding and flexibility as we ensure a safe and orderly process for each student. We continue to recommend that you send your EPE students to and from school on our school buses.
Create a Sapphire Parent Portal!
Please create a Sapphire Parent Portal account. There are several benefits to creating a parent portal account:
- You can access your child's report cards when they are published
- You can keep track of your child's attendance
- You will be able to receive important notifications about your child
To create a parent portal account:
- Go to our website www.epasd.org
- Hover over the "Students" tab
- Click "Sapphire Community Web Portal"
- Click "Create a Web Portal Account"
- Follow the remaining on screen instructions to enter your information.
If you have any questions, please contact Mrs. Wadlinger at pwadlinger@epasd.org. She would be happy to help!
2021-2022 School Year Calendar
https://3.files.edl.io/a46e/21/07/12/193153-0662518b-7b67-41b7-9b1b-05072d4992b6.png
EPASD Elementary PTO Meeting Dates and Locations
Important Dates
October:
27 - End of Marking Period 1
November:
2 - Election Day - No School for Elementary Students
3 - Report Cards Issued
4 - EPE Picture Retakes
4 - School Board Meeting @ EPE 7:00 PM
9 - PTO Meeting @ West Creek Hills 7:00 PM
11 - Veterans Day - Schools Closed
18 - School Board Meeting @ EPE 7:00 PM
18 - Scholastic Book Fair
19 - Scholastic Book Fair
22 - Scholastic Book Fair (Evening Family Time 6:00-7:45 PM)
22 - Parent/Teacher Conferences (evening by appointment)
23 - Parent/Teacher Conferences (8:00 AM - 3:40 PM by appointment)
23 - Scholastic Book Fair Family Day (In conjunction with conferences 8:15 to 4:00 PM)
23 - No School for Students
24 - 29 Fall Break - No School
All above dates are subject to change. Any changes will be communicated via our blackboard connect system.
Please see our previous newsletters:
About us
Email: rtysarczyk@epasd.org
Website: https://www.epasd.org/
Location: 840 Panther Parkway, East Pennsboro Township, PA, USA
Phone: 717-732-0441
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EastPennsboroElem/