News from the 'View

We are all excited for the start of the school year - our teachers are returning to their rooms to prepare, the building has the shiny start of school look and we are getting set to kick off the school year at Skyview!

This newsletter has information to get you ready for the start of school. Our annual open house is August 22nd from 6- 7:30 p.m. This event is a time to find homerooms and do a self-guided tour of the building. Just as a reminder, there are no formal presentations at this event (and teachers will not be present.) All "orientation" type activities (including getting lockers) are done the first few days of school.

On the first day of school (August 28th) your child will receive a packet with information and forms for completion, including a student health information card. If you have new medical information that you would like to share prior to the start of school, please contact our office at 610-489-5000 ext. 34200.

We hope that you have had an excellent summer. We look forward to welcoming everyone back to Skyview!

Mrs. Gorla and the staff of Skyview Upper Elementary

On the first day of school students receive a daily schedule of their courses. This schedule also tells them which special they have on which letter day/marking period. The letter day is posted in each of our classrooms, announced each morning and is posted on our monthly letter day calendar.

When you look at your child's progress on the parent portal you will see a listing of all courses your child will have during the year. Your child's homeroom teacher is listed next to the course named "HR." Please be sure to sign up for access to the parent portal - this is the best way to monitor your child's academic progress and is the way we issue quarterly report cards.

For an overview of the student day and sample schedules - click here.

Skyview Upper Elementary School has a new security sign-in system called Lobby Guard. All visitors and volunteers will need to sign in and out through the kiosk located in the vestibule. All visitors will need a driver’s license or passport to enter the school building. Below are the steps you will need to follow:

Visitors:

1. Go to the kiosk and touch the start button to begin the log in process

2. Answer all the questions on the Lobby Guard kiosk for “Visitor”

3. Swipe your driver’s license or passport under the red light on the lower left side of the kiosk

4. Once approved to enter the building, ring the doorbell next to the kiosk.

5. Go directly to the main office window to receive your Visitor badge

Approved Volunteers:

1. Go to the kiosk and touch the start button to begin

2. Follow the directions for “Volunteer” and answer all the questions

3. Once approved to enter the building, ring the doorbell next to the kiosk.

4. Please wear your volunteer badge while in the school.

Please know that items dropped off at school prior to the start of lunch (11 a.m.) will be taken to the cafeteria for students to pick up while at lunch. Items dropped off in the afternoon (after 1:15) will remain in office and students will be notified to be picked up items at 2:45. Students will not be called to pick up their instruments when dropped off (our music teachers instruct them on checking in the office for instruments.) The office staff does not deliver items to classes throughout the day.

All Skyview students are assigned a bus for transportation to and from school. Students who take the bus to/from school will be dropped off at the main entrance at the front of the school. We operate on a two-tiered dismissal in order to maintain safety at dismissal time. For the first week of school students will be dismissed by bus number (called via our announcement system.) This will progress to establishment of "first bell" (3:15 p.m.) buses and "second bell" (3:20 p.m.) buses.

Students who are driven to school are to be dropped off and picked up in our car loop in the rear of the building (our gym entrance.) Please follow the direction of the teachers on duty in this area - especially in pulling your car forward and not "going" around other cars. In order for students to be picked up from school they must have a note. Notes are required on a daily basis (even if a child is picked up every day) - this is the student's "ticket out the door."

We have many children, but none to spare! Maintaining safety in our drop-off/pick up areas is very important to us!

During the first week of school each Skyview student will be given a locker. Teams will provide students with designated times during the day to go to lockers. Please note that students may opt to decorate the inside of lockers (time is not set aside to do this :) however the outside of lockers may not be decorated. Please know that should your child have difficulty with his/her locker we are here to help! From practicing working the combination lock (teachers provide time to practice especially in 5th grade) to locker keys available in a pinch to work orders put in for lockers that are stuck, our office staff works to address all locker concerns as efficiently as possible.

As a member of the Skyview community you can expect the following:

• e-newsletters (such as this one) which are sent via school messenger and posted on our school website
• follow us on twitter: @skyview_msd
  
• any "hard copies" of flyers to be sent home on THURSDAYS during the school year
• our school website is updated regularly to reflect happenings at our school
• a monthly "letter day calendar" posted on our website
  
• grades updated (every ten days) via the Power School Parent Portal - be sure to sign up for this, not only is this a great way to check your child's progress, it is how we issue report cards!
• each team will provide further information on how they communicate with parents at our back-to-school nights
  
• responses to e-mails and phone calls by all members of our staff

PowerSchool is the district's student information system. This program provides families with:

• Access to PowerSchool’s parent portal.
• A parent portal app to follow your student’s success in school from your mobile device.

PowerSchool is designed to provide families with "single source" access to all of your student's education information, including contact and family information, transportation information, and more.

CLICK HERE to visit the Methacton website for additional information.

The Methacton School District contracts with Aramark to manage the Food Service Program, providing breakfast and lunch in all our schools. Although Aramark runs the daily operations of the program, the district sets policies and lunch prices.

Skyview Breakfast: $1.95

Skyview Lunch: $3.00

Click HERE for August/September lunch menu

Click HERE for the Food Services website

Wednesday, August 28 - First Day of School

Friday, August 30 and Monday, September 2 - School Closed

Friday, September 6 - Home & School Meeting 9:30 a.m.

Wednesday, September 11 - Grade 6 Back-to-School Night - 7 - 8:15 p.m.

Thursday, September 12 - Grade 5 Back-to-School Night - 7 - 8:15 p.m.

Friday, September 13 - Picture Day

Monday, September 30 - School Closed

Grades 5 and 6

Methacton School District

Website: https://www.methacton.org/Domain/732
Phone: (610)489-5000
Twitter: @skyview_msd