EPE Express

Greetings EPE Families,

Next week in grades 3, 4, and 5, we will continue working though the Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA). Grades 3, 4, and 5 complete the Math Assessment, while 4th grade will also participate in the Science Assessment.

The upcoming dates for the PSSAs are as follows:

Math - May 2, 3

Science (grade 4 only) - May 4, 5

We would like to remind all families to do the following on the days around the PSSA:

1. Have your child get a good night's rest.

2. Eat breakfast in the morning (we take the PSSAs from 9 to 11 AM).

3. Talk to your child about how they are feeling about the PSSA.

4. Have a positive attitude about the PSSA. Positivity is infectious!

5. We ask that students leave electronic devices at home on PSSA Days (phones, smart watches, etc). If a student does bring a phone, smart watch, etc. to school on a test day, staff is required by the PA Department of Education to collect the device until the tests are finished and removed from the testing room.

As the school year winds down, we have field trips occurring in grades K, 1, 2, 3, and 5. Please be sure to turn in your child's permission slip so they can experience these educational and fun opportunities within our community and region.

Please note the final student day of the school year is Thursday, June 2. We wish our 5th grade students all the best as 6th graders at EPMS and look forward to our new Kindergarten class joining EPE in the Fall!

As always, if there is ever a question or concern, please do not hesitate to reach out to myself or Mr. Etter here at EPE.

Respectfully,

Rich Tysarczyk, Principal

rtysarczyk@epasd.org

Dan Etter, Assistant Principal

detter@epasd.org

717-732-0441

If you have something amazing to share about an EPE staff member, please consider doing so using the following short form:

https://forms.gle/f13ZhDceewQp42wX8

We appreciate the feedback and may share it in future newsletters.

Don't wait, register today! Please see the link below to find out how to register your future EPE student for Kindergarten. Students must have reached age 5 prior to August 31, 2022 to qualify for the 2022-2023 Kindergarten enrollment.

Partnership between EPASD PTO and Elementary Teachers/Staff

When: Friday, May 6, 2022 (Rain Date: Friday, May 13)
Time: 2 sessions – 5:30 or 7:00 (please choose one)
Where: West Creek Hills Front Parking Lot – watch for signs for parking

No cost to attend but registration is required. Max of 100 kids per time/session.

Please register using this link:

https://forms.gle/5tU6zTr4gF3cqomn6

if you have any questions, please email the PTO at epasdelempto@outlook.com.

Hope to see you there!!

See the informational flyer below to see how EPE will celebrate the Academy of American Poets National Poem In Your Pocket Day!

EPE will be taking part from May 9-13, 2022.

Mrs. Novakoski joined the EPE staff in April to teach second grade!

We sincerely appreciate our community and parent volunteers who take their time to come into our school to teach the Junior Achievement program in our classrooms. Please take a look at the link below find out what each grade level Junior Achievement program covers at the elementary level:

https://www.flipsnack.com/jainspire/joanne-volunteer-overview-classroom-programs/full-view.html

If you are interested in becoming a JA volunteer at EPE, please contact Joanne Badger at jbadger@jascpa.org or 717-843-8028.

Check out our latest Core Value Character Award Recipients!

We had a capacity crowd in the EPE Multipurpose room to see our talented musicians perform. Please enjoy a few snapshots from the show!

In order to increase student engagement with iReady lessons, Mrs. Sundy (first grade) implemented a monthly challenge in March. The students had to earn 20+ 100%’s and they received a certificate and a trip to the prize box!

One of our fantastic EPE Substitute teachers, Ms. Richards, spent a couple days teaching second grade. She had such wonderful and engaging morning meetings with her students!

This week, the EPE Kindergarten classrooms went on a field trip to Zoo America in Hershey and Hershey's Chocolate World. Miss Carroll's class is pictured above.

Please link your Weis Shoppers Club Card to EPE to help us fund supplies for our school. See the informational flyer below.

Open for kids ages 6-14

Contact Coach Denniston at john.denniston@comcast.net

Coach Groff can be reached at egroff@epasd.org

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.

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.

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.

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!

Click the link below for the 2021-2022 School Year Calendar:

https://3.files.edl.io/a46e/21/07/12/193153-0662518b-7b67-41b7-9b1b-05072d4992b6.png

Click the link below for the 2022-2023 School Year Calendar:

https://4.files.edl.io/ebf1/01/07/22/164517-1789e60a-f841-4fe4-be5a-eaa6cc508e52.pdf

May 2022:

2 - Math PSSA (Grades 3, 4, 5)

3 - Math PSSA (Grades 3, 4, 5)

4 - Science PSSA (Grade 4 Only)

5 - Science PSSA (Grade 4 Only)

5 - School Board Meeting 7:00 PM EPE LGI

6 - EPASD Elementary PTO Spring Literacy Night at West Creek Hills (5:30 or 7:00 PM see details above)

6 - First Grade Field Trip to Lancaster Science Center

10 - PTO Meeting 7:00 PM EPE Cafeteria

12 - Second Grade Field Trip to Lake Tobias Wildlife Park

13 - Third Grade Field Trip to Adams Ricci Park

16 - 5th Grade Tour at EPMS

17 - No School For Students (Elementary Act 80 Day)

19 - 5th Grade EPE & WCH Student Meet and Greet at Skyzone (more information to come)

19 - School Board Meeting 7:00 PM EPE LGI

20 - EPE Field Day (Rain Date 5/27)

25 - Fifth Grade Field Trip to City Island and Harrisburg Senators Baseball Game

26 - Kindergarten Field Trip to Adventure Park in Mechanicsburg

30 - No School (Memorial Day)

June 2022

2 - Last Day of School for Students

All above dates are subject to change. Any changes will be communicated via our blackboard connect system.

Please feel free to contact us below:

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/