Dear PVES Students and Families!
Welcome to the 2018-2019 school year at PVES! I am so excited to welcome you back to school and to finally get our new school year started. Although the summer days are quickly coming to an end, we have so much to look forward to. Your teachers and I have been working hard this summer to make sure the elementary building and the classrooms are ready for you. As you may know, there has been a great deal of construction being completed in our building, and we are thankful for the many improvements. We have another wonderful year ahead, with many special events and activities already on the calendar. We will be busy learning and growing together. We can’t wait for September 5th to get here!
I hope that you have all enjoyed a safe and happy summer. My husband and I enjoyed traveling with our four children (ages 17, 19, 21, and 23), and spending lots of time on the beach and at sporting events. This year, we again have two of our children heading off to college, so it is a very busy and exciting time. As always, the summer went by very quickly!
As you know, our first day of school will be on Wednesday, September 5th. Ms. Mistretta and I will be welcoming you into the building. There will be many staff members who will be here to help you find your new classroom, where your new teacher will be waiting for you. We will begin our day with morning announcements, and then your teacher will want to get to know you. Your friends will be excited to see you too! This year, we have an exciting change in our schedule. All classes will go to recess before going to lunch! We hope that this gives you more of an opportunity to relax and socialize quietly while you eat your lunch each day. You will have to let me know how you like it.
Please be reminded that all PVES students must be accompanied by an adult to the morning bus stop, and an adult must be visible at the afternoon bus stop location as well. Elementary students cannot be left at an afternoon bus stop where there is no adult waiting. If there is no adult present for a child, that student will be returned to the school, and the family will be notified. Thank you for your cooperation. (Afternoon buses will run a bit late on the first few days of the school year).
At the beginning of this year, I would like to remind all parents of some important items that help to make our school a safe and happy place for all. Birthday invitations should not be handed out in school, unless all children in a classroom are being invited to the party (or all the boys, or all the girls). Please do not ask teachers to help distribute individual invitations, as this can be hurtful to others. We encourage you to use U.S. mail or email. Also, if you are planning a gathering at your house after school (birthday party, club meeting, etc.), please do not expect that all of the students will be able to send in a note to ride that one bus home that day. Many of our school buses transport a large number of students home each day, and there truly may not be enough seats for a large group of extra students to fit on the bus in the afternoon. Thank you for making other transportation arrangements when planning these events. And, as you know, we expect that all of our students will wear seatbelts on the bus, unless we have a written note from you telling us otherwise. We will expect safe, excellent behavior on the buses each and every day. Thank you for speaking to your child about this important matter.
We also would like you to know that as per PVCSD policy, all student cell phones, Smart wearables/watches must be turned off and stowed away in backpacks during the school day. This is part of our district policy and Code of Conduct, and we thank you for making sure that these regulations are followed.
Please mark your calendar for our PTA/PVES Back to School Picnic on Friday, September 7th from 5:30 to 7:30 PM. The picnic will be held on the playground field, and we are looking forward to another great time this year. Please note that all children will be supervised by their parents at the picnic, as this is not a drop-off event. Children will enjoy playground activities, but they are not permitted to go beyond the playground into the woods. Please bring your picnic dinner, chairs or a blanket, and a dessert to share. We are looking forward to a great family evening.
Our school calendar events can be seen on the school website, www.pvcsd.org, under the Elementary tab. Please continue to check that calendar scroll carefully, so that you are aware of the important upcoming events at school. Also, please be sure to log onto PowerSchool to create a PowerSchool Account. If you need help with doing so, please see this helpful link: https://sites.google.com/pvcsd.org/pvcsd-parent/home. All families must create a PowerSchool login this year. The Weekly Word will be emailed to you each week, but it is also visible on the pvcsd.org website. Please be sure to read it each week in order to stay informed about school events.
Our Back to School Nights are scheduled for Thursday, September 13th, at 7 PM for parents of students in grades 3 and 4, and on Monday, September 17th, at 7 PM for parents of students in grades 1 and 2. It is very important that parents attend these events, as much valuable information is shared on these evenings. Please mark your calendars now!
Enjoy the remaining days of summer! I can’t wait to have you back in school with me every day! It’s sure to be a wonderful year at PVES!
Warmly,
Ms. Podesta
Principal