Alliance for Healthier Generation Collaborative

The alliance for a Healthier Generation is a cooperative effort between the American Heart Association and the William J. Clinton Foundation to fight the epidemic of childhood obesity in America.  They work with the food industry to encourage them to produce a healthier selection of beverages and food for families.  Along with the Nickelodeon (a corporate partner), they recruit the support of the media to help children understand how nutritious food and exercise will equal healthier bodies.  And, they work with schools to promote policy changes, nutrition education, increased physical fitness, health-conscious choices in our cafeterias, an the opportunity for members of the community to use our facilities for fitness.

Neshaminy School District and Everitt Elementary School (along with Sandburg Middle, Neshaminy Middle School and Neshaminy High School) participated in training to meet the school-related goals.  Throughout the school year, we have been making small changes that we hope will lead to big improvements in our students' health.

Through a grant from the Neshaminy Education Foundation, Everitt and Neshaminy Middle School planned a TOWARD A HEALTHIER YOU!  Event.  On May 21st, under the direction of Mrs. Elaine Wyatt, the Health Ambassadors from NMS came to Everitt, and did a skit about the value of fruits and healthy snack choices.  During the second part of their program, they showed students how to make a Healthy Trail Mix from cereal, popcorn, and raisins.  Students and staff enjoyed free samples!

BUILDING HEALTHY SCHOOLS AND COMMUNITIES

Screen Lean Families

Keep your family screen lean with these tips:

CLASSING OF STUDENTS

As the school year progresses, we begin to receive questions from parents regarding class placements of children for next year.  The placement of children in classes is a process we take very seriously.  It involves many staff members including the teachers, reading specialist, counselor, speech therapist, nurse, psychologist and principal.

Parents are asked not to request placement or non-placement in a particular classroom based on what they may have heard about a teacher from other parents.  Just as each child is unique, so is each teacher.  One person's experience can be very different from another.

Keeping this information in mind, here are the guidelines that we follow to place children in a successful learning environment.:

    All classes at all grade levels have children with a range of abilities.

    Considerations of all educational factors, academic and social, are the primary

         determinants.

    Parent requests for a child to have a particular teacher are not considered.

    Parents who wish to make a statement about their child's academic, behavioral

         and social needs are invited to do so in writing to the principal.  Your comments

         will be considered as part of our process.

    Requests for a child not to have the same teacher as a sibling are usually honored.

         All such requests must be in writing and will be shared with the teacher.

    Requests for a child not to have a particular teacher will be shared with the

         teacher.

     The final decision rests with the principal after consideration of staff

          recommendations.

Dear Parents/Guardians,

As a requirement of the No Child Left Behind Act, NCLB report card information needs to be distributed to parents/communities.  This information is to be disseminated in multiple ways.  The 2005096 No Child Left Behind report cards can be accessed from the Neshaminy School District Web Page

www.neshaminy.k12.pa.us

(1)    Go to District Quick Links

(2)    Click on "2005-06 NCLB Report Card"

(3)    Type in the name of your child's school

This data is also located on the PDE (Pennsylvania Department of Education) website.  To access this information, follow these steps:

Go to:    (1)    http://www.pde/state/pa.us      - PDE'S TOP PICKS

            (2)    2005/06 PSSA and AYP results

            (3)    AYP results

            (4)    PA AYP Website

            (5)    At "Search" type in Neshaminy or the name of an individual school.

A hard copy of your child's school NCLB report card is also available in the school office.

                                                            Sincerely,

                                                            Mrs. Rattigan

                                                            Director of Elementary Education

About the Founder of the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program

Dan Olweus, who was born in Sweden, took his doctoral degree at the University of Umea, Sweden, in 1969.  From 1970 up to 1995 he was professor of psychology at the University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway.  He was director of the Erica Foundation, Stockholm, Sweden, a training institute for clinical child psychologists.

For approximately 30 years, Dan Olweus has been involved in research and intervention work in the area of bully/victim problems among school children and youth.  Already in 1970, he started a large-scale project which is now generally regarded as the first scientific study of bully/victim problems in the world.

In the 1980's, he conducted the first systematic intervention study against bully in the work which documented a n umber of quite positive effects of his Bullying Prevention Program.  Towards the end of the century, Dan Olweus and his research and intervention group at the University of Bergen have conducted several new large-scale intervention projects, again gaining goods results.

What is the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program?

It is a school-wide effort that is an individual-oriented, preventive, problem solving program that focuses on changing norms and behavior.  It is research-based and requires systematic efforts over time.

The goals of the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program are to:

        Reduce existing bully/victim problems among school children

        Prevent the development of new bully/victim problems

        Improve peer relations

        Improve school climate

We will do this by following the program principles.  We will perpetuate a warm and positive interest in all of our students.  Adults at school will be involved by providing positive role models, by setting firm limits, and by responding to students' behaviors in non-hostile and non-physical ways.

We will have classroom meetings on a weekly basis (at least!) where topics of interest to students will be discussed.  Short lessons on friendship development, resolving conflicts, and problem-solving will be given.  Students might role-play typical school situations and practice supporting the more vulnerable students.  Every classroom and many locations around the school will have the Olweus Bullying Prevention Pledge posted.  Staff who observe inappropriate behaviors between students will intervene in a pro-active manner to support the child who was the victim, address the perpetrator, and encourage by-standers to become involved in positive ways.

Cell Phone Possession in School

With bells and whistles, games and text messaging, cell phones have become a distraction to children when they are brought to school.  The Neshaminy Board of School Directors addressed this issue in Policy 534.

Policy 534 states that an administrator may suspend a student in possession of a portable phone.  In general, a student in possession and/or use of a cell phone in an elementary school should not be permitted.  Student use of a cell phone could easily interfere with instruction or normal operation of a school.  The likelihood of theft of cell phones is an additional problem.

Parents who request that a student be permitted to use a cell phone in school should understand that the principal's permission for such use in an exception - one that should not occur without the parent's request.  The important point here is that the building principal maintains control of the process.

Cell phones that are brought to school without the approval of the principal will be confiscated until an adult is able to retrieve them.

Your cooperation is appreciated.

In Conjunction with the St. Mary Parenting Center...

The Warm Line Service

Are you a parent or guardian who is frustrated by, or curious about your child's behavior?  Are you questioning your personal parenting style or reactions to childhood behaviors?  Support is available.  Please call our "warm line" and speak to a certified parenting educator for free.  You can ask questions on parenting strategies, childhood development and behaviors, or receive parenting materials. 

The warm phone line is open for calls on Mondays from 10:00 am

to 2:00 pm.

215 710-5345

One of the innovations this year is our EVERITT INFORMATION LINE.  Our Samuel Everitt PTO sponsors this twenty-four (24) hours-a-day, seven (7) days-a-week service.  

Here's how the EVERITT INFORMATION LINE works:  I enter all the information about general school events onto a recorded message center.  You call 215 741-3602 to hear about what is happening at Everitt.

When the district decides to keep schools open, have a delayed opening, or to close during inclement weather, I received a call at my home in the early morning hours.  From home, I will change the message on the recording.  You can learn about the decision by watching your local news station, listening to the radio for our Emergency Closing Number (752), watch the Neshaminy TV station, or call the EVERITT INFORMATION LINE.   

If weather conditions change during the school day, I will place that information on the EVERITT INFORMATION LINE as soon as it is received.  Take the number to work with you so you can call it during school hours if the weather changes.  It will be easier to call that number than to try to reach the school office.

There may be a time when our school will have an emergency closing due to other reasons such as a water main break, loss of electricity, or excessive heat.  We will place that information on the EVERITT INFORMATION LINE but we have no way to contact each family individually.  Please make sure your child knows the information you wrote on the Emergency Closing Family Plan you sent to his/her teacher.  It will reduce the possibility of problems in the future.

NEW SECURITY SYSTEM 

WILL BE ACTIVATED IN SCHOOLS THIS FALL

The goal of our new school security system is to provide improved security for all students and staff in our schools.

All elementary and middle schools in the Neshaminy School District will begin using a new facility wide security system this fall.  The high school renovation project scheduled to begin next summer will provide a similar comprehensive security system as part of the construction.

After students arrive each day, all exterior doors will be locked and access will only be permitted by authorized employee electronic proximity cards or by buzzer.  If a parent or other individual wishes to visit the building during the school day, they must ring a buzzer at the front entrance.  Anyone ringing the buzzer will appear on camera in the office and be asked for their name.  The office staff could then permit access to the building.  All visitors will also be expected to sign in at the Main Office and obtain a Visitors Badge.

The activation of this new security system will be phased in throughout the fall in all eight elementary and 4 middle schools.  The system will also feature closed circuit TV security cameras inside and outside each school.

Enhanced security may, at times be inconvenient.  Our security system IS INTENDED to make it more difficult to gain physical access to children and staff.  We seek your cooperation and support for this important and significant change for Neshaminy Schools.

NO SMOKING POLICY

Smoking and tobacco use by students, employees of the Neshaminy School District and all members of the general public is prohibited in all District facilities and buildings and on buses, vans, or other vehicles owned by, leased by or under the control of the Neshaminy School District.  Copies of the policies are on file in each school office.

NOTICE TO PARENTS

The No Child Left Behind Act allows parents of children at Title 1 Schools to ask for certain information about their child's classroom teachers.  This information includes:

If you would like to receive any of this information, please contact Neshaminy School District Human Resources Office, at 215 752-6480.