Pennbrook Middle School
Tuesday, November 11, 2014
“E” Day
Cycle 8
School Day 47/Remaining 133
Happy Veteran’s Day
Andre Daniels, Jr. ID# 151727 GR07/HR tbd from IHM, Phila
The week of November 17th is American Education Weekand Pennbrook Parents are invited to visit their children’s classes on the following designated days: Tuesday, November 18th; Wednesday, November 19th; and Thursday, November 20th. You are welcome to come in any time throughout the day to see the great things happening in our classrooms. Please be reminded that this not a time to meet with the teachers and please be respectful of the classroom time.
News from the Café: There is a menu change for Monday, November 17th. The entrée will be Max Sticks. Also, on Thursday, November 20th, will be the Thanksgiving Dinner and no other selection will be served on that date.
A reminder to Cheerleaders: the first Mardi Gras Parade practice is Thursday, November 13th from 3:00 to 5:00. See Miss Koffel if you cannot attend practice or the parade. Also, anyone interested in joining winter cheerleading should attend a brief meeting on Friday, November 14th, in the IMC at 11:35. See Miss Koffel with any questions.
The newest participant in the witness protection program is housed in the IMC, safely under glass! Unfortunately, our new friend arrived without a name so…here is where you come in.Come by the IMC to suggest a name for our latest resident. Name suggestions must be submitted by Friday, November 14th and the name will be selected on Monday, November 17th. If your name is chosen, you will receive a prize!So, come name our new friend and see how reading can save your life.
The next meeting for the Pennbrook Baking Club will be Thursday, November 13th after school. This will be our Bake Sale for the Girl’s Basketball Game.
Home and School is hosting a fundraiser at Barnes and Noble again this year on Thursday, November 13th from 6:00 to 9:00PM. It will be held at the Barnes and Noble at 1271 Knapp Road, North Wales. Come join in the fun and enjoy beautiful music by our own students, coffee and free raffles for gifts. Click on the following link for more information: Barnes and Noble Fundraiser Flyer
Replacement ID’s can now be made by Mrs. Lancia in Guidance for $3.00. Stop by during Lunch Study.
Play auditions are coming soon! Forms are available now in Room 22, Room 26, Mrs. Campbell’s room, the kiosk outside the main office, and on the theatre page of the Pennbrook Website. Permission slips must be turned in by November 12th, and auditions are the week of November 17th. For more information check the website or email Mr. O’Brien .
The next En-Act/Green team meeting is TODAY, Tuesday, November 11th in room 78 from 3-5.
The next Volunteer Corps event will be on Saturday, November 15th from 11am-1pm at Manna on Main Street.We’ll be helping with their fall food drive. If you are interested, please pick up a permission form in the Guidance Office. This must be signed and returned to Mr. Clancy.
You will need to provide your own ride to Manna on Main Street in Lansdale.
The next Games Club meeting will be held in the cafeteria TODAY, Tuesday, November 11th from 3-5. Remember, all games must remain in your locker until after school that day. Please see Mr. Olinik with any questions.
Parents please consider making your annual donations of $20 to Home and School. The form can be found on their website. Currently, their funds are very low and all donations help to provide Pennbrook with extra funds for activities and supplies. Thank you to all who have contributed.
Student Council is sponsoring the following events:
- Football Day – Wear your favorite football team’s colors – Friday, November 14th – Red & Blue Day points!
- Manna Canned Food Drive – Bring in canned food items to donate to Manna and place in Red & Blue bins in bus lobby – Monday, November 17th through Wednesday, November 19th.
Health Suite information for parents:If you need to add a new diagnosis to your child’s medical information on Home Access, please also notify the nurse either in writing or by calling thePennbrook Health Suite at 215-853-1611.
Please be reminded that students are to be traveling in a counterclockwise rotation after periods 4, 5, 6 and 8 through the hallways.
Please be aware that you can obtain information regarding the Jr. ROTC Program from the High School by clicking on the JROTC/teacher site below:
Math Support is available every morning at 7:40AM in room 52. Don’t forget to bring your math book! The math center will be in room 89 during lunch study. All students are welcome. Passes will be given by your homeroom teacher.
Sports
The starting dates for Middle School Winter sports are as follows:
Winter Cheerleading- Tuesday, December 2nd
7/8 Wrestling-Tuesday, December 2nd
9 Boys’ and 9 Girls’ Basketball- Tuesday, November 25th
7/8 Boys’ Basketball-Tuesday, January 6th
Mark your calendars!
Pennbrook:
High School:
For sports information/questions, please call 215-853-1603 or email Mrs.
McConaghy at
IMPORTANT INFORMATION:
To schedule an appointment with Mr. Galante, please call 215-853-1600 or email Mrs. Garifalos at
Dropping Items Off for Students:Students will be paged to come and pick up items ONLY at the following times:
- End of Period 2 (9:45)
- During Lunch Study (11:20-11:53)
- End of Period 7 (2:10)
Also, as per Mr. Galante, no student can be called out of class to pick up an item. Students who are expecting items to be dropped off, are encouraged to stop by Mrs. Behrens’ desk between periods.
Student Absences: All absences should be made by a phone call, note, email or fax. If you have reported the absence to attendance by anyone of these means, you DO NOT have to notify the school in any other way. If your student arrives late, they must present an excuse for tardiness at the attendance office. If a phone call, email, note or fax is not received by the attendance office, the absence will be unexcused.
Email:
(please note that you must have the underscore _ before the PBAttendance when emailing)
Fax: 215-699-0151 Attn: Attendance Office
Call: Mrs. Bowers at 215-853-1602 or the main office at 215-699-9287
Days Absent:When a student is absent for three or more days a request can be made for missed assignments through Mrs. Behrens or Mrs. Bowers by emailingYou can also check your student’s teacher’s web page on Pennbrook’s website. Most teachers post their assignments on a regular basis.
Vacation:If going on vacation during the school year please make sure to send a note at leastone week in advance to the Attendance Office. If your absence will exceed ten school days, you will need to contact Mrs. Amy Keller, Registrar, at 215-368-0400 to make an appointment to re-register before returning to school.
Student Pickup: For questions or information on picking up your child during the school day, please call 215-853-1601 or email Mrs. Behrens at
Lunch Accounts:Remember to put money into your child’s lunch account. It is very easy with the new program: and follow the on-screen instructions to create an account. There is also a toll free number (1-866-821-0306) that families can call to make payments and check their student’s account, if they do not have access to the internet. There is a charge of 4.75% each time a deposit is made through MyPaymentsPlus. Please note these fees do not go to NPSD, but is the cost of online transactions with MyPaymentsPlus. Families can benefit by this system because it allows you to: make payments using a credit card, debit card or check; check account balances online and via a toll free phone number; auto-pay a student’s account when it reaches a low balance; receive notifications when a student’s account balance is low; view a student account balance 24/7; monitor student purchases to what they are purchasing; inform the cafeteria staff about your child’s food allergies which will enable a computerized reminder system to prompt cashiers to review the student’s purchase for possible reactions.
Visitors:All visitors to Pennbrook are required to show their NPSD staff ID or a driver’s license at our reception desk. If you are coming to an IEP, Team or Teacher meeting or to volunteer, you must show your license and register with our new security system.
Student Illness/Nurse:Students should not be using cell phones to call home when they are ill. Students need to visit the Nurse and the Nurse should contact the parents to come and pick up their student. Please remind your children regarding this rule.
Id Cards are available from Mrs. Lancia in the Guidance Office for $3.00.
Late Bus: North Penn School District runs a late bus every Tuesday and Thursday. Students are picked up from Pennbrook at 5:15PM.
Bus Pass Reminder:In order to ride home with a friend on a different bus, a student must get a bus pass from the main office. Each student must have a note from a parent authorizing the bus pass and must include the names of all students involved, the date and a parent’s signature. If a note is forgotten, only then, can an email be sent in its place by no later than 10:00AM of that day. The email address is . Verbals over the phone are not acceptable. Also, all requests must be made by the end of Lunch Study; which is 11:53. Bus Passes will not be given out after this time. NO bus passes on early dismissal days per Transportation Department.
INFORMATION CHANGES:If the home address, home/cell phone number or guardianship of your child changes, please contact the Guidance Secretary, Mrs. Lancia at or call 215-853-1610.