A newsletter for residents & friends of the Pleasant Valley School District

2018-2019 ISSUE #3

PLEASANT VALLEY

Spotlight on:

PV Middle School

On Thursday, January 3, 2019, the Pleasant Valley Middle School held an induction ceremony for the Arthur A. Smith Chapter of the National Junior Honor Society. Thirty-six 7th and 8th grade students were in-ducted during a ceremony in front of family, friends, faculty, admin-istration, and current members. Students are nominated for membership in the Arthur A. Smith Chap-ter of the Pleasant Valley Middle School National Junior Honor Society by achieving a 92% cumulative weighted grade point average from the prior school year and first marking period of current school year. All grades must be 84% or better during all five marking periods; even in special area classes. These students are then asked to complete a candidate form that illus-trates their leadership, community activities, service, and citizenship. Then the candidates are asked to write an essay that demonstrates one of the five ideals in their life. After careful consideration by an anony-mous faculty council, these essays determine whether a student can be granted membership in this prestigious society. Members of the Na-tional Junior Honor Society accept the responsibilities of continuing this organization. All members must live by the 5 ideals of Character, Citizenship, Leadership, Scholarship and Service. The emergence of the National Junior Honor Society was a natural outgrowth of the National Honor Society established by the National Association of Secondary School Principals in 1921. Through the years, the National Junior Honor Society has developed into a unique organi-zation which recognizes outstanding middle school students. When the National Junior Honor Society was founded in 1929, the hope was to create an organization that would recognize and encourage academic achievement while also developing other characteristics essential to citizens in a democracy. These ideals of Character, Citizenship, Leader-ship, Scholarship and Service remain as relevant today as they were in 1929. Now, more than 80 years later, the National Junior Honor Society has become a prestigious organization, ranking high among administrators, faculty members, students, parents, and residents of the school com-munity. Its reputation for excellence is the result of years of commit-ment on the part of everyone involved. Through National Junior Hon-or Society chapter service activities, members maintain and extend the qualities that won them selection into the program. Membership is both an honor and commitment. Today, the honor society has flourished. There are more than 5,000 National Junior Honor Society chapters around the world. Based on average chapter size, it is estimated that more than 200,000 students become members of a National Junior Honor Society annually. To the extent that principals, advisors, teachers, and student members fulfill their respective roles enthusiastically, the society will continue to

thrive for the benefit of its members and of our society. The NJHS Co-Advisors, Mrs. Deborah Butchkoski and Mrs. Lisa Wojton, welcomed the new inductees with a wonderful induction ceremony which included current members being tasked with some of the following responsibilities: Pledge of Allegiance, History of the NJHS, Lighting the Scholarship Candle, Lighting of the Leader-ship Candle, Lighting the Service Candle, Lighting the Citizenship Candle, and Lighting the Character Candle. The PVMS Arthur A. Smith Chapter of the National Junior Honor Society is proud to welcome the 2018-19 inductees: 

“Reaching Out...Touching Hear s & Minds”  

        Tuesday, February 26, 2019                 6:00 – 8:00 PM                 PV High School  

See page 2 for more informa on 

Matthew Adamski Dakoda Lucas

Hannah Akob Kara Miller

Rachel Baez Bailey O'Keefe

Daria Bernatowicz Reina Ortiz

Makayla Berry Anessa Pritzos

Lindsey Birnbaum Avianna Riebel

Sarah Casserly Thatcher Roberti

Cecilia Cordova Jordan Rosenberg

Emily Garbacz Ryan Rosenberg

Dominic DeLuzio Molly Schaffner

Katelyn Honadel Brianna Shupp

Jules Kautzsch Emily Shupp

Trista Keller Raymond Slobodzian

Hailey Klein Molly Sobers

Hailey Krock Aryn Stivala

Alyssa Kroeger Blake Walters

Nathan Loch Samantha Weddermann

Amanda Lombardo Mia Whitehead

See Photos page 8

PAGE 2 PLEASANT VALLEY

PVSD To Host ANNUAL

“Night of Unity” & Academic Fair The Pleasant Valley School District Diversity Task Force, which is made up of students, teachers, administrators, parents and com-munity members, has been engaged for the 2018-2019 school year. One of their primary purposes has been to reach into the schools to promote acceptance, awareness, and tolerance among students. Another purpose is to organize and facilitate the annual event known as “Night of Unity.”

This year’s theme is “Reaching Out...Touching Minds and Hearts.” Scheduled in February each year, the event this year will be held on Tuesday, February 26, 2019 from 6:00-8:00 PM in the Pleasant Valley High School, Arthur A. Smith Gymnasium.

The Diversity Task Force meets on the third Tuesday of each month in the PVSD Administration offices from 9:30 AM to 11:30 AM. Meetings for the remainder of this school year are scheduled on February 19th and March 19th. There will be no meeting in April because of PSSA testing. If you are interested in becoming a member of the Diversity Task Force, simply call the office of the superintendent, David Piperato, at 570-402-1000, ext. 1205.

Then, on Monday, April 29, 2019 the Pleasant Valley School District will host its 19th Annual Academic & Health Fair from 6:00-8:00 PM throughout the Pleasant Valley High School build-ing. This unique academic program provides the

opportunity to trace the curriculum from elementary through the intermediate, middle, and high schools. It is a chance to view projects and demonstrations from all areas including the main academics - English/Language Arts, History, Math, and Science, as well as computer technology, industrial technology, the arts, extracurricular and much more. Student performances provide entertainment throughout the evening.

Incorporating the Health Fair provides displays and demonstra-tions by various health care professionals and community organizations.

Parents and students, as well as community members, families, friends and neighbors, are invited to attend both of these special events. The information and entertainment are sure to please. There’s something for everyone!

On October 9, 2009, House Bill 1614 was signed into law, which includes a provision “that each school district shall have and maintain a certified safety committee.” At that time the Pleasant Valley School District established its own Workplace Safety Committee following state guidelines. The committee has been up and running, holding monthly meetings, building inspections, and annual training as man-dated, since that time.

The purpose of this particular committee is to focus on building issues that may have caused accidents and injuries in the past and to address issues to prevent future accidents and work-related injuries. (Keep in mind that this is sepa-rate from and independent of school safety and security.) The committee has also been able to see that custodial and maintenance personnel are properly trained and aware of procedures that are in place in case of accident or emergen-cy.

Continued on page 11

Academic & Health

Fair 4/29/19

WORKPLACE SAFETY PVSD CAREER NIGHT ~ VOLUNTEER SPEAKERS NEEDED

The Pleasant Valley Middle School and High School Guidance Departments will host a Career Night for students:

Wednesday, April 10, 2019

6 pm to 8 pm PVHS New Auditorium

Grades 7-12

We are looking for community members and PV alumni to vol-unteer to speak to our students about their job/career sharing information about daily duties and answering student questions. If you are willing and able to participate in sharing your knowledge with our students please provide your information on our sign-up sheet. Please visit www.pvbears.org and select ei-ther the middle school or high school guidance page to locate the sign-up sheet. (Google spreadsheet).

PAGE 3 SCHOOL DISTRICT

It’s hard to believe we are about halfway through the school year already and it has been a fantastic school year so far! Our students have been working hard and shining in the classroom. We have many seniors already committed to college and underclassmen working towards their goal. With so many important days ahead of us this school year it is hard to begin thinking about the next, but there are already changes in place for the 2019-2020 school year. These changes effect the daily schedule.

The new schedule allows for our students to take a maximum of 6 credits per year which was the motivation behind our 21.5 credit gradua-tion requirement. We feel that our students deserve the opportunity to take more classes and our new schedule provides just that. It will give our students an opportunity to take 7 cred-its a year for a maximum of 28 credits in 4 years.

PV Intermediate Insights

High School Highlights

Giving Back Once again the Pleasant Valley Inter-mediate School Family has shown its dedication and commitment to sup-porting many in our community. Students, their families, businesses and staff have demonstrated the desire to give of themselves so that many may enjoy the holidays. We were able to provide 21 PVI families in need, totaling 58 stu-dents, with food for Thanksgiving meals and clothing and toys for the holiday season. Pleasant Valley Intermediate once again participated in our annual Toys for Tots toy drive. This year, PVI collected a total of 283 toys for those less fortunate children within Monroe County. We greatly appreciate the generosity of our Pleasant Valley community in sup-porting those in need. Our Families in Need Committee sponsored our yearly Giving Tree. Staff and families selected ornaments and purchased various items, including clothing, jackets, and toys for our very own Pleasant Valley families. There were 32 families with a total of 83 children who re-ceived gifts for the holiday time. It is truly amazing how PV Nation pulls together to give to those in need. Thank you to all of those who donated not only gifts and food, but their time in collecting, organizing, and distributing of items as well. A very special thank you to our Families in Need Committee, as well as our PVI school counselors, for always going above and beyond. Career Fair At Pleasant Valley Intermediate School Our first ever Career Fair was held on Tuesday, December 11th from 9AM until 12PM at PVI! Our sixth grade students were given the

opportunity to speak to 18 individuals representing a wide array of occupations in the community. Members from the emergency ser-vices, healthcare, sales, sports, education, legal and technical trade fields gave explanations of their profession and answered any ques-tions that our sixth graders had. It was a great experience for our students and provided them with the chance to discuss some of the opportunities that exist in our local workforce. We are looking forward to expanding the Career Fair so students can experience an even larger sample of our diverse society in the future.

Pleasant Valley Intermediate PTO

The PVI Parent Teacher Organization continues to be involved in doing what is best for the children at Pleasant Valley Intermediate. They have once again provided all of our students with the oppor-tunity to shop for families and friends at the annual Holiday Shop. This gave our PVI kids the chance to purchase affordable gifts with-out ever having to leave the building. The PTO is also sponsoring the Scholastic Book Fair from January 14th-18th. A date and time will be provided to all classes as the event gets closer. We really appreciate all of the hard work and time that the PTO puts in to support our kids at PVI!

Opening Bell 7:03

Warning Bell 7:15

Period 1 7:20 – 8:15 55 min. Period 2 8:21 – 9:15 54 min. Period 3 9:21 – 10:15 54 min.

Homeroom 10:21 – 10:27 6 min. Period 4 Lunch 1

10:33 – 11:03 30 min.

Period 5 Lunch 2 11:07 – 11:37 30 min.

Period 6 Lunch 3 11:41 – 12:11 30 min.

Period 7 unch 4 12:15 – 12:45 30 min.

Period 8 Lunch 5 12:49 – 1:19 30 min.

Period 9 1:25 – 2:20 55 min

Opening Bell 7:03

Warning Bell 7:15

HR/Period 1 7:20 – 8:15 55 min.

Period 2 8:21 – 9:10 49 min.

Period 3 9:16 – 10:05 49 min. Period 4 (Lunch 1)

10:11 – 10:41 30 min.

Period 5 10:46– 11:00 14 min. Period 6 (Lunch 2)

11:05 – 11:35 30 min.

Period 7 11:40– 11:54 14 min. Period 8 (Lunch 3)

11:59 – 12:29 30 min.

Period 9 12:34 – 12:48 14 min. Period 10 (Lunch 4)

12:53 - 1:23 30 min.

Period 11 1:29 - 2:20 51 min.

2018-2019 Schedule 2019-2020 Schedule

Continued on page 8

Special Education News

Greetings from our Management Team

Back row, L-R: Angela Borealo, Special Ed Supervisor-Secondary; Cindy Johnson, Special Ed Secretary; Diane Siani, Special Ed Supervisor-Elementary. Front row, L-R: Nelia Marcheski, ACCESS Coordinator; AJ Kise, Director of Special Education; Jody Berube, Educational Consultant

Special Education Webpage Look for our new webpage located under Departments at www.pvbears.org

Our goal is to provide the community with a variety of re-sources, information, updates, and innovative ideas to sup-port and empower all students and families in the Pleasant Valley School District.

PAGE 4 PLEASANT VALLEY

With a New Team, Comes a New Logo

See pages 5, 6, and 7 of this newsletter for more news from our Special Education department including Gifted, Speech and Learning Support.

PAGE 5 PLEASANT VALLEY

S2L A Program of LVCIL Hosts Informational Presentations A series of free presentations for young adults with all types of disa-bilities who have independent living skills, workplace readiness, job exploration and self-advocacy goals. Young adults, parents and/or guardians, please join us in any or all presentations coming up this year. Held at LVCIL, there will be refreshments along with the informational sessions for both young adults and their parent or guardians. For more information or to register, contact: Seth Hoderewski, (610) 770-9781, ext. 119 or email SethHoderewski@lvcil.org. Please let us know of any accommodations that you may need.

Young Adult Presentation: Personal Space and Personal Belongings

Parent/Guardian Presentation: Michelle Mitchell, Dating and Relationships: How to Talk to Your

Young Adult about Dating and Relationships.

Date: Thursday, 2/07/2019 (Snow Date 2/13/2019) Time: 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm Location: 713 North 13th Street, Allentown, PA 18102

Save The Date! Transition Fair

Saturday, March 30, 2019 10:00 am to 2:00 pm

at LVCIL Young Adult and Parent/Guardian Presentations

Vendor Cookie Bake off!

PIE Info: Slice of Pie The Policy Information Exchange brings you the Slice of PIE, an on-going publication keeping our readers informed about important pub-lic policy issues. It is the mission of the Policy Information Exchange to educate and inform Pennsylvanians with disabilities, their families and advocates, and the general public, regarding public policy issues and to further the exchange of policy information between the Penn-sylvania Developmental Disabilities Council and federal, state and local policy makers. The Policy Information Exchange is funded in part by the PA Developmental Disabilities Council. To read A Slice of Pie, go to: http://www.paddc.org/slice-of-pie/volume-19-issue-3/ which includes a printable version; state news and bills of interest; and national news. Contact the PIE Team with any questions, comments, suggestions, or information to share at PIE, c/o The Arc of Pennsylvania, 301 Chest-nut Street, Suite 403, Harrisburg, PA 17101, by email at pie@thearcpa.org or by phone at 800-692-7258.

Special Education News continued

Parents Helping Parents Parent Support Group – Easton Area

Date: To Be Announced Time: 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm Location: Faith Lutheran Church

2012 Sullivan Trail, Easton, PA Do you have a child or adolescent who is on the autism spectrum or who has an intellectual disability? Would you like to share experi-ences with others who know your world? If so, please join us for a time of sharing and discovery. Light refreshments provided. Please contact Leslie McKelvey at 610-554-1988 or email leslie.mckelvey@yahoo.com Please note that there was no guest presenter for our January meet-ing. Instead, we caught up, and shared our insights and concerns. Please don’t stay home when you have a chance to connect with other family members. We need each other!

Meet Maizy A new member has joined Mrs. Phillips' gifted class in the high school. Her name is Maizy and she is a Fancy Rat. The students researched what the best classroom pet would be and learned that rats are social, intelligent and cleanly. She's not the

typical gray rat you might picture in your head. She's gray and white and very pretty. She ar-rived last winter when she was only 6 weeks old. She has grown quite a bit since then and learned many new things. The students designed and created a maze for her. They read that most rats are able to memorize a maze in 5 to 10 attempts, but Maizy did it in just 4 tries! The students were then curious whether she would be able to maneuver it backwards, and she did on her first try! Some students have also used Maizy for their Independent projects. Maizy has mastered potty training thanks to one girl's project. Some of her favorite foods are bananas, strawberries and Lucky Charms. She sleeps most of the day because she is nocturnal, but visits with us when she's awake. The students like to hold her, pet her and feed her and she's been a great addition to our class.

Above: Maizy enjoys eating Lo Mein!

PAGE 6 PLEASANT VALLEY

Special Education: Gifted Education

Stroud Mansion Field Trip On December 19th, Mrs. Kresge’s fifth grade enrichment stu-dents attended their annual field trip to the Stroud Mansion in Stroudsburg. In the weeks leading up to the trip, students par-ticipated in “What’s It Wednesdays”, working as amateur cura-tors challenged to identify uncommon historical objects. While in the enrichment room, students had physical access to one object every Wednesday. After thorough examination of the object, they practiced developing descriptive keywords for in-ternet searches in order to identify the object’s use. Students continued to research outside of class, then submitted final an-swers through a Google form. The secondary focus of the activ-ity was to build vocabulary and apply flexible thinking when

having to eliminate or add additional keywords needed for cor-rectly identifying the objects.

Once at the mansion, students toured and learned about the main parlor, the Victorian parlor, special exhibits and the cellar kitchen, where they again put their amateur curation skills to use. After the tours, students gathered in the Stroud ballroom where they used handmade feather quills and india ink to prac-tice calligraphy and write their very best historical signatures. The event wrapped up with lunch for all in the ballroom and a timeline activity covering 200 years of history in the area sur-rounding the mansion. Students were active, engaged, and filled with great questions!

PVI students take in local history during their visit to the Stroud Mansion in December

PV Elementary Paw Prints

From our Speech Therapists: Winter is a great time to spend cold nights inside with your family. Playing board games, word games or even card games is a wonderful way to bond with your family. It also provides a chance for practicing skills such as turn-taking and oral ex-pression. Baking a batch of cookies or making dinner can also be a great lesson in following directions and learning new vocabulary while creating lasting memories. Parents, grand-parents and even siblings can provide great models of speech sounds, vocabulary use and conversational skills. Working on a jigsaw puzzle can be fun for families and allows for free conversation as you work. Take advantage of the cold this winter and play, create and talk with your kids. If you would like any suggestions for games or activities well suited to your child’s needs contact their speech therapist.

Our speech students have been working hard to improve their speech and language this fall. Reinforcing the speech/language skills taught at school can be easy for families. Including chil-dren of any age in family conversations and asking them share their thoughts and ask questions encourages conversational skills. Introducing new vocabulary can take place while reading, walking outside or riding in the car. Children can also practice producing their target speech sounds in words and sentences during these times. Engaging in a variety of community activi-ties also provides children the opportunity to interact with a variety of peers and adults while practicing what they have learned in a natural environment. Together we can build strong speech/language skills for life.

PAGE 7 PLEASANT VALLEY

PVE Learns about Holidays Around the World

This December, Pleasant Valley Elementary students had the opportunity to visit other countries and experience “Holidays Around the World.” Our building level Diversity Task Force supported teachers as they created various activities and les-sons to showcase traditions and cultures from around the world. Staff members were featured on the daily announce-ments sharing holiday traditions from their own countries and cultures. Students enjoyed listening as staff shared their fa-vorite aspects of the different holidays as well as how to say “happy holidays” in different languages. Classrooms also com-

pleted passport activities, arts, crafts, played multicultural games, sang songs, and were exposed to different holiday experiences from around the world. Even our cafeteria par-ticipated by serving fun international foods such as hot dogs, sauerkraut, pierogi, mozzarella sticks, pasta, corn, and quesadilla fiesta pizza! Since this fun day coincided with our PBS school-wide reward of hot chocolate day, staff served hot chocolate while also sharing information about how hot choc-olate originated from Mayan culture. Our “Holidays Around the World” day was enjoyed by students and staff alike.

PVE students (left) listen as their teacher shares information about other countries of the world and their holiday traditions. Beautiful displays (right) make the shared information come to life for PVE students as well as visitors.

Special Education News continued

The Pleasant Valley School Dis-trict Board of Education is pleased to offer the Senior Citizen Prop-erty Tax Rebate to its qualified residents. This program is availa-ble to residents that are age 65 or older by October 1, 2018 and it is based on household income. Re-bate forms will be available after February 1, 2019 in the Business Office of the school district. You may obtain the rebate forms by calling (570) 402-1000, ext. 1260 or by visiting the school district website: www.pvbears.org, and clicking on Senior Citizens Tax Rebate.

The deadline for filing for this rebate is June 1, 2019.

As an option, Business Office staff will be available to assist you in the completion of this form. If you desire assistance, please call (570) 402-1000, ext. 1260 to schedule an appointment.

PAGE 8 PLEASANT VALLEY

SENIOR CITIZEN Tax Rebate Notice

Act 32 Tax Requirements for Pleasant Valley School District Pleasant Valley residents are levied a 1.00% earned income tax on all wages, salaries, com-missions and profits. Revenue from the Earned Income Tax is disbursed between the resident’s township and the school district.

Employers are required to with-hold earned income tax on all employees. Self-employed resi-dents must make quarterly decla-rations and payments. All resi-dents must file an Earned Income Tax return on or before April 15 for the prior year.

Earned income taxes are collect-

ed by Berkheimer Associates. Please feel free to contact them for forms, additional infor-mation, or inquiries regarding Earned Income Tax:

Telephone Number:

1-866-701-7206

or

610-599-3135

Website: www.hab-inc.com

High School Highlights Continued from page 3

We will be having a parent meeting on February 19th to explain all the changes along with the benefits to our students in regards to this new schedule. We will also be discuss-ing credit requirements for our next four classes, and then we will help you through the process of requesting classes so you can assist your child. Furthermore, we are imple-menting a new “Student Mentoring” program where every freshman is going to be as-signed a junior mentor and we will be discussing this as well. Lastly we are implementing a new Engineering Course and a Computer Science course that are both part of the Pro-ject Lead the Way program and this too will be discussed at this meeting. These are very exciting changes being implemented for next year, and we cannot wait to tell you about them. We hope to see you on February 19th at 6:00 PM in the New Auditorium here at the High School. Otherwise have a safe and healthy winter. It’s exciting to be a Bear!!

Spotlight on: PV Middle School

Continued from page 1

Above: The Pleasant Valley Middle School National Junior Honor Society Inductees

Below: Candles of Scholarship, Leadership, Service, Citizenship, and Character are lit at the ceremony.

Full Day

Full Day Kindergarten at PVSD

Registration is open for the 2019- 2020 school year

To begin the Registra on Process, please access the Registra on Portal on our website 

www.pvbears.org  

For more informa on or assistance,  

call Joanne in the Central Registra on Office 

570‐402‐1000, ext. 4010  

**2019‐2020 kindergarten students must reach    5 years of age on or before  

September 1, 2019.** 

PAGE 9 SCHOOL DISTRICT

Pleasant Valley School District Pleasant Valley School District Concussion Quick Reference GuideConcussion Quick Reference Guide

Following a concussion, rest is key.

It is OK to:

Use Tylenol for headaches Use icepacks for head-

aches Eat a light diet Sleep

There is no need to:

Check eyes with flashlight Wake up every hour Test reflexes

DO NOT:

Drink alcohol Drive Exercise Take Advil, Motrin, aspirin,

naproxen, or other NSAID

Common Signs and Symptoms

Signs (Observed by Staff or Parents) Appears dazed or stunned Confusion Forgetfulness Loss of consciousness Cannot recall events prior to injury Cannot recall events after injury Personality or behavioral changes Answers questions slowly Moves clumsily

Symptoms (Reported by Athletes) Headache Nausea Balance problems or dizziness Double or fuzzy vision Sensitivity to light or noise Feeling sluggish, foggy or groggy Concentration problems Memory problems Changes in sleep pattern

See page 10 for reverse side of this guide.

Pleasant Valley High School

2019 Bruin 2019 Bruin 2019 Bruin

On Sale Now!

… until May 1, 2019

To order: Enter the following link into your web browser:

http://jostensyearbooks.com/?REF=A07115600

or, if you prefer,

place your order by calling yearbook advisor, Mrs. Reduzzi,

at 570-402-1000, ext. 4524.

Order now before the price goes up!

PAGE 10 PLEASANT VALLEY

FOOD SERVICES INFORMATION

Serious signs to watch for: Please watch carefully for any of the following serious signs and symptoms. The best guideline is to note symptoms that worsen and behaviors that are a change in your son/daughter.

If you observe any of the following signs call your doctor or go to your emergency room/department immediately:

The athlete should be seen by a licensed physician and/or licensed psychologist who is trained in the evalu-ation and management of concussions or a certified or licensed health care professional trained in the evalu-ation and management of concussions designated by the licensed physician.

After being cleared by the physician seen for the injury, the athlete will follow gradual return-to-play guide-lines.

Questions or Comments, please contact: Mr. Jake Percey, Director of Athletics and Activities

570-402-1000, ext. 4100

Headaches that worsen

Unusual behavioral change

Significant irritability

Slurred speech

Look very drowsy, can’t awak-en

Seizures Increasing confusion Weakness/numbness in legs/

arms

Can’t recognize people/places Repeated vomiting Loss of consciousness Neck pain

Pleasant Valley School District Concussion Quick Reference Guide Pleasant Valley School District Concussion Quick Reference Guide (side 2)(side 2)

The Food Services Department reminds students and parents/guardians that breakfast and lunch are served everyday throughout the school district. Breakfast is a very important meal that fuels the body to help students learn better and feel better physically. Stu-dents who skip breakfast may not be as attentive in class as they should be and may not learn to their full potential. A variety of food choices are listed on the menus for each school building. Multiple entrees, as well as fresh fruits, vegetables, and salads are served every day. Foods are baked, rather than deep fried so they are low in fat. Healthy choices, such as whole grain pizza and breads, are offered. Low fat milk and fruit & yogurt par-faits are served daily. Proper portion sizes are served so students are aware of how much they should be eating and learn not to “supersize” foods and beverages. Menus can be found on the school district website. Parents/guardians should remind children to make prepayments on cafeteria accounts in the morning. This enables students to move more quickly through the lines at lunchtime. Cash or checks, written in dark blue or black ink only, payable to “PVSD Cafeteria” are accepted. Notices will be sent via email and first class mail for charges on students’ accounts, as necessary.

MySchoolBucks offers a secure transaction gateway that accepts Visa or MasterCard – credit or debit cards - as a means of adding money to a student’s meal account. To get started a computer, internet access and an e-mail account are needed. A MySchoolBucks account set up to view a child’s meal purchases, balances, and to receive email notices for times when an account falls below a specified dol-lar amount is free. However, there is a $2.49 transaction fee to make an online payment. Deposits are credited to student accounts within one to two business days. Parents of public school children may apply online for free or re-duced price meals if their income changes at any time during the school year through COMPASS at www.compass.state.pa.us. Free and reduced meal applications may also be printed from the district website or picked up in the school office or cafeteria. Birthday Baskets, a convenient and healthy alternative for the cele-bration of your child’s special day in school, are offered. Details and the order form can be found on page 7 of this newsletter or on the school district website, under Food Services. Parents/guardians may call the Food Services Department at 570-402-1000, x. 8452 with questions about anything in this article.

PAGE 11 SCHOOL DISTRICT

Have you ever wished that celebrating your child’s birthday at school could be easier and more nutritious? Eliminate the hassle of baking and delivering birthday snacks to school. Stop worrying about whether or not the snack you provide is nutritious. Order a Best Wishes Birthday Basket from PVSD Food Services Department and we will take care of everything. Birthday Baskets are available for grades K thru 6. Only $1.50* per child includes: Birthday Basket includes: a birthday card, one nutritious snack & one beverage for each child in the class, 1 small prize (pencil, sticker, novelties) per child. The Birthday Basket is delivered directly to your child’s class-room on the date you specify. This order form may also be found on the school district website under Departments/Food Services.

Birthday Basket Order Form

Child’s Name _________________________________________ School ____________________

Teacher _______________________ Grade ____ Delivery Date ___________ # of Children _____

Message on card (i.e. Happy Birthday Joe!)

Signature on card (i.e. Love, Mom & Dad)_______________________________________________

Contact _______________________________________ Phone ___________________________

Please confirm this order via email: Email _______________________________________________

Choose 1: □ Goldfish Crackers □ White Cheddar Popcorn

□ Apple Wedges □ Pretzel Twists

Choose 1: □ 100% Juice □ 8 oz. Bottled Water

Send order form and payment to: PVSD Food Service Department, 1671 Rt. 209 Brodheadsville , PA 18322

Make checks payable to PVSD Food Service Department.

Only prepaid orders will be filled and delivered. Orders must be received at least 1 week in advance.

Payment Due: ____________ X $1.50 = ___________________ * (# of children) (payment due)

SCHOOL DISTRICT PAGE 11

For example, recently the power to some of our buildings was knocked out and a paraprofessional was stuck in an elevator with a student in a wheelchair. There were several rumors that swirled around about how the incident was handled, but the truth of the matter is that a safety procedure is in place and it was fol-lowed to the letter. 911 Rescue Personnel were called, the on-site power to the elevator was cut, the emergency key was imme-diately turned over to the rescue personnel, and the paraprofes-sional and the student were safely released from the elevator without further incident or injury.

WORKPLACE SAFETY Continued from page 2

By having and following procedures, and making necessary changes and repairs, there have been several months where no serious workplace injuries occurred. Staff have been encour-aged to report potential hazards to principals and/or head custo-dians immediately.

The financial advantage to having this committee fully certified and functioning, according to state mandates and requirements, is a discount on workers compensation insurance. The district has received the discount every year since the committee was formed.

Pleasant Valley School District is an equal opportunity education institution and will not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin/ethnicity, gender, age, disability, sexual orientation or religion in its admissions. Educational programs, activities, or employment policies. Publication of this policy is in accordance with state and federal laws including the Americans with Disabilities Act, Title VI, Title IX of the Education Amendments Act of 1972 and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Requests for information regarding services, activities and facilities that are accessible to and usable by persons with disabilities, in addition to all other inquiries, should be directed to the Human Resources Director. This individual serves as Title IX and Section 504 Coordinator and is located in the Pleasant Valley School District Administration Building, Route 115, Brodheadsville, Pennsylvania, 18322. (570) 402-1000.

Pleasant Valley School District 2233 Rt. 115, Suite 100 Administration Building Brodheadsville, PA 18322 Phone: 570-402-1000

Reservations are necessary & FREE &

only for Pleasant Valley Senior Community members.

SATURDAY, MARCH 23, 2019 PV HIGH SCHOOL CAFETERIA 5:30 PM

Enjoy a Dinner Buffet, Salad, Dessert, Coffee, & Tea

Then RESERVED SEATING for… THE PVHS MUSICAL PRODUCTION OF

(Only 2 tickets may be reserved per caller.)

For tickets to any other performance (Friday or Sunday) or for anyone other than a senior citizen, please contact the high school at 570-402-1000 ext. 4001.

A N N UA L S E N I O R C I T I Z EA N N UA L S E N I O R C I T I Z E N S D I N N E R T H E AT E RN S D I N N E R T H E AT E R

Excellence in Education: A Community Commitment www.pvbears.org

BOARD OF EDUCATION Mr. Kenneth Cocuzzo, treasurer Mr. Russell Gould Ms. Laura Jecker Ms. Susan Kresge, president Mr. Len Peeters Mr. Robert Serfass Mr. Daniel Wunder Ms. Donna Yozwiak, vice president Mr. Delbert Zacharias Mark Fitzgerald, solicitor

Mr. David F. Piperato, superintendent Dr. Susan Mowrer Benda, director of curriculum & instruction Mr. AJ Kise, director of pupil services Dr. John T. Burrus, director of human resources Ms. Susan H. Famularo, business manager/board secretary

PLEASANT VALLEY PROUD

For Reservations Call Lorraine

at 570-402-1000, ext. 1246.

March 1st

Feb. 18