What’s coming up in

October?

6th Aston Community Day

8th PTL Meeting: 6:30 pm

9th Picture Day

16th 17th

Mid-trimester Progress Reports mailed home 11:15 Dismissal Teacher In-service

24th P.D.S.D. School

Board Meeting 7:30 pm

25th Pennell Fall

Festival 6:00 – 8:00 pm

31st Halloween Wear Black and Orange Day

PENNELL IN PRINT

OCTOBER 2012

PENNELL ELEMENTARY

3300 RICHARD ROAD * ASTON, PA 19014 * 610.497.6300 x 7500

PENNELL ELEMENTARY NEWSLETTER

Happy October Parents!

Between introductions, setting routines, and jumping into the curriculum, the first few weeks of school are always a blur. It has been wonderful to see smiling faces back in our hallways and classrooms! It was also great to see so many parents at our Back to School night last month.

We have many exciting things coming up this month, highlighted by our annual Fall Festival on Thurs. Oct. 25th from 6 to 8 pm. For anyone new to the Pennell community, this is a must see event! From Halloween costumes to a haunted hallway, the Fall Fest is a real crowd-pleaser! More information will be sent home about this event...keep a look out!

One of our main goals this year is to capitalize on the impressive gains we made over the last two years with the implementation of our new reading and writing series, and continue to increase reading proficiency. As we settle into the new school year, it is so important to set aside some time at home each night to have your child read. You can involve yourself in this routine by having your child read to you or share in the reading with them. Reading aloud and discussing the story supports listening comprehension skills and will certainly help your child in school. Anything you can do at home to support us in this ongoing endeavor is greatly appreciated.

As always, thank you for your support!

Mr. Shawn Dutkiewicz, Pennell Elementary Principal

ON SEPTEMBER 20th, 5th GRADE STUDENT, JAYLN SLAUGHTER REACHED 1,000,000 WORDS IN OUR READING COUNTS PROGRAM!

SHE IS THE FASTEST TO REACH THIS MARK BY ANY STUDENT IN PENNELL HISTORY!

CONGRATULATIONS JAYLN!

Mr. Justin Heimbecker is in his first year as the Instrumental

Music Specialist at the Pennell and Parkside Elementary Schools. Mr.

Heimbecker is a 2002 graduate of the Upper Darby School District. He

earned his Bachelor's Degree in Music Education, with a concentration

in euphonium, from the Indiana University of Pennsylvania in 2006.

Last year, Mr. Heimbecker served as an elementary general music

teacher and band/orchestra director in the Upper Darby School

District. When he is not teaching at Pennell and Parkside during the

day, he spends his evenings teaching the Sun Valley Marching Band

and the Upper Darby Marching Band & Indoor Drumline, and

weekends as an Event Manager & Adjudicator for the United States

Bands Association.

Mr. Heimbecker now serves as the Assistant Director of the Boston Crusaders Drum & Bugle Corps, and as an Event

Producer for Drum Corps International: Tournament of Champions events across the nation. Mr. Heimbecker and his

fiancé Kelly are excited to join the Penn-Delco family, and looking forward to a fantastic year of music and learning with

wonderful students.

Ms. Dillon went to Immaculata University and majored in Sociology

and Elementary Education. After teaching for three years she decided

to go back and get her Special Education certification. She has been

teaching Special Education within the Penn Delco School district for

two years.

Ms. Dillon lives in Malvern, PA with her family. In her spare time she

likes to vacation in Cape May, NJ, run, spend time with her two girls,

Alaina and Scarlett and shop! This is her first year at Pennell and she

is very excited to work with the students and the staff.

Mrs. Fichter attended Penn State University and majored in

human development and family studies. Mrs. Fichter continued

her education after graduating from Penn State and enrolled in

Immaculata University to receive her dual certification in special

education/elementary education.

Mrs. Fichter currently lives in Aston with her husband, daughter

and 2 Brittany Spaniels. Mrs. Fichter loves teaching special

education and is looking forward to an amazing school year!

JUSTIN HEIMBECKER

COLLEEN DILLON

AMY FICHTER

NEW FACES AT PENNELL

NEW FACES AT PENNELL

Miss Wray is a 2006 graduate of Sun Valley High School. She attended Penn State

University and earned a degree in Elementary Education in 2010.

Miss Wray has two years of experience substitute teaching and is currently a

classroom assistant in a third grade room. She enjoys traveling and spending

time with her family.

PATRICIA WRAY

Mrs. Mary Ann McNeff is a retired teacher of thirty four years, having taught in Pennsylvania, New York and Massachusetts. She and her husband are the parents of two daughters and the grandparents of five. She is working as the Kindergarten Tutor, supporting Dr. Huber, and her goal is to make a positive difference in the education of Dr. Huber's wonderful kindergarten students. She is very much looking forward to a terrific 2012-2013 school year at Pennell!

Miss Kristin Butler is a new face in our full-day kindergarten classroom. Miss

Butler is from Pottstown, which is located in Montgomery County. She earned

both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Cabrini College. Miss Butler has

worked in the education field since 2008, gaining experience with infants,

toddlers, middle school students, and high school students; this is Miss Butler’s

first year working with kindergarten.

In the future, Miss Butler would like to earn certification as a reading specialist. In

her free time, Miss Butler enjoys spending time with her family and friends,

traveling, cooking, baking, and photography. In the future Miss Butler would like

to travel to Europe.

MARY ANN MCNEFF

KRISTIN BUTLER

Mrs. Howley grew up in Southwest Philadelphia, attending

Bartram High School. A parent of Pennell elementary and Penn-

Delco students, Mrs. Howley has been very involved in school

functions for well over a decade.

In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her family and

watching them participate in many different sports!

JACKIE HOWLEY

NEW FACES AT PENNELL

Mrs. Bernice Mintzer is a student teacher in Mrs. Wood’s 3rd grade classroom. She is very excited to be working with Mrs. Wood and the third grade students. Bernice is currently enrolled in a Masters of Elementary Education program and certification program at Cabrini College. She has a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from LaSalle University. She has wanted to teach for a long time and can’t wait to get started! She and her husband live in Havertown with their four children, Jean Marie, Michelle, Patrick and Lisa.

BERNICE MINTZER

Mrs. Sherry Washington is new to Pennell, but has worked

for Penn-Delco for over 7 years at both Parkside Elementary

and Sun Valley High School.

Mrs. Washington is dedicated to her students and really

enjoys spending time with her family! In her spare time, she

enjoys running and working out.

Mrs. Washington is excited to join the Pennell team and looks

forward to a great year ahead!

SHERRY WASHINGTON

Mr. David Beckman studied film production in college, but found his

calling in education. He taught grades first, third and fifth for nine

years at Sherman Oaks Elementary School in Los Angeles, CA.

David is originally from Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, loves children's

literature, and is excited to be working with the awesome students at

Pennell Elementary this year!

DAVID BECKMAN

NEW FACES AT PENNELL

Although Mrs. Jenn Maiale is a new staff member at Pennell, she is not

necessarily a new “face”. For the last eight years, Mrs. Maiale has been a very

active member of our Parent-teacher League (PTL). Her three children have

or continue to attend Pennell, and now she is a member of the faculty!

Mrs. Maiale attended West Chester University and Penn-State College of

Medicine. She has degrees in Education and Biology. After recently student-

teaching at Sun Valley High School, Mrs. Maiale has been working to find a

permanent teaching position. She will be Pennell’s building sub and tutor for

a significant portion of the school year.

JENN MAIALE

Mrs. Kravatz is a new member of the Pennell Penguin staff. She

is Fit 2 Learn! This is Mrs. Kravatz's twentieth year teaching in

the Penn-Delco School District. She attended Indiana University

of PA, Edinboro University of Pa, Casper College, and West

Chester University of PA. Her passions are the sciences and the

arts.

Mrs. Kravatz received the Presidential Award for Math and

Science Teaching in Washington, D.C., in 2003. She is excited to

come to Pennell and looks forward to using the outside garden

classroom, starting a chess club, and sharing hands on science

activities with students!

CINDY KRAVATZ

You might have had Ms. Ashjian as a substitute last year, but this is her first year as a Pennell Penguin in Room 100 with Mr. Santini and friends. Ms. Ashjian always knew she wanted to become a teacher, so she studied Elementary Education at Cabrini College to fulfill her dream!

When she’s not in the classroom, some of Ms. Ashjian’s favorite

activities include: relaxing on the beach, baking sweets, going to Target,

traveling, drinking coffee, exercising, watching National Geographic, and

rooting for her hometown of Philadelphia’s sports teams. She is looking

forward to learning lots of new things at Pennell this year!

ALI ASHJIAN

REMINDER: PICK-UP / DROP-OFF SAFETY

Each month, Pennell focuses on a core value/essential that we hope students will practice and apply in their daily lives. We recognize students who exemplify our core essentials by giving them “team tickets”. Team tickets are awarded to students and then displayed in our lobby. At the end of the month, students who received a team ticket are chosen randomly to have lunch with the Principal, Mr. Dutkiewicz.

OCTOBER’S MONTHLY VALUE:

Integrity - discovering who you are meant to be so you can make a difference!

Character - Zebra

Car Time – Song: "Nobody Like You" - Nobody Like You that is easily downloadable in the Core Essentials store at http://www.coreessentials.org/store.html for $1.39 a song!

JUST FOR FUN: If you could have a wild animal as a pet what would it be and why?

DISCUSSION STARTER:

All zebras have stripes, but no two zebras have the same pattern of stripes. When a mother zebra gives birth to a

foal, she will keep all other zebras away from the baby for two to three days, so the first thing the baby sees are

her unique markings. This way the baby can memorize the pattern of its mother’s black and white stripes so it will

always be able to recognize its mother in a large herd of zebras.

WHAT DO YOU THINK?

A zebra’s stripes distinguish it from all other zebras. What markings do you have that distinguish you from everyone else? (fingerprints, a birthmark, etc.) Other than your appearance, how are you different from your friends? What is one thing that people often compliment you on? Turn to the person on your right. What is one thing that makes him or her unique?

Rest – K-2: A Bad Case of Stripes by: David Shannon; Camilla Cream loves lima beans, but she never eats them.

Why? Because the other kids in her school don't like them. And Camilla Cream is very, very worried about what

other people think of her. In fact, she's so worried that she's about to break out in… a bad case of stripes!

3-5: The Pirate Queen by: Emily Arnold McCully; Grania O'Malley was born with the mark of a sailor and the light of

the sea in her eye. As she grew, tales of her courage and heroic deeds traveled across Ireland. But when she came

up against a ruthless governor, even fearless Grania was stymied. So she turns to a woman more powerful than she

in this heart-stopping tale that's as big as the Irish Sea.

Experience – Everyone in your family is different. That’s what keeps things interesting in your household! But

how much do you all know about each other’s individuality? Set aside some time this month to sit down as a family

and quiz each other on the things that set you apart. See how many of the following you know about each other:

Eye Color

Favorite/Least Favorite Food

Best Friend’s Name

Favorite Song

Favorite Movie

CORE ESSENTIALS: VALUE OF THE MONTH

Favorite Time of Year

Ideal Vacation

Favorite Spot in the House

Ideal Pet

1.

With Scholastic Reading Counts your child participates in an independent reading

program that tracks their success on the books they read, in and out of school. This

technology-based program creates a personalized and engaging learning environment

that ensures independent reading accountability.

This year, our school-wide Reading Counts goal is 113,000,000!

* As of Sept. 26th 2012: Congrats to the students who have read at least 100,000 words!

Students Total Words Read

Jalyn Slaughter 1,149,240 Colin Bradley 940,973 Darren Panusky 689,821 Christian Hansen 602,568 Zachary Seddon 592,601 Chelsea Hendrix 558,846 Sara Chodak 513,680 Kelsey Celestino 461,824 Abigail Otsyina 453,742 Devin Widmaier 428,435 Xavier Slaughter 368,408 Emmanuel Otsyina 330,451 Nicole Buscaglia 312,964 Luke Rice 294,545 Kiley Boyd 247,923 Jenna Ford 193,487 Ryley Marker 191,269 Jaimee Higgins 185,854 Shannon Purfield 178,194 Dominic Marano 174,735 Katherine Fallon 173,204 Tyler Smith 172,319 Tara France 134,577 Jake Stritzinger 129,206 Shalane Buck 127,458 Kayla Boyd 125,373 Sophia Pantuliano 123,605 Randy Marker 123,402 Madison Schaefer 119,875 Abigail Fisher 116,863 Sydney Digan 114,705 Kassidy Lambert 113,467 Sarah Gartland 113,114 Kevin Cassidy 112,345 Jacqueline Oldham 111,310 Daniel Keenan 110,424 Sydney Parkinson 110,249 Riley McGrath 107,709 Hannah McGroary 106,864 Erin Kelly 101,164 Jack Wendling 100,289

READING COUNTS

Now that the kids are back in school and allergy, cold, and flu season

is here, you may be asking when is my child “really sick” and “when

should I call my child’s doctor”?

In spite of all the sniffles and stuffy noses we all survive, there are

some symptoms that should not be ignored, especially in children.

Here are four groups of symptoms for which you should call your

child’s physician:

1. Sore throat; fever over 101 degrees for more than 48 hours; red throat with white or

yellow spots; difficulty swallowing or breathing; tender swollen lymph glands in the

neck; (CDC Guidelines)

2. A red rash starting on chest and tummy, eventually spreading over the body; it looks

like sunburn, but feels like sandpaper; fever over 101 degrees; sore throat

(sometimes); (CDC Guidelines)

3. Headache; fever over 101 degrees; stiff neck; sensitivity to bright light;

(MayoClinic.com)

4. Any sign of a skin infection: pustules or boils which are red, swollen, painful and have

pus or other drainage. (CDC Guidelines)

Do NOT send your child to school if:

1. Temperature is over 100 degrees over the past 24 hours;

2. They have vomiting or diarrhea over the past 24 hours;

The child needs to be fever, vomiting, diarrhea free for 24 hours before returning to school.

PLEASE GET YOUR CHILD A FLU VACCINE: THE NOSE SPRAY IS PAINLESS AND HIGHLY

RECOMMENDED BY THE CDC AND THE ACADEMY OF PEDIATRICS FOR ALL CHILDREN.

NURSE ROOM NEWS…