HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO ALL OF OUR FAMILIES!
Special thanks to everyone who donated to our holiday giving project for families this holiday season! Also, many thanks to our principals, counselors, building secretaries and Mrs. Berger, in the Community Relations Office, for their work in coordinating this effort and arranging for gift distribution for the 95 students and their families who are receiving some help this year. Your tremendous generosity is a true testament to the love and support that this community offers to each other. Whether you purchased a gift certificate, made a donation to Palisades Community Foundation, or purchased a gift requested by one of the children on the list, you made a difference and brought joy this holiday! Thank you to everyone involved!
FROM OUR ELEMENTARY MUSIC DEPARTMENT:
As you know, this Friday, December 18th we will be featuring our amazing elementary musicians in our Elementary Virtual Cabaret! Our concert will be posted LIVE on our Palisades ES/MS Band's Facebook Page.
In order to video the concert, you must click the link provided below and follow our Pali_Bands facebook page, by hitting "like."
To view concert, join the Pali_Bands facebook page by clicking: HERE
The Elementary Cabaret will be virtually performed on our Pali_Bands Facebook page at the following times:
6:00 pm - Springfield ES
6:45pm - Tinicum ES
7:30pm - Durham-Nockamixon ES
If you do not have a Facebook, do not worry! Upon completion of the concerts, a Youtube Link will be sent out to all families for your viewing pleasure!
If you have questions regarding this event, please direct your questions to Mr. Morris ([email protected]), Mr. McGorrey ([email protected]), or Ms. Reed ([email protected]).
THIS JUST IN...NEWS FROM THE NORTH POLE:
At 6PM on December 22nd, Santa will depart from the Upper Black Eddy Fire Company on a fire truck. First, he will head south on River Road and then turn right up Jugtown Hill Road. Santa will take Upper Tinicum Church Road to Lodi Hill Road, then to Lonely Cottage Road, then onto Bridgeton Hill Road.
He will turn into the Bridgeton AA parking lot for a nice slow loop, so everyone who might not be along the main route can wave hello as he passes by. After that, Santa has to hurry back to the North Pole.
Santa will make sure the fire engine lights are on so everyone knows he's coming through. (If Santa's plans change for any reason, we'll post that information on the Upper Black Eddy Fire Company Webpage, http://www.ubefire.com
While COVID sadly prevents us from taking group trips up to the mountain together this year, the Palisades Ski Club is happy to announce that our students (and family members) will still be able to purchase season passes with our school discount for their own personal use. The window for ordering passes is now open, and families have until TODAY December 18th to make their purchases. All information, links, and directions can be found in this flyer. Thanks and here's to a great winter!
MORE GOOD NEWS FROM OUR FOOD SERVICES DEPARTMENT TO MAKE YOUR HOLIDAYS BRIGHT!
On Tuesday, December 29th from 10AM until 12:30PM our Food Service Department will provide SIX BREAKFASTS AND SIX LUNCHES for each child for FREE - this is for all children in the Palisades School District! Don't miss this opportunity to stock up for the remainder of the holiday break!
DEADLINE TO RESERVE A PICK UP IS DECEMBER 23RD!
Meals are pre-packaged and come with milk, fruits, and vegetables! This is a FREE service for our community! A short form to reserve your meals is linked here: Holiday Meal Distribution Reservation
Please complete your reservation today! Meal distribution during the holiday break.pdf
2020 PHS National Honor Society Inductees
Please click this link to view the special NHS Induction broadcast.
Congratulations to our 45 new members!
Pirates Baseball Fundraiser:
The Palisades HS Baseball Team is conducting its Lottery Board Fundraiser. Lottery Boards are on sale for $10.00 a board with a daily prize award of $25.00 ($100.00 on New Years Day and Martin Luther King Day). All proceeds benefit the PHS Baseball Program. Ask a player to buy a Lottery Board or contact Coach Alkhas: [email protected] to buy a Lottery Board.
***Covid-19 friendly purchases: Email Coach Alkhas@ [email protected] to buy a board electronically.***
To Honor a Teacher, visit: www.palisadescommunityfoundation.com
OR download this form and mail with your donation: Honor a Teacher 2020.pdf
MORE FROM PCF: Fundraiser for Jamie Wright by Alyssa Anzur - Wright Family Fund
This is another opportunity to help a family who is going through a very tough time. Our thoughts go to the Wright Family. Anyone wishing to donate to this family, please see the GoFundMe site linked below. They can use your help and support:
https://www.gofundme.com/f/httpsgofundmecomthewrights
UPCOMING SCHOOL BOARD MEETINGS: All board meeting agendas are posted on Board Docs - https://go.boarddocs.com/pa/pali/Board.nsf/Public under the “meetings” tab.
Upcoming Meetings for January:
1/13/21 - Education Programs and Services Mtg. 6:30PM - to join by phone (US) +1 605-743-0876 (PIN: 183231065)
1/20/21 - Fiscal Oversight 6PM
1/20/21 - Regular School Board of Directors Mtg. 7PM
1/21/21 - Joint Operating Committee (UBCTS) 8PM
1/27/21 - Facilities Meeting 6:30PM
Happy Holidays from the Palisades School Board of Directors! See you in 2021!
Palisades Cyber Academy:
Did you know that Palisades Cyber Academy offers programming for students in grades K through 12, with both synchronous (live) and asynchronous (pre-recorded) lessons daily taught by our own highly-qualified Palisades teachers...yes, we do!
Some of the many benefits of choosing Palisades Cyber Academy for your online learning (if that is your preference) are:
1. Palisades' scores are above the state average in curricular areas assessed using standardized testing as the measurement, and well above all cyber charter schools currently being accessed by families in our area.
2. Our class sizes remain low and we are poised to provide targeted instruction based on individual student’s needs.
3. Students enrolled in the Palisades Cyber Academy also have the opportunity to participate in our regional, state and nationally recognized curricular and extracurricular activities such as PIAA sports (grades 7-12), music and performing arts, as well as robotics, to name just a few.
4. Our students participate in live (synchronous) lessons every day, which affords them the opportunity to build relationships with their peers, teachers, and principals.
5. All students are provided with a district-owned device to access course materials and schedules on our learning management system.
If you are interested in enrolling your child(ren) in our Palisades Cyber Academy, please contact one of our cyber deans at [email protected] or [email protected] . More information is available on our website pages for Palisades Cyber Academy
More on Cyber Charter Funding, Including Budget Highlights:
For more on district budgeting for 2021-22, please click HERE
Students who attend charter schools (cyber or brick and mortar) outside of our own district-provided programs through the Cyber Academy or face-to-face are funded by the school district at an anticipated rate for 2021-22 of $23,000 regular ed student or $51,000 for a student with special needs. Because these students are Palisades residents, the fee for these other charter schools are paid by the district (your property taxes) and place a heavy burden on the school district’s budget. For the 2021-22 school year, the budget for outside charter schools is estimated at $2,682,000 (up $1,125,000 over last year).
Advocacy for changing the current calculation for the tuition fees for outside cyber charter schools continues to be a focus for our administration and School Board Directors. These tuition fees shift money used to serve students who attend Palisades face-to-face and online programs, and pay it to these outside charter school entities over which we have no control.
Here is a recent article sent out by the Pennsylvania School Boards Association (PSBA) explaining more about charter school funding: PSBA Article
CALENDAR INFO - LOOKING AHEAD - 2020-2021 District Calendar revised 12.17.2020 CURRENT.pdf
December 21st - Virtual Day for All Students
December 22nd - Virtual Day for All Students
December 23rd - Virtual Half Day for All Students
December 24th to January 1st - Holiday Break for All Students
January 4th - Virtual Day for All Students (*)
January 5th - Virtual Day for All Students (*)
January 6th - Virtual Day for All Students (*)
January 7th - Face to Face Student Return to School for Instruction
(*) Newly added Virtual Days for ALL Students. The High School has released additional information regarding the schedule for Upper Bucks County Technical School students.
Please note at last SB Meeting, it was announced that January 26th will be a virtual day for 9th and 12 grade students only (those normally face to face). Testing for 10th and 11th grade students and we need all available seats in the building to administer.
NEW EMAIL ACCOUNT FOR COVID-RELATED ISSUES:
Our school nurses will now be monitoring the following (new) email address for COVID-related issues - [email protected]. They will be monitoring this email account over the weekends and holidays so that we remain up to date with any information you share regarding testing or students who are symptomatic. Please use this email to send any requested documents regarding COVID-19 so that your children's status can be updated before the start of school on the next face to face school day. To help us quickly manage the information you share, include your student's name and building in the subject line of the email. You can also use this email to contact the district nurses with any questions regarding COVID-19.
Please continue to notify our nurses and principals if you have a COVID positive situation which arises in your home, or if your child(ren) are symptomatic. This will help us to expedite our case investigation and notify any close contacts. We ask that you continue to notify your child(ren)’s building principal and our nurses (at the email above) on weekends, evenings and during our holiday break so that we can stay on top of any new developments.
FROM TINICUM PTA:
We are excited to present to you our first ever Capri Restaurant Fundraiser!
MARK THE MONDAY'S ON YOUR DECEMBER CALENDAR....
12/7, 12/14, 12/21, 12/28 you don't have to cook!!!
Every Monday in the month of December, dine in or take out from Capri Restaurant, and they will donate 20% of all food sales to Tinicum PTA! We thought this was the perfect way to give back to our school during this different time AND give all of you a night off from the hustle and bustle of dinner!!
SHARE THIS WITH ALL YOUR LOCAL FAMILIES & FRIENDS!!!
LOOKING AHEAD - STAY INFORMED WITH NXSTOP (New Transportation App for PSD):
We are excited to announce that we will be testing a new school transportation app called “NxStop” (pronounced “next-stop”). NxStop is an app that lets parents and students know when their school bus is arriving at their stop.
NxStop takes a slightly different approach than other apps of its kind. It started “from the inside out”, meaning that it first began as a solution to a problem faced by its founder, James Polhemus, after he missed his school bus on a rainy morning. Since then, the company has remained devoted to bettering the school transportation experience for parents and students.
Get Started with NxStop Information Handout
COVID APP ANNOUNCED:
The following information was released from the PA Department of Health and the Department of Education this week. Please see the press release linked below with directions as to how to download the COVID related app; information regarding COVID mitigation and tracking of cases in your area are part of the services provided through this app. It is a free app available for Android and Apple devices. LINK TO PRESS RELEASE HERE
NOTICE FROM WORTHWHILE WEAR:
As you may know by our recent newsletter email, Worthwhile Wear is planning to launch a pilot program of our virtual Worth It Outreach on January 12th!
We're looking for some skilled Arts & Crafts volunteers to create handmade gifts for the 8 women that will be in the inaugural program (i.e., knitted prayer shawls, knitted hats/gloves, bracelets, purses, cord tacos, etc.). Since the sessions will have some pre-recorded content and live virtual presenters, we want to make sure there is a personal touch as well, and we're sure there's a few skilled volunteers out there that are up for helping us achieve the impact that Worth It is intended to have - that every woman is Worthwhile!
If you are interested, please let me know and I will get you set up with our Worth It coordinator on next steps.
Also, we're still in search of a tech-savvy volunteer to help us install safety and security measures on our Well participants' laptops. We would ideally want to do this through our server by installing measures to block specific websites and to monitor activity when the laptops are in use. As we continue to mirror COVID safety protocols similar to what schools are using for our counseling and education sessions with the Women at The Well, we need to be sure we're applying similar methods to monitor laptop use and block certain sites that a school would use for laptops issued to students.
The service provider at The Well is Verizon Fios, and the laptops are HP EliteBooks. If you have expertise in this area and would be willing to install the necessary software on the participants' laptops, please let me know.
Thanks again for being a part of our mission to serve survivors of human trafficking. We cannot do what we do without you!
Contact: Ray at
267.905.8110 | worthwhilewear.org
