HOME >
News
Principal's Message - 9/21/18
 Can you believe it? Fall finally arrives this weekend, and it just might be both temperate and dry! Enjoy it! New News: Click here to see guidelines for our upcoming dances. Check your email for date, time, and place details. Click here for information on PSSA/Keystone testing and parent letter as well as AMC 8 Math Contest. To be eligible for participation, middle school students must express written interest by printing the attached form and returning it to Mrs. Lederman (room 207) no later than Tuesday, September 25th. Activity Fee information is located on the district website under the Parents and Activity Fee Information tabs. Fees apply to sports, clubs, activities, and/or organizations in grades seven and eight, only. Click here for more details. First Lego League (FLL) Organizational Meeting – Sept. 24, 2018, 5:30 (returning FLL members and parent coaches) and 6:30 (interested students and parents/parent coaches). More details to follow. Fall (next weekend) and Mid-marking Period, approaching – Oct. 1st marks the mid-point of the first marking period. Please check Home Access (HAC) and contact teams/individual teachers about any questions or concerns that you may have. Spirit Week - October 1st to 5th and Walk for West is scheduled for Friday, October 5th (rain date, Tuesday, October 9th.) Please send donations for the walk by October 9th. (See attachment. A flyer and envelope have been sent home with each student.)
Sixth-grade Camp- The sixth-grade teams will be participating in a field trip to an outdoor school program, which offers students experiential-based lessons designed to complement the science curriculum. In addition, students will participate in group challenges to foster teambuilding. The teams plan to send more information home next week! Please check your email for details.
from the Counseling Center - Parent Information Nights – Please mark your calendars for these important dates, including our first evening event on September 25, 2018 at 6:30 pm – Upper Perkiomen (UPSD Education Center)“Clearing the Air About Vaping” (for middle school and high school parents and staff) Click here for event details and our full schedule of events throughout the year.
Reminders: Giant, Box Tops, and Amazon: Easy and lucrative fundraising opportunities – Please see this attachment.
Attendance/Absences – If you know your child will be absent from school, please be sure to contact Mrs. Brenda Continelli, our counseling/attendance secretary, at bcontinelli@pvsd.org or by calling our office at 484-977-7210. For detailed information about our attendance procedures, please refer to the online Student Handbook. The Handbook can be found on the PVSD website by clicking the Parents Tab, Handbooks, and Middle School Handbook, pages 3-4. Direct Link: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Oc7tyvPjkeLhL7oR69T_LuODP8Y43FZe/view
Power Packs - The PV Power Packs program, which supplies students in need with food over the weekend, is seeking non-perishable food donations. Please consider donating INDIVIDUAL-SIZED breakfast, lunch, and snack items, such as: cereal, oatmeal, macaroni and cheese (boxes and individual-sized), pasta, Chef Boyardee, Ramen, granola bars, raisins, applesauce, fruit snacks, fruit cups, etc. Donations can be dropped off during school hours to any school or the district office. If you prefer to order online, you can send your shipment to the high school (509 Gravel Pike, Collegeville, PA 19426) to the attention of "PV Power Packs."
Click here to see important health information from Mrs. Lind, our nurse. Click here to see Home and School news, including our next meeting on October 16th, Walk for West, our biggest fundraiser, and more. Don't forget to follow us on Facebook!
Dress Reminder – West is a climate-controlled building, so many of our classrooms run a little cool. All students are encouraged to leave a sweatshirt and sweatpants in their lockers or gym lockers. Also, for students who prefer to wear flip-flops, we also suggest leaving a pair of sneakers on site for classes such as PE, Tech Ed, FCS, science, and art. Our dress code can be found in our Student Handbook General reminders are available on Mrs. Milligan's Tips and Reminders Webpage, located under the Resources for Families tab on the Middle School West home page. A reminder to parents and guardians: If you ever need clarification or assistance with anything mentioned in my reports or if you have general questions, please email (dmilligan@pvsd.org) or call (484-977-7210, ext. 3505). I will be happy to assist you.
Regards, Donna Milligan, Principal, PVMS West
Important Dates:
|
Sept. 26 Superintendent's Roundtable to Focus on Special Education
 |
Principal's Message - 9/17/18
 Spirit Wear – Reminder – The sale was extended to midnight, tonight: Pvwest.itemorder.com Power Packs – The PV Power Packs program, which supplies students in need with food over the weekend, is seeking non-perishable food donations. Please consider donation individual-sized breakfast, lunch, and/or snack items, such as, but not limited to: cereal, oatmeal, mac and cheese (boxes and individual-sized), pasta, Chef Boyardee, ramen, granola bars, raisins, applesauce, fruit snacks, fruit cups, etc. Donations can be dropped off during school hours to any school or the district office. If you prefer to order online, you can send your shipment to the high school, 509 Gravel Pike, Collegeville, PA 19426, to the attention of “PV Power Packs.” Thank you! The combined East/West Activity Night (grades 6-8) will be coming soon. Please check your email for details. This will be a Halloween-themed, and more details will follow. First Lego League (FLL) Organizational Meeting – Sept. 24, 2018, 5:30 (returning FLL members and parent advisors) and 6:30 (interested students and parents). More details will follow. Regards, Donna Milligan, Principal, PVMS West |
Principal's Message - 9/14/2018
 First, a very special thank you to all of our parents who attended one or more of our first three evening events: Sixth-grade/New Student Orientation, Meet the Teacher Night: Grades 7 and 8 and the PVMS West Book Fair, and Title I: Parent-School Partnership. We appreciate your time as well as your willingness to partner with us in your child’s/children’s education. Please remember that you can contact individual teachers and teams whenever you have questions, comments, and/or concerns. I hope you all enjoyed a wonderful week and are as excited about some of our upcoming events and activities as we are! New News: Click here to see guidelines for our upcoming dances. Check your email for date, time, and place details. Dress Reminder – West is a climate-controlled building, so many of our classrooms run a little cool. All students are encouraged to leave a sweatshirt and sweatpants in their lockers or gym lockers. Also, for students who prefer to wear flip-flops, we also suggest leaving a pair of sneakers on site for classes such as PE, Tech Ed, FCS, science, and art. Our dress code can be found in our Student Handbook. There is no school on Wednesday, 9/19/18.
Reminders: Giant, Box Tops, and Amazon: Easy and lucrative fundraising opportunities – Please see this attachment.
Click here for information on our second Title I Meeting that will take place on 9/18/18. School forms - Several important forms were sent home in the back-to-school packet. Please be sure to return the following forms as soon as possible:
Click here to see important health information from Mrs. Lind, our nurse. Click here to see Home and School news, including our extended Kidstuff deadline, which is now 9/18/18; Walk for West, our biggest fundraiser; spirit wear sales, and more. The spirit wear sale runs until midnight on 9/16/18. Shop online at pvwest.itemorder.com. Don't forget to follow us on Facebook!
General reminders are available on Mrs. Milligan's Tips and Reminders Webpage, located under the Resources for Families tab on the Middle School West home page. As usual, if you have any questions or concerns, please call our office 484-977-7210; we will be more than happy to assist you.
Warmest Regards, Donna Milligan, Principal, PVMS West
Important Dates:
|
Principal's Message - 9/7/2018
 Our second week has gone as smoothly as our first, and all are looking forward to the second, long weekend ahead. Next Wednesday, 9/12/18, will be a busy evening with a Title I as well as our first Home and School Meeting (Title I – Room 123, 6:00; H&S - MSW Library, 7:00). We appreciate the ongoing involvement of West parents and our Home and School volunteers. In addition, our fall sports season will be in full swing, with many teams beginning their game schedules. Go Vikings! New News: Click here for information on our upcoming MAPS Growth Assessment. Reminders: Fall Sports Pick-Up – The fall sports season is a very busy one at PVMS West. For car cars pulling along the curb by the sidewalks, please go down as far as you can toward the main entrance of the school. Once the curb area is full, please park in the parking lot. Please do not park along the curbs of the parking lot as this creates too narrow of a driving lane and limits the visibility of pedestrians. Our primary concern is the safety of our students. If everyone can be on time, park in a spot, and be wary of pedestrian traffic, we can make athletic pick-up run smoothly and efficiently. Click here for information on Back-to-School Book Fair, which ends 9/11/18. Click here for information on our upcoming 9/12/18 Title I Meeting. Picture Day - Thursday, September 13, 2018. The forms were distributed in the first-day packet. School forms - Several important forms were sent home in the back-to-school packet. Please be sure to return the following forms as soon as possible:
Click here to see important health information from Mrs. Lind, our nurse. Click here to see Home and School news, including our first meeting, Walk for West, our biggest fundraiser, spirit wear sales, and more. The sale runs until midnight on 9/16/18. Shop online at pvwest.itemorder.com.
General reminders are available on Mrs. Milligan's Tips and Reminders Webpage, located under the Resources for Families tab on the Middle School West home page. As usual, if you have any questions or concerns, please call our office 484-977-7210; we will be more than happy to assist you.
Warmest Regards, Donna Milligan, Principal, PVMS West
Important Dates:
|
Principal's Message - 8/30/2018
 Dear PVMS West Parents, Guardians, and Students, Middle School West has had a fantastic start to the 2018-2019 school year! New (over twenty!) and returning students are adjusting to their schedules, and we held our grade-level and cafeteria meetings on the first day of school to review building information and positive behavior/academic expectations. I am happy to say that positive attitudes, friendliness, excitement, and respect, all hallmarks of our school, have begun to proliferate. We practiced our first evacuation/fire drill this week. I was very proud of our students, all of whom understood the seriousness of the drill and behaved both responsibly and cooperatively. New Faculty and Staff: West would like to welcome the faculty and staff members who are new to our school community: JonLuc Zacharias, Computers, Coding, and Health; Kristen Pongras, Building Duties and Connections LTS; and Suzanne Frattone, Christen MacQueen, and Taylor Anderson, new paraprofessionals. Finally, our own Rebecca Benz will join the Title I (ELA) team. 7th and 8th Grade Meet the Teacher Night is earlier this Year, Sept. 5th: Parents of 7th and 8th graders are invited to join us for our annual Meet the Teacher Night on Wednesday, September 5, 2018 at 7:00 p.m. The evening is intended for parents and will offer an overview of the grade-level curriculum and your child’s middle school schedule. The evening will formally begin at 7:00 p.m. (in period 2) and conclude at 9:00 p.m. Students will fill out duplicate schedules on Tuesday and/or Wednesday. One will travel home with each child; we will keep the duplicates available in the main office on the night of the event. (During the “lunch” period, the book fair will be available in the library, the counselors will be available in the cafeteria, and Mrs. Lederman, our gifted teacher, will be available in room 207.) Back-to-School Book Fair, Sept. 4-11, 2018: Extended hours, Wednesday, 9/5/18, 6:00-8:30 p.m., during Meet the Teacher Night. Shop Online throughout the fair, http://www.scholastic.com/bf/perkiomenvalleymidschwest. Proceeds will be used to purchase new books for our MSW Library collection. Cash, credit cards, Scholastic eWallet, and checks, made payable to PVMSW, will gladly be accepted at the live book fair. Thank you for supporting West’s library! If you have any questions, please contact Mrs. Quintangeli, the MSW Librarian, bquintangeli@pvsd.org or (484)977-7210. What is an eWallet? Visit the book fair homepage to set up, beginning two weeks prior to the book fair, August 22, 2018 through Sept. 10, 2018. Pre-authorize an amount for your student to spend. The parent’s credit card is charged only for actual purchases. Additional funds may be added at any time. Funds may be cancelled at any time. Computer Boot Camp: The majority of our students have had the opportunity to read Policy #815 as well as view a video that explains it in simplified terms. (Policy #815 pertains to the Acceptable Use of district technology.) The students changed their passwords and electronically signed off on their understanding of the policy. Students will receive further instruction on plagiarism, copyright, and student responsibility as it pertains to these topics. If your student experiences any difficulty accessing the district’s technological resources, such as Home Access Center (HAC), please ask him/her to come to the library for assistance. Finally, students were instructed on how to access their student handbook, which is located on the Resources for Students page, https://sites.google.com/a/pvsd.org/perkiomen-valley-middle-school-west/home/resources-for-students. Special thanks to Mrs. Larzelere who returned as a volunteer to support our students! Scheduling Adjustment: We have discovered three eighth-grade health sections and one PE section that are a little too large, and we plan to redistribute approximately 20-30 students to smaller classes. We do not expect to adjust any of our students’ first marking period Health/PE classes. However, we will need flip the tenth-period Coding class’s letter days from ACE to BDF. (The Coding teacher and class will remain the same, just the letter days will flip with the PE/Health letter days.) Title I Meeting: West will be holding two Title I Parent-School Partnership meetings. The first will be held on Wednesday (9/12/18) evening at 6:00 p.m.; the second will be held next Tuesday (9/18/17) at 7:15 a.m. We are hoping to meet with parents of West students who either have received or will be receiving Title I support/services. The objectives of the meeting are to inform parents of the school's participation in Title I, to explain what is required of a Title I school, to discuss how to expand upon parent-school communications, and to inform our parents of involvement opportunities. Each year, we invite parents who are willing to provide input regarding the planning, review, and improvement of our Title I policy, program, allocation of funds, as well as a number of other Title I-specific topics. Please consider attending! Please review the informational items listed below for upcoming events and reminders. School forms: Several important forms were sent home in the back-to-school packet. Please be sure to return the following forms as soon as possible: Limerick – Authorization for Student Pick-up Health Emergency – also available online Yearbook Authorization – optional Activity Fee Form – online this year (7th and 8th grade, only) Picture Day: Picture day is Thursday, September 13, 2018. The forms were distributed in the first-day packet. Nurse’s Notes: Welcome back to what I hope to be another healthy and successful school year! Please remember that 6th grade students require a physical examination and updated immunizations if necessary, and 7th grade students require a dental examination. If your child has had these examinations over the summer, please be sure to send a copy in to the Nurse's office so your child's health record can be updated. Student's health records and immunization cards stay with your child throughout their school years, and is important that the information stays up to date. Your cooperation with this is most appreciated! Please don't hesitate to reach out to me if you have any questions or concerns regarding your child. I can be reached at 484-977-7210 ext 4. or emailed at clind@pvsd.org. Home and School Information: Welcome back! The Home & School is looking forward to a great year at West. Join us for our first meeting on September 12th at 7:00 in the Library (please note the date change from the district calendar), where you can help plan the year. Can't make the meeting? Make sure you send in your Volunteer Form from the first day packet to learn about any upcoming volunteer opportunities. Meeting Dates: September 12, 2018 October 16, 2018 November 13, 2018 January 8, 2019 March 5, 2019 April 30, 2019 May 7, 2019
Thanks to everyone who already ordered or sent in their Kidstuff book. The book is in color this year and has an app. Check it out! The sale continues through September 14th. Walk for West is coming in October-- make sure you order your Spirit Wear so you can walk with Viking Pride! Order online at pvwest.itemorder.com until Sunday, September 16th. Orders are typically delivered two to three weeks after the sale ends and will be sent home with your child. Warmest Regards, Donna Milligan, Principal, PVMS West
Important Dates:
All of us at West are looking forward to a great school year! Looking ahead... Since the Principal's Reports can become quite lengthy, I will be posting them on our school's website. Only new news/information will be reported weekly. General reminders are available on Mrs. Milligan's Tips and Reminders Webpage, located under the Resources for Families tab on the Middle School West home page. As usual, if you have any questions or concerns, please call our office 484-977-7210; we will be more than happy to assist you. |
Back-to-School News You Can Use
 TEXTING: This year, we will begin using the texting feature of our communications system to delivery timely and important information to you. Texts will be sent to any phone number associated with your student in our student information system. The text will come from a “short code” such as 23177, 63079 or 82932. When you receive a message from one of these codes, you may want to create a new contact and name it “PVSD” so you know next time who the sender is. If you do not want to receive texts, there will be instructions following our texts that allow you to opt out. Standard message and data rates will apply. VOLUNTEER HANDBOOK: We have developed a Volunteer Handbook to assist anyone who would like to volunteer in knowing our expectations. The handbook helps to explain the differences between different types of volunteers and requirements for each. We invite you to review this handbook and other information on our website prior to volunteering. ACTIVITY FEES: Student activity fees for grades 7-12 can be paid online through Home Access Center (HAC) this year. Once all team and activity/club rosters have been finalized by the coaches and sponsors, fees will be assigned to a student in HAC. Parents will be able to see a “Fees” tab upon logging into HAC. If no tab appears, it means that team/activity rosters are still being finalized. Please be patient as this is a new process and may take some time to fully implement. Continue to check back for updates. BUSING INFORMATION: Please be sure to check HAC regularly to make sure you have accurate and up-to-date information about your child’s bus stop and number. Information is subject to change as the bus company continues adjusting routes to be the most efficient. PUBLICITY REFUSAL FORM: This is a friendly reminder to complete a publicity refusal form if you do not want your child’s image used for publicity purposes. Please download the form from our website and send it to school with your child so that we may keep a record. |
View Your First Day Photos
 |
Principal's Message - August 22, 2018
 Welcome to the 2018-2019 school year! I hope you enjoyed a wonderful summer vacation and made many happy memories. The first day of school, Monday, 9/27/18, will arrive before you know it, and all of us at West couldn’t be happier to welcome both new and returning students as well as our new families! Over the past year, I have had a chance to meet and work with many of you, and I look forward to continuing to build strong relationships in the coming year. As we enter this new school year, I wanted you to be aware that our faculty and staff will be engaging in conversations about student engagement, purposeful instruction, best and inclusionary practices, empowerment, and cultivating a growth mindset; in addition, we will be exploring new structures, specifically Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) and Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS). We believe in providing a rigorous academic program and student-centered learning experiences, in inspiring creativity, problem solving, and critical thinking; and in empowering students to pursue their strengths and passions. An Invitation: I want to personally invite you to attend our Meet the Teacher Nights: Sixth Graders and all New Students: 8/23/18, 6:30 (Starting in the Auditorium) Seventh and Eighth Graders: 9/5/18, 7:00 (Starting in Period 2) Both events will provide us with an opportunity to strengthen our PVMS West community, meet teachers and other families, and learn about the upcoming school year. News: West will welcome JonLuc Zacharias as our new Computers/Coding teacher and Kristen Pongras as our building duties aide/Connections LTS. Joining our paraprofessional team will be Suzanne Frattone, Pat Libby, and Jackie Shoff. Welcome to all! News: New cameras as well as a new entry system will be installed soon. This means that our lobby doors will be locked during the school day; in order to enter MS West, you will have to press a buzzer to enter the lobby. Like Schwenksville Elementary, this feature will make our security compatible with other buildings. Opportunity: Please consider attending PVMS West’s first Home and School Meeting on 9/12/18 at 7:00 p.m. in the Library. Our Home and School Association is amazing, and all parents are welcome! Coaches Wanted: If anyone is interested in coaching field hockey, boys' soccer, or girls' soccer, please contact Mr. Larry Glanski, 610-489-1230, ext. 2031. Click here to view Mrs. Milligan's Tips and Reminders Webpage. Items from my weekly principal's message that you may want to refer back to will be added throughout the school year. Warm regards, Donna Milligan Principal, PVMS West
Procedural Reminders: Entering the Building – Please press the buzzer in the lobby and wait for a secretary to greet you. State your name and reason for entering the building. Wait for the door to unlock, then enter the lobby where you will buzz to gain entrance to the office. Be sure to have a photo ID with you! Drop-offs – Please do not drop off students prior to 7:25 a.m. Also, students should only be dropped off in front of the auditorium; family vehicles should never enter the bus lot in the morning or afternoon. Pick-ups – All parents and guardians must present a photo ID every time. All other adults picking up a child must have prior written approval of the custodial parent and a photo ID before the child is released. Parents and guardians, please submit the approval as early in the day as possible to avoid delays and confusion in the office. Children should be picked up by 2:30 p.m. Parking Lot – Please utilize the parking lot whenever you need to come into the building or when waiting for students to exit. Also, please do not park in the handicapped parking spaces without the appropriate placard or license plate. Absences – Please be sure to contact Mrs. Brenda Continelli, our counseling secretary, at bcontinelli@pvsd.org or by calling our office at 484-977-7210. For detailed information about our attendance procedures, please refer to the Student Handbook. The Handbook can be found on the PVSD webpage by clicking the Parents tab, Handbooks, and Middle School Handbook. Tardies – If your child is not able to be in school by 7:50 a.m., please park in our parking lot and walk in with your child to sign him/her in. Medical appointments that cannot be scheduled after school will be marked as “excused” when a note from the medical office is received. All parent/medical notes for absences, early dismissals, and tardies should be turned in within three days of the absence. Fall Sports Pick-Up – The fall sports season is a very busy one at PVMS West. For cars pulling along the curb by the sidewalks, please go down as far as you can toward the main entrance of the school building. Once the curb area is full, please park in the parking lot. Please do not park along the curbs of the parking lot as this creates too narrow of a driving lane and limits the visibility of pedestrians. Our primary concern is the safety of our students. If everyone can be on time, park in a spot, and be wary of pedestrian traffic, we can make athletic pick-up run smoothly and efficiently. Thank you for working with us on this issue. |
6th Grade Orientation
 |
1-10 of 59
