During the weeks of April 13th and 20th, Miss Juarez will take over full instruction in our kindergarten classroom as part of her Professional Development School (PDS) experience.

Miss Juarez has been working closely with us throughout the year, and we've been so impressed with her enthusiasm and dedication to your children's learning. This is a wonderful opportunity for her to put her knowledge and skills into practice and for our students to benefit from her fresh perspectives and engaging lessons.

During this time, Miss Juarez will lead all classroom activities, including Calendar, ELA (Heggerty, Fundations, Core, Geodes, and Writing), Math, and Content (Science and Social Studies). She will continue to follow our curriculum and pacing guides.

Please be assured that I will remain involved, providing support and guidance to Miss Juarez, as needed. We are confident that this will be a positive and enriching experience for everyone.

We appreciate your continued support and partnership. If you have any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to reach out.

Just a friendly reminder to please continue practicing the trick words at home with your child! We assessed the first 10 of 27 words today, and it was clear to see which students have been practicing.

These words are "trick" words because they can't be sounded out phonetically. Memorization is key!

Those who practiced were confident and successful, while those who hadn't been practicing struggled. Consistent practice at home will make a big difference in their reading fluency.

Please reach out if you want to know how your child did.

I'm so glad you are here.  Feel free to check out the pages and links at the top of the page.  You will get to know a bit more about our classroom and me!  If you have any questions, feel free to reach out.  Thank you to everyone that stopped by on Wednesday to see our classroom.  I can't wait to see everyone on Monday!

Kindergarten is unique in that I've had the opportunity to meet most of you already at our Kindergarten Orientation.  Back to School Night is an informal, drop in event from 4-6 pm for the whole school.  You are welcome to come back to school to see the classroom and school again, ask any questions that you may have now that school has started, or allow your child to show you around now that they've been at school for a few days.  The choice to attend or not is yours and I will not be offended if you choose not to come again! :)

Each student is issued one pick-up sign for the school year.  We understand that you may have multiple people picking up your child from school and an additional sign would be helpful so you don't have to share the sign.  If you need another sign, please complete the Google form and we will be sure to get another one to you ASAP.  Thank you for your help!

As we are starting to get used to the routines of picking up students from AM kindergarten and dropping them off for PM kindergarten, please refer to the guidelines for doing so.  Below are a few reminders to highlight...

*Please DO NOT pass the car in front of you.  For the safety of all students, it is important to wait patiently until the car in front of you pulls away.  If your child is not buckled in, please pull into a parking space so you are not holding up the line.

*Be sure to use and not block the "loop" on the side of the building to allow cars to enter the pick-up/drop-off line and not be stopped on the road. 

*Always have a car sign visible when picking up your child from AM kindergarten.  While I may know who you are, it's helpful to have it readily available if you are in a different car or I am not at school.  If you need another one, please email me or send a note to the school and we will send another one home with your child.

The last day to turn in the Summer Reading and Rigorous Activity Challenges is Wednesday!

Shop Our Class Page: https://orders.scholastic.com/GJX4P

Scholastic Book Club offers a wonderful selection of books for very reasonable prices. Each month, I can place an order for our classroom.  All orders for this month will be due by next MONDAY.  You can place your orders online using our class activation code: GJX4P.  All books ordered will be shipped to our classroom and sent home with your child.  Any orders submitted after this date will be processed with next month’s order.   With a $25 order, you can pick a FREE Book (there is a QR code to scan).  Every purchase you make earns points towards FREE books and educational supplies for our classroom.  Please let me know if you have any questions about this.

Our PTO sponsored Pay-The-Day Fundraiser paperwork was sent home yesterday.  It is sent home by the youngest child in the family and all money collected and prizes awarded are also by family.  The money raised is used to fund special events, assemblies, and field trips.  Your support with this is greatly appreciated.  Calendars and money are DUE on Wednesday, November 5th.

Picture day is on Thursday, October 2nd.  Please remember to send your child to school with his or her picture envelope or place your order online. Visit mylifetouch.com and enter the Picture Day ID: EVTFCCK3Q to place your online order.  All students will get their pictures taken but you are under no obligation to purchase picture packages.  If you have any questions or concerns regarding picture day, please contact the school office (717-284-4128).  Thank you!

Thank you for your overwhelming generosity! The response to my request over the past few days has been incredible. I am so appreciative of your support in sending in baggies, tissue, and hand sanitizer. With your help, our classroom is well-stocked for a while. Thank you again!

Shop Our Class Page: https://orders.scholastic.com/GJX4P

Scholastic Book Club offers a wonderful selection of books for very reasonable prices. Once a month, I submit an order for our classroom.  All orders for this month will be due by next TUESDAY (the 14th).  You can place your orders online using our class code: GJX4P.  All books ordered will be shipped to our classroom and sent home with your child.  Any orders submitted after this date will be processed with next month’s order.   Be sure to apply any coupons for which you qualify when submitting your order.  Code READS is good for a FREE book with every $25+ order.  Every purchase you make earns points towards FREE books and educational supplies for our classroom.  Please let me know if you have any questions about this.

I hope you are enjoying the pictures and snippets of our day that I've been posting to Seesaw.  My goal is to give you an idea of what's happening while your child is here at school just in case they tell you "nothing."  You are welcome to leave a comment on the postings as well.  I appreciate the feedback and love hearing what your child tells you about at home. 

Please ensure that your child's STAR folder contains the QR code that was given to them. This code is essential for accessing Seesaw activities and participating in our class.

If the QR code is missing, your child will unfortunately not be able to join in on our Seesaw fun while at school.

Thank you for your attention to this matter.

PLEASE NOTE: The QR Code is only for use at school using the school-issued laptops.

We will be holding parent-teacher conferences both in person and virtually again this year. Below is a link to submit your availability for a conference.  

LINK TO SUBMIT AVAILABILITY FOR A PARENT-TEACHER CONFERENCE

Conferences for Kindergarten will be held on...
* Friday, November 21st from 8:30 am-3:30 pm
* Monday, November 24th from 1:45-7:45 pm
* Tuesday, November 25th from 1:45-3:30 pm

To plan ahead for conferences:

• Look at your calendar, and select the date/times that will work best for your family.   We only host one conference per child so it is very important that blended families coordinate this in advance. 

• After you submit your availability, a conference will be scheduled, and an email confirmation will be sent to the email address you provided. Be sure to confirm the appointment.

• Important note: a virtual meeting link is automatically generated for all calendar invitations. If you selected virtual, you will use the link to join the conference at your time. If you selected in person, you will come to school and wait outside the classroom door until your designated time.

• Please provide your availability for a conference by Friday, October 31st. I will provide you with your conference time by Monday, November 3rd at the latest.

Picture Retake day is on Thursday, November 13th. If you would like your child to have picture retakes, please return their original picture packet. If your child wasn’t here for picture day, he or she may get their picture taken on Thursday. All picture retakes happen in the morning from 9 am - 10 am.  Please note: PM students will need to be brought to school to have their pictures retaken.

I appreciate everyone taking time out of their schedules to meet with me for a parent teacher conference.  I truly enjoy sharing how delightful your children are and also figuring out how we can best meet their needs.

I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving break. :)

As we head into our winter break, I wanted to take a moment to share how incredibly proud I am of our kindergarteners. We have had a busy and exciting first half of the school year! It is a joy to watch their curiosity grow every single day. Whether you are celebrating Christmas or simply enjoying the break from our school routine, I hope your holiday season is filled with laughter, rest, and wonderful memories with your children.  

Thank you for blessing me with your children and so many wonderful and thoughtful gifts! I look forward to seeing all those smiling faces back in the classroom in the New Year!

I hope everyone had a restful break and was able to enjoy the time with family and friends.

Shop Our Class Page: https://orders.scholastic.com/GJX4P

Scholastic Book Club offers a wonderful selection of books for very reasonable prices. Each month, I can place an order for our classroom.  All orders for this month will be due by next TUESDAY.  You can place your orders online using our class activation code: GJX4P.  All books ordered will be shipped to our classroom and sent home with your child.  Any orders submitted after this date will be processed with next month’s order.   With a $25 order, you can pick a FREE Book (there is a QR code to scan).  Every purchase you make earns points towards FREE books and educational supplies for our classroom.  Please let me know if you have any questions about this.

To make sure we are prepared for any upcoming weather or "Flexible Instruction Days," I am sending home a "Virtual Learning Day/Flexible Instruction Day" packet with your child. This packet is designed to be completed at home.

Inside, you will find fun, simple activities for Math, ELA, and Science (Content) that align with what we are learning in our classroom—including Fundations, Eureka Math activities, and our STEELS science standards!

When will the packets arrive?

• PM Students: Received their packets in their folders on Thursday.  Some of them tucked it in the back of their STAR folders to keep them safe.

• AM Students: Received their packets in their folders on Friday.

What should you do with it? Please keep this packet safe, either in their folder or in a safe, easy-to-find spot at home. You do not need to do anything with it right now! We will only use these activities if our school district has a "Flexible Instruction Day" (Virtual Day).

Thank you for being such wonderful partners in your child’s learning. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out!

Report Cards will be posted to Sapphire by the end of the day today  Please be sure to log in to the Sapphire Parent Portal to view your child's report card.

It’s hard to believe that we’ve been in school for almost 100 days already. On Friday, February 6th, our class will be celebrating the 100th day of school! In case of inclement weather, the date may change but I will let you know if that happens.

Our celebrations will include:
*Counting to 100
*Sitting quietly for 100 seconds
*Doing 100 exercises
*Reading books about the number 100
*Playing a math game to race to the number 100
*…and so much more!!!

I would like each child to make a t-shirt (at home) with 100 items on it. These items can be anything from pins attached to the t-shirt, drawings on the t-shirt, to items glued or sewn on the t-shirt.  Be creative!  I’ve seen some awesome shirts over the years!  This gives you a great opportunity to work one-on-one with your child to complete a fun activity.  It is much more beneficial if your child participates in helping to make the shirt rather than you making the shirt for your child.  Try having your child count out 10 groups of 10 items to get to 100!  Your child should wear their completed t-shirt to school for our 100th-day celebration!  Please encourage your child not to tell his or her friends about their t-shirt…let it be a surprise! I can’t wait to see all of the fun creations!

Class lists are being sent home in your child's STAR folder.  Participating in our Valentine's Exchange is completely optional.

If you choose to participate…

• Please have your child write or cut out the names provided for Valentines for their classmates.  This is a great way to practice letter formation and/or cutting skills.

• If you’d like your child to participate but purchasing Valentines is a hardship, please let me know ASAP and I will provide valentines for your child.  Please ask well before they are due!  If your child doesn’t have Valentine’s on the day of the exchange, it’s too late to do anything about it then.

• If there is a treat, it should be store-wrapped (lollipops, candy, etc).  No homemade treats, please.  All edible treats are to be consumed at home.

Children aged 3 through Pre-K and their parent/guardian are invited to participate in our 2026 Penn Manor Lunch and Learn Program.

Do you have a child or children between the ages of 3-5 that aren’t in Kindergarten?  We invite you to join us at our monthly Preschool Lunch and Learn to hear a story, make a craft, check out a library book, and eat lunch in the cafeteria (children eat free).  This has been a great success over the years and we hope that you will plan to join us on Wednesday, February 11th for our first event this school year.

Our goal is to host the students who will attend Martic at our school while the other elementary schools in the district host the students who will be attending their schools.  This helps your child(ren) become familiar with the school and the staff in the building.  Please share this with your friends in the Penn Manor School District and have them contact the school where their child(ren) will be attending if they need more information and aren’t future Martic students.  Thank you for helping to make this event a great success!

Once a month, you and your children are invited to come to Martic for storytime, a craft, and to visit our library and check out books that you may borrow until the next Lunch and Learn date. Lunch and Learn times for February, March, and April are 11:45-12:45 pm. The May event is an evening event from 5:30-6:30 pm. Siblings are invited to come along. Please make sure they are accompanied by an adult.

We are excited for you to visit us at Martic. The links will be inserted when they are available.  Please click the links below to sign up to attend the event. We are looking forward to seeing you!

Please click the link below to sign up for Lunch and Learn on Wednesday, February 11th.

Click here to sign up

Practicing trick words, high-frequency words, word wall words, or sight words, as they are called, will help your child become a better reader. These words are the repetitive, small words that we find a lot when reading. Words like: I, a, my, the, he, and they, are examples of trick words. The goal is for your child to recognize these words instantly, without having to sound them out.  Blue flashcards with these words on them were previously sent home. Try playing games like Sight Word Scavenger Hunt, where you hide the cards around the room and have your child find and read them, or play a simple matching game. The list of words is included in the picture with this posting in case you misplace the words that were sent home. You may use the words that were sent or write the words on index cards, post-it notes, or whatever else you may have at your house. Then, use them for flashcard practice or play fun games with them. Even a few minutes of practice each day can make a big difference!

A message from Dr. Egan:

If you know of a teacher or other staff member who goes out of his or her way to help students and support our schools, please consider nominating them for an Outstanding Educator/Employee Award. The deadline for nominations is this Friday, March 13, 2026.

Nominations will be accepted online only. You can access the nomination form here.

The school district will present the 2025-2026 awards for Outstanding Elementary Educator, Outstanding Secondary Educator and Outstanding Employee later this year. Here is an explanation of the awards and nomination guidelines.

The Outstanding Educator Awards should be based on a teacher’s ability to promote academic growth in her/his students and for outstanding pupil-teacher relationships. A person may nominate one elementary teacher, one secondary teacher or one teacher on each level. The nominee must currently be employed by Penn Manor School District.

Outstanding Employee Awards should be based on a staff member’s ability to support the educational program and the quality of his/her relationships with staff and students.  A person may nominate one elementary staff member, one secondary staff member or one employee on each level. The nominee must currently be employed by Penn Manor.

Thank you for taking the time to acknowledge the hard work of our employees!

Trick words can be hard to learn.  That's why they are called trick words. It's very normal for kindergarteners to have difficulty with these words, as they don't always follow the phonics rules we're learning. It's definitely something we see across the classroom, and it's a process for everyone.  We have instructed about half of them so far so some of them we haven't covered yet.

Here are a few suggestions that might help with at home practice:

• Make it Playful: Instead of just drilling the words, try incorporating games. Things like a scavenger hunt to find the words, my pile/your pile (if they get the word correct it goes in your child's pile, if not it goes in your pile), sight word bingo, matching games, or writing them in shaving cream. It makes the words a little more fun to learn!

• Keep it Short and Sweet: Short, frequent practice sessions are often more effective than long, drawn-out ones. 5-10 minutes is usually plenty for kindergarteners.

• Focus on a Few at a Time: Don't try to tackle all the trick words at once. Focus on the words your child knows and add 2-3 that they don't know until they masters them, then add a couple more.

• Movement: Getting the whole body involved helps some students. Try having your child jump, clap, or stomp while saying the words.  We exercise the words with arms above the head for tall letters, hands on hips for short letters, and we touch our toes for letters that go below the line.

• Positive Reinforcement: Celebrate every little success! A sticker chart or simple praise can go a long way.  Your child could earn smiles, stars or stickers for every day they practice.  After 10 days, they get to choose the dessert after dinner (or whatever you decide).

At school, we're also working on these words regularly. If you have certain words that your child is struggling with, feel free to let me know and I may be able to offer specific support with the tips and tricks that I use to help students master those words.

By the end of this month, I will assess identification of the following: the, a, and, are, to, is, his, as, has, was.  Then, by the end of the year, all of the words will be assessed.

Please don't hesitate to reach out if you have any other questions. We're in this together!

We need your help to make our Awesome Activities Day a success! This event includes our Kindergarten, 1st, and 2nd-grade students and will take place on the morning of Thursday, May 7th.

Important Schedule Change:

• ALL Kindergarten students (both AM and PM sessions) will attend school in the morning only.

• Students should ride the bus to school at their normal morning time.

• Pick-up is at 11:30 AM. If you are volunteering, you may take your child home with you at that time! :). If your child goes to the Y Wrap, the bus will still pick them up and take them to Pequea.

What to Bring (and what to leave at home):

• Sneakers: Please ensure your child wears sneakers for safe play.

• No Backpacks: Students do not need to bring their backpacks on this day.

• Water Bottles: You may send a water bottle labeled with your child’s name. Please note that students are responsible for keeping track of their own bottles. We will also have water and cups available outside for everyone!

If you are available to volunteer, please use this link to sign up.  Be sure to sign up for the AM Session. Thank you for helping us make this a fun and memorable day for the kids!

ALL KINDERGARTEN STUDENTS WILL COME TO SCHOOL IN THE MORNING ONLY.