All parents, guardians, teachers, and staff members are encouraged to become involved with the Cook-Wissahickon Home and School Association by attending our monthly meetings to coordinate plans to support for our school community and by volunteering throughout the year. Everyone is welcome to participate in monthly HSA meetings. Check out some of our accomplishments from the 2018-19 school year here.
Suggested dues are $5.00 per family, per year. To become a voting HSA member for the year, you can fill out the Google form online or you can download the 2019-20 HSA Membership Form and print it and have your student return it to his/her homeroom teacher in an envelope marked HSA Membership. Payments can be sent to school via cash or check (checks made payable to Cook-Wissahickon HSA). You can also pay via Paypal – just mark your child’s name, grade/teacher, and Membership Dues in the space for special instructions.
Participating in NUT Days—or No Uniform Today Days—is a great way to help raise funds for the Cook-Wissahickon Home and School Association. For $1, students are able to dress down in appropriate non-uniform clothes for school.
Even if just about half of CW students participate in a NUT Day, we can raise about $250 on any given Friday. This money provides multiple buses to and from field trips or buses for choir students to participate in the Thanksgiving Day parade each year, and more. All money raised goes to the HSA General Fund to support our students.
This year we are again offering pay-ahead options for those who don’t want to have to search for $1 on Fridays. Please download the form here for complete details. You can send payment in with this form or pay via our PayPal account. Please make checks payable to Cook-Wissahickon HSA. You can also pay via https://paypal.me/cookwisshsa mark your child(s) name, teacher, and NUT DAY in the space for special instructions.
The first HSA meeting of the 2019-20 school year will be held on Thursday, September 12 at 6:00 pm at Cook-Wissahickon. This summer, the CW HSA Board has been working on reviewing and revamping our bylaws so they align with our current practices and the needs of our school community. We will be voting on the changes at this first meeting. We want to be sure to have our members’ voices included in this process. Please review the proposed changes (additions in red and text being removed is indicated with a strike through) here before our vote on 9/12.
We hope to see you at the meeting. If you have any questions or suggestions before then, or can’t make the meeting, but have a comment, please email cookwisshsa@gmail.com.
We hope everyone enjoys the last few weeks of summer—the first day of school is Tuesday, 9/3!
Has your student outgrown his/her uniforms? Do you need to clean out closets or fill them for the 2019-20 school year? Whether you need uniforms, have some to donate, or both, stop by the Cook-Wissahickon Table at Pretzel Park’s Farmer’s Market on August 3 from 10am to 2pm! Can’t make it on 8/3, but have some uniforms to give away? Drop off your gently used uniform shirts, skirts, pants, sweatshirts, etc. in the bin in front of the school at your convenience anytime before 8/2!
We will also be organizing one uniform order before the start of school – if you are interested in ordering any of the CW embroidered uniform options, all orders are due NO LATER THAN 8/10/19. Please download the order form here and follow the directions—orders will be accepted via email (COOKWISSUNIFORMS@GMAIL.COM) or can be dropped off at one of three upcoming community events where HSA volunteers will have a table:
Wednesday, 7/31: Parks on Tap at Gorgas Park (5-10pm)
Happy summer! We know some people like to get school supply shopping over with early in the summer and some like to wait. We’re posting the supply lists from school for each grade here so you can access it whenever you’re ready! Please be sure all supplies are latex-free as there are several staff members in the building who are allergic to latex so no latex is allowed.
5/2,3: Beauty and the Beast JR performances at 6 pm at Cook-Wissahickon
5/4: Beauty and the Beast JR at 1:30 pm at Cook-Wissahickon (The theater department is still looking for a few more volunteers to help at the performances. Click here to see what’s needed and to sign up if you’re available.)
5/7: WSC Earth Day Event at CW—Volunteers are needed. Please sign up here!
5/9: HSA Meeting at 6:30 at A Tutti (5154 Ridge Ave) (Check out last month’s minutes here.)
5/10: Teacher Appreciation Breakfast—Thanks to all who have already signed up to donate food or supplies or to help! Haven’t had a chance to sign up yet? It’s not too late – click here to sign up!)
5/17: CW at the Phillies Game (Choir singing the National Anthem)
5/21: No School – Election Day
5/21: WSC Meeting at The Foodery at 6:30 pm
5/22: WSC Meeting at CW at 4 pm
5/24: Choir Championships
5/27: No School for Memorial Day
5/28: 8th Grade Trip
5/29: 8th Grade Lunch
5/30: Field Day (see below for more details) *Note New Date*
5/30: Meet Your Community Night at Stroll the Street in Manayunk. CW will be there with details about the 9/21 5K!
5/31: 8th Grade Graduation
6/3: Kindergarten Move-up Celebration
6/4: Last Day of School for Students
6/8: WSC/Lowe’s Grant Build Day: Improving Access to Outdoor Classroom
Reminders
Stay Up-to-Date: If you know someone who is not receiving HSA emails, please forward this and ask them to sign up here to be added to the list.
Every Day in May: Did you hear about the Cook-Wissahickon Perfect Attendance Challenge? CW teachers and staff want to see students in school #EveryDayinMay! The class with the most perfect attendance days in May will win an Ice Cream Party! Enter to win by coming Every Day In May!
Volunteer Clearances: Interested in volunteering at events for the remainder of the year like Field Day? Please make sure you have all your clearances so you’re eligible to help! Thanks to all who have completed or started this process!
District-wide Survey: Your opinion wanted! Parents/guardians and students are encouraged to take the District-wide survey. Click here to complete the survey.
2019 Cook-Wissahickon Field Day: Thursday, 5/30
Cook-Wissahickon’s Annual Field Day is on Thursday, May 30! CW students will head to Daisy Field for an end-of-the-year celebration with games and contests to determine this year’s winner—the Maroon or Blue Team! Students will be bringing home a permission slip soon that must be returned. The cost of this year’s Field Day is $10. We’re also asking families to donate food items (each homeroom has a specific request—see the form your student brought home or check out the details here!). Thanks in advance for your support. If you’d like to volunteer and have completed all your clearances, you can sign up here.
Thank You, CW Families!
April was a busy month at Cook-Wissahickon! Thank you to all of the awesome volunteers who helped out this month! We love our CW Community! Our BOGO Book Fair at the beginning of the month was great! Thank you so much to all the new and returning volunteers who helped! The Wissahickon Sustainability Council has been hard at work keeping our school grounds looking good! Thanks for organizing clean-up days and thanks to all who showed up to help! If you’re interested in getting involved with the WSC, join them on 5/21 at The Foodery at 6:30 pm for their monthly meeting or sign up to help with their Earth Day Event at school on 5/7. You can sign up here. Our Spring Movie Night was fun thanks to all the volunteers who helped move the festivities indoors due to the crazy weather! Thanks to all the families who braved the weather and joined us for a fun night! The Dine to Donate Events have been popular and profitable this year! Our March Tony Roni night brought in $70. Thanks to all who dined out on 4/29 at Hilltown Tavern, too! The uniform sale fundraiser for learning and autistic support classrooms raised $600—each class will get $150. Thank you to the families who have contributed to our 50th Anniversary Fundraising Campaign so far! We’re on our way to reaching our fundraising goals! We’re also grateful to our community business sponsors!
Please donate to our 50th Anniversary Fundraiser! We’re grateful to all who have contributed! The money raised so far is going toward replacing the basketball poles and adding backboards and nets in the schoolyard, which should be coming very soon! We will also be supporting student activities and teacher continuing education. Click here to donate to our fundraising drive via PayPal (add memo line: CW-HSA Fundraiser 2019). Or send a check payable to Cook-Wissahickon HSA and to school in an envelope marked “HSA.” Thank you for your support!
CW Sponsors Thanks to these companies that have given generously to our 2019 campaign! Please support these local businesses! Gold Sponsor: Fiesta Pizza
School will be closed April 18, 19, and 22 for Spring Break. We hope everyone has a great break! Check out some of the events coming up at CW after break (don’t forget to get your clearances if you plan to volunteer):
Did you miss the April HSA Meeting? Get the minutes here. WSC Spring Clean Up on Monday, April 22, with Neighborhood Groups & Schools. Come out to volunteer as part of our Earth Day Clean Up! This clean up is in partnership with other local neighborhood schools. We will pick up trash, weed, mulch, and do other maintenance. Sign up here! Kids Heart Challenge: Click here to find out more about this event and to sign up! Spring Movie Night! Join us for Spring Movie Night! We’re showing Jumanji (1995) on Friday, April 26 on our “lawn area” at dusk (doors open at 7)! ($5 for adults/$2/50 for children). Bring blankets and chairs. Concessions availalable. We will need volunteers to make this as smooth as possible! Sign up for jobs like working the concession stand, cooking, selling glow sticks, set up, clean up, and more. Sign up here to volunteer! 12th Annual Autism Expo: The School District of Philadelphia, Office of Specialized Services and the Hill Freedman World Academy are hosting the 12th Annual Autism Expo on Friday, April 26 at the School District of Philadelphia Education Center 440 North Broad Street from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. This event was organized for parents, guardians and family members to meet with Providers, Legislators, and Parents Support organizations. Our volunteer coordinator set up a page for interested CW families to sign up to coordinate going to the expo here. Dine to Donate at Hilltown Tavern on April 29 from 6-9pm. 20% of proceeds will be donated back to Cook-Wissahickon Home and School Association. Math PSSA (Grades 3-8): April 29-30 Beauty and the Beast JR:Come out and see the performances on 5/2,3, and 4! Get tickets now online at Cwbeauty.brownpapertickets.com Password: CookWissTheatre2019. Also, volunteers are needed at performances. Sign up here. WSC Earth Day Celebration on May 7 with CW Classes. Volunteers can expect to serve in various capacities to aid the WSC team and partner organizations throughout the day. Volunteer here to help! Phillies Game: Join CW Families for a fun night cheering on the Philadelphia Phillies on 5/17. The CW Choir will be singing the National Anthem! Order tickets now. Lost the order form? Download it here
CW Teacher Appreciation Breakfast on 5/10 We need help to make this year’s Teacher Appreciation Breakfast on May 10 a success—we need donations and volunteers to help with set up, serving, and/or clean up! Please take a moment to view our sign-up sheet to see what roles interest you. Thank you!
Other Reminders:
District-wide Survey: Your opinion wanted! Parents/guardians and students are encouraged to take the District-wide survey. Click here to complete the survey. 50th Anniversary Fundraiser:Help us reach our fundraising goal—contribute to our 50th Anniversary Fundraiser!
We’re raising money to improve the outdoor basketball courts, support
student activities, and fund teacher continuing education. Donate here
via PayPal (add memo line: CW-HSA Fundraiser 2019). Or send cash or
check payable to Cook-Wissahickon HSA to school in an envelope marked
“HSA.” Thanks to all the families who have already donated!
The Cook-Wissahickon Middle School Student Government (SGA) is sponsoring the PSSA “Pump Up” Spirit Week on April 8-12! Students should dress appropriately for what the SGA has planned for the week:
Important Dates 4/1-5: BOGO Book Fair. Click here to check out the schedule for when classes will visit the fair and to set up an ewallet (this is a great tool—no need to remember cash the morning of the fair and any change is deposited directly back into your bank account or to your credit card). Please remember that the books are taxed, so include a little extra to cover those costs! You can also sign up to volunteer here—we’re still in need. You must have completed all your clearances and have them on file at school in order to volunteer! Thanks in advance for your help. 4/2: Yearbook Club for Middle School Students 8:15-8-45 am and 3:30-4:30 pm. Yearbook Club will meet every Tuesday in April, and 5/7, if needed. See Ms. Kimmel with questions. 4/3,4,5: Report Card Conferences and 12:24 Dismissal. (Stop by the HSA table when you come in for conferences! We will be there to receive clearances you’ve been working on. Beauty & The Beast JR tickets will also be on sale. You can also buy online at Cwbeauty.brownpapertickets.com Password: CookWissTheatre2019) 4/3,4,5 & 6: Musical Set Build—the theater department is looking for volunteers to help build the set for Beauty and the Beast JR during the ½ days and on Saturday! Sign up here if you can help. Dress appropriately for manual labor and be prepared to use your hands! 4/4: HSA Meeting at A Tutti Ristortante Italiano located at 5154 Ridge Ave. Come out for dinner and stay for a meeting at 6:30 or just come for the meeting—HSA will provide some light food (first-come, first served)! 4/8: Riverbend trip for grades 1, 2, and AS 1 and 2 4/11: Grades K-2 Marchiano’s Fundraiser Orders Due 4/12: 12:24 Dismissal 4/12:Orders for Shout-Outs for the Beauty and the Beast JR program due! Or fill out the Google Form! 4/13: WSC Clean up Day with help from Jefferson University Volunteers. Sign up to help! 4/15-17: ELA PSSA (Grades 3-8). 4/16: WSC Meeting 6:30 at Foodery 4/17: WSC Meeting 4pm at CW 4/18,19, & 22: No School – Spring Break 4/22: WSC Spring Clean Up with Neighborhood and other Schools. Sign up here to help 4/26: Spring Movie Night! Sign up here to volunteer! 4/29-30: Math PSSA (Grades 3-8).
Reminders: Stay Up-to-Date: If you know someone who is not receiving HSA emails, please forward this and ask them to sign up here to be added to the list. Volunteer Clearances: Interested in volunteering at events for the remainder of the year, like Book Fair, Field Day, Choir Trips, etc? Please make sure you have all your clearances so you’re eligible to help! Thanks to all who have completed or started this process—we have 81 volunteers 100% cleared!
Congratulations to the Wissahickon Sustainability Council for winning a pledge of support from the McLean Contributionship for $25,000. This money will be used to begin greening the main schoolyard, particularly around the back fence line, adding trees and native plants as well as new seating. To find out more about the schoolyard greening project and to give feedback on the design, visit https://cookwisswsc.com/our-plans/
It’s hard to believe there are just over two months left of the school year! We know the next few weeks are going to be busy and there are a lot of fun events coming up, but we want to take a moment to thank the CW community for its continued support! Our February Scholastic Book Fair was one of our most successful book fairs ever—thanks to all the volunteers and all the families who bought books. We raised 2600 in Scholastic money for school, which Mr. Lowe reported will cover purchase of all Summer Reading books. The Choir’s Annual Spaghetti Dinner was a great event! Thanks to the choir families and CW staff who volunteered to help raise money for the choir, as well as to the many families who came out to support the cause! Thank you to all the students and families who participated in our special Valentine’s Day NUT Day! We raised $300 for Friends in Pink, a local charity. The March Spicy Belly and Tony Roni Dine to Donate nights were also successes. Thanks to everyone who came out! And thank you to the Wissahickon Sustainability Council for their work securing grants that will help improve the CW grounds! They also regularly hold clean-up days to pick up trash, maintain the meadow and gardens, and keep the grounds looking good! We’d also like to thank the families who have contributed to our 50th Anniversary Fundraising Campaign!
50th Anniversary Fundraising Drive Please donate to our 50th Anniversary Fundraiser! We’re grateful to all who have contributed so far! The money raised so far is going toward replacing the basketball poles and adding backboards and nets in the schoolyard! The money will also be used to support student activities and teacher continuing education. Click here to donate to our fundraising drive via PayPal (add memo line: CW-HSA Fundraiser 2019). Or send a check payable to Cook-Wissahickon HSA and to school in an envelope marked “HSA.” Thank you for your support!
Looking Ahead
5/1-2: Science PSSA (4th and 8th grade only)
5/2-4: Beauty and the Beast JR Performances (Keep your eye out for a link to buy tickets online soon!)
5/7: WSC Earth Day Celebration with CW Classes. Volunteer here to help!
5/16: Spring Evening of the Arts
5/17: CW Choir Performing at the Philadelphia Phillies Game (Ticket Orders Coming Soon!)
Has your student gone up a size? Or do you want to get ready for the warmer weather with short-sleeve t-shirts and CW shorts? Looking for a new hoodie? Don’t miss this chance to order CW Gear! There are also adult sizes available! Download the order form here. Orders are due on March 4!
