Find more information here!

Teacher Appreciation Week May 2nd-6th

Book Fair May 13th-20th!

General Membership Meeting May 11th

Join us for a general membership meeting! We will be voting on the 2022-2023 Budget and proposed revisions to the HSA Bylaws. 
Thank you to everyone who provided input on the budget and bylaws!
View the budget here. 

Important Dates

• 5/2 – 5/6 Teacher Appreciation Week
• 5/3: Schools closed for Eid Al Fitr
• 5/4 – 5/5: Math PSSA testing
• 5/9 – 5/10: Science PSSA testing 
• 5/11 HSA General Membership Meeting at 7pm via Zoom: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85931268076
• 5/13: Half day
• 5/17: Schools closed for Election Day
• 5/30: Schools closed for Memorial Day

The April 25th HSA General Membership meeting is postponed. New date and time to be announced.

Please join The Cook-Wissahickon Home and School Association for an HSA General Membership Meeting on Monday, April 25th, 2022 at 7:00pm via Zoom!
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85931268076

We will vote on the adoption of updated HSA Bylaws and the 2022-2023 budget. 

Please join the Cook Wissahickon HSA at the Philadelphia Rock Gym on April 23rd, 2022 from 10:00am-12:00pm!

Tickets are $15 per climber. A proceed of the fee is donated directly back to Cook Wissahickon! Please sign up using the link below:

https://phila.portal.approach.app/event/4162/booking/57297

General information on Philadelphia Rock Gym: https://philarockgym.com/prg-east-falls/

If you have any questions, please email cookwisshsafundraiser@gmail.com

The following resources about race, racism, and anti-racism were shared with School District of Philadelphia staff to encourage and support crucial conversations about these issues.

• NY Times: An Antiracist Reading List
• Anti-Racism Resources
• National Geographic: Talking to Kids About Race
• NPR – Talking Race With Young Children
• Parent Toolkit – How to Talk to Kids about Race and Racism
• Affirming Black Boys outside the Context of Police Brutality
• 31 Children’s books to support conversations on race, racism and resistance

6/3 Update

In addition to the the resources Dr. Hite shared with staff, he sent a email to families on 6/3 with more resources “that may help you in your conversations with your children,” He also reminded families that “school counselors and social workers are available via their email addresses and will respond to students and families who reach out. Families can also receive free support from the Philly HopeLine by calling or texting 833-Phil-HOPE (833-745-4673).” You can reach CW Counselor Ms. Getts via email at kgetts@philasd.org or via phone at 267-536-2860. Find more information here.

The additional resources Dr. Hite shared for talking to your children about race are:

• Talking to kids about race
• How to talk to kids about race and racism, according to experts
• Talking Race With Young Children
• Are Your Kids Too Young To Talk About Race
• Beyond the Golden Rule: A Parent’s Guide to Preventing and Responding to Prejudice (Southern Poverty Law Center)
• Preparing Young Children for the Inclusion of Children with Disabilities into the Classroom (National Association for the Education of Young Children)
• Resources for Talking about Race, Racism and Racialized Violence with Kids (Center for Racial Justice Education)
• Social Justice (National Association of School Psychologists)
• Talking to Kids About Discrimination (American Psychological Association)
• Understanding Child Trauma
• Age-related Reactions to a Traumatic Event
• Community Violence: Reactions and Actions in Dangerous Times
• Helping Youth After Community Trauma: Tips for Educators

School Closures: We know now that our physical school building will be closed for the remainder of the school year based on Governor Wolf’s order that all schools in PA will remain physically closed for the remainder of the year. All learning will be virtual. As of Monday, 4/20, an official Remote Learning Plan starts, but work will still be review. Beginning 5/4, the district will move to a Planned Curriculum with learning picking up where it left off on 3/13. The School District of Philadelphia is working on finalizing a learning plan, but has shared that we are shifting from 4 marking periods to 3, with the 3rd period open through the end of the school year. More detailed information about grading will be shared in the coming weeks. Please continue to check Class Dojo and Google Classroom for updates from teachers regarding a Google Meet schedule and for assignments. If you do not have a Class Dojo account, contact your teacher directly. Each student has an individual code.

Chromebooks: Thank you to CW staff who volunteered to distribute Chromebooks the week of 4/13! They distributed 215 Chromebooks. And, thankfully, many middle school students already had their Chromebooks home with them. Thank you to our staff and to our families for following the distribution directions carefully! It was a smooth and safe process. Please fill out Mr. Lowe’s Parent Survey on Home Learning HERE to help staff understand family needs. If you could not pick up a Chromebook during CW’s distribution, the district shared information on how to still obtain a Chromebook. Find the details here: https://www.philasd.org/coronavirus/chromebooks/. If you need information on obtaining internet access, please visit https://www.philasd.org/technologyservices/gettingconnected/.
Looking for tips on using a Chromebook or accessing Google Classroom, check out the resources Mr. Lowe shared HERE!

Meals for Students. Grab-and-go meal site information for students is HERE.

Graduation Dues, School Photos, Summer Reading, Etc: CW staff and admin are working on plans for all of these. As plans are formed and finalized, we will share details. Stay tuned to our social media pages and these newsletters! Mr. Lowe’s WEBSITE is also a great resource—check it regularly for updates.

HSA Meeting: Our monthly April Meeting was held successfully on Zoom on 4/16. It was great to see so many faces! Couldn’t make it? You can view the recording HERE. PW: m4!1v3Ib. There will be a virtual HSA Fundraising Committee Meeting on 4/22 at 5pm. Get the details on how to join HERE. The next virtual HSA meeting will be 5/21. Details to come!

HSA Elections: All HSA Board Positions are open for reelection this spring. Our Election Committee put a nomination form together If you are interested or know someone you think would be great, please nominate yourself or that person HERE.

Stay Connected: The Friends of CW Facebook Group is a great place to reach out to other families. We’ll continue to share any information we learn on the Cook-Wissahickon HSA Facebook page and @CookWissHSA Twitter Account. You can also follow Mr. Lowe on Twitter: @CookWissSchool

Important Upcoming Dates

• Tuesday, 3/3: District Wide Kindergarten Open-House 9:30-10:30 am (There will be another open house on May 5 from 9:30-10:30am)
• Saturday, 3/7: Schoolyard cleanup – 8-10 am
• Tuesday, 3/10 – Thursday, 3/12: Interim Reports
• Wednesday, 3/11: Picture Day
• Monday, 3/16: Final payment due for 8th Grade Dues
• Tuesday, 3/17: Special Dress Down Day for a local food pantry. We invite students to dress down and donate $1 (or more if you wish) or an item for a local food pantry. More details to come.
• Tuesday, 3/17: WSC Meeting – 6pm Foodery or
• Wednesday, 3/18: WCS Meeting at school at 4
• Thursday, 3/19: HSA Meeting at 6 pm at Tavern on RIdge
• Saturday, 3/21: Schoolyard cleanup – 8-10am
• Monday, 3/23-Suday, 3/29: Dine to Donate Week at Tony Roni’s Roxborough
• Thursday, 3/26: CW Baseball game vs. Lamberton at Kendrick Rec.
  Center. Check out the calendar for all the games here.
• Wednesday, April 1– CW Softball game Away v Mya. Check out the full schedule of games here.
• Every Friday: Every Friday is a NUT Day—students pay $1 to dress down. This is an important fundraiser for the CW HSA—this money provides multiple buses to and from field trips and supports other student activities.

Reminders and Update
HSA Board Elections: HSA Board elections are coming up soon. Interested in learning about a position you might want to run for or nominate someone for? Email the election committee via cookwisshsanews@gmail.com with any questions or interest. And be on the lookout for more info on nominations coming soon!

March Lunch Menu: Check out this month’s menu here!

Fundraiser Information
Spring Fundraising Campaign Kickoff: The fundraising committee is beginning our spring fundraising campaign for the Musical, Bye Bye Birdie, and to support the Wissahickon Sustainability Council’s efforts to depave and green our schoolyard. They need help! Have a connection to a local business that may want to support our school? Email cookwisshsafundraiser@gmail.com with the name of the company you can visit. The committee will prepare sponsorship packages for you to deliver! Our last day for fundraising will be March 31st so the sponsorship information can be printed into the musical playbill.

Mabel’s Labels Fundraiser: Log on to MabelsLabels.com and click on the upper right-hand side where it says, “Support a Fundraiser”. Type in “Cook-Wissahickon”, shop, have it shipped to your house, and CW earns money!

Box Tops For Education: We’re still accepting the paper box tops, but these traditional box tops clippings are being phased out. Now, when you see a Box Top Symbol, you can download the App and upload your receipt! This money goes directly to the school to help support student activities!  

Choir Fundraiser: Want to help the CW Choir? Check out this GoFundMe page a CW student set up to raise funds for the music program to help cover the costs of the choir traveling to their championship competition later this year. Donate and/or share! Thanks in advance for your support https://www.gofundme.com/f/charters-for-champions

Volunteer and Donation Needs
Volunteer Clearances: Every person who volunteers at our school—in the classroom, on field trips, at school events, etc.—MUST have clearances!

Congrats to the boys and girls basketball teams on their seasons! Thanks to Ms. Roccio and Mr. Rauchet for coaching!

Did you know NUT Days—or No Uniform Today Days—fund multiple buses to and from field trips, cover the costs of these trips for students who may not be able afford the fees, pay for classroom celebrations, and so many other student activities throughout the year? It’s one the HSA’s biggest annual fundraisers! Thanks for participating!

If you selected the pay twice per year option in September or you’ve been paying weekly and want to pay ahead for the rest of the year,  $15 per student Feb-June is due Feb. 14!* 

Send cash or check (payable to CW HSA) in a sealed envelope with a note saying NUT Day payment with your student’s name, grade, and teacher. Or pay via https://paypal.me/cookwisshsa – include your child’s name, teacher, and NUT DAY in the space for special instructions. 

*Please note, on occasion we plan special NUT Days for a specific cause—these days are not part of days included in the pay-ahead options. We’ll let you know about those special days  in correspondence through email, Facebook, and Twitter.