Penn Manor no longer provides the colorful district calendars.  Please see the message below, so that you are up-to-date on our school year.  This includes early dismissals, days off, holidays, etc.

Penn Manor school board has approved a minor revision to the district calendar that changes the district-wide early-dismissal day from May 22 to May 15. Please make a note of the change, which is listed in the printable at-a-glance calendar here:

Year At A Glance

Links to full calendars of school district and athletic events and activities are available here:

District Calendar

The first graders in 1-S enjoyed a picnic lunch!  We had a fantastic first week at Hambright, and all students stayed in the Sunshine Club.  At the end of the month, those kids get to eat lunch with the teacher.  Our new school has some nice areas, as you can see in these pictures.  To take advantage, we enjoyed eating outside.  It was rather sunny, as noted by the squints!  

Have a wonderful weekend!

Students had an opportunity to explore some games to play indoors.  Fortunately for us, we’ve had beautiful weather this first week of school.  If (when!) we have inclement weather, the first graders have some ideas of what they can do inside during recess time.  They had fun pretending there was bad weather outside!

Well, we survived the first day.  And with flying colors!!!! 🙂  We had a fantastic day in first grade.  Students found the room with no troubles and greeted me with smiles!  They found their desks, unpacked their supplies, and chose their lunch for the day.   They colored a fun “Back to School” School bus picture while getting settled.  Students had a short tour of the building, including the use of the new bathrooms at Hambright.  We read a book called “First Grade Jitters” and introduced ourselves (now that the jitters were gone!).  Students learned a poem called “First Day of School” and enjoyed a snack before heading to the library.  Mrs. Etzweiler and Mrs. Nadig have a beautiful room which we started to become acquainted with.   Students created t-shirts with their favorite summer activity hanging on it.  They will be displayed SOMEWHERE once I figure out a good spot!

Students smiled for a picture, enjoyed lunch in the new cafeteria, and played on our spectacular playground!  They took a math “pre-test,” read a School Bus book, and heard another read-aloud “My Teacher’s My Friend.”  At an all-school assembly, the students sang the Hambright Leader song, met some new teachers, and watched a fun video of teachers participating in the Ice Bucket Challenge.  The highlight of the assembly was watching our Leader, Dr. Egan, participate in the ice bucket challenge in front of the entire school. What a hoot!

Your first grader should hand you a yellow folder.  There is some important information in there for families.  I promise, it’s usually not that full!  But tonight, it’s homework for the parents!  Tomorrow, it’s kid homework! 🙂   Please see that you fill out as much as possible, but I understand if families cannot complete the paperwork tonight.  Most important task is that the first grader comes to school with the folder tomorrow.   

Procedure-wise….the only thing I ask is that you could maybe help your child with lunch behavior.  A few first graders and other students in the building had trouble cleaning up after themselves.  For many kiddos, this is the first time they must eat lunch without a parent present!  Yikes!  Not a huge deal, it will improve.  But any words of wisdom from home would be appreciated.  

All-in-all, a FABULOUS day!  Thank you for all of the support and help from home.  We are off to a super start!

“The Night Before School” has arrived!!!  🙂  It’s been a long week getting our new school and classroom ready, but it’s finally here!  The night before first grade.  I am very excited to begin this year with you all.  It was wonderful meeting many of you at the Open House last Thursday.  For those of you unable to attend, here is a preview of the classroom.  Parents will be invited back on September 11 from 4:30-6:30 for “Meet the Teacher” Night.

Have you packed your supplies?  Bookbag ready to go?  Clothes laid out?  Lunch packed?  (or you’ve decided what you will order in the cafeteria….that’s the first thing we will do in the morning!)  I will have trouble sleeping tonight from the excitement, but please try to rest up!

When you enter the building, turn right, down the red hallway and I’ll be waiting in the hallway at room A-110!

The NEW Hambright Elementary School is really coming along well!  I have been working in the school the past two days getting the room ready for you.  It is still a “work-in-progress” but we will be ready for Monday August 25!  Just a reminder that the building will be open this Thursday, August 21.  Doors will be open from 3:00-5:00 for your visits.  I hope you can take advantage of this time to become familiar with the layout.  This is your chance to see the beautiful building we are so fortunate to learn in! 

Students who are enrolled in my class will receive letters in the  mail soon!  I am so thankful to the staff at Letort for allowing us to move in before our school is finished.  I was able to get my letters printed, envelopes stuffed, and addresses labeled today!  (With special thanks to my helper, my fourth-grade niece!).  Look for a letter to arrive early next week!