The Falcon 
Valley Forge Elementary School's PTO Newsletter 
Issue 2
September 2, 2018
Greetings from the PTO President
We did it! We all survived the first week of school. My second grader enthusiastically supported the district's call of early dismissal on Tuesday and Wednesday, and believes half day school is a good idea. I fell asleep on the couch before 9pm on Friday night. We all have our ways of adjusting.

In the coming weeks, you will see me begging for volunteers at Back to School nights (I already did at Kindergarten orientation). I get nervous speaking in front of large crowds, but it's important to me to get the message out. The PTO needs help. We are a great group of people, but 10 people can not compensate for a school of over 570 kids.

I recently read an article in the Wall Street Journal touting the benefits of parents that volunteer at their kids' schools. "Fewer parents are volunteering at their children's schools, just as new research reveals it yields broader benefits for students than previously believed. These range from higher student grades and test scores to more positive peer relationships in middle school and lower rates of depression in high school." 1   We have many opportunities that can be done from home, so if you are a working parent that can't help during school hours, we have you covered. We have opportunities that are ongoing, and some that are a one time only event. Please click here to learn more. Have questions? Email our VP of volunteers, Shilpa Gupta at vpvolunteers@vfespto.org.

In addition to begging for volunteers, you will see me soon begging for money. Again, we have over 570 kids. The PTO provides all of the cultural arts programs and assemblies, almost all of the technology in the classrooms, we supply the school upgrades like the refillable water filtration fountains. We supply all of the planners that the 3rd and 4th graders receive. And these are just a few things that we provide. We are changing our fundraising model this year, in the hopes that fewer asks of funds will result in a bigger opening of wallets when we do. Because honestly, without the funding, there isn't much we can do to provide the school experience your child has grown to expect and love at VFES. Want to get a jumpstart on donating? Click here.

Our first PTO meeting of the year is this Friday morning, at 9am, in the large group room. We welcome you all to attend. If you aren't a member of our Facebook page yet, I invite you to join, please answer the questions asked, as it is a closed group. And come out for our Back to School Social on Friday, September 14, from 5:30-7:30 and enjoy some Kona Ice, courtesy of the PTO.

Only 282 more days until the last day of school. We got this!

Kind regards,
Heather McConnell


1. Shellenbarger, Sue. "Parents Volunteering At School Should Tailor Skills to Different Stages." The Wall Street Journal, 1 August 2018. www.wsj.com/articles/parents-volunteering-at-school-should-tailor-skills-todifferent-stages-1533134808
 

School News 
School Directory Advertisers Wanted     
 
Don't miss out on a great opportunity to advertise your business in the VFES school directory! Ads can be placed until Friday, September 14th for inclusion in the directory.  New this year - an online presence! For ad sizes, rates and payment details, please contact Heather McConnell at ptopres@vfespto.org.

Gratitude Corner
Kindness, hard work, volunteerism, and good deeds are all around us. We teach these values to our children, and remind them to say "thank you" and show appreciation. 
 
Gratitude Corner is a place to give a shout-out to those in the VFES community who have gone above and beyond. A special way to say thank you for making a difference!




Community News 
            VFES' own Mr. Johnson's new endeavor!Community News 
JOIN SCOUT NIGHT!

Do you have a child interested in joining Cub Scouts? Valley Forge Pack 81 invites you  come learn about all about Cub Scouts at Join Scout Night on September 27 th , 2018. 

Scouting is about having lots of fun, learning new things, and making new friends. Cub Scouts is fun with a purpose! We look forward to seeing you there!

SCOUT ME IN!

When:  Thursday September 27 th 2018 @ 7pm
Where: Valley Forge Elementary School  Cafeteria
Who: Any Child (boy or girl) in Grades K-5

General Information
Answers to your Questions
Sign-Ups!
 

Noteworthy
A huge thank you to Erin and Mike Shine of 

The Shines' (a former VFES family) donated 7 dozen bundtlets to the Teacher Back to School luncheon on Wednesday, August 22. The teachers raved about how delicious their custom cakes were, and the PTO was extremely grateful to Erin and Mike for their generosity!
The planned Grand Opening of Nothing Bundt Cake is Oct. 15th, located in the Gateway shopping center between Starbuck's and Carter's.

    
A free birthday bundtlet can be yours! Just email your name and birthdate (and mention you saw it advertised in the VFES school newsletter) will get a coupon for a free bundtlet 
- the email address is
 
  kingofprussia@nothingbundtcakes.com  
Have your cake and eat it too? Sounds good to us!

PTO meeting Friday, September 7 at 9am in the large group room!

In This Issue
Greetings from the PTO President
School News
Community News
Upcoming Events


9/3 NO SCHOOL

9/4 Kindergarten - first day of school

9/7 PTO mtg., 9am

9/10 NO SCHOOL

9/12 BTS night, grades 1 & 2

9/14 BTS Social, 5:30 - 7:30







SAVE THE DATE

9/18 Picture Day

9/19 NO SCHOOL

9/25 BTS Night, grades 3 & 4, 7 pm

9/26-27 Vision and Hearing Screening

10/1-5 ERB testing, grades 2-4

10/4 PTO meeting, 7pm

10/19 - Alex and the Kaleidescope 4th grade concert






 

Useful Links
  
  
Falcon Publishing Dates

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Quick Links

 

Valley Forge Elementary School                          

99 Walker Road, Wayne, PA 19087                       

(610) 240-1600                               

Fax (610) 240-1615                                

Absentee Calling # (610) 240-1600 ext 5