November 2015

Karen’s Corner

First Trimester Draws to a Close…

Congratulations to our students who have successfully completed the first trimester of the school year!In addition to academics, our students have taken part in a variety of events, field trips and exhibitions this month to further their education. Report cards will be completed electronically by teachers, and then printed in time for distribution at conferences on December 10th and 11th.

On November 11, we held a professional development day with our staff which focused on the new PA Common Core Math Standards, Reading Instruction in the Content Areas, and 6th grade New Module Development. Our teachers focused on connecting grades and concepts to maximize success.

The Home & School’s Annual Harvest Festival was wonderful event, and our students and families enjoyed an evening of crafts karaoke and dancing.

School Lane will be requestingInternational Baccalaureate to accelerate our application for authorization for the Diploma Program. We wish to offer the Diploma Program at the start of the 2016-2017 school year, meaning we must be authorized by IB in the Spring of 2016.

We are currently working to finalize the plans for both 3340 and 3350 Tillman Drive. We hope to be ready to publish the Request for Proposals (RFP)by the end of November. Bids will open on January 5, 2016 at 2pm. We are aiming to begin work by the end of January and 3350 Tillman Drive and hope to be completed by June 30, 2016. The building located at 3340 Tillman will be completed mid-2017.

As we head into the holiday season, we thank you for your continued support of School Lane and look forward to seeing you at parent teacher conferences at the end of this month.

Current Enrollment: 1,090

All number grades are at their current capacity of 100 students except for Grade 10 with 65 students. Kindergarten has 125 pupils.

Sibling registration for the 2016-2017 school year will begin December 10, 2015 at 4:00 pm. Registration for 2016-17 for Bensalem residents begins on Saturday, January 23, 2016 at 9:00 am and for all other district residents on Saturday, February 6, 2016 at 9:00 am. Kindergarten lottery pull will occur on Thursday, February 25, 2016 at 7:00 pm during our Board meeting.

2015-16 Waiting Lists: 360

Kindergarten: 110

Grades 1-8 total: 249

9th Grade: 1

10thGrade: 0

High School Report

Our high school students enjoyed a number of events including a Salsa Dancing Workshop which was highlighted in a 6 ABC Action News – Newsflash on November 9. The link to the clip is available on our school Facebook page.

GradesK-3 Report

We are continuing to further implement our new math groups, testing different methods to better meet our students needs. Students in these classes are continually connecting various concepts which is vital to their success. A shift has taken place in these classrooms, and our students are asking thought-provoking questions, and can give reason and theory behind the methods being used. Several of our K-3 teachers will represent School Lane at a BER Math Conference in December.

Grades4-6 Report

6 ABC Action News was on site once again on November 18 for our 4th grade students’ poetry reading sessions, where local poets were invited to interact with our students and critique their poetry. Our 5th grade students will be responsible for choosing which charity organization we will fundraise for during the holiday season, as a part of their Human Rights unit.

Grades 7-8 Report

This month our 8th grade studentswere given the opportunity to shadow students at SLCS high school. The 8th graders followed the regular high school schedule and attended classes with the 9th grade students. Many of the students were highly impressed by their visit to SLCS high school, and they gave very positive reviews, and several of them have requested to visit again in order to experience what high school may be like for them for them next year.

Learning Support

The SLCS Special Education Department is currently in the process of fully implementing the School Based ACCESS Program. We are also currently meeting with all grade teams to assess the roles of our benchmarking assessments.

Lee Ann Gordon, Vice Principal for Learning Support will be attending IB Diploma program training in December, which will teach ways to increase the use of technology to increase learning support for students. Ms. Gordon has also championed our Bookshare program, which provides free reading materials for students with disabilities.

Upcoming Events and Closings:

  • December10: Parent Teacher Conferences (4 pm-8pm)
  • December11: School Closed – Parent Teacher Conferences
  • December 24 – 31: School Closed – Winter Break

Board of Trustees Meetings

  • December 17: Regular meeting, 7 p.m.

Registration for 2016- 2017 School Year

  • December 10, 2015: Sibling registration will beginat 4:00 pm.
  • January 23, 2016:Bensalem residents will begin at 9:00 am
  • February 6, 2016:Other district residents can register at 9:00 am.
  • February 25, 2016: Kindergarten lottery will occur at 7:00 pm during our Board meeting