Two WCASD Teachers Recognized for Social Studies Contributions

                                               Christina Letrinko (left)                                                              Ken Fuette (seated center) and his Glen Acres Veterans Day Program team

The Middle States Council for Social Studies (MSCSS) recently recognized two West Chester Area School District educators for Social Studies for their outstanding contributions to education and dedication to their students.

Christina Letrinko, a first-grade teacher at Fern Hill Elementary School, was presented with the Collins-Skinner Award, which is named for the past two presidents of the Middle States Council. The award is given to an outstanding elementary educator from the Middle States region who emphasizes social studies instruction in the classroom. Earlier this school year, Mrs. Letrinko welcomed two new students from Latin America to her classroom. To help ease the students' transition to a new county and new school, Mrs. Letrinko had her class research where they were from and created presentations using iMovie.

Ken Fuette from Glen Acres Elementary School was awarded the Middle States Council Certificate for Communication for his work on the school's Veterans Day play. The certificate is presented to an individual or organization that shares communication with social studies educators that supports innovative teaching methods and advances in the field.

The awards were handed out at the Council's annual conference, which was held in King of Prussia on March 2.

Founded in 1903, the Middle States Council for the Social Studies is the oldest professional organization in the country devoted solely to social studies education. The mission of MSCSS is to provide leadership, service, and support for social studies educators of all levels.
Members include Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Washington, D.C.

Glen Acres Hosts Writers' Day

Speaking, listening, and written expression are all vital communication tools, and students at Glen Acres Elementary School learned the value of these skills during Writers' Day.  The one-day workshop on December 14 was made possible thanks to a mini-grant by the West Chester Area Education Foundation (WCAEF).

"Writers' Day brings real-life experiences to our students," says Lisa Howe, Glen Acres reading specialist and author of the Writers' Day grant.

"We bring in a local, wide-range of talent, ranging from playwrights to composers; children's authors to poets, and everything in between. The exposure to these talented writers leaves students motivated and excited about the numerous ways that they can express themselves as writers."

Writers' Day is structured so that every student, kindergarten through 5th grade, are actively engaged in the presentations. In some cases, students help to write songs and commercial jingles, while others work with a freelance writer to create a class newspaper.

"During Writers' Day, students are challenged and encouraged to find their inner creativity and take risks. It's all about fostering a love for the arts and exposing students to a wide variety of careers," says Howe.

Glen Acres' Writers' Day is closely aligned with the West Chester Area School District's curriculum says, Howe.

"Through this program, teachers and students are exposed to a variety of real-life ways to implement written expression. Through modeling and hands-on practice, students are learning effective written and oral communication skills that are in line with Pennsylvania Common Core Standards."

This is the sixth year that the school has hosted Writers' Day. Howe says this is the second time the school received a mini-grant for the event from the WCAEF, which has allowed them to expand their selection of writers and serve more students.

The West Chester Area Education Foundation is an independent non-profit organization whose mission is to supplement creative, meaningful, real-world experiences for students in the West Chester Area School District. Each year, the Foundation awards mini-grants to classroom teachers to support such experiences.

Glen Acres PTO Successfully Raises Funds for New Playground

Students yelped with joy as they climbed, wiggled and swung at Glen Acres Elementary School, Friday night. More than 200 Glen Acres parents and students celebrated the school’s new playground during a ribbon-cutting ceremony. Click here to read more about the new playground.