REMINDER: No school Monday, January 16, 2023
Observed each year on the third Monday in January as “a day on, not a day off,” MLK Day is the only federal holiday designated as a national day of service to encourage all Americans to volunteer to improve their communities. This year, consider making a commitment to serve in your community on MLK Day and throughout 2023. Click here to learn more about volunteering on January 16th.

Mr. Rizzo's Weekly Video Update
This week, Mr. Rizzo talks about MLK Jr. Day of Service, an upcoming Special Olympics fundraiser, and recaps the January 7 Board Workshop Meeting. Click here to watch.

Save the Date: WMCTC Winter in Hawaii Community Dinner
Join friends at the Western Center on January 19th for their first community dinner of the new year. Celebrate Winter in Hawaii with two seatings, one at 4:30 p.m. and the second at 6 p.m.

• Buffet dinner is $20 per person and includes hor d'oeuvres, a tropical salad bar, soups, four entree options, and dessert. 
• Limited seating available
• Reservations only (no walk-ins please)
• Reservations can be made by email only!

Email: tmcginnis@westerncenter.org to reserve your seat today!

Club Spotlight: SFAHS Art Club
The SFAHS Art Club continued its annual tradition of making Holiday Cards! This year the club produced over 200 personalized Holiday Cards that were delivered to Veteran Marines at the Southeastern Veterans Center in Spring City.

Amy Culp and members of the Art Club spearheaded this undertaking. Ankita Chakraborty helped organize additional help from Stacey Bogus, Adrian Frain and members of the Student Council as well as Melanie Bowen, Julie Quinby and members of the Interact Club. Each card featured a hand-drawn image and message inside. The students did an excellent job!

Nominate a Spring-Ford Teacher
Do you know a teacher who goes above and beyond? The Citadel Heart of Learning Award recognizes teachers throughout Greater Philadelphia who make a difference in our community, support students beyond the call of duty, and encourage full potential.

Click here for more information and click here to nominate a teacher before January 15th.

Spring-Ford SEPAC Meeting
Join Spring-Ford SEPAC on January 26, 2023 at 7 p.m. for their monthly meeting.

• TOPIC: The Science of Reading with Monica McHale Small, Phd. Monica McHale-Small has had a renowned career. Over her tenure she has served in more roles than can be listed. Most notably: President of the Learning Disabilities of America, Superintendent, Director of Special Education, and Pennsylvania School Psychologist. In addition, she has been a professor at Temple University, teaching the next generation of school psychologists as well as testifying before the Pennsylvania Legislature in regard to learning disability programming and in due process hearings. Monica McHale-Small is a leader in terms of science of Reading and Education in general, and we are pleased to welcome her to Spring-ford!
• LOCATION: Spring-Ford Area High School Hurda Learning Center, 350 South Lewis Road
• JOIN US: This event is open to anyone in the Spring-Ford community, and is free to attend.

Get Your Tickets Online
ATTENTION RAM NATION! Friday, January 13th is the first of two crosstown rivalry games between the Spring-Ford Rams and the Perkiomen Valley Vikings in girls basketball. Click here to purchase tickets for the home game on Friday night. We look forward to seeing you all there!

Can't make the game? RCTV will livestream the game on Facebook and YouTube!

Cold and Flu Season
Cold and flu season is here, and our School Nurses are seeing a significant increase in students with illnesses at school. This is just a reminder that if your child is ill for any reason, they should stay home from school. If you are unsure if you child is well enough for school, refer to the guidance below:  

• Fever: A temperature of 100.4 or higher is an indication that your child could be contagious. Giving a child Tylenol (acetaminophen) or Advil (ibuprofen) will bring the temperature down and make them more comfortable, but it will not prevent the potential spread of illness to others. Please keep your student with a fever home until fever free for 24 hours, without the use of fever-reducing medication.
• Vomiting: If your child has vomited within the past 24 hours, please keep them home.
• Diarrhea: If your child has had three or more watery stools in a 24 hour period, especially if your child acts or looks ill, it is recommended that they do not come to school.
• Conjunctivitis (Pink Eye): Because of the extremely contagious nature of Bacterial Pink Eye, we ask you to consult your doctor before sending your child to school with the following symptoms: thick mucus or pus draining from eye, if eye is red, puffy, itchy or painful.
• Rash: A child with an unidentified body rash should be kept home until you have consulted a doctor.
• Appearance/Discomfort: If your child appears unusually tired, irritable, pale or has an unusual lack of appetite please keep student home for rest and surveillance.

Many Thanks, Spring-Ford

• 8th Grade Teachers - Many thanks for making our 8th grade experience so enjoyable this year. We were nervous and unsure of how the transition would go but my daughter Brooke is loving every minute! Thank you all! From, Amanda N.
• The RCTV Crew – many thanks for livestreaming and recording SF events! Many of our family members live far or cannot come to events concerts. Thank you for providing this service so that families everywhere can support our students! From, Nadine L.
• Cathy – many thanks for being the best and most patient bus driver on bus 789! We love you! From, Angela V.
• Kristen Katzianer – many thanks for making my viola lessons AmAziNG, and letting us tell stories! From, Clara G.

Click here to send a special message, and... Many Thanks, Spring-Ford! Who can you thank? Send a special message to students, parents, teachers, administrators, administrative assistants, bus drivers, custodial staff, your favorite food service staff, a coworker, stranger, business owner, or community member.

Cold Weather is Coming, Know the Plan!
This year, Spring-Ford Area School District built one Emergency Day into the calendar and plans to utilize Virtual or Flexible Instruction Days (FID) in case of an emergency closure. A Virtual Day or FID will be used for an unplanned school closure and will eliminate the need for a make-up days at the end of the year. On a weather related Virtual Day, students will follow a modified schedule with virtual lessons via Zoom or Teams synchronously for a portion of each period. If there is a need to call a Snow Day, the first Snow Day of the year will be a “traditional” Snow Day and April 5, 2023 will change to an In-Person school day.

Click here to watch a helpful video to review the quickest ways to get up-to-date information on delays and closures. Quick Tips:

• Login to Skyward to make changes to your phone number or add additional phone numbers, email addresses, and cell numbers for SMS Text Messages.
• Follow Spring-Ford on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter
• Download the Spring-Ford app for push notifications

The Lifeline and 988
When people call, text, or chat 988, they will be connected to trained counselors that are part of the existing National Suicide Prevention Lifeline network. These trained counselors will listen, understand how their problems are affecting them, provide support, and connect them to resources if necessary. 

Click here to learn more.