May 14, 2018
May 14, 2018
PUCS POST
May 18 NO SCHOOL – Report Preparation
May 28 NO SCHOOL – Memorial Day
June 1 8th Grade Moving On Ceremony
June 6 Last day of school – noon dismissal
PUCS is seeking interested applicants for 3 positions for next year:
- 2/3 Classroom Teacher
- Middle School (6-8) Math teacher
- Part Time Music Teacher
Job descriptions can be found here : Part time music teacher, MS Math teacher, 2-3 grade teacher
ALICE: PUCS, in partnership with the Wilkinsburg Police Department, started preparing for emergencies involving danger within our building last summer. Teachers and staff received ALICE (Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter, Evacuate) training that addressed armed intruder response. Students received similar training in early April.
The next step, again in conjunction with Wilkinsburg Police, is to practice evacuating our building in case of an emergency. The schedule training date is May 22nd (or 24th depending on weather). As a school, we will rehearse moving to safety at Sister Thea Bowman Catholic Academy (STBCA). Our two schools have agreed to share space should either need to evacuate.
The plan is to familiarize our students with two possible routes to STBCA. On Tuesday morning (5/22/18) Wilkinsburg Police Detective Yuhouse will be speaking first at 9:00. Then he and other officers will direct students, teachers, and staff on our exit and quick movement away from our building. We will rehearse two different routes to STBCA at 721 Rebecca Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15221. Then STBCA students will go through the same procedure and arrive at our sanctuary that afternoon.
Please help us by doing what you can to prepare your students for this practice and for an actual event. You know your child best. Some children need to hear that the invisible God is ever-present (Psalm 46); and that His army is stronger (2 Kings 6:17). Others will need to explore different emergencies we could prepare for (gas leaks, big storms, etc.); still others will need to be given confidence: we never really know what could happen, but we’re going to be ready when it does.
When we lived in Maine, our students practiced fire drills in subzero weather. In Indiana, they huddled in hallways because of tornadoes. Just last week, students at Environmental Charter School had to leave their building because of a gas leak. Human-induced emergencies feel more evil, and therefore it’s tempting to pretend they won’t happen. But there are all sorts of reasons that this training can be good for us, including giving students confidence that they’ll know what to do if something bad happens.
Thanks for entrusting your kids to PUCS, and for praying with us as we equip our students and staff.
The Great PUCS Serve-A-Thon
Thank you to EVERYONE who helped raise money and special thanks to our great volunteers who worked behind the scenes and during the event. To date, we have raised $41,155 with 80% family fundraising participation.
Thanks so much for Serving with your whole heart! Our Special Guests including Highmark, The Paul G. Benedum, Jr. Foundation, founding donors, The Pittsburgh CLO, Wilkinsburg Chamber of Commerce, NexTier, State Representative Ed Gainey’s office, Fox Chapel Presbyterian Church, and the Wilkinsburg Borough Council were super inspired by seeing our students, teachers and families in action, and touring our new building.
Special thanks to donors UPMC, Wilkinsburg Community Development Corporation, Thrivent Financial, James Floral, Trader Joe’s, Walgreens, Salvatore’s, Shepherd’s Gifts in Wexford, Cintas and others, as well as our friends and families who donated food and volunteered to make this a great success!
Our project hosts included NMRWA, Center for Civic Arts, Wilkinsburg Historical Society, Bird Sanctuary, Covenant Reformed Garden and Community Forge.
Awards and Prizes:
29 Students & 9 families reached the $400 goal!
8 families reached the Super Duper prize circle raising $1,200 or more.
Caden, Simon and Lily Adams and their family were the top fundraising family and have chosen to give their grand prize to the next top fund raising family.
The Development Office will be in contact with all of the families regarding prizes.
The class party winners for most donations collected were Mrs. Hommes and Mrs. Kautza.
If you have donations to turn in, please do so by Friday May 18 at 5PM. Friends and family may still give online through our webpage at www. pucs.org/donate or on our Crowdrise page at www.crowdrise.com/2018Serveathon
If you have questions or suggestions, please email Susan LeCornu at susan.lecornu@pucs.org.
A special shout out to Chrissie Koerber and Susan LeCornu for their work on the Development Team making this event a real success!
COMMUNITY CORNER notes from our CIS Coordinator Georgette Ayres
Thank you to all the students and families who participated in Screen Free Week!
Congratulations to our prize winners for the week:
Maria Annelise Waverly Mari
Yuki Finnley Olivia Natalie
Marika Amelia Emma Kaiden
Mhari Eilidh Evelyn Simon A
Caden A Lily
Waverly C., a 3rd grader at PUCS, is a finalist in the 2018 PBS Kids Writers Contest in which 26 finalists were chosen from over 1,000 stories received. Her story is
“Samuel Squirrel Finds a New Home”. You can help Waverly by voting for her story for the Reader’s Choice Award. Please go to http://www.writeonkids.org and click on Winning Stories to hear and see her story. Voting ends Friday, May 18th.
Way to go Waverly!!