FAQs


Home & School Association Questions


Home & School Association Questions | General Questions | North Penn Food Service (NPFS) Questions | North Penn Transportation Service Questions


What is the "Home & School Association"?

You may have heard of parent-teacher organizations at other schools referred to as the "PTA" or "PTO." In our school district, we call it "Home & School." Each school in the district has its own Home and School Association.

Home & School is a non-profit organization led by an Executive Board. The Executive Board is comprised of a President, 1st Vice President of Social Events, a 2nd Vice President of Fundraising, a Treasurer, and a Secretary.

Are there any rules or guidelines for the Home & School Association?

Yes, there is a set of By-laws that governs this organization. You can find the by-laws on the North Wales website. To access the By-laws click here.

What is the purpose of the Home & School Association?

The objectives of the Home & School Association are to:

  • open lines of communication between faculty, staff, and our families in order to encourage community involvement in school activities.
  • promote the overall growth and well being of our children.
  • offer opportunities to enrich our school programs and activities for all children and their families.
  • provide community representation at the District level.

In order to meet these objectives, the Home & School enhances the student experience by providing many activities and services to the school which are not provided by the school district. The Home & School pays for assemblies, field trips for each student, magazines used in classrooms, and much more.

The Home & School also provides opportunities for parents and guardians to volunteer and participate in their child's education. Prior to many of the events or fundraisers, parents and guardians are contacted and encouraged to volunteer their time.

Why are membership dues collected for the Home & School?

The membership dues help fund various Home & School activities throughout the year such as field trips, assemblies, social events and much more. The dues help to lessen the need for fundraisers. Every parent, guardian, faculty member or administrator who is interested in the objectives of the Home & School Association is encouraged to become a member. Annual membership dues are collected each fall.

The Home & School Association does a lot. How can I get involved and help?

The Home & School does a lot for North Wales Elementary and it could not happen without the involvement of parents, guardians, faculty and staff. You can get involved by coming to a Home & School meeting, volunteering for an event, or contacting a board member to see how you can help. Information about the different events and chair people can be found here.

When are the Home & School meetings?

Home and School meetings are held in the school library on Tuesday evenings every other month at 7 PM beginning in September. Please check the monthly school calendar that comes home with your child to confirm date, time, and location for each meeting. All parents, guardians, and teachers of North Wales Elementary School are invited and encouraged to attend these monthly meetings. Free babysitting is provided during the meeting for those parents who are attending.

How can I get a copy of the minutes from a Home & School meeting?

You can view the minutes by looking on the North Wales website in the Home & School section. Preliminary minutes will be posted on the website within the week following each meeting.

What does the Home & School fund?

The Home & School funds activities that support the education of each student. These include field trips, assemblies, monetary donations to each classroom teacher for materials, reading activities, the Geography Bee, and more. In the Spring of 2010, the Home & School funded new playground equipment for the school.

The Home & School funds several fun events that promote school unity and spirit. These include the Back to School Event, Mother/Son Night, Girls' Winter Ball, Bingo Night, and the Spring Festival.


General Questions


 

How can I get in touch with my child's teacher?

To contact your child's teacher, please call the office between 8 AM and 4 PM at 215-699-4471. Leave your name, number and a brief message with the secretary. The secretary will ensure that your message is given to the teacher. You can also send a note or e-mail a message to the teacher. E-mail addresses of the teachers can be found on the North Wales section of the North Penn website or in the North Wales Directory that is sent home in the fall.

What if I have a problem with my child's teacher or with the curriculum?

Please contact your child's teacher or the school principal directly.

My child forgot his/her... lunch, gym clothes, book(s), homework. How can I get it to him/her?

If you happen to see that your son/daughter is missing something from their daily routine, you may drop off his/her missing item at the office. Please clearly mark your child's name and his/her teacher on the item and leave it in the office with the secretary.

What do I do if I want to pick up my child who usually rides on the bus?

If your child will not be riding the bus one day but rather will be picked up from school, please send a note into his/her teacher letting him/her know that your child is being picked up after school. In order to avoid any confusion on where you are picking up your child, please state in your note whether you will pick up your child from the car lane at the rear of the building (please remember to display your last name on your passenger visor) or in the office.

What do I do if my child has a play date after school?

Whether your child is bringing a friend home or going to a friend's house, each child needs to bring in a parental note informing the teacher about the change of plans. It is important that the parents or guardians of each child send in a note so that the school knows both families are aware of the play date.

In the case of inclement weather, how do I find out about school closings or delayed openings?

School closing and delayed openings are announced on the North Penn TV Channel 28 (Comcast) & 29 (Verizon), on the North Penn website, www.npenn.org, on WNPV-1440 or KYW-1060.

A child in my son/daughter's class has a peanut allergy. Do you have any suggestions of snacks or treats that I can send in?

The most common food allergy in our school is a peanut and/or nut allergy. Any attempt you can make to keep snacks peanut and nut free for class parties and special treats is greatly appreciated by the children who have these allergies and their parents or guardians.

Some peanut and nut free suggestions are: fresh fruits and veggies, cheese sticks, applesauce, Frito Lays Fritos, Herr's Pretzels, Keebler Club Crackers, Keebler Club & Cheddar Sandwich Crackers, Kellogg's Rice Krispies Treats - plain, Nabisco Honey Maid Grahams, Nabisco Teddy Grahams, Nabisco Triscuits - original, Nabisco Wheat Thins - original, Pepperidge Farm Goldfish Crackers- original, Rold Gold Pretzels, Sun-maid Raisins, Sunshine Cheezits Crackers, Sunshine Saltines.

Please be advised that generic or store brands do not have the same ingredients as these name brand foods. The only way to be sure that a food is truly safe is to read the label.

Where can I get copies of community flyers?

After researching the flyer distribution process in the surrounding school districts, NPSD decided all community organization flyers will be posted online at the NPSD website (www.npenn.org) under the "Community Bulletin Board." The website will be updated twice a month on or near the 1st and 15th of each month and the flyers will automatically be removed from the website after the dated event or after 30 days.


North Penn Food Service (NPFS) Questions



Where can I get a copy of the lunch menu?

You may view the Elementary Lunch Menu on the North Wales section of the North Penn website or pick up a hard copy from the Family Center (the racks on the wall outside of the office).

My child has a food allergy. Who should I talk to about this?

If your child has food allergy, you should alert the school nurse in addition to the child's teacher as soon as possible. Your child's class should be notified as well. Check with your child's teacher on how to notify your child's class.

What is MyPaymentsPlus? How do I register?

NPSD Nutrition Services provides a meal payment service over the Internet. You can view your child's purchases and put money into your child's account with a credit card. There is no fee for this service. To register for this service go to www.mypaymentsplus.com. For more in-depth information on this system, please visit the npenn.org homepage and look under the "For Families" heading.

How can I find out how much money is in my child's NPFS Account?

If you want to find out how much money is in your child's NPFS account, you can call the school, stop in the cafeteria or look it up at www.mypaymentsplus.com if you have registered for this service.

What happens to the money in my child's NPFS account at the end of the school year?

At the end of the school year, a form is sent home to each child who has a balance in his/her account. You may indicate on this form whether you would like a refund or for the balance to stay in the account for the next school year. If your child is in sixth grade, the money may also be refunded. However, if you do not request a refund, it will be transferred to your child's middle school.



North Penn Transportation Service Questions



Who do I call if I have a problem with the bus?

If you have questions or concerns regarding bus schedules, you may call the North Penn School District Transportation Office at 215-368-9807 between the hours of 8:30 AM and 3:30 PM on weekdays. Parents should be assured that questions and requests will be processed according to "priority." Please note that concerns regarding student safety receive immediate attention.