Welcome New Students,  Kindergarteners & Families!

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

WHO WAS SOL FEINSTONE?

Sol Feinstone was born in 1888 in the small town of Lida, Lithuania.  When Sol was a young boy, he did not go to school.  He was very poor and he worked all day to help his father.  Sol’s mom died when he was very young.  Sol’s dad was a Torah scribe.  The Torah is the Hebrew name for the Old Testament.  Sometimes, people were mean to Sol and his family because they were Jewish.  Sol, however, was a very lucky kid.  When he was 14 years old, he managed to come to America on a large ship to join his older brother and sister.   Sol was an immigrant who came to America, the “land of opportunity,” to find a better life.

It took nine long days for Sol to reach Ellis Island in the New York Harbor by ship.  He did not know how to speak a word of English; he only spoke Yiddish and Russian.  The only clothes he had with him were the clothes he was wearing.  The only money Sol had with him was one Indian Head penny he found rolling on the floor of the ship.  A very kind Irish woman gave small Sol two rolls with a delicious piece of chocolate – all for that one penny.  Even after Sol grew up, he never forgot that very generous woman… the very first American he had ever met!  He got his first job making coats for six dollars a week!

Sol had a real love of nature.  He decided to study chemistry and forestry and he graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in 1915 and a Masters Degree in 1916. Sol was awarded honorary Doctorate degrees from other universities too.  As Sol grew older, he became very interested in studying about different governments from all over the world.  Do you believe that Sol eventually became a millionaire?!  He was very wise to invest his money in real estate and construction.

Living free in America was something that Sol really valued.  Sol began to collect important papers on the history of our country, especially the American Revolution. Sol’s collection grew and grew, and so did his passion for the history of our great nation.  When Sol was in his eighties, he opened The David Library of the American Revolution right in Washington Crossing.  Sol presented his library to the United States of America as a special Bicentennial gift, including over 300 original handwritten letters by George Washington himself!  The David Library of the American Revolution is situated right next to Sol Feinstone’s home, where he lived with his lovely wife Rose.  Sol’s historic 1880’s home is situated on Buckstone Farm, which is very close to where George Washington crossed the Delaware.  Sol lived there until his death at 92 years old.

Sol Feinstone donated more than 28 acres of land to our great school and built our school library!  He also built many other libraries, contributed to organizations that help minorities, and awarded many scholarships at other schools throughout our country.

Did you know that each and every year, thanks to Sol Feinstone himself, 5th and 6th graders at our school participate in an essay contest called the Heritage American History Awards?  Sol Said, “The purpose of the awards is to instill in our youth a love of our heritage and pride in our country, and with it remind ourselves, parents, and teachers alike, of what kind of people we are.”  You may be a winner!

Sol’s great wish was for all of the children at Sol Feinstone Elementary school to be proud of who they are!  Sol believed that we must respect each others’ differences, no matter how we look or what religion we practice.  If Sol were here today, he would encourage each and every one of us to think for ourselves and to learn as much as we can about our world firsthand.

GENERAL SCHOOL INFORMATION

SCHOOL ARRIVAL

The instructional day begins at 9:10 a.m. and ends at 3:40 p.m. for grades K-6. A bell will sound at 9:10 a.m. to announce the start of the instructional day followed by Mr. Smith’s daily announcements. Students who arrive at school after the bell will be considered tardy and must be signed in by a parent. No child is to be dropped off before 8:50 a.m. unless attending a scheduled meeting, club or music lesson.

PARKING LOT - CAR RIDER

Sol Feinstone has two parking lots: one to be utilized by car riders and one to be utilized by buses. If you are dropping or picking your child up at school by car, please follow the instructions as outlined by Mr. Smith sent via email before the first day of school (or stated in the Arrival Procedures on pages 5-6).  If you would like your child to be a car rider on a specific day, please send in a note to your child’s teacher.

PARENTS AT SCHOOL

All classroom helpers must have their security clearances to be in the classroom (see Volunteer Clearances section on page 10). All visitors who enter the school must do so through the Security Office. Please go to the main office to deliver a message, forgotten item, etc. while school is in session. Label the student’s belongings with their name, teacher and grade. The message or items will be delivered to your child or left at the table in the vestibule at the earliest convenience of the office staff.

COMMUNICATING WITH TEACHER

Each teacher may advise on their preferred method of communication. In general, you can send a note with your child or leave a note in the office.  During the school day, you can always call the main office at (215) 944-2400 to leave a message for a teacher.  If you wish to email a teacher or staff member, you can find their email address on the Staff page of the school’s website.

ABSENT CHILD

If your child is absent, you may report it in one of two ways:

1. Send in a note or email to the Attendance Secretary (Donna.tosti@crsd.org) stating the nature of the absence.
2. Upon receiving an email to your primary email address alerting you of your child’s absence, simply respond back to the email with the reason your child missed school.

If you know ahead of time your child will be absent, dismissed early, or gone for family reasons, please send a note or email to your child’s teacher. Parents/caregivers are encouraged to bring a doctor’s note for doctor’s appointments that cause the students to miss time from school.  

EARLY DISMISSAL - Council Rock’s Early Dismissal Times

High schools – 10:45am

Middle schools – 11:30am

Elementary schools – 12:15pm (Note: There is no lunch on early dismissal days)

See the Transportation Information section (page 8) for more information.  

LUNCHES

Lunch prices for the 2026-2027 school year are as follows: Lunch = $2.85 and Milk = .75¢.  “Extras” (e.g., snack items) are still available to purchase once all students have received lunch.  Breakfast is available at no charge for students.

Students can pay for lunch in three ways: 1) Cash, 2) Check, and 3) the MySchoolBucks App.  If your child is purchasing lunch or extras it is imperative they have access to or learn their student ID number (this can be found within HAC). If paying via a check, it should be made out to “Council Rock School District” and the memo should note your child's account #.

Visit https://www.crsd.org/page/food-services for more information from Aramark (lunch provider) regarding your child(ren)’s lunch and the MySchoolBucks App.

RECESS/LUNCH SCHEDULE - 2026-2027

(Lunch is the second ½ hour of the block)

NUT-ALLERGY ALERT

All classrooms are nut-safe (i.e. nut-free) areas. No nuts or nut-products may be eaten in any classroom so please DO NOT SEND IN SNACKS WITH NUTS. However, ANY food may be eaten in the cafeteria, as there are allergy-safe tables available.

BIRTHDAY TREATS

There will be no food birthday treats allowed in the classroom. However, a parent(s)/guardian(s) is/are permitted to eat lunch with their child(ren) on their birthday in the lunchroom. Please make sure to notify the office staff and/or classroom teacher you plan to do this.

ARRIVAL PROCEDURES-

General Car Rider Procedures

• Please make a sign or placard displaying your child’s last name in large, easy-to-read letters. During dismissal, place the sign in your windshield where it is clearly visible to staff.
• Parents/guardians should remain in their vehicles throughout the arrival and dismissal process.
• For our younger students, please practice independently entering and exiting the vehicle and buckling their seat belts.

Arrival procedures for car riders:

• Student drop-off begins at 8:50 AM. Supervision is not available before 8:50 AM, so students must remain in their vehicles until that time.
• Car riders will use the side parking lot. Enter and exit using the entrance on Eagle Road closest to the Township Building.
• Please follow the directional arrows on the diagram below and the directions of staff members.
• As shown on the diagram, there are two green traffic lanes in the middle of the parking lot. Depending on the volume of cars, staff members may direct families to form two lanes. As traffic begins to move, vehicles will alternate and merge back into a single lane.
• When you reach the drop-off area, please pull forward as far as possible along the sidewalk before stopping.
• Students should exit the vehicle from the passenger side only and enter the school through the doors at the top of the steps.
• Students should report directly to their homerooms. Staff members will be available to assist students as needed.
• Please remain in the car line and do not pass other vehicles when exiting the parking lot.

Dismissal procedures for car riders:

• Please display your child’s last-name placard/sign in your windshield so that it is clearly visible to staff.
• Car riders will use the side parking lot. Enter and exit using the entrance on Eagle Road closest to the Township Building.
• Please follow the directional arrows on the diagram below and the directions of staff members.
• As shown on the diagram, there are two green traffic lanes in the middle of the parking lot. Depending on the volume of cars, staff members may direct families to form two lanes. As traffic begins to move, vehicles will alternate and merge back into a single lane.
• When you reach the loading area, please pull forward as far as possible along the sidewalk before stopping.
• A staff member will record the names displayed on car rider placards, and students will be dismissed from the building in order.
• Please remain in your vehicle while your child is brought to the loading area.
• If there is a delay with your child exiting the building, a staff member may direct you to pull into a designated parking space so that the car rider line can continue moving.
• Once your child is safely in your vehicle, please remain in line and do not pass other vehicles to exit the parking lot.

A directional map is provided below for your reference. Please remember that staff members will be stationed throughout the car rider area to assist families and direct traffic.

zoom_out_map

Bus Riders

With the change of procedures, our buses will now pull up to the front of the school. Bus riders will enter and exit the school through the main entrance.

TRANSPORTATION INFORMATION

Schools will not be open when it is too dangerous for buses to travel. If school is closed, announcements will be made on all major radio and TV stations in the area. In addition, timely messages will be placed on the district website (crsd.org) and on the district cable channel (Comcast channel 28 or Verizon channel 44) plus you will receive a pre-recorded district call.

When conditions warrant, there may be a delayed opening or an early dismissal. Delayed openings are either one or two hours. Early dismissals can be called for excessive rain, snow, or heat. In addition to the public announcements, the district will contact parents in the event of an early dismissal.

Durham Transportation is the CRSD’s transportation provider. For detailed information on Council Rock Transportation (including the BusZone App to track bus routes in real time) please visit the CRSD Transportation page: https://www.crsd.org/page/transportation

CRSD TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT

Department Phone                    215-944-1010

District Main Phone                  215-944-1000

Email                                    transportation@crsd.org

Hours                                    7:30am – 4:30pm

EARLY DISMISSAL

The Pennsylvania School Code requires school districts to provide “like” services. Since CR has 5 early dismissal days, it will honor and provide transportation to non public schools on 5 days. These days are chosen by the non public school prior to the start of the school year. All early dismissals on the official calendar of special education schools are required by law to be honored.

Council Rock’s Early Dismissal Times

High schools – 10:45am

Middle schools – 11:30am

Elementary schools – 12:15pm

KINDERGARTEN FAMILY INFORMATION

• During the first weeks of school, teachers and staff will help your child get off the bus and walk to their kindergarten classroom.
• The kindergarten school day is from 9:10 AM until 3:40 PM.
• Please mark all personal items with your child’s name, their kindergarten session, and the first initial of the teacher’s last name for identification.  
• Send your child to school with a nut-free snack and a drink each day (refillable water bottle suggested). We recommend packing afternoon snacks separately from their lunch bag so it’s not mistakenly eaten with lunch. Please label snack bags with your child’s name. Your child’s kindergarten teacher will provide you with more detailed information about acceptable snacks.
• Your teacher will provide a classroom schedule and weekly email to keep you informed about curriculum and activities.
• There are many volunteer opportunities in the kindergarten setting. Parents are needed for occasional workshops, birthday reader opportunities, and other events. Your child’s teacher will circulate a form for the first volunteer opportunity, “Johnny Appleseed Day”, during Kindergarten Orientation/Back to School Night. Sign-up Genius will be sent for all the other opportunities. Volunteer Clearances (see page 10) are needed for each opportunity, except for coming in as a birthday reader.
• Upon returning home on a school bus, an adult must receive your child at the bus stop.

For additional information, please visit the Kindergarten Page on the Sol Feinstone Elementary School website. For district information, visit crsd.org.

VOLUNTEER CLEARANCES

All Council Rock volunteers play a key role in supporting staff, students, sports programs and other activities in our school.  Thank you for your interest in becoming a volunteer. Pennsylvania law requires all persons having direct contact with school children to obtain background checks and clearances. In light of the numerous and recent changes to legislation, namely Act 153 of 2014, in relation to volunteers obtaining and renewing clearances, we have developed the following protocols.

All new and renewing volunteers including, if applicable, new LINCS supervisors, must complete the online volunteer application.  As part of this application you must upload the documents listed below.  We will not accept paper copies of the clearances.

All new volunteers must obtain clearances.  All clearances must be dated less than one year at the time of joining our district's volunteer team.  Thereafter, all clearances must be renewed every 60 months.

 Required Clearances:

1. Pennsylvania State Police Criminal Report:  

1. https://epatch.pa.gov/home
2. Click the control number to view your results.  Click the "Certification Form" link in the center of the page to view, save and print your official Pa State Police Certificate.

2. Child Abuse History Clearance from the Department of  Human Services:  

1. https://www.compass.state.pa.us/cwis/public/home
2. Click "Create Individual Account". The Keystone Key is a user name you create. Follow the site's step-by-step instructions for creating a password.  Be sure to keep a record of your Keystone Key and Password as you will need them to access your results.  You will receive an email from the site when your results are available, within 14 days of submission.  

3. Federal Criminal History (2 Options):

1. If you have been a Pennsylvania resident for less than 10 consecutive years, you must complete the fingerprinting process. Enroll at IdentoGo and make an appointment for digital fingerprinting at a location of your choice.  The Service Code for VOLUNTEERS is 1KG6ZJ.
2. If you have been a Pennsylvania resident for the past 10 consecutive years, you may submit the CR Volunteer Affidavit in place of fingerprinting. The affidavit must be notarized and the original affidavit is kept on file in the Human Resources Office.  

If you have any additional questions about volunteering in our district, please contact Brianna Zabielski at brianna.zabielski@crsd.org or at 215-944-1019.