Mark your calendar and plan to come out for Zephyr Elementary’s McDonald’s Night 5-8 p.m. Feb. 29 at the 2137 MacArthur Road location. Come out to support Zephyr Elementary School, and see teachers and staff serving up dinner for you!

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Read Across America will be celebrated March 2 at Gockley Elementary.

This is a national program that promotes reading and adult involvement in the education of students. The goal is to motivate children to read.

March is the birthday month of Theodore Geisel, better known as Dr. Seuss. His books have led generations of children to learn the joy of reading.

Gockley’s theme this year will be “Our Favorite Pets!” based on Dr. Seuss’ book “What Pet Should I Get?”

Throughout the day, teachers and students will read books about favorite pet animals and taking care of them. Students are encouraged to wear a clothing item with an animal picture or print on it.

There will be a variety of classroom activities. Each student will receive a special Dr. Seuss item. Students from the middle school, the high school Leo Club and LCTI will be visiting classrooms to read a story to and do a craft activity with elementary students.

A representative from Animals in Distress will meet with kindergarten classes to discuss how they can care for their pets. A veterinarian will visit first-grade classes to introduce different kinds of pets and talk about the care pets require.

Students may bring in donations of cat and dog food, clean towels or blankets and pet toys. The items will be donated to animals in need. The collection will take place March 2-10.

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Third-quarter warning cards will be mailed for middle school students March 2. Please be sure to discuss any issues or concerns with your child and your child’s teachers.

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Looking ahead, there will be no school throughout the district March 11. This will be a professional development day for teachers.

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Kindergarten registration for the 2016-17 school year is underway. Parents or guardians can begin the registration process by completing the online registration. Log on to the school district’s website, whitehallcoplay.org, and follow the instructions.

To complete the registration, parents or guardians will be given an appointment (April 1-7) to bring their child to Gockley Elementary School to meet with the guidance counselor, principal, school nurse, ESOL teacher and reading specialist for a brief assessment.

The deadline to register students online is March 18. A child must be 5 years old before Sept. 1, 2016.

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A reminder for required absence notes for students: Parents or guardians must provide a handwritten note given to your child’s teacher within three days upon returning to school after an absence. The best method is to write a note promptly on the day of return. Remember to include the date, your child’s name, your child’s teacher’s name, a specific reason for the absence and your signature.

If no excuse note is received within this three-day period, it is considered an illegal absence. When there are three or more illegal days without notes, parents or guardians will be required to appear before Whitehall Township’s magisterial district judge on truancy charges.

This is a school district policy.

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The high school Drama Club will be performing “Guys & Dolls” 7 p.m. April 7-9 and 2 p.m. April 10. The performance will be held at Whitehall High School, 3800 Mechanicsville Road, Whitehall.

Tickets are $8 for students and seniors and $12 for adults.

Tickets can be purchased by visiting whitehallmusic.com/guysanddolls or by calling the ticket hotline, 610-437-5081, ext. 93270.

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Do you have any school news? This column is a compilation of upcoming school events in the Whitehall-Coplay School District. Teachers, administrators, parents, students, coaches, PTSAs, club advisers and any other community members are invited to share their upcoming activities. Email me at jamb87@hotmail.com with Whitehall-Coplay school news in the subject line at least a week before an event.