cross the DISTRICT - pennsburysd.orgs Report 3 14.pdf · Across the DISTRICT ... culminating activity, each student dressed as his ... Week, National Nutrition Month, and Pennsylvania

1PENNSBURY SCHOOL DISTRICT • FALLSINGTON, PA • MARCH 2014

PENNSBURY SCHOOL DISTRICT • FALLSINGTON, PA • MARCH 2014

Across the DISTRICTReading and Mathematics tests are being

administered in grades 3-8 in accordance with the Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA) between March 24-31. Grades 5 and 8 will be also be tested in Writing April 7-11, and grades 4 and 8 will

Dr. Christine Zervos, Community Partnerships and Grants Coordinator, is pleased to announce that the following five schools were awarded $800 each from Pennsbury Partner, Waste Management, to complete the innovative STEM + E projects listed below. Congratulations!

PSSA TESTING SCHEDULEDFOR MARCH 24 – MAY 2

PARTNERS OFFICE ANNOUNCES WASTE MANAGEMENT GRANTS FOR 2014

Graduating Pennsbury seniors and alumni currently attending college are eligible to apply for financial aid from the Pennsbury Scholarship Foundation. This foundation was created in 1956 for the sole purpose of providing financial assistance to help Pennsbury graduates attend college. Forms are available in hard copy in the PHS counseling office and may also be downloaded from the Pennsbury Web site. (Click on the Scholarship Application tab under Quick Links.) Reminder: the deadline to apply for a 2014-2015 scholarship is April 11th. Please keep this valuable resource in mind as you plan your higher education. Good luck!

SCHOLARSHIP FOUNDATIONAPPLICATION DEADLINE APPROACHING

School Project Title Grades Curriculum Tie-In/Justification

EleanorRoosevelt

The Importance of the Environment Emphasizing Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

and Utilizing Rain through STEM4th Science, Environmental, Technology, Math, Arts

Makefield Makefield Learning Garden Construction Activities K-5

Involve students in designing, building, planting, harvesting and maintaining a garden. (Science,

Math, Art, Wildlife, etc…)

Oxford Valley Litterless Lunch 1st & 4th Science, Environmental, Technology, Math, Arts, Language Arts

Walt Disney Microbes & Microscopeswith Solvay Scientists 5th Science, Environmental Education, Technology

Pennsbury HighSchool West Pennsbury Aquaponics 9-12 Technology, Robotics, Biology, Engineering,

Environmental Education and Economics

(continued on page 2)

2 MARCH 2014 • PENNSBURY SCHOOL DISTRICT • FALLSINGTON, PA

superintendent’s report • KEVIN J. McHUGH, Ed.D.

in the SCHOOLS

The entire Pennsbury community is invited to enjoy an evening of outstanding theater as this year’s Drama Program students celebrate their accomplishments at recent state and international competitions. Admission is free. This is a great opportunity to enjoy the performances that are not

There is exciting news to share from Instrumental Music Curriculum Coordinator, Frank Mazzeo. The Pennsbury Concert Jazz Band (PCJB), an integral part of the Pennsbury School District instrumental music program since 1959, has just released a CD – titled Then and Now – to showcase a number of musical selections written especially for the PCJB by major jazz composers. The band hosted a CD release party at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia on March 9th. To obtain a personal copy of the CD, which will help to raise funds to support the instrumental music program, contact Instrumental Music Boosters VP, Ms. Marisa Lombardo, at [email protected]. The price is $20.00 per CD, or two for $30.00.

COMMUNITY INVITED TO DRAMA STUDENTS’ “AWARD THEATER”

PENNSBURY CONCERT JAZZ BAND RELEASES CD

Students in Lisa Shiller’s fourth grade class made Presidential history come alive during the seventh annual production of Ms. Shiller’s Hail to the Chiefs and First Ladies project. Each student researched a President or First Lady, completed a biography report, and wrote a speech in first person. For the culminating activity, each student dressed as his or her researched character and delivered a speech to invited family and friends. In addition, students created “tri-aramas” to accompany their research.

In conjunction with National School Breakfast Week, National Nutrition Month, and Pennsylvania Governor Corbett’s statewide School Breakfast Challenge, two Philadelphia Eagles players lent their presence and enthusiasm to help launch a breakfast awareness campaign in Pennsbury. Eagles Cornerback Bradley Fletcher joined defensive

EDGEWOOD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

be tested in Science April 28-May 2. Thank you to all students in these grade levels for focusing their best efforts on the PSSA tests. Thanks also go to faculty and staff in each school for their continuing work to ensure that each student is prepared to do his or her best on the PSSA. Finally, a special thank you goes to our Supervisor of Assessment, Mary-Margaret Pannick, and each of the school administrators involved in overseeing the entire testing process.

The cover design for thisnewly-released music CD is byPHS Art teacher, Tony Napoli.

ordinarily seen on our home stages. Billed as “Award Theater,” these varied student performances will be presented on Tuesday, March 18th at 7:00 p.m. in the Orange Auditorium at PHS West.

These fourth grade students at Edgewood Elementary portrayed Presidents and First Ladies for invited family members and friends.

(continued from page 1)



The national celebration marking the March 2nd birthday of children’s author, Dr. Seuss, is known as Read Across America Day. The Literacy Team at Roosevelt, led by Reading Specialist, Alisa Myles, planned a series of special events at the school, including a visit by Clifford the Dog, courtesy of Pennsbury Partner, Barnes and Noble Oxford Valley.

ELEANOR ROOSEVELTELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Eagles cornerback, Bradley Fletcher (in maroon jacket), and defensive end, Vin Curry, visited the students of Edgewood

Elementary to promote the benefits of eating breakfast.

During a special assembly on Read Across America Day,students at Eleanor Roosevelt Elementary took a few minutes

to “Drop Everything and Read.”

end, Vinny Curry, at Edgewood during a special school-wide assembly. Their visit also included a live Skype session and sports challenge with Pittsburgh Steelers player, Kevlin Beachum, who was visiting Aiken Elementary School in the Keystone Oaks School District in Pittsburgh. Edgewood is one of 25 schools nationwide selected by Action for Healthy Kids to hold special family and community gatherings this month to help raise awareness among students and parents about the benefits of the National School Breakfast Program. Special guests at Edgewood on Tuesday included representatives from the Governor’s office, the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Hunger, NFL FUEL UP to PLAY 60, the Pennsbury School District administration, and Lower Makefield Township. The assembly at Edgewood was coordinated by Principal Michele Spack, Bruce Standley of the Mid-Atlantic Dairy Association (a Pennsbury Partner), Social Worker Tammy Leimer, and Physical Education teacher, Joe Gallo. To learn more about the “It Starts With School Breakfast” campaign, visit www.StartWithSchoolBreakfast.com.

During February, the fifth grade classes at Edgewood celebrated Black History Month by learning about prominent African Americans who have made an impact on society. After researching important facts at home, students wrote informational essays and created poster-sized portraits in class.

Teachers Natalie Merz, Matthew Mount, Bronwyn Queen, Heather Kirk, and Rachel Feldgus proudly opened the museum for schoolmates, family, and friends to pay a visit. Each student struck a pose for two 20-minute sessions as visitors learned about each major figure by “touring” the classroom.

Kindergarteners in Beth Golder’s room and the fourth graders in Mike Reese’s classroom spread their love beyond the Edgewood community when these students packaged “baby bundles” filled with everyday needs for infants. A specially-designed “onesie” with a student handprint in the shape of a heart was included with each bag. Homeroom parents, Tracey Curtis and Julia McEwing, coordinated delivering these very special baby bundles through HealthStart Maternity at Capital Health in Trenton as part of the hospital’s prenatal program.



Students and teachers dressed as their favorite literary characters and the day culminated in a school assembly in the gymnasium. Principal Elizabeth Aldridge dressed as the Cat in the Hat and shared the Dr. Seuss classic, Green Eggs and Ham, before each grade level made a special presentation highlighting the joys of reading.

PTO Co-Presidents, Tracy Massey and Colleen DiMario, write that their organization helped coordinate a school-wide community service project on February 14th during Valentine’s Day parties in the classrooms. Students in every class made breakfast bags for the organization known as Aid for Friends (AFF). AFF is located on Townsend Road in Philadelphia, and its mission is to alleviate the hunger and loneliness of isolated homebound individuals. After school on the 14th, PTO volunteers delivered hundreds of these hand-assembled breakfast bags on behalf of the Eleanor Roosevelt school community. Well done!

Fallsington Elementary fifth graders presented a “wax museum” for students in younger grades during Black History Month as a way to showcase the accomplishments of prominent African Americans.

Fifth grade teachers, Monica James and Jennifer Walters, share that their students marked Black History Month in February by researching famous African Americans. The students then presented this

FALLSINGTON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

information by staging a “wax museum” in the school gymnasium for the rest of the student body. Each fifth grader used his or her research about a famous black American to create an informational poster to place on display as the student held a pose nearby in costume. Students in Fallsington’s remaining grades “visited” the museum and completed scavenger hunts to learn more about these important historical figures. Featured African Americans included President Barack Obama, former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, as well as many in the fields of science, business, sports, and entertainment.

The second grade students at Fallsington followed the 2014 Olympic Games in Sochi, Russia, and tracked the medals won by the United States. They demonstrated knowledge of the Math common core state standards by creating a bar graph to represent the data collected throughout the 2014 Winter Olympics. In late February, the second grade students participated in their very own Olympic Games led by teachers Terri Sherman and Kimberly Massaroni. The students were placed on teams and had opportunities to win a medal for each of the six Olympic events. “This was a great team-building exercise and promoted collaboration among team members as well as sportsmanship,” said Ms. Sherman.

Teacher MaryBeth Davis reports that last month, Manor students participated in Camp Read S’more. “At the request of Reading Specialist, Marianne Kershaw, our primary students were visited by Helen Stopper, a Supervisor of Special Education in grades K-8,” said Ms. Davis. “Ms. Stopper took time out of her busy schedule to share with the students her extensive insect collection. She taught the students all about the many interesting, creepy, crawly creatures that exist in our world. The students found the presentation exciting and informative.” After Ms. Stopper’s presentation, the first and second level students were invited to observe the specimens up close at an insect “museum.” “This served as a great start to their

MANOR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL



Teacher Jennifer Kochersperger writes, “The persistent snowfall could not stop Penn Valley’s fourth grade entrepreneurs from opening their Valentine’s Day stores on February 14th. The cross-curricular celebration changed the meaning of a Valentine’s exchange a few years ago and has become a favorite for students, parents and teachers ever since. The students worked hard to make this day a success by first developing an understanding of decimals, addition and subtraction of money, producers, consumers, and goods and services in both Mathematics and Social Studies. Students used a four-square model to write persuasive essays to convince their classmates to shop at their stores. Storefronts were created with the addition of props to advertise their products using alliteration, similes, and other examples of figurative language.

Even with all of the snow days, things have been “hopping” at Oxford Valley, according to Principal Fran Nitkin. “Our annual Science Fair took place on February 20th with the theme of Science Genius. There were over 160 displays and the gym was packed with interesting and interactive projects that were fun for both kids and adults. All classes had a chance to visit the fair before the night event and they listened as their fellow classmates presented

PENN VALLEY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

OXFORD VALLEY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

An insect “museum” was on exhibit for first and secondgrade students at Manor Elementary as part of their

Camp Read S’more reading initiative.

The Science Fair at Oxford Valley Elementary was wellattended by family members during the evening hours.

Camp Read S’more activities,” said Ms. Davis.”We all wish to thank Ms. Stopper!”

their projects. The members of the Science Fair committee, teachers Shawn McElhaugh, Rosemary MacMath, Alison Morris, Meghan Caron, Melody Jacko, and Holly Rothrock, did a wonderful job of organizing. Thank you to all of them.”

In order to kick-off the Super Bowl, Oxford Valley held a “Souper Bowl” contest. Students brought in soup cans and placed them in either the Seattle Seahawks container or the Denver Broncos container. Over 200 cans of soup were collected and donated to the homeless shelter. “Did our students predict who would win the Super Bowl?” asked Ms. Nitkin. “NO! They predicted the Denver Broncos, but they still had a great time participating in such a worthy cause. Thank you to Shannon Little and Jen Stephens, who organized the donations for Oxford Valley.”

Read Across America Day was great fun, according to Ms. Nitkin. “Students had a chance to visit their buddy classes and read Dr. Seuss books with them. The Bucks County Technical School baked cookies for the entire school and the Oxford Valley PTO treated all students and staff members to the delicious treat.”



Valentines became business cards that students distributed when their classmates shopped at their stores using authentic Math money to make their purchases. The excitement was contagious and the creativity impressive as students gave away prizes to the tenth shopper, offered raffles at their stores for making a guess on an item, and even created deals across stores to increase productivity and sales for all involved! Students enjoyed special visits from their parents, the Math Specialist, Jeanmarie Pirkle, School Counselor, Arlene Johnson, and Principal, Elaine Novet. The love of learning could be felt throughout fourth grade on Valentine’s Day!”

School Counselor, Arlene Johnson, is happy to announce that the staff and students of Penn Valley recently participated in the Pasta for Pennies campaign for the Eastern Pennsylvania Chapter of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. The total amount collected this year was $3,834.76. Carrie Zuczek’s first grade class will enjoy a lunch at the Langhorne Olive Garden for collecting the most money. They raised $709.71 during the four-day collection. During the past four years, Penn Valley has collected more than $12,000 for this organization.

Valentine’s Day served as the ideal backdrop forstudent entrepreneurs as they exercised their

Math skills at Penn Valley Elementary.

Jewish War Veterans of U.S. Post 697 presented a movingprogram about the Holocaust for eighth grade students

at Charles Boehm Middle School.

On March 5th, members of the Jewish War Veterans of the United States Post 697 presented their Holocaust Program to Boehm’s eighth grade students. Parents were also invited to attend. Mr. Allan Silverberg led the presentation, which began with the Pledge of Allegiance and a bugler playing taps to recognize all those service personnel who died fighting for our country. A Holocaust survivor told his moving story, explaining how he managed to survive in Belgium through the efforts of the Catholic Church. In addition, a WWII veteran, who was among the first soldiers to liberate the concentration camps, shared photographs and related his experiences. There was also time for the students to ask questions of the veterans.

“The students soon will be reading the The

Diary of Anne Frank in English class, so the program provided the historical context for the autobiography,” said Lynn Gordon, Gifted Support teacher at Boehm, who organized the event. “We believe this is a remarkable opportunity for our students to learn about such a significant chapter in history from men who witnessed and survived incredible hardship.”

CHARLES BOEHM MIDDLE SCHOOL



Vocal Music Curriculum Coordinator, James Moyer, along with the entire PHS Vocal Music Department, hosted the Leipzig Youth Symphony Orchestra (LYSO) from Leipzig, Germany for a number of days in late February. The group hails from the Musik Schule Johann Sebastian Bach in Leipzig, and is known to be one of the top youth orchestras in Europe. The Pennsbury High School Choirs began collaborating with this orchestra in 2008, performing Carl Orff’s Carmina Burnana in unison at the Leipzig Gewandhaus, and again in 2012 in their performance of works by Mendelssohn and Gershwin in both the Gewandhaus and Prague’s Smetana Hall. “We were very pleased to host the orchestra here in the United States, and look forward to many more opportunities to perform with our German friends,” said Mr. Moyer, who added that an invitation was extended for the Pennsbury choral students to return to Germany sometime in the near future. A culminating event took place in Keller Hall at PHS West, when the LYSO presented a free concert of their tour repertoire. The PHS Concert Choir and Women’s Ensemble joined the orchestra for excerpts from Mendelssohn’s Lobgesang, as well as a few other selections. “This was a fantastic concert of music by one of Europe’s top youth ensembles!” said Mr. Moyer.

Art teacher, Blair Greiner, writes “March is Youth Art Month and William Penn Middle School is celebrating! Artwork from grades 6-8 is displayed in our lobby for the school community to get a sneak peek of the artwork that will be exhibited at the District Art Show in May.” The Visual Arts curriculum affords students opportunities to make choices and problem-solve using different areas of their brains and express themselves in other forms. “Creativity, decision-making, risk-taking, and analytical and critical thinking skills play pivotal roles in preparing students to participate in a global society,” said Ms. Greiner.

Last month, the Pennsbury Concert Jazz Band paid a visit to Pennwood to conduct a side-by-side clinic with the Pennwood Jazz Band. Let by Patrick Bailey (Associate Director of Bands at PHS) and Adam Pfannenstiel (Director of Bands at Pennwood), jazz students in grades 6-12 had the opportunity to perform for each other, work together, share experiences, and have a fantastic time making wonderful music together.

PENNSBURY HIGH SCHOOL

WILLIAM PENN MIDDLE SCHOOL

PENNWOOD MIDDLE SCHOOL

Artwork created by students at William Penn Middle School ison display in the school lobby in honor of Youth Art Month.

Pennsbury High School Choir members (rear) collaboratedwith the visiting Leipzig Youth Orchestra (foreground) in a

special joint concert held in Keller Hall.



Foreign Language Curriculum Coordinator, Andrea Garberina, is pleased to report that over 40 PHS students (listed below) participated in the Bucks County World Language Oral Proficiency Competition on February 26th at William Tennant High School. “Our students all earned high honors, receiving either blue or red ribbons,” said Ms. Garberina. Congratulations to all participants!

Novice GermanMegh GandhiMeredith WebberAlyson FarkasKayla CarlsonDagny Gould

Novice FrenchEmily TowneDeirdre HennesseyMichael WillsAnna BywaterJesse HawleyClaire Johnston

Level 4/AP SpanishRyan StumbaughJacob WachspressAshley Morrell

Spanish Native SpeakerDaniel Gonzalez de la RosaAri BortmanIsabel Linares

Level 3 SpanishKatherine WickEric WackerKevin CarusoEmily Stover

Level 4/AP GermanGretchen BednarzNikhil ParikhEllen MyersBen Kremenets

Novice SpanishAnna WachspressSamuel HackmanBrett HoffmanMichael Brennan

Level 3 FrenchAndie DeChiricoHanna HechtShadi MemarDiana Priestley

Last month, students from Pennsbury High School’s Technology Student Association (TSA) attended the regional competition for southeastern Pennsylvania TSA Chapters. TSA is a national organization that holds STEM-based competitions. There are numerous competitions in which students may compete.

This is the second year of existence for Pennsbury’s TSA chapter and the group attended regionals both years. “We had a much bigger presence at regionals this year, with greater success as well,” said teacher and club advisor, Christian Anderson. “We had students competing in Flight Endurance, Structural Engineering, Fashion Design, Materials Processes, Promotional Graphics, Engineering Design, Technology Problem Solving, and Exhibition Problem Solving. Pennbury had a total of 24 students in the competition with ten students or teams placing in the top eight of their events and qualifying for states. A total of 17 students placed in their events!” The club is run during EOP and after school. Matthew Peitzman, Jessica Perfetto, and Mr. Anderson are the TSA club advisors. “We are hoping to take our regional winners to the state competition this year. And since nationals will take place nearby, some may attempt to compete at nationals as well. The TSA would like to thank all of the Administration for their support, especially PHS Principals, Lisa Becker and Shawn Neeley.

Following are the TSA competition results for our students:

Flight Endurance 1st place - Liam Gallagher 8th place - Brendan Lam

Structural Engineering 1st place - Kevin Kenny and Erik Crowthers 2nd place - Ben Speidel and Sam Stringer

Materials Processes 2nd place - Michael Busch

Promotional graphic byMichael Doane



The PHS Art and Family & Consumer Sciences departments collaborated recently to host an “Empty Bowls” charity event to support a local food pantry. Empty Bowls is the name of an international grassroots effort organized to fight hunger. Here is how it works: potters and other craftspeople work together to create bowls for sale and guests are invited to a simple meal of soup and bread. In exchange for a cash donation, guests are asked to keep a hand-crafted bowl as a reminder of all of

Promotional Graphics 5th place - Michael Doane 6th place - Bryan Doane

Exhibition Problem Solving 5th place Team B - Nate Nelson, Tom Driscoll, Sam Lawrence, and Sam Pender 6th place Team A - Jay Armstrong, Jake Mako, Matthew McClure, and Sam Stringer

Technology Problem Solving 7th place - Bryan Doane and Arianna Logan

PHS teacher, Karen Wisen, is the advisor for the large WINK4PINK student organization. Ms. Wisen writes, “Since it started back in 2009, the WINK4PINK club has raised and donated over $18,000 to the Healing Consciousness Foundation and Breast Friends of Bucks County. Helping people in our own community continues to fuel the passion, drive, and commitment of every student and adult in the club. Our goal for this year is to raise and donate another $15,000. I believe we will accomplish this amazing goal due to the outpouring of support from everyone in the District and Pennsbury community. A special thank you goes to the PHS Student Life group for their donation of $1,500 from the Powder Puff Game; $1,000 from Chick-fil-A; and to everyone who continues to purchase our clothing and accessories all year long. But our biggest thank you goes out to the Pennsbury Hockey Team, Grundy’s Ice Rink, and the Truman Ice Hockey Team. Now in its fourth year, the ‘Pinkout’ game is our biggest fundraiser of the year. All money raised – including the ticket sales from Grundy’s – is donated to our club. This year, over $9,000 was raised! This huge accomplishment would not have been possible without the hard work from the parents’ club, the players, and the WINK4PINK members.”

One of the many dreams of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was to have peace and harmony for all mankind, says John Sanders, an Applied Engineering and Technology Education teacher at PHS. In helping to keep this dream alive, and in commemoration of Black History Month, Pennsbury High School

gives out Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Keeping the Peace certificates of recognition to those students who are instrumental in maintaining a peaceful and harmonious atmosphere throughout the high school campus, according to Mr. Sanders. With the help of his Pennsbury High School teaching colleagues, the following students were named as the 2014 awardees:

(Standing in the photo, l-r) Taylor Cameron, Jon Leventry, Daemon Rhein, Emily Stover, Ron Dreisbach, Julia Singer, Cierra Cubero, Sarah-Elizabeth Atunrase, Helen Marchaman, and Michael Horowitz. (Seated, l-r) David Spiedel, Ellen Harsha,Stefan Wells, Christine Farrell, Jeremy Schachter.

Also receiving awards, but not in the picture were Nazir Pierre and Charles Snorweah.

We congratulate them all!

These are the 2014 recipients of the PHS Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Keeping the Peace certificates (identified above).



commendAbleACCOMPLISHMENTS

Lisa Becker, Principal of Pennsbury High School West, and Shawn Neely, Principal of Pennsbury High School East, have announced that three Pennsbury students in the class of 2014 have advanced to Finalist standing in the National Merit® Scholarship Program competition. All three Finalists will be considered for National Merit Scholarships to be offered this year. These students include: Jason Fields, David Simon, and Connor Watts. The selection of some 8,000 Merit Scholarship winners from the group of more than 15,000 Finalists nationwide is now in progress. Winners will be announced by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation later this spring. Congratulations, and good luck to all!

NATIONAL MERIT SCHOLARSHIPPROGRAM FINALISTS ANNOUNCED

Matthew Groden, the PHS Mathletics coach, is pleased to share the news that the PHS Mathletes

PHS MATHLETES WIN AGAIN!

Last month, 65 students from grades 8-12 participated in the 65th annual American Mathematics Competition (AMC). The AMC 10 is given to students in grades 8-10 and the AMC 12 is given to students in 11th and 12th grades. The AMC tests are administered at over 420 schools nationwide and are recognized by many colleges and universities. Two PHS juniors, Alex Friedman and Jacob Wachspress, scored in the top 5% in the nation on the AMC 12, which advances them on to take the American Invitational Mathematics Examination (AIME) on March 13th. The top three students for the AMC 12 were Jacob Wachspress (school winner), Alex Friedman, and Sarah Zazzu. Originally, there were no AMC 10 students who received the necessary score of 120 to advance. However, freshman Ninad Mahajan, who had a score of 118.5, checked his solutions with those posted online and was convinced that he did score a 120. A request was submitted to the Mathematical Association of America to re-score Ninad’s test and there was, in fact, an error in scoring. Ninad’s updated score is now 120, so he will also be taking the AIME on March 13th. “I am proud of Ninad for coming to me with evidence that he had earned 120 points, “explained PHS Mathematics Department Co-Chair, Stacy Garretson, who organizes this annual testing competition at Pennsbury. The top three students for the AMC 10 were Ninad Mahajan (school winner), Jimmy Kim, and Erica Venkatesulu. Congratulations to all test takers and best of luck to Jacob, Alex, and Ninad on the AIME. Pennsbury is proud to have you representing us in this prestigious contest!

PENNSBURY STUDENTS SHINE IN AMERICAN MATH COMPETITION

the empty bowls in the world. The event, the first of its kind held at PHS, raised $1,256, which was presented as a donation to the local Loaves & Fishes hunger relief charity.

PHS Family & Consumer Sciences teacher, Barb Brunermer (right) joined Art teacher, Jim Minton (rear) in the sale of handcrafted ceramic bowls. The two departments joined forces to host an

“Empty Bowls” event to help fight hunger.



PHS School Counselor, Brooke Bergmann, coordinated a special “signing ceremony” in the Pennsbury Channel studios recently at PHS East to mark the following student athlete announcements: Abbie Predmore will play field hockey at Mansfield University; Courtney Bennett has chosen to play soccer at East Stroudsburg University of PA; and Maada Jajua will join the football program at Loch Haven University. These students were joined by family members, counselors, coaches,

The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards, sponsored by Prudential Financial in partnership with the National Association of Secondary School Principals, annually recognize secondary students across America for outstanding volunteer service. This year, PHS Principals Lisa Becker and Shawn Neely are proud to announce that the following three PHS students qualified for the President’s Volunteer Service Award in recognition of their time devoted to serving their communities: sophomores Matthew Aronson and Alexa Cohen, and senior Leah Norris.

Devin Kawailani Barricklow, a PHS junior, won two Silver Key Awards for poetry in the 2014 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards contest. This is the second consecutive year that Devin received this honor for her writing. The poems selected for this year’s contest were A Hole in Our Drywall and Entropy of the Hotpot. Devin has been writing poetry since elementary school and published her first poem in ninth grade. Last year, she was also named a finalist in the 2013 Bucks County High School Poet of the Year contest.

Devin’s sister is Katia Kalei’i Barricklow, an eighth grade student at William Penn Middle School. Katia won top honors for persuasive writing in the same awards contest, earning a Gold Key Award for her essay, Why Can’t High Schools Start Later in the Day?. This was a composition that Katia researched and drafted initially in her seventh grade English class. Over the summer, she revised this opinion piece and had it published in the Bucks County Courier Times. In November, she decided to enter the Scholastic contest, which led to a final edit and additional research. Katia also won Honorable Mention for Autumn Leaves, a photograph of her sister, Devin. Works earning Gold Keys are forwarded to the national judging of The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards in New York, and national medalists will be notified later this month.

The Barricklow sisters will be honored at an awards ceremony in Philadelphia on March 22nd.

STUDENT ATHLETES ANNOUNCECOLLEGE CHOICES

PHS STUDENTS RECOGNIZED BY PRUDENTIAL FOR COMMUNITY SERVICE

BARRICKLOW SISTERS PRODUCEDOUBLE DOSE OF FALCON PRIDE

Senior athletes (l-r) Abbie Predmore, Maada Jajua,and Courtney Bennett revealed their college selections

during a signing ceremony at PHS.

won their third consecutive league title led by many talented students, including Jacob Wachspress, who also won the individual title for the third straight year. “This team won every meet in which they participated, and truly carried each other throughout the season, eventually winning with a commanding lead,” said Mr. Groden.



Looking for another way to stay informed on what’s happening in

your School District ?

Town Hall Meetingwith the Superintendent

Tuesday, March 25, 2014, 7:30 p.m.Penn Valley Elementary School library

180 North Turn Lane • Levittown, PA 19054

Join us as District Superintendent, Kevin J. McHugh, Ed.D., leads the discussion on various District-related

topics and takes questions from the audience.

Call the Pennsbury Communications Office at215-428-4178 for further information.

Now taking applications!Do you know someone who qualifies for the

grant-funded Pre-K Counts program in Pennsbury?Find out by visiting the District E-Flyers page

and click on the link forPre-K Program Flyer and Registration for 2014-15.

Seats available now for three and four-year-olds.

For more information, call:215-949-6868, ext. 20815

BOArD FACILITIES COMMITTEE5:30 p.m., April 3, 2014

Superintendent’s Conference Room

BOArD AgENDA MEETINg8:00 p.m., April 3, 2014

Fallsington Elementary School

BOArD BuDgET COMMITTEE5:30 p.m., April 10, 2014

Superintendent’s Conference Room

rEguLAr BOArD MEETINg8:00 p.m., April 10, 2014

Fallsington Elementary School

Upcoming MEETINgS

and administrators for the happy occasion and were also interviewed by members of the press in attendance. Senior athlete, Erica Gray, has elected to run cross country for James Madison University in the fall, but she was unable to attend this signing. Erica will be honored at the next ceremony in April. Congratulations to these outstanding athletes!

The Pennsbury School District believes our children belong with their peers. Pennsbury is committed to promoting a sense of belonging in each child by affording all students their right to be educated, to the maximum extent appropriate, in their neighborhood school.

This commitment is possible through the use of appropriate support to enable students to be educated in the least restrictive environment.

PENNSBury INCLuSION PHILOSOPHy

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cross the DISTRICT - pennsburysd.orgs Report 3 14.pdf · Across the DISTRICT ... culminating activity, each student dressed as his ... Week, National Nutrition Month, and Pennsylvania