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1PENNSBURY SCHOOL DISTRICT • FALLSINGTON, PA • MARCH 2013

PENNSBURY SCHOOL DISTRICT • FALLSINGTON, PA • MARCH 2013

Across the DISTRICT

Reading and mathematics tests are being administered in grades 3-8 in accordance with the Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA) between April 8-19. Grades 5 and 8 will be also be tested in writing March 11-15, and grades 4 and 8 will be tested in science April 22-26. 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. Information about the tests and a new Code of Conduct for Test Takers are posted on the District homepage under Quick Links.

PSSA TESTING SCHEDULED FORMARCH 11 – APRIL 26

These third grade students in Ty Annick’s class at Fallsington Elementary brainstormed ways to promote unity and equality

after listening to the inspiring words of Dr. Martin LutherKing, Jr. For more on this class activity, see page 4.

High school vocal music teacher, Betty Hohwieler, shares that a total of 26 Pennsbury students were selected to perform in the Bucks County Music Educators Association (BCMEA) high school and

SECONDARY STUDENTS PARTICIPATEIN BCMEA MUSIC FESTIVAL

middle school choruses on March 1st. The two levels of secondary choirs performed separately at the BCMEA music festival, which took place this year at Central Bucks South High School.

Middle school sopranos were Kayla Rawlins, Alexa Luberski, Rachel Estey, and Hannah Carty. Altos were Cassie Pennie, Arianna Risilia, Madison Murphy, and Kami Weathington. Baritones were

Ethan Barr, Connor McDowell, James Moyer and Jimmy Kehan. High school student sopranos were Sally Graham, Laura Fishman, Kristen Ciesielka and Danielle Sidotti. Altos were Trystan Johnson, Rianna Salm, Caitlin Miner, and Chelsea Miller. Tenors were Nick Dugan, Sean Stead, Phillip McRae, and Joshua Jankus. Basses were Tom Sawyer and Daniel Tomascik.

Hundreds of choral and instrumental students and their teachers from grades 7-12 gathered to audition for the chance to be selected for the instrumental and choral groups in January in Council Rock. The select middle school and high school choirs numbered about 100 each. PHS sent 14 to audition and all were selected. The Pennsbury middle schools had 12 students selected. Teachers involved in auditions and preparation of students were Ms. Hohwieler, (PHS) Sharon Sharkey and Laurie Goodwin (Pennwood), Monica Borger and Colleen Corcoran (Charles Boehm) and Linda Young

2 MARCH 2013 • PENNSBURY SCHOOL DISTRICT • FALLSINGTON, PA

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

in the SCHOOLSand Derek Cressman (William Penn). In order to prepare for the festival, students met with teachers before and after school and during lunch to work on their music. “These kids are really great and spend time working at home on their own to learn the extra music. We give them learning files,” said Ms. Hohwieler. “It is a wonderful opportunity for our students.” The young vocalists rehearsed for two days at Counties prior to the culminating concert. “The best part of all is that the students get to meet, mix, and make music with other students in Bucks County,” said Ms. Hohwieler. “I have had students meet and eventually marry someone they met at Counties!” The BCMEA Festival is celebrating its 62nd year.

Pennsbury Arts Foundation (PAF) Board member, Nyla Houser, is pleased to announce that Walt Disney Elementary teacher, Lorie Becker, was recently awarded a PAF grant for a program called Puppet Pizzazz in her classroom. In addition, a grant award given to Jennifer Stephens and Shannon Little at Oxford Valley Elementary will support their selected program titled, The Amidons. A special reception took place on March 13th to recognize all PAF grant recipients for 2012-2013. The PAF awarded a grand total of $4,645 in grants to teachers across Pennsbury this year.

PENNSBURY ARTS FOUNDATIONNAMES SPRING GRANT WINNERS

The Pennsbury Community Band, led by Instrumental Music teacher, Christopher Bygott, incorporates the talents of 30 volunteer community residents, Pennsbury teachers, students, and alumni. A special feature included in their community concert on March 2nd was A Lincoln Portrait, written by American composer, Aaron Copland, in 1942. This work was narrated by District Superintendent Dr. Kevin McHugh, who read from excerpts of some of Abraham Lincoln’s most well-known documents, including the Gettysburg Address.

COMMUNITY BAND PRESENTSSPECIAL CONCERT

Edgewood fourth graders in Lisa Shiller’s class spent February researching U.S. Presidents and First Ladies. Each student was required to write about the childhood and presidency of his or her famous person. In class, the students wrote speeches and prepared for their big production for parents at the end of the month. Dressed in costume, the students entered the room while the music, Hail to the Chief, was played. Each President and First Lady had his or her moment to shine as speeches were read and history was brought life. This was the seventh annual “Hail to the Chief and First Ladies” production for Ms. Shiller.

EDGEWOOD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Dressed as U.S. Presidents and First Ladies, students gave informative presentations to their classmates in Lisa Shiller’s

room at Edgewood Elementary.

Reading Specialist, Kim Todor, and Librarian, Jenn Schlosberg, write that Edgewood students spent a week logging their reading minutes and converting them to miles on a large map of the U.S. in order to literally Read Across America. “We culminated the week with a Read Across Edgewood event as all of our students lined the hallways and read as a community,” said Ms. Todor.



Acting Principal, Gail Campbell, writes that fourth grade teachers, Nicole Peirce, Whitney O’Leary, Jason Miller, Kim Sendlock, and Rene Burns, organized a special event for their classes last month. Pennsylvania State Senator, Chuck McIlhinney, visited with the fourth grade students

ELEANOR ROOSEVELTELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Students gathered in the hallways with books in hand toRead Across Edgewood in celebration of Dr. Seuss’ birthday.

Clifford the Big Red Dog visited Eleanor Roosevelt Elementary to mark Read Across America Day. Reading Specialist, Alisa Myles

(right), dressed as Raggedy Ann for the occasion.

Parent volunteer, Traci Curtis, reports that “love and friendship were in the air in February at Edgewood.” The third grade students of Leighann Pezza and Coleen Jones spent their Valentine’s Day class parties completing a service activity project to provide for others in need. Families from each class generously donated an abundance of baby items for the project. Each student filled a bag with baby necessities that included onesies, diapers, bottles, pacifiers, teddy bears, and wipes. The students placed their handprints on a onesie (in the shape of a heart) and decorated a gift bag for each baby and family. Approximately 50 bags were filled and delivered to The Children’s Home Society to be donated to less fortunate families with infant children. “It was the perfect way to celebrate just how far love and friendship can go when we work together,” said Ms. Curtis.

to explain how Pennsylvania government works and how the Senator represents the needs of the people in our District at the state level. “The students asked many insightful questions about his preparation for the job, his professional duties, and his personal background,” said Ms. Campbell. “Eleanor Roosevelt staff and students were so appreciative that Senator McIlhinney took time out of his busy schedule to spend time with us.”

A day-long celebration of Dr. Seuss’ birthday on Read Across America Day brought a variety of school visitors, according to Ms. Campbell. Staff and students dressed as their favorite literary characters to demonstrate their love of reading. Classroom readers included parents and school staff members such as Carol Abt, Janice Hendrick, Frank Kinslow, Dave Zaremba, and Tom Morris. Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction, Dr. Donna Dunar, also read to students, along with Reading and Language Arts Coordinator, Mary Ellen Lane, Eleanor Roosevelt teachers, and even Clifford (courtesy of Barnes & Noble Oxford Valley, a Pennsbury Partner). “Students were prepared to stop, drop, and read at a moment’s notice no matter where they were during the school day,” said Ms. Campbell. The event closed with a school-wide assembly that featured a reading of Green Eggs and



Ham, student performances, Dr. Seuss trivia from the Student Council, and raffle prizes for Family Reading Month. Reading Specialist, Alisa Myles, noted “what a great day” it was at Eleanor Roosevelt!

The school’s first graders participated in a Valentine’s Day service learning project this year. They continued the tradition of making breakfast bags to be distributed by Aid for Friends, a local organization providing meals and support to homebound residents. “This was a great opportunity for our little friends to bring some cheer to those less fortunate,” said Ms. Campbell. The event was coordinated by first grade teachers, Shannon Kelly, Liz Patton, Leann Collins, and Karen Hawk.

Fallsington nurse, Wendy O’Brien, held a one-eyed screech owl during an assembly presented by Aark, an agency devoted to

rescuing Pennsylvania wildlife.

Rose Kalinowski enjoys reading with students when she volunteers in Diane Mount’s kindergarten classroom at Fallsington Elementary.

Fallsington students had the opportunity to experience Pennsylvania wildlife up close thanks to a visit from Lou Erlich, a volunteer from the Aark Wildlife Rehabilitation and Education Center. School nurse, Wendy O’Brien, an Aark volunteer, assisted as Mr. Erlich introduced the students to a one-eyed screech owl named Hathaway, a red-tailed hawk called Big Bertha, and a peregrine falcon

FALLSINGTON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

named Harley, among other wild animals rescued by the Aark organization.

The students in Diane Mount’s morning and afternoon kindergarten classes have enjoyed the privilege of spending the year with senior volunteers in their classroom. Ed Knowles, Rose Kalinowski, and Iris Goldberg volunteer their time every Friday to assist students with their learning. They practice letter and number recognition, help students with their writing, and read stories together. “Both the children and the senior volunteers look forward to these visits each week,” said Ms. Mount. “It is a rewarding opportunity for all involved.”

Third grade students in Ty Annick’s class studied the famous speech by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr, in which he described his dream of all Americans living in harmony and equality. “We listened to his speech, discussed its meaning, and analyzed how he saw a problem and worked to make the world a better place,” said Mr. Annick. The students were then challenged to brainstorm current problems in today’s society and consider how they and others could work together to make improvements for all citizens. “It is so inspiring to see the hope and wisdom in our children,” added Mr. Annick. The



Fourth grade students taught by Patricia Endres and Rebecca Guthre recently studied the continents and oceans in Social Studies. After analyzing the climate of the north and south poles, the students

MANOR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

This year’s International Fair at Makefield Elementaryincluded a special glimpse of Japanese culture prepared

and presented by parent volunteers.

Manor Elementary fourth graders had the opportunity to meetwith a wildlife photographer in Alaska via Skype.

students’ thoughtful essays on the topic were displayed in the hallway outside of the third grade classrooms at Fallsington.

Makefield’s International Fair, a spectacular bi-annual tradition, showcased the traditions, foods, and cultures of the nations of Brazil, England, Japan, and Israel this year. Students had the opportunity to visit colorfully-decorated classrooms devoted to each country during the school day prior to a special evening event for parents and families. When students arrived at the school that night, each child received a passport. They then searched for answers to questions on the passport brochures as they visited each of the four countries. Students were also offered the opportunity to complete crafts and/or culturally-specific activities at each location. Departure from each “country” included a special passport stamp. Students also obtained play money from each nation and once they had accumulated a bill from every featured country, they could visit the Duty Free Shop and “purchase” an item. An international café offered dishes from each culture prepared by Makefield parent, Kim Quay, the chef and owner of Comfort Food in Morrisville. Principal Donna McCormick-Miller was particularly impressed with the volunteer efforts of the many

MAKEFIELD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

PHS National Honor Society students who elected to come to Makefield that evening to assist with the large-scale event.

Emily and Sara Matson are two fifth grade twins at Makefield who worked with their classmates to fulfill special Valentine’s Day donations for service men and women deployed overseas. The girls’ father, Air Force Commander Joe Matson, oversaw the pickup of more than 90 care packages containing snack foods and personal products for the American troops stationed at one of the Air Force bases in Afghanistan. The items were donated by the children’s families and wrapped by the students as gifts for the soldiers, complete with personal Valentine messages. Each of the students in the classes of Makefield’s fifth grade teachers – Amy Gonzales, Maria Koellner, Nancy Courtney, and Staci Northrup – participated in the effort in lieu of attending a traditional class party to celebrate the occasion.



Fifth grade teachers, Maureen Laughead and Karen DeSpirito, once again staged their students’ annual Explorers Exhibit at Penn Valley, in which all of the world’s famous explorers come to life after fifth grade students spend time researching their lives and designing costumes to portray them. Parents, administrators, and students visited the school’s gymnasium to meet the explorers and ask questions about their adventures.

Falls Township Police Sergeant Sven Beauchmin and his K9, Jessie, met with all of the Penn Valley third graders during a special visit to Janice Portland’s classroom. Ms. Portland shared that her students, as well as those of teacher, Betty Zubrzycki, learned about police dogs in their new

PENN VALLEY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

learned about how life could exist in such extreme conditions. They tied Reading into the topic and read a vocabulary reader from the Journeys series titled, Really, Really Cold. To culminate the series of lessons, the teachers arranged for a video chat via Skype with professional wildlife photographer, Patrick Endres, in Alaska. Mr. Endres has traveled six of the seven continents, most recently the continent of Antarctica. He spent 45 minutes speaking with the students through cyberspace, providing details about his career and fielding their questions about his trip to the Antarctic. “The students were mesmerized by his encounters and thoroughly enjoyed the experience,” said Ms. Endres.

Oxford Valley’s science fair was a great success, according to Principal, Fran Nitkin. Over 150 students participated and the gymnasium was filled with a variety of hands-on projects. Once again, the fair was a collaborative effort involving many staff members. “A big thank you to Shawn McElhaugh, Meghan Caron, Alison Morris, Rosemary MacMath, Melody Jacko, and Hollie Dobson for organizing an educational and enjoyable night for the students and the community of Oxford Valley,” said Ms. Nitkin.

OXFORD VALLEY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Hands-on projects displayed at the Oxford ValleyElementary science fair enabled students to learn

new concepts through demonstrations.

Shannon Little, Oxford Valley’s Physical Education teacher, reports that students are preparing for the school’s annual fundraiser to support the American Heart Association. Students in grades K-2 will be participating in Jump Rope for Heart and students in grades 3-5 will take part in Hoops for Heart. All students will learn skills, techniques, and games with an emphasis on making heart-healthy choices.

Oxford Valley staff members and students took part in the Bucks County Courier Times’ Buck Up campaign for the local homeless shelter. Students collected money for this cause through penny wars at the school. The grand total was over $700! Ms. Nitkin shares her appreciation for the efforts of Cherie Lynne Kooker, first level teacher, and Student Council advisors, Jen Stephens and Shannon Little.

Cherie Lynne Kooker writes that Newtown Dentistry for Kids, a Pennsbury Partner, came to Oxford Valley to meet with 60 first graders to mark Dental Health Month in February. The students learned the importance of dental hygiene as each child got a chance to clean, check, or floss a stuffed animal’s teeth.



Math Specialist, Jeanmarie Pirkle, planned a unique celebration for third, fourth, and fifth grade students on Valentine’s Day this year. Students were asked to report to the gym for Math class to celebrate a combination of Valentine’s Day and the 100th day of school. Warm-up activities included teams of students leading a variety of exercises for 100 seconds. Heart relay races helped students practice basic facts. Students, teachers and support staff played basketball with a special point system that enabled students to earn extra points if they could solve a Valentine’s Day math word problem. “An added bonus to the day was that students were taking care of their own hearts while practicing their Math skills,” said Ms. Stopper.

Third grade students at Penn Valley Elementary had the privilege of meeting Jessie, the police dog (center), and her partner, Sergeant Sven Beauchmin, as a tie-in with Pennsbury’s new reading series.

Village Park Elementary Reading Specialist,Rose Miele (center), inspired students to log their

reading progress and “travel” across America.

Alan J. Micklin, Levittown Leader

reading series and Jessie’s visit was intended to enhance the curriculum. Sgt. Beauchmin was also joined by Corporal Mike Wolverton and Lieutenant Donald Airey, who assisted in demonstrating several of Jessie’s special skills.

While Read Across America was celebrated by every elementary school in Pennsbury, Village Park created a cross-curricular celebration. Reading Specialist Rose Miele’s inspiration to literally Read ACROSS America generated new ideas for many teachers and staff members, sparking teachable moments throughout the school. Ms. Miele and Math Specialist, Jeanmarie Pirkle, enlisted the support of a group of fourth and fifth grade students called Horton’s Happy Helpers to calculate the “miles” (lines read) each class traveled across the country from Fairless Hills to California during the week. These helpers marked the progress of each class on a map of the United States as students updated the entire school in rhyme during daily announcements. Student Council, lead by Karen Daub, tracked individual class and staff spirit through themed dress-up days all week. Students also calculated the percentages of participation. Co-teachers, Dave Costanzo (fifth) and Angela Mastropaolo (Gifted Support) created writing projects to further extend the initiative. The closing

VILLAGE PARK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

assembly on Friday, March 1st, led by Principal Helen Stopper and numerous students, was Suessational!

Teacher Thomas Mellon writes that the students of 8B took part in a “wax museum” activity last month. The lesson reinforced a chemistry unit about atoms, their structure, and the uses of elements. Each student expressed artistic creativity and knowledge of an element of their choice on a tee-shirt. The assignment was to design and

CHARLES BOEHM MIDDLE SCHOOL



decorate a shirt showing the atomic symbol of an element and its uses. “Students wore their shirts to school with a great sense of pride and then shared researched facts during a wax museum activity staged for students and parents in the auditorium,” said Mr. Mellon. Related information collected by the students will also be used to synthesize a creative writing piece. “Parents and students made this a huge success!” Mr. Mellon added.

A presentation titled, Bullying, Cyberbullying, and Youth Depression, targeted to adults, was offered at Pennwood for the entire community on the evening of March 7th. The next morning, an assembly was held for all Pennwood sixth graders that focused on the same subjects. Both discussions were led by Mr. John Halligan, whose son, Ryan, died by suicide at age 13 in 2003 after being bullied by classmates at his school and online. Mr. Halligan’s presentation covered the lessons learned too late for his family regarding how to deal with these forms of bullying and teen depression. As a public speaker, Mr. Halligan hopes to empower parents everywhere with strategies to take preventive actions with their own children. His meetings with students also leave a lasting impact. To learn more, visit www.RyanPatrickHalligan.org.

Last month, a group of seventh grade students from William Penn participated in an energy audit of their own school. Fifteen students from Team 7C and their teachers, Kristilyn Kraus and Kristin Slota, were joined by Todd Rogers, a NEED (National Energy Education Development) certified energy manager, who provided them with an authentic learning experience about school energy efficiency and building performance. The audit began with a brief training session in the classroom. The students then visited areas of the school where multiple appliances are utilized and they compiled data on how energy is being used. This data collection involved the use of digital

PENNWOOD MIDDLE SCHOOL

WILLIAM PENN MIDDLE SCHOOL

water and air thermometers, kilowatt meters, flicker checkers and light meters. Afterwards, the students returned to the classroom to review their findings. They concluded that William Penn is doing well with its use of adjustable lighting, maintenance of safe hot water temperatures, use of electronic ballasts instead of magnetic ballasts, maintenance of appropriate light levels in the classrooms, and use of L.E.D. exit signs. “All of the students in the 7C science classes are looking forward to participating in the other activities that are part of the PECO Energizing Energy Grant Program,” said Ms. Slota.

The idea of a Science Fair is not new, but a Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) Fair is something new! This was the idea that the William Penn PTO STEM committee (comprised of Peggy Pelosi, Frank Ehrenfeld, Mark Tarallo, Siddharth Deliwala, and David Fitchett) developed. “The STEM Fair was a success because of the support from Principal Paul Meehan, PTO funds, visitors to the fair, and the students who participated,” said Ms. Pelosi. William Penn’s STEM Fair showcased 20 projects created by a total of 30 students. The projects on display represented critical thinking and problem-solving skills. “There was a technology component that promoted originality while enabling students to understand

Todd Rogers (left), a certified energy manager, met withWilliam Penn students in their school’s boiler room asthe students conducted a comprehensive energy audit.



PHS Girls’ Basketball Coach, Donna Nicholson, shares that the 2012-2013 Girls Basketball Team sponsored a foul-shooting contest and held a basket raffle during their Hoopin’ for Hope “pink” basketball game. Proceeds from these two events, totaling $1,000, were donated to the Jefferson Breast Care Center at Jefferson Hospital in Philadelphia. The Healthy Women’s program there provides free mammograms, pap smears and diagnostic follow-up care on abnormal test results for women who do not have insurance and cannot afford these services. Well done!

PENNSBURY HIGH SCHOOL

The PHS Girls’ Basketball Team raised $1,000 to assistwomen who need preventive and diagnostic healthcare

services in Philadelphia.

the nature of innovation in STEM and how it relates to business and entrepreneurial issues,” added Ms. Pelosi. This was a non-competitive fair for volunteer students to present science projects while expanding their understanding of traditional or current issues in STEM. Allie Bausinger and Kate Deitch, for example, created a prototype of a fabric book holder with multiple pockets designed for use in a student locker. The students enjoyed the idea of solving an everyday problem (cluttered lockers) using the scientific method and creating a product they may eventually decide to sell to other students. Noah Kaplan examined the science of growing plants in a controlled environment system like hydroponics. Sonali Deliwala and Kate Howarth used an idea they got from their favorite book series, Maximum Ride, to examine if humans could grow wings. They researched work being done on human and animal DNA. Trevi Galemmo and Sean Hochhausler worked on making a wooden bat that would not break. These examples represent just a few of the many outstanding student projects on display at the STEM Fair. “Many of the participants had previous experience at their elementary schools’ science fairs and all were very excited that this will become an annual event at their middle school,” said Ms. Pelosi.

commendAbleACCOMPLISHMENTS

Lisa Becker, Principal of Pennsbury High School West, and Shawn Neely, Principal of Pennsbury High School East, take great pride in announcing that ten Pennsbury students in the class of 2013 have advanced to Finalist standing in the National Merit® Scholarship Program competition. All Finalists will be considered for National Merit Scholarships to be offered in 2013. These students include:

A. Sylvia BiscoveanuMichael R. DuchLiliana J. Frankel

Connor G. HarrimanAlissa C. Johnson

William R. Johnson IIIAlana L. PapulaAdam B. SokolDaniel J. Travis

Brian Zdancewicz

NATIONAL MERIT SCHOLARSHIPPROGRAM FINALISTS ANNOUNCED



A total of 77 students from grades 8-12 participated in the 63rd annual American Mathematics Competition (AMC) exam at Pennsbury in February. Students taking the test were competing for local, regional, and national student and school awards. The AMC test is given at over 4,200 U.S. and international schools and is recognized by many colleges and universities. “The purpose of this test is to spur interest in mathematics and to develop talent through the excitement of friendly competition,” explained PHS Mathematics Department Co-Chair, Stacy Garretson, who organizes this testing competition at Pennsbury. Congratulations to PHS senior, Alana Papula, and

TWO STUDENTS QUALIFY FORHIGH LEVEL MATHEMATICS EXAM

Jacob Wachspress and Alana Papula recently qualified for the American Invitational Mathematics Examination, an intensive,

three-hour test with 15 questions.

sophomore, Jacob Wachspress, who both qualified for the next level of intensive testing, the American Invitational Mathematics Examination (AIME). In order to qualify for the AIME, an AMC 10 test score must be in the top 2.5% of all scores (Jacob Wachspress) or an AMC 12 test score must be in the top 5% of all test scores (Alana Papula). Alana and Jacob each advanced to the AIME last year, as well. The test, which is a three-hour exam with just 15 questions, was given on March 14th. Best of luck to Alana and Jacob!

PHS sophomore, Jacob Wachspress, traveled to Cambridge, Massachusetts to compete in the Harvard/MIT High School Math Tournament as a member of the Lehigh Valley ARML Team run by Professor Don Davis of Lehigh University. Jacob was one of 24 high school math students from the Lehigh team competing individually and in three teams of eight. About 100 high school math teams participated from across the country and China, including teams from some of the top private schools and math/science high schools in the U.S. “It was a very cool experience overall,” said Jacob.

SOPHOMORE COMPETES INHARVARD/MIT MATH TOURNAMENT

On March 2nd, each Pennsbury middle school had a team compete in the Bucks County MATHCOUNTS Competition for 6th – 8th graders. A total of 19 MATHCOUNTS chapters participated. Pennsbury students who ranked in the Top 25 throughout Bucks County included: John Rauen (PW-8th) – 1st; Jimmy Kim (PW-8th) – 2nd; Adam Davis (CB-7th) – 5th; Sujit Hiremath (PW-8th) – 12th; Jason Friedman (CB-7th) – 17th; and Alex Lebanov (CB-7th) – 19th.

The Pennwood team, coached by Aubrey Ferraro, Jackie Gallelli, and Jana VanBuskirk, placed first (for the fourth year in a row!), and included Jimmy Kim (8), Samantha Dearolf (8), John Rauen (8),

PENNSBURY EXCELS AT COUNTY MATHCOUNTS COMPETITION

The selection of some 8,300 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!



This striking image by Lakshya Pratap, a student inAbigail Cramer’s digital photography class, was selected

for a prestigious art exhibition in New Hope.

The Pennwood Middle School MATHCOUNTS team took first placefor the fourth consecutive year in the Bucks County competition!

Ricky Williams (8), Sujit Hiremath (8), Brandon Szwalbenest (7), Andrew Simon (7), Alex Palmer (8), Kiri Heng (8), and Will Bednarz (6). The Pennwood team that will progress to States on March 23rd includes John Rauen, Jimmy Kim, Sujit Hiremath, and Samantha Dearolf (all in 8th).

The Charles Boehm team, coached by Jessica Birkbeck, placed fourth and included Jeffrey Craigan (8), Adam Davis (7), Manu Balusu (7), Pranav Chivukula (6), Alec Lebanov (7), Kevin Sun (7), Kevin White (8), Shagun Lakia (7), Matt McClure (8), and Jason Friedman (7).

The William Penn team, coached by Lisa Freedman and Pete Evanchik, placed ninth. Team members included: Justin Bae (8), Adam Zaharoni (8), Nathan Zang (8), Thomas Zeng (7), Christian McKernan (6), Isaac Thomas (8), Kate Deitch (8), Sydney Gibbard (6), Dawson Grimm (6), and Andrew Kisler (8).

Congratulations to all!

A team of four Pennsbury sophomores – Alex Friedman, David Wiegand, Jason Zhang, and Jacob Wachspress – competed in the annual Lehigh University Math Tournament. Four hundred high school students in grades 9-12 come from Pennsylvania and New Jersey to compete

PENNSBURY SHINES ATMATH TOURNAMENT

The following Pennsbury students were recently named Student of the Month for their achievements and good character at the Bucks County Technical High School: Stephanie Sayers and Sean Rushton. Kudos to both students!

STUDENTS EARN ACCOLADES AT BCTHS

PHS Art teacher, Abigail Cramer, is pleased to announce that the work of five of her Digital Photography students was accepted into the Phillips’ Mill Student Photography Exhibition. A total of 136 images from 17 schools were submitted and 37 were selected for this show. The Pennsbury photography students whose works were chosen include: Bridget Congdon, Taylor Cameron, Lakshya Pratap, Laura Sell, and Taylor Hill. The show at New Hope’s Phillips’ Mill gallery is open to the public through March 31st.

ART STUDENTS’ WORK SELECTED FOR BUCKS PHOTOGRAPHY EXHIBIT

as individuals and as teams. A small number of outstanding middle school students also competed to test their skills. Awards were given to high scoring individuals and teams, and the Pennsbury High School team walked away with the 1st place award for a 10th grade team!



Congratulations to the following Pennsbury students who attend the Bucks County Technical High School and recently competed in the SkillsUSA

Frank Mazzeo, Instrumental Music Curriculum Coordinator, has announced that four Pennsbury students will be participating in the Pennsylvania Music Educators Association All-State Festival in Erie from April 17- 20. The students include Ryan McHenry, David Simon, Kevin Caruso and John Wagner. In making the announcement, Mr. Mazzeo credited the students as well as his Pennsbury colleagues: “I attribute this to all of your hard work, dedication, commitment to excellence, and caring. This has been a tremendous year for us, with four students making All-States as well as two students participating in the All-Eastern Festival – Sara Dornblaser and Sylvia Biscoveanu. Kudos!”

BCTHS STUDENTS WIN MEDALSIN COMPETITIONS

MUSICIANS TO REPRESENTPENNSBURY AT ALL-STATES

March is recognized nationally as the month to celebrate and commend young artists. For the past several years, the Pennsylvania Department of Education has hosted a Youth Art Month Exhibit in Harrisburg to recognize art as a critical component of a child’s education. Pennsbury Art Curriculum Coordinator, Ruth Anne Schultz, is pleased to announce that the works of five of her students at William Penn Middle School were chosen for this year’s exhibit. These include: Moira Jaslar (Cubist Collage), Elizabeth Vasquez (Mexican Amate Paper Painting), Issabella Gilchrist (Self Portrait Triptych), Kaitlyn Rainville (Two Point Perspective Castle), and Hannah Venables (Modern Petroglyph). Congratulations to these fine young artists!

WILLIAM PENN ART DISPLAYED IN HARRISBURG FOR YOUTH ART MONTH

Abigal Cramer also shared that Pennsbury participated in the 26th annual PSEA “Touch The Future” student art exhibition held at Arcadia University this year from February 15 through March 14. PHS Art teacher, Kelly Washington, served as one of the event co-chairs this year. All of the PHS Art teachers assisted in setting up the “Touch the Future” show. Congratulations to the following students who won these juried awards:

• Second Place Best of Show $150.00 award: Victoria Schenck; Teacher: Curtis May; “3D Mixed Media Sculpture”

• Best of Category 3D Mixed Media: Rebecca Rathgeb; Teacher: Curtis May; “Jewelry Tree”

• Juror’s Prize: Kayli Hannah; Teacher: James Minton; “Stuck”

PENNSBURY ART EARNS AWARDSAT “TOUCH THE FUTURE” EXHIBIT

A 3D mixed media sculpture by Victoria Schenck won2nd Place Best of Show in a major exhibit of student art.

Victoria’s teacher is Curtis May.



Pennsbury electrician, Brian Russell, serves his community in Bristol Borough as the volunteer Deputy Fire Chief of Goodwill Hose Co. No. 3. Recently, Mr. Russell was awarded the borough’s Medal of Gallantry for his valiant efforts in saving the life of a borough resident who was found inside his burning home and pulled to safety. Mr. Russell and several of his firefighting colleagues were honored recently by Bristol Borough Mayor, Bob Lebo, for this heroic act. We are proud to recognize Mr. Russell as a distinguished colleague of our own!

PENNSBURY EMPLOYEERECOGNIZED FOR HEROISM

briAn russell

BOArD FACILITIES COMMITTEE5:30 p.m., April 4, 2013

Superintendent’s Conference Room

BOArD AgENDA MEETINg8:00 p.m., April 4, 2013

Fallsington Elementary School

BOArD BuDgET COMMITTEE5:30 p.m., April 11, 2013


rEguLAr BOArD MEETINg8:00 p.m., April 11, 2013

Fallsington Elementary School

BOArD rEvENuE DEvELOPMENT COMMITTEE7:00 p.m., April 16, 2013


BOArD BuDgET HEArINg7:00 p.m., April 30, 2013Oxford Valley Gymnasium

Upcoming MEETINgS

District II competitions:• Dillon Coffey – Gold Medal in the Health

Occupations Knowledge Bowl• Nick Colfer – Gold Medal in the Team Works

competition• Mackenzie King – Gold Medal in the Related

Technical Math competition• Danielle Lasher – Bronze Medal in the Nail Care

competition• David Moore – Silver Medal in the Web Design

competition• Travis Rexrode – Bronze Medal in the Firefighting

competition• Christine Trzcinski – Silver Medal in the

Photography competition

Town Hall Meeting with the Superintendent

Tuesday, March 26, 2013, 7:30 p.m.Walt Disney Elementary School auditorium

Join us as District Superintendent, Kevin J. McHugh, Ed.D., leads the discussionon various District-related topics and takes questions from stakeholders.



PENNSBURY HIGH SCHOOLSUBURBAN ONE LEAGUE • ALL LEAGUE TEAMS • WINTER 2012-2013

SPORT 1st TEAM 2nd TEAM 3rd TEAM HONORABLE MENTION

BASKETBALL, BOYS Cameron Jones Mekhi Bryant Shawn Pepper

BASKETBALL, GIRLS Sajanna Bethea Kaitlin Kelly

BOWLING, BOYS Stephen PlenskiTom HirlemanDavid CallahanMike Hammar

Mike MariniDavid MoserMatt Phillips

BOWLING, GIRLS Lauren FeherSaige OsterhoutDevin DelDonno

Jessica Parent Melissa Creevey

SWIM, BOYS 200 medley relAy:Adam SokolMichael DiechNick LuccaTravis Venables100 bAckstroke:Adam Sokol

200 im:Adam Sokol200 Free relAy:Max MillanAdam SokolDaniel LawtonTravis Venables500 Free:Nick Jeronis

SWIM, GIRLS 200 im:Alison Barahona100 breAststroke:Alison Barahona

200 medley relAy:Deanna ShusterBridget PerdockNaomi PolsterAlison Barahona200 Free relAy:Bridget PerdockBreanna HughesStephanie RadzinskiErin Wiser100 bAckstroke:Deanna Shuster

100 Free:Stephanie Radzinski

WRESTLING Jason BingJosh DiSantoAnthony DiEmidioErnest Tessein

Luke Kowal Zack ClarkeMichael O’BrienMason Houriet

Eric MongielloDominic Martoccio

Documents

cross the ISTRICT - Pennsbury School Districts Report 3 13.pdf · Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA) between April 8-19. Grades 5 and 8 will be also be ... for our little