Neshaminy Update
Neshaminy School District / December 2021
NHS choir scores a win in song competition
On December 15, the Neshaminy HS Select Choir had the opportunity to perform at the Kimmel Center in Philadelphia as part of A Philly Pops Christmas show. They earned this by winning the B101 Christmas Choir Competition / Grades 9-12 the week prior. Their song, "What Christmas Means to Me" (see the video below) is being featured on the station through the holiday. The group performed several songs before the Philly Pops show for a grateful audience, then took the main stage after intermission to perform their prize-winning song for the entire audience. Congratulations to Choir Director Kristin Nichols and the entire Select Choir for this honor!
Neshaminy Education Foundation announces grant winners
The Board of the Neshaminy Education Foundation is pleased to announce the winners of the 2021-2022 mini-grants. This year the NEF has returned to the traditional competitive grant program after donating a single grant of $18,000 last year for the purchase of bluetooth headsets for teachers to assist with their online learning efforts during the pandemic. The NEF will be funding eight grants worth $9,947 this year.
The purpose of the grants is to foster innovative programs, activities and ideas in Neshaminy schools. Any staff member is eligible to apply with approval from the building principal or department administrators.
The NEF is an all-volunteer, non-profit 501(c)(3) organization founded in 1993. Their year-round fundraising efforts include basket raffles, ticket sales, the sale of NHS Endowment Wall tiles, memorial contributions, the annual Harlem Wizards games, and generous donations from Neshaminy staff and local businesses. The funds support activities in the District including the grant program and student scholarships for graduating Neshaminy HS seniors.
The following are grant winners:
- Pearl S. Buck ES (Bethann Boyle, Leanne Raab, Jeff Rodos): Social-emotional learning materials and activities to provide students with behavior and instruction needs pertaining to sensory processing disorder, attention deficit disorder, hyperactivity and autism.
- Neshaminy HS (Justin Bursk): School-wide culture project. Students will create multiple murals around the school to support and celebrate diversity.
- Neshaminy HS (Lisa Krieger): Student Assistance Program (SAP) incentive project. Provides incentives to help students that have been referred to the SAP program at NHS to help remove barriers to learning and motivate them to succeed. The incentives are earned once students have achieved goals related to attendance, academics, discipline or other areas.
- Maple Point & Poquessing MS (Brooke Lesser and Kathleen Kenney): New 4-way nets to promote "Old-School" physical education games such as volleyball, passball, pickleball, badminton and tennis.
- Poquessing MS (Ashley Kerrigan, Jaimie Carr and Tiffany Owens): Furniture to support "Dynamic Classroom Environment" for autistic and emotional support classrooms.
- Poquessing MS (David Wert and Dom Foti): Sublimation printer and supplies to support technology and engineering and Entrepreneurship Club.
- Albert Schweitzer ES (JoEllen Exner): Dramatic play supplies and activities for life skills students.
- Tawanka ES (Colleen Stahl): Take-home literacy materials for new English language learners and their families
School Board adds new members
Left group photo, front row: Marty Sullivan, Steven Pirritano, Tina Hollenbach, Cyndie Bowman, Alicia Lafferty. Back row: Paul Saraullo, Adam Kovitz, John Allen, Kellen Sporny. Center photo: Alicia Lafferty is sworn in. Right photo: Kellen Sporny is sworn in.
The Neshaminy School Board met on Monday, December 6 for their reorganization meeting. Two new members, Alicia Lafferty and Kellen Sporny, were sworn in by Judge Daniel Baranoski. They are replacing outgoing members David Marrington and Irene Boyle, both of whom did not run for re-election. Ms. Lafferty and Mr. Sporny are both from Region 3 of the District, and are parents of children currently attending Neshaminy schools.
Also sworn in for additional four-year terms were returning incumbent members Cyndie Bowman and John Allen. Mr. Allen was elected as Board President, and Tina Hollenbach was elected as Board Vice-President during the meeting. Previous Board President Steven Pirritano declined a nomination to continue in that role, stating that it was time for others to share leadership of the Board. Mr. Pirritano is continuing his term as a Board member.
The new Board will hold their first Board Public Meeting on Tuesday, January 4 at 7pm in the District Board Room at Maple Point. Their next Public Board Meeting will be held on Tuesday, January 25 at 7 pm, also in the District Board Room.
ACT 34 HEARING - NEW ELEMENTARY SCHOOL AT MAPLE POINT
On Thursday, December 1, the Board held an Act 34 hearing to share information and receive public comment about the proposed plan to construct a new elementary school on the Maple Point property in Middletown Township. This was an informational hearing only; the public has 30 days from the date of the hearing to view the information presented and submit comments before the Board can consider moving forward with the project.
A video of the hearing can be viewed here, and the documents presented at the hearing can be found here.
UPCOMING COMMITTEE MEETINGS
- The Facilities and Planning Committee will meet on Wednesday, January 19 at 6:30 pm.
- The Policy Committee will meet on Thursday, January 20 at 6:30 pm.
- The Business Operations Committee will meet in Thursday, January 27 at 6:30 pm.
All Committee meetings are scheduled to take place in the District Board Room at Maple Point. The public is encouraged to attend and participate. Meeting dates, times and locations are subject to change; please visit www.neshaminy.org for any updates.
The Board Room art gallery is back!
Student artwork will once again be on display in the District Board Room at Maple Point (and showcased on District social media and website as well). Lead art teacher Dr. Stacy Potter announced that a gallery of student art from one school will be hung in the Board Room each month, starting with Herbert Hoover Elementary School. The gallery is an opportunity for the community to see the variety of styles and media that students are exposed to in the award-winning Neshaminy art program.
The 2021-2022 District Art Show is scheduled for Gym 1 at Neshaminy High School on May 25 & 26 from 6-8 pm.
Family connect series continues February 1
Archive video of the first Family Connect webinar, held on December 7, 2021
Neshaminy is excited to announce the second webinar in our Family Connect series, Nurturing Resilience in Ourselves & Our Children and Teens During Challenging Times. The webinar will be held on Tuesday, February 1, 2022. This webinar is free, but pre-registration is required. Registration information will be shared on the District website and social media.
The guest host will be Dr. Robert Brooks is a clinical psychologist on the faculty of Harvard Medical School and former Director of the Department of Psychology at McLean Hospital, a private psychiatric hospital in the Boston area. He has lectured nationally and internationally and written extensively about such themes as resilience across the lifespan, motivation, learning, parenting and family relations, and creating positive school and work environments. He has authored or co-authored 19 books, and received numerous awards for his work. Dr. Brooks has also served as a consultant to Sesame Street Parents Magazine and completed a videotape and educational guide for PBS titled Look What You’ve Done! Stories of Hope and Resilience that focuses on children and adolescents with special needs.
Free covid testing available for students
Bucks County is offering free COVID-19 testing for students and Bucks County school employees. The nearest site is the Lower Bucks Service Center located at 7321 New Falls Road in Levittown. Appointments are required, please visit https://sugeni.us/WEFl. Additional testing sites are available in Quakertown and Doylestown.
Neshaminy Education Foundation update
HOLIDAY BASKET RAFFLE
Congratulations to James Mininger and John Michniewiez, winners of the two Holiday Raffle Baskets drawn on Wednesday, December 15. This raffle raised $1,820 for the NEF.
SUPPORT THE NEF THROUGH AMAZON SMILE
If you are purchasing gifts or other items on Amazon this holiday season, please consider using Amazon Smile and 0.5% of your purchase price will be donated to the NEF at NO extra cost to you! Just visit Smile.Amazon.com, choose the Neshaminy Education Foundation as your charity of choice, and every time you check out, be sure to use Smile.Amazon.com (an official Amazon site that works exactly like the regular site).
Thank you to our 2021 holiday donors!
With help from Neshaminy students, families, staff and community supporters, each school gathers donated items and gift cards to make the holidays a little brighter for families that can use some help. These efforts are coordinated with help from school counselors, school nurses and administrators who work to identify and get the donated items to those that can use them. Some of the extra food donations are used to stock school and community food pantries.
Schweitzer ambassadors boost holiday giving program
Albert Schweitzer ES fourth-grade Student Ambassadors raised $1,931.25 to add to their gift giving to the Schweitzer families this year, the most they ever raised. Ambassadors raised money each morning leading up to the holidays and then went shopping with Mrs. Pulak at Target for a variety of gifts including pajamas, blankets, and toys the children in the families asked for. Students then met during their recess time to wrap all the gifts. In addition, ambassadors purchased Target gift cards for families and everyone under the age of 13 received a book, a hat, gloves, socks, and a toy. Those over 13 got a pair of gloves and a $25 Target gift card.
Miller ES students deliver holiday cheer to nursing homes
Fourth grade Student Council Members and members of the school's Service Club helped organize "The Angel Card Project" for the month of December. Students in all grades, Kindergarten to Fourth worked to make cards, ornaments, and small holiday treasures for members of the community in nursing homes and long-term care facilities. Being a part of helping and showing kindness to those in the community builds a sense of purpose and pride for all our Walter Miller students!
700 BCIT students participate in hour of code
BCIT (Business, Computers and Information Technology) classrooms recently participated in the Annual Hour of Code across the district, including:
- NHS students worked with Python functions learning If Else and Wild Loops, and worked with Java Script to create Apps. Some students used block programming to create their own basketball games, coded Fort Nite, Minecraft and other games, and coded a Dance Party. They all worked toward earning their certificates.
- Poquessing students in 7th grade BCIT created an advanced Scratch platforming game in which they created a program in which their character runs, falls, and jumps onto ledges and moving platforms with a scrolling game screen displaying two or move levels.
- Poquessing students in 5th grade BCIT completed the Hour of Code "Dance Party" and Tynker's "Hello Emoji" tutorials.
- Maple Point BCIT students participated in Hour of Code by working on various programs including block coding and web development using HTML and CSS, coding used to create web pages.
Ferderbar 3rd-graders making beautiful music from scraps
Students across the district participated in a culmination sound activity. After learning about sound energy, these Ferderbar ES students created their own unique instruments. They needed to be able to play their instruments and demonstrate how to change the pitch of the sound. Some students brought in instruments that they made at home, but most students built their instruments in school using recycled materials. The children worked together to share ideas and help each other construct their designs.
Night-light bowling at Buck
Students at Pearl S. Buck ES had a TON of fun putting their skills to the test in glow-in-the-dark bowling while competing against their friends. "Night-light Bowling" is quickly becoming a favorite activity across all the elementary schools!
Tawanka students explore their environment
In Tawanka's second-grade social studies classes, students are learning all about human-environment interaction. We discussed that humans can modify, or change their environment in positive ways: planting a garden and recycling, or negative ways: cutting down trees, or contributing to pollution. Students designed a river and then created a modification by building a bridge over it! They had to work as a team to create the bridge using different materials.
Miller ES class gets a delicious lesson in astronomy
If you have every really examined an Oreo cookie, it looks something like a full moon. Students in Theodore Rydzewski's fourth-grade class at Albert Schweitzer ES got a delicious lesson in moon science by recreating the phases of the moon with the sweet treats.
Middle schools hold a "Mini" MiniTHON; main event coming January 14
On December 11, the District's three middle schools participated in a "Mini-MiniTHON" held at Neshaminy HS. Students from the schools raised over $5,000, which will be added to the money raised by the NHS MiniTHON to be held on January 14 from 2:30pm-8:30pm in Gym 3. MiniTHON benefits Four Diamonds, a foundation that raises money to help fight pediatric cancer and is the recipient of money raised by the Penn State University THON.
Sandburg students share the joy of the season
Eighth graders in Ms. Sienko's AVID elective are spreading good cheer this holiday season through a community service project. Students wrote positive messages of encouragement, inspiration, and joy on Starbucks cup sleeves and then lovingly decorated them with festive colors and designs. The sleeves will be returned to the local Starbucks in the Levittown shopping center where students hope their special sleeves will make people remember how the little things can really brighten someone's day. They hope their messages will make customers smile...one cup at a time.
In other demonstrations of holiday generosity at Sandburg, SPIRIT Club members and their advisor, Donna Jackson, prepared 77 filled stockings along with additional games and toys for the Salvation Army. The SADD Club came together to write out holiday cards for military service members and local nursing home residents. Twelve members from SPIRIT, with their coordinator, Donna Jackson and 6 members from SADD, with their coordinators Jaime Christie and Donna Ferro, filled out over 80 holiday cards.
Poquessing students visit the Linc
On November 23rd, Poquessing sent 158 students (and 12 adults) to Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia as a reward for raising over $11,000 for the school's PTO. While they were there, Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurtz and his mother were on the field filming an upcoming commercial along with the Eagles Cheerleaders were the Eagles mascot Swoop. The kids had an amazing time and before they left they all received a free pair of Eagles Sunglasses.
Grandparents join Maple Point fifth-grade celebration virtually
Fifth-grade students at Maple Point MS invited their grandparents to join their classes virtually on December 21 for the annual Senior Soiree. The students introduced themselves, interviewed the grandparents about their lives and school days, then shared pre-recorded musical concerts and a holiday sing-a-long.
Orchestra returns to Middletown Holiday Open House
Members of the Neshaminy HS Orchestra returned to the Middletown Township Holiday Open House for a performance on December 9 after a one-year pandemic-related absence. This marks the 34th year and the 33rd appearance by director Mike Lipton at this festive event. A group of Neshaminy HS musicians also provided some holiday cheer at the annual Playwicki Farm tree lighting ceremony which was held on December 5.
Drama students excel at conference
The Neshaminy HS Drama Roadies attended the PA State Thespian Conference held at North Penn HS on December 4. Maddie McKenna was elected as a PA State Student Officer, and the group participated in the first ever improv. competition at the conference. Out of 15 teams, Maddie and Nick DeMatteo took third place and Jack McGinniss and Grace Childs won the competition. Congratulations to all who participated in a wonderful weekend!
Handcrafts in the Hub provides holiday goodies, business experience
Two classes at Neshaminy HS held the "Handcrafts in the Hub" Craft Fair (formerly known as the K-Hall Craft Fair) on December 21. The fair provides a wealth of learning opportunities for the students, including planning, designing, creating, marketing, customer sales and accounting. Among the items the students created were holiday decorations, chocolate-dipped pretzels, brownie and cocoa jars, miniature planters, hand-made scarves and more. All the proceeds go toward funding educational field trips during the school year.
Band members play at a temple football game
The Neshaminy High School Marching Band was well-represented at a Temple University football game held at Lincoln Financial Field on November 27. Each year the Temple University Diamond Band invited area high school bands to perform with them on the field during a game. It's an opportunity to learn about the Temple music program, and enjoy playing in a large venue with musicians from throughout the Philadelphia region.
Cheerleaders perform at Pearl Harbor memorial
NHS varsity cheerleaders Alyssa Cabeza, Jaedah Davis, Giovanna O’Sullivan were three of more than 600 high school cheerleaders and dancers from across the country chosen to perform in the Varsity Spirit Pearl Harbor Memorial Parade in Honolulu, Hawaii between December 4-8. The trio was part of a select group of cheerleaders and dancers chosen as All-Americans during Varsity Spirit summer camps across the country.
Neshaminy Update is published monthly during the school year and distributed to the Neshaminy community via email and web. To submit comments, suggestions or news items for consideration, please email Chris Stanley, Community Relations Coordinator.
Neshaminy School Board of Directors
John Allen - President
Tina Hollenbach - Vice President
Cyndie Bowman
Adam J. Kovitz
Alicia Lafferty
Steven Pirritano
Paul Saraullo
Kellen Sporny
Marty Sullivan
Neshaminy School District
Superintendent
Rob McGee, Ph.D.
Assistant to the Superintendent / Director of Elementary Education
Michelle Burkholder
Assistant to the Superintendent / Director of Secondary Education
Jason Bowman
Assistant to the Superintendent / Director of Pupil Services
Anthony Devlin
Business Administrator
Donald B. Irwin, Jr.
Director of Human Resources
Kelly Kozik
Assistant to the Superintendent / Director of Educational Operations
Paul Meehan
Neshaminy School District
2001 Old Lincoln Highway
Langhorne, PA 19047