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Panthers capture several medals in divisionals
To say Quakertown Community High School swim Coach Tony Carty was excited with his team’s performance at the Suburban One League’s Liberty Division championships would be an understatement. “Wow, wow, wow!” Mr. Carty said in describing the Panthers' outstanding effort, both in relays and individual performances at Wissahickon High School on February 11-12.
Caleb Einolf earned two gold medals as Liberty Division champion in both the 200 IM with a school record of 1:57:18 and 100 backstroke in a Wissahickon HS record time of 53:28. Lilly Bauz broke two Panther records and won two silver medals in the 50 free in 24.66 and 100 fly in 59.62.
Kara Woods captured bronze medals in the 100 backstroke and 500 freestyle. Kara and Lilly also earned a bronze medal with Maria Wehmeyer and Anna Clement in the girls 200 medley relay. They finished in a school-record time of 1:55:59.
These triumphs highlighted an outstanding team effort that included 30 top times for Panther swimmers. “This was a fantastic performance by our team,” Coach Carty said. “They showed how outstanding they are on the league level. It was amazing to see the level of respect they have gained from swimmers and coaches in this league.”
Two other QCHS relay teams also set school records, the girls 200 freestyle relay of Lilly, Alexandria Tantoro, Maria and Kara, finishing in 1:42:03 and the boys 400 freestyle of David Pyfer, Josh Einolf, Ben Stella, and Caleb in 3:26:67.
“The team is awesome,” Caleb said. “We’re a tightly-knit family. It’s a lot of fun to be part of.”
A wall of 21 iconic Black Americans can be found in the Sixth Grade Center
Ashley Walter figured just outside her classroom would be a perfect place to decorate the nearby wall with inspiring quotes from famous Black Americans.
“It’s something kids walk by every day and can see everything that they accomplished,” said Ms. Walter, autism and emotional support teacher at the Sixth Grade Center. “It’s awesome when I see them actually take the time to read them or point out the people they know.”
February is Black History Month, an annual celebration of achievements by African Americans and a time for recognizing their central role in U.S. history. Teachers throughout the Quakertown Community School District bring their unique perspective to that observance.
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Avinash Paul Finalist for National Merit Scholarship
Of 1.5 million students who entered the National Merit Scholarship Program, he is one of 15,000 to be named a Finalist. Avinash’s 1490 score on the 2020 Preliminary SAT served as an initial screen of program entrants, That score is achieved by fewer than 1 percent of today’s U.S. high school seniors.
He later scored 1590 out of a possible 1600 on his SAT. “I was one math question away (from a perfect score),” Avinash said.
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Student's vector art selected for Baum exhibition, competition
Caleb, a student in Amy Migliore’s Advanced Digital Design class, will receive a monetary prize for his vector art, titled “Tranquility.” The image shows a sailboat with sun, clouds, and birds reflected in the water. Its title is very fitting.
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Tuba player Daniel Juszynski qualifies for PMEA All-State Band
Quakertown Community High School junior Daniel Juszynski has qualified for the 2022 Pennsylvania Music Educators Association All-State Concert Band!
On January 28 Dan, along with Richard Strader, Elizabeth Callan, and Makya Milkowich participated in the PMEA District 11 Band Festival at Pennsbury High School. All four were selected by audition in November. The PMEA District 11 Band Festival is comprised of the best musicians from high schools in Bucks and Montgomery Counties.
Dan was selected to move on to the PMEA Region 6 Band Festival on tuba. The Region Band Festival will be held on March 11 at West Chester Rustin High School.
"We are so proud of Dan for this special accomplishment," QCHS Band Director Frank Parker said. "Congratulations to all four of our outstanding QCHS District Band members!"
Quakertown Community High School students got a taste of the new Esports Club Thursday in a classroom engineering lab. The Panthers will be part of the North American Scholastic Esports Federation. Like all school clubs, students must meet all eligibility requirements, including a 2.0-grade point average, to participate.
The goal of the club is to provide students with a positive social environment that includes quality mentors to help them experience and grow positive skills that can be applied in their educational and personal lives, said Sandi Frisch, a QCHS business teacher who will be a club advisor along with video production teacher Lincoln Kaar and science teacher Andy Snyder.
Mr. Kaar let students know that Esports is one of the nation’s fastest-growing clubs, and that colleges are recruiting students and providing scholarships for Esports.
Since 2018, when the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) first recognized Esports as an official sport, more than 8,600 high schools have started video-gaming teams, according to the National Education Association. Last year, more than $16 million in Esports scholarships were awarded by U.S. colleges, helping to fuel that explosive growth.
The club plans to meet each Thursday after school. For more information, contact one of the club’s advisors.
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Free gowns in the counselors' office
QCHS families, these have not been the easiest of times financially for many people. With that in mind, if you have a daughter who needs a gown for a prom or formal dance, the school counselors have been collecting them from thoughtful community residents. They're FREE!
Please have your daughter speak to her school counselor. They want to help! No questions asked!
If you have a gown to donate, please drop it off at the high school's main office.
Adria Retter, 2019
Adria Retter moved into the national top-10 Division III rankings with her personal record in the shot put. Adria finished second in the Frank Colden Invitational on February 5 with a personal-best toss of 43-11.75. That effort won Adria the Centennial Conference’s Athlete of the Week.
Since that event, she won the Keough Invitational with a 44-2.5 and followed that up by shattering her personal best at the Princeton Indoor Invitational with a 45-8, boosting her to eighth in the nation.
Adria also excels in the classroom. At Quakertown Community High School she was a National Merit Scholarship Finalist. She is studying mathematics and computer science.
Hayden Smith, 2017
Tenor Hayden Smith is currently pursuing a Master of Music degree in Vocal Performance at Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music. Most recently, Hayden was the 1st place winner in the Upper College division of the NATS 2021 National Student Auditions. His upcoming engagements include Don Ottavio in Don Giovanni at Rice University and Giuseppe in La Traviata and Elder Hayes in Carlisle Floyd’s Susannah with Wolf Trap Opera as a Studio Artist.
Hayden has enjoyed summer engagements with Wolf Trap Opera (2020 and 2021), Music Academy of the West (2019), Houston Grand Opera's Young Artist Vocal Academy (2019), and the Chautauqua Institution Voice Program (2018).
“I am incredibly honored to be one of the inaugural recipients of the Dominick Argento and Carolyn Bailey Argento Fellowship for Vocal Performance," Hayden said. "This fellowship will enable me to focus more intensely on my vocal studies and serve as a crucial springboard for my transition from student to young artist. I am deeply grateful to the Argento family and the National Opera Association for the opportunity to represent the Argento legacy in this fashion."
Hayden is awarded the Carolyn Bailey Argento Fellowship for Vocal Performance for a Master of Music degree in the field of Vocal Performance at Rice University.
Justin Butler, 2021
According to the Lehigh baseball media guide, Justin "will certainly add tremendous depth to a talented catching core at Lehigh, coming to South Mountain from nearby Quakertown. He received the Quakertown Community High School Outstanding Athlete Award this past season and was a Second Team All-League selection in 2019 and 2021.
According to Perfect Game, Butler is ranked 30th overall in Pennsylvania's Class of 2021, coming in as the second-best catcher. He was one of the top 500 players picked by the publication in the country.
School bus cancelations
QCSD families, by now you are well aware there is a nationwide shortage of school bus drivers. Brooke Ott, QCSD's Transportation Coordinator, has been in regular contact with you regarding bus cancelations.
A page on the website is dedicated to these alerts. They can be found here.
If you or anyone you know enjoys working with children and is looking for a part-time job, please contact Levy Bus Company, (215) 536-4567 or office@levybus.com.
Quakertown Community School District
