Please join us for tonight's Committee of the Whole Meeting at 7 PM at the Ed Center. For full details and tonight's agenda, please visit us at:

If we pay attention, some moments leave their mark.

As the Communications Specialist, I had the pleasure of visiting BASH for Impact Day. A day that brings together approx. 75 students and more than a dozen team members to focus on connection, collaboration, sharing voices, and having an IMPACT. Through guided activities focused on relationship building and connection, students and teachers built trust, met new people, and shared and received feedback in a safe environment focused on student leadership.

Students enjoyed lunch together and had the opportunity to IMPACT their school by sharing their voices. Their enthusiasm and #BEARLove were contagious and to be a small part of it was a gift!

#BEARStudentProud

Christina Roberts' first grade students at GES created this dancing Asian New Year dragon to help them learn about different types of solids. They used the STEM Makedo Invent Jr. tools to saw cardboard and screw pieces together. #BEARCreative

Friday, February 17, 2023:

Early Dismissal Day for All BASD Students

Monday, February 20, 2023

President's Day Holiday - Schools Closed/Offices Open

Email from Mrs. Kellon, WES Library Media Specialist & Intervention Teacher

Mrs. Raifsnider's 1st-grade class received a reward for filling their “fuzzy” pouch. They chose “Guest Reader” and were so surprised to see Mrs. Torchia on their reward day! Mrs. Torchia brought the book Carla’s Sandwich to read to us, and she donated it to our library too! #BEARProud

Provided by Nan Parks, BCTC Outreach Coordinator

BCTC Business Management and Entrepreneurship PM students came in first place at the Virtual Enterprises International (VEI) New York Metro South Regional Division competition on January 19, 2023, for the business plan of their virtual company, Naturally Threaded. The Naturally Threaded Executive team will be competing in the VEI national competition in New York City in April 2023. The Executive Board of the Naturally Threaded team includes Ian Griffith and Kasey Curran from Boyertown.

Congratulations to your entire team! #BEARBCTCStudentsRock

Written by Morgan Dwornik, Communications Intern

Five students are “pinning” the way for a new future at BASH. On Thursday, January 26th, I sat down with these girls making Boyertown history at the high school.

Girls’ wrestling is one of the fastest-growing sports in PA, and female student-athletes have more opportunities to obtain scholarships than ever. Mr. Pallidino says he “felt this was a great opportunity for our student-athletes.” After meeting with the boys’ coaches, booster clubs, and youth coaches a blueprint for the program was created, and thankfully the school board approved sponsoring the sport.

This summer, when the opportunity of a brand new all-girls wrestling team was introduced through an email to students, some girls were eager to join, and others were not so sure at first. At the time, the winter sport had gained interest from fifteen recipients. By the time the season rolled around, there were five girls making history!

Mr. Palladino, BASH’s Athletic Director and creator of the girl’s wrestling team, states, “our youth program has a bunch of female wrestlers, and once our students see the opportunities and experiences they can gain, our roster numbers will increase.”

Since November 18th, 2022, the girls have competed against 93 in-state teams in matches every weekend. Now they are on to regionals and nationals!

Just from talking to the girls, you can tell they don’t just love the sport but also the team they have formed together. Even though they are one of the smaller teams, they always welcome other teammates and would love for more people to join next year and be a part of their fantastic team.

#LadyBEARSMakingHistory

On Tuesday, February 7th, a few dozen students from MSE, MSW, and BASH, grades 7-9, had the opportunity to travel to Governor Mifflin High School to audition for Berks Junior County Chorus. They each had to perform the piece, With a Voice of Singing by Martin Shaw. The following 25 students made the choir and will be participating in the festival held at Middle School West on April 12 and April 15:

1. Ashtyn Ehst – BASH – 9th grade – Soprano 1 – 4th Chair
2. Sadie Hanish – BASH – 9th grade - Soprano 1 – 5th Chair
3. Kacie Dieser – MSE – 8th grade – Soprano 1 – 6th chair
4. Riley Rogers – MSE – 7th grade – Soprano 1 – 13th chair
5. Delanie Jackson – MSE – 8th grade – Soprano 2 – 7th chair
6. Emma Seyler – MSW – 8th grade – Soprano 2 – 25th chair
7. Shawn Marie Moser –MSE- 8th grade – Alto 1 – 6th chair
8. Regan Kretovich – MSE- 8th grade – Alto 1 – 7th chair
9. Keira Comfort – BASH - 9th grade – Alto 1 – 14th chair
10. Charlotte Burrell – MSE – 7th grade – Alto 1 – 19th chair
11. Reagan Vining – BASH – 9th grade – Alto 1 – 23rd chair
12. Carson Snyder – MSE – 7th grade – Alto 2 – 2nd chair
13. Erin Foraker – MSE – 7th grade – Alto 2 – 17th chair
14. Etta Fetterman – MSW – 7th grade – Alto 2 – 18th chair
15. Anna Moyer – MSE – 8th grade – Alto 2 – 21st chair
16. Thomas Rokita – MSE – 7th grade – Tenor 2 – 3rd chair
17. James Tulanowski – MSW – 8th grade – Tenor 2 - 18th chair
18. Jadon Brewster – MSW – 7th grade – Tenor 2 – 20th chair
19. Kolby Grim – BASH – 9th grade – Bass – 1st chair
20. Wyatt Hodgdon - BASH – 9th grade – bass – 7th chair
21. Cole Major – MSW – 8th grade – bass – 9th chair
22. Christian Calautti – BASH - 9th grade – bass – 11th chair
23. Brady Sanders – MSW – 7th grade – bass – 14th chair
24. Shane Speaker – MSW – 8th grade – bass – 20th chair
25. Elijah Brown – BASH – 9th grade – bass – 23 chair
    
    

Congratulations to all of BASD's participants! #BearProud #BEARSMakeBeautifulMusic

As of the writing of this newsletter, only five tickets remain across all three shows! WOW!
To everyone involved in the production, BREAK A LEG!
To all those lucky enough to have tickets, ENJOY!!

A Message from Mr. Kennedy, MSE TSA Advisor

Good afternoon - This past weekend (February 14, 2023) thirty-two students from Middle School East traveled to Stroudsburg Junior High School to participate in the 2023 PA TSA Region 9 Conference. The students competed at a high level and definitely did not disappoint. Thank you to everyone who has helped support our TSA chapter! We could not do this without all of your help. Listed below are our results from last Saturday for your review.

Challenging Technology Issues

1st Place – Shaunak Bangalore, Zoe George

2nd Place – Maya Brunner, Alexa Maraldo

3rd Place – Samantha Hemingway, Faith Zadroga

Coding

1st Place – Declan Larrimore, Gavin Wilson

3rd Place – Ben McDermott, Pat McCoach

5th Place – Colton Gibb, Enzo Santos

CADD Foundations

1st Place – Emiliano Hornak

2nd Place – Dom Capone

3rd Place – Bruce Schorle

4th Place – Chase Ewing

Digital Photography

1st Place – Julia Leshinskie

3rd Place – Hayden Peifer

Dragster

1st Place – Julia Leshinskie

2nd Place – Grady Jones

3rd Place – Colton Gibb

4th Place – Bruce Schorle

5th Place – Liam McGuigan

7th Place – Chase Ewing

10th Place – Samantha Hemingway

11th Place – Dom Capone

Electrical Applications

1st Place – Chase Ewing, Madison Moll

Essays on Technology

1st Place – Ellie Gundersen

2nd Place – Alexa Maraldo

3rd Place - Ben McDermott

Flight Challenge

4th Place – Ethan Bliss

5th Place – Maya Brunner

Forensic Technology

3rd Place – Ryan Camp, Nolan Smith

Junior Solar Sprint

1st Place – Zoe George, Emiliano Hornak, Jack Susek, Faith Zadroga

2nd Place – Maya Brunner, Isabella Keefe, Alexa Maraldo, Enzo Santos

4th Place – Ethan Bliss, Ryan Camp, Grady Jones, Nolan Smith

Leadership Strategies

1st Place – Zoe George, Samantha Hemingway, Faith Zadroga

2nd Place – Ellie Gundersen, Ian King, Declan Larrimore

Mass Production

1st Place – Maya Brunner, Alex Foy, Samantha Hemingway, Ian King, Alexa Maraldo

Mechanical Engineering

2nd Place – Ryan Camp, Alex Foy, Nolan Smith

3rd Place – Declan Larrimore, Madison Moll, Gavin Wilson

5th Place – Marisa Braglio, Colton Gibb, Emiliano Hornak

Off the Grid

1st Place – Marisa Braglio, Ellie Gundersen, Isabelle Keefe, Ian King, Julia Leshinskie, Madison Moll

Problem Solving

1st Place – Ian King, Grady Jones

2nd Place – Ellie Gundersen, Julia Leshinskie

Promotional Marketing

1st Place – Julia Leshinskie

2nd Place – Shaunak Bangalore

4th Place – Ian King

STEM Animation

1st Place – Marisa Braglio, Ayden Driscoll, Emiliano Hornak, Bruce Schorle

Structural Engineering

3rd Place – Emiliano Hornak, Grady Jones

5th Place – Isabelle Keefe, Jess Buchanan

Video Game Design

1st Place – Shaunak Bangalore, Ayden Driscoll

4th Place – Declan Larrimore, Gavin Wilson

Website Design

1st Place – Marisa Braglio, Ellie Gundersen, Julia Leshinskie

PA Delta Dart

3rd Place – Pat McCoach

9th Place – Enzo Santos

PA Robotics

3rd Place – Colton Gibb, Pat McCoach, Ben McDermott

A Message from Mr. Reigner and Mr. Stallman, MSW TSA Advisors

Congratulations to all students who participated in Saturday's (February 4, 2023) conference!

TSA is not about ribbons or trophies but about gaining knowledge, meeting deadlines, dealing with stress, and working with others. These are life skills that many people do not learn until much later in life. As one former member said about his TSA experience, " TSA taught me how to deal with myself in situations where it was stressful, or I had to meet a deadline, or I had to figure out how to solve the problem at hand." That young man is a Penn State graduate, a Captain in the Air Force, and an Air Force Pilot.

Many of our former students were there judging, giving back to the organization that has reinforced the skills that put them on the path to a successful career. We had former BASD students who judged who are now employed as an Architect, Environmental Engineer, Software Engineer at Lockheed Martin, and currently Mechanical Engineering Students .

Whether or not you took 1st place or didn't place at all, I hope you enjoyed Saturday's competition and continue on with TSA .

With regards to the State conference and qualifying, The Boyertown TSA rule is that a student must place 1st, 2nd, or 3rd in any regional event to go to the State TSA conference as stated in the membership contract that was signed by the student and parent and handed in with the $50 membership/registration fee. This is for all events.

Thank you to all of the parents who came today to help judge or spectate and cheer the students on as they compete.

The students could not have done any of this without your encouragement, advice, and support.

Thank you to the BASD building administration and School Board for supporting the premier S.T.E.M program in the state.

Thank you to Mrs. Landis, Mr. Schmaldienst, and the West Personnel for encouraging and supporting our students.

102 Career Prep

Place 3 1001-006 Isabelle Boyle

106 Coding State

Place 4 1001-901 Team A

113 Dragster State

Place 6 1001-006 Isabelle Boyle

Place 8 1001-007 Trevor Conrad
Place 9 1001-016 Drew Moser

116 Flight State

Place 1 1001-011 Augustus Fetterman

Place 2 1001-027 Sara Wernersbach
Place 3 1001-008 Alexandra Donovan

Place 6 1001-023 Skylar Thomas

117 Forensic Technology

Place 4 1001-901 Team A

119 Inventions and Innovations

Place 1 1001-901 Team A

120 Junior Solar Sprint

Place 3 1001-902 Team B

Place 5 1001-901 Team A

121 Leadership Strategies

Place 3 1001-902 Team B

Place 4 1001-901 Team A

123 Mechanical Engineering

Place 6 1001-901 Team A

124 Medical Technology

Place 1 1001-901 Team A

128 Problem Solving

Place 4 1001-902 Team B

Place 6 1001-901 Team A

130 STEM Animation

Place 2 1001-902 Team B

Place 3 1001-901 Team A

131 Structural Engineering

Place 6 1001-901 Team A

151 PA - Delta Dart

Place 2 1001-012 Etta Fetterman
Place 5 1001-015 Dhruvansai Kamishetti

Place 10 1001-022 Caleb Spece

Place 11 1001-025 Cecilia Twisdale-Serrano

154 PA - Materials Process

Place 1 1001-011 Augustus Fetterman

156 PA - Robotics

Place 1 1001-901 Team A

Place 6 1001-902 Team B

157 PA - Safety Illustration

Place 2 1001-017 Evan Myers

Place 4 1001-021 Olivia Schell

158 PA - Snapshot

Place 1 1001-020 Brady Sanders

Place 3 1001-017 Evan Myers

A Message From Mr. Pennington, TSA Advisor at BASH

The Boyertown Senior High TSA Chapter competed on Saturday February 4th at the annual PA TSA Region 9 Conference. Over 50 Boyertown High school students competed at Stroudsburg Junior High, as well as well over 50 dedicated parents and teachers who came up to judge and help out at the event. Our teams were very successful this weekend, and the kids had a great time showing their work and skills. Our team would love to thank the parents who came up and showed support by judging, or coming up to see the kids perform. A special thanks to Boyertown Alumni Randy Renninger, Grace DeMenno, Tara O'Connor, Ben Shaner, Logan Westlake, Breanna Sheeler, Will Sheeler and Mackenzie Pope for giving up their Saturday to come back and judge for us and continue to be great and helpful members of our TSA family. Also thank you to Bill and Lisa Carmichael, as well as Mackenzie Pope, who helped out so much by both judging and chaperoning a bus, this is a busy, busy task for me... I appreciate the help!

The results are as follows!

Architectural Design

4th Place - Alex Rose, Brayden Panunzio

Audio Podcasting

5th Place - Diego Peredo, Logan Shilling, Josh Ansu, Aiden McManus, Stanley Yang

Board Game Design

3rd Place - Brayden Tinney, Alex Gambone, Diego Peredo, Aiden McManus, Alex Rose, Zachary Bauer

6th Place - Abby Johnstin, Bridget Hartman, Brayden Panunzio, Ronnie Calle, Piper Zaharchuk

CADD 3D Engineering

10th Place - Brayden Tinney

Dragster Design

9th Place - Alex Gambone

Engineering Design

3rd Place - Stanley Yang, Alex Gambone, Zachary Bauer, Josh Ansu, Logan Shilling

Essays on Technology

2nd Place - Bridget Hartman

4th Place - Diego Peredo

6th Place - Emma Klass

Extemporaneous Presentation

4th Place - Alex Rose

Forensic Science

1st Place - Emma Klass, Bridget Hartman

Manufacturing Prototype

2nd Place - Piper Zaharchuk, Ronnie Calle, Brayden Panunzio, Abby Johnstin

Promotional Design

3rd Place - Diego Peredo

6th Place - Aiden McManus

Software Development

3rd Place - Brayden Tinney, Alex Gambone

Technology Problem Solving

7th Place - Brayden Tinney, Josh Ansu

PA Safety Illustration

3rd Place - Abby Johnstin

Again, thank you to everyone that supported the kids and allowed them the opportunity to show their skills at the Regional TSA Competition. TSA will resume preparations for their State Conference from April 19 - April 22nd, where they will compete to qualify for the TSA National Conference in Louisville, KY.

Congratulations to Tanisha Johri who won a scholarship at the conference for Region 9 Outstanding Technology Senior.

Additional Results from Mr. Pennington, TSA Advisor at BASH

Architectural Design

1st Place - Samantha Jo Dolansky, McKenna Smith, Ethan Maraldo, Leah Pulcher, Katelyn Pritchard, Ethan Martins

Audio Podcasting

1st Place - Ava Carmichael, Summer Bellino, Victoria Munoz

3rd Place - Eryn Drobins, Alyssa Hadfield, Rey Payseur

4th Place - Robbie Ramsey, Evelyn Howald

Biotechnology Design

1st Place - Samantha Jo Dolansky, Thomas Huber, Ethan Maraldo, Sofia Maraldo, Grace Gibbins, McKenna Smith

2nd Place - Tanisha Johri, Dylan Klass, Richard Black, Sofia Peredo

3rd Place - Ava Carmichael, Leah Pulcher, Evelyn Howald, Robby Ramsey, Kyler Hohenstein, Milly Liang

Children's Stories

3rd Place - Milly Liang, Ava Carmichael, Victoria Munoz, Evelyn Howald, Summer Bellino

Coding

2nd Place - Rey Payseur, Alyssa Hadfield

CADD 2D Architecture

1st Place - McKenna Smith

2nd Place - Samantha Jo Dolansky

3rd Place - Katelyn Pritchard

CADD 3D Engineering

3rd Place - Brodie Peifer

5th Place - Nathan Romanisko

6th Place - Sofia Peredo

Debating Technological Issues

2nd Place - Summer Bellino, Evelyn Howald

3rd Place - Sabrina Falzone, Katelyn Pritchard

Dragster Design

4th Place - Brodie Peifer

Engineering Design

2nd Place - Alyssa Hadfield, Eryn Drobins, Rey Payseur, Leah Pulcher, Grace Gibbins

Essays on Technology

3rd Place - Evelyn Howald

Extemporaneous Presentation

1st Place - Summer Bellino

Fashion Design

3rd Place - Milly Liang, Summer Bellino, Ava Carmichael

Forensic Science

2nd Place - Alyssa Hadfield, Eryn Drobins

Future Technology Teacher

1st Place - Ethan Martins

Geospatial Technology

1st Place - Tanisha Johri, Dylan Klass, Richard Black

2nd Place - Ethan Maraldo, Lucas Famous, Brayden Pope

Manufacturing Prototype

1st Place - Dylan Klass, Richard Black, Nate Romanisko, Tanisha Johri, Sofia Peredo, Lucas Famous

Photographic Technology

1st Place - McKenna Smith

4th Place - Caroline Young

Prepared Presentation

1st Place - Summer Bellino

2nd Place - Sofia Peredo

Promotional Design

2nd Place - Milly Liang

4th Place - Allyson Bosler

5th Place - Grace Gibbins

Senior Solar Sprint

3rd Place - Dylan Klass, Richard Black

Software Development

2nd Place - Lucas Famous, Grace Gibbins, Ethan Maraldo, Allyson Bosler, Brayden Pope

Structural Design and Engineering

2nd Place - Brayden Pope, Brodie Peifer

Technology Problem Solving

5th Place - Tanisha Johri, Dylan Klass

Transportation Modeling

3rd Place - Brodie Peifer

Video Game Design

1st Place - Ethan Maraldo, Samantha Jo Dolansky, Lucas Famous, Ethan Martins, Dylan Klass

2nd Place - Katelyn Pritchard, Thomas Huber, Eryn Drobins, Rey Payseur

Webmaster

3rd Place - Ethan Maraldo, Lucas Famous, Grace Gibbins, Samantha Jo Dolansky, McKenna Smith

PA Materials Process

2nd Place - Leah Pulcher

PA Safety Illustration

1st Place - Milly Liang

2nd Place - Sofia Maraldo

7th Place - Caroline Young

RESULTS FROM WEEK 1's COIN STALL:

At the end of our Coin Stall collection, the totals are in:

9th Grade - $1076.31

10th Grade - $1131.87

11th Grade - $659.03

12th Grade - $665.47

For a grand total of $3532.68

Thank you for participating in Coin Stall this past week and helping our local community agencies – Preston’s Pantry and The Salvation Army!

Student Council and FBLA Continuing Weekly Competitions:

WEEK 2 (February 13th)

SCHOOL SUPPLY DRIVE: Homerooms will be given bins with their homeroom section listed on the front. Each packaged school supply donated will add 1 point to the homeroom’s total.

Students may not break a box of pencils into individual pencils. If they come in a package, they are one item.

School Supplies will be donated to Operation 143, helping local students with back-to-school supplies.

WEEK 3 (February 20th)

NON-PERISHABLE FOOD ITEMS: Homerooms will collect non-perishable food items. Each non-perishable food item donated will add 1 point to the homeroom’s total. Things that are expired or unusable will not count toward the total. Ramen Rule - We will accept it, but it’s not worth any points.

Food items will be donated to the Salvation Army and Preston’s Pantry to help provide meals to hungry families in Boyertown.

SPRING DANCE (MARCH 3RD) 7:30 - 10:30 PM

The new spring dance on March 3rd will feature a neon theme. Each class’s points will be revealed, and winners will be named. The winning class will receive a HUGE REWARD for the WHOLE CLASS!

All students that buy a ticket to the dance will receive a FREE CHICK-FIL-A Sandwich at the dance with their ticket stub!

$5 from each ticket will be donated to help families in need in Boyertown Area School District.

#BEARPhilanthropy

BASD has used our three built-in snow days for 2022-2023. Should we experience any additional weather, etc., that leads to a closing, we will begin to use our five Flexible Instructional Days for the school year.

We foster enriched educational experiences for the students of the Boyertown Area School District by providing grants and enhanced learning opportunities. Strong schools strengthen our communities!

Pictured L-R: Amy Muzopappa, Sheri Waldman, Trevor Martin, Brian Snyder, Greg Herb, Rod Martin

Official Press Release Written by Amy Muzopappa, Executive Director, FBE

The Foundation for Boyertown Education recently received a $75,000 donation; the single largest donation ever received. This generous donation came from long-time contributor Martin Stone Quarries, inc., located in Bechtelsville, PA.

Rod Martin, President of Martin Stone Quarries Inc., has deep ties to the Boyertown Community. A lifelong resident, he has experienced life as both a student and a parent in the Boyertown Area School District (BASD). "Seeing what the Foundation for Boyertown Education does for our students makes it easy to support them,” Martin said. “The members of the Martin Family are proud to stand behind the Foundation and the great work they do."

“When I first saw the e-mail come through, I had to read it again,” said Amy Muzopappa, Executive Director of the Foundation. “I thought maybe I was seeing too many zeroes. It’s an incredible gift!” The donation, along with other EITC donations, enables the foundation to cover the cost of programs designed to encourage the next generation to pursue science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) pathways.

The programs, equipment and projects funded by the Foundation span all levels from pre-K to the high school. Some past examples of Foundation impact include: Enhanced programs in the Arts & Music Departments; Innovative upgrades to the Technology and Science Departments; Creation of a Life Skills program; just to name a few. There is not one student that comes through the Boyertown Area School District that has not been positively affected by the Foundation.

The Foundation for Boyertown Education relies on donations to continue to advance their programs. Since 2013, the Foundation has provided nearly a million dollars in innovative teacher grants to benefit students in the Boyertown Area School District.

About The Foundation for Boyertown Education:

The Foundation for Boyertown Education fosters enriched educational experiences for the students of the Boyertown Area School District by providing grants and enhanced learning opportunities. The Foundation for Boyertown Education is an independent public charity separate from the Boyertown School District (BASD). The Foundation is a 501 (c) 3 non-profit, tax-exempt organization, founded in 2013 and run solely by a volunteer board comprised of community leaders, business owners and parents. To carry out their mission, the Foundation relies on tax-deductible donations from individuals, businesses, corporations, service clubs, civic groups, alumni and residents. The Foundation serves as a channel through which the Boyertown Community enhances the education of its young people and strengthens the future of the community itself. Strong schools strengthen communities. More info: www.foundationbe.org

About Martin Stone Quarries, Inc:

Martin Stone Quarries has been mining from its Bechtelsville location since 1953, when Henry Martin leased the property. The third-generation, family-owned operation is now led by Rod, Trevor and Travis Martin. Since 2016, Martin Stone has contributed more than $500,000 to various community organizations, as well as donating time and materials to local nonprofits, parks, recreational areas, community sports, first responders, education and local townships. Rod Martin was one of the founding fathers for the Foundation for Boyertown Education and continues to serve as the vice-president. More info: www.martinstone.com

As part of the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, Congress created the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) to bring affordable Internet and connected devices to low-income households. Under the ACP program, qualifying households receive subsidies of $30/month for Internet access, and up to $100 toward the purchase of a connected device (computer or tablet) from an ACP provider. However, only 24% of eligible Pennsylvania households currently are taking advantage of this subsidy.

For more information on the program, please see the attached fact sheet.

To learn more about ACP, including eligibility or enrollment information, call the ACP Support Center at (877) 384-2575.

Boyertown Area School District

911 Montgomery Avenue

Boyertown, PA 19512

610-367-6031