Video by Michele Parker, Administrative Assistant - Office of Teaching and Learning

Project SEARCH was developed at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, a research environment that fosters visionary thinking and innovation. It all began in 1996, when Erin Riehle was Director of Cincinnati Children’s Emergency Department. Erin felt that, because the hospital served individuals with developmental disabilities, it made sense that they should commit to hiring people in this group. She wondered if it would be possible to train people with developmental disabilities to fill some of the high- turnover, entry-level positions in her department, which involved complex and systematic tasks such as stocking supply cabinets. As a starting point, Erin presented her ideas to Susie Rutkowski, then the special education director at Great Oaks Career Campuses. Erin and Susie formed a partnership that was instantaneous, and together they launched Project SEARCH.

Since its inception, Project SEARCH has grown from a single program site at Cincinnati Children’s to a large and continuously expanding international network of sites. Project SEARCH’s primary objective is to secure competitive employment for people with disabilities.

Prior to her retirement, Nancy Gross arranged an internship as part of this program for Brendan Persinger, member of the Class of 2022. Brendan's journey through his internship is captured as part of the video below. Brendan's story is featured at 04:15.

We are pleased to announce that Brendan has accepted a position with the Colebrookdale Railroad! Congratulations Brendan! #BEARProud

Berks’ Best 2022 had 252 applications for 11 awards

By SUSAN MIERS SMITH | ssmith@readingeagle.com | Reading Eagle

PUBLISHED: June 3, 2022 at 12:30 p.m. | UPDATED: June 3, 2022 at 4:41 p.m.

Berks County high schools submitted 368 nominations for this year’s Berks’ Best awards. The schools were invited to nominate up to two seniors in each of 11 categories.

There were 252 applications submitted by the students, who had to complete an online form with essay questions and have someone not related to them submit a letter of recommendation.

A panel of 30 judges divided by their expertise in each of the categories evaluated the applications and letters and gave each applicant a score. The applications receiving the top three highest scores in each category were selected as finalists. There were 38 finalists named due to scoring ties.

The categories were Business, Communications, Computer Science, Foreign Languages, Mathematics, Performing Arts, Science/Environment, Social Studies, Taylor Seitzinger Award for Community Service, Visual Arts, and Vocational/Technical Skills.

One student won two categories this year.

Each category winner received a $500 check from the Berks County Community Foundation and was honored at the BCCF’s 2022 Scholarship Luncheon on June 6 at the DoubleTree by Hilton hotel in Reading.

Reading Eagle reporters interviewed each of the winners, which includes someone who already has patents and has started a nonprofit. Some of the winners’ goals include tackling racism and racial bias, working on Capitol Hill, performing on Broadway, operating a nonprofit and working for Pixar.

Josh's interview is linked below.

Berks’ Best: A message to the Class of 2022 from Berks County Community Foundation president and CEO Kevin Murphy:

The events of your high school years have shown you that we live in a tumultuous world. While it’s true that the last few years have been more unpredictable than some other periods, the truth is that the world has always been an ever-changing, uncertain place.

We adapt, life shifts again, and we adjust once more.

That’s the nature of existence, and you’ve shown the resilience that is necessary for you to flourish.

And just as the world around Berks County continues to evolve, so does Berks County.

We are a more diverse, more sophisticated community than we were at any time in the past.

Berks County will continue to progress, but one thing won’t change: This will always be the place where you graduated from high school and where there are people who are proud of you.

As you venture onto your next challenges, we’ll be thinking of you with pride and satisfaction.

We’ll be watching you, and we want you to look back at us.

Whatever you do next, remember to share the dreams you pursue and the goals you achieve with everyone who supports you here at your home in Berks County. And we’ll continue to encourage you.

Enjoy this moment, and then go accomplish everything that we know you can.

Congratulations Josh! #BEARProud

May 27, 2022

Dear Julia,

On behalf of the Anti-Defamation League and No Place for Hate®, we are honored to congratulate you on being the Runner-Up in ADL’s 2022 No Place for Hate Essay Contest, Division I: 5th and 6th grade, sponsored by TD Bank. We received approximately 50 essays, and yours resonated with judges and stood out among all the others. As the Runner-Up, you will receive a $50 TD Bank VISA® Gift Card and a certificate, free registration for ADL’s WALK Against Hate on Sunday, October 23rd at The Navy Yard and your name announced in an article on our regional ADL website.

In addition, we would like to invite your family and friends to our virtual No Place for Hate Essay Contest Awards Ceremony, where we will honor the winners of the contest. The ceremony is scheduled for June 7th from 4:30-5:30 p.m. If you are able to attend, email Rachel Greenberg at (email removed) by Friday, June 3rd and she will provide you a zoom link that can be passed along to your family and friends.

Again, we would like to congratulate you on being the Runner-Up, and we hope to see you at the Awards Ceremony on Tuesday, June 7th!

Sincerely,
Randi Boyette, Lisa Friedlander, and Rachel Greenberg
No Place for Hate®

Congratulations Julia! #BEARProud

Photographs by Kim Mento, MSE Librarian

Earlier this spring, BASD was contacted by Boyertown Rod & Gun Club with an offer to host a fishing rodeo designed especially for our students with special needs. On May 18, 2022, the club made it happen for a group of students from BASH!

The club's pond was closed to the public, and club members volunteered their time to students and staff as they shared their love for fishing. In addition to an incredibly fun day and thanks to the generosity of the club and additional sponsors, students and staff received t-shirts, fishing rods, lunch, and gift cards to commemorate the day.

To say that the experience exceeded all expectations is a gross understatement! To the club and its members, thank you from the bottom of our hearts! Your willingness to share of your time, smiles, patience, and talents impacted the lives of our students and staff!! We all left with memories that will last forever. To the additional sponsors, thank you for providing our students with gifts and opportunities they may not have otherwise experienced! Your impact extends well beyond a day of fishing!!

#BEARGrateful

Traditionally students from MSW complete a historic walking tour of Boyertown as one of their field trips while in middle school. After a break due to the pandemic, students were once again treated to a return to the annual tradition!

Students had the chance to take a walking tour and visit the following locations: the Colebrookdale Railroad, the Spaatz Museum, the Historical Society, the Museum of Historic Vehicles, the State Theater, the Opera House, St. Johns' Lutheran Church, Good Shepherd UCC, and the Boyertown Community Library. (Some locations were visited by only one of the grade-levels.)

The students had the opportunity to learn about the casket company, the opera house fire, underground mines, war veterans from our town, and other aspects of our community’s history. Students learned about Boyertown architecture and the role church members played throughout history. Did you know that 300 members of each church served in WWII?

Finally, students participated in service project activities and a period of reflection.

Thank you to all of the local sites that shared their knowledge of all things historically Boyertown! With your help, we achieved our goals of imparting knowledge of local history and instilling a greater respect and appreciation for all that our community has to offer.

#BEARGrateful

Photos by Stephanie Landis, Principal at MSW

Written by Casey West, Volunteer and Community Engagement Manager

Frederick Living is hoping to do more community outreach, and specifically intergenerational activities between our residents and local students and school districts.

In the past, we have had several volunteers go to New Hanover Elementary and partner with younger students there as reading buddies. We have been in touch with Mr. Rohn and are looking forward to starting this program up again in the fall!

Mr. Fegely from East also reached out about having members of the CLIPS club work on letter writing skills, and they sent letters to our residents. As a result, multiple residents received personalized letters from groups of students in the club. This was a joy to them!

And finally, several of our team members and residents came over to East on Earth Day to clean up the wooded lot next to the school. We collected 15 bags of trash, including a hub cap, grill cover, bottles, cans, balloons, plastic bags, etc. Mr. Jiminez was very helpful in helping us to get things organized.

Thank you to Frederick Living! #BEARGrateful

The IC Parent and Student Portals will close on Thursday, June 30, 2022. This will be the last day that users can access 2021-2022 student data
(schedules, attendance, etc.).**

The portals will not re-open until late July/early August when we are ready to share information regarding the 2022-2023 school year. We will communicate as soon as information becomes available.

Please note: Any information regarding the 2022-2023 school year that is visible within the portals prior to June 30th is DRAFT ONLY and should not be considered accurate

for next year.

**New for this year, parents will have access to 2021-2022 Report Cards when the portal re-opens later this summer. Therefore, if you do not have the opportunity to print your child's 2021-2022 report card prior to June 30th, you will have access to it later. Prior year Health Letters will also be available when the portals re-open.

BASD recently announced to our faculty and staff that our classrooms will return to our pre-pandemic configurations and learning environments for the 2022-2023 school year! This is exciting news for our current students AND students who moved to an outside charter/cyber placement due to the pandemic.

Is your family considering a return to BASD? Do you already know that your child is returning? Now is the time to act!

If your child attends an outside charter/cyber school and you are ready for them to return to BASD, registration is your first step! Please note that new student registration is required even if your child attended BASD before moving to an outside charter/cyber school.

Please do not put it off! Whether your child will be joining us in person or via our BASD Virtual Academy, registering NOW sets your child up for success for the 2022-2023 school year because it allows BASD to plan appropriately for their arrival in August. It reduces last-minute scrambling to complete paperwork and allows for the timely transfer of documentation, leading to appropriate classroom placements, a first-day start, relevant communications, and more.

Our registration process is completed online by visiting https://www.boyertownasd.org/Page/6291.

We are here to help! If you have questions, please email us at basdregistration@boyertownasd.org. Need help with computer access to register, photocopying of documents, or in-depth questions? Call us today to schedule a registration appointment. 610-367-6031 , Option 7.

We look forward to hearing from you! #ComeHometoBASD

We are again moving to a 10-hour, four-day workweek for Summer 2022.

All district schools and offices will be open to the public from 7:30 AM until 4:00 PM, Monday through Thursday.

This updated schedule will begin on Monday, June 6, 2022. We will resume five-day work weeks on Monday, August 15, 2022.

Please note that the district will observe the July 4th holiday on Monday, July 4th. All district schools and offices will be closed on that day.

If you have any questions or concerns or need assistance outside the hours when we are open to the public, please contact the appropriate building.

Registration for all Fall athletic teams will be open on June 1, 2022, for the 2022-2023 school year. PIAA athletics are open to all students in grades 7-12.

Physicals must be dated on or after 6/1/2022 to be eligible for the 22-23 school year. Physicals must be completed on the PIAA Section 7 form (school based physicals are not accepted). Information and directions on how to register can be found at: https://boyertownathletics.com/main/otherad/contentID/52801313.

Paper registrations will not be accepted. All registrations must be done through the Student Central Registration system which is accessible through the link above.

Starting dates for each sport will be posted by June 1 on the following sites:

• Senior High – boyertownathletics.com
• MS East – boyertowneastathletics.com
• MS West – boyertownwestathletics.com

​Practice schedules/times will be posted by mid-summer.

If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact the Athletic Office at 610-369-7452.

BASD is currently in need of multiple athletic coaches for Fall 2022. If you are interested in applying for any of our openings, please visit the link below for full details.

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!

Boyertown Area School District

911 Montgomery Avenue

Boyertown, PA 19512

610-367-6031