The Tigers' Pride
Marple Newtown School District
Welcome to this issue of the Tigers’ Pride! We hope you enjoy reading about the achievements of our student athletes and coaches, performing arts programs, and memorable school events. Readers will also learn about the many ways our schools partnered with and gave back to the community: honoring our Veterans, collecting and donating food, and unveiling an outdoor art mural project two years in the making. Thank you to the students, teachers, and staff whose talent, hard work, and dedication made all of these great achievements possible.
Tina M. Kane, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools
Newtown Township Art Mural Dedicated at Ribbon Cutting Ceremony
Newtown Township Supervisors and MNSD administrators officially unveiled a community mural at Drexel Lodge Park with the team of elementary art teachers and students responsible for its creation. Andrea Mogck (Worrall Elementary), Kimberly Trigone (Loomis Elementary), Jill Bialy (Culbertson Elementary), and Liza Spratt (Russell Elementary) spent the last two years transposing fourth and fifth graders' art work onto the mural...by hand! Most of the students who participated are now 6th and 7th graders at Paxon Hollow Middle School. This district-wide mural project provided a wonderful opportunity for the students and their teachers to showcase how talented and artistic they are.
A "Whale" of a Time at Loomis and Worrall
Students at Loomis and Worrall Elementary Schools were able to go in a life-sized whale during a recent visit from the "Whalemobile". They learned how whales and humans are similar, why whales are an important part of our ecosystem, and how students can help whales. Students got to touch baleen, bones, and teeth from real whales. The highlight of the visit was going inside the inflatable whale to learn about a whale's organ systems, which were recreated on the inner walls and ceiling of the giant replica. It was a memorable learning experience for both schools!
MNHS Marching Band Takes 3rd Place at Championships
The MNHS Tiger Marching Band braved the wind and rain to perform their 2022 program “A Star’s End” for the final time (video below). Congratulations to all members for their 3rd place finish in the Yankee Open Division of the Cavalcade of Bands State Championships!
Worrall Elementary Honors Hometown Heroes
Worrall Elementary students created a special video tribute to honor our hometown heroes this past Veterans Day. Inspired by Worrall's character education program, the project was spearheaded by Worrall’s unified arts teachers, guidance counselor, and principal in collaboration with all staff members. Worrall is so proud of our respectful and appreciative students, and we are grateful to all Veterans for their service. Thank you!
Veterans Revered at Russell Elementary Ceremony
The Russell Elementary 2nd grade recently hosted a Veterans Day Show for those in our community. Led by music teacher, Mr. Ruths, the students performed patriotic songs to honor those who have served our country. At one point, veterans in attendance were recognized while playing the song of their specific academy. During their song, veterans stood and were applauded for their service to our country.
MNHS Student Athletes Shine During Fall Season
Boys Soccer: Briyan Aben was named 2nd Team All-Central Athletic League. Marko Dimter led the team in goals as a sophomore and was named All-Central Athletic League Honorable Mention. Gerasimos Filipatos also received All-Central League Honorable Mention and was selected to represent MNHS at the Southeastern PA High School All Star Showcase.
- Cheer: Both the Junior Varsity and Varsity cheerleading teams took first place at WC East and will continue to prepare for Nationals and Central Leagues in February.
Field Hockey: Field Hockey finished with eight wins and made the playoffs for the first time since 2018.
Football: Football finished the year 6-6 (losing 4 of the 6 games by a total of 8 points) and made the playoffs for the 8th straight year. Ten players were selected as All-Central Athletic League: Jake McGowan (1st Team), Brian Box (2nd Team), Paul Defruscio (2nd Team), David Bertoline, Bryan Bogan, Andrew Kirlin, Josh Tiger-Wesley, Jason Bennett, Jimmy Hally, and Lou Diluzio.
- Girls Soccer: The MNHS girls soccer team had a year of “firsts”: first time in four years with a winning record (10-7-1), first time in four years beating both Harriton and Ridley, first time since 2013 qualifying for District 1 playoffs, and first time in program history winning an away playoff game. Kierstyn Finn was selected first team All-Central Athletic League; Lauren Gura and Sophia Foschi were selected All-Central Athletic League Honorable Mention.
Girls Tennis: The girls tennis team ended their season with a 5-10 record with 4 wins coming in Central League play. Grace Corner lead the team at number 1 singles with 9 wins on the season. The 2022 captains were Sophia Medori and Sydney Huynh. The girls worked hard and continued to improve throughout the season!
Golf: The 2022 Tiger golf team consisted of 32 golfers, including five girls. Sarah Koh and Aiden Hennelly made it to Districts!
Volleyball: The volleyball program continues to grow, featuring Heidi Reller (All-Central Athletic League Honorable Mention). The program also hosted a fundraiser match for "Lace Up 4 Pediatric Cancer and a middle school clinic with about 36 middle school athletes.
MNHS Football Coach Notches Historical Win
Congratulations to MNSD Athletic Director and MNHS Football coach Chris Gicking for becoming the winningest football coach in MNSD history with 66 wins! Gicking is a 1996 graduate of MNHS, where he was a three-sport athlete (football, basketball, and baseball). He then went on to play football at Villanova, Shippensburg (where he still has some passing records), and in the Arena Football League. Gicking is adamant about what this record really means: “It means that we have great kids, coaches, and administration with community support!"
Hall of Fame Welcomes Newest Athletes
Congratulations to this year's MNSD Athletics Hall of Fame inductees, each of whom were honored at a ceremony on October 13th:
- Mandy Armstrong-Pittenger
- Michael DiCandilo
- Chris Guttman-McCabe
- Michael Jackson
- Tara Lauria-Wark
- Rylee Power Everhart
- Eric Rice
- 1984 Central League Championship Field Hockey Team
- 2016 Central League Championship Football Team
AND for her decades of coaching to MN athletes, Joan Johnson was also honored. Congratulations to all of our honorees!
Planet Fitness Donates Equipment to MNSD
Planet Fitness recently donated cardio and strength equipment to the Marple Newtown School District in order to help students stay active and focus on physical and mental well-being heading into the new year. This generous donation supports the goal of the MNSD's Wellness Committee by expanding the District's physical education courses and athletic programs and providing our students with more opportunities to plan fitness programs, invest time in their personal health, and establish healthy lifestyles. MNSD extends a heartfelt "thank you" to Planet Fitness. Click the video below to see their donation in action!
Talent Takes the Stage at Paxon Hollow Middle School
Paxon Hollow Middle School has talent! Students and faculty took the stage to show off their skills during grade-level assemblies. Talent included students playing beautifully on the piano and singing and harmonizing to various songs. PHMS faculty also showed their talent with a rock number to kick off each show and closed with a fun song and dance from The Little Mermaid! Thank you to all of the students and faculty for their participation in this year’s Talent Show.
Classrooms Compete in Annual PHMS Food Drive
First period classrooms competed against each other to collect food for the annual PHMS Food Drive. Through the efforts of students, the community, and a partnership with Giant, Paxon Hollow Middle School was able to provide meals for those in need during the holiday season. A special thanks to all of our students and families for their contributions!
PHMS Runners Trot for Turkeys
Ready, set,…GO! PHMS runners took on the Turkey Trot challenge by running a mile around the building. It was a tough race, but our middle schoolers lined up and cheered on their peers throughout the course! One boy and one girl from each grade took the prize! Congratulations to the following students: 6th grade (Alexa Massey and Chase Hufford), 7th grade (Emma Pierangeli and Brody Penater), and 8th grade (Chris Reynolds and Gabby Nelson).
A Successful Fall Season for PHMS Athletics
Paxon Hollow Middle School had a very successful fall season with over 300 student athletes participating in boys and girls soccer, Junior Varsity and Varsity football, volleyball, field hockey, and cross country. Congratulations to Christine Ward, who earned her 150th win as the middle school field hockey coach in the Marple Newtown School District!
Culbertson Kicks Off 5th Grade Ambassadors Program
This year Culbertson Elementary School has created their first ever 5th Grade Ambassadors program. The work of the 5th Grade Ambassadors will revolve around various activities and outreach programs for our students and community. The 5th Grade Ambassadors are willing to give of their time, even recess, to support various outreach programs. The Ambassadors work in conjunction with the PTO, the school counselor, and the 5th grade teachers. Most recently, the students of Culbertson donated over 300 pounds of their own Halloween candy for less fortunate families. During the collection process, the 5th Grade Ambassadors were responsible for promoting (through the use of posters and speaking to each homeroom), collecting, bagging, and weighing the candy. The Ambassadors program will teach our students about leadership, public speaking, organization, and teamwork. We look forward to the positive influence the Ambassadors will have on our school and community this year!
Now Playing at MNHS: Clue
MN Drama invites spectators to a most intriguing, mysterious dinner party beginning December 8 at 7 PM. MNHS's Performing Arts Center’s secluded mansion on Media Line Road will provide shelter for a "weather forecast" that indicates severe storms and a strong southeast wind reaching gusts of 30 mph.
An additional challenge will include navigating conversations with our dinner guests who realize they are being blackmailed by the same person. As sweet artichokes and smoky bacon pass around the table, so do wild accusations regarding the blackmailer. Before our guests can delight in a chocolate tart dessert, the lights go out. And, when power returns…a murderer is in their midst. Can they identify the murderer before the police arrive and arrest them all?
Director, Brian Walsh, leads our cast and crew through a labyrinthian plot of whodunit in their rendition of the comedic murder mystery, Clue.
SHOWTIMES:
Thursday, December 8th @ 7 PM
Friday, December 9th @ 7 PM
Saturday, December 10th @ 2 PM and 7 PM
MNHS Artists Recognized at District Ceremony
Throughout the year, students from each of the six MNSD schools are selected by their art teachers and recognized by the Superintendent for their creative artistic ability. Dr. Tina Kane, Superintendent of Schools, recently honored students and families from Marple Newtown High School whose art was displayed in the Board Room of the district's Administration Building. During the ceremony, Dr. Kane personally speaks with the artists about their work and awards a Superintendent’s Art Recognition certificate in honor of their creative contributions to the art program.