One of Quakertown Community High School’s former student leaders, currently in medical school, was recently sworn in as an Army 2nd Lt. Noah Wood, a 2017 QCHS graduate attending Kansas City University - Joplin, will become a Captain and perform his residency upon graduation, followed by four years of active duty.

“I’m really excited,” Noah said in a recent phone conversation. “For one, it’s a full ride and I’m paid to go to school. Two, there are many areas of medicine to learn, and perhaps develop a specific interest, along with opportunities to travel.”

A 5-foot-8, 185-pound all-league linebacker, running back, and wrestler as a Panther, Noah also excelled in the classroom with a 4.19-grade point average. He was part of the Medical Career Pathways program and during his senior year spent two days a week at St. Luke’s Quakertown Hospital. “It gave me the opportunity to see different aspects of health care,” he said. “It was eye-opening. From that experience, I knew this is what I wanted to do.”

Here's more on the 2017 QCHS graduate.

Quakertown dominated the Suburban One League Liberty Division Wrestling Championships on Wednesday with seven champions in the 13 weight classes. The Panthers also had one wrestler finish second and three finish fourth.

Liberty Division champs included Isaac Williams (114 pounds), Mason Ziegler (121), Logan Pfistner (127), Gavin Carroll (139), Collin Gaj (145), Zach Borzio (152), and Calvin Lachman (215). Waylen Strzelski was second at 107. Fourth-place finishes went to Cody Stank (133), Maxwell Hibsman (160), and Dylan Fenstermacher (172).

These performances allowed the Panthers to win the meet with 186 points. They were followed by Upper Dublin (148), Plymouth Whitemarsh (124), Hatboro-Horsham (106.5), Wissahickon (98), and Abington (73.5).

Quakertown hosts the district tournament on Saturday, February 25.

Drew Markol of phillyburbs.com ranks the area's top wrestlers.

Phillyburbs.com lists its top 105 returning football players for 2023. Four Panthers made the list: defensive end Ed Bittner, linebacker Gavin Carroll, linebacker Devon Eure, and quarterback Vince Micucci.

Let's go Panthers!!!

A special piece of equipment was recently unveiled at Quakertown Elementary School that could have a positive impact on reading and behavior. A book vending machine was purchased with the help of the Quakertown Community Education Foundation and Title IV funds.

Similar to vending machines that pop out soda and snacks, this one drops books. And to receive one, students must earn golden PRIDE tickets for demonstrating Perseverance, Respect, In-control Behavior, Dependability, and Effort. These five PRIDE points are based on PBIS, the Positive Behavior Intervention Support program in place at QE.

“The vending machine works by rewarding kids for good behavior, good grades, good attendance, and anything else we can celebrate about our students,” Principal Dr. Greg Lesher said. “The PBIS Core Team came up with this idea and our belief is that the combination of vending books with our own personalized reward system could bridge the gap between literacy and engagement. Our long-term hope is that the book vending machine becomes the school's centerpiece and serves as a constant reminder about books and literacy.”

Here's more on the book vending machine.

The Bucks County Intermediate Unit’s Fab Lab has been educating Quakertown Elementary School students on the process of digital fabrication. The lab is a transit van that transports several carts full of equipment such as 3D printers, a laser engraver, CNC router, vinyl cutter, and a variety of robotics equipment. It also has laptop computers with specialized software programs to control and interact with the equipment.

There’s great demand for the unit, and its annual one-week residencies at schools fill up in approximately 36 hours once posted. The equipment gives students an opportunity to learn from cutting-edge technology designed to inspire and encourage them to pursue careers in STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, Math) fields.

Here's more on QE's Fab Lab experience.