In The Q

Quakertown Borough Council honored the Quakertown Community High School wrestling program for its “great success” during the 2022-23 season at its May 3rd meeting.

Councilman Douglas Propst read Resolution 51-23, which passed unanimously, and congratulated the Panthers for “outstanding achievements placing them in the annals of Quakertown athletics.”

State champions Collin Gaj and Caroline Hattala were recognized along with silver medalist Mason Ziegler. The resolution included Coach Kurt Handel and assistants Dan Ziegler and Eric Rosencranz for their “mentoring and training.” It also cited the team’s “academic achievements.”

Here's more on the wrestlers' recognition.

Collin Gaj just shy of qualifying for World Championships

It’s been a long time between losses for Collin Gaj, the Quakertown Community High School sophomore who captured the PIAA 145-pound championship and finished the season with a 49-0 record.

During last weekend’s Under 17 US Open Wrestling Championships in Las Vegas, wrestling against the nation’s top high school grapplers, Collin won his first three matches, 10-0, 10-6, and 14-4. Then, for the first time in more than a year, the referee lifted the arm of Collin’s opponent. He lost a 5-4 decision and, in the blood round, he fell 14-8 to Gavin Linsman, who he defeated a day earlier.

Here's more on Collin.

FBLA students compete at PA leadership conference

Two Quakertown Community High School students placed and another qualified to run for treasurer at the PA Future Business Leaders of America 2023 State Leadership Conference.

Connor Frisch, a junior, placed eighth in Network Design, and Katie Muller, a senior, finished ninth in E-business in the competition of 5,500 students at the Giant Center in Hershey. In addition, Richa Chawla, a junior, was one of four students chosen to compete for FBLA state treasurer.

QCHS was also recognized for several competitive categories, including Shaping Success, Summer Starter, Service Season, Champion Chapter, CTE Celebration, Big 33 Chapter Community Service, and How to be an Entrepreneur.

Here's more on FBLA.

Max Arkans first Panther tennis player to win SOL crown

Congratulations to Quakertown Community High School junior Max Arkans, who became the first Panther to win a Suburban One League tennis championship. Max lost just three games in three matches and defeated Wissahickon’s Andy Wang 6-0, 6-2 in the finals for the SOL Liberty title.

In the district tournament, Max finished sixth.

QCHS sophomore Leah Schwalm ranked among top softball players

Quakertown Community High School's Leah Schwalm is ranked among the top 15 sophomore softball players by phillyburbs.com.

Here's what they say about the Panthers' star:

"Not only is the outfielder producing eye-popping numbers, she’s performing in big spots for the undefeated Panthers. She hit a three-run, walk-off home run in the Panthers' 6-5 win over Hatboro-Horsham, and against Pennridge, Schwalm tied the game with a two-run single, and then scored the game-winning run. For the season, Schwalm has a gaudy .520 batting average with 16 RBIs and three home runs in nine games."

Here's the story.

QCHS's finest perform at PMEA all-state chorus, and state Capitol

Congratulations to Otani Ekpe, Zach Polek, and Phillip Rotzell, for their performance in the Pennsylvania Music Educators Association All-State Chorus.

A few days later they traveled with the Quakertown Varsity Singers as Quakertown Community High School's best voices showcased their talents in the Main Rotunda of the state Capitol.

The girls' 4x100 relay team ran their best race of the season at the Penn Relays. The team, left to right in the photo, Jordana Jagiello, Mackenna Calabria, Kaitlin Calvello, and Ashlyn Calabria, completed the race in 49.60. The time was top 25 in the state!

"They did amazing!," Coach Jason Anderson said.

‘Hustle, hit, never quit’: Herald highlights Panthers' lacrosse

The Quakertown Community School District appreciates the Bucks County Herald story about the boys' lacrosse team and its motto, "Hustle, hit, never quit." The motto exemplifies the play of "hard-nosed" senior co-captain Jacob Wackerman.

Here's more about the team.

TSA students show off their skills

Congratulations to Quakertown Community High School students Rylan Dauter, Whitney Davis, Ethan DeAndrea, Viktor Durr, Kelly Kreuz, and Mason Lippincott for participating in the Pennsylvania Technology Student Association State Conference.

Kelly took fourth place in Materials Process, and the team of Ethan and Viktor finished 10th in Robotics!!!

Board passes 'Proposed Final Budget'

The Quakertown Community School Board passed the District’s 2023-24 Proposed Final Budget. The vote was 8-0. The $131.7 million plan includes a 2 percent increase in property taxes, though Directors said they are looking for cost reduction measures to wipe out the proposed tax increase.

Here's more on the 2023-24 Proposed Final Budget.

Fireworks alert to QCHS neighbors

If you are a resident in the vicinity of Alumni Field, the Quakertown Community School District would like you to know there will be fireworks following the graduation on Tuesday, June 6.

The commencement is scheduled to begin at 7:30 that evening, and conclude between 9:30 and 10 p.m. If there is inclement weather, the rain date is Wednesday, June 7.

Thank you for your continued support of QCSD.

Richland Elementary School was the place to be on the night of April 27 as students and families showed off their many skills and enjoyed games and activities.

Everyone had fun displaying their Knowledge Fair projects, taking part in the reading festival, playing along with First In Math, connecting with your calm in the Zen Den, seeing the Leader In Me home resource station, and completing a Leader In Me family survey.

Thanks to all who attended!

Trumbauersville's First in Math Grand Champion

Congratulations to Trumbauersville Elementary School's Rachel Hattala. The fifth-grader is the school's First in Math GRAND CHAMPION. She earned more than 10,000 stickers playing First in Math!

Way to go Rachel!

With prom season in full swing, a reminder to students entering Quakertown Community High School and to motorists along Park Ave. sits in front of QCHS. The badly damaged car that has been involved in a serious accident is a warning to take a moment to reflect on the impact of vehicle crashes as inexperienced drivers head to parties, graduation, and the beach.

“It shows the reality of distracted driving,” said Ashlee Wagner, president of the school’s Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD) club. “It’s a warning about making unsafe decisions during prom season, especially with friends in the car. It can get real very quickly.”

On behalf of the SADD, School Resource Officer Bob Lee arranged for the wrecked car to be delivered free of charge. The vehicle includes several signs that provide a valuable component for safe driving: “Wear your seatbelt,” “Don’t text and drive,” “Drive sober,” and “Watch your speed.”

Here's more on safe driving.

Neidig Elementary School students had a pleasant surprise Monday morning as Ellie Mae paid a visit to K-2 classrooms.

Ellie Mae is a 5-year-old English Cream Golden Retriever.

“I’ve never seen so many smiles at 9 o’clock on a Monday morning,” Assistant Principal Jaime Maddon said. “She’s so calming and sweet. It makes such a difference in the kids, for the better. The students are ready for the day now.”

Here's more on Ellie Mae.

Doggie double take

Where's the real Ozzie?

Great artwork by Quakertown Elementary School teacher Jennifer Tyrpak may have you thinking twice about which is the real Ozzie, Eileen Bruchak's Bernedoodle therapy dog.

Two dozen Quakertown Community High School juniors took a tour of Kutztown University on May 1.

The students enjoyed a great learning experience touring the campus, viewing the inside of a dorm, and indulging at the all-you-can-eat student cafeteria. "We ended the trip with a great conversation about how to make their college aspirations happen in a financially responsible way," school counselor Eric Gozzard said.

He said feedback from their Kutztown guide was that "our kids were the best behaved of any high school trip this year! Our kids are fantastic!"

The group ran into recent grads Eva Robinson, Fred Retter, and Kaylee Brulliea. "All seem to be doing very well," he said. "Kaylee has had her own radio show at KU for the past two years!"

They Walked through the neighborhood and visited the firehouse

Trumbauersville Elementary Life Skills program, with the help of the high school Best Buddies, visited the Trumbauersville Fire Co. for their April Community-Based Instruction trip.

Students practiced walking on the sidewalk through the neighborhood and practiced how to safely cross the street. Students then learned about fire safety while engaging in hands-on activities with the firefighters. Students had the opportunity to explore the firetruck, use the firehose, and practice stop-drop-and-roll!

To end the activities, students had the chance to order Rita’s Italian Ice at a small stand and eat together with the firefighters and Best Buddies.

Community-Based Instruction trips give students the opportunity to practice functional skills in the community setting, all while having fun.

Maddie Siuta. 2020

Congratulations to Madilyn Siuta for an impressive junior season playing golf for West Chester University. The 2020 Quakertown Community High School graduate finished 10th overall in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Championship at Berkleigh Golf Club in Kutztown.

Andrew Saglimbeni, 2021

Congrats to Quakertown Community High School 2021 graduate Andrew Saglimbeni on a very successful sophomore season at DeSales University. Andrew finished 12th overall in the Mid-American Conference Championship.

QCHS seeks businesses for 1st career fair

Quakertown Community High School is inviting local businesses seeking both full- and part-time employees to participate in the school's first Career Fair, first for students and then for the general public.

The event is scheduled for Monday, May 15. The Career Fair for students is scheduled for noon to 2:15 p.m. The general public will follow from 3:15 to 5:15 p.m.

“The focal point is getting job opportunities for all of our students,” said Pathways Administrator Jason Magditch. “Plus, it’s a good opportunity for us to give back to our community and help local businesses and residents of Quakertown.”

The event is a resume-building experience for students, who will need to have one to attend the job fair. “They’ll learn the importance of making a good first impression,” Mr. Magditch said.

For more information, please contact George Banas (gbanas@qcsd.org) or Rachelle Quinter (rquinter@qcsd.org).

AP boot camp returns August 15-17

Quakertown Community High School is again offering the highly popular AP Boot Camp for incoming ninth-graders who plan to take AP Human Geography.

The three-day session, scheduled for August 15-17 from 9 AM to noon at QCHS, will strengthen their academic foundations and refine their advanced learning skills. The focus is on team building, time management, AP-level reading, and note-taking skills. By performing the work to pass this college-level course, students learn the habits necessary to succeed in high school. Students will have time to ask questions and work on their Summer Assignments. In addition, students who have previously taken the course will also be attending to discuss their experiences in the class.

The Boot Camp will be taught by Sean Burke (sburke@qcsd.org) and Kevin Laboski (klaboski@qcsd.org). Here is the RSVP link.

QCSD Special Education Plan 2023-2026

Each school district in Pennsylvania is required to develop a Special Education plan aligned with its strategic plan. The plan reflects ongoing programs and services and incorporates anticipated changes in programming as a result of corrective action generated by cyclical monitoring and improvement planning and other factors.

Here is QCSD’s Special Education plan for 2023-26.

IEP Facilitated Professional Development Series, May 10, 1-4 PM

This half-day virtual workshop will prepare IEP team stakeholders and parents for full and valuable participation in a facilitated IEP meeting. Participants will leave with a clear understanding of their role in the meeting as well as how to prepare for active participation, ensuring the meeting process stays focused on the needs of the student. Participants strengthen their understanding of the power of a collaborative, non-adversarial, and compliant IEP meeting process. Additionally, participants will build skills to broker more effective and efficient communication among all team members.

Click here to register for this virtual workshop.

The Zoom meeting information will be sent prior to the start of the event.

Free suicide prevention training

Bucks County LIFE is offering a free virtual QPR suicide prevention training for Bucks County parents, caregivers, and professionals. QPR stands for Question, Persuade, and Refer—the three simple steps anyone can learn to help save a life from suicide.

Just as people who are trained in CPR and the Heimlich Maneuver to help save thousands of lives each year, people trained in QPR learn how to recognize the warning signs of a suicide crisis and how to question, persuade, and refer someone to help.

The online event is scheduled for Tuesday, May 16th from noon to 2 pm. For more information contact Michaela Smith at 215-450-7511 or email Msmith@accessservices.org.

PA Game Commission Student Art Contest

The Pennsylvania Game Commission (PGC) invites Pennsylvania students in middle school, grades 6 through 8 and high school, grades 9 through 12, to participate in the American Marten Reintroduction and Management Plan Art Contest.

The American Marten was last seen in the state of Pennsylvania around 120 years ago. Now, the PGC is considering reintroducing it to the state. The PGC is looking for artist representations of the American marten on suitable Pennsylvania landscapes to be featured in the American Marten Reintroduction and Management Plan.

Through this art contest, the PGC hopes to:

• Promote wildlife art among young artists.

• Enhance students’ knowledge of the American marten, a native species to Pennsylvania which hasn’t been seen in the state in 120 years.

• Recognize and support the talents of young artists.

Learn more about the Contest Rules and Registration Procedures