Pennsbury On Point is a weekly newsletter designed to keep the Pennsbury community up-to-date on district news, events, and information. The newsletter will be emailed to families weekly and archived on the district's Public Relations webpage.

If you have any photos or story ideas you would like to see featured, please email the Public Relations Department at publicrelations@pennsburysd.org.

Congratulations to this month's LYFT Character Award Winners! Students Everett Djamoos, Madelyn Berman, and Adam Revness were honored at the Pennsbury School Board of Directors meeting on Thursday, March 16, 2023. The purpose of the Pennsbury-LYFT Character Award is to recognize and reward students who embody exemplary character traits and behaviors. The character trait for March was Safety. Colin Estroff, a winner of January’s Caring and Service to Others LYFT award, was also honored at the meeting. Click here to read the full press release!

Students from Edgewood Elementary School proudly represented their school at this month's School Board Action Meeting. Fifth-graders Maddie Bannon and Elliot Ottaggio, along with 4th-grader Emma Hultquist, and 2nd-graders Aron Hultquist and Maria Ottagio, joined by Principal Stephanie Hultquist updated the school board on all of the exciting events and learning taking place at Edgewood. Each month, a different school provides an update to the Pennsbury School Board of Directors. Click below to see their video presentation.

Pictured above: Mrs. Hultquist (left,) Dr. Smith, Superintendent of Schools, Aron Hultquist, Elliot Ottaggio, Maria Ottagio, Emma Hulquist, Maddie Bannon, and TR Kannan, School Board President.

Career exploration has been a focus for third-grade students at Walt Disney Elementary School over recent months. Students have been learning about different career options and have hosted guest speakers about their chosen occupations, like firefighters, police officers, dentists, court reporters, and more. They also took a field trip to Pennsbury Manor, a member of the Pennsbury Partners Program, where they learned about operations at the historic site. While there, students also learned about operations at Waste Management, another Pennsbury Partner. All of the career activities over the last several months culminated in a third-grade career fair at the school on March 16. Students dressed up as their chosen profession and explained why they were suited for their choice. Choice included an Air Force pilot, firefighter, scientist, sports commentator, fashion designer, and much more! Part of their presentation included various ways math, science, technology, reading, and writing are used in their chosen profession.

Four Pennsbury High School students will compete in the Pennsylvania Junior Academy of Science (PJAS) State Competition at Penn State University, May 14-16. Harshavi Birla, Naima Doraiswamy, Meha Koul, and Samarth Mannikeri advanced after winning first place for their respective projects at the PJAS Region 1C Competition Bensalem School District's Cecelia Snyder Middle School on February 4.

• Samarth Mannikeri, Grade 11, Elucidating the effects of allopathic vs. homeopathic drugs
• Harshavi Birla, Grade 11, Applications of Calculus in Physics
• Meha Koul, Grade 10, Identifying biomarkers for Major Depressive Disorder
• Naima Doraiswamy, Grade 10, Effect of Sound Frequencies on Neurotransmitter Production
  
  

PJAS is a program that promotes interest in STEM fields by encouraging students to conduct and present their research, experimentation, and documentation. It also offers multiple talent search opportunities, awards, and scholarships. The PJAS program has been operational for the past 86 years and seeks more than 500 participants at the Bucks and Philadelphia County Regional level and over 3,500 participants at the State level every year. This competitive program has been available to Pennsbury students through the Science Discovery Club, under the guidance of K-12 Science Curriculum Coordinator Jamie Swanson, with support from Samarth Mannikeri, President of the Pennsbury Science Discovery Club.

Meha Koul and Naima Doraiswamy have also qualified for the Delaware Valley Science Fair from the Bucks County Science Research Competition and will compete for International Science Fair status.

We wish the team good luck at States!

Earlier this morning, Penn Valley Elementary celebrated its first annual Lucky Charms Breakfast. Students were able to come early to school to celebrate St. Patrick's Day with Lucky Charms cereal and a lot of green spirit! Teachers and staff served breakfast to the students who attended, and enjoyed spending time together while listening to Irish music.

The Nutrition Group, Pennsbury's food service provider has been making the rounds to different schools, to test different products. Recently, Chef Todd made smoothies for students at Eleanor Roosevelt. They were a hit!

Students at Pennsbury High School were treated to sushi this week. Chef Todd and Corporate Chef Guy worked in tandem to prepare the traditional Japanese cuisine, which was a popular choice on the menu.

The Nutrition Group tries out different recipes throughout the school year to expand upon school menus.

Eight Pennsbury High School Speech and Debate team students will compete at the National Speech and Debate Association Tournament (NSDA) in Phoenix, Arizona, June 11-16. The students advanced at the Valley Forge District Tournament on February 26 and March 11-12, 2023.

National qualifiers include:

• Fabiha Afaf and Ella Kasatkin - 1st Place Policy Debate
• Gabrielle Bamberski - 1st Place Congressional Debate/House, 3rd Place Lincoln Douglas Debate
• Swathi Bodduluri - 1st Place Congressional Debate/Senate, 3rd Place US Extemporaneous Speaking
• Daniel Kim - 1st Place Humorous Interpretation
• Kierstin Lee - 3rd Place Dramatic Interpretation
• Amanda Qu - 1st Place Informative Speaking, 3rd Place Original Oratory
• Coral Ramos Saturria and Kierstin Lee - 2nd Place Duo Interpretation

Up to two additional Pennsbury students can compete at Nationals in supplemental events. The last leg of the NSDA national qualifying series, Big Questions Debate, will be held on April 1.

Finally, Reggie Meadows was named the 2023 Valley Forge District Administrator of the Year.

The Valley Forge District encompasses all of Pennsylvania east of and including State College. Eighteen schools and over 140 competitors attended the qualifier.

Congratulations to Pennsbury's Chief Financial Officer, Chris Berdnik, on receiving the Pennsylvania Association of School Business Officials' (PASBO) 2023 Gary Reeser Memorial Award. The award is the highest honor bestowed upon a school business official in the state.

"Mr. Berdnik's exceptional work as a school business official and engagement with the school district and students make him a well-deserving winner of PASBO's highest recognition," said Dr. Tom Smith, Pennsbury Superintendent of Schools.

The Gary E. Reeser Memorial Award is given to an individual who has exemplified professionalism, leadership, and innovation in the field of school business management. Berdnick received the award at PASBO's 68th Annual Conference in Pocono Manor, Pennsylvania.

In addition to his role as the district's chief financial officer, Mr. Berdnik is also the coach for Pennsbury High School's award-winning Speech and Debate team.

"The Pennsylvania Association of School Business Officials (PASBO) is a statewide association 4,000 members strong. We are devoted to providing members with exceptional professional development, peer-to-peer networking, and showcasing best practices in school business." (Source: www.pasbo.org)

Congratulations, Mr. Berdnik!

Students in grades K-5 took on a Ninja Warrior Obstacle course this week at Walt Disney Elementary School in their PE classes. Teacher Scott Kennedy challenged his students with Ninja Warrior blocks, a yoga ball bridge, a rock wall, a mini-trampoline vault, a Spiderman wall walk, and a scooter boat. Each obstacle had varying difficulties so students were able to challenge their current abilities as well as work towards more difficult levels.

Pennsbury schools all across the district celebrated National Pi Day on March 14 (3.14). Check out "just a slice" of the learning, fun, and creativity that was had below!

3rd-grade students at Penn Valley Elementary (pictured above) started their day with a Pi Party. The celebration included hula hoops and dancing to music with a number theme, such as "867-5309/Jenny" and "Count on Me." In math class, Pennsbury Mathematics supervisor Dr. McManus read Sir Circumference and the Dragon of Pi, a story about a math adventure. Students measured different sizes of circle objects and wore clothing and socks with numbers. Students were amazed to discover that every circle, no matter what the size, has a ratio of the circumference to the diameter of 3.14! Students used measuring tapes, calculators, and math tools to celebrate this special math day! Pi Day tattoos were awarded to students who measured the first 12 digits of Pi.

Mrs. McDowell’s 4th grade math class (pictured below) created a line plot first 50 digits of pi to support what they were learning during their math lesson.

Mrs. Lopez used Pennsbury’s Balanced Numeracy model to create a pi day extravaganza! 3rd Grade Quarry Hill Students (pictured above) rotated to four different stations to complete fun Pi Day activities - making a Pi Day chain, create Pi-ku poems, rolling dice to to the first to roll the first 10 digits of Pi, and measure a variety of circular objects then divide the circumference by the diameter.

Ms. Curry, Math Specialist at Quarry Hill Elementary, and her 4th grade Advanced Math Placement class (pictured below) spent their math block measuring the circumference and diameter of different objects and calculating how close they came to Pi.

Mrs. Costanzo worked with her 4th grade math class to measure the diameter and circumference of everyday items to confirm the value of pi.

Mrs. Houseknecht’s 4th grade math class focused on the math practice of precision when measuring circumference and diameter to get as close to the exact value of pi as possible by measuring everyday items.

Mrs. Mix and her 5th grade Advanced Math Placement class celebrated Pi Day by measuring different circular objects to discover if the change in circumference and diameter had any effect of the value of pi.

Students at Afton created colorful Pi pillows to celebrate the special day!

Quarry Hill Elementary School bus driver Elvin Oquendo greets his students with some major St. Patrick's Day spirit!

This past Tuesday was Toga Tuesday in Mrs. Bevington's 6th-grade social studies class at Pennwood Middle School. Students enjoyed Roman (AKA Italian) foods and had an enlightening time learning about Ancient Roman culture, the Ides of March, and the horrible fate of Julius Caesar. We also made colorful mosaics similar to the ones uncovered at Pompeii in 1748, many centuries after the catastrophic destruction caused by Mount Vesuvius in A.D. 79.

On Saturday, March 11th, 5th-grade students from all 10 Pennsbury elementary schools joined together for the Pennsbury Elementary Honors Chorus Festival. Select students were chosen from each elementary school to participate in this special event. Based on the student population size at each building, the groups came together to make a chorus of over 100 students. Each 5th grader practiced with their music teacher at school as well as independent practice at home to prepare to work with our guest conductor, Mr. Fred Meads. The honors chorus concluded the festival with a performance for family and friends that afternoon. Bravo to our 5th graders!

Congratulations to Pennsbury High School student Vince Biehn, who finished 5th overall at the PIAA State Bowling Singles and officially earned a spot in nationals! Go Falcons!

A HUGE thank you to everyone in our community who "rounded-up" at the register and donated the proceeds to the district over the last few months through the Giant Feeding Kids Program! These generous contributions added up to nearly $12,000 for our students facing food insecurity.

If you are considering playing a sport in college, please join Mrs. Stoudt, Postsecondary Counselor, to discuss NCAA Eligibility requirements and the process for registration with the NCAA Eligibility Center. Families of students in all grade levels are encouraged to attend!

Click here to access the virtual presentation.

March 23, 2023 - 7:00 p.m.

Set up shop and refresh your child's wardrobe at no cost by swapping gently worn clothing! This event is FREE to all Pennsbury families! Click here to reserve your table! Questions? Email Patty Kropp at pkropp@pennsburysd.org.

Come out on Sunday, April 30, for a healthy, fun, family day in support of Pennsbury School District PTOs! Click the link below to sign up. All proceeds benefit Pennsbury PTOs and the non-profit, Pennsbury Kids.

The Pennsbury Parent Academy (PPA) is a series of educational programs and presentations offered to Pennsbury parents and guardians to support school success and continued home-school partnerships. The PPA program includes monthly, live in-person and/or virtual programming on a variety of topics to promote parent and guardian community engagement, such as:

• Mental Health & Wellness
• Supporting School Success
• Social Media & Internet Safety
• Diversity & Inclusion

Visit our website for recordings of recent presentations.

Click here to register.

Click here for more information.

The Pennsbury Scholarship Foundation is now accepting applications for the 2023-24 school year! All PHS seniors planning to attend college/trade school can apply, and PHS graduates can apply each year they are in school! Click here for more information and to apply.

TMA Bucks Community Traffic Safety Program is hosting its 3rd annual Teen Safe Driving ROADeo. This FREE event is open to all high school students in Bucks, Chester, Delaware, and Montgomery Counties. The event is designed to keep teens safe on the roadway through education, interaction, and fun. Click the link and sign up today!

The Affordable Connectivity Program is a Federal Communications Commission program that helps connect families and households struggling to afford internet service. This new benefit provides a discount of up to $30 per month toward broadband service for eligible households. Eligible households can also receive a one-time discount of up to $100 to purchase a laptop, desktop computer, or tablet from participating providers.

Eligible households can enroll through a participating broadband provider or directly with the Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC) using an online or mail-in application.

You can learn more about the benefit, including eligibility and enrollment information, by visiting www.fcc.gov/ACP, or by calling 877-384-2575.

The mission of the Pennsbury School District's Special Education Parent Advisory Council (SEPAC) is to collaborate with administration and parents to facilitate communication, sharing of resources, and offering of support programs. SEPAC strives to improve the experiences and education of all students who receive special education, while promoting understanding, acceptance, and inclusion within the Pennsbury School District. Click here to learn more.

SEPAC holds monthly meetings, and all parents are welcome to join. Their next meeting is Thursday, April 20 at 1:00 p.m. If you are interested in attending, please fill out this interest form.

The Pennsbury School District is making a concerted effort to ensure that students who reside within our District boundaries are able to attend the school they are assigned to based on their home address. To help us, we have established a Confidential Residency Reporting Tip Line. If you believe someone is falsifying their student's address to attend the Pennsbury School District, please call or email:

residency@pennsburysd.org

(215) 428-4100 ext. 84777 (TIPSS)

Please click here for more information.

Do you enjoy working with children?

Do you like working close to home and earning a competitive salary?

Becoming a Pennsbury Bus Driver is the job for you!

We offer…

- A competitive salary
- Flexible hours
- A student-centered work environment
- Paid training for your CDL

Come join our team!

Apply online at: www.pennsburysd.org or call: 215-428-4140

Current CDL holders can start right away! (Once they receive proper clearances)

Click here to visit the Pennsbury School District's E-Flyers Page.

These flyers represent current or ongoing announcements of interest to Pennsbury students and their families that emanate from local community organizations, sports leagues, scouting groups, and other non-profits. Browse through our gallery!

To obtain approval for a flyer to be posted on the E-Flyers Page, please email your request to Macy Cellitti at mcellitti@pennsburysd.org.

Click here to view Pennsbury High School's Student Job Board and find local area businesses with open positions. Some positions allow applicants as young as 14 years old.

Click here for information on how to obtain a work permit.

The annual required Chromebook fee that allows students in grades 5-12 to take their device home can now be paid online. The price is $40.00 (reduced to $15 for students who qualify for free and reduced lunch). The Chromebook fee can be paid by logging on to PowerSchool through a web browser, not the PowerSchool mobile app. Cash or check payments are also accepted at each school.

Please click here for more details

Have a question about Pennsbury? Don't trust the rumors, ask Penny!

Send Penny an email at askpenny@pennsburysd.org, or leave a message at 215-428-4100, ext. 73669 (PENNY).

Safe2Say Something is a youth violence prevention program run by the PA Office of Attorney General. Report a confidential tip to help prevent violence and tragedies.

Click here to submit an anonymous tip.

Did you miss an email from the District? Check the archive!

The Nutrition Group is now hiring! Positions include Food Service Workers, Cooks, and Kitchen Managers with rates from $15-$17 per hour. The hours are Monday-Friday, school hours only. No nights, weekends, or holidays! Apply today by calling the Nutrition Group office at 215-949-6740 ext. 2, or click here and search for "Pennsbury"!

Dr. Thomas Smith, Superintendent of Schools

tsmith@pennsburysd.org

215-428-4111

Email: publicrelations@pennsburysd.org

Website: www.pennsburysd.org
Location: 134 Yardley Avenue, Fallsington, PA 19058
Phone: (215)-428-4100