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 the Pennsbury-LYFT Character Award winners for February. Students Ellis Austin, Skylar Nees, Jacob Depew, and Gianni Capriotti were honored at the Pennsbury School Board of Directors meeting on Thursday, February 16, 2023. The character trait for February was Cooperation. Lucy Schopfer, a winner of January’s Caring and Service to Others LYFT award, was also honored at the meeting. Click here to read more.

The purpose of the Pennsbury-LYFT Character Award is to recognize and reward students who embody exemplary character traits and behaviors. Each month, students are nominated by teachers, staff, or administration, and the winners are selected by LYFT and other community partners. LYFT is a group of volunteers, individuals, and organizations throughout the community that shares the common goal of strengthening and supporting Pennsbury students.

Students from William Penn Middle School proudly represented their school at this month's School Board Action Meeting. Kingston Ford, Joley Hohman, and Allison Toth, joined by Principal Chris Becker, Assistant Principals Katherine Mooney and Mike Hogan, and teacher Pete Cassidy updated the school board on all of the exciting events and learning taking place at William Penn. Each month, a different school provides an update to the Pennsbury School Board of Directors. Click below to see their video presentation.

Pictured above: Dr. Smith (left), Superintendent of Schools, Katherine Mooney, William Penn Assistant Principal, Kingston Ford, Chris Becker, William Penn Principal, Allison Toth, Gary Sanderson, School Board Vice President, Pete Cassidy, William Penn teacher, Mike Hogan, William Penn Assistant Principal. Not pictured - Joley Hohman

Pennsbury High School Presents: The Phantom of the Opera

Click here to purchase tickets.

Showtimes:

February 17 8:00pm (TONIGHT)

February 18 8:00pm (Saturday)

February 19 2:00pm (Sunday)

Pricing:

$20 Orchestra (Reserved Seating)

$15 Lower Balcony (Reserved Seating)

**$10 Upper Balcony (Unreserved Seating/General Admission)

Discounts:

**Seniors presenting a Pennsbury Gold Card and Veterans with proper identification will

receive one free unreserved upper balcony ticket, or $10 off of any other ticket level.

Online Ticket Sales:

Tickets on sale now! Click here to purchase.

In-Person Ticket Sales:

CASH ONLY -- Auditorium Lobby at Pennsbury High School East:

At the door one hour before each performance for that evening’s performance only

Questions:

Contact Mrs. Fallacaro at dfallacaro@pennsburysd.org

All Sales are Final – No Refunds or Exchanges

**Gold Card, Veteran discounts, and Upper Balcony tickets can only be purchased during in-person ticket sales or at the box office on the day of the performance**

Fifth-grade students district-wide got a sneak preview of Phantom of the Opera and it was a hit!

Congratulations to Charles Boehm Middle School teacher Sandy Metzger for winning January's "Most Valuable Teacher" through the Future Goals Program in conjunction with the NHL. Mrs. Metzger received the most votes out of 20 teachers nationwide. Her prizes include Flyers tickets, a signed jersey, and $10,000 for the Pennsbury School District to use toward Sustainable Energy!

Mrs. Metzger is now in the running to be a finalist in the Future Goals Most Valuable Teacher contest. Finalists’ voting will coincide with Teacher Appreciate Week, May 8 to 12. The winning teacher will receive an additional $20,000 to support environmental and sustainability in their school district.

Click here to read the full article on LevittownNow.com, and watch the video below to see Mrs. Metzger and Charles Boehm's entire seventh grade class get surprised with the news that she won!

The Pennsbury School District is on its way to improving sustainability efforts in all buildings in the district. Dr. Smith, superintendent of schools, presented a summary of the district's sustainability management plan, which was approved by the school board at its February meeting.

Sustainability is one of several focus areas of Pennsbury administration this year, with a goal of establishing a sustainability committee, developing sustainability policy, and improving district-wide recycling efforts.

As part of his presentation, Dr. Smith invited a group he dubbed the "Eco Warriors" for assistance. This small group of students, made up of elementary, middle, and high school students, held meetings with Dr. Smith in addition to meetings with cafeteria managers and custodial staff in their respective schools to discuss ways to improve sustainability efforts.

"I want you to think back to your elementary and middle school programming," Dr. Smith told the school board. "I don't know if you knew who your superintendent was or if you would reach out to them. But, these students all reached out to me with concerns about not only sustainability in the general sense but how we are handling recycling and how we need to improve the environment for students in our schools.

Rosie Woodring and Lennon Van Hise, both 3rd-grade students in Mrs. Engle's class at Quarry Hill Elementary school, put together a presentation detailing the amount of waste generated in their school's cafeteria. They also took their research a step further, calculating how much waste is potentially being produced district-wide. They also offered ideas to help Pennsbury find alternative ways to reduce waste and conserve resources, including composting, using reusable trays, donating uneaten fruit to food pantries, and recycling juice pouches.

Kellan Corley, a 5th-grader at Quarry Hill, presented Dr. Smith with facts about climate change and changes that could be made in the cafeteria, like switching to reusable lunch trays and adding recycling bins in the kitchen and cafeteria. He also wants to explore adding electric buses to the district's transportation fleet.

Sasha Cheesman, an 8th-grader at William Penn Middle School, is also part of the "Eco-Warriors." She proposes the construction of a rain garden in the courtyard at the school.

The location of the courtyard is an ideal spot for a rain garden, according to Sasha.

"The lowest part of the courtyard collects a lot of run-off water that sits stagnant. When water sits too long in a grassy area like this, there are effects that come with it. The effects include an inability of grass growth, a breeding ground for mosquitoes, and oversaturated soil which makes the area harder to maintain. A rain garden could also provide the school with an outdoor classroom for more learning opportunities about native plants and animals."

So, when people ask why it's important, I ask you to think about the four students in front of you tonight, and the ones that could be here, and the importance of carving out a future that is sustainable not only in Pennsbury but in the greater world.

Click here to review Pennsbury's Sustainability Management Plan.

AFROTC Cadet Ben Primich, a junior at Pennsbury High School, was awarded the Air Force Junior ROTC Silver Valor Award at a ceremony on February 14, 2023. It is the second highest ribbon a cadet can earn in JROTC. According to Major MacEachern, PHS's JROTC teacher, "This award is not given easily, and this is the only time we have given it. It's given in specific instances when there is verifiable proof of an act of valor."

Cadet Primich was at a wrestling camp in the summer of 2022 when he saw a swimmer not moving at the bottom of a pool. He noticed the lifeguard was not available, jumped into the pool, and pulled the swimmer to safety. He then began lifesaving compressions until emergency services arrived. His immediate actions potentially saved the life of the individual.

Congratulations to the seven Pennsbury High School students who recently represented the District at the Pennsylvania Music Educators Association (PMEA) District 11 Orchestra and Band Festivals. The students were selected following a competitive audition last December.

PMEA District 11 Orchestra

Emily Huang

Angelina Liu

Quinn Milliken

PMEA District 11 Band

Reggie Acierto

Charles Darrington

Max Donaghy

Emily Huang

Will McKeever

Quinn Milliken

After re-auditioning at the festival for their chair placements, Max Donaghy advanced to the PMEA Region VI Band, and Quinn Milliken and Emily Huang advanced to both the Region VI Band and Orchestra. They will join the best high school musicians from Bucks, Montgomery, Delaware, and Philadelphia counties for performances in March.

PMEA is a statewide nonprofit organization of over 4,000 members dedicated to promoting and supporting quality music education, learning and performance in schools and communities in Pennsylvania.

The Key Club at Pennsbury High School helped spread joy this week. The group made Valentine's cards that were delivered to residents of Statesman Nursing Home in Levittown. The Key Club is a student-led organization whose mission is to make the world a better place through service. Members are provided with opportunities to serve their community, build character, and develop leadership.

The Pennsbury High School Speech and Debate team were busy last weekend.

Senior Amanda Qu and junior Daniel Kim (pictured above) competed at the prestigious Liberty Bell Classic Tournament held at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, February 10-12.

Amanda placed 2nd in Informational Speaking for her piece entitled “The Root of the Matter” and 3rd in Original Oratory for “A Change of Heart”. Daniel placed 4th in Humorous Interpretation for his performance of “The Original Last Baby Wish” by William Seebring.

The Liberty Bell Classic is staffed by members of the Penn for Youth Debate (PFYD), a non-profit student organization at the University of Pennsylvania that aims to promote debate in Philadelphia schools. The tournament was attended by over 80 schools from 15 states with over 750 competitors in 13 events.

Members of the Speech and Debate Team also attended the Three Rivers TOC NIETOC Tournament at Upper St. Claire. Swathi Bodduluri placed 5th in Congressional Debate. Other winners included Zaki Ali who placed 10th in Congressional Debate, and Gabrielle Bamberski who was an Octo-Finalist in Lincoln Douglas Debate. Over 30 schools were in attendance with over 350 competitors in 15 events.

Congratulations to all our competitors, Coach Scott Pollack and Coach Chris Berdnik!!

Congratulations to the three Pennsbury High School students who recently swept the awards at the 2023 Regional Center for Women in the Arts' High School Art and Writing Contest in West Chester.

Angela Huang from Ms. Lala's class earned first place, Abigail Moser from Ms. Adair's class placed second, and Pomono Ivins from Ms. Weber's class won 3rd place.

Each of the 3 student artists entered 6 pieces of work into the contest. Combined, they took home $1,800 in scholarships and an additional $500 for the PHS Art Department.

We commend these students for their amazing talent! Thank you to the Regional Center for Women in the Arts for highlighting student artists.

Last week, the student council of Oxford Valley Elementary held a "Souper Bowl" food drive. All donations will go to The Falcon's Nest Food Pantry, located at William Penn Middle School. Through the generosity of the families and staff at Oxford Valley, the student council is proud to donate 246 food items. Great job, OV Owls!

Recently during their Valentine's Day party at Edgewood Elementary, 4th grade students collected forks, knives, spoons, and napkins and were able to assemble close to 2,000 silverware packets to be used at the Trenton Area Soup Kitchen (TASK).

Students also decorated cards and kindness notes that will be handed out and put on display at TASK throughout the month of February. Mrs. Wexler talked to the students about TASK and its mission to help the community. Students learned about where and how their utensil packets would be used.

The students were taught a very powerful message, encouraging them to be the change they want to see in the world. Mrs. Wexler also referenced a famous quote from Dr. Seuss's The Lorax: "Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not."

Students at Eleanor Roosevelt put together breakfast bags and handmade Valentine's Day cards that were delivered to local senior citizens, veterans, people with disabilities, and other isolated homebound friends. This annual Valentine's Day service project has been a staple within the Eleanor Roosevelt school community for over ten years.

The ER Community Service Committee works with the school's Home Room Coordinators to organize the event with Caring for Friends. Caring for Friends is a non-profit whose mission is to provide food and friendship to seniors, kids, and families in Greater Philadelphia.

Earlier this week, Pennsbury High School's Boys and Girls Bowling teams attended the Suburban One League Singles Championship. Erin Morgan had the highest girls series and earned 1st place. Casey Ferry threw a 300 game and finished 3rd place overall. Congratulations to both teams!

Pennwood Middle School’s Lego Club is the place to be! This club was designed to be a relaxing environment in which students can socialize with peers while building and creating with Legos. The club was founded by 8th grade counselor Meghan Hess and school social worker Noelle Murphy, and is facilitated by teachers Tricia Lyons and Anne Zauzig.

They created the Lego group in response to the need for pro-social activities and opportunities for students post-COVID. Students are able to free-build or assemble sets. Initially, the club received Lego donations from the community; however, supplies was still limited. Mrs. Murphy applied for a Pennsbury Education Foundation (PEF) Grant for additional sets for the students. The Lego Club was awarded the PEF Grant, which provided ten new Lego sets. The Lego club has become a great success, with an average of 40 students participating week to week. Hopefully, the Lego club will continue for years to come.

On Monday, February 6, William Penn Middle School students arrived to find a mysterious scene. The grade-level SOAR Falcon Feed tubes (that students use to track their positive experiences in school) were GONE! Who took the tubes? The ne'er do well left a bit of a mess behind at the scene of their crime.

Though the tubes were missing, they would not be for long, as the school district had graciously hired 80s Crime Prevention Icon, McGruff the Crime Dog, to track down the stolen property. Additionally, Mr. Pete used his connections to track down the scientific expertise of Confused Penguin to lend his assistance for this special case.

Superintendent Dr. Smith joined in the search for the missing Falcon Feed Tubes after hearing about the situation. Unfortunately, no clues were found that day. For the remainder of the week, McGruff and his sidekick Confused Penguin searched for clues and questioned the students of William Penn. Click HERE to watch the detectives on the case! After a thorough investigation, the mystery was solved. The Falcon did it! However, he owned his actions and returned the tubes to their rightful place.

When the SOAR Falcon Feed Tubes were back in the front lobby, the 6th grade students filled them higher than the other grades and earned themselves the opportunity to attend an assembly for "Minute to Win It." Students used their skills in games such as Breakfast Scramble, Speed Eraser, and No Hands to win limited edition SOAR swag. Mr. Dave Costanzo, as the host, entertained the students while maintaining a fast-paced game.

SOAR is a group that encourages students to Strive for success, Own our actions, Accept responsibility, and Respond respectfully.

At Penn Valley Elementary, 4th-grade students geared up for last week's Super Bowl by reading books about the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs. Students identified nonfiction text features and researched the history of both Super Bowl teams. Then, they used their new knowledge of the teams to write poems about the team they predicted would win.

A giant jar of candy that belongs to Makefield Elementary School found its way to Edgewood Elementary this past week. When the jar wasn't returned, Makefield's mascot Fletch made a clever play and temporarily confiscated the Edgewood mascot, holding Tiger safely for ransom until the jar was returned. The principals and office staff between the two buildings were in communication during the friendly hostage situation, resulting in no need to contact the local authorities to aid in resolution.

On Friday, February 3rd, the students at William Penn Middle School enjoyed their annual Semi-Formal Dance. The front lobby and dance floor were transformed into a "Winter Wonderland" for students, courtesy of the William Penn PTO. Students had a great time dancing the night away with their friends.

Additionally, one lucky student, Brady Kent, was chosen as the 200 SOAR Board winner and won access to a VIP Lounge during the dance. SOAR is a group that encourages students to Strive for success, Own our actions, Accept responsibility, and Respond respectfully. Brady and 12 of his closest friends enjoyed the exclusive room sponsored by the SOAR Team. The lounge featured food, snacks, beverages, and multiple basketball games playing on four different TVs.

Cinderella’s Closet will soon be accepting donations! Cinderella's Closet is a program that provides gowns, tuxedoes, and more for low income students.

Dates: Accepting donations March 1st & 2nd ONLY

Location: Drop off at PHS West Main Office

Time: Between the hours of 7:20 a.m. - 2:35 p.m.

Items to be donated:

• Dresses size 14 and up *In VERY high demand*
• Gently used shoes
• Gently used handbags *In high demand*
• Men’s dress pants *In high demand*
• Jackets
• Ties
• Vests
• Men’s dress shirts *In VERY high demand*

**Due to limited space, we will not be accepting any donations before or after March 1st & 2nd **

Cinderella’s Closet is sponsored by Pennsbury’s FCCLA Student Organization.

Questions? Contact Ms. Mickle (JMickle@pennsburysd.org) or Mrs. McCormac (JMcCormac@pennsburysd.org)

All students in grades K-12 are invited to enter our first ever District Art Show design contest. The winner will get a hoodie with their design as well as see their own artwork on the t-shirts of their Pennsbury friends and family!

February 23 is the deadline! Black and white designs accepted. They can be submitted in person to any art teacher or emailed to bgreiner@pennsburysd.org.

The Pennsbury Parent Academy will be hosting a live viewing and discussion of the film Angst: Raising Awareness Around Anxiety on Monday, February 27 from 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. in the Pennsbury High School East Auditorium. This event will also be livestreamed.

What is the difference between “being anxious” and having an anxiety disorder? What can we do about the 634% rise in use of Mental Health America’s online tool for anxiety since the start of Covid? Why is there still so much fear and stigma in just talking to others instead of hiding online? What can each of us do to make it better and best engage in a full and happy life? Angst is on a mission: to start a global conversation and raise awareness around anxiety.

This documentary delves into all aspects of our society’s most common mental health challenge with:

• Candid interviews with kids and teens who discuss their anxiety, its impacts on their lives and relationships, as well as how they’ve found solutions and hope

• Expert perspectives, (from institutions such as Stanford University, Child Mind Institute), who talk about the causes of anxiety and its sociological effects and resources to help

• Tips, tricks, and strategies to help reset thinking patterns, push back against anxiety, and support others

• Awareness that anyone can be touched by – and overcome - anxiety, via a unique and revealing interview with mental health advocate Michael Phelps, the most decorated athlete in Olympic history

Learn more and watch the trailer at AngstMovie.com

Spring Registration is now OPEN for Pennsbury Community School!

New courses this Spring include Zumba, Vinyasa Yoga, Goals-based Investing, and Ceramics!

Courses are offered to anyone 18+ years of age and are not limited to just employees or Pennsbury residents. Invite your friends and family to enroll with you!

Check out the catalogue of courses below and click here to register.

The Student Assistance Program (SAP) is a team of school staff and an SAP Counselor who work together to address concerns that may be interfering with a student's ability to be successful in school. Check out the monthly newsletter below.

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, March 16 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