Pennsbury On Point
April 14, 2023
April 14, 2023
Welcome to Pennsbury on Point!
If you have any photos or story ideas you would like to see featured, please email the Public Relations Department at publicrelations@pennsburysd.org.
Pennsbury is Behind You, Sam!
PHS Students Stroll for a Purpose
Students at Pennsbury High School who volunteer with Alpha Bravo Canine are gearing up for the 2nd Annual Strolling for Service Dogs on April 22 from 11:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. at the Garden of Reflection. Alpha Bravo Canine is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that trains service dogs to donate to United States veterans diagnosed with PTSD, anxiety, traumatic brain injury, and other combat-related disabilities. The event will be filled with different vendors, food, swag bags, kids' competitions, games, raffle baskets, and of course, dogs!
Strolling For Service Dogs was the idea of Pennsbury High School student Nicholas Christopher, also known as the Birthday Lawn Bandit. Nicholas launched his lawn decorating business during the pandemic to help spread cheer around and would donate part of the proceeds to Alpha Bravo Canine. Nicholas knew of the organization through his friend Benjamin Ruepp. His mother, Tracy Ruepp, serves as the puppy-raising director for Alpha Bravo Canine. When school returned to in-person learning, Nicholas found he had less time to decorate lawns. However, he still wanted to help the organization's mission, so, together with his mother, Sara Christopher, they put plans in motion to hold one large fundraiser. Last year, Strolling for Service Dogs raised $18,000; this year, the goal is $25,000, which would cover the cost of training one service dog.
According to Sara, the community has rallied around Strolling for Service Dogs, with many Pennsbury-owned family businesses sponsoring the event. Sara also shared that many of the student volunteers are Pennsbury High School National Honor Society members. Their work with Alpha Bravo Canine helps satisfy the community service hours they must complete as part of their NHS membership.
Tickets for Strolling for Service Dogs are $25. Click here to register.
Manor Celebrates Autism Acceptance Month
In honor of Autism Acceptance Month, Manor Elementary School celebrated the beauty and diversity of those who are neurodiverse by wearing the colors of the rainbow.
Autism Awareness Month is a time to celebrate the accomplishments, strengths, perspectives, and contributions of individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) to our society. It is also a time to reflect on ways people can educate themselves, celebrate differences, and advocate for acceptance and kindness toward those with ASD.
It's Opening Night!
Don't miss the talented cast and crew of William Penn Middle School's production of Legally Blonde Jr.!
Friday, April 14 @ 7:00 p.m.
Saturday, April 15 @ 2:00 p.m. & 6:00 p.m.
Order your tickets today! Click the link below.
Les éléves de PHS voyagent en France
After months of planning and preparation by French teacher Madame Carroll, 20 Pennsbury High School students and chaperone Madame Daley traveled to France as part of the French Exchange program. The students departed on March 31 and returned home on April 8.
Madame Carroll and Pennsbury established a relationship with teachers at Education et Culture Sainte-Theresa, ECST, in the town of Ozior la Ferriere. Both Madame Carroll and Madame Daley, along with PHS students, lived "en famille" with a French host family for the majority of the trip. While in France, students attended classes at ECST, and Madame Daley taught a lesson in an English classroom, using the quintessential American novel, The Great Gatsby. While in France, the Pennsbury groups visited the Eiffel Tower, Musee du Louvre, Musee d'Orsay, Monet's House and Gardens, and Versailles, to name a few.
Beginning on Saturday, April 15, French counterparts will arrive in America to live "en famille" with Pennsbury students. While here, they will attend classes at Pennsbury HS and tour sites in Philadelphia, NYC, New Hope, and Lancaster, to name a few.
PHS Schüler reisen nach Deutschland
Thirty-five German students enjoyed a 9-day historical journey and cultural experience as they toured Germany from March 30 to April 7 with chaperones Frau DiFazio, Frau Gradel, Herr Distel and Frau Cheeseman. Students explored cities and places such as Berlin, Dresden, Munich, Nürnberg, Rothenburg, Dachau, and Heidelberg. They also took the scenic route through Austria to the castles of King Ludwig II. Students tried regional dishes and practiced their German while shopping at local markets. Es war eine wunderbare Zeit! (It was a wonderful time!)
Check out their trip highlight video below!
More Pennsbury Speech & Debate Students Advance to Nationals!
Pennsbury High School students Fabiha Afaf, Zaki Ali, and Ella Kasatkin swept the top three spots in the 2023 National Speech and Debate Association Valley Forge District Big Questions Debate held at Council Rock North High School on Saturday, April 1, 2023. All three students will compete at the National Speech and Debate Association Tournament (NSDA) in Phoenix, AZ June 11-16, 2023, bringing the number of Pennsbury’s attendees to 11 students.
In addition, Pennsbury Speech and Debate captured the following sweepstakes awards for the 2023 Philadelphia Catholic Forensic League (PCFL) season:
• 2nd Place - Overall
• 2nd Place - Congressional Debate
• 2nd Place - Debate
• 3rd Place - Speech
The NSDA Valley Forge District encompasses most of eastern Pennsylvania. Students qualify to compete at the NSDA National Finals by their placement at one of the 110 NSDA District Tournaments throughout the country. The 2023 NSDA Tournament will be attended by over 6,000 competitors from over 2,000 schools.
STEM Design Challenge Team from Pennwood Middle School Advances to States!
Three 8th-grade students from Pennwood Middle School are headed to the 2023 Pennsylvania STEM Design Challenge Competition. Congratulations to Sanvi Abnave, Aziza Ehmood, and Evelyn Shijo who placed first overall at the 2023 STEM Design Challenge Finals on March 24 at the Bucks County Intermediate Unit to advance to states. Nearly 100 teams participated in round one of the STEM Design Challenge!
Sanvi, Aziza, and Evelyn spent months building and preparing for the BCIU competition. Their dedication to this challenge was impressive! Best of luck at states!
March Mammal Madness at Charles Boehm
The March Mammal Madness at Charles Boehm Middle School has come to a close, and the wolverine has been crowned the 2023 champion!
The activity, created at Arizona State University, is "an annual tournament of 'simulated' combat competition among animals. Scientific literature is cited to substantiate likely outcomes as a probabilistic function of the two species' attributes within the battle environment. Attributes considered in calculating battle outcome include temperament, weaponry, armor, body mass, running speed, fight style, physiology, and motivation." -ASU Library Guides.
Sixth and 7th-grade students researched habitats, adaptations, and biodiversity before selecting the contenders in their brackets. With some bracket-busting upsets this year, 7th-graders Jaxon Pinto and Connor Pilgren won top bracket scores for the entire championship! Maddie Ricca, James Worthington, Delaney Jones, and Noah McArdle were the point leaders for each round. Honorable mentions for their high total bracket points include Maggie McGinty, Anabel Fife, Olivia Stahler, Aubrey Gillman, Ben Helsel, and Veronica Zadnik. Mrs Quinn was the leader among competing staff members, and 6th-graders want to give Mrs. Smith a shout-out for her battle summaries.
"In 7th-grade, we study food chains, predation, and competition, so March Mammal Madness is a great curricular connection," said Sandy Metzger, science teacher.
PHS Art Featured at Hicks Art Center
Eighteen students from Pennsbury High School recently had works of art featured in the 28th annual High School Art Competition and Congressional Art Competition at the Hicks Art Center at Bucks County Community College. The exhibition featured over 200 works of art, including drawings, paintings, sculptures, photography, digital media, and fine craft, from 20 high schools in Pennsylvania's 1st Congressional District.
Congratulations to the following students:
Olivia Wund, Caylee Van Veen, Macie Sokolowski, Bane Child, Jade Gallagher, Morgan Kern, Elham Maaz, Gwyneth Hoppe, Julianna DiCampello, Madison Sonnon, Olivia Smith, Ava Cabanas, Ella Sayers, Viktoria Balogova, Brianna Ancharski, Anthony Caputo, Meheli Mehezabin, & Izzy Gonzales-Heres.
SPARK of Genius at Oxford Valley
On Tuesday, April 4th, Oxford Valley Elementary hosted its very first annual SPARK Expo. All students had a project displayed at the Expo. Many projects were interactive; kindergarten wrote code for robotic mice, 1st-grade creates mini golf courses, 2nd-grade designed shoes for travelers to different environments, 3rd-grade created the OV Arcade, 4th-grade displayed their knowledge of brain inputs and outputs, and 5th-grade created a prototype to solve a real-world problem! Other activities included augmented reality, tangrams, a STEM challenge, and stop-motion animation.
Getting Ready for the PSSAs
Penn Valley is getting pumped for the PSSAs! Third-grade students at Penn Valley hosted the monthly All School Meeting on Friday, April 14. The students led a PSSA cheer, shared test-taking strategies, sang about friendship, and invited every classroom and staff member to share one suggestion to on how to stay calm in high-pressure situations like test-taking, sports competitions, or performing on stage.
The entire school focused on the importance of having tenacious grit, giving their best effort, and never giving up! The school security guard, Mr. Mastropaolo, even cheered on the kids with black and orange pom poms. And, students in first grade made signs to wish the test takers good luck! The assembly was designed to support a positive school climate and get students “pumped up” for the upcoming state testing.
The PSSA testing window in Pennsbury is from April 24 - May 12. Students in Grades 3-5 and 6-8 take the assessment tests in English Language Arts, Math, and Science (4th & 8th grades only.)
Manor is FTK (For The Kids!)
Congratulations to the students at Manor Elementary School for their efforts to help in the battle against pediatric cancer. The school held its Mini-THON dance party in February, and thanks to the generosity of the students and their families, the school raised $1358 (the highest amount they've ever raised)! Manor's Mini-THON and others in Pennsbury are modeled after the Penn State IFC/Panhellenic Dance Marathon (THONTM).
Colonial History Day at Afton Elementary
Returning from spring recess, 5th-grade students at Afton Elementary School participated in Colonial Day Activities to help reinforce their Social Studies Colonial History Unit of study. Students began the day with cleaning, learning how to curtsey and bow, and churning butter. In the afternoon, students continued with their “chores” by weaving placemats and making candles from wax. To conclude the day, they churned their own delicious vanilla ice cream and challenged themselves with some of Ben Franklin’s Wit and Wisdom by analyzing popular proverbs. With the help of homeroom parents, “all is well that ends well!”
2022 PHS Graduate Honored for Artwork
Hannah Kim's parents, Hootae and Hitomi Kim attend the BCIU's recognition reception on behalf of their daughter.
Hannah Kim, a 2022 Pennsbury High School graduate, was recently honored for her contribution to the Bucks County Intermediate Unit's Student Art Gallery. A reception was held at the BCIU on March 29 to formally recognize Kim's painting, titled Amidst the Bustle, and the works of art from each Bucks County School District and several non-public schools on display. Each year, the BCIU's Visual Arts Advisory Council selects student pieces to be displayed for a year alongside world-famous pieces from the BCIU's collection. At the end of the year, Kim's painting will be added to the Pennsbury School District Permanent Art Collection on display at the Pennsbury Administration Building.
Amidst the Bustle by Hannah Kim
Economics at Eleanor Roosevelt
Third-grade students in Kris Bria and Hannah Rumbelow’s classroom at Eleanor Roosevelt Elementary are learning about goods and services in a free market economy as part of their Social Studies curriculum. Students worked in cooperative groups to create a new good or service to sell to their classmates. They set their own prices. Then they created a poster to advertise their goods and/or services. Each student was given $100 (play money) to spend on whatever goods or services they wanted in their free market economy.
The Tradition Continues!
This year marks the 75th anniversary of Pennsbury High School's Sports Nite! This friendly, time-honored competition between the Black and Orange is being held this year at the Cure Arena in Trenton, New Jersey.
Sports Nite Details:
- Saturday, April 15 at The Cure Arena (81 Hamilton Avenue, Trenton, NJ 08611)
- 2:00 p.m. (Gates open at 1:00 p.m.)
- Click here to order tickets.
Can't make it to the Cure Area? The Pennsbury Channel will be livestreaming all of the fun and excitement! Click here to view the livestream.
Going to SPORTS NITE this Saturday? Stop by the PHS PTO table in the main lobby at Cure Arena to buy your favorite candy and some spirit items to cheer on your team!
- Candy - $1.00
- Pom Pom - $3.00
- Mega Phone - $3.00
- Eye Black - $5.00
Cash, Venmo, & PayPal accepted.
GO ORANGE! GO BLACK !
It's Almost Time for the Art Show
The annual Pennsbury School District Art Show is fast approaching. The tradition gives students in grades kindergarten through 12th to display their artistic abilities and works of art created under the guidance of the district's talented and knowledgable art teachers. Mark your calendars and check out student photography, paintings, mixed media, ceramics, and more! The PSD Art Show is May 2-4, from 6:00-8:00 p.m. at PHS East Gymnasium.
This year, the PSD Art Department is excited to our its first ever District Art Show T-Shirt. The shirt was designed by Ben Pulka, a student at Pennsbury High School. Grab yours today! T-shirts are limited and are on a first come first serve basis. You can order online via this link, or you may pay by cash or check by printing out this order form and returning it to your favorite art teacher or school's main office. T-shirts will be delivered to Homerooms or PHS B-Period teachers prior to the Art Show.
Come join Pennsbury School District and The Holocaust Awareness Museum and Education Center for a special event in honor of Yom HaShoah.
Monday, April 24
6:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.
Pennsbury High School East Auditorium
Please Click Below to Register!
Let's Celebrate the Pennsbury High School Class of 2023!
Pennsbury will be sharing "Senior Spotlight" social media posts for graduating seniors on the district's Facebook and Instagram pages. Posts will include a picture of the senior, along with a custom caption.
Click here to fill out a Google Form so you can have your Pennsbury High School senior featured in our Senior Spotlight!
*Only one post per senior, so please confer with other family/friends before submitting. A form must be submitted for a senior to have a post.*
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.
Lace Up Those Sneakers!
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.
Pennsbury Parent Academy
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
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.
Teen Safe Driving ROADeo
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!
ACP - Bringing Affordable Internet to Families
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.
Join SEPAC Today!
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.
Confidential Residency Reporting Tip Line
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:
(215) 428-4100 ext. 84777 (TIPSS)
Pennsbury School District E-Flyers Page
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.
Part-Time Jobs for Students
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.
2022-23 Chromebook Fees
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.
Ask Penny
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
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.
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"!
2022-23 School Calendar
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About Pennsbury
215-428-4111
Email: publicrelations@pennsburysd.org
Website: www.pennsburysd.org
Location: 134 Yardley Avenue, Fallsington, PA 19058
Phone: (215)-428-4100