Sharon Demore (NHS Class of 2007)

The first comes from Wayne Demore (NHS Class of 2005) who wrote proudly about his wife Sharon (NHS Class of 2007):

"My wife, Sharon Demore (Class of 2007) is currently the ICU Stepdown Manager at St. Mary's Hospital. She is 7 months pregnant with our first child and gets up at 6am every day to make sure she is present for her nurses during their shift change. For the better part of 2 months she has worked 7 days a week, ensuring that others are okay. If her job isn't stressful enough, she recently lost her grandmother (Not from COVID-19) in the midst of it all. She has hardly taken time to grieve her own loss because she prioritizes the wellbeing of others. This act of selflessness has inspired me."

"During this pandemic she has shown tremendous empathy towards the sick and has been a rock for her nurses. The ebb and flow of emotions is unfathomable for those of us not in healthcare. Her strength and leadership skills were honed within the walls at Neshaminy School District and she is a fantastic representation of what an alumna in this community should be."

Amy (Clark) Kauffman (NHS Class of 2008)

Cadi (Notarfrancesco) Foley (NHS Class of 2009)

Amy and Cadi attended Drexel University, and have been pediatric intensive care nurses at the Children's Hospital of Philadphia since their graduations. They are honored to be on the front lines protecting and treating critically ill infants and children. While Covid-19 has brought on many changes in policies and procedures, they are supported through the advanced science and medicine that CHOP follows from the WHO and CDC.

Shannon Wilson-Stanuikynas (NHS Class of 1989)

Submitted by Margie Sheridan:

"My sister Shannon graduated from Neshaminy High school 1989. She is a medic/firefighter in New Jersey. She was working everyday up to about a week ago, when she tested positive with Covid-19. She is at home quarantined from her family, trying to stay in good spirits and still trying to work remotely doing administrative work for her station. I'm very proud of her and love her very much."

What are the plans for a graduation ceremony at the high school?

We are committed to recognizing the achievements of the Class of 2020 and doing everything we can to schedule an in-person graduation ceremony. Whether that will be possible is uncertain, but at this point we are planning for the best-case scenario and making preparations to hold a ceremony as soon as conditions allow. Other recognitions are also planned online to celebrate our seniors over the next two months and beyond.

A possible date for a graduation ceremony will be a topic of discussion at the upcoming School Board meeting.

Can I still get a Chromebook? How do I get a District Chromebook repaired?

Chromebook repair and distribution request forms can be submitted online here. All repairs and distribution transactions will be made at Neshaminy High School by appointment only.

How do I register a new student?

The Central Registration office is accepting new student registrations online at www.neshaminy.org/register. Families can fill out the online form and then will be contacted with instructions to complete the process.

How can I get a refund for a school trip or activity?

The District is working with travel agents, ticket sellers and event venues to settle accounts for cancelled trips. Affected families are being contacted individually with information. If you have a question about refunds for a particular trip or fundraiser at a school, please contact the school Main Office or your child’s school principal.

How can we get working papers for my teenage student?

Contact you’re the Main Office of your child’s school and leave a message or reach out to your child’s guidance counselor.

Neshaminy teachers, administrators and counselors worked for weeks following the closure by phone, Zoom conferences, Google Docs and email across the District to develop Phase III of the plan, which meets all of these criteria. This phase was launched on Monday, April 13, and is the first where all students are expected to participate every school day, and their work counts toward grade-level requirements. Teachers customized lesson plans for their classes and individual students. Programs for gifted and special needs students were developed and implemented at the same time to meet their needs. Students are even offered lessons and activities for “specials” such as art, physical education and music.

Over the past several years, Neshaminy has invested heavily in educational technology, in online educational applications, hardware (Chromebooks) and network upgrades. This gave students an advantage, since they are already used to working online using a variety of educational apps and resources. The District added Canvas, an online learning management system used in the middle schools and high school, to the elementary grades. Canvas offers teachers many tools to plan their lessons online, track student progress and communicate with their students and their parents or guardians. Extending this tool to the elementary grades offers consistency across the District, and a way to organize multiple apps and resources for students in one place.

The goals of Online Learning at Neshaminy during the COVID-19 crisis are:

• No student suffers a long-term negative educational impact
• A phased instructional program roll-out
• The continuation of Neshaminy curriculum
• The continuation of individual classroom/course structures
• The flexibility to accommodate for individual student/family circumstances during the pandemic
• Equitable access for students

Using educational applications such as WeVideo, Clever, Flipgrid and Nearpod, teachers are finding innovative ways to reach their students. Many record short videos to share everything from math and science demonstrations to yoga classes. The learning is “asynchronous,” meaning that students can log in whenever they want during the day and complete the lessons at their own pace. Teachers are available for help and video conferences, and monitor student progress through Canvas and the educational applications.

While both staff and students are eager to return to the classrooms, gymnasiums, auditoriums, athletic fields and playgrounds as soon as is safely possible, Neshaminy is ready to handle whatever challenges may arise as the COVID-19 outbreak plays out. The schools buildings might be on hold, but the learning will carry on.

The Neshaminy School Board met on Tuesday, April 14 in a virtual meeting that was accessible to the public. A video of the meeting is posted here. Among the items discussed:

• Director of Secondary Education Dr. Rob McGee and Director of Elementary Education Michelle Burkholder delivered a detailed presentation on the progress of the online Continuity of Learning program at Neshaminy. The presentation portion of the meeting can be viewed here. A companion document outlining the Continuity of Education program has also been posted on the District website.
• The Board discussed the budget challenges that will face the District due to declining economic conditions now and in the future due to the Covid-19 outbreak. Further discussions regarding possible adjustments to the proposed 2020-2021 school year budget will be undertaken at future committee and Board public meetings.
• The Board discussed possible school calendar adjustments for the 2019-2020 school year, including making Tuesday, April 28 a regular school day due to the cancellation of the Pennsylvania primary election, and making Friday, June 12 the final day of school for all students in the District. These changes will be considered by the Board at their April 28 Board Public Meeting.

The next Board Public Meeting (virtual) will be held on Tuesday, April 28 at 7 pm. Connection information and schedules for upcoming virtual Board and Committee meetings can be found at www.neshaminy.org/meetings.

Herbert Hoover Elementary School teacher Olivia Goodwin shared the following example of how her class replaced an important part of their school day:

"My class loved morning meeting. Their favorite part was when they got to share. It was a great way for them to answer a question and listen to everyone's responses. I decided I wanted to continue with that each day with Canvas. I post an announcement each day that says "Monday Share," "Tuesday Share," etc. I then post a video doing our morning greeting. I tell them the weather for the day, and then I ask them the share a question. Monday is always sharing about what they did over the weekend. Tuesday through Thursday varies. The kids then post their own video answering the share, and I respond back to each one. My kids have all said this is their favorite part of logging on to Canvas. On Friday we do an optional Zoom! On our Zoom calls, we greet one another, do a share, and then we read Junie B. Jones (their favorite story time book!). This Friday we are going to play BINGO together!"

To celebrate Administrative Assistants Day on Wednesday, April 22, first grade students working on their science curriculum answered science-related questions posed by the administrative assistants from all six Neshaminy elementary schools. The questions each had drop down answer boxes for the students to choose the best word to describe a solid object. In this photo, Dale Saaybe from Tawanka Elementary School appeared and asked students if they would describe the egg as smooth or rough.

The exercise was organized by first-grade teacher and Canvas lead Leanne Raab from Pearl S. Buck Elementary School. A similar exercise involved all the elementary Principals asking questions for an Earth Day questionnaire.