In The Q

Quakertown Community High School celebrated its 2023 graduates on the evening of June 1 with a parade around Park Ave and Juniper Streets. Friends, families, and residents took their spots along the sidewalks for the fourth year in a row, enjoying the tradition that began in 2020 when COVID prevented the traditional commencement ceremony. The District appreciates the efforts and presence of local police and firefighters to keep students and their families safe during this wonderful event.

Field study experience

Congratulations to Quakertown Community High School junior Kiele Magalengo, who recently completed a wonderful field study experience with WFMZ-TV Channel 69 News.

Kiele learned about the world of news broadcasting and filming during her field study. More information about field study may be found here.

QCSD schools excel in the digital platform

When it comes to First In Math, Quakertown students have been dominating at the state level. The digital platform, designed with focus, coherence, and rigor, has more than 200 self-paced online math games for individualized instruction spanning addition through algebra.

Pfaff leads all QCSD schools and is 15th in the state - and 25th in the nation! Richland is ranked 23rd in Pennsylvania, followed by the Sixth Grade Campus (35th), Quakertown Elementary (81st), and Neidig Elementary (91st).

Mr. Cammann’s fourth-grade math plus class at Pfaff leads all QCSD classrooms with an average of 19,065 stickers per student. Top earners in the district are Alyssa (36,564 stickers) and Diya (32,560 stickers).

Suburban One League Liberty Division

First Team

Mackenna Calabria, Long Jump and 4x100 Relay

Sabine Muse, Shot Put and Discus

Jordana Jagiello, 4x100

Ember Retter, 4x100

Ashlyn Calabria, 4x100, 200m, Long Jump

Otani Ekpe- 300 Hurdles

Second Team

Kayla Sicher, Discus and Javelin

Honorable Mention

Melanie Palen- Discus

Rebekah Hickey, 4x800 Relay

Aislin Magalengo, 4x800

Lily Scheetz, 4x800

Sophie Abato, 4x800

Daniel Juszynski, Discus

Mohammed Khalid, Shot Put

Mac Mitchell, Javelin

The 2023 Pennsylvania Girls Wrestling State Champions were recently recognized at the State Capitol in Harrisburg. That's Quakertown's Caroline Hattala in the front row, the sixth student from the right. Congratulations ladies!

Strayer welcomes 56 NJHS members

Fifty-six Strayer Middle School seventh graders have been welcomed into the National Junior Honor Society. They will formally be inducted in October.

Congratulations to Brianna Barndt, John Marcus Baxter, Landon Matthew Bergen, Ryan Christopher Berlanda, Cole Marshall Borzio, Anna Kathryn Bruno, Lucy Lynn Carrasquillo, Ryland Ethan Clauss, Avery Nicole Connelly, Max Warren Crouse, Addison James, Culton, Avery Elizabeth DeFeo, Gazelle Nastiti Diehl, Bradley Joseph DiMiglio, Samantha Rose Ducoat, Michael Anthony Fletcher, Laura Columbia Gable, Natalie Marie Hensel, Carter Todd Hippauf, Tyler Andrew Holohan, Alyssa Marie Housten, Josiah Amadeus Hutt, Mya Rose James, Ava Noelle Jones, Ethan Christopher Kletzing, Hailey Addison Kolb-Bostic, Emilia Kowalewski, Molly Larraine Kreischer, Cameron Elaina Landis, Emma Jolie Lengel, Nathan Daniel McComsey, Ella Grace Metz, Brendan Patrick Miller, Foster Lee Miller, Brett Alexander Miracle, Ciaran Padraig Monahan, Katelyn Dale Oshinski, Taylor Olivia Patrick, Lucy Katerina Read, Emily Elizabeth Reese, Angie Sophia Rodriguez Samayoa, Riley James Ruffner, Addison Theresa Schubert, Miles Smeed, Kevin Gregory Smith, McKenna Rose Sparwasser, Ellie Stanziola, Carter William Tucholski, Cole Richard Tucholski, Caidyn Elizabeth Wakeley, Jace Alexander Walsh, Caitlin Elizabeth Waninger, Kamryn Wiedrich-Tidwell, Kayla Pauline Williams, Shylee Danielle Williams, and Isabella Sage Wright.

Strayer's team banana 8th in Read Steam contest

Congratulations to Lisa Cravener’s math extensions class for their eighth-place finish in the Longwood Gardens Community READ STEAM contest.

Strayer students had to design a food truck according to their rubric. They then had to build their food truck and create a video about it. They finished eight of 52 teams!

The team was made up of Felicia Mutu, Violet Hughes, and Sam Pribbernow, assisted by Victoria Ostrowski and Jimmy Chen when making their video. Their name was Team Banana and their food truck featured bananas!

Neidig's student lighthouse team holds tree ceremony

Neidig’s Student Lighthouse team members spoke about ways you can save the earth and different ways that you can recycle items to help the environment at the recent tree ceremony. Second-grade students poured their water bottles onto the tree to water it and help the tree grow to its full potential.The kids played Tic Tac Toe on a board of different Earth Day activities. A student from each grade was picked and given a plant as a prize.

Winners: Lucy Tuttle, John Shimer, Scarlett Joseph, Alayna Drissel, Trey Arnold, Brayden Daneker.

The Student Lighthouse team is a group of grade level leaders at Neidig responsible for planning and participating in Leadership Assemblies, communicating school events and service projects, providing tours, and updating the community. These students are encouraged to notice and celebrate the leadership qualities in their peers to help recruit grade level peers for projects.

The senior class recognized Superintendent Dr. Bill Harner at it senior picnic with a video and award for his "sense of community."

Seniors Callen Abel and Bryce Widdos presented Dr. Harner with an award, and Bryce wrote a touching speech.

"Dr. Harner, as you have seen from the video, Quakertown has never witnessed a superintendent nearly as involved as you. Your sense of community has touched every one of us.

"I never felt the need for a trophy, award, or certificate for any academic or extracurricular achievements. When you showed up to every musical, choir concert, or even just stopped by in class, that was all the award I needed. Every handshake, hello and hi-five filled me with the same joy I felt reading your snow-day Twitter posts.

"But today, we would like to return the favor. On behalf of the 2023 Senior Class, we would like to present one Dr. William Eugene Harner, The Best Superintendent Ever!"

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.

QCHS grads seek support for their series

Two Quakertown Community High School graduates, Jollyfisher and Efaobasi Ekpe, will be filming the pilot episodes of their episodic series titled “Beyond,” a nine-episode coming-of-age drama stylistically inspired by Netflix's hit "Outer Banks," and HBOMax's “Waves.” The series follows a group of high school adolescents as they come face to face with complications after the “party of the summer” sees one of their friends in an overdose-induced coma. These characters face a loss of identity chasing a flawed facade of themselves but find healing through facing truth and letting go.

Here’s what the Ekpe’s have to say: “We are so grateful for a community that has always championed our creativity and are hoping to be able to give back by inviting young or new student/local filmmakers and actors on set to join in the creation process of our show that will be sent out to many festivals come completion. If you are interested in donating to the project, we would love your support! As we are entering our production and post-production phase, we are more than grateful to have neared the 50 percent fundraised mark. We'd love to clear and even surpass the remaining 50 percent in the coming weeks and months. If you are willing and able, you can donate through GoFundMe. We are also looking to partner with local businesses who are open to sponsoring us financially, or through meals for the team. Everyone who partners with us will be recognized during our premieres and local events to showcase the final work!”

Find out more about the show here. Scan the QR codes and follow their journey through the Beyond Series page, or their series Instagram.