Pennsbury On Point
February 18, 2022
February 18, 2022
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 Updates Health & Safety Plan
The Pennsbury School Board of Directors voted to approved a move to "masks recommended" for all staff and students effective Tuesday, February 22, 2022. Please read Dr. Smith's email for more information.
Pennsbury Holds First Ever Zero Waste Day
On Thursday, February 17, the Pennsbury School District held its first-ever Zero Waste Day. With over 12,000 students and staff members in 16 buildings, and over 150 vehicles, the district is essentially a small city, and its environmental impact can be substantial. Last year, Pennsbury generated 1,367 tons of trash, and sadly only 14% of it was recycled.
Read more about Zero Waste Day.
In the video below John M. a fifth-grade student at Fallsington Elementary School explains what inspired him to teach people about how to properly recycle and educate the public about the six "R's" of sustainability - refuse, reuse, reduce, rethink, recycle, and repair.
Pennsbury-LYFT Character Award Winners for February
Congratulations to the Pennsbury-LYFT Character Award winners for February. Selma Razanica, Dakota Hibshman, and Victoria Shchupak were honored at the Pennsbury School Board of Directors meeting on Thursday, February 17, 2022. 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 February was cooperation.
Presenting Oxford Valley Elementary School!
Students from Oxford Valley Elementary School proudly represented their school at this month's School Board Action Meeting. Fifth-graders Dominic Chango, Jaylissa Cooper, and Ava Ranniello were joined by Hootie, Oxford Valley's mascot, and Principal Donna Minnigh, to update the school board on all of the fun and exciting events taking place at their school. Each month a different school provides an update to the Pennsbury School Board of Directors. View Oxford Valley's presentation by clicking on the file below.
Walt Disney Shows Love to Local Police
At Walt Disney Elementary, Ms. MacPherson's fourth-grade class and Mrs. Holzerman’s first-grade class worked together to create over 300+ valentines for the Falls Township Police Department and the Tullytown Borough Police Department, as a way of saying thank you for all that they do for us. The students created their valentines and gave them to the officers on that day.
Celebrating 100 Days of School!
Students across the district marked the 100th Day of School this past Tuesday, February 15th! Celebrations included dressing up, creating posters with 100 different items, writing stories about what life will be like in 100 years, and more! Click here to view our full gallery of 100th Day Photos on the Pennsbury Public Relations page.
Virtual Author Visit at Fallsington
Fifth-grade students at Fallsington Elementary School recently had the opportunity to connect with famous children's author Sarah Weeks. After reading her novel, Save Me a Seat, the students met Ms. Week's virtually and engaged in a Q&A session. Students in Mrs. Gould's and Mrs. Long's classes prepared a list of questions for Ms. Weeks that focused on topics such as character inspiration and writing techniques. The students also asked what it is like to be a successful author. Ms. Weeks has written over 60 books, including Pie, So Be It, and Soof. Save Me a Seat reinforces the message that one shouldn't assume things about a person before getting to know them.
Penn Valley Students Go Flying in SPARK Class!
Kindergarten students at Penn Valley Elementary School, led by SPARK teacher Mr. Fallacaro (or as his students know him, Mr. F), recently explored how things fly. "The students were learning about animals and algorithms, so in order to explore the forces (pushes and pulls) that make birds, planes, and things with wings fly, we made paper airplanes using an algorithm (sequence of step-by-step instructions), labeled the parts, and sent them flying," said Mr. F. Looks like it was a successful flight!
Manor Elementary Says Yay to Pajama Day!
Students at Manor Elementary School recently raised $420.00 for the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. Pajama Day is a chance for students to spend the day in their most comfortable pajamas all while supporting children who rely on CHOP for care, cures, and hope! Great job, Manor Mustangs!
Science Fun at Pennwood Middle School!
Students in Mrs. Mark's and Mrs. Berkey's 8th-grade science classes at Pennwood Middle School were recently introduced to astronomy with a Flame Test Lab. The teachers shared that by placing a solution of different compounds into a Bunsen Burner, students learned that different elements emit specific colors when energy is added. These specific colors allow astronomers to detect what elements are present in stars as well as the star's present stage in its life cycle.
William Penn Students Learn About Black Scientists & Inventors for Black History Month
In observation of Black History Month, approximately 220 7th-grade students at William Penn Middle School completed an assignment to honor and recognize the lives of a black scientist or inventor who has improved the field of science.
The 7th-grade science team shares that students participated in classroom discussions and then researched their selected individual. Students learned about Mark Dean, one of the original inventors of the IBM personal computer and the color PC monitor, Marie Van Brittan Brown, who invented the first home security system, and many others.
Students used Padlet to organize their findings and create an online museum. Padlet is best described as an online bulletin board where students and teachers can post notes on a common page.
Public Library Card Drive for PHS Students
During the week of February 22nd, Pennsbury High School will be having a public library card drive. For one week only, students in grades 9-12 can easily sign up online to obtain a library card. (Typically, it is required to sign up in-person at the library.) With a library card of their own, students can explore all of the features, advantages, and benefits of being a member of all branches of the library.
See the Pennsbury High School library website for more information on how to sign up.
Five PHS Seniors Named National Merit Finalists
The National Merit Scholarship Corporation recently named five Pennsbury High School Students National Merit® Finalists for the 2021-22 school year.
Finalists are chosen from a nationwide pool of Semifinalists, which represent less than one percent of high school seniors who scored the highest on the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT) in each state.
Ezra Greenburg, Paul Kearns, Asika Koul, Ashan Sings, and Anna Ye now join the roughly 15,000 other finalists competing for one of 2,500 National Merit® $2500 Scholarships that will be awarded on a state-representational basis. Approximately 220 corporations and business organizations will provide about 1,000 corporate-sponsored Merit Scholarship awards for Finalists who meet their specified criteria, such as children of the grantor’s employees or residents of communities where sponsor plants or offices are located.
In addition, about 180 colleges and universities are expected to finance some 4,000 college-sponsored Merit Scholarship awards for Finalists who will attend the sponsor institution. National Merit Scholarship winners of 2022 will be announced in four nationwide news releases beginning in April and concluding in July. These scholarship recipients will join more than 362,000 other distinguished young people who have earned the Merit Scholar title.
Pennsbury High School Mathletes Capture County Title for 10th Straight Year!
Congratulations to Pennsbury High School's Mathletes Team for clinching first place in the Bucks County Mathletics League for the 10th year in a row! Mathletes provides a fun and collaborative environment for Pennsbury High School students who have passion and talent for math.
This year, Pennsbury competed against five teams - Bensalem High School, Bucks County Technical High School, Council Rock North High School, Council Rock South High School, New Hope-Solebury High School, and William Tennent High School.
"Pennsbury's math curriculum is both rigorous and fluid so that every student has the opportunity to explore mathematical concepts to the fullest," said Jana Vanbuskirk, PHS math teacher and PHS Mathletes coach. "The mathematics department at Pennsbury is dedicated to ensuring our students are prepared to succeed in the ever-competitive world."
In addition to Mathletes at PHS, math extracurriculars in the district include but are not limited to, the Math Olympiad and 24 Challenge at the elementary level and MATHCOUNTS in middle school.
The 2021-22 Pennsbury High School Mathletes Team:
Senior team:
Aiden Catalano (3rd place Pennsbury, 4-year Mathlete)
Ezra Greenberg (Captain - 1st place in County and Pennsbury, 4-year Mathlete)
Kaushal Janga (2nd place Pennsbury, 4-year Mathlete)
Aidan Kelly
Nimay Mahajan
Ansh Shah (4-year Mathlete)
Pranav Shah (4-year Mathlete)
Eshan Singh (4-year Mathlete)
Nicholas Terry (1st place in County and Pennsbury, 4-year Mathlete)
Undergraduates: Abhinav Akenapalli (2nd place Pennsbury, Junior)
Sriya Amineni (2nd place Pennsbury, Sophmore)
Harshavi Birla (Sophomore)
Parker Bowman (3rd place Pennsbury, Freshman)
Muhammad (Adam) Dombrowski (1st place Pennsbury, Sophmore)
Arya Goppenahalli (Sophomore)
Abhiram Kummarapurugu (1st place Pennsbury, Junior)
Samarth Mannikari (Sophomore)
Megan Oleynick (3rd place Pennsbury, Sophmore)
Rishi Patel (1st place Pennsbury, Freshman)
Ayush Shah (2nd place Pennsbury Freshman).
Pennsbury High School Presents The Music Man!
KidsCare of Pennsbury
Looking for before or after-school child care programs or summer camp? Look no further than KidsCare of Pennsbury! Founded in 1991, KidsCare of Pennsbury provides high-quality, school-age child care for families in a safe, friendly, and child-centered environment. KidsCare offers diverse enrichment and learning activities that build self-esteem, develop skills for navigating challenging situations, nurture positive social relationships, and embrace a healthy respect for the community. The programs are licensed by the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services and are all developmentally age-appropriate and are taught by certified teachers. Click below for more information or visit the KidsCare of Pennsbury website.
The Pennsbury Education Foundation (PEF) is dedicated to ensuring the success of all students in the district and recognizes that their needs are diverse. The PEF believes every child deserves the opportunity to learn, be appropriately challenged, and succeed.
A 501(c)(3) organization, the PEF relies on donations from individuals and businesses to support the purpose of improving teaching and learning in Pennsbury through innovative educational initiatives. Grants are awarded to teachers and administrators through an application process that occurs twice each year.
Please consider supporting the PEF with a tax-deductible donation. For more information, please click here.
Parent Education Night on Youth Social Media Safety
Internationally recognized magician/hypnosis and wellness “edutainer” Robert Hackenson Jr. will be at the PHS East Auditorium on Tuesday, March 22nd from 7pm - 8pm to teach about cyber safety in an unexpected and engaging way for parents.
Hackenson's presentation infuses magic, eye-catching illusions, skits, and more in a way that engages his audience while reinforcing the educational lessons. Every piece of magic, story, video clip, etc. is used to deliver a message and make it memorable, without making light of this serious issue. His presentation helps start a conversation amongst parents and students about social media safety and responsible posting. The audience will leave understanding the importance of thinking before you post.
Hackenson will also be presenting to each level of students in schools on Wednesday, March 23rd.
Pennsbury School District's E-Flyers Page
Click here to visit the Pennsbury School District's E-Flyers Page. On this page, you will find flyers that represent current or ongoing announcements of interest to Pennsbury students and families. These flyers emanate from local community organizations, sports leagues, scouting groups. and other non-profits. 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.
Pennsbury High School Hall of Fame
We are excited to announce the rollout of the Pennsbury High School Hall of Fame! The PHS Hall of Fame is designed to recognize and honor graduates who have distinguished themselves as contributing members of society. Please click here to nominate an outstanding graduate today!
Pennsbury School District Senior Tax Rebate
The purpose of Pennsbury School District's Senior Tax Rebate is to provide property tax relief to eligible senior citizens residing in the district. Please click here to learn more.
Pennsbury School District Covid-19 Resources
Do you have questions about Covid-19? Click here to view the Pennsbury Covid-19 Resource page.
Superintendent Emails
Giant Feeding Kids Program
Pennsbury School District Community School
There is one week left to register for spring Pennsbury Community School classes! Pennsbury Community School is open to all adults 18 and older and not currently a high school student, whether or not you are a resident of the district. Visit our website to register or click the file below to download the catalog. Then, click on the course name to register.
Yes You Can 5k
Sign up today for the 3rd Annual Yes You Can 5K, Sunday, April 24 at the Pennsbury Middle School Complex! This chip-timed 5K race, organized by Makefield Elementary School, is open to the entire Pennsbury community and benefits all PTO's in the Pennsbury School District. Lace-up your shoes and prepare for a fun-filled day of community, confidence, and wellness!
School Board Approved 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