Oley Valley School District
Digital Newsletter - Summer 2019
—John Dewey
From the trees, to the cider mill, to the fairgrounds!
Oley Valley Community Fair! Fun!
Music at the Fair! They were outstanding!
America the Beautiful! Thank you for your patriotism. Memorial Day 2019.
Powder Puff Football Game! Class of 2020 vs Class of 2021 (and their cheerleaders!)
Homecoming Court 2019
FFA Summer Events
FFA Members Stay Productive Over the Summer FFA Chapter Reporter: Julie Weidman
The past few months have been very productive for the Oley Valley FFA! Students involved in our chapter have been encouraged to attend workdays every Tuesday and Thursday throughout the summer months. On these days, members work hard in the Food for All Garden. The garden contains eleven raised beds, filled with a variety of vegetables such as snow peas, broccoli, cabbage, potatoes, green peppers, cucumbers, zucchini, and tomatoes. On average, 500 lbs. of the vegetables get donated to the Oley Valley Food Pantry every year! Along with sending donations to the food pantry, some of the produce is used directly in the school's cafeteria at the salad bar. Another project keeping members busy were fair display boards. The board themes for this year are the Uses of Ag. Plastics and Environmental Concerns and "Mystical" Gardens. The display boards are then entered into fairs including Kutztown, Allentown, Oley, and Farm Show! FFA members have certainly been busy this summer and will continue to be throughout the school year. So stop by the Oley Fair to check out the display
boards and recognize our members!
Important Upcoming Events
10/16/19 – School Board Meeting 7:00 PM
10/16/19 – MS Picture Retake Day
10/20/19 – National School Bus Safety Week
10/21/19 – Red Ribbon Week
10/25/19 – Early Dismissal for All Buildings
10/25/19 – MS Student Council Dance 7:00 PM-9:30 PM
10/25/19 – ES School Store
10/25/19 – ES Movie Night 7:00 PM
10/29/19 – End of First Quarter
10/29/19 – ES PTO Meeting 6:30 PM
10/31/19 – ES Halloween Parade
11/3/19 – Daylight Savings Time Ends
11/5/19 – Election Day
11/5/19 – HS Junior Parent Night 6:30 PM
11/7/19 – ES Family Math & Reading Night 6:30 – 8:30 PM
11/7/19 – NHS Induction 7:00 PM HS Cafeteria
11/8/19 – ES Make-It, Take-It
11/10/19 – American Education Week
11/10/19 – Oley Valley Music Association Bingo MS Cafeteria 1:00 PM
11/11/19 – Veterans Day – MS Veterans Day Luncheon and Program 8:30 AM
Oley Valley Elementary School Board Report
Matthew Broskey
Elementary Principal
1.) The fall Donuts with Dads event was held on Friday, October 11th. The event is a kick-off for the Watch D.O.G.S program (Dads of Great Students) which focuses on having more male role models in elementary schools. Over 400 father figures and students attended the event. Thank you to the Oley Dunkin Donuts for donating 40 dozen donuts and coffee for the event.
2.) The first grade class enjoyed their field trip to Grim’s Orchard on Friday, October 11th. Students enjoyed the corn maze, hayride tour, corn boxes, and the play area. Students also had the opportunity to learn how corn, pumpkins, and apples grow and the importance of bees in agriculture.
3.) The elementary school welcomed the Oley Fire Company on Friday, October 11 as part of Fire Safety Week. Students learned about fire safety while being able to see different types of fire safety equipment.
4.) The elementary school is participating in the Trout in the Classroom program sponsored by Pennsylvania Trout Unlimited and Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission. The program allows students to learn about the life cycle of Rainbow Trout. Trout eggs were delivered on October 8th with 249 live eggs. The trout will grow in a 55-gallon tank under the watchful eyes of Miss Hartenstine, Mrs. Gardecki, and 125 fifth grade students. Thank you to Mr. Deysher and several high school students for their assistance in setting up the aquarium, sorting of the eggs, and overall guidance with the program.
5.) The Halloween Parade will take place on Thursday, October 31st at 1:15 p.m.
6.) Family Reading and Math night will take place on Thursday, November 7th. Author and illustrator Kevin McCloskey will be presenting and the elementary staff will have fun activities for students and their families to complete during the event.
7.) The elementary school will be hosting their annual Veterans Day lunch on Friday, November 11th. Veterans will have the opportunity to eat with students during each of the lunch times.
Oley Valley Middle School Board Report
Scott Rohrer
Middle School Principal
1.) The middle school has continued to move quickly to address areas related to data and communication.
2.) Some middle school students have been paired up with our Laurel Life students at the elementary school. They have conducted nature walks and scavenger hunts together. They also met up at the Oley Fair.
3.) Students of the month for September are: 6th grade: Hannah Houp & Tucker Tipsword. 7th grade: Laura Frederick & Lucas Clark. 8th grade: Sean Hoffman & Jessica Howard.
4.) A parent advisory was held on October 1st @ 6:30 pm to discuss communication, extra-curricular happenings, clubs (i.e. Aevidum) and any areas of concern/suggestions.
5.) A K-8 STEM advisory meeting was held on 10/10 @ 7:00 pm in the OVES. Our STEM programs continue to grow and embrace the responsibility of providing meaningful career-ready education to all of our students. To that end an advisory board of parents, educators, and community members interested in supporting our students, their interests and their learning is being formed.
6.) On 10/9 selected staff were trained 7-12 on how to interpret data and learn about the MTSS process. Two more half day training dates on 10/15 & 10/29 will be held. Staff will utilize this information to identify curricular and instructional learning gaps utilizing assessment data.
7.) On October 9th sixth grade teachers were taught how to use the EvacuTrac chair. This chair is utilized to take students with disabilities/injuries down the stairs during an emergency or when the elevator is inoperative.
8.) An intruder drill was conducted on 10/11. The drill was conducted in conjunction with the local authorities (Central Berks Regional Police Dept.) to assess building practice and identify areas of improvement.
Oley Valley High School Board Report
October Report, 2019
As we close in on the end of the 1st MP, everyone continues to work hard.
We had a successful partnership with OVCEF and others to participate, fundraise, and support the Oley Valley Fair. Our seniors enjoyed the apple picking, pressing, and making cider. We sold more cider this year then ever. At the cake and cider stand, we raised more than $16,000. Mrs. Mundy and Mrs. Schlegel also met with our seniors to plan Project Graduation and Bash.
Our guidance department met with every senior in September and the first two weeks in October to discuss their transition from HS to life after graduation. They also took all of the freshmen to three local business (Sun Sweet, Electro Space Fabricators, and Frecon Farms) working in collaboration with Berks Business Education Coalition.
Our teachers continue to do great things! They are writing letters of recommendations for seniors, volunteering at multiple school events, including homecoming and senior athletic recognition events, and attending athletic events. The HS now has a teacher leadership team that is exploring ways to improve staff morale, student engagement, and promote a cohesive, unified school community. We also have a HS data team who met with the MS data team on October 9th, and will meet again on the 16th and the 25th. Charlie Trovato from the BCIU led the training looking at OVSD data and guiding us in analyzing and interpreting it to improve classroom instruction.
We have red ribbon week coming soon, the week of October 21st and our first club meeting is Friday, October 24th.
Mr. Ryan and Mrs. Finnerty visited BCTC East for a comprehensive tour of the programs! Mrs. Finnerty was totally impressed by the staff and the students, and everything that they are completing! They will be visiting BCTC West in the upcoming weeks and look forward to learning more about their programs as well as see the students in action!
September Report, 2019
We had a successful start to the school year.
Administration had welcome back assemblies where they reviewed rules but they also highlighted issues of safety, security, and positive relationships. They encouraged students to get involved in school activities and be leaders, always striving to be the best person they can, and most importantly enjoy high school because it goes by quickly.
Mr. Moll and his colleagues have embraced the anatomage table. They are constantly taking classes to the classroom to learn, practice, and experiment with the table. Mr. Moll is doing a great job sharing his curriculum with social media and has had multiple phone calls from colleges, high schools, etc. to learn more and visit the high school to get first hand experience with the table.
The guidance department had their class meetings with grades 10, 11, and 12 to discuss information specific to the respective grade. For example, with seniors, they reviewed the college application process, dual enrollment and post-secondary options. They also discussed their 1:1 meetings that they will have with each senior in the next 4 weeks. There is also a financial aid evening scheduled for September 11th at 6:30PM where financial information will be shared by Penn State Berks Financial Aid personnel with parents and students.
Our student-athletes are have a successful start to the school year. Our football, field hockey, soccer, golf, volleyball, and cross country athletes are doing great! Mr. Shawn Meals has achieved an incredible accomplishment, 200 wins! He earned the achievement on Friday, August 30th and the team and community celebrated his achievement on Saturday, August 31st! Anna McElderry won 3 silver medals at the Pan American Games for powerlifting.
We are looking forward to the Oley Valley Community Fair. Thank you for your ongoing support of staff and students.
Oley Valley School District Board of Directors
David R. Pollock Jr., President
Stephen S. Burns, Vice-President
Carl J. Kubitz, Jr., Treasurer
Eric Clemmer, Member
Robert A. Heckman, Member
Darrell L. Markley, Ed.D., Member
Ralph Richard, Member
Stuart Salen, Member
Dawn Zackon, Member
John M. Stott, Esquire, Board Solicitor
Maria H. Jones, Board Secretary, non-member
SPECIAL EDUCATION NOTICE
The purpose of this notice is to provide information regarding student records, screening and evaluation, and special education services.
The Oley Valley School District and its employees are required by federal law and state and federal rules and regulations to protect the rights of students. The foundation of these rights comes from federal legislation entitled “Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974” (also known as the Buckley Amendments). These are state rules and regulations dealing with regular and special education students’ rights and privacy. All students are covered by the state regulations contained in Chapter 12 known as “Students’ Rights and Responsibilities.”
Parents maintain the following rights related to their child’s education records:
· To access the child’s records within 30 days of their request
· To request that information be amended, and
· To include a statement commenting on disputed information contained in their child’s education records.
Local school districts maintain the following responsibilities concerning student records:
· Inform parents, annually, of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act
· Designate individual(s) to ensure the confidentiality of records
· Train personnel regarding confidentiality procedures and policies
· Maintain a listing of personnel who have access to educational records
· Obtain written parental consent prior to release of educational records
· Notify parents when their child’s records contain irrelevant information
· Furnish prior written notification of the destruction of irrelevant information and their rights to obtain copies of such information
The Oley Valley School District uses the following procedures for locating, identifying and evaluating specified needs of school-aged students requiring special programs or services. These procedures, as required by law, are as follows:
The District as prescribed by section 1402 of the School Code routinely conducts screenings of a child’s hearing acuity in grades K-3, 6, 7 and 11 during the fall, visual acuity of all students throughout the year, and speech and language skills of kindergarten students. Contact your child’s building principal for specific screening dates. Gross motor and fine motor skills, academic skills and social emotional skills are assessed by classroom teachers on an ongoing basis. Specified needs from all of these screening sources are noted within the child’s official file. These school records are open and available to parents, and only to school officials who have legitimate “need to know” information about the child. Information from the records is released to other persons or agencies only upon receipt of written signed permission from the parent. Parents with concerns regarding their child may contact building principals at any time to request a screening or evaluation of their child. Communication with parents and exceptional students shall be in English or the native language of the parents.
A building support team, such as Response to Intervention and instruction, EPASS, or PASS, within the student’s school will use screening information to identify specific needs or to document the need for further evaluation. If it is determined that a child needs additional services, the support team will make adjustments relative to such things as the child’s learning style, behavior, physical difficulties and speech concerns to assist with classroom expectation. Parents will be notified if a child is receiving support. If a student does not make progress, parents may be asked to give written permission for necessary individual professional evaluations.
When all of the evaluations are completed, a multi-disciplinary evaluation report will be compiled with parent involvement and include specific recommendations for the types of intervention necessary to deal with the child’s specific needs.
Parents are then invited to discuss the results of the multi-disciplinary report. When a student qualifies for services, an appropriate Individualized Education Program will be developed indicating specialized services for the student. Parents are then presented a Notice of Recommended Educational Placement (NOREP) with which they may agree or disagree.
Chapter 15/Other Protected Handicapped Students
A protected handicapped student is a student who is school age with a physical or mental disability, which substantially limits or prohibits participation in or access to any aspect of the school program.
In compliance with state and federal law, the Oley Valley School District will provide to each protected handicapped student without discrimination or cost to the student or family, those related aids, services, or accommodations which are needed to provide equal opportunity to participate in and obtain the benefits of the school program and extracurricular activities to the maximum extent appropriate to the student’s abilities. These services and protections for “protected handicapped students” are distinct from those applicable to all eligible students enrolled (or seeking enrollment) in special education programs.
Special Education Services & Programs
The Oley Valley School District provides the following services and programs for identified students. Some of the special education programs are administered by the district while others are a cooperative effort between Oley Valley, other school districts, the Berks County Intermediate Unit and other appropriate agencies. The services and programs are offered to meet the needs of students who require specially designed instruction and are eligible in the following areas: intellectual disability; deafness or hearing impairment; speech or language impairments; visual impairments including blindness; serious emotional disturbance; orthopedic impairments; autism; traumatic brain injury; other health impairments; or specific learning disability.
Information about early intervention, parent rights, mediation or due process proceedings; specific special education services and programs offered by Oley Valley; and our educational records policy are available upon request from the building principal in the child’s school or on the district’s website. A parent may request the district to initiate a screening or evaluation of their child’s specified needs at any time by contacting the building principal.
Americans with Disabilities Act Notice
If you or a member of your family is planning to attend a function in the schools of the Oley Valley School district and have a physical disability, which will result in the creation of a barrier to attendance, please inform the principal of the school at which the event is taking place. This information should be forwarded to the principal well in advance of the event. In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, the administration will take action to reduce or eliminate the barrier to attendance, whether it be by moving the activity, providing assistive devices or some other invention.
Non-Discrimination Policy
We are an equal opportunity employer and educator who fully and actively supports equal access for all people regardless of race, color, religion, gender, age, national origin, veteran status, disability, genetic information or testing, family and medical leave, sexual orientation, and gender identity or expression. We prohibit retaliation against individuals who bring forth any complaint, orally or in writing, to the employer or the government, or against any individuals who assist or participate in the investigation of any complaint, or otherwise oppose discrimination. Compliance issues/questions should be directed to the Office of the Superintendent.
Child Find Activities
Every child with, or suspected of having, a disability and who resides in Berks County, Pennsylvania is entitled to a comprehensive evaluation by a multi-disciplinary team tht includes the child’s parents, current teachers, and a school district of residence representative. The purpose of such an evaluation is to determine whether the child has a disability and, if so, to determine the nature and severity of the disability and the educational needs of the child. If the child is identified as having a disability, he or she is entitled to special education and related services from his or her school district of residence and might be entitled to certain special education and related services from Berks County Intermediate Unite in conjunction with his or her private school program. A child can be suspected of having such a disability even if he or she is progressing from grade to grade.
For further information about the above services, please call Student Services,
610-987-4100, ext 1187.
Oley Valley School District
The Oley Valley School District is an Equal Opportunity Employer and Educator who fully and actively supports equal access for all people regardless of Race, Color, Religion, Gender, Age, National Origin, Veteran Status, Disability, Genetic Information or Testing, Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity or Expression and prohibits Retaliation against individuals who bring forth any complaint, orally or in writing, to the employer or the government, or against any individuals who assist or practice in the investigation of any complaint, or otherwise oppose discrimination. Compliance issues/questions should be directed to the Office of the Superintendent.