News from the Nest
Cardinal Pride in UDSD - March 28, 2023
A Message from Dr. Yanni...
As I write this message, I simply cannot believe that spring has sprung; it feels just like yesterday when we returned from winter break. Now, spring break is on the horizon, and before we know it, the end of the school year will be on the horizon as well. Springtime brings optimism and hope, but in schools, it can also bring increases in both stress and inappropriate behaviors.
We are fortunate to educate our community's children each day. We are proud of our instructional programming and the offerings that we have for our students; we are also extremely grateful for the collaborative, supportive community in which we live. Please help us ensure that we have a successful spring by reinforcing with your child(ren) the importance of following school rules, putting forth their best efforts in the classroom and in athletics and activities, and demonstrating respect for themselves, others, and our community. We are blessed to have amazing students, and we thank you for your support of our District!
No community, not even our often idyllic community, is immune from the serious situations and tragedies that punctuate news cycles. Each day we work to ensure that our students and staff can learn and work in physically and emotionally safe environments. We are not a perfect District; we will never claim to be. We are, however, a District that is continually refining our practices and protocols in the best interests of our students, staff, and community. Please take some time to review this newsletter, as it contains a great deal of helpful and important information. In particular, we have included reminders for our community about the work we are continuing and the measures we are increasing/enhancing to ensure that we provide safe and secure schools.
We hope that everyone has a spring break filled with rest and relaxation - whether you are traveling or staying close to home. Take some time for yourself to recharge as we push forward after spring break toward the final quarter of the school year.
Onward!
Dr. Steve Yanni
Student Shout-Outs!
- National Honor Society - Congratulations to the students who were inducted into the National Honor Society at UDHS last week. We are proud of you!
- UD Medals: Student Winners - Congratulations to the six finalists for the 39th Annual UD Medals Student Leadership Awards: Haley Hong, Landon Kullmann, Amelia Pastore, Samantha Segal, Ben Serafin, and Sahmir Young. Nominated by the faculty of UDHS, each student interviews with a committee that ultimately select two winners. This year's winners are Landon Kullmann and Samantha Segal. Landon and Samantha will receive their UD medals at the ceremony in May; the entire group will be recognized at the ceremony as well.
- Mamma Mia - Congratulations to the cast and crew of Mamma Mia for stellar performances earlier this month!
- Music in Our Schools - Kudos to all of our students who participated in the Music in Our Schools vocal concert last Tuesday evening. Great talent was on display! We are excited for tonight's instrumental concert!
- Eastern - EASTERN is celebrating Women's History Month by spotlighting several successful female students and alum. Today’s spotlight features Reese Fichter, a UDHS junior who attends EASTERN Culinary Arts and wants to turn her love of baking into a career.
- Sandy Run Swing - Last Friday, the competitive season ended at Abington for Sandy Run Swing! This time the band took home an Excellent rating, Best Trumpets of the night, and 7th grader Zeev Shahar took home one of the few solo awards of the night.
- Regional Music Recognition - Congratulations to Senior Haley Hong for her participation in the Region VI (Bucks, Montgomery, Chester, and Delaware counties). She placed sixth of all the flute players in those counties. Bravo and congratulations for representing Upper Dublin!
- UDHS Swing - Congratulations to Upper Dublin HS Swing for their Outstanding rating at the Wissahickon Jazz Competition. They won best Saxes of the night and senior Camber Beauchamp won an honorable mention best soloist award (his second in two competitions).
- SRMS Swing - Sandy Run Swing claimed their second straight Outstanding Rating at the Colonial Jazz Festival on Friday night. Our saxophone section was awarded best of the night, and 7th grader Sarah Madden was awarded one of the few solo awards! Way to go!
Each week our Principals share weekly communications on Thursdays. Be sure to check out the weekly communications from your school(s) to learn more about the great things are students are accomplishing!
Excellence in Athletics
- Regional Wrestling Tournament - Congratulations to Rylee Netter who finished in 2nd place in the Girls Wrestling Regional Tournament last month. That finish earned her a berth into the state tournament at Central Dauphin High School.
- Indoor Track and Field - Congratulations are also in order to some of the members of our indoor track and field members. For the girls a new school record of 9.25.68 was set in the 4x800 (Emily Kulak, Mimi Pastore, Mason Kullmann & Lilly Pittakas) which was good enough for a 4th place state medal. The 4x400 relay (Talia Hoffner, Ellison Kullman, Mason Kullmann & Ashley MacNeal) also set a new school record with a time of 4:00.32 and placed 6th, earning a state medal. The DMR (Olivia Burdo, Pittakas, Kulak, & Pastore) ran the 2nd fastest time in UD history and finished in 10th place. For the boys, Kyree Butler finished the shot put with a throw of 55-1.75 which was good enough for a 3rd place state medal. The 4x400 relay(Owen Smith, Elijah Smith, Rohan Bryan, & Jack Stelling) ran a 3:27.25 earning a 9th place finish. Also Matt Castronuovo ran a time of 8:47.68 to finish in 9th in the 300 meter run.
- Swimming - Congratulations to the following swimmers who participated in the PIAA State Championships last weekend. The boys and girls team sent 15 swimmers to compete in the championship events. For the boys Jack Vitella qualified for 2 events (200 & 500 Free). The following swimmers earned points for UD. Toby Herzog (100 Breast), Vikki Williams (100 Back), Olivia Auwarter (Individual Medley), and the Medley Relay (Arina Vorobyeva, Emma McCarthy, Jessie Motelson, & Alicia Taylor). The following relays and individuals earned state medals. The 200 Free Relay (Williams, McCarthy, Maya Gondek, & Taylor) finished 7th. The 400 Free Relay (Williams, Hannah McKeown, Gondek, Vorobyeva) finished in 4th. Vorobyeva (200 & 500 Free) earned two state medals individually finishing 6th and 5th respectively.
Spring sports are underway here at Upper Dublin High School. As is the case every spring, weather can cause major changes in the schedules. For up to date information on our high school athletic programs please use the following resources.
UDHS Hall of Fame - 2023 Inductees
ARTS, ENTERTAINMENT & COMMUNICATIONS
- Keith Spencer (1989) - Philadelphia-based vocalist and actor recognized regionally and nationally for stage and concert performances; produces and presents culturally relevant concert programming celebrating the African American experience and notable Black performing artists
- Juli Weiner (2006) - Winner of multiple Primetime Emmy Awards and Writers Guild Awards for late-night comedy writing; former political blogger for Vanity Fair and Wonkette; currently writing for the upcoming HBO series, The Palace
BUSINESS & LAW
- Darla Mitchell Wolfe (1985) - Innovative executive who uses technology to drive business transformation and growth; guided by a belief that access to STEAM education, especially among women and underserved populations, is critical to driving ethical advances in technology; held senior level roles at Fortune 500 companies; a serial entrepreneur and angel investor
- Josh Skolnick (2002) - Founder of Monster Tree Service, now the largest tree care franchise in North America; a serial entrepreneur and nationally-recognized expert and mentor in the franchising industry; founded and currently growing the Horsepower Brands portfolio with multi-brand home services franchises
EDUCATION
- Michael Keaton (1992) - Successful college admissions professional with a career encompassing director, associate dean and dean positions at Drexel, Haverford and Northeastern; recently named Vice President of Enrollment Management at Ursinus College; champion of intentional pathways of access and opportunity in higher education; proven success and expert in multicultural recruitment contributing to collaborative academic environments
- Christopher Rush (1998) - Senior Advisor for Innovation and Improvement, Director of Office of Education Technology, US Dept. of Education; expert in minimizing “lost learning time” through remote learning; co-founder of the non-profit New Classrooms Innovation Partners focused on collaborating with schools to implement innovative learning models; designed School of One, named one of TIME magazine’s Top 50 Inventions of the Year in 2010, which is personalized learning tailored to learning style and rate of progress mixing virtual tutoring, in-class instruction and educational video games, the prototype for today’s Teach to One
GOVERNMENT & MILITARY
- Christopher Fritz (1985) - U.S. Air Force Academy graduate recognized for high level problem-solving and results-driven capabilities; following military service devoted career to protecting American from threats both foreign and domestic as a civilian contractor; expert in global supply chain efficiency, problem-solving and innovation related to defense missile products
- Wm. Andrew Leneweaver (1976) - Colonel, U.S. Army (Retired); 40-year high-level electronics, IT and communications career in Washington State and Washington, DC for the Washington Army National Guard, U.S. Army Reserve and Washington State Emergency Management; strategic leadership roles in joint responses to state and national emergencies and planning and execution for international events; led overhaul and implementation of Washington’s statewide e911 system
MEDICINE, SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
- Brian Egan, MD (1991) - Anesthesiologist; Assoc. Professor of Anesthesiology at Columbia University Medical Center; oversees and mentors CUMC residents; develops curriculum; sought after lecturer, presenter, speaker, author, reviewer; serves on committees; recognized with multiple awards and citations for outstanding teaching, patient care and academics
- Beth Junker, Ph.D. (1980) - Biotech expert in bioprocessing of antibodies; therapeutic proteins; recombinant, DNA, mRNA, conjugate and viral vaccines; gene therapy, and secondary metabolites; significant contributor to regulatory process development, clinical pilot plant operations and regulatory filings for commercial products treating cancer, skin diseases, hepatitis A and infections; nearly three decades in senior positions with Merck; since 2016, principal consultant and owner of BioProcess Advantage LLC
- David Staebler, Ph.D. (1958) - Prominent researcher, technical manager and leader in solar cell materials, information storage in crystals, and information displays; holds 10 U.S. patents, work on the Staebler-Wronski effect was a catalyst for solar energy production; known for bridging cultures, internationally and in the workplace at RCA Laboratories in Princeton, NJ, Thomson Tube in Genlis, France and other US-based corporations
PHILANTHROPY, THEOLOGY & COMMUNITY SERVICE
- William Carroll (1975; posthumous) - Lifelong Upper Dubin resident; served 37 years in the Upper Dublin Police Department, retired as Corporal, with many credits and tributes; running his first fire call at age 16, served over 40 years as a Fort Washington Fire Company volunteer, honored as a Life Member, with countless terms as Chief Officer and Command Staff member
- Connie Heard Damon (1960) - Exceptional lifetime of humanitarian contributions; dedicated her entire adult life to church, community and charity work locally, nationally and globally in underserved and impoverished areas in Alaska, Appalachia and Central Africa; committed to hands-on work for permanent improvements and fundraising for student scholarships; actively shares lifelong devotion to faith, learning and sharing with others
A Focus on Safety & Security
The safety of our students and staff remains a top priority for our District. We are currently working on plans to bring more robust programming to the District about a number of topics including safety and adolescent issues. These programs will be in addition to our current offerings and will be available for students, parents/guardians, and community members.
Below is a summary list as a reminder of the physical safety measures that we are continuing to take - and those that have been increased/strengthened for SY 2022-2023.
- We continue to utilize the Raptor system at all of our schools.
- All visitors to buildings will be asked a series of questions in addition to completing the Raptor process before gaining entry to our schools.
- Emergency response/panic buttons that immediately contact the police have been added in each of our schools.
- We have increased security personnel in the District.
- We continue to require all visitors and volunteers to wear their identification sticker in a prominent place on their clothing.
- We added card readers to numerous exterior doors to prevent the possibility of doors being "propped" open.
- We will conduct a series of unannounced security checks at each of our buildings. This helps us identify any potential vulnerabilities we have to rectify immediately.
- We conduct a series of announced and unannounced drills at each of our buildings. These drills include but are not necessarily limited to fire drills, intruder drills, lockouts, lockdowns, and off-site evacuations. Members of the UDPD attend our drills and provide feedback to our Leadership Team.
- The Upper Dublin Police Department will continue having a presence on our school grounds and in our buildings.
In addition to physical safety, it remains important to support the emotional and mental well-being of our students and staff. Below is a summary list as a reminder of the supports were have continued or increased for the 2022-2023 school year:
- We continue to provide five (5) counselors at UDHS, three (3) at SRMS, and one (1) at each of our elementary schools. Our school counselors provide support for students in several areas, including social and emotional well-being.
- We provide additional counselor support via our Lakeside counselors. We contract with three (3) of these counselors.
- Our schools continue their Child Study Teams (CST) and Student Assistant Programs (SAP). These processes involve identifying students' needs and providing the necessary interventions to improve academic, social, and behavioral outcomes.
- We will have additional Student Assistance and mental health supports available throughout the year for students.
- We are expanding our collaboration with service agencies, such as Montgomery County Crisis and Victim Servies of Montgomery County, to provide targeted assistance to students and families when needed.
The following resources have also been previously shared with our community. We are sharing them again so that our community is reminded of them.
- Montgomery County Mobile Crisis Support - Montgomery County Mobile Crisis provides immediate support for crisis situations, as well as assistance with managing recurring or future crises. Support is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 1-855-634-HOPE (4673). This service is available to anyone in Montgomery County, including children, teens, adults, and families. There is no fee and everyone, regardless of insurance, is eligible for assistance.
- Victim Services of Montgomery County - The mission of Victim Services of Montgomery County is to provide advocacy and counseling for all who have been affected by sexual violence and other crimes against the person and to promote sensitivity and awareness in the community through education.
- Safe2Say Something - Safe2Say Something is a youth violence prevention program run by the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General. The program teaches youth and adults how to recognize warning signs and signals, especially within social media, from individuals who may be a threat to themselves or others and to “say something” BEFORE it is too late. With Safe2Say Something, it’s easy and confidential to report safety concerns to help prevent violence and tragedies.
Generosity Abounds in Upper Dublin
Giant Donation - Giant Company and local store leadership presented the Department of Food Services with a check for $4,187.55. This donation is part of the 2023 Feeding School Kids initiative, which aims to support district food service departments and the mission to end childhood hunger.
Preparing the Nest for New Cardinals
Please keep in mind that students must be at least five (5) years of age before September 15, 2023, in order to be registered for kindergarten. Next year's kindergarten students will be the Class of 2036!