Pennsbury on Point is a weekly newsletter designed to keep the Pennsbury community up-to-date on district news, events, and information. The newsletter will be emailed to families weekly and archived on the district's Public Relations webpage.

If you have any photos or story ideas you would like to see featured, please email the Public Relations Department at publicrelations@pennsburysd.org.

November 20 & 21 - Half-day - K-8 Parent/Teacher Conferences

Full Day for grades 9-12

November 22 - 24 - NO SCHOOL - Thanksgiving Recess

The world-famous Harlem Wizards, proudly presented by NorthPoint Development, are returning to Pennsbury! This family-friendly event will take place on Saturday, December 2, 2023, at 7:00 p.m. at Pennsbury High School East (705 Hood Boulevard, Fairless Hills.) Order your tickets today and watch as the Wizards take on some of your favorite teachers and staff members for a night of tricks, hoops, and alley-oops!

All event proceeds will benefit the Pennsbury Education Foundation (PEF). Since its inception in 2003, the PEF has raised nearly $300,000 which helps cover the costs of classroom mini-grants to enhance curriculum for Pennsbury students. Your support of the Pennsbury Education Foundation helps our teachers bolster the District's mission to prepare all students to become creative, ethical, and critical thinkers for lifelong success in a global society.

Get ready for high-flying entertainment and fun for the whole family. Last year's game sold out! Tickets are going fast! Click here to order yours today! Thank you to our generous sponsors NorthPoint Development, KidsCare of Pennsbury, McCaffrey's Food Markets, CG Orthodontics, and Shoprite of Yardley!

Big J from the Wizards visited all ten of our elementary schools over the last two weeks, giving students a sneak peek at all the fun. Check out the video below to see some of the fun!

Congratulations to the Pennsbury-LYFT Character Award winners for November. Students Mathew Cadena, Levi Kish, Peyton Marcel,* and Nickolas Milisivana were honored at the Pennsbury School Board of Directors meeting on Thursday, November 16, 2023.

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 November was Responsibility.

Each month, students are nominated by teachers, staff, or administration, and the winners are selected by LYFT and other community partners. LYFT is a group of volunteers, individuals, and organizations throughout the community that share the common goal of strengthening and supporting Pennsbury students. Click here to read the full press release.

*Peyton was unable to attend and will be recognized at the December 21, 2023 meeting.

Students from Manor Elementary School proudly represented their school at this month's School Board Action Meeting. Students Niriah Barnes, Sarah Calligan, Matthew Calligan, Gianna Valentin, Riley Johnson, Althea Worthington, Kaden Bush, Peyton Dibert, Kayleigh Savage, Nolan Pantano, Ruben Daltirus, and Francesca Lerario, joined by Principal Terri Salvucci, updated the school board on all of the exciting events and learning taking place at Manor. Check out their Manor Strong presentation here.

Congratulations to the six Pennsbury High School senior athletes who were honored at their athletic signing ceremony earlier this week!

• Nathan Knapp - Volleyball -Merrimack College
• James Schaffer - Baseball - Stony Brook University
• Charlie Cordisco - Baseball - St. Thomas Aquinas University
• Mia Popovich - Lacrosse - Sienna College
• Presley Foote - Softball- West Chester University
• Hannah DeFinis - Softball - Molloy University

On Friday, November 17, Walt Disney Elementary School students and staff paid tribute to our nation's heroes with a Veterans Day Recognition Assembly. Veterans connected to students and staff at the school were invited to a light breakfast before making their way into the gymnasium through a tunnel of flag-waving kindergartners. The gymnasium was covered in patriotic artwork designed by students, and the program featured a history of Veterans Day, recognition of veterans in attendance, poems, letters of respect, a slideshow honoring the veterans, and a beautiful rendition of America the Beautiful, performed by fifth-grade students.

Students taking Biology 2 at Pennsbury High School West recently got a glimpse into the world of forensics when the Bucks County Mobile Crime Unit came to campus. The visit helped bring real-world experience to Pennsbury students. Bucks County Detectives Dante Montella and Tim Campbell of the Bucks County District Attorney's Office talked about how they collect and preserve evidence at a crime scene. The detectives displayed all of the equipment used to collect fingerprints, samples of blood and DNA, and other biological specimens. Students also learned about footprint casting and fiber collections and how detectives establish a timeline of events and photograph a crime scene.

The detectives also talked a lot about digital footprints, sharing with the students that material "deleted" from one's mobile device is never truly deleted.

On Tuesday, November 14, Pennsbury High School German Club members and German teachers Frau DiFazio and Frau Cardwell hosted a Q&A Zoom session with Chief Executive, Mr. Rick LaBerge. LaBerge is a Chief Commercial Officer for the German "Gummy Bear" company, Haribo.

Students learned about the interesting history of Haribo and posed insightful questions for Mr. LaBerge about his career in international business. The students were very engaged, learned about the importance of world language and cultural awareness, and enjoyed snacking on a very generous donation of Haribo products sent by Mr. LaBerge himself.

Es war ein süßes Erlebnis! (It was a sweet experience!)

At Pennwood Middle School, Mr. Disbrow’s Advanced Math 6 class had an immersive experience in architectural design and interior design using rational numbers. Students were challenged to creatively design a tiny house by either building a 3-D model or using an online program to develop a 3-D rendered image of what their tiny house could look like. They were asked to find areas of their dwelling and find the percentage of space that the different common areas took up.

Adrienne Baughman, a community member, Pennsbury parent, and architectural engineer by trade, also came into the classroom to present on different aspects of the career field. She spoke about her career in urban design in China as well as her more current experience as an interior designer. She introduced the program that she uses for her designing called SketchUp. Her presentation demonstrated the different aspects of being an architectural engineer and gave real insight into the career field.

The students lived up to the challenge by creating imaginative 3-D renderings or beautiful models that really took you into their creations. They were very resourceful by using the internet to gather inspiration, creatively accumulating resources such as SketchUp or miniature furniture, and applying that to the challenge at hand. It was truly an experience to build upon.

On Tuesday, November 14, Fallsington Elementary School hosted their annual Title I Family Night. This year, the theme was superheroes!

First, parents learned about Fallsington’s Title 1 Programs in reading, math, and writing. Then, families worked together on superhero math games and reading activities, which included creating their own comic book! Families also enjoyed a superhero snack, which students utilized their math skills to measure out in tablespoons and cups. At the end of the night, students used the “Super Bucks” they earned to “buy” a graphic novel of their choice. It was a Super Fun Family Night!

Walt Disney Elementary School recently held its inaugural Fall Festival, bringing the school community together for a family fun day! Teachers Scott Kennedy and Suzanne Cassidy were the brains behind the Fall Festival. They were supported by other faculty members, the PTO, and former Walt Disney students, who came back to help out. Activities included the Lego "Fire" Walk, an obstacle course, a slingshot challenge, Mighty Maze, face painting, and more. Members of the local fire and police departments and ambulance squad were also on hand, allowing students to get up close and personal with a police car, fire truck, and ambulance.

Dr. Recess recently visited Afton Elementary School to promote being active and living a healthy life by using developmentally appropriate games to teach social/emotional skills, thinking skills, and motor skills.

The Dr. Recess Program was created by award-winning teacher and author Curt Hinson, Ph.D., in response to the obesity rate among children and their lack of physical activity in favor of video games.

Dr. Recess's website states that "Today's children attempt to play many inappropriate games for their age level during recess partly due to being placed in adult-level games and leagues as early as four years old. They miss out on learning fun, kid-level games because they're constantly pushed to participate in high-level organized sport leagues during their free time."

During the 45-minute assembly, students had fun learning new games, which they got to try out later during recess.

The Pennsbury High School Speech and Debate team earned the 2023 Team Sweepstakes award at the Dallastown Wildcat Invitational held on Saturday, November 11 at Dallastown High School. The award is presented to the top school at the Tournament. This is the third consecutive win for Pennsbury.

In addition to the team award, Pennsbury won 31 individual awards led by First Place winners:

• Nuray Temiz - Novice Congressional Debate
• Avigail Wus and Anum Hasan - Co-Champs Novice Lincoln Douglas
• Fabiha Afaf and Olivia Beno - Co-Champs Extemporaneous Debate
• Sanvi Abnave - Declamation
• Afshan Syed - Dramatic/Humorous Interpretation
• Angelina Liu - Informative Speaking
• Andrew Prasanth - Program Oral Interpretation.

Congratulations to all of the Pennsbury competitors and Coach Chris Berdnik!

On Thursday, November 16, Pennsbury Support Staff came together and donated over 200 food and personal care items for the Manor Elementary School food pantry. "With families in need, it was our pleasure to help make a difference," shared Elissa Orlean, Pennsbury bus driver.

Pennsbury support staff who donated included IT, Clerical, Paraprofessionals, School Aides, Custodial, Security, Maintenance, and Transportation. Thank you to all of our amazing support staff for donating!

On Wednesday, November 15, members of Pennsbury High School's Political Awareness Club visited the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia. Students participated in the Constitutional Ambassadors Program where they had the opportunity to learn about the Constitution and the history of the First Amendment through exhibit exploration and group discussions.

The National Constitution Center brings together people of all ages and perspectives, across America and around the world, to learn about, debate, and celebrate the greatest vision of human freedom in history, the U.S. Constitution.

Any PHS students interested in joining the Political Awareness Club can contact Miss DiAngelo (ldiangelo@pennsburysd.org) for more information.

This is the Boys Golf Team's 8th straight year as Suburban One League Champions!

On Tuesday, November 14th, the PHS Key Club cleaned pill bottles to be donated to developing Latin American countries. These pill bottles will then be used to package medical supplies for those in need. Students worked to clean over 180 bottles and are looking to clean even more throughout the school year. If you are looking to declutter your medicine cabinet, please reach out to Vanessa Fry (vfry@pennsburysd.org) or Oksana Cheeseman (ocheeseman@pennsburysd.org) to donate!

Reminder! The annual Pennsbury Fall Community Swap is tomorrow, Saturday, November 18, from 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. at Manor Elementary School (401 Penn Valley Road, Levittown.) This event is open to ALL Pennsbury families.

The Swap is like a garage sale, but there is no money exchanged. It is an excellent opportunity for our community to come together and share resources. The principle is simple: take what you need; leave what you don't!

Didn't sign up to SWAP items? No problem! You are still encouraged to attend and "shop."

Whether you're looking for household items, clothing, or anything else, the SWAP is a great opportunity to find something useful, connect with neighbors, and contribute to a sense of community.

Feel free to spread the word and bring friends along. Let's make this SWAP event a true reflection of our supportive community. Questions? Please email Terri Salvucci at tsalvucci@pennsburysd.org or Patti Kropp at pkropp@pennsburysd.org.

Pennsbury Kids is collecting gently-used Halloween and costume items to have on hand for students in Pennsbury schools. If you have any children's costumes or items that you no longer need and you would like to donate them, please put them in a bag and drop it off at either of the following locations:

2122 N. Crescent Boulevard,

Yardley, PA 19067

OR

1083 Independence Drive

Yardley, PA 19067

Pennsbury Kids is a 501(c)(3) that provides funds to help support students in the Pennsbury School District. Questions? Please email keller@pennsburykids.org.

The PHS Crochet Club wants to outfit the troops this winter, and they need your help! Pennsbury crafters are going to make handmade hats and scarves for U.S. troops through Operation Gratitude's Handmade with Love Program. If you have any extra yarn lying around, please consider donating it to the PHS Crochet Club. Donations can be dropped off at PHS East. To arrange pickup of large donations or for more information, please contact club advisor Breanne Weeden at bweeden@pennsburysd.org.

Please join us for our Special Education Parent Advisory Council (SEPAC) event on Thursday, November 30 from 6:15 - 7:15 p.m. in the Pennsbury High School East Auditorium. This event will focus on Presuming Competence from a Parent/Guardian's Perspective. All parents/guardians are encouraged to listen, learn, and share.

If you are unable attend, the event will be recorded and posted on the district's SEPAC page. If you are interested in joining SEPAC, please complete this interest form to be notified of upcoming events and important information.

The mission of Pennsbury's SEPAC is to collaborate with administration and parents to facilitate communication, sharing of resources, and offer support programs. SEPAC strives to improve the experiences and education of all students who receive special education, while promoting understanding, acceptance, and inclusion within the Pennsbury School District.

Click the links below to view the current schedules for Pennsbury Athletics.

Weekly Sports Schedule

Current Team Schedules - Schedules are subject to change at any time. Check this page often for the latest updates!

The annual required Chromebook fee that allows students in grades 5-12 to take their device home can now be paid online. The price is $40.00 (reduced to $15 for students who qualify for free and reduced lunch). The Chromebook fee can be paid by logging on to PowerSchool through a web browser, not the PowerSchool mobile app. Cash or check payments are also accepted at each school.

Click here for detailed instructions. If you are having difficulty with a payment, please email ChromebookPaymentQuestions@pennsburysd.org.

If you are having difficulty logging into PowerSchool, please contact the appropriate person at your student’s school:

• High School and Middle Schools - Guidance Office
• Elementary Schools - School’s Main Office

Download the new FREE, Pennsbury School District App today and receive important alerts, news, and information. Customize your app experience and follow specific schools, calendars, lunch menus, and more! Available for FREE in the App Store and Google Play.

Apple (iOS) - Click Here to Download

Android (Google Play) - Click Here to Download

Click here to visit the Pennsbury School District's E-Flyers Page.

These flyers represent current or ongoing announcements of interest to Pennsbury students and their families that emanate from local community organizations, sports leagues, scouting groups, and other non-profits. Browse through our gallery!

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.

Did you miss an email from the District? Check the archive!

Safe2Say Something is a youth violence prevention program run by the PA Office of Attorney General. Report a confidential tip to help prevent violence and tragedies.

Click here to submit an anonymous tip.

Click here to view Pennsbury High School's Student Job Board and find local area businesses with open positions. Some positions allow applicants as young as 14 years old.

Click here for information on how to obtain a work permit.

The Pennsbury Parent Academy (PPA) is a series of educational programs and presentations offered to Pennsbury parents and guardians to support school success and continued home-school partnerships. The PPA program includes monthly, live in-person and/or virtual programming on a variety of topics to promote parent and guardian community engagement, such as:

• Mental Health & Wellness
• Supporting School Success
• Social Media & Internet Safety
• Diversity & Inclusion

Visit our website for recordings of recent presentations.

The Affordable Connectivity Program is a Federal Communications Commission program that helps connect families and households struggling to afford internet service. This new benefit provides a discount of up to $30 per month toward broadband service for eligible households. Eligible households can also receive a one-time discount of up to $100 to purchase a laptop, desktop computer, or tablet from participating providers.

Eligible households can enroll through a participating broadband provider or directly with the Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC) using an online or mail-in application.

You can learn more about the benefit, including eligibility and enrollment information, by visiting www.fcc.gov/ACP, or by calling 877-384-2575.

The Pennsbury School District is making a concerted effort to ensure that students who reside within our District boundaries are able to attend the school they are assigned to based on their home address. To help us, we have established a Confidential Residency Reporting Tip Line. If you believe someone is falsifying their student's address to attend the Pennsbury School District, please call or email:

residency@pennsburysd.org

(215) 428-4100 ext. 84777 (TIPSS)

Click here for more information.

Have a question about Pennsbury? Don't trust the rumors, ask Penny!

Send Penny an email at askpenny@pennsburysd.org, or leave a message at 215-428-4100, ext. 73669 (PENNY).

The Nutrition Group is now hiring! Positions include Food Service Workers, Cooks, and Kitchen Managers with rates from $15 - $17 per hour. The hours are Monday-Friday, school hours only. No nights, weekends, or holidays! Apply today by calling the Nutrition Group office at 215-949-6740 ext. 2, or click here and search for "Pennsbury"!

Dr. Thomas Smith, Superintendent of Schools

tsmith@pennsburysd.org

215-428-4111

Email: publicrelations@pennsburysd.org

Website: www.pennsburysd.org
Location: 134 Yardley Avenue, Fallsington, PA 19058
Phone: (215)-428-4100