With the proliferation of technology in the classroom and the availability student data, our elementary teachers and administrators now have access to a powerful tool that can help them to provide targeted support in multiple academic areas to students who are struggling in class. Neshaminy is in the second year of implementing MTSS (Multi-Tiered System of Supports), a framework designed to identify those students early and provide interventions as needed.

Part of the framework includes the completion of a universal screener test that is administered three times a year. Once the screener is completed, school-based and grade-level data teams meet to review and analyze the data to make decisions about the level and type of support needed.

The tiers refer to multiple levels of support, which get more intense depending on student needs. An example of a lower-level tier of support might be tutoring in a small group setting for a particular subject area. A higher tier could be one-on-one intervention for a student that needs even more help.

Data analysis and decision-making occur at all levels of MTSS implementation, from individual students all the way to the district level. Teams use the universal screening and progress monitoring data to make decisions about instruction, movement within the multi-level prevention system, and intensification of instruction and supports.

Conducting consistent meetings and decision-making procedures ensures students have equitable access to interventions and supports. This process is currently occurring in all our elementary school to identify new needs and adjust interventions.

NESHAMINY APP

Speaking of mobile apps, don't forget that Neshaminy also has a free District app that is also available at the Apple App Store and Google Play. You can customize the app to receive your student's information, calendar listings, notifications, emergency alerts and more.

NEW BOARD MEMBER

On October 11, the Neshaminy School Board considered three applications to fill the Region 1 seat recently vacated by Board member Stephen Linden. All three candidates were in attendance and had the opportunity to speak to the Board before the decision. By a vote of 6-2, Feasterville resident and Neshaminy parent Carlos Rodriguez was chosen and was sworn in by Bucks County Court of Common Pleas Judge Denise Bowman.

OCTOBER MEETING

Among the items considered at the Board Public Meeting held on October 25:

• Approved additional change orders for the Fields Project at Neshaminy HS including items related to replacing the bleachers. Both the home and away side bleachers are scheduled to be replaced as part of the project.
• Approved preparation of parameters and criteria to solicit Request for Proposals for a private sale of the Oliver Heckman Elementary School building and grounds in Langhorne Borough. The school closed in 2016 and the building has only been used for storage since that time.
• Temporarily tabled the awarding of construction bids for the new elementary school building on the Maple Point property pending the addition of last-minute information. The Board indicated that they expect to vote on these bids at the next Board meeting.
• Appointed Kristen McCreary as a new Assistant Principal at Maple Point Middle School. She is currently Coordinator of Student Affairs at Tawanka Elementary School. She will be joining Neil French in January as one of two Assistant Principals as he moves into the Assistant Principal position currently held by Shawn Neely, who is retiring in December.

UPCOMING MEETINGS

The next meeting will be held in the District Board Room at Maple Point. The November Public Work Session is scheduled for Wednesday, November 9, 7pm in the District Board Room at Maple Point. The meeting agenda and livestream video link can be found at www.neshaminy.org/meetings.

COMMITTEE MEETINGS

Board committee meetings are open to the public and are a good opportunity to discuss specific programs and projects with committee members in a less formal, more conversational setting than the full Board meetings. The following committees will meet during the school year:

• Facilities & Planning Committee
• Educational Development Committee
• Business Operations Committee
• Policy Committee

The full schedule of meetings for the 2022-2023 school year can be found at the following link: 2022-2023 Committee Meeting Schedule

All committee meetings are held in the District Board Room at Maple Point unless otherwise noted. The public is invited to attend and participate in Board and Committee meetings. All meeting times and locations are subject to change due to unforeseen circumstances; please check the District website www.neshaminy.org for any updates.

In October, Neshaminy Pre-K Counts partnered with the Family Service Association to host their October Morning Mingle. This was part of a monthly series designed to provide families with a comfortable space to share parenting strategies through discussion. This month we focused on the importance of Routines and Transitions. Families received free books, daily schedule charts, crafts and parenting resources. The next session will be held at the Family Service Association, 4 Cornerstone Drive in Langhorne on November 2. Sign-up at the link below:

LINK: November Morning Mingle signup

A group of 24 windows from the old Tawanka Elementary School building were auctioned off in October as a fundraiser for the Neshaminy Education Foundation. The fiberglass panels, featuring Native American designs, graced the classroom and library windows at the old Tawanka building, which was completed in 1964 and demolished in 2015 to make way for the current facility. The panels were rescued and removed from their metal frames and auctioned off individually on GiveButter, the official donation site for the NEF. Though the auction was expected to last for a week, most purchased the panels with the "Buy it Now" feature within a few days. The sale raised over $1,200 for the NEF.

If you missed out on this fundraiser and want to obtain a panel, good news -- several additional panels were located in storage and will be auctioned off at a later date. That auction will be announced on the NEF website, www.neshaminy.org/nef and on District and NEF social media.

The Neshaminy Education Foundation Alumni Committee will be holding a ceremony on Monday, November 21 at 5:30 pm in the Black Box Theater at NHS to honor five Neshaminy alumni in the first-ever Alumni Achievement Awards. The five honorees were nominated by the community and chosen by an Alumni Committee. The purpose of the Achievement Award is to honor outstanding lifetime achievement in post-graduation personal and professional pursuits among the alumni of Neshaminy School District as an inspiration to the current students of Neshaminy and the entire Neshaminy community. The five honorees will be announced to the public prior to the ceremony in November.

Bucks County NOVA (Network of Victim Assistance) joined the 5th grade at Carl Sandburg MS to review the importance of healthy relationships and discuss how social media can play a role in these relationships. Presenters from NOVA engaged with students while differentiating and comparing types of relationships such as friend/group of friends, teacher/student, parent/child, etc.; and, discussed positive and negative influences on healthy relationships. This presentation included an exploration of the impact of social media and allowed for moments of student reflection.

On October 13 the Tri-M Music Honors Society held their New Member Induction Ceremony in Theodore Kloos Auditorium at NHS. The Tri-M Music Honors Society is a student-run organization that highlights music excellence through leadership, hard work, and talent. It is a Nationally recognized honors society where students must meet a certain set of requirements to qualify. After their applications are reviewed and approved, they must attend the induction ceremony to be officially recognized as members. The ceremony recognizes both new members and continuing members while including a few performances from current members. Tri-M also has chapters in the District's middle schools.

This year 29 new members were inducted and 43 continuing members were recognized. Featured performances by Cullen McCormick (solo voice); String Quintet-Emily Gunchak, Mariia Maksimenkova, Nico Vorkunova, Andrew Kim, Liam Boorse; Select Choir members; background piano music provided by Gianna Loram, Andrew Neiman, Cameron Krauss

On October 7, Neshaminy High School held its first-ever Students of the Month Ceremony. The students, their families and NHS and District administrators joined the festivities to honor eight seniors, four of whom were also honored as National Merit Scholars. The ceremony was held in the Black Box Theater during first period, followed by a light breakfast.

Four of the honorees (in photo at right), Maksim Lokhmatov, Ilysia Krzywonos, Sylvanna Colon and Michael Somogyi, are National Merit Scholars. The additional winners are Artem Strelkov, Aishani Komath, Jaclyn Oseredzuk, Jonatan Lopez. Each was introduced by the teachers who nominated them.

Ninth grade AVID class at Neshaminy HS visited the campus of Rider University in New Jersey later in the month. This is one of many activities in the class designed to expose the students to the variety of possibilities for their future education and employment.

The 29th Annual Neshaminy High School Kaleidoscope of Bands was held on October 22 featuring hundreds of musicians from high schools around the region. The crowd was treated to performances from Truman HS in Levittown, Clearview Regional HS in Mullica Hill, NJ, Bensalem HS, Pennsbury HS, Easton Area HS, and Montgomery HS in Skillman, NJ and an exhibition performance by the host, our own Neshaminy HS Marching Band. As is tradition, all the bands took to the field for a performance of the National Anthem.

This year the NHS Band is comprised of 94 members, which includes 76 musicians and 18 color guard. In their 2022 production, What's Next, they take a journey down memory lane through the history of recorded music. From early folk songs and Victrola records to MP3's and cloud music services, the show features some very familiar songs from many decades. The band traded in the usual hats for costume headphones.