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.

Quarry Hill Elementary School students raised $1,000 to support kindergartner Nicholas Marone's team in the 6th annual Philadelphia Eagles Autism Challenge (EAC) scheduled for May 20, 2023.

Nicholas and his parents, Courtney and Lou Marone, were on hand for the announcement, which was made on Friday, March 31, during a school-wide assembly with Ben Hartranft, Autism Public Motivator, founder of Benergy1, and Philadelphia Eagles Autism Ambassador.

Ben, who was diagnosed with autism at the age of 2, is no stranger to Pennsbury. He has been making the rounds at district schools, sharing his story, and delivering inspirational messages of inclusion and kindness. He has raised over $85,000 for the EAC.

The Marones worked with the Quarry Hill Student Council and Beverly Duke from the Quarry Hill PTO to put together two large Eagles baskets and raffled them off to two lucky students during the assembly. Nicholas selected the winning raffle tickets, along with the help of his teacher Mrs. Mitsos.

This year marks the second time Nicholas and his parents will participate in the EAC. They got involved last year as a result of Courtney's involvement with Mothers Solving Puzzles, a Facebook group for mothers who have children living with autism. She found the group around when Nicholas was diagnosed at age two and a half and called it a "lifeline."

"We did it (the Eagles Autism Challenge) last year. We absolutely loved it. We saw Ben; we saw players; we saw coaches. It was such a great feeling knowing that we could give back to this great cause," said Courtney.

Courtney and Lou are beyond grateful for the support of their school community. "I'm just shocked. I was not expecting this," Courtney added.

April 1 marks the beginning of Autism Awareness Month. Pennsbury students are encouraged to wear blue on Tuesday, April 4, in support of Autism Awareness.

Members of Pennsbury's Odyssey of the Mind (OoTM) are headed to the State Tournament at Lockhaven University this weekend! Over 100 students in grades K-12 district-wide participated in the OoTM regional tournament at DeSalles University in early March. One of the teams from Pennsbury High School captured the coveted Ranatra Fusca Creativity Award, the highest award a team can receive for demonstrating outstanding creativity. Seven of the 13 teams placed 1st or 2nd in their problem and division to advance to this weekend's state tournament. Best of luck to our competitors!

Odyssey of the Mind is an international, creative, problem-solving competition focusing on science, technology, engineering, math, and the arts. If you want to learn more or get involved, please visit www.pennsburyom.com or contact the POMA Board at pennsburyom@gmail.com.

On March 30, 2023, Samarth Mannekeri, a junior at Pennsbury High School, was honored at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia, as a recipient of the Widener University High School Leadership Award.

This award program is designed to recognize high school students in the region who have demonstrated leadership, stood up for what is right, and made a significant difference in their communities.

Samarth joined awardees from local Pennsylvania and New Jersey High Schools at the ceremony sponsored by Widener University and hosted by Tracy Davidson of NBC 10. Congratulations, Samarth!

Students and their families packed the gymnasium at Pennsbury High School East on Wednesday, March 29, for the annual College Fair. Students had the opportunity to learn more about their post-secondary options as more than 85 colleges and universities were in attendance. The evening was coordinated by Justine McEachern, PHS assistant principal, and supervisor of school counseling, K-12, and the 11th-grade counseling team of Evan Altieri, Jill Cahill, Dana Arbakov, and Brooke Stoudt, PHS post-secondary counselor.

Congratulations to the four Pennsbury High School students who recently advanced to the semi-final round of the University of Pennsylvania's 2022-23 Wharton Global High School Investment Competition. Pennsbury Capital was among 55 top global teams selected from nearly 1,400 final competition reports. Team members are Sriya Amineni, Sarah Gygax, Meha Koul, and Mahi Patel. Their faculty advisor is Tenaz Purdy.

The Wharton Global High School Investment Competition is a 12-week challenge in which students compete in teams led by an advisor to win the chance to manage the wealth of a potential client. Presented with a case study of this client, teams must create a compelling and creative long-term strategy that addresses the client's investment goals. Along the way, they learn investing concepts with the help of Wharton Global Youth Program resources, conduct in-depth analysis, and buy stocks for their portfolios using an online simulator tool for trading and portfolio-management education.

Pictured above: Mahi Patel (left,) Sriya Amineni (team leader,) Sarah Gygax. Not pictured: Meha Koul

Kindergarten students in Ms. Kopchinski's class at Afton Elementary School made some new friends this week, baby chicks! The process started about a month ago when the eggs entered the incubator.

"We patiently waited for the chicks to make their first pips and hatch from their eggs. We candled them on days 7 and 14 to see inside the egg for development and were blessed with three chicks this past Monday morning," said Ms. Kopchinski.

The students learned about growth and development, patience, caring, responsibility, the life cycle, and so much more! Ms. Kopchinski shared that the chicks are going to their forever home with two of the students' grandmom!

Corporal White from the Falls Township Police Department recently visited Mrs. McGurrin's 3rd-grade class at Penn Valley Elementary School. She shared that she comes from a family with many retired and active police officers and has always dreamed of becoming a police officer. Before becoming a police officer, Corporal White served in the U.S. Coast Guard.

Corporal White also talked about the critical role the police department plays in the community and its commitment to keeping students safe. She took the time to answer questions from the students and told them if they work hard at something they have a passion for, they will be successful!

"Corporal White is such an inspiration to all of us! We thanked her for her service," said Mrs. McGurrin.

On Wednesday, Pennsbury Thespian Troupe 830 visited Harrisburg to celebrate March being recognized at Theatre In Our Schools Month. They met with Senator Steve Santarsiero to talk about why theatre is important in their lives and to ask for his support in the future.

On Friday March 24, cast members of the Charles Boehm production of Frozen Jr. were visited by a very special alumnae. Star of the Broadway production of Anastasia and Charles Boehm alumnae Christy Altomare visited with the cast after their opening night show for some inspirational words and pictures. Thanks for celebrating Theatre In Our Schools Month and visiting, Christy!

The William Penn Middle School Debate Club held a debate on Thursday, March 30, in front of an audience filled with parents and classmates. The topic - "Should one get in trouble for things they've planned to do but haven't done yet?" The two teams delivered four rounds of well-thought arguments before a panel of judges, consisting of Chris Berdnik, Pennsbury School District CFO and PHS Speech and Debate Coach, and William Penn staff Tracey Goldberg, Anita Willbanks, John Schrenk, and Peter Cassidy.

The judges decided Tanner Spiegal, Mason Rowe, and Bryce Frymire, who were against the idea, delivered the most convincing argument. Molly Lapolla, Molly Scheese, and Vidhya Belagodu delivered a strong opinion on the pro side as well. Congratulations to all of the participants.

The William Penn Debate Club, led by faculty advisor Jon Soffer, has over 100 members.

Students at Afton, Eleanor Roosevelt, and Fallsington Elementary Schools recently enjoyed a virtual visit with children's author Doreen Cronin. Ms. Cronin started each presentation by reading her Caldecott Medal book, Click Clack Moo Cows That Type. Cronin then shifted focus to her writing process, shared helpful writing tips, and answered students' questions. She talked about how she faced a lot of rejection from publishers, and it took five years for Click Clack Moo Cows That Type to be published.

"Things don't always go as planned, but you have to keep going," Cronin told the students.

"Just because someone says 'no,' it doesn't mean you're not good at what you're doing. It's just a part of the process. I believe in my stories, and I believe in myself," Cronin added.

The Pennsylvania State Education Association and the Council for the Advancement of Public Schools sponsored the virtual visit.

Students at Quarry Hill Elementary School recently engaged in high-tech science experiments through the Bucks County Intermediate Unit's Mobile Fab Lab. The Bucks IU Mobile Fab Lab is a transit van that contains state-of-the-art equipment and standards-aligned lessons and activities to engage students in grades 1-8 in digital fabrication and computer science learning.

The Mobile Fab lab was at Quarry Hill last week, and students had the chance to practice coding with various robots like Sphero Indi, Finch, and Dash & Dot. Fifth-graders were even able to use software to fabricate 3D items they got to take home. There was also a laser printer on hand for demonstrations.

Students had a blast engaging in activities that required collaboration, critical thinking, and creativity!

Tickets are now on sale for the 75th annual PHS Sports Nite. Click the link below for tickets.

Pennsbury High School's Max Donaghy, Emily Huang, and Quinn Milliken performed at the PMEA Region VI Band Festival, which was held at Pennridge High School on March 23 & 24. Donaghy and Milliken advanced and will perform with other top musicians from Pennsylvania in PMEA's All-State Band at their annual conference, April 19-22, at the Kalahari Resort in the Poconos. Students go through a rigorous audition process for a seat in the numerous PMEA performance groups, making them the top student musicians in the state.

"The Pennsylvania Music Educators Association (PMEA) is a statewide nonprofit organization of over 4,000 members, dedicated to promoting the musical development of all Pennsylvanians. The organization promotes and supports quality music education, learning, and performance as well as promoting and supporting music education in schools and communities." - www.pmeadistrict6.org

Following a rigorous audition process, four Edgewood Elementary students, one Charles Boehm Middle School student, and one Pennsbury High School student were accepted into the OAKE (Organization of American Kodaly Educators) National Children's Choir, Youth Choir and Chamber Choir. The students were sponsored by Jennifer Kimock, vocal music teacher at Edgewood Elementary, and traveled to the national conference in Jacksonville, Florida, from March 15-19.

The students worked with renowned conductors during rigorous rehearsals each day and concluded the conference with a performance for teachers and families at the Florida Theater. Congratulations to the following students on an outstanding job! This is in addition to the students highlighted last week from Quarry Hill Elementary and Pennwood Middle Schools.

Edgewood

Anna Diamond

Kaitlyn Minton

Rheya Patel

Diya Sharma

Charles Boehm

Margaret McGoldrick

Pennsbury High School
Anya Nirschl

"The Organization of American Kodály Educators has a mission to support music education of the highest quality, promote universal music literacy and lifelong music making, and preserve the musical heritage of the people of the United States of America through education, artistic performance, advocacy and research." - www.oake.org

Last weekend, Pennsbury Boys Varsity Baseball took a Spring Training Trip to the Ripken Experience in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. They played three official games and one scrimmage, and the entire trip was quite a success!

The team returned home winners with a 3-0 record after beating two 6A teams from the Pittsburgh area, Central Catholic and Baldwin, and a team from the highest class in Ohio, Pickerington Central. (4-0 if you also count their scrimmage vs Pascack Hills, New Jersey).

The players and coaches had a great experience and are grateful for everyone's support. Congratulations!

At Pennsbury High School, students in the Principles of Child Development class of the Family and Consumer Sciences Department culminated their study of children from birth to 12 months of age with a 1st birthday party. Their objective was to plan a birthday party that was not only age-appropriate, but developmentally appropriate in the areas of physical, intellectual, emotional, and social development. Tasks ranged from creating an invitation, making age appropriate foods and snacks, themed décor, and deciding on suitable gifts for a one year old child. Fun was had by all!

Students in Mrs. Lewis and Ms. Holzman's classes at Walt Disney Elementary School literally took matters into their own hands during a recent math lesson on the attributes of two-dimensional shapes. The teachers gave their students Play-Doh to build the shapes, creating a tactile, fun experience to learn about the attributes of circles, ovals, triangles, and quadrilaterals! The lesson was an engaging way to learn about shapes while also giving students a chance to use their fine motor skills and enhance hand-eye coordination.

Quarry Hill Elementary School welcomed Boomshaka to their school on Wednesday, March 22. Boomshaka is a nationally touring drum, dance, and rhythm ensemble from Northwestern University. Their group consists of 25 students, and all of the performances were entirely student-written and choreographed. Their instruments of choice included trash cans, car parts, and their own bodies. The performances shared with the students were incredibly electrifying and were thoroughly enjoyed by the students and staff!

Wear Blue this Tuesday, April 4 as Pennsbury Celebrates National Autism Acceptance Day!

"The purpose of this day is to raise awareness and promote acceptance of people with autism spectrum disorder (A.S.D.). It also presents an opportunity to tear down misconceptions and false notions about disability." -National Today

How to observe Autism Acceptance Day:

• Educate others - The essence of World Autism Acceptance Day is to raise awareness about A.S.D. Celebrate by lending your voice to enlighten others about autism spectrum disorder.
• Show kindness - One of the best ways to celebrate is by pledging to be kind to people living with A.S.D., not just on this day but every day afterward. Show kindness to them in your words, and actions, and by helping to make their lives easier. To this end, it’s important to learn how best to communicate and interact with people living with A.S.D.
• Stand against bullying - Refuse to tolerate or facilitate any form of bullying against autistic people. Stand in solidarity with them and say no to harassment, discrimination, and bullying.

Click here to learn more!

Let's Celebrate the Pennsbury High School Class of 2023!

Pennsbury will be sharing "Senior Spotlight" social media posts for graduating seniors on the district's Facebook and Instagram pages. Posts will include a picture of the senior, along with a custom caption.

Click here to fill out a Google Form so you can have your Pennsbury High School senior featured in our Senior Spotlight!

*Only one post per senior, so please confer with other family/friends before submitting. A form must be submitted for a senior to have a post.*

Set up shop and refresh your child's wardrobe at no cost by swapping gently worn clothing! This event is FREE to all Pennsbury families! Click here to reserve your table! Questions? Email Patty Kropp at pkropp@pennsburysd.org.

Come out on Sunday, April 30, for a healthy, fun, family day in support of Pennsbury School District PTOs! Click the link below to sign up. All proceeds benefit Pennsbury PTOs and the non-profit, Pennsbury Kids.

A recording of last week's NCAA Eligibility presentation is now available. This presentation covers NCAA Eligibility requirements and the process for registration with the NCAA Eligibility Center. Click here to watch!

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.

Click here to register.

Click here for more information.

The Pennsbury Scholarship Foundation is now accepting applications for the 2023-24 school year! All PHS seniors planning to attend college/trade school can apply, and PHS graduates can apply each year they are in school! Click here for more information and to apply.

TMA Bucks Community Traffic Safety Program is hosting its 3rd annual Teen Safe Driving ROADeo. This FREE event is open to all high school students in Bucks, Chester, Delaware, and Montgomery Counties. The event is designed to keep teens safe on the roadway through education, interaction, and fun. Click the link and sign up today!

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 mission of the Pennsbury School District's Special Education Parent Advisory Council (SEPAC) is to collaborate with administration and parents to facilitate communication, sharing of resources, and offering of 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 here to learn more.

SEPAC holds monthly meetings, and all parents are welcome to join. Their next meeting is Thursday, April 20 at 1:00 p.m. If you are interested in attending, please fill out this interest form.

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)

Please click here for more information.

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.

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 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.

Please click here for more details

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).

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.

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

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