News from the Nest
Cardinal Pride in the Upper Dublin School District
April 2022
Children's Theatre
UD Medals
Kindergarten and New Student Registration Information
In the fall we will welcome the Class of 2035 to the nest! We are also excited to welcome new students in grades 1-12. Click here for information on how to register for UDSD.
Kindergarten and new student registration is completed online. Students must be 5 years of age before September 15th. Our school policy does not allow exceptions to this date. The registration process takes approximately 30 minutes. If you do not have access to a computer there are resources available at the Registration Office or at your local library.
Please note that registration for the current school year is ongoing. If you are a parent or guardian and would like to register your child, please complete the online registration.
US News & World Report - Just One Part of the UDSD Story
U.S. News & World Report explains the overall score for schools as follows: The Best High Schools methodology enables users to understand why some schools place ahead of others.
Each school’s rank is linked to a single overall zero to 100 score. Our overall score of 93.06 means that only 6.94% of high schools in Pennsylvania are ranked higher than UDHS.
Analyzing our US News & World Report Ranking
There is a “lag” in the data; therefore, the 2022 rankings are based on the 2019-2020 school year. Generally speaking, there are several areas where we need to see continued improvement at UDHS. Those areas are math proficiency and the number of students taking and passing at least one AP exam. An analysis of our scorecard shows that compared to our peer districts, math proficiency is low. In fact, only one school, Strath-Haven HS, has a lower percentage of math proficiency. Additionally, our percentages of students taking and passing at least on AP exam are lower than our peer districts.
Mathematics Proficiency - Three areas of focus will improve our math proficiency:
Elimination of Track 3 Algebra I - With students who take Algebra I at UDHS now enrolled in a more rigorous Algebra course (and in more rigorous courses at SRMS), they will be better prepared and will achieve more success mathematically.
Math Lab Course - Students now have the option to take a math lab course at UDHS. This course is open (not required) to any student who feels they need additional support in mathematics.
Stronger Math Instructional Materials - The refocus on Illustrative Mathematics at UDHS will provide students with better academic success. The materials provide multiple opportunities in each lesson to access computation and problem-solving tasks.
Advanced Placement Exams - For years, enrollment in AP courses was limited. Starting in SY 2020-2021, we provided greater access for students to enroll in AP courses. We believe that all students must graduate and be college and career-ready. We further believe that AP courses provide a college-like experience, therefore, we should allow wide access to these courses. Enrollment in AP courses has increased since SY 2019-2020. We need to continue urging students who enroll in these courses to take the associated assessment at the end of the school year.
Be a Part of the Conversation - Isolation: The New Drug of Choice
According to the speaker, Dr. Caroline Fenkel, LCSW, “Parents frequently tell us that they have to beg their teens to get out of the house and see their friends." Dr. Fenkel talked with attendees about how we can encourage young people to stop isolating while navigating the challenges of public health restrictions as a result of COVID-19. With the ever-increasing dependence on laptops, smart phones, social media, and online gaming, especially during these past 18 months, it’s no wonder teens and young adults prefer to stay in their rooms rather than connect with their peers.
This presentation addressed the causes of chronic isolation, the effects of living through a pandemic, and guides parents in ways they can help teens to break the isolation cycle. Click here to view the presentation from last week.
Be a Part of the Conversation - Parent Partnerships
NICHE Ranking - Another Part of the UDSD Story
Success On the Athletic Fields
Softball: The squad earned a 15-0, 4 inning win over Springfield last Monday. Chloe Foster tossed a 1 hit shutout on the mound for UD. Kaitlyn Zacharia had 2 hits and 3 runs scored with 2 RBI. Bella Fiore had a hit, 2 RBI, and a run scored. Rayla Kratchman scored 3 times for UD. On Wednesday, the girls lost a tough 1-0 game in 9 innings to William Tennent. Chloe Foster turned in a spectacular effort by striking 18 batters and walking 2. The bats got hot for UD on Thursday as they defeated Upper Moreland 7-1. Not only in the circle did she earn the win vs. UM, but Chloe Foster also went 4-4 at the plate with two doubles and two RBI. Madden Reilly and Brianna Kesslick also earned multiple hits for UD. UD will be on the road Thursday at Cheltenham.
Boys Lacrosse: The boys were back in action on Tuesday after the spring break off. They shook off the rust and were able to defeat the pesky Golden Bears of Upper Moreland 6-5 to stay unbeaten in league play. On Wednesday, the boys traveled to CB East for a non league game. Unfortunately they fell 6-5 in overtime. This drops them to 6-3 overall on the season but still undefeated and in first place in the SOL American Conference. On Friday, they defeated Abington 16-4. Nate Fechter and Brendan Reape were strong in net for the Cardinals. Brett Callahan led the offensive charge with 4 goals. Jackson Simons added 3 goals. JD Beamer and Vijay Foster were also strong on offense.
Girls Lacrosse: Pretty cool moment over spring break for Coach Cross and the girls. In their win over Cape Henry Regional on Wednesday of Spring Break. Coaching was UD Athletic Hall of Famer Kim Decker. Kim played field hockey and was on the US Olympic Field Hockey team post UD. Back in SOL play, the girls lost a tough game to Upper Moreland last Monday 12-10. Aditi Foster and Paige Dinkel each had 3 goals and 1 assist. Against Abington on Wednesday, Aditi Foster had 5 goals and an assist and Dara Fishman was solid in goal with 11 saves to give UD a big 9-7 win over Abington. Coach Cross credited the defense of Erin Eby, Ava Costanzo, Abby O'Meara, and Sophia Sirianni to limit shots and come up with key ground balls. That improved the Lady Cards record to 6-4 heading into Thursday's game at Plymouth Whitemarsh.
Boys Tennis: On Wednesday boys tennis beat Hatboro-Horsham on Senior Day. The team finally got some nice weather in order to recognize both Daniel Duan and Josh Torban. Both have had incredible records in their time here at UD. On Thursday Scott Schlackman and Chris Hong participated in the Liberty Division Singles Tennis Tournament. Congratulations to Scott Schlackman who won the Liberty Division Gold Medal with his 6-4 6-4, two set win! With the win, Scott will advance to the district tournament Friday.
Boys Volleyball: The team defeated CB South on Tuesday to remain unbeaten in league play. Terrell Turner with 11 kills and 2 digs led the Cards. Ben Dorsey, Landon Kullmann and Dominick Plaku also had strong games for the Cards. Thursday was Senior Night for UD. It was a great opportunity to recognize the four seniors. Those seniors were David Levin, Ben Dorsey, Tyler Pohl, and Liam Cassidy. On the court they defeated CB West in 5 games. Dorsey had 17 kills, 16 digs, and 2 aces on the night. Levin had 32 digs and 7 assists. The team also got a great outing from Terrell Turner, who had 15 kills, one ace, two digs, and a block. Cole Brown, Dominick Plaku, and Landon Kullmann also contributed for UD.
Boys Spring Track & Field: The team participated in the Father Judge Relays this weekend. The boys will be at Wissahickon for a tri meet with Wissahickon/Plymouth Whitemarsh this week and they will also participate in the upcoming Penn Relays.
Girls Spring Track & Field: The girls participated in the Father Judge Relays this weekend. The girls will host Wissahickon/Plymouth Whitemarsh in a tri meet today. They also will be running in the Penn Relays this week.
Unified Track & Field: It was a great event last Tuesday as the Unified Team hosted Wissahickon and Spring-Ford. In the 100M dash, Abigail Citro, Hadi El-Zayatie, Dakota Mass, & Jenny Oh all won their heats. In the 400M dash Josh Diroll, Luke Francek & Claudia Cagnoli all won their heats. In the 800M Lucas Homan had an impressive 3:33 run to win his heat for UD!! In the field events, Hunter Miller had an impressive Mini-Jav throw into the wind at 11.17 meters. Payton Webb threw a solid 4.68 in the Shot Put. Savannah Miller also jumped a personal best! The next meet will be on May 3rd at Wissahickon. On the line will be a coveted point in the UD/Wissahickon Rivalry Trophy.
Generous Donations
Last evening the Board of School Directors accepted two generous donations - one from Giant and one from Acme.
- The donation from Giant is $11,143.95, and it is part of the Feeding School Kids initiative. Giant customers were invited to "round up" their grocery purchase to the nearest dollar and convert their choice points into a donation for this program. The Giant Company also matched a portion of donations for this program.
- The donation from Acme is $1,000. The donations are from the Nourishing Neighbors Program. The funds were donated by customers at checkout.
We thank all of the customers at both Giant and Acme who helped make these donations possible!
Mark Your Calendars!
Steps of Communication - Answering Questions/Resolving Concerns
Since 2018 we have adhered to the UD Steps of Communication. Directing communication to the appropriate person(s) encourages greater collaboration and streamlines the process of answering questions, alleviating concerns, and ensuring that we are all “on the same page.” Click here to access the complete UD Steps of Communication document that will help identify your first point of contact (and additional points of contact if necessary).
Contact Information
Email: syanni@udsd.org
Website: www.udsd.org
Location: 1580 Fort Washington Avenue, Maple Glen, PA, USA
Phone: (215) 643-8800
Twitter: @UpperDubSuper