Oley Valley School District
Digital Newsletter - Fall 2018
Oley Valley School District 2018 Angel Tree
The Oley Valley School District will be conducting our annual Angel Tree Fundraiser to benefit those students whose families will be experiencing financial challenges this Winter Season.
Your VISA gift card donation, monetary donation made payable to the Oley Valley School District, or Walmart gift card donation will assist those families in meeting our student’s basic needs for the winter months and this Holiday Season. Donations will be accepted in the Office of the Superintendent (located in the Oley Valley High School) through Friday, December 7th, 2018.
The communities’ generosity and overwhelming response to the Angel Tree Fundraising Drive has made each passing year more successful than the last, with 91 students benefitting from your donations in the 2017 year. Thank you for remembering those in your community, and helping to fulfill the needs of our students and their families during these winter months and holiday season.Elementary Update
Safety Patrol
Safety Patrol has begun for the 2018 - 2019 School Year. A few weeks ago this group of students were trained by Mr. Savignano and were assigned to their posts. They are doing a wonderful job assisting our K-5 student body at the elementary school. They are assigned to assist at parent pick up and drop off, within the building as various locations of need, and outside assisting the Principals by reminding students to walk, helping out youngest find their buses, and much more. They were even serving our school in the rain! Shortly, they will receive more training with Deputy Henry, who visits with them each year.
Student Council and Hope Rescue Mission
Student Council and Hope Rescue Mission
The 2018 - 2019 5th Grade Student Council is off to a great start. During the Halloween Parade, student council organized a supply drive for the Hope Rescue Mission of Reading. They were in need of some kitchen items as they are renovating their kitchen that serves hundreds of men. We also collected many items that are in great need as the weather gets cold. The 5th grade student council worked the middle school student council to raise even more donations. The High School also took part. The 5th grade student council is currently working with the change wars by collecting all the change and designing and hanging posters. We are looking forward to more projects in the coming months.
The Halloween Parade was enjoyed by all on a beautiful sunny day!
DaVinci Center - Math and Reading Night at the Elementary
This year’s Family Math and Reading Night at the Oley Valley Elementary School was a great success! We had many families come out and enjoy our science themed evening. The DaVinci Science Center did a wonderful presentation showing us how to make a cloud, a rainbow, and how static electricity travels through different objects. Once the DaVinci Center was finished, families enjoyed our science themed stations. Families were able to explore the different stations that were located around the school such as how to make a rain cloud, marshmallows structures, static magic and the green screen photo booth. Every child who attended received a free book thanks to our PTO. Our committee is composed of 13 members and volunteers all of which contributed greatly to the evening.
4th Grade Field Trip to Alvernia University!
This year, the 4th graders took a trip to Alvernia University. The field trip coincided with the school counseling career lessons and activities. While on the field trip, the students took a tour of the campus, met with current Alvernia students and staff and completed hands-on activities. Students even had an opportunity to sit in on a college class and participate in a lesson! What a great time we had!
Red Ribbon Week
This year, the School Counselors at the elementary school began a new club called Healthy Futures. The club consists of second grade students who meet monthly to focus on promoting a healthy lifestyle and drug-free zone. All OVES students celebrated Red Ribbon Week during the week of October 22nd, 2018. Members of the Healthy Futures Club assisted with creating drug-free posters, making morning announcements about Red Ribbon theme days and also created a Red Ribbon Drug-Free pledge that was displayed in the main hallway. Students will encourage peers to make healthy choices throughout the school year!
Oley Valley Middle School Update
Club/Advisory Program Off to a Great Start
The OVMS faculty pushed for unique opportunities connect with students. As a result, we created a Club/Advisory period that runs twice per month for a 40-minute session. Students had 32 clubs to choose from with a wide range of topics. These club choices included guitar, cooking, student council, Just Dance, die cast & model cars, basketball, chess, DIY crafts, Legos, ping pong, video editing and many more! Students identified their top three choices and were assigned a club from that short list.
These activities are a terrific way for a small groups of students to connect with an adult as well as to ensure that we get to know all of our students on a personal level. Throughout the course of the school year, we will introduce some discussion topics for teachers to have with students during the club/advisory periods.
NOW – Schoolwide Positive Behavior Support System
This month the Middle School kicked off our NOW program. NOW is an acronym:
- N = Nice
- O = Ownership
- W = Working together
Our faculty worked to develop common expectations for all students and staff at OVMS. The NOW program will assist us in teaching these expectations to students with consistency and using common language. There are specific expectations in the classroom, in the hallways and in the cafeteria. These expectations fall into one of the three NOW categories above.
We want to ensure that our middle school climate and culture are positive and welcoming for all students. By establishing clear expectations for students and adults, we will better achieve that goal. We also want to recognize positive behaviors when we observe them. When a teacher observes a student meeting or exceeding the expectations of NOW, the teacher can give that student a NOW card. That card can be shown to parents and displayed on a fridge at home or in a student’s locker. At the end of each month, a ticket will be created for each now card issued, and three students from that lot will be randomly selected to win a prize (i.e. a $10 gift card to M&M’s or two free admissions to school dances).
We will also be honoring two students of the month from each grade level. These students will have their pictures displayed in the front hallway in a special Students of the Month area that we are creating.
Finally, we want to plaster the NOW expectations all over our school! We are presently hosting a NOW poster design contest. Student submissions are due Friday, November 16. Students will see their designs prominently displayed in the hallways, classrooms, cafeteria and office!
Veterans Day at OVMS
On Friday, November 9, 2018 the Middle School held its annual Veterans Day assembly. We recognized more than 30 veterans in a ceremony that included the select choir singing the national anthem, performances by the orchestra ensemble and the 6th grade band, and the reading of the top three essays of the contest sponsored by the Oley American Legion Post 878. The essay contest winner was Nigel Patches. We thank our veterans for their service and we appreciate this opportunity to pay tribute to them!
Oley Valley High School Update
Apple Picking
Apple Pressing
Cider Stand at the Oley Valley Community Fair
Oley Fair News: Thank you Freecon, Beekman, Keim, and Shirey's Orchards for allowing the senior class to pick apples in their orchards for use to make apple cider for the fair. Thank also goes to Bauman's Apple Butter for allowing the senior class to press the apples at their facilities.
Thank you also goes to the Oley Valley Community Fair for allowing the seniors to sell apple cider and goodies at the fair.
Halloween Parade down Main Street, Oley
Powder Puff Football
Class of 2019 versus the Class of 2020. Congratulations to the Class of 2019 on the win!
High School Play Performance
Mrs. Wellman's Class
Oley Valley High School Band News
FFA News
Alysha Ulrich
Oley Valley FFA Takes on National Convention & Exposition
From October 23rd to the 27th, twenty-eight members of the Oley Valley FFA chapter attended the 91st Annual National FFA Convention and Exposition in Indianapolis, Indiana. Of the twenty-eight attendees, eight members competed in Career Development Events (CDEs).
This year, two four-person teams represented Pennsylvania at the National Convention, having earned first place in their competition at the State FFA Convention in June. The first of these teams, the Floriculture team, consisted of Jess Miller (2018 graduate), Kelsey Schlegel (2018 graduate), Hayden Phillips (senior), and Haley Weidman (junior). The Floriculture team earned a silver placing overall. The second of these teams was the Food Science & Technology team, which consisted of Sarah Tatham (2018 graduate), Kylee Hetrick (senior), Vinny Ferrizzi (senior), and Alysha Ulrich (senior). The Food Science team earned second in the competition. Individually, Alysha Ulrich earned tenth place overall.
On the final day of the Convention, Nate Guldin (2017 graduate) earned his American FFA degree, which is the highest achievable degree in the National FFA Association. Congratulations to Nate and all competitors!
Members had a great time exploring the convention and all that Indianapolis had to offer, including the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Indiana Grand Horse Racing Track, a Garth Brooks concert, a rodeo, and the FFA Shopping Mall. During their travels, members also visited the National Air Force Museum.
The Oley Valley FFA is very grateful for the generous donations of several community members and businesses that helped make the trip more affordable. Thank you!
Oley Valley Community Education Foundation
OVCEF seeks nominations for Distinguished Oley Valley Alumni and Distinguished Service to the Oley Valley School District Awards
The Oley Valley Community Education Foundation (OVCEF) is seeking nominations for the 2019 Oley Valley Distinguished Alumni Award and for the Distinguished Service to the Oley Valley School District Award.
One or more awards are presented each October to alumni for outstanding achievement in their professions, humanitarian efforts, volunteerism, or service in their communities, or a single exceptional achievement. One or more awards may also be presented to individuals who have provided unselfish service to the Oley Valley School District.
Award nomination forms are available at the Oley Valley High School Office, 17 Jefferson Street, Oley; the OVCEF website www.OleyValleyCEF.org; and the OVSD website www.oleyvalleysd.org. The deadline for receipt of nominations is June 30, 2019.
Athletics Update
For Athletic Schedules & Information visit www.ovlynx.org
*Please note that you can sign up on the athletic website for schedule change notifications which will send you an email or text message to alert you as soon as games are postponed.
For directions on where Berks County High Schools and Middle Schools play their home contests please visit www.bciaa.org. Please note that clicking on an opponent on www.ovlynx.org will only give you directions to the opposing school’s High School, which is not necessarily where they play their contests.
Follow the Athletic Department on Twitter @OVLynx for varsity scores and live playoff updates each season.
Fall BCIAA All-Star Honors:
Girls Cross Country –
Ava Lottig – All-Division 2
Boys Cross Country –
Mason Shirey – All-Division 2, PIAA Qualifier
Vincent Ferrizzi - All-Division 2
Golf -
Gunnar Wegscheider – All-Division 2
Garet Blankenbiller – All-Division Honorable Mention
Nick Thompson – All-Division Honorable Mention
Madison Wolf – All-Division Honorable Mention, 6th at Girls BCIAA Championship
Grace Bertin – All-Division Honorable Mention, 5th at Girls BCIAA Championship, District 3 Qualifier
Girls Soccer –
Allyson Kemmerer – 2nd Team All-Berks, All-Division 3
Madison Reinert – All-Division 3
Lindsey Williamson – All-Division 3
Kylee Hetrick – All-Division 3
Danielle Trimbur – All-Division Honorable Mention
Sydney Trimbur - All-Division Honorable Mention
Elaine Mortimer – All-Division Honorable Mention
Meredith Groves – All-Division Honorable Mention
Boys Soccer – Division 3 Champions, BCIAA Semi-Finalist
Josh Daniels – All-State, 1st Team All-Berks
Alex Kochey - 2nd Team All-Berks, All-Division 3
Mike Peirce – All-Division 3
Alex LaVerdure – All-Division 3
Matt Knowles – All-Division 3
Chris Erb – All-Division Honorable Mention
Evan Solley – All-Division Honorable Mention
Dakoda Gundy- All-Division Honorable Mention
Field Hockey – Division 3 Champions, BCIAA Champions, District 3 Finalist, PIAA Playoffs (in-progress)
Sophia Gladieux – Berks Player of the Year, 1st Team All-Berks
Sarah Beers – 1st Team All-Berks
Madison Kline – 1st Team All-Berks
Brynn Gilbert – All-Division 3
Sydney Gillingham – All-Division 3
Paige Graber – All-Division 3
Sophia Mackrella – All-Division 3
Jordan Wilkinson – All-Division 3
*All-American & All-State Awards TBA
Congratulations to junior Sophia Gladiuex for breaking the Berks County Career Goals Record. The former record was 130, Sophia now has 139 goals and 45 assists for her career (as of November 7th).
Congratulations to senior Josh Daniels on being named All-State in Boys Soccer. Josh is the first player from Oley Valley to earn this honor since the 1980’s!
Congratulations to our Boys and Girls Soccer teams for being awarded the 2018 Berks County Soccer Officials Association Sportsmanship Award. This award was presented to Oley Valley for the teams’ behavior that exemplifies good sportsmanship, fair play and respect to officials and other associated with the game of soccer.
Congratulations to Field Hockey Coach, Tiffany Cappellano, on her 200th career win at Oley Valley on October 15th.
Important upcoming dates:
November 16 – High School Winter Sports Start
November 27 – Middle School Winter Sports Start
December 4 – Athletic Booster Club Winter Meeting – 7:00 HS Library
January 8 – Athletic Booster Club Winter Meeting – 7:00 HS Library
February 7 - Athletic Booster Club Winter Meeting – 7:00 HS Library
Coaching Vacancies:
HS Assistant Wrestling
HS Assistant Softball
MS Head & Assistant Softball
MS Head & Assistant Track & Field
Congratulations Tim Rhoads, OVSD Athletic Director
Awards:
-2018-2019 Berks County Interscholastic Athletic Association Athletic Director of the Year (also received this award in 2014-2015)
-Nominee for the District III Dynamite Sports Athletic Director of the Year
-Will receive a scholarship to award to a current senior/s from Dynamite Sports in honor of the award
Important Upcoming Events
Click HERE for the School District online calendar.
11/14/18 – School Board Combined Committee Meeting 7:00PM
11/15/18 – HS NHS Induction 6:00PM
11/16/18 – END OF FIRST TRIMESTER
11/16/18 – HS Winter Sports Begin
11/16/18 – ES Make-It, Take-It (Snow Date)
11/19/18 – NO SCHOOL FOR ELEMENTARY STUDENTS
11/19/18 – ES Parent/Teacher Conferences (During the Day)
11/19/18 – HS Parent/Teacher Conferences 5:00PM-9:00PM
11/20/18 – NO SCHOOL FOR ELEMENTARY STUDENTS
11/20/18 – ES Parent/Teacher Conferences (During the Day)
11/20/18 – K-12 Parent/Teacher Conferences 5:00PM-9:00PM
11/21/18 – No School for Students – Parent/Teacher Conferences 8:00AM-11:30AM
11/22/18 – SCHOOLS CLOSED –THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY
11/23/18 – SCHOOLS CLOSED
11/26/18 – SCHOOLS CLOSED
11/27/18 – ES PTO Meeting 6:30PM
11/27/18 – MS Winter Sports Begin
11/28/18 – MS NJHS Induction 7:00pm
11/29/18 – HS Orchestra & Band Concert 7:00PM
12/1/18 – ES PTO Holiday Shoppe
12/2/18 – Computer Science Education Week
12/4/18 – MS Chorus Concert 7:00PM
12/4/18 – Athletic Booster Club Meeting 7:00PM
12/6/18 – 5th Grad Chorus Concert 7:00PM
12/7/18 – HS Chorus & Orchestra Concert 7:00PM
12/8/18 – ES PTO Holiday Shoppe (Snow Date)
12/12/18 – School Board Meeting 7:00PM
12/13/18 – ES Band & Orchestra Concert 7:00PM
12/14/18 – ES School Store
12/14/18 – 7th & 8th Grade Dance 7:00PM-9:30PM
12/17/18 – MS Band & Orchestra Concert 7:00PM
12/21/18 – EARLY DISMISSAL- ALL STUDENTS
12/24/18 thru 1/2/19 – SCHOOLS CLOSED FOR HOLIDAY
Oley Valley School District Board of Directors
Stephen S. Burns, President
David R. Pollock Jr., Vice-President
Carl J. Kubitz, Jr., Treasurer
Eric Clemmer, Member
Robert A. Heckman, Member
Darrell L. Markley, Ed.D., Member
Ralph Richard, Member
Stuart Salen, Member
Dawn Zackon, Member
John M. Stott, Esquire, Board Solicitor
Maria H. Jones, Board Secretary, non-member
Oley Valley School Board Reports
OCTOBER 2018
Elementary School Board Report
- Staff development took place on Monday, October 8th. Staff reviewed safety procedures focused on the Standard Response Protocol, completed behavior assessments for each student, received training on RazKids, and worked as grade levels teams on curriculum and planning.
- The elementary school welcomed the Oley Fire Company on Friday, October 12 as part of Fire Safety Week. Students learned about fire safety while being able to see different types of fire safety equipment.
- Students in grades 3,4, and 5 will hear a presentation on digital safety from the District Attorney Office on Thursday, October 18th.
- The Fall Donuts with DADS event will happen on Friday, October 19th. Over 200 students and father figures are expected to attend the event.
- The elementary school hosted students from Kutztown University in early October. The university students were part of the arts education program and had the opportunity to observe Mrs. Usner’s classroom and interact with the students.
- Family Reading and Math night will take place on Thursday, November 1st. The Da Vinci Science Center will be presenting and the elementary staff have created fun activities for students and their families to complete during the event.
- The elementary school will be hosting their annual Veterans Day lunch on Friday, November 9th. Veterans will have the opportunity to eat with students during each of the lunch times.
OCTOBER 2018
Middle School Board Report
- On Monday, October 8, middle school teachers engaged in in-service activities that included a Three Things About Every Student activity, worked on the details of the NOW SWEBS program and curriculum work. Many of the special area teachers were in other locations working with peers from around Berks County.
- At the Middle School October faculty meeting, the Caron Foundation and the Council on Chemical Abuse (CoCA) presented information on current drug trends, including juuling/vaping.
- NOW – NOW is the Middle School’s new School-wide Effect Behavior Support (SWEBS) program. NOW is an acronym that stand for Nice, Ownership and Working Together. The process and portions of NOW include:
- NOW expectations being taught to students by teachers
- Working with students who do not meet behavioral expectations in teachable moments – having consistent expectations, redirection and discipline from teachers, teams and administration
- Teacher grade-level teams selecting students of the month based on the NOW criteria
- Weekly recognition of students by teachers again, based on the NOW criteria
- A school-wide campaign – classrooms, hallways, cafeteria
- The Middle School will participate in the Great Northeast Shakeout, an earthquake preparedness drill, at 10:18am on October 18. This is an annual drill that closely mimics our weather emergency procedures as well.
- Also on October 18, the Middle School will be conducting a lockdown drill. There will be pre and post class meetings with faculty and students to prepare for and to debrief after this process. A SchoolMessenger will be sent out to parents notifying them that this drill Is being conducted.
- The newly implemented Advisory/Clubs period is off to a terrific start. This period occurs two Thursdays per month in a 40-minute period.
- October 26 is the end of the first quarter, which affects only 6th grade specials at the Middle School. That day is also the first early dismissal/in-service day of the 2018-19 school year. Middle School students are dismissed at 12:45pm that day. That evening, there is a Student Council Halloween Dance for 7th and 8th grade students in the cafeteria.
- October 31 is the annual Elementary School Halloween Parade. The Middle School marching band will once again be marching and leading this event.
- We encourage board members to “like” and follow the school Facebook pages. We frequently post pictures, activities and announcements regarding the happenings at each of the schools.
OCTOBER 2018
High School Board Report
- Staff participated in professional development on October 8th. The focus of the day was the importance of getting to know your students. Staff was asked to identify characteristics about all 540 students in our school. From this activity, school administration will establish a Check/Connect system as we move forward. It is vital to get to know our students! When student and teacher rapport is strong, any goal is possible.
- Homecoming 2018- Very successful weekend of athletics and the fall dance. The Alumni Awards event was also a nice event. This event took place in front of the HS staff and students during the afternoon of September 26th. We had a lot of students involved over the homecoming celebration and a good time was had by all. Students showed their lynx pride!!
- Social Media- OVHS is continuing to showcase the wonderful things going on in our school and district. We reached 40,000 people (up 855%) & engaged over 21,000 people as of October 5th.
- Pink Out & Pep Rally- On Friday October 12th- Students wore pink in honor of breast cancer awareness month. Student council also sold beads and all money collected will be used to put together chemo bags for woman undergoing chomo for breast cancer at the Reading Hospital. At the end of the day, studnets and staff participated in a pep rally involving friendly staff and student competition along with honoring our fall sport teams!
NOVEMBER OVHS BOARD STUDENT REPRESENTATIVE REPORT
- BCTC VISITS- Mr. Becker had the pleasure to tour BCTC EAST & WEST campus during the month of October. It is amazing to see the wonderful opportunities and project based learning that out students are participating in.
- BUILDING LEADERSHIP TEAM- OVHS is starting a building leadership team to review and reflect on school culture, climinate, and current/future needs. We are excited to work as a team to make Oley Valley High School even stronger.
- STAFF PROFESSIIONAL DEVELOPMENT- During the month of October, Dr. Hovanec & Mr. Becker focused professional development on student centered learning. This current research will foster a “life long learning” model for our staff. Additonally, staff partipcated in a “speed apping” exercise to showcase technology that is used in classrooms. A list was created to share the apps instantly with the entire faculty for future lesson planning.
- FALL SHOW- Our fall show took place on November 8, 9, and 10. Job well done to everyone who participated!
- ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL- Dr. Hovanec has been tremendous and making conenctions with our staff, students, and parents during her interim role. We look forward to Sean Ryan’s arrival on November 27th. Sean is also very excited to join the OVSD team!
UPCOMING EVENTS
- NATIONAL HONOR SOCIETY DINNER & CEREMONY WILL TAKE PLACE THURSDAY NOVEMBER 15, 2018 @ OVHS CAFÉ.
- Parent/Teacher Conferences- LOOKING FORWARD TO CONTINUING AND STREGNTHING OUR PARENT/TEACHER RELATONSHIPS ON NOVEMBER 19, 20, AND 21.
NOVEMBER 2018
Elementary School Board Report
- Staff development took place on Friday, October 26th. Staff reviewed conference procedures and schedules and viewed a presentation on Adverse Childhood Experiences and Trauma and how it affects kids and adults.
- The annual Halloween Parade was a huge success with approximately 500 parents and family members in attendance. This year students and family members were encouraged to bring a “treat” for the Hope Rescue Mission. The elementary school, along with the rest of the district, donated many needed supplies to the mission through this fundraising effort.
- Family Math and Reading night took place on November 1st. Families viewed a science performance from the Da Vinci Science Center and had the opportunity to complete different math and reading activities. Thank you to the Family Math and Reading Night team for organizing another successful event!
- Students in 4th grade visited Alvernia University on November 8th . The field trip coincided with the school counseling career lessons and activities. While on the field trip, the students took a tour of the campus, met with current Alvernia students and staff and completed hands-on activities. Students even had an opportunity to sit in on a college class and participate in a lesson.
- The elementary school had over 115 veterans attend its annual luncheon on Friday, November 9th. Veterans had the opportunity to eat with loved ones during the three lunch periods at the school. Thank you to Mrs. Vinanski for organizing this great event.
- The elementary school is participating in The Trout in the Classroom program sponsored by Pennsylvania Trout Unlimited and Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission. The program allows students to be engaged in the life cycle of a trout. Trout eggs were delivered on November 7th and were placed in the 55 gallon tank at the elementary school. We are excited to watch the trout grow! Thank you to Mrs. Tulone for taking on the challenge of the program. Also, thank you to Mr. Deysher and several high school students for their assistance in setting up the aquarium, sorting of the eggs, and overall guidance about the program.
- Finally, parent-teacher conferences will take place November 19 -21st at the elementary school.
Oley Valley School District
The Oley Valley School District is an Equal Opportunity Employer and Educator who fully and actively supports equal access for all people regardless of Race, Color, Religion, Gender, Age, National Origin, Veteran Status, Disability, Genetic Information or Testing, Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity or Expression and prohibits Retaliation against individuals who bring forth any complaint, orally or in writing, to the employer or the government, or against any individuals who assist or practice in the investigation of any complaint, or otherwise oppose discrimination. Compliance issues/questions should be directed to the Office of the Superintendent.