News from the Nest
Cardinal Pride in UDSD - June 28, 2023
A Message from Dr. Yanni
Dear Upper Dublin Community,
The June Legislative meeting of the Board of School Directors always has an extensive agenda. Although you can read about actions taken via our Legislative Briefs, there are a few items that I want to highlight below for you.
As we continually assess and improve our District, there will be two key personnel working alongside our students, teachers, administrators, and support staff next year:
- Safety Coordinator - A designated position has been created to focus on safety and security throughout the District. The successful candidate for this position will oversee all facets of safety and security, continually assessing our practices and procedures as well as making recommendations for improved safety and security in all of our schools. The interview processes for this position are currently in progress; we hope to be able to share the name of our Safety Coordinator soon.
- Behavioral Health Social Worker - The District has been awarded a $218,515 School-Based Behavioral Health American Recovery Plan Act Grant through the Montgomery County Department of Health & Human Services. This grant will fund a multi-year social worker to assist students and families in various ways including, but not necessarily limited to, navigating mental health services, securing free or reduced meals, and accessing services for students outside of school. The District will share much more information about this important role in upcoming communications about the new school year.
Planning is well underway for the 2023-2024 school year. Although our schools are quieter now than they were just a few days ago, a tremendous amount of work is being completed to ensure that the new school year is great for everyone!
Finally, please know that even though I will transition to the Lower Merion School District in the coming months, UDSD will always be a part of me. Together we have experienced and learned many things, celebrated many successes, and worked through challenging situations. In the coming weeks, you will hear more from me as I officially say goodbye to our community, so for now, I will just say THANK YOU!
My best,
Dr. Steve Yanni
Superintendent
Learning Never Has to Stop!
- Elementary Summer Learning Website (Grades K-5)
- Summer Math Practice and Enrichment (Grades 6-12)
- AP Summer Assignments
- Summer at the Library (Grades 6-12)
Click here for access directions on accessing Clever or downloading Chrome on personal devices.
Student, School, and District Accolades
Congratulations to the Class of 2023 - On Wednesday, June 14, 2023, we congratulated 326 UDHS students as they entered Cardinal Stadium as seniors and left as graduates. We look forward to seeing the success of each of our graduates in the future!
School Ranking - NICHE recently released its list of the top 25 middle schools in the Commonwealth. Sandy Run ranks #21 (of 775). Below is information about our peer districts:
- Radnor Middle School (Radnor) - #3
- Bala Cynwyd Middle School (Lower Merion ) - #7
- Welsh Valley Middle School (Lower Merion) - #10
- Boyce Middle School (Upper St. Clair) - #12
- Strath Haven Middle School (Wallingford-Swarthmore) - #15
- Fort Couch Middle School (Upper St. Clair) - #16
- Sandy Run Middle School (Upper Dublin) - #21
- Wissahickon Middle School (Wissahickon) - #24
- Peters Township Middle School (Peters Township) - #25
District Ranking - For the past eighteen years, the Pittsburgh Business Times has released its annual list of school rankings. This year’s ranking came from the most recent three years of available PSSA and Keystone Exams results. Eight Montgomery County School Districts ranked in the top 50 across the Commonwealth. Upper Dublin School District is ranked #16. Click here to read our press release about this news.
Right At School Programming
Preparing the Nest for More Cardinals
Please keep in mind that students must be at least five (5) years of age before September 15, 2023, in order to be registered for kindergarten. Next year's kindergarten students will be the Class of 2036!
A Message from Mr. Jeffrey Wallack, School Board President
At the June 26, 2023, Legislative meeting, the Board accepted Dr. Yanni’s resignation effective August 11, 2023. At this time, the Board is focused on hiring an Interim Superintendent, an individual who will help lead Upper Dublin alongside the Executive Team while a search for a permanent Superintendent is conducted.
In the coming weeks and months, the Board will continue to share information about the Superintendent search process and opportunities for you to participate. The Board will share information on the District’s website and other District channels of communication. The Board looks forward to your engagement and support in the process of finding our next Superintendent.
Mark Your Calendars
- Tuesday, July 4 - Independence Day Holiday - District Offices Closed
- Monday, August 14 - UDHS Fall Sports begin
- Wednesday, August 16, 6PM - Board of School Directors Finance Committee meeting followed by Policy Committee
- Monday, August 21, 7PM - Board of School Directors Legislative meeting
- Thursday, August 31, 2PM - Elementary Jitters Away
- Monday, September 4 - Labor Day Holiday - District Offices Closed
- Tuesday, September 5 - First Day of School
- Wednesday, September 6, 6PM - Board of School Directors Education Committee meeting followed by Policy Committee