Rose Tree Media Reporter
Superintendent Reports on School Year Start, Increased Enrollment
RTMSD Superintendent Dr. Eleanor DiMarino-Linnen described an “enthusiastic” start to the 2022-23 school year in remarks to the Board of School Directors and the community on September 22.
The superintendent reported that the district enrolled 4,186 students at the beginning of the school year. Dr. DiMarino-Linnen also noted, “the many new housing developments are being quickly occupied, indicating a strong desire for families to move into our district’s boundary areas and be part of our thriving community and schools.”
More information about how RTMSD is planning to manage enrollment demands within its boundaries is available on the Room to Learn, Room to Grow website, at https://www.roomtolearnroomtogrow.org.
Penncrest Ranked Among Region’s Best
Penncrest High School is one of only four Delaware County high schools recognized by Philadelphia Magazine as among the top in the region.
“This is a testament to our administrators, teachers, parents, and students pulling together to successfully meet the challenges that were placed in front of us during the last two-and-one-half years,” said Superintendent Dr. Eleanor DiMarino-Linnen during her remarks to the Board of School Directors in September.
Substitute Teachers to Receive Retention Bonus
In September, the RTMSD Board of School Directors approved a retention bonus for substitute teachers across the district’s schools. Each building substitute teacher who works at least 95 percent of the days between September 6 and December 23 will receive a bonus of $2,500. This means the sub must work at least 66 out of a possible 70 days to earn the bonus.
Additionally, a retention bonus of $2,500 will be paid to building substitute teachers for working at least 90 percent of the days between January 3 and June 5, 2023. A building substitute teacher will need to work at least 91 out of 96 days to earn this second bonus.
The Board is pleased to provide this bonus to help attract and retain high-quality substitute teachers, who fill critical roles when regular classroom teachers need to be away for an illness or other reasons. In these situations, subs step in to ensure students continue learning.
RTMSD is in search of substitute teachers to serve in a variety of roles this school year. Anyone with a Pennsylvania teaching certification who may be interested in working with the district should contact Kelly Education at 1-800-991-5157.
PENNCREST HIGH SCHOOL
Roaring Lions Debut 2022 Field Show
The Penncrest Roaring Lions Marching Band debuted its 2022 field show, "Passion," on September 9. This year's show depicts a painter, dancer, and musician—and the passion that each artist brings to their craft. The band will perform its show more than 20 times this fall at home and away football games, as well as band festivals throughout the region. Some performance highlights:
Showing School Spirit!
The first pep rally of the 2022-23 school year was a great success! Penncrest students celebrated fall athletes and the four grades competed in several categories for Pride Points—including a very competitive 4v4 soccer match. Each class made an elaborate banner to show its school spirit.
The Penncrest Roaring Lions Marching Band performed for the entire school, and alumnus and contracted UFC fighter Joy Pyfer made a guest appearance as the Lions Cheer judge!
PHS Celebrates Homecoming
Homecoming at Penncrest is always an energized affair, and this year was no different. The football game on Friday, September 30 brought a crowd of close to 1,000 to see the Lions take on Strath Haven. The homecoming court was announced on field that evening.
Students Take Part in Ecological Study
Penncrest’s freshman students participated in an ecological stream study at Ridley Creek State Park. Students walked into the creek to collect macroinvertebrates to try and determine their relative populations. The ultimate goal of the study is for students to determine the overall health of the stream ecosystem based on the prevalence of various indicator stream species.
Students will work in their Environmental Science classes to process the data collected and apply it to what they are learning in class.
SPRINGTON LAKE MIDDLE SCHOOL
Spirit Week at SLMS!
Springton Lake students showed off their school spirit the week of October 24!
As part of Red Ribbon Week, the Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD) Club sponsored activities to focus students on making healthy decisions and living a drug-free life. To highlight that message and to add some extra fun to the week, the club identified a daily theme. Students were encouraged to “dress” accordingly to show their participation and school spirit.
Spirit days at SLMS encourage school spirit, grade-level camaraderie, and a little friendly competition. To close out the week, the Student Council sponsored a school-wide PINK OUT. All students and staff were encouraged to wear pink in support of breast cancer awareness. Students also had the chance to purchase hot pink Spartan T-shirts with the message: “Stronger Together.”
6th Graders Learn Team-Building Skills at Paradise Farms
All three SLMS sixth-grade teams spent their own day at Paradise Farms in Downingtown this October. The amazing facility has become a tradition for students to visit each fall as they embark on their middle school adventure.
A day at Paradise Farms provides hands-on outdoor learning and team building, with activities that include an outdoor adventure, environmental education, and team challenges. The team-building component is so important because it encourages sixth graders to come together and improve their skills of cooperation, communication, and trust.
8th Graders Choose Electives
Eighth-grade students at SLMS had the opportunity to select electives for the first time this school year. In the spring, rising eighth graders were presented with 16 options and asked to rank their preferences. The feedback about the new courses has been very positive!
For example, a fun start for the Computer Science & Coding course was quite apparent the second students entered the classroom. They applied the engineering design process to build a strong structure durable enough to withstand the weight and strong enough to beat the competition of their classmates. This introductory activity led the way to bring our students into the coding world, which is the focus of the new course.
Students Get Involved in Athletics & Activities
The annual Club and Activity Fair was back in person this fall for the first time since 2019! All SLMS students had the opportunity to learn about the various extracurricular offerings available this school year. Additional announcements and reminders continue to be made on the Spartan Scoop to encourage optimal participation in clubs.
For our seventh- and eighth-grade athletes, the fall sports teams are also off to an amazing start. We are so happy to see many students participating—and hope to see the same enthusiasm for the upcoming winter and spring seasons!
GLENWOOD ELEMENTARY
Glenwood Elementary Celebrates 60th Anniversary
Glenwood is celebrating its 60th anniversary this October! On Friday, October 21, the halls and cafeteria were decorated with birthday decor—and Woody even handed out birthday bags to all of the students! At lunchtime, the students enjoyed a video slideshow that included pictures from the past six decades.
Mr. Sharp’s fifth-grade Art Club worked before and after school to create a beautiful mural in the main hallway. It is located across from the library, near the 50th anniversary mural.
Woody the Lion visited all of the classrooms with balloons and gifts!
Celebrating Apple Day!
GES kindergartners celebrated Apple Day in early October. They took part in various writing, reading, math, and science activities involving apples. Kindergarten parents came into the building to help with the events, and kindergartners delivered apples to teachers and staff!
Students Work Together to Create Sense of Belonging
This year, bringing together a sense of belonging is a key goal at Glenwood. Through “Buddy Classes,” students in grades 3-5 are paired with younger students in grades K-2. The students get together and take part in various activities. This fosters friendships and a greater sense of community for the entire school!
Overcoming Obstacles
In physical education class at GES, Mr. Leahan and Mrs. Leiberman set up a rigorous fall obstacle course that required classmates to work together, communicate, and strategize to make their way through successfully!
INDIAN LANE ELEMENTARY
2nd Graders Build a Community
During Community Day, Indian Lane second graders learned that communities are places where people live, work, play, and solve problems!
After creating communities to display in the hallway, students decided on a career that would help their community. They chose from a list of suggestions or came up with their own idea, and wrote a paragraph explaining their job, what they would need to do their job, and how their job would help their community. As a culminating activity, students created a short presentation on their iPads, using Clips.
Electing This Year’s Student Council
Student Council elections are always an exciting time of the year at Indian Lane! This year was no exception, as the fifth-grade class whittled down the nominees to three for each of the officer positions. This year’s finalists represented a diverse group who all prepared speeches that were given in front of the students in grades 3-5. Congratulations to all who participated and to our elected representatives!
Kindergarteners Visit with Local Firefighters
Indian Lane kindergarten students were treated to a visit by the Middletown Fire Company this fall! Students got to step onto the fire truck and listened to the firefighters talk about fire safety. Thank you to the Middletown Fire Company for helping to educate our young learners.
Students & Staff Commemorate Breast Cancer Awareness Month
In October, Indian Lane students and staff wore pink to show support for everyone who has been impacted by breast cancer.
Young Artists Recognized at Breakfast
Art teacher Ms. Divine hosted a breakfast for students who had artwork selected to hang in the main office. Students and their families were invited to come to a light breakfast, see the framed artwork, and hear Ms. Devine describe the projects.
Bobcat Pride Breakfast!
All Indian Lane families are invited to attend one Bobcat Pride Breakfast during the 2022-23 school year! These are fun morning events where families can gather for a light breakfast and socialize. After breakfast, students can get a photo with the Bobcat as a keepsake of the school year.
Students Gather for All-School Assembly
Indian Lane students gathered in the cafeteria for the first all-school assembly to celebrate working to be ready, respectful, and responsible. The school’s Positive Behavior Supports & Interventions team put together a fun presentation to explain behavior expectations and how they will be reinforced. Students learned a Bobcat Pride cheer and "Paws Up" signal to quiet down. They also learned more about "Bobcat Brags" and how to earn them!
MEDIA ELEMENTARY
Kindergartners Visit Milky Way Farm
Kindergarten students enjoyed their field trip to Milky Way Farm in October! They got to check out farm animals, farm crops, and machinery.
MES Art Students Cultivate Kindness
In Mrs. Bellamy’s art classes, students in grades 2-5 created a petal with an action word related to showing kindness. The petals were combined to form several large flowers on bulletin boards that serve as visual reminders of how anyone can help “cultivate kindness” throughout the school year!
MES Focuses on Positive Behaviors & Respect
Media Elementary students spent the first month of school learning the expectations throughout the building in demonstrating the 3 Rs: Be Ready, Be Responsible, and Be Respectful. The school’s Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) assembly was held for K-5 students, where they learned about rewards for being ready, respectful, and responsible. MES uses Happy Horseshoes as a way to reinforce positive behavior throughout the school day.
Go Phillies!
As the Philadelphia Phillies make their playoff run and play in the World Series, Media Elementary students have been wearing red to support the team! Go Phils!
2nd Graders Learn About Communities
MES second graders have been learning about communities in Social Studies. They know that communities are places where people live, work, play, and solve problems. Each second grade class has named its own classroom community—and they also took part in a walking tour of Media to further their learning!
PTG Holds Fall Events
Two special PTG events were held this fall at Media Elementary. In September, there was the Back to School Block Party, while the Harvest Fair was held in October. Students, staff, and families had a great time at these annual events!
ROSE TREE ELEMENTARY
Students Welcome Special Guests to RTES
On October 21, grandparents and special friends were welcomed to Rose Tree Elementary. The guests enjoyed a breakfast reception while being entertained by students playing the piano. They also visited classrooms.
In the fourth-grade classrooms, students asked their guests about their school experiences. Throughout the rest of the building, guests enjoyed activities such as poetry, interactive reading, word searches, and puzzles!
Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Through Music
Rose Tree Elementary celebrated Hispanic Heritage Month from September 15 to October 15! In music class, third graders played a traditional Chilean game and a homemade pan flute, which is a popular instrument in Chilean folk music. Fifth-grade students performed the song “Havana” by Cuban American artist Camila Cabello.
Chess Club at RTES
5th Grade Chess Club enjoying an intense game!
Mapping Out the United States
RTES third graders were introduced to map skills, including the use of a map key, scale, and the compass rose. American landmarks were introduced and located on a map of the United States, emphasizing the use of cardinal and intermediate directions. Landmarks included Mount Rushmore, the Golden Gate Bridge, the Grand Canyon, the Everglades, and the Statue of Liberty. Students even enjoyed a virtual tour of the Statue of Liberty through a VR experience!
Bagels with a Buddy!
RTES families joined students for Bagels with a Buddy, an event that allowed them to spend some time together to start the school year. It was the first time in three years the school has been able to host the event!
RTES Students Display Works of Art
Students’ art work from grades 1-5 are now displayed in the hallways at Rose Tree Elementary! First graders created abstract compositions inspired by Kandinsky; second graders created their own Hamsa Hand designs; third graders created Petroglyph people; fourth graders created Pop Art Shoes; and fifth graders created contour line art with leaves and American Sign Language!
Options for Viewing Board Meetings
The Rose Tree Media School District community is able to watch Board of School Directors meetings on the district’s YouTube channel, RTMSD Media. These meetings are both aired live and archived for later viewing. In addition, board meetings are aired on the school district’s cable channel on Tuesdays and Fridays at 1:00 p.m.
Board meeting agendas, calendars, minutes, and summaries are available on the district website.
Information from the District
A large amount of information about the Rose Tree Media School District is available on our website at www.rtmsd.org.
District Overview: www.rtmsd.org/Administration2/aboutus
Meet our Board of School Directors: www.rtmsd.org/Administration2/board
Finance and Budgetary Information: www.rtmsd.org/Content2/2134
Employment: www.rtmsd.org/Content2/employment
District and School Calendars: www.rtmsd.org/calmonthview.aspx
Archived Newsletters: https://www.rtmsd.org/Content2/2726
School District News Available to the RTM Community
If you are a RTM community member who does not have students in our schools, you are invited to subscribe to regularly receive this newsletter and other pertinent school district news. You can subscribe at this link.
Families with students in Rose Tree Media schools will continue to receive such news and information through existing communication channels.