Neshaminy School District is required to administer Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA) for grades 3-8 and the Keystone Exams (for Algebra 1, Biology, and Literature/English 10) in the spring of each school year. Last school year, the U.S. Department of Education waived the requirements due to the onset of the pandemic. This year, the requirements have not been waived, but the Pennsylvania Department of Education granted some flexibility in scheduling these important assessments to meet the needs of all students, including those continuing on virtual plans.

Neshaminy will be administering the Keystone tests beginning May 17, and the PSSA tests starting on June 2. All tests will be administered in-person. For important detailed information regarding the PSSA and Keystone tests, please visit the District website, www.neshaminy.org.

The next scheduled Board Public Work Session is Tuesday, May 11 at 7 pm in the auditorium at Maple Point Middle School. The meeting is open to the public and will also be livestreamed on the District website at www.neshaminy.org/meetings.

At the Board Public Meeting on Tuesday, April 27, the Board approved the following:

• Continuation of the Food Services management contract between the District and ARA Educational Services, LLC for the 2021-2022 school year.
• Continuation of the contract between the District and ESS Support Services for the 2021-2022 school year. ESS provides substitute certified staff for the District.
• Increasing the premiums for the District's self-provided health insurance program by 3% to meet rising costs (approximately $15 million projected for 2021-2022). The percentage contractual amount of employee contributions to this program (between 17% and 18%) will not change under this resolution.

Upcoming Committee meetings (open to the public), all held in the District Board Room at Maple Point MS:

• Tuesday, May 4: Joint Business Operations & Facilities Committee meeting, 6:30 pm. A major topic for this meeting will be the proposed 2021-2022 Neshaminy School District Budget. Plans for athletic field renovations at Neshaminy High School and ongoing discussion about the possibility of a new school building on the Maple Point MS property will also be on the agenda.
• Thursday, May 6: Policy Committee, 6:30 pm

Livestreams and archive videos of the Board Public Work Sessions and Public meetings can be viewed at www.neshaminy.org/meetings.

2-1-1 Service: If you are looking for non-educational community resources such as food pantries, housing assistance, help with utility bills, unemployment information or crisis resources, the United Way of Bucks County offers a centralized information service which can be accessed by calling 211, texting your area code to 898-211, or visiting www.pa211.org. This service is available 24/7 and is available in 42 languages.

The Pre-K Counts program at Neshaminy is enrolling students for the 2021-2022 school year. This state-funded program operates in several Neshaminy school buildings, and offers a quality, free preschool program to families that meet age and financial eligibility guidelines. For the upcoming school year, the income guidelines based on household size are as follows (based on 2020 Federal tax returns):

• 2 family members: $52,260
• 3 family members: $65,880
• 4 family members: $79,500
• 5 family members: $93,120
• 6 family members: $106,740
• 7 family members: $120,360
  

Students must turn 3 or 4 years old by September 1, 2021 to qualify. To learn more about Pre-K Counts at Neshaminy or to apply for enrollment, please visit the Neshaminy PKC website www.neshaminy.org/pkc.

Neshaminy High School Laboratory Preschool is now accepting preschool applications for the 2021-2022 School year. Children must be four years old by September 1, 2021. The program is held 4 days per week (Monday through Thursday), and there are both the morning and afternoon openings. School will begin mid-October and end in May. The cost for this program is $350. Please visit https://www.neshaminy.org/Page/1596 to see more information and to download the application form. Please note that openings are limited.

Scholarship season for Neshaminy HS seniors is closing. The Neshaminy Education Foundation is offering three $1,000 scholarships to seniors planning to attend college or a trade school post-graduation. The deadline is Monday, May 3, and applications for this and other community scholarships can be found on Naviance.

Don't miss out on this great opportunity to help fund post-secondary education!

Students across the District celebrated Earth Day (April 22) with a variety of activities to not only understand environmental science better but also to improve their immediate surroundings. Above left and center, second-graders at Joseph Ferderbar Elementary School created some unique artwork to share with their classmates. At top right, students in C1 and C3 at Herbert Hoover Elementary School took to the playground to clean up the area. At right, Hoover students show off some of the artwork they created for the celebration.

BLUE

Do you like light blue?

This color makes me feel calm.

It’s like the ocean.

By Morgan F.

Tawanka Elementary was proud to support Autism Awareness Week from April 12=16. The students and staff participated in a variety of activities and lessons that promoted autism awareness. On Friday, the students, and staff "lit it up blue" with their Be-Kind t-shirts. The Tawanka community was able to raise $1,060 for the non-profit organization, We Make, which operates a local manufacturing facility that provides jobs and work support for adults with autism. A representative from We Make visited the school on April 16 to accept the donation and meet some of the staff and students who participated.

Book Fairs are a great way to build excitement for reading and introduce new reading material. Normally held in-school in conjunction with various fun and engaging reading activities, this year many of these have moved online but are open to any family.

Neshaminy is hosting two upcoming online Scholastic Book Fairs: Maple Point Middle School is holding their online Book Fair between May 3 and May 16 and Tawanka Elementary School will be holding their Book Fair between May 6 and May 19. Books can be ordered online, shipped to your home, and a portion of the proceeds benefits the school libraries media centers.

The three Neshaminy middle schools are virtual musicals in April and May. Carl Sandburg Middle School will be performing the Disney hit, High School Musical and sharing it on video during on May 19-21. Poquessing Middle School will perform Schoolhouse Rock Live, an adaptation of the retro Saturday morning educational cartoons. Their performances will also be recorded and shared with the public on streaming video also in May. Maple Point Middle School assembled a cabaret-style musical that will feature selections from several shows including Hamilton, Annie and The Greatest Show on Earth. Using a everything from green screen technology to choir performances brought together on multi-track software, the show recorded and assembled for weeks, and premiered as an online webcast on Thursday, April 22.

Maple Point MS World Language teacher Elizabeth Baker was surprised with a virtual presentation on April 22 by representatives from Citadel Credit Union, during which they announced that she has won their Citadel Heart of Learning award for Bucks County. The award recognizes local teachers who show dedication both in and out of the classroom, and nominations for this award were drawn from the community. The Citadel Heart of Learning Award comes with a $500 stipend that can be spent on classroom supplies. MPMS Principal Andy Sokol joined the presentation along with students from Ms. Baker's class. Ms. Baker also teachers World Language classes at Carl Sandburg Middle School.

If you didn't know, April is the most LIT (as in LITERATURE) month of the year! It is National Poetry Month, and it is also Families and Reading Month! Sandburg MS teachers and students leapt at the chance to share their love of literature this April.

Each day in April teachers spotlighted their favorite books from childhood and each grade level was represented as students shared their favorite poems. Thanks to Sandburg's LIT librarian, Ms. Koczynski, the English Language Arts classes also celebrated "Poem in your Pocket" day with a cool "Padlet" where students shared their favorite poems.

Thanks to all the teachers and students who took part and a special thanks to Mr. Litty Lykon for all the help with the announcements! It was LITERALLY amazing!

Neshaminy HS Drama students will be staging one final show for the year, and it will be recorded live on stage and then shared on the NHS Drama YouTube channel. Don't Fear the Reaper is a one-act comedy that follows a day in the life of the Grim Reaper — the day he gets fired. On his first gig of the morning, he's spotted on the doorstep of a young married couple. The husband and wife each decide that it must be the other one's time, and through a series of passive-aggressive strategies they each attempt to lure their partner onto the doorstep.

The show video will be posted on May 13 & 14 at 6:00pm and May 15 @ 3:00 pm and 6:00pm. Viewing is free!

With less than two months to go in the 2020-2021 school year, plans for end-of-year activities and celebrations are well under way. Most will have modified procedures due to continuing pandemic safety protocols, but technology will also be used to share the fun and pride with families and the Neshaminy community. The activities include:

• The NHS Top 5% ceremony will be held on Thursday, April 29 and shared on livestream video.
• The 2021 NHS Homecoming Court will be celebrated between the boys and girls lacrosse games at Harry E. Franks Stadium on Thursday, May 6. Students are voting for this year's Court during school. The ceremony will be shared on livestream video.
• The Senior Parade and Prom will be held on Saturday, May 22. This event will include a car parade through Langhorne Borough, followed by outdoor dining and entertainment at Neshaminy HS. The rain date is Sunday, May 23.
• The annual NHS Military Recognition Ceremony will be held on Thursday, May 27 outside the Hub at NHS. Graduating seniors planning to join the US Armed Forces will be honored. This event will also be shared on livestream video.
• The NHS Senior Awards ceremony will also be held Thursday, May 27. Invited seniors can attend in person and the ceremony will be shared on livestream video.
• The NHS Senior Picnic will be held on Thursday, June 10.
• 8th Grade Move-Up Day celebrations will be held at each middle school (to be celebrated in-school and shared afterward via video with families)
• The 2021 NHS Commencement Ceremony will be held on Tuesday, June 15 (rain date June 16) at Harry E. Franks Stadium. Seniors will be limited to two tickets each, and the ceremony will also be shared on livestream video.

All events are subject to change due to unforeseen circumstances. Please see emails from the schools for details, video links and updates.