Pennsbury On Point
February 3, 2023
February 3, 2023
Welcome to Pennsbury on Point!
If you have any photos or story ideas you would like to see featured, please email the Public Relations Department at publicrelations@pennsburysd.org.
PHS Cheer Continues to Make History
Congratulations to the 2022-2023 Pennsbury Varsity Traditional Coed Cheerleaders for making history TWICE this past weekend. At the PIAA Competitive Spirit State Championship, Pennsbury competed in the preliminary round on Friday evening and had the 4th highest score out of 16 teams, which secured an automatic spot in the finals on Saturday - a first for the program. After a nearly flawless routine in Finals on Saturday, Pennsbury placed 3rd in the State - another first for the program.
Join us in congratulating this fantastic team of student athletes who are committed to spreading spirit, positivity and promoting strong sportsmanship from start to finish. They are back to supporting both Boys & Girls Basketball programs and defending their SOL title later this month.
PHS Unified Bocce Hopeful for Playoff Run
The regular season of Unified Bocce is winding down! Now in their second year at Pennsbury High School, there are two teams, and both are waiting to hear if they will advance to the Bucks County playoffs.
Pennsbury High School is a Champion Unified Special Olympics School®. According to the Special Olympics, Champion Unified Special Olympics Schools® is "a program for schools Pre-K through university that intentionally promotes meaningful social inclusion by bringing together students with and without intellectual disabilities to create accepting school environments, utilizing three interconnected components: Special Olympics Unified Sports®, inclusive youth leadership, and whole-school engagement."
Pennsbury High School also has a Unified Track team. Learn more about Unified Sports.
Giant Feeding Kids
Many thanks to the Giant Company for helping Pennsbury combat childhood hunger. Giant of Fairless Hills and Giant of Yardley collected non-perishable goods from January 20-30, which will help stock Pennsbury's food pantries. Thank you to Jim Watson, Donnie Voorhees, and Kyle Rogers from the Pennsbury Facilities Department for picking up the donations and distributing them to the District's food pantries.
One Weekend, Three Tournaments, Three States
The Pennsbury Speech and Debate Team competed in three tournaments across three states last weekend.
Senior Amanda Qu competed in the Barkley Forum for High Schools Tournament held at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia. She came in 4th place in Informative Speaking and was a Semifinalist in Original Oratory. Over 190 schools and 1,123 individual competitors from over 30 states participated in the tournament.
Junior Samarth Mannikeri competed virtually in the Seattle University High School Speech and Debate Tournament in Seattle, Washington. Samarth placed 4th in Extemporaneous Speaking. This win secures Samarth a place in the Tournament of Champions, the National Individual Events Tournament of Champions, and the Pennsylvania High School Speech League tournaments. The Seattle Tournament was attended by over 490 competitors from over 80 schools from 22 states.
Lastly, PHS Speech and Debate competed at the Ridge Invitational in Basking Ridge, NJ. Winners included Swathi Bodduluri, 2nd Place - Varsity Congress; Zaki Ali, 9th Place - Varsity Congress; Andrew Prasanth, Top Non-Advancing Novice - Congress; Daniel Kim, 6th Place - Humorous Interpretation; Ella Kasatkin, 4th Place - Varsity Lincoln Douglas; Kian Hecht, 6th Place - Varsity Lincoln Douglas; Ava Slavin, Top Non-Advancing Novice - Impromptu; and Arjun Koneru, Top Non-Advancing Novice - Extemporaneous Speaking. The Tournament was attended by over 50 schools from 6 states.
Congratulations to all competitors, Coach Scott Pollack and Coach Chris Berdnik!
Quarry Hill Students Take a Deep Dive
This week at Quarry Hill Elementary School, Mrs. Lopez's third grade students took a deep dive into the ocean. Professor Henry Bokuniewicz, a professor of oceanography at Stony Brook University in New York, paid a visit to the class to talk about ocean exploration.
Professor Bokuniewicz brought in a variety of shells for the students to examine, as well as equipment used to study the ocean. One of these pieces of equipment was a Nisken bottle, which is used to collect water samples from varying ocean depths without mixing them. Professor Bokuniewicz also happens to be the grandfather of one of Mrs. Lopez's students.
Passion Projects at Edgewood
Fourth grade students at Edgewood Elementary recently engaged in an independent study project known as “passion projects.” Students selected their topics, conducted research, and synthesized a report based on their findings. Then they created their own related artifacts and activities in order to teach their classmates about their area of study.
Under the guidance and facilitation of teachers Mrs. Kristen Marco and Mr. Adrian Stoffregen, the group worked over a series of weeks to culminate their pieces. Topics included: fashion, creating a small business, video gaming, the problem with social media, the World Cup, the Periodic Table of Elements, and the Amazon Rainforest.
Oxford Valley Celebrates World Read Aloud Day
The first grade students at Oxford Valley Elementary celebrated World Read Aloud Day on February 1st. The students were able to join livestream sessions of authors reading their books! It was very exciting to hear Rebecca Elliott read from her Owl Diaries series. Students even learned how to create their own illustration of Eva the owlet. First grade teachers Mrs. Roberts, Mrs. Hearn, and Mrs. Ryan were thrilled that their first grade classes could join this event sponsored by Scholastic for readers all over the world!
Barn Hill Preserve Visits Penn Valley
This week at Penn Valley Elementary school, students learned about different animals, their habitats, food chains, and more through a presentation by Barn Hill Preserve. They were able to meet animals like Paprika, Sugar, and Spice - and learn about the importance of protecting and preserving nature.
Special Meeting of the Pennsbury School Board
On Tuesday, January 31, 2023, the Pennsbury School Board held a special meeting to present the findings of PFM's Pennsbury-Morrisville Merger Feasibility study. The study was conducted as an exploratory first step in the process. Neither the Pennsbury or Morrisville school boards have voted on a merger or tuition agreement, nor is a vote scheduled. Keep an eye on our website for a set of FAQs about the study. They will be posted soon.
A copy of PFM's presentation from Tuesday's meeting can be found here.
A copy of the Pennsbury-Morrisville Merger Feasibility Study can be found here.
YMCA Fairless Hills Looks to Offer Ability Programs
The YMCA is looking to develop ability programs at its Fairless Hills branch, and they would appreciate the community's input. Please click here and take their brief survey to help guide their decision-making.
The YMCA of Bucks County offers adapted activities for youth, teens, and adults with special needs that include swim lessons, land fitness classes, one-on-one fitness instruction, karate, and ACHIEVE peer socialization. This program ensures that those with physical limitations can access the YMCA's enriching programming. Services vary by location. Learn more about the program.
Students are working hard on the upcoming production of Phantom of the Opera!
Pennsbury High School Presents: The Phantom of the Opera
Click here to purchase tickets.
Showtimes:
February 17 8:00pm (Friday)
February 18 8:00pm (Saturday)
February 19 2:00pm (Sunday)
Pricing:
$20 Orchestra (Reserved Seating)
$15 Lower Balcony (Reserved Seating)
**$10 Upper Balcony (Unreserved Seating/General Admission)
Discounts:
**Seniors presenting a Pennsbury Gold Card and Veterans with proper identification will
receive one free unreserved upper balcony ticket, or $10 off of any other ticket level.
Online Ticket Sales:
Tickets on sale now! Click here to purchase.
In-Person Ticket Sales:
CASH ONLY -- Auditorium Lobby at Pennsbury High School East:
At the door one hour before each performance for that evening’s performance only
Questions:
Contact Mrs. Fallacaro at dfallacaro@pennsburysd.org
All Sales are Final – No Refunds or Exchanges
**Gold Card, Veteran discounts, and Upper Balcony tickets can only be purchased during in-person ticket sales or at the box office on the day of the performance**
The Pennsbury Parent Academy will be hosting a live viewing and discussion of the film Angst: Raising Awareness Around Anxiety on Monday, February 27 from 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. in the Pennsbury High School East Auditorium. This event will also be livestreamed.
What is the difference between “being anxious” and having an anxiety disorder? What can we do about the 634% rise in use of Mental Health America’s online tool for anxiety since the start of Covid? Why is there still so much fear and stigma in just talking to others instead of hiding online? What can each of us do to make it better and best engage in a full and happy life? Angst is on a mission: to start a global conversation and raise awareness around anxiety.
This documentary delves into all aspects of our society’s most common mental health challenge with:
Candid interviews with kids and teens who discuss their anxiety, its impacts on their lives and relationships, as well as how they’ve found solutions and hope
Expert perspectives, (from institutions such as Stanford University, Child Mind Institute), who talk about the causes of anxiety and its sociological effects and resources to help
Tips, tricks, and strategies to help reset thinking patterns, push back against anxiety, and support others
Awareness that anyone can be touched by – and overcome - anxiety, via a unique and revealing interview with mental health advocate Michael Phelps, the most decorated athlete in Olympic history
Learn more and watch the trailer at AngstMovie.com
Pennsbury Community School
Spring Registration is now OPEN for Pennsbury Community School!
New courses this Spring include Zumba, Vinyasa Yoga, Goals-based Investing, and Ceramics!
Courses are offered to anyone 18+ years of age and are not limited to just employees or Pennsbury residents. Invite your friends and family to enroll with you!
Check out the catalogue of courses below and click here to register.
What is SAP?
The Student Assistance Program (SAP) is a team of school staff and an SAP Counselor who work together to address concerns that may be interfering with a student's ability to be successful in school. Check out the monthly newsletter below.
ACP - Bringing Affordable Internet to Families
The Affordable Connectivity Program is a Federal Communications Commission program that helps connect families and households struggling to afford internet service. This new benefit provides a discount of up to $30 per month toward broadband service for eligible households. Eligible households can also receive a one-time discount of up to $100 to purchase a laptop, desktop computer, or tablet from participating providers.
Eligible households can enroll through a participating broadband provider or directly with the Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC) using an online or mail-in application.
You can learn more about the benefit, including eligibility and enrollment information, by visiting www.fcc.gov/ACP, or by calling 877-384-2575.
Join SEPAC Today!
The mission of the Pennsbury School District's Special Education Parent Advisory Council (SEPAC) is to collaborate with administration and parents to facilitate communication, sharing of resources, and offering of support programs. SEPAC strives to improve the experiences and education of all students who receive special education, while promoting understanding, acceptance, and inclusion within the Pennsbury School District. Click here to learn more.
SEPAC holds monthly meetings, and all parents are welcome to join. Their next meeting is Thursday, February 16 at 1:00 p.m. If you are interested in attending, please fill out this interest form.
Confidential Residency Reporting Tip Line
The Pennsbury School District is making a concerted effort to ensure that students who reside within our District boundaries are able to attend the school they are assigned to based on their home address. To help us, we have established a Confidential Residency Reporting Tip Line. If you believe someone is falsifying their student's address to attend the Pennsbury School District, please call or email:
(215) 428-4100 ext. 84777 (TIPSS)
Do you enjoy working with children?
Do you like working close to home and earning a competitive salary?
Becoming a Pennsbury Bus Driver is the job for you!
We offer…
- A competitive salary
- Flexible hours
- A student-centered work environment
- Paid training for your CDL
Come join our team!
Apply online at: www.pennsburysd.org or call: 215-428-4140
Current CDL holders can start right away! (Once they receive proper clearances)
2022-23 Chromebook Fees
The annual required Chromebook fee that allows students in grades 5-12 to take their device home can now be paid online. The price is $40.00 (reduced to $15 for students who qualify for free and reduced lunch). The Chromebook fee can be paid by logging on to PowerSchool through a web browser, not the PowerSchool mobile app. Cash or check payments are also accepted at each school.
Pennsbury School District's E-Flyers Page
Click here to visit the Pennsbury School District's E-Flyers Page. On this page, you will find flyers that represent current or ongoing announcements of interest to Pennsbury students and families. To obtain approval for a flyer to be posted on the E-Flyers Page, please email your request to Macy Cellitti at mcellitti@pennsburysd.org.
Part-Time Jobs for Students
Click here to view Pennsbury High School's Student Job Board and find local area businesses with open positions. Some positions allow applicants as young as 14 years old.
Click here for information on how to obtain a work permit.
Ask Penny
Have a question about Pennsbury? Don't trust the rumors, ask Penny!
Send Penny an email at askpenny@pennsburysd.org, or leave a message at 215-428-4100, ext. 73669 (PENNY).
Safe2Say Something
Safe2Say Something is a youth violence prevention program run by the PA Office of Attorney General. Report a confidential tip to help prevent violence and tragedies.
The Nutrition Group is now hiring! Positions include Food Service Workers, Cooks, and Kitchen Managers with rates from $15-$17 per hour. The hours are Monday-Friday, school hours only. No nights, weekends, or holidays! Apply today by calling the Nutrition Group office at 215-949-6740 ext. 2, or click here and search for "Pennsbury"!
2022-23 School Calendar
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About Pennsbury
215-428-4111
Email: publicrelations@pennsburysd.org
Website: www.pennsburysd.org
Location: 134 Yardley Avenue, Fallsington, PA 19058
Phone: (215)-428-4100