2019-2020 District calendar posted
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The
Neshaminy School Board of Directors approved the 2019-2020 District
calendar at their public meeting on November 27. The first days of
school for students will be Wednesday and Thursday, August 28 and 29,
2019.
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Confronting the Crisis presentation Dec. 5
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All parents and guardians of middle and high school-age students are encouraged to attend a special substance abuse prevention presentation on Wednesday, December 5, 2018 at 7 pm in Theodore Kloos Auditorium at Neshaminy High School. Presented by Neshaminy HS SPIN and #StandUp Neshaminy, Confronting the Crisis will offer vital information on the opioid epidemic. |
The Bensalem Township
Police Department will bring their “Behind Closed Doors Mock Bedroom
Tour” that offers parents a visual lesson on what to look for if they
suspect their teenagers are hiding legal or illegal addictive
substances. Prevention experts will offer vital information about the
crisis and prevention tips for parents.
Online campaign nets innovative seating
In an era of tight
budgets, teachers and administrators are always looking for creative
ways to fund innovative programs and tools in their schools.
Joseph Ferderbar Elementary School fourth-grade teacher Justine Glinski recently turned to online crowd funding site DonorsChoose to start a campaign to obtain $322 for 'flexible seating' to improve concentration and reading skills among her students. The site is oriented toward education needs and has funded over one million projects over the past 18 years.
Joseph Ferderbar Elementary School fourth-grade teacher Justine Glinski recently turned to online crowd funding site DonorsChoose to start a campaign to obtain $322 for 'flexible seating' to improve concentration and reading skills among her students. The site is oriented toward education needs and has funded over one million projects over the past 18 years.
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"My
students are eager, caring, creative, and curious. They are
energetic and joyful. They are positive and awesome readers, but they
just can't quite get comfortable in their traditional desks and
chairs," she wrote on her DonorsChoose campaign page. "We are requesting balance ball seats, comfy floor seats and beanbag seats for comfortable seating to help improve their reading and writing skills. " |
"If our class project is
funded, then students will have the
freedom to find a comfortable spot in the room to sit down and
independently read. They will find reading more enjoyable and read for
longer periods of time, which will increase their reading stamina."
Seven donors later, the project was fully funded and the seating will be delivered in December.
Seven donors later, the project was fully funded and the seating will be delivered in December.
Substitute staff hiring event Dec. 14
Neshaminy is hosting the final of three hiring events on Wednesday, December 14 from 10am - 12pm in the District Board Room at Maple Point Middle School. This is a chance to find out about full and part-time opportunities for substitute teachers and support staff at Neshaminy and other districts in Bucks County. You can meet hiring managers, ask questions and begin the application process at this event.
November We Build Futures Award winners
| Superintendent Jones
once again honored District staff who made significant
contributions to fulfilling the District's mission of advancing the
implementation of the Neshaminy Strategic Plan. Those honored during in November include (click on their names to see nominating information): |
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- Joan Beerhalter, IT Support, Neshaminy School District
- Janet Felkner, Bus Aide, Transportation Department
- Henry Franz, Crossing Guard, Pearl S. Buck
Elementary School
- Christine Garcanz, IT Support, Neshaminy School District
- Siri Sammartino, Business Teacher, Neshaminy High School
- Jon Shiota, IT Support, Neshaminy School District
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Upcoming Events
Wednesday, Dec. 5: #StandUp Neshaminy & SPIN Confronting the Crisis presentation, NHS, 7 pm Wednesday, Dec. 5: Fall Drama production, Black Box Theater NHS, 7 pm Thursday, Dec. 6: NHS Orchestra at Middletown Twp. Holiday Open House, 7 pm Friday, Dec. 7: PTO Forum, Maple Point MS, 9:30 am Friday, Dec. 7: Interact Club Family Movie Night, 6 pm, NHS Black Box Theater Saturday, Dec. 8: ACT exam, NHS Thursday-Saturday, Dec. 13-15: Addams Family Musical, Carl Sandburg MS Friday, Dec. 14: Substitute staff hiring event, 10 am - 12 pm, Maple Point MS Thursday-Friday, Dec. 13-14: NHS Drama Night of One Acts, NHS Black Box Theater, 7 pm Please
check the District website, school websites and District Facebook page
for more information and additional events throughout the year!
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Neshaminy Education Foundation
2018-2019 Mini
Grant winners announced
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News
from our schools
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Pearl S. Buck Elementary School
Hands across the halls offer expressions of gratitude
Throughout the school, students traced their hands and wrote something about which they were thankful. Visitors saw over 1000 of these notes of thanks when visiting the school in November.
Third grade investigates hydroponics
Can plants be grown
without soil? How can you grow food in an area that does not have
access to the traditional farming space (cities, International Space
Station, deserts)? How can you grow food when the seasons do not allow
for growth traditionally? These are some of the driving questions that
third graders are investigating for a Project Based Learning experience
involving the growing of plants hydroponically (without soil) in their
classrooms. The students are documenting the growth of the seedlings
and are looking forward to eating the fruits of their labor (literally).
Author / biochemist Erin Teagan visits Buck
The students and staff at
Pearl Buck were taken on a journey to space with visiting author, Erin
Teagan. Mrs. Teagan shared with students in kindergarten, third and
fourth grades her experience at NASA Space Camp. She shared how this
experience helped her to research being an astronaut for writing the
2018 American Girl Doll book, Luciana.
Additionally, the students were
able to see, in person, some science experiments as well as have
hands-on
participation.
Joseph Ferderbar Elementary School
Class of 2031 researches colleges in Avid class
After researching a
future Pennsylvania university, fourth grade students in the AVID pilot
program at Ferderbar wrote a business letter to that school telling
them about themselves and what they learned about the school. They also
asked for the school to send some swag so they could start showing
their school spirit as future students of the Class of 2031. Here are
future Explorers with their pennants from La Salle University.
Mechanical pigs race snout to snout
A group of color,
costumed mechanical pigs took center stage in November as the finale to
a PTO fund raising drive at Ferderbar. Classes that participated in the
annual drive were each allowed to decorate and enter a battery-driven
porcine in a series of races held in the cafeteria. Winners received a
banner for their classroom doors.
Herbert Hoover Elementary School
Hoover Hawks play online game with School Board
An energetic group of
Hoover students descended on the Neshaminy School Board Public Work
Session November 13 to help deliver a presentation featuring their
school. Knowing that each Board member uses a Chromebook during
meetings (similar to what students use in the 1:1 Technology program),
Principal Dr. David Glennon figured this was an opportunity to
highlight how technology is used in the classroom. He brought a group
of fourth-grade students to help set up a game of Kahoot! -- an
educational online platform used in elementary schools. The students
assisted with logging in, after which the Board members were able to
participate in a game-show style question & answer game.
Following the meeting, one Board member remarked that this presentation, which is one of a series that will feature each District school at upcoming Board meetings, was the most fun he's had at a meeting in years.
Following the meeting, one Board member remarked that this presentation, which is one of a series that will feature each District school at upcoming Board meetings, was the most fun he's had at a meeting in years.
I-95 has some new signs. Now Hoover does, too!
The Leadership Club
announced that new hallway signs arrived at Hoover in November. The
hallways have new names based on a school-wide vote held last year. The
new hallway names align to the district mission of "empowering each
child to become a productive citizen and a lifelong learner" as well as
The 7 Habits of Happy Kids.
The Positive Behavior Intervention and Supports Team at Hoover provided
the funds for the new signs.
Walter Miller Elementary School
Miller and Sandburg girls compete in 5K race
On November 17, Neshaminy
participated in its first Girls on the Run 5K event. The team
consisted of third and fourth graders from Walter Miller and two girls
from Sandburg who were coached by Miller’s fourth grade teachers,
Katrina Hunt and Kindergarten teacher, Jodi Arnold and Taylor Ramella.
Running is used to inspire and motivate girls, encourage lifelong
health and fitness, and build confidence through accomplishment.
Important social, psychological, and physical skills and abilities are
developed and reinforced throughout the program. All the girls
completed the 5k held in New Hope Solebury and did an amazing job.
Student Council leads school and community projects
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Congratulations to the 2018 - 2019 Walter Miller Student Council representatives! Twelve fourth-grade students were selected to serve the school, and are busy helping to plan both community and school-wide activities. The students selected were: Amya Young, Rajan Iyer, Bella Pascale, Ellie Miller, Michelle Burara, Aubrielle Werline, Lily Kaczmarek, Leah Kaczmarek, Erjon Lezi, Natania Kurian, Rylee Golling, and Mattelyn Coor. A December community project is under way and students throughout the school are busy creating cards and crafts for Holiday Hope for Seniors, an organization that helps bring cheer to senior neighbors residing in area nursing homes. |
Albert Schweitzer Elementary School
Service project caps military lesson
Danielle Dyas and Dara
Bullick's class worked hard throughout the month of
November learning about the five branches of the United States
Military. Mrs. Dozier, a parent, came to their classroom to teach
students about the United States Air Force. Mrs. Abromovitz, a
hearing therapist at Buck, was recorded to share her personal knowledge
about the United States Navy. Specialist Collin Wilson, Mrs.
Dyas's nephew, who is currently stationed in Afghanistan with the US
Army, chatted with the students via Facebook
Messenger.
This lesson ended with packaging extra Halloween treats families donated to be sent to some of our troops far from home. It was a meaningful way for the class to thank all of those who serve to protect our freedoms!
This lesson ended with packaging extra Halloween treats families donated to be sent to some of our troops far from home. It was a meaningful way for the class to thank all of those who serve to protect our freedoms!
Tawanka Elementary School
Parents attend Kindergarten University
Parents of kindergarten
students received an education of their own during the first-ever
Tawanka Kindergarten Parent University held in November. During the
program, they learned about the kindergarten curriculum and ways they
can support their children's education at home.
First grade embraces lessons in thankfulness
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The first grade learned about all aspects of Thanksgiving during multiple lessons using the Nearpod online program, read-alouds, Scholastic News, the social studies curriculum, and personal stories. To cap off the unit, the more than 160 first grade students created historical costumes, then gathered in the Tawanka cafeteria November 15 for a Thanksgiving feast. Each class prepared a verse of a Thanksgiving song and sang together. |
Maple Point Middle School
Over 100 veterans attend annual ceremony
November 11 marked the
100th anniversary of Armistice Day -- the end of World War I -- which
has been celebrated as Veterans Day in the United States since 1954.
The Maple Point MS 8th grade celebrated November 9 with over 100 local
veterans who attended a ceremony and reception, a tradition that
started in 2001 following the 9/11 attacks. You can see the entire
ceremony below, starting with a collection of short interviews with the
veterans recorded by a group of students during the reception.
2018 Maple Point Veterans Day Ceremony (full video)
Current and former teachers talk about the origins of
the ceremonyWriters win Patriot's Pen Essay Contest
This year, four Maple
Point eighth-grade students entered the VFW Post 6393 Patriot’s Pen
Essay Contest. All of their essays were recognized by the writing
committee, and two were selected (from 20 total applicants) as winners
-- Kyle Sullivan (first place) and Sean Tracchi (second place). The
other two recognized were Ilysia Krzwonos, who was the student keynote
speaker at the recent Veterans Day Ceremony, and Faiza Kahn. The
winners will be celebrated with a dinner at the VFW Post in January.
Gannon Cup supports the Gift of Life Donor Program
On Wednesday, November
21, the 1st Annual Gannon Cup was held at Grundy Arena. This ice hockey
charity tournament between Neshaminy and Pennsbury area teams supported
the Gift of Life Donor Program in memory of Patrick Gannon, a Maple
Point MS student who lost his life in an accident in 2016. Patrick was
an organ donor whose gift has been used to benefit others in medical
need.
Poquessing Middle School
Notes deliver a positive message
One eighth grade student
began a self-generated positivity project in a girl’s lavatory in the
late afternoon on November 7th. In an matter of days, three of the
girls lavatories at Poquessing were adorned with inspiring and
encouraging messages. Poquessing’s faculty and Parent Teacher
Organization are proud of the individual students who began the
movement and the girls who have added to this positivity.
Students accept Rachel's ChallengePoquessing Middle School held their Rachel's Challenge assemblies November 26. Students signed a banner pledge to participate in random acts of kindness, stop prejudice, reach out to classmates, and other promises. The Challenge is named after Rachel Scott, the first victim of the Columbine school shooting in 1999. She kept diaries about kindness and reaching out to other students. Her story and those diaries were discussed during the presentations, and form the basis of activities and guiding principles of respect and kindness that are used all year at Poquessing. |
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Carl Sandburg Middle School
Song performance promotes tolerance and respect
Members of the Carl
Sandburg Choir recently performed the song "I Believe" for a video
shared with their classmates and the community to encourage peace and
respect in light of recent incidents of intolerance in our community
and elsewhere. The lyrics of this beautiful, haunting song are based on
a poem scratched into a cellar wall in Germany known to be a hiding
place for Jews during World War II.
Neshaminy High School
8th grade musicians visit and perform with their NHS counterparts
8th grade choral
performers from all three middle schools are visited Neshaminy High
School November 19 for workshops with their high school counterparts,
tours of the music and theater facilities, and rehearsal for an
appearance at the NHS Choral Concert that night where they performed
the Hallelujah Chorus.
8th grade string musicians from all three middle schools were invited to Neshaminy High School November 29 to learn about the music program they will be part of next year. They listened to a selection from the advance string instrument class, then joined them on stage to play a selection from Handel's Hallelujah Chorus. They returned to NHS that night to perform the song once again during the NHS Orchestra Concert that evening.
A similar showcase and concert for band musicians will be held on January 9.
Neshaminy's Got Talent - and charity
Neshaminy showed
creativity and charity during the bi-annual Neshaminy’s Got Talent show
November 28. Twenty acts ranging from singers and hip-hop artists to
classical and samba dancers filled Theodore Kloos Auditorium with their
energy while raising money for the Sunshine Foundation, which funds
wishes for children facing physical and mental challenges. This year
they are raising money to send a boy and his family to Disney World.
The show, which raised $1170 for the cause, is a project of the
Neshaminy High School Dance Team and Interact Club, which is sponsored
by the Langhorne and Feasterville Rotary clubs.
NHS app designers fight an invasive insect invasion
If you haven't seen a
spotted lanternfly yet, you probably will at some point. This invasive
bug damages trees and crops, and it is having a major impact on
Pennsylvania business and agriculture. In response, a Spotted
Lanternfly Hackathon was held at the Bucks County Intermediate Unit
November 9 which included invited groups of students in grades 9-12,
including a group from Neshaminy HS. The goal was to design a
smartphone tablet app or digital platform to easily track, detect,
identify and access information about the spotted lanternfly. Finalists
from four regional Intermediate Units will be invited to the PA Farm
Show in January to share their work with experts from around the state.
FCS majors collecting items for service members
The Family & Consumer
Science majors class at Neshaminy HS is collecting Care Package items
to be sent to military service members overseas until January 25, 2018.
The Neshaminy community is invited to contribute to this cause --
donated items listed below can be dropped off at the NHS
Main Office during business hours.
Items needed include: deodorant, baby wipes, Chapstick, sunscreen, cough drops, travel toiletries, granola bars, beef jerky, instant coffee, Tasty Kakes, chewing gum or other small packaged snacks.
Items needed include: deodorant, baby wipes, Chapstick, sunscreen, cough drops, travel toiletries, granola bars, beef jerky, instant coffee, Tasty Kakes, chewing gum or other small packaged snacks.
Thespians take their show on the road
The Neshaminy HS Thespian Troupe revived their show James and the Giant Peach from last year for an encore performance at Maple Point MS November 28. They then took it on the road to North Penn High School on Friday November 30 for the PA state Thespian Conference, where they performed the show for over 1,000 students. The entire production, including staging, sound, lighting, costumes and make-up had to be set up in just two hours before that performance.
FBLA 5K Run/Walk donations race past expectations
On October 20, the
Neshaminy High School Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) club
hosted their second annual 5K Run/Walk for Charity. This year the event
was a benefit for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, the current
Pennsylvania FBLA State Project. NHS chapter officers and members
planned, organized and worked the event, solicited donations and
encouraged family and friends to participate.
The goal was to raise $2000, but thanks to club members enthusiasm and genuine desire to help the community, donations came pouring in and the total reached over $3,000. The group can accept donations through April, so they are hoping that amount will increase. The funds will be presented to the charity at a state FBLA conference in April.
The goal was to raise $2000, but thanks to club members enthusiasm and genuine desire to help the community, donations came pouring in and the total reached over $3,000. The group can accept donations through April, so they are hoping that amount will increase. The funds will be presented to the charity at a state FBLA conference in April.
Marching Band takes third in state competition
Congratulations to the
Neshaminy HS
Marching Band who wrapped up their competitive season with a
third-place finish and a season-high score of 93.7 at the Cavalcade of
Bands championship in Hershey on November 10. And special thanks to the
music staff and all the music boosters who have enthusiastically
supported them through countless rehearsals, weekly competitions,
Friday night performances, the Bucks Tour of Honor, and more. The Road
to Valhalla (this year's theme) was built with hard work,
dedication
and lots of musical talent.
Alumni News
Langhorne pastry chef competes on Food Network show
It seems we can't get
enough of TV cooking competitions, especially when it comes to holiday
food. Pastry chef Van French, Jr., a 1992 Neshaminy HS graduate and
owner of Van Earl's Cakes in Langhorne, is competing on the Food
Network show Gingerbread Showdown.
The four-week series started November 25 and continues for four weeks.
Nine contestants are competing for a $25,000 grand prize.
This is not his first time on television. Van previously competed on Cake Wars and Wedding Cake Championship on the Food Network.
This is not his first time on television. Van previously competed on Cake Wars and Wedding Cake Championship on the Food Network.
| Neshaminy Update is published monthly during the school year and distributed to the Neshaminy community via email and web. To submit comments, suggestions or news items for consideration, please email Chris Stanley, Community Relations Coordinator. |
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Neshaminy School District
2250
Langhorne-Yardley Road
Langhorne,
PA 19047
Joseph
Jones III
Superintendent
(215)
809-6000
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Neshaminy
School Board
of Directors
Marty
Sullivan - President
Bob
Feather - Vice President
John Allen Cyndie
Bowman
Irene M. Boyle Tina
Hollenbach
Adam
J. Kovitz
David Marrington Stephen
Pirritano
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Mission Statement
The Neshaminy community builds
futures by empowering each child to become a productive citizen
and a lifelong learner.
