The Tigers' Pride

Welcome back, students and families! Whether you are a returning familiar face or joining our school community for the first time, we are thrilled to have you as a part of Marple Newtown School District.

This year will be filled with new opportunities for learning, personal growth, and unforgettable experiences. Our dedicated administrators, faculty, staff, and PTO's are committed to providing a safe and nurturing environment for our students to thrive.

We hope you enjoy this year's fall edition of The Tigers' Pride highlighting exciting events, activities, and programs.

Tina M. Kane, Ed.D.

Superintendent of Schools

During National Principals Month, we extend our appreciation and admiration to our dedicated Principals. We thank you for your immeasurable contributions to our schools, our students, and the betterment of our MNSD community.

Mr. James M. Wigo, Jr., Principal

Culbertson Elementary School

Ms. Jaime Smyth, Principal

Loomis Elementary School

Mr. Brett Thomas, Principal

Russell Elementary School

Dr. Stephanie S. Sturdivant, Principal

Worrall Elementary School

Dr. TJ Gretchen, Principal

Ms. Angela Barone, Assistant Principal

Mr. Daniel Keehn, Assistant Principal

Paxon Hollow Middle School

Mr. John Beltrante, Principal

Mr. Christian Jaspersen, Assistant Principal

Mrs. Stefanie McDevitt, Assistant Principal

Mr. Donald Tabar, Assistant Principal

Marple Newtown High School

On Friday evening, September 15th, the students of Culbertson Elementary School were invited to a Sweet Treat Social which was sponsored by the wonderful Culbertson PTO. The students had their pick of three different ice cream and water ice food trucks. In addition to enjoying a treat, this event offered new families and students the opportunity to meet one another and mingle on the playground. It was a great event to begin the school year and to see all of our students playing and interacting with one another. Thank you to the Culbertson PTO for planning and coordinating this great event.

Loomis Elementary School hosted a fun filled Back to School Bash! Students learned how to double-dutch with Philly Girls Jump, and families enjoyed ice cream, water ice, basketball, moon bounces, music, face-painting, and a scavenger hunt! It was a wonderful opportunity for the Loomis community to gather and enjoy a night making happy memories together. Thank you to the Loomis PTO, the Loomis grown ups, and MNHS students that volunteered their time to make the event so special for Loomis students and their families!

Thank you to Sgt. Engelman of the Marple Police Department, who supported Loomis Kindergarten families with car seat education. We are grateful for your support keeping our Loomis grown-ups informed so they can keep their little tigers safe.

The students and staff at Marple Newtown High School worked together to warmly welcome incoming 9th-grade and new students. Faculty members presented various offerings and support options to help the students navigate their new school experience.

Our student leaders played a meaningful role in creating a positive and inviting atmosphere, showcasing their Tiger Pride. Their presentation covered a wide range of topics, including academics, opportunities for joining honor societies, sports, clubs, fundraising and service opportunities, music, performing arts, and the new school schedule. After the presentation, everyone had the opportunity to take a tour of the school building and its grounds.

New students were encouraged to focus on building their academic transcripts while also participating in extracurricular activities. Our student leaders emphasized that we are all in this together and delivered a common message: "It is up to you to make every day count. What are you going to do today to level up?"

As we look forward to the upcoming year, both students and staff are excited and confident that it will be another successful one. Go Tigers!

Every September, students from Marple Newtown’s four elementary schools join together for their first combined Marple Newtown experience as middle school students at Paxon Hollow Middle School. To begin the school year, our students had the opportunity to get acclimated to their new surroundings by taking part in the new student orientation. The moment they arrived at Paxon Hollow Middle School, we hope they were quick to discover that their friends, teachers, and staff are full of Paxon Hollow pride!

At this year’s new student orientation, families received a sneak peek at our Harry Potter Theme. In addition, families toured the building and had the chance to meet all of their students teachers. Once the tour commenced, students were treated to a snack, and then walked their first day schedule with their families. The purpose of this approach, is to shake off some of the “first day jitters” by familiarizing students with their new school building.

During the new student orientation, the goal was to prepare students for their first day of school. Each year, we sincerely look forward to helping students and their families become a part of the middle school. As students begin their new adventure in middle school, we are honored to assist them with the next level of their school experience in the Marple Newtown School District!

At Paxon Hollow Middle School, every student has the opportunity to immerse themselves in STEM and Design Thinking. In the 6th grade, our students gain a fundamental understanding of block coding through hands-on experiences with Sphero Bolt robots, all while making meaningful connections to their history lessons. They embark on a journey down the Nile, use their coding skills to create hieroglyphics, and delve into the world of Ancient Egypt by exploring and sharing information.

In the 7th grade, students rise to the challenge of conceptualizing their very own food truck enterprise. They develop a unique theme, design a captivating logo, craft a menu, set pricing strategies, and even create a website to showcase their culinary venture! Alongside this, they acquire graphic design skills and explore the realm of LittleBits electronic circuit kits to invent gadgets that could streamline their food truck operations.

As a culmination of their Design Thinking experience, 8th grade students take a deeper dive into block coding, establishing cross-curricular connections to Science by embarking on simulated outer space missions with the Sphero Bolts. During this phase, students learn how to harness the Bolt's advanced sensors to measure luminosity and employ infrared communications, taking their coding skills to the next level!

Russell Elementary was very excited to host 10 students from Ysgol Eifion Wyn, Porthmadog, in the county of Gwynedd, Wales. The students arrived in Philadelphia on September 30th through October 7th. This informational exchange was made possible by funding through the Welsh government, and a connection to the Welsh Society of Philadelphia. The students and three faculty members joined our 5th graders, coming to Philadelphia for professional development and education about the public school system in the United States. The group stayed in King of Prussia and visited Russell Monday 10/2, half day Tuesday 10/3 and all-day Friday 10/6, where they will joined our first Rusty Roundup and got a proper send-off. The group connected with the Welsh Society for some cultural experiences including a tour of the Constitution Center and Old City, a trip to the ‘Rocky” steps, as well as museums, hiking in Valley Forge, and some other fun things planned for the group.

If you are unfamiliar with Wales, below are some quick tidbits about the country:

• Wales is an independent country that is part of Great Britain. Note- It can be considered offensive to Welsh people to be called English. They refer to their nation as Cymru, and their people as Cymry
• Wales is one of the 6 recognized Celtic nations. The others include Brittany, Cornwall, Isle of Man, Ireland, and Scotland.
• The Welsh language is a living Celtic language. Much of their curriculum and communication is in Welsh, not English!
• Wales is located on the southeast coast of the United Kingdom, directly across St. George’s Channel in the Atlantic Ocean from Ireland
• Philly’s own Rob McElhenny from “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” co-owns a Welsh soccer team with Ryan Reynolds called Wrexham, a town only an hour or so from Ysgol Eifion Wyn. There is also a documentary called “Welcome to Wrexham” on FX and many streaming services documenting the purchase and rebuild of this prideful town and community. Wales sounds a lot like Delco!
• If you stop and look around at many of the town names in this area, you will see an unmistakable Welsh link: Bryn Mawr, Berwyn, Gladwyne, Gwynedd, Llanerch, Wynnewood, Bala Cynwyd, Tredyffrin- all of the names we all struggle to spell because of double ll’s, ff;s and y acting as the main vowel- all because of Welsh influence with the initial settlements of Pennsylvania.

Links to the Welsh Society, and Ysgol Eifion Wyn below:

https://www.philadelphiawelsh.org/

https://ysgoleifionwyn.cymru/cy/hafan

On Wednesday, September 13th, Russell held Back to School Night. The event was well attended, and parents filled our halls and classrooms to learn all about Russell and what is in store for this school year. Russell staff worked diligently to prepare their classrooms and welcoming activities for parents. Families were able to attend a presentation by Mr. Thomas regarding the updates and systems that are new to Russell this year. This year, Russell is focused on building a positive community and we have gotten off to a tremendous start.

The Russell PTO, being led by a new president, Tara Gallo, and vice president, Kristin Smith, were on hand to welcome new parents, recruit new volunteers, and show off and sell out of our new spirit gear. It was an outstanding event and there was noticeable optimism as we embark on another school year together as a community.

Worrall students proudly wore their red, white, and blue to commemorate Patriot Day on Monday, September 11, 2023. The Worrall Community is grateful to all who serve as first responders, and we honor the memory of those brave men and women lost on September 11, 2002. Our reflection on Patriot Day also provides a meaningful connection to Worrall’s Character Education focus traits for this year: responsibility, citizenship, belonging, and pride. Thank you, first responders!

The MNHS 2023 Athletic Hall of Fame induction ceremony took place on Thursday, September 28th at the Paxon Hollow Country Club. The 2023 inductees include:

Team Inductees:

1977 Girls Central League Championship Team (Jane Cameron, Linda Rauh, Mariann Engle, Lynn Emerson, Ellie Crocker, Wendy Zanan, Tracy Morrison, Barb Cheeseman, Vicki Videon, Sue Bartlett, Anne Winte, Beth O'Brien, Beth Sperry and, Wendy Smith)

1995 Boys Central League Championship Baseball Team (Jason Jordan, Drew Heinrichs, Justin Kidd, Pat Thornton, Scott Digennaro, Mike Maiocco, Matt WIlson, Tim Burling, Kevin Hagan, Chris Gicking, Dave Harvey, Gregg Keshgegian, Nick Anderson, Shawn McGee, Dave Demarco, and Steve Hunt))

Coach Inductee:

Cheir McMonagle, Marple Newtown Girls Lacrosse 1995 State Championship Coach

Individual Inductees:

Gregory Leonard, Class of 2003, Lacrosse

Chris Southcott, Class of 1991, High Jump

Wendy Bortle Thompson, Class of 1980, Multi-Sport (Field Hockey, Basketball & Lacrosse)

Daniel Maza, Class of 1971, Multi-Sport (Football, Basketball & Baseball)

Monica DiCandilo Yeakel, Class of 1989, Multi-Sport (Tennis & Lacrosse)

Ernest "Skip" Krombolz, Class of 1961, Track and Field, Javelin

Kevin Merchant, Class of 1999, Multi-Sport, Football, Lacrosse & Soccer

Congratulations to all of the inductees!

Culbertson is happy to welcome Cynthia Vadino (Special Education Assistant), Victoria Vadino (Special Education Assistant), Britnee Walker (Special Education Assistant), Emily Mineo (School Counselor), Jessica Falco (Behavior Specialist), Brian Battista (Building Assistant), and Maria Siegert (Building Assistant). We are excited to have them on board!

Loomis proudly welcomes Alison Mezzanotte (Gifted Support), Erica Valori (3rd Grade), and Ariana Galante (Special Education) to the team! We are so happy to have them.

Please join MNHS in welcoming Nicole Pica and Amber Dunkel to the Science Department, Robert Smythe and Michael O’Shea to the Social Studies Department, John Jacobs to the Special Education Department and Claire Kennedy to the Math Department.

Taylor Erdman is our new secretary for the College and Career Access Center and Dana Chirico has joined as our Main Office Secretary.

Russell is pleased to introduce our new staff members for this year. Ms. Madelyn Zielinski is our new Life Skills Teacher, joining our special education department. Mr. Rob DiNicola is our new Third Grade Teacher, taking over for Mrs. McCloskey after her retirement. Ms. Briana Graziola is our new Second Grade Teacher in a long-term substitute position, as she fills in for Mrs. Omrod. We are also happy to welcome Ms. Taylor Patterson back as our Occupational Therapist! We are fortunate to have them as part of our Russell Team!

Worrall is proud to introduce our new staff members for this year. Ms. Rachel Black is Worrall’s new Art Teacher, joining our fabulous Unified Arts Department. Ms. Allie Labutis is our new Third Grade Teacher, taking on the newly created fourth section at this grade level. We are also happy to have three Long Term Substitutes--Mrs. Lisa Barbuto, Ms. Sydney Torresson, and Ms. Hanna Crowley. Welcome to the Worrall Family, new staff members!

Paxon Hollow Middle School is thrilled to announce several teachers joining our staff. From left to right, we have Hannah Sviridovsky, Allison Rollo, Ryan Achuff, Matt Cook, Emma Black, Sarah Turner, Elizabeth Batchelor, Carmela Curatola, and Angelina Giordano. Starting first with new members to the 6th grade team include Ms. Sviridovsky (ELA), Ms. Giordano (ELA and Gifted), and Mr. Cook (Social Studies). Additionally, Ms. Black (Science) and Mrs. Turner (Social Studies) can be found in our 8th grade wing, Ms. Curatola is now our new computers teacher, and Mr. Achuff and Ms. Batchelor are a welcome addition to the Special Education Department. Our new teachers bring with them an extensive background in teaching and expertise in their content. We are very lucky to have them join our Tiger family and look forward to a wonderful school year.