
In The Q
June 27, 2021 Newsletter
Graduation 2021
We're all in this together
After 16 months of being kept apart and sometimes feeling isolated by a pandemic terribly difficult to navigate, Quakertown Community High School graduates heard how the resilience and commitment they displayed to one another in the last two school years will help them succeed in an ever-changing world.
Speaker after speaker, beginning with Principal Mattias van’t Hoenderdaal and continuing with class leaders Matthew Catalano, Emily Maceri, Elizabeth Hilton and advisor Barry Stoneback echoed a theme they heard from Mr. V on the first day of school.
“Your success is my success, and my success is your success,” Matt said, recalling Mr. V’s words.
“This idea of collaboration, and relying on each other to achieve something greater than we ever could have achieved as individuals, has been a common theme throughout our time together, and will hopefully continue for the rest of our lives,” Matt said.
More than 400 QCHS seniors graduated as the Class of 2021 at Alumni Field Friday night. Three days after the community rallied with support in a Graduation Parade down Park Avenue, grads were surprised with a fireworks display following the celebratory tossing of caps into the air.
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QCHS 2021 Graduation Parade
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Free summer meals for anyone 18 & under
We want to make sure that everyone knows that Quakertown Community’s summer meal program does not require registration or identification – all students need to do is come by to receive a happy and healthy meal.
From June 29 through August 19 youngsters 18 and younger may visit the Quakertown Senior High School bus loop to pick up meals. Breakfasts and lunches will be distributed on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 11:30 a.m. until 1 p.m.
Please click here for more information.
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Summer learning opportunities
QCSD's Office for Teaching and Learning hopes that students have an opportunity to access the summer reading and learning resources found at this link.
Reading over the summer is one way for students to engage in self-care as well as continue to grow as learners. If you have any questions about the summer reading list, please reach out to your child's teacher(s).
The Bucks County Intermediate Unit’s Mobile Fab Lab will be bringing STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math) fun and learning right into your community at local public libraries. Don’t miss out on locations, times, and dates - register here to be notified of all the details!
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Superintendent's end of school year blog
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Orchestra information, FAQs
From Orchestra Director Megan K. Edinger
How do I sign up for next year?
Current students are automatically enrolled in orchestra for the following year. If your orchestra student also wishes to join the band, you can register online. Please be sure to list both band and orchestra instruments when registering for band so the band director and I are aware of the dual instruments.
What do I do with my instrument over the summer?
Practice! Here is a list of private orchestra teachers in the area that can be reached for lessons over the summer.
Go to orchestra camp. Here is information for the one-week summer camp Got Strings? Feel free to contact me with any questions for registering.
It is recommended to keep the instrument over the summer not only for practice purposes, but also to keep the rent-to-buy payment credits that you've accrued this year. If you do not wish to keep the instrument over the summer, you can reach out to Zeswitz to cancel your rental agreement and arrange for the instrument to be returned. Instruments will need to be reordered in August for lessons starting the 2nd week of school.
Can I change my orchestra instrument for next year?
Yes, please let me know what orchestra instrument you would like to switch to for next year. I can help coordinate the instrument switch with Zeswitz.
For more information, visit www.qcsd.org/music
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Strayer Choir
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Student leaders making impact at Strayer
The students, working with Principal Dr. Jennifer Bubser and school counselor Melyce Lucchesi, used survey data from a inspirED Leadership Project with the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence to create a school project that increases school spirit and limits screen time.
InspirED is a free set of resources that support students and helps them assess school climate; brainstorm project ideas; commit and complete projects; and debriefs success.
Please click here for the story.
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Inspirational banner art project
Art teacher's lesson plan helps students through difficult period
To support the social-emotional well-being of Strayer Middle School students, art teacher Kate Fetterolf created a lesson to help students navigate through the challenging times of the pandemic.
Students created posters with positive aspirations or mantras inspired by a poem by Maya Angelou. This poem is published with the paintings of the iconic American painterJean Michel Basquiat. Mrs. Fetterolf's students analyzed his paintings and learned about his interesting upbringing in Brooklyn to parents of Haitian and Puerto Rican descent.
“Coming into this school year, I knew that many of our kids had been struggling through a very difficult time in our history," Mrs. Fetterolf said. "The global pandemic and social issues related to race in our nation affected many of our Strayer families very deeply and directly. In addition to this, students had been out of school for nearly half of a school year."
Many of these posters were printed and now hang throughout Strayer in offices and classrooms. The culmination of this project was the printing and hanging of seven, 5-foot tall banners in the Strayer lobby. These positive messages such as “I Am Worthy” and “Life Is Good With Both the Positive and Negative Things in It” are now the first and last thing many students and staff see each day. "I hope so much they continue to help people feel hope and positivity for years to come,” Mrs. Fetterolf said.
Her student artists include Julianna Riccio, Alexandra Kowalewski, Korynn Wilhelm, Jacee Hoffman, Hannah Yerger, Alex Edinger and Halen Padgett.
“This work is inspiring and a reminder of how wonderful, kind, and talented our students are," Principal Dr. Jennifer Bubser said. "They are making a positive impact on school culture and they are making a difference in the world!”
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Strayer Principal Award! Congrats Sienna!
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Alumni Board awards 5 scholarships to seniors
The Quakertown Community High School Alumni Board has awarded five $1,000 scholarships to graduating seniors. The students are Naomi DeVries, Sonya Ritter, Caleb Roth, who also attends Upper Bucks County Technical School, Kathy Tran and Kaitlyn Zajkowski.
Please click here for the story.
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5 QCHS wrestlers make All-Academic team
Coach Kurt Handel said "Your work on the mat and in the classrooms does not go unnoticed."
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Marcus Milkowich, Troop 87 Eagle Scout
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QE raises funds for borough playground
During the month of May, Quakertown Elementary School hosted Penny Wars and Raffle Baskets to raise money for QuiNBy’s Playground, a new playground at Memorial Park. This playground will be used by many past, present and future students of QE.
On May 28th, QE students presented Quakertown Borough's Parks and Recreation Department with a check of $3,723.02 for the new playground. The donated funds will cover the cost of the Scooter Springer and Water Fountain with the Pet Bowl making QE a silver sponsor!
Great job QE!
Please click here for more information.
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UBCTS updated workforce profile
Upper Bucks County Technical School and the Bucks County Workforce and Economic Development of Bucks County collaborate and coordinate services to help prepare students for high skill, wage, and demand occupations in current and emerging professions.
Please click here for more information.
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Must-see high school digital art show
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QCSD is once again ALICE certified
ALICE stands for Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter and Evacuate. Each area is a means of survival if there is an active shooter. The program encourages everyone to choose the safest option during a life-threatening situation. To become an ALICE certified organization, school staff had to complete an online training session, participate in active shooter drills and implement ALICE procedures into emergency protocols.
The ALICE philosophy, which the district adopted and began implementing in the summer of 2015, is to use technology and information in a way that staff and students can make informed decisions in a crisis, remove as many people as possible from the danger zone, and provide realistic training so those involved in a crisis have a better chance of surviving. Students in each grade receive some form of training.
"This certificate shows that we are fully on top of our game," School Resource Officer Bob Lee said. He added that while the district does not ever want to face an armed shooter, "we are prepared, both mentally and physically, in every building."
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Fall sports registration
QCHS Athlete registration https://www.familyid.com/quakertown-community-school-district/quakertown-community-high-school-2021-2022-fall-athlete-registration
Strayer Athlete registration https://www.familyid.com/quakertown-community-school-district/strayer-ms-2021-2022-fall-athlete-registration
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School Board Spring Newsletter
If you missed the School Board's spring newsletter, please click here.
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St. Luke's Community Health Needs Assessment
Please click here for that survey.
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Upper Bucks Free Press QCHS Alumni Spotlight
Christopher Betz, publisher of the Upper Bucks Free Press, has started a series highlighting notable graduates of Quakertown Community High School.
Please click here for the May edition story on 2001 grad Jennifer Kunes Driscoll. It's on page 16.
Please click here for the June edition story on 1973 grad Randy Bloch. It's on page 9.
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bucksEMBRACE July Book Club Meeting
bucksEMBRACE will host an in-person book club meeting for bucksEMBRACE teens and adults in July! The event is scheduled for Sunday, July 18 at 1 p.m. in Doylestown (location TBA to registrants only for safety purposes). Please register here by July 16.
SCHEDULE: 12:30 - 1:00 p.m. Registration/Meet & Greet; 1:00 - 2:00 p.m. Lunch/Book Discussion in Two Groups (Adults & Teens, Facilitated by bucksEMBRACE Ambassadors); 2:00 - 2:30 p.m. Clean Up/Farewell.
Per students’ requests, we are reading a book that depicts stories of indigenous people:
Firekeeper's Daughter, by Angeline Boulley.
DISCLAIMER: This book covers mature content. For participants under 18 years old, parental/guardian consent is required. Those interested in joining bucksEMBRACE should visit its Facebook page.
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A message from Richlandtown Borough
The Richlandtown Borough Council seeks to educate and involve the Youth of the Borough in their local government, and to reach out to involve possible future members of Council, to benefit both the youth and all residents of Richlandtown Borough.
The Junior Council Person (JCP) Program was established and fostered by the Pennsylvania State Association of Boroughs (PSAB), which seeks to encourage high school or college-aged borough residents to participate in the workings of their local government by becoming a Junior Council Person for Richlandtown Borough. Although the JCP program prefers to have residents of the borough participate in the program interested candidates are also welcome to apply from the surrounding boroughs, including students from Quakertown Community High School.
The Junior Council Person would attend and participate (although not being able to vote) in all Borough Council and Committee Meetings and procedures which are held on the second and the fourth Tuesday of each month.
Interested participates should submit a written application via an email or letter to the Mayor of Richlandtown at James.dunn@richlandtownborough.org highlighting the applicant's interest in the position. After considering all submissions, the Richlandtown Borough council shall appoint the student at a regularly scheduled Council Meeting.
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Elementary redistricting maps
The elementary Redistricting Committee made its recommendations to the School Board in February. To learn your school of attendance for the 2021-22 school year based on the map, please click here and enter your address.
For more information about the committee, please click here.
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Free COVID-19 testing in Bucks County
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Comcast: 60 days of free internet
Comcast is offering "Free 60 Days of Internet Essentials and School Programs," according to a recent press release.
Internet Essentials provides high-speed Internet service to low-income families and has connected more than four million low-income students since its inception. New customers who sign up before June 30, 2021, will receive 60 days of complimentary service. Comcast will also continue to waive the requirement that customers not have back debt due so more families can apply.
For more information, visit www.internetessentials.com.
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Here's how to access school board meeting videos
Looking for past "In The Q" issues?
Quakertown Community School District
Email: gweckselblatt@qcsd.org
Website: www.qcsd.org
Location: 100 Commerce Drive, Quakertown, PA, USA
Phone: 215-529-2028
Facebook: facebook.com/QCSDNews
Twitter: @QCSDnews