News from the Nest
This past week, Upper Dublin students and programs were featured on Channel 6 ABC News!
On Friday, May 24th, Thomas Fitzwater Elementary School was featured for their very successful Career Fair. During the Career Fair, our students actively engaged with community members and gained valuable insights into future job opportunities. Special thank you to the TFES Principal, Ms. Kim, Ms. Lowe and all the volunteer vendors who dedicated their time and effort to provide our students with real-life educational experiences. View the video below!
In addition, Sandy Run Middle School students participating in a new club called the Hope Squad, will soon also be featured on Channel 6 ABC News! Channel 6 is doing a brief piece highlighting the work of Abbey's Bakery, a local organization that focuses on raising mental health awareness. Abbey's Bakery has supported the development of the Hope Squad at SRMS which teaches students essential leadership skills while raising awareness for mental health resources and supports that are available in the community. We are eagerly awaiting the airing of our SRMS students and will share the video as soon as it is available.
There is so many students, staff, and programs to highlight and be thankful for!
In honor of Pride Month, the LGBTQIA+ Equity Sub Committee hosted their 5th annual Pride Flag Raising Event on Thursday, May 30th at the UDHS flag pole. Students, families, and community members joined the event to show their support. This flag represents our commitment to creating an inclusive environment where everyone feels respected and valued. The event celebrates our diversity and the beautiful spectrum of identities that make up our community.
We are proud that Upper Dublin was the first school district in Montgomery county to raise the Pride flag five years ago, and we are thrilled to be able to continue the tradition of being among the first in Montgomery county every year to fly the flag, which will be displayed throughout the month of June.
The LGBTQIA+ Equity Sub Committee will be hosting their 4th annual Pride Event on Friday, June 14th from 5 - 7PM in the UDHS PAC parking lot. This is a family friendly event. There will be music, games, food, and lots of Pride!
It's a busy time for spring sports. Check out these highlights...
Last weekend was the PIAA Track & Field State Championships at Shippensburg University.
- Owen Smith placed 13th in the 300-meter hurdles race;
- Mason Kullmann placed 15th in the 800-meter run;
- Mason Kullmann, Olivia Burdo, Talia Hoffner, and Faith Castronuovo finished in 6th place in the 4x400 relay; and
- Emily Kulak, Mason Kullmann, Talia Hoffner, and Faith Castronuovo earned the PIAA State Gold Medal in the 4x800 relay.
Congratulations to Noah Morganstin of our Boys Lacrosse program. Noah was named to the USA Lacrosse All-Academic Team for the spring of 2024.
Congratulations and good luck to our baseball, girls lacrosse, and boys lacrosse programs. All three of these programs will advance to the PIAA State playoffs next week.
- Baseball plays on June 3rd at Monsignor Bonner at 4PM.
- Boys/Girls Lacrosse teams play on June 4th. The boys will travel to LaSalle high school, while the girls will travel up to the Allentown area and face Pleasant Valley. Game times are still to be determined.
Last weekend Coach Stover was inducted into the PSFCA Hall of Fame. A tremendous accomplishment for one of our longest-tenured coaches in Upper Dublin! Congrats Coach Stover.
The Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) is responsible for ensuring that all special education programs in schools are appropriate, compliant, and effective. To do this, school districts must submit a Special Education Plan every 3 years to the PDE.
The Special Education Plan describes the special education program and services that are provided within a school district and those special education programs and services which are accessed by the school district from outside the school district's geographical boundaries.
Through the efforts and collaboration of District leadership, staff members, and various stakeholders, Upper Dublin has developed our draft Special Education Plan. The plan was presented to the School Board at the May 1, 2024 Education Committee meeting. At this time, the plan is in its "public review" phase. You can find our draft plan on the main district webpage, under "Important District Information" or click here. If you have any feedback or questions, please reach out to Mrs. Jennifer Summers, Director of Student Services, at jsummers@udsd.org. Feedback is encouraged! After any necessary revisions, approval of the plan is scheduled for the June 24, 2024 School Board meeting.
The Pennsylvania Department of Health (DOH) has been seeing an increase in cases of Pertussis (Whooping Cough) along with outbreaks amongst high school students and their close contacts. These cases are occurring regardless of vaccination status and may be due to waning immunity in this population.
Pertussis is an acute bacterial disease. It is spread via airborne transmission through contact with infected droplets. The incubation period is commonly 7-10 days with a range of 5-21 days. The patient is infectious from the beginning of symptoms until 3 weeks after the start of the cough or until 5 days of treatment with an appropriate antibiotic.
Symptoms of Pertussis can include:
Cough lasting longer than two weeks, especially if they also have at least one of the following symptoms: Paroxysms of cough, Inspiratory whoop, Post-tussive vomiting, or Apnea
The Department of Health recommends initiating treatment for pertussis prior to getting test results back for patients in which there is a high index of suspicion for pertussis and in those patients with certain high-risk conditions. Patients diagnosed with pertussis should isolate at home until 5 full days of antibiotics have been completed.
