Neshaminy Update
Neshaminy School District / September, 2023
Four Neshaminy teachers were honored at the May 21 School Board Public Meeting for the annual Teacher Recognition Awards. The awards are given each year to "acknowledge the amazing work and impact of our teachers whose classroom and Community contributions exemplify outstanding commitment to the profession the district and our community," according to Assistant to the Superintendent / Director of Elementary Education Michelle Burkholder, who opened the ceremony.
The winners were drawn from 20 nominations that came from all ten of the district's schools. Each winner will receive a $1,500 budget for classroom supplies along with their name engraved on a plaque outside the District Board Room at Maple Point. Three of the winners were in attendance at the meeting while the fourth was unable to attend as he was working at an event at his school on the same night.
The 2024 winners are:
- Leadership Award: Melissa Negrotti, MTSS Intervention Specialist, Maple Point MS (introduced by MPMS Assistant Principal Kristen McCreary): "As an educator she is dedicated to the advancement of educational practices and the empowerment of fellow teachers. Melissa exemplifies the qualities of an outstanding leader in our educational community. Throughout her tenure Melissa has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to implementing and delivering multi-tiered systems of support strategies. She's not only integrated the strategies into her teaching and coaching practices, but she's also served as a beacon of guidance and mentorship for colleagues seeking to enhance their instructional approaches across all three of our Neshaminy middle schools."
- Community Partnership Award: Kim Kelley, English teacher, Neshaminy HS (introduced by NHS Principal Stephen Garstka): "Kim Kelley is is a teacher in our English Department. She oversees our NHS National Honor Society. She leads that group with confidence and really exudes the four pillars of that group. The way that she handles herself and those students is absolutely top notch. Kim has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to fostering positive change by engaging her National Honor Society students in meaningful service projects to support the Breathing Room Foundation. Through her guidance and mentorship, students have been empowered to channel their energy and talents towards making a tangible difference in the lives of those facing adversity due to illness."
- Spirit of Neshaminy Award: Kimberly Montone, English Language Development, Neshaminy HS (introduced by Principal Stephen Garstka): "Ms. Montone is well known throughout Neshaminy School District as the founder of the Neshaminy MiniTHON chapter. Ms. Montone doesn't just affect and spread the spirit of Neshaminy throughout high school, but it extends down through Mini-MiniTHON to the middle schools and the elementary school. So when her name came up for the spirit of the shaman award um it was a very easy cell for me to convince everyone that she should be the recipient tonight. In addition to her leadership outside of the classroom Kimmy has acted as an innovator and Mentor in her classroom."
Innovation Award: Brian (Ferris) Kelly, Physical Education Lead Teacher, Joseph Ferderbar ES (introduced by Michelle Burkholder): "Brian is not only our PE teacher he's also our K-12 Lead Teacher for PE and he was nominated for Innovation award. That's specific to a number of items, but to summarize those specifically to bringing the Ninja Warrior courses to all of our elementary schools. In addition to increasing and improving that each year, this year he brought in the Warp Wall, he also brought in the Wrecking Ball. He presents at the district level, and he presents at the county level and at the state level as well so we're excited to
announce Brian Kelly's award this evening."
Construction work on the new Core Creek Elementary School on the Maple Point campus is continuing on schedule. Plans call for the school to welcome its first students from Pearl S. Buck ES after the winter holiday break in January, 2025. This month, the new parking lot is being paved and most areas of the school building have now been enclosed and interior work on classrooms and common areas is well underway.
PennDOT has begun work on the intersection improvements on Langhorne-Yardley Road, Bridgetown Pike and Woodbourne Road near Maple Point Middle School and Core Creek ES. The roads will be widened with the addition of turn lanes at Woodbourne Road and a traffic circle will be added at the Bridgetown Pike intersection. While this project will cause some short-term traffic congestion, once completed it will vastly improve safety and traffic flow at these two intersections that are critical to both schools and the surrounding neighborhoods. Information about the intersection projects can be found on the PennDOT website.
Neshaminy School District is introducing a new, more efficient way of gathering vital information about our students and their parents and guardians. This streamlined process will make it easier for parents and guardians to update their student's address of residency, contact information, and permission forms each year. The new system, accessible on any smartphone, computer, or other web-based device, will save time and effort and ensure that each school has the proper student information. Parents and guardians will be asked to confirm and fill out new information each school year.
Beginning Friday, May 31, all Neshaminy parents and guardians will need to log into Home Access Center and update their current residency and contact information. This process will be available from May 31 through August 1, with a one-week pause during the week of July 1-5 for system updates. It's crucial to have this form completed as soon as possible to ensure that the most up-to-date information is available before the new school year begins. After logging into Home Access, users will be asked to complete the following:
- Confirm or update the primary address of residency
- Confirm or update parent / guardian names
- Confirm or update emergency contact information
- Confirm or update contact email address, phone, and text numbers
- Review and accept the Neshaminy Technology agreement
- Review and check other policy and permission items
If the address of residency has changed within the district, you will be asked to provide documentation of your new address. ALL Parents and Guardians of students entering fifth grade and ninth grade will also be required to “re-prove” residency by providing documentation confirming their address. This process can also be completed easily online using the same system; instructions on what documents are needed and how to upload them will be provided closer to the launch date.
Families that are new to the district and have registered their student(s) within the past three months do NOT need to complete this process this year. Recently registered students entering kindergarten for the 2024-2025 school year also do not need to have their information updated.
Additional instructions and information about this new system will be shared via email and posted on the district website, www.neshaminy.org.
2024-2025 registration for the Preschool Lab at Neshaminy HS is now open. This unique part-time program, part of the Family and Consumer Science program at the high school, is available for 3- and 4-year-olds with birthdays on or before 2/28/2021. Students in the Child Development and Parenting classes at the high school under the guidance of FCS faculty actively work with the young children in a fully equipped preschool classroom. The lab offers two sessions per day (8:25 am - 10:40 am and 11:40 am - 1:50 pm) four days a week (Monday - Thursday) from mid-October through May when the high school is in session. The fee for the entire year is $425. For more information and to register, please visit Family & Consumer Science / Preschool Laboratory Information (neshaminy.org) or call 215-809-6680.
Pre-K Counts at Neshaminy is now signing up families for the 2024-2025 school year. This grant-funded preschool program provides a quality full-time preschool program at no cost to families who meet the generous household income guidelines. A family of four, for example, can have a household income up to $93,600 to qualify. Income is based on 2023 IRS tax returns for all members of the household. In 2023-2024, clases in the Neshaminy Pre-K Counts program are meeting at Walter Miller Elementary School, Albert Schweitzer Elementary School and the Lower Southampton Learning Center (the former Lower Southampton Elementary School). The locations for the 2024-2025 program will be announced by August 1.
If you child is age 3 or 4 before September 1, apply now! For additional information, full income qualification guidelines and registration materials, please visit www.neshaminy.org/pkc.
- Saturday, June 1: Tri-M Benefit Concert, Neshaminy HS
- Saturday, June 1: SAT Subject & Reasoning Test, Neshaminy HS, 7:45 am
- Thursday, June 6: Neshaminy HS Drama Collabaret, 6:30 pm
- Friday, June 7: Last day of school for NHS seniors
- Wednesday - Friday, June 12-14: Half-days for grades K-11
- Wednesday, June 12: Neshaminy HS Graduation Ceremony, 6:30 pm (rain dates on the following evenings)
- Friday, June 14: Last day of school for students grades K-11
- Tuesday, June 18: Last day for teachers
- Thursday, July 4: Independence Day, District offices closed
Check the district and school websites for more important dates and events!
2024-2025 PROPOSED FINAL BUDGET
The proposed 2024-2025 Neshaminy School District budget was posted following the May 7 Board Public Work Session (with action items). It is available for public inspection on the Neshaminy Board Docs website or at the Neshaminy District offices at Maple Point during normal business hours. The proposed budget is scheduled to be considered for final approval by the School Board at the June 18 Board Public Meeting.
The 2024-2025 Proposed Final Budget includes total revenues equal $209,440,288 and expenditures equal to $213,290,541. The millage rate equals 181.675, an increase from the 2023-2024 rate which was 171.23 mills. This increase matches the Pennsylvania Act 1 index for the 2024-2025 school year. Last year's budget included no tax increase.
TECH SCHOOL BUDGET
The School Board voted to approve the 2024-2025 Bucks County Technical High School (BCTHS) budget in the total amount of $33,579,138 (Operating budget of $32,205,876), with the Neshaminy School District 2024-2025 net fiscal payment to be $5,334,056. Neshaminy is one of six cooperating districts that feed into the school. This school year, 327 Neshaminy students attended BCTHS.
FOOD SERVICES
The School Board approved pricing for student and staff breakfast and lunches for the 2024-2025 school year. The prices for all meals will remain the same as the 2023-2024 school year. The Board also approved a one-year contract extension with Aramark Educational Services, LLC to continue providing food services to the district.
NEW DIRECTOR OF SECONDARY EDUCATION
At the May 7 Board meeting, Dr, Kathryn Hinshaw was approved as the new Director of Secondary Education for Neshaminy School District. She will be replacing Jason Bowman who held the job until becoming Acting Superintendent. Director of Elementary Education Michelle Burkholder has been doubling up to cover all grades during the interim. Mr. Bowman will become Superintendent effective July 1; Dr. Hinshaw will begin her new job the same day and Ms. Burkholder will continue as Director of Elementary Education.
Dr. Hinshaw comes to Neshaminy from Bensalem School District, where she has been the K-12 Teaching and Learning Supervisor since 2015 and a teacher and curriculum administrator at Bensalem, Agora Cyber Charter School and the School District of Philadelphia before that. She is a graduate of Temple University and earned two Masters degrees at Holy Family University and the University of Scranton. She received her Doctorate in Curriculum, Teaching, Learning and Leadership from Northeastern University.
UPCOMING MEETINGS
The June Board Public Work Session is scheduled for Tuesday, June 4 at 7 pm in the District Board Room at Maple Point. The May Board Public Meeting will be held Tuesday, June 18 at 7 pm also in the District Board Room at Maple Point. The meeting agenda and livestream video link for all Board meetings can be found at www.neshaminy.org/meetings.
UPCOMING COMMITTEE MEETINGS
- Wednesday, June 5: Business Operations Committee, 6:30 pm
- Thursday, June 13: Facilities and Planning Committee, 6:30 pm
Board committee meetings are open to the public and are a good opportunity to discuss specific programs and projects with committee members in a less formal, more conversational setting than the full Board meetings.
All committee meetings are held in the District Board Room at Maple Point unless otherwise noted. The public is invited to attend and participate in Board and Committee meetings. All meeting times and locations are subject to change due to unforeseen circumstances; please check the District website www.neshaminy.org for any updates.
Neshaminy School District is pleased to offer a tax rebate program for senior citizens in our community. Please visit https://www.neshaminy.org/Page/758 for information about the Irene Boyle Senior Citizen Tax Assistance Program. Eligible homeowners residing in Neshaminy School District who reached the age of 65 by December 31, 2023 might qualify for a property tax break of up to $650. The deadline to apply is June 15, 2024.
Submitted by Traci Hindle, School Counselor at Neshaminy HS, recipient of a 2023-2024 Neshaminy Education Foundation grant:
Project Proposal: Our goal is to create a calming corner/space in the Guidance Office to help students process and regulate their emotions utilizing self-soothing strategies and tools. As of November 29, 2023, over 3,500 students have visited guidance so far this year. At least 35% of those visits are unscheduled arrivals by students who need to access guidance throughout the day, many of whom are in distress and need help self-regulating. This endeavor would increase social and emotional learning for all students who access the space, helping them develop awareness for self-regulation and healthy coping skills. Creating this calming space for the general population, will allow students to then access classroom curriculum in a calmed emotional state. The calming space corner would be utilized in conjunction with counselor intervention.
Completion Report: We feel that the Calming Corner has been a great added resource to the Counseling Office. Several students use the space each day, and we’ve received positive feedback from the students that the space has helped with alleviating stress, in combination with counselor intervention. We’ve also been able to use some of the resources in our offices as well when working with students. It’s been nice to see that this space provides the students an opportunity to practice self-regulation using various calming aides for self-soothing, in fact some students have commented about wanting to get some of the tools for themselves to use at home. We’ve attached a picture of the space and want to thank the committee for the opportunity to provide this much needed resource to our students.
In 2017, Pennsylvania's Department of Health established requirements for school vaccinations. Please review this document from the Pennsylvania Department of Health and consult with your child’s healthcare provider. Communication from the District will continue as a reminder of this PA Department of Health requirement.
District Policy 203 requires that “a certificate of immunization shall be maintained as part of the health record for each student, as required by the Pennsylvania Department of Health.” Further, the Policy states that “a student who has not been immunized per state regulations shall not be admitted to or permitted to attend district schools unless exempted for medical or religious reasons or provisionally admitted by the Superintendent or designee after beginning a multiple dose vaccine series and submitting proof of immunization or a medical certificate on or before the fifth school day of attendance.”
The requirements allow for the following exemptions: medical reason, religious belief, or philosophical/strong moral or ethical conviction. Even if your child is exempt from immunizations, he or she may be excluded from school during a vaccine-preventable disease outbreak.
Communication from the District will continue as a reminder of this PA Department of Health and Policy 203’s requirements. Please contact your child’s School Nurse with questions.
On May 6, approximately 10,000 students across Pennsylvania, including 380 participants from Neshaminy’s first, second, and Autistic Support classes at Buck, Ferderbar, and Tawanka ES took part in the DiscoverEd State Stem Challenge. Each participating class was partnered with another class in Pennsylvania. Through Zoom, students met and conducted a “get to know you” icebreaker, discussed the project, and shared design ideas. Their task: To Build a Catapult! Students were given 8 popsicle sticks, 4 straws, 3 rubber bands, and one spoon, all provided by DiscoverEd. Excitement filled the classrooms as students became engineers and started the engineering design process by first discussing the problem (How to launch their ping pong with force) and then planning (drawing a picture of their design) and testing their solution (creating their catapult). During the building of the catapults, there were as many failures as successes, but all of the students persevered and tried again or even just took time to perfect their design. Classes then met again with their partner classes to share their results and discuss how they devised their plan and came up with the best solution.
On May 2 the AE classes at Tawanka ES planted flowers and other plants for pollinators - the birds, bats, bees, bugs and other animals that carry the pollen that makes much of our food supply possible - as part of a project where they learned about the role of pollinators and got to choose the plants for the garden that would help them. This garden - similar to ones at Hoover ES and Buck ES - was the brainchild of Neshaminy parent Teresa Weiser who has worked with students at all three schools to set up pollinator gardens.
Members of Poquessing Student Council visited Oxford Crossing Enhanced Senior Living in Langhorne on Tuesday. Students met with residents and helped them troubleshoot technology issues with their tablets and smartphones. It was a true learning experience for both groups as the residents learned how to use their technology while the students learned how to use their knowledge to problem solve.
On April 30, the NHS BCIT (Business, Computers and Information Technology) students had the opportunity to participate in the TruMark Credit Union Financial Reality Fair. Each student was assigned a random career with an associated salary, and had to move around stations manned by volunteers each of which added a financial decision such as housing, transportation, insurance, entertainment, food, clothing and more. By the end of the exercise they met with a "financial advisor" to add up and review their choices to see how the expenses would work in the real world. At the end they spun a wheel which added a random element to their finances, some positive and others not. This gave the students a good idea of some of the challenges they will face as young adults and how every financial decision affects their immediate and future lifestyles.
Forty-seven Neshaminy High School students were enrolled in the Gwynedd Mercy University (GMU) Dual Enrollment program this school year. Students taking Honors Accounting 2, Honors Accounting 3, Honors Microeconomics, Honors Macroeconomics or Honors Information Technology 2 are eligible to participate in this partnership with GMU. Dual enrollment is an educational partnership that can be advantageous for students when planning for undergraduate study. It prepares the student for a fast-paced college classroom in the first semester and helps students succeed. In June, students received college transcripts from GMU. The student transcripts show three college credits for each Dual Enrollment course taken at Neshaminy High School through the BCIT Department for a total of 165 credits for the school year. These credits are transferable to other universities should the students choose to not attend GMU
