News from the Nest

• School Board Recognition
• Meet & Greet with Dr. Laurie Smith
• Transportation Facility Conversations
• MLK Day Celebrations
• Lunar New Year Celebrations
• Harlem Wizards Update
• ACME Donations
• Inclement Weather

School board directors are elected to govern and make informed decisions on behalf of our public schools, for the benefit of our students and communities. In honor of their time and dedication all year long, January is designated School Director Recognition Month.

More than 85% of Pennsylvania’s students attend public schools, including the 4,114 students in Upper Dublin School District. Along with district administration, the nine members of our local school board make complex decisions to guide our public schools and provide an educational environment where every student can find a path to success. As public servants, school directors devote, on average, 10 hours each month to board business. From voting on budgets to adopting policy to conducting comprehensive planning, school boards make key decisions that drive public education in a complex and changing environment.

Board service is unpaid, and school directors are often motivated to pursue the role out of a desire to benefit their community. In celebration of these public servants, the Upper Dublin School District will honor our nine board members during the Legislative meeting on January 22, 2024. We are incredibly grateful to each member of our Board for the dedication and commitment to the students and community of Upper Dublin. When our public schools are strong, our whole community is strengthened.

This month, recognize your school directors for their commitment and effort. Support these public servants by showing your appreciation for all they do to help our students and schools succeed. Please consider sending them a word of thanks by emailing boardofdirectors@udsd.org. The Upper Dublin School Board consists of Mr. Jeffrey Wallack (President), Mr. Mark Sirota (Vice President), Ms. Jenna Evans, Mr. John Held, Ms. Jennifer Iannitti, Ms. Alima Redding, Ms. Titia Scherpbier, Dr. Mary Beth Thomas, and Mr. Stu Warshawer.

As your new Superintendent I've been trying to learn as much as I can about our students, staff, parents, and community. Just as I want to learn about you, I’m sure you’d also like to learn about me. If you have questions or want to learn something about who I am, please consider sharing through the survey below. Or, join me on January 24th or 25th at the Upper Dublin Public Library for a meet and greet! Each meet and greet will begin with informal conversations and light refreshments, followed by a short presentation and question/answer opportunity. I look forward to meeting each of you!

For the past few years, the District has held conversations regarding the need for a transportation facility. During the January 17, 2024 Finance Committee meeting, the administration and representatives from ICS provided a presentation, including a review of the steps taken to date and conceptual designs. The Committee has moved forward an action item for the Board Legislative Meeting on Monday, January 22nd. The Board will consider approving contracts with ICS Consulting, LLC to perform the construction management services for this project. The Board is not approving the actual construction of the transportation facility on Monday, January 22. The approval would permit ICS Consulting to complete Phase I, which includes design documents, land development and bid document preparations. Once bids are received, the Board would need to take additional action to award contracts that would then initiate construction. This is anticipated to occur in April 2025. The current action being considered allows the District to take the next step in the construction process. To learn more, please consider reviewing...

* Current Transportation Facility Video (linked below)

* Frequently Asked Questions about the Transportation Facility

* Transportation Facility Concept Design Update (Presentation from 1/17/24 Committee Mtg.)

* January 17, 2024 Finance Committee Meeting Recording

The District’s annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service was recognized on Monday, January 15th. Putting into action Dr. King's important message of "service to others," district students celebrated MLK Day through a number of activities and student groups. At the High School, the Black Student Union, Boys Basketball team, Environmental Education Club, Gender Equality Club, Jewish Student Union, and MiniTHON were all involved in the day's activities. Activities included collection of materials (feminine products, unopened new socks, deodorant, e-waste, etc.), writing notes to children in hospitals through the Sara Smiles Foundation, and a basketball clinic. Cultural Proficiency and Equity Student Ambassadors, along with members of the Upper Dublin Police Department visited the American Legion Post 769 Scholarship Breakfast.

The Sandy Run Middle School Student Council hosted a drive to collect clothes, toys, and other goods to provide to local charities as part of their Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service. The Student Council hosted dozens of students, even some from neighboring districts, and families. They came together for an afternoon of fun, community-building, and leadership.

Some elementary school students are participating in a Sock Roll Challenge as an MLK service project benefiting those in need in the surrounding communities. They are working with The Giving Tree Families organization which provides opportunities for children to give back. Others are keeping an eye out for acts of kindness and recognizing their peers.

Thank you to everyone who contributed to the success of this day for our students! We are beaming with Cardinal Pride!

Upper Dublin School District Asian American Students and Families Committee (UDSD-AASF) and Upper Dublin Chinese American Association (UDCA) invite you to celebrate the Year of the Dragon at the 2024 Lunar New Year Gala on February 10, 2024, 7-9 PM at UDHS! The dragon is often associated with success, intelligence, strength, and honor. May the Year of the Dragon 2024 energize and inspire you in your personal and/or professional life!

The 2024 Lunar New Year Gala program features Peking opera, classic Chinese music and dance, Korean drums and dance, Indian classical dance, UDHS Sophisticated Strings, East Asian martial arts performances, and more! Rich, diverse literary and artistic elements will weave their way through the stage, providing an audio-visual feast that combines tradition and modernity, East and West. The UDHS Sophisticated Strings will also perform on the stage! Please bring your family and friends to join us for this evening of fun and festivities.

Students will receive traditional Lunar New Year Red Envelopes on a first-come-first-served basis! Click HERE or visit www.udchinese.org to purchase tickets: Standard seats - $16; Premium (front-row) seats - $20. A portion of the proceeds will fund scholarships for UDHS students.

General Admission & Reserved Seating is SOLD OUT for the Harlem Wizards vs UDSD Teachers on Saturday, January 20, 2024! There are very few COURTSIDE PLAYER tickets left; with these tickets, K-8th graders have the chance to play with the Harlem Wizards at halftime! Please note: Any current Courtside Plus Student Ticket holder can upgrade their ticket for $75 by emailing boxoffice@harlemwizards.com.

Tickets will NOT be sold at the door. For TICKET HOLDERS ONLY: Doors open at 6pm. Please bring cash to support our concessions. This event benefits Upper Dublin Education Foundation’s Innovation Grant Program and Upper Dublin Education Association’s student scholarships. Thank you to ALL of our generous sponsors, including our Home Team Sponsor, Philly and The Burbs!

The winter season will arrive soon and along with winter comes inclement weather. There is certainly excitement with the first snow flurries of the season and students anxiously await a "snow day"! As a district, we carefully consider each weather event, always with student safety foremost in our minds. Before making decisions, we consult with Upper Dublin Township officials to review road conditions and we pay careful attention to weather forecasts. When it becomes necessary to make alterations to the school schedule, we will utilize Infinite Campus (IC) to send emails, phone calls, and texts to alert everyone. We will also post any changes on our website and Facebook page. To ensure that you receive the alerts, we ask that you review and update your contacts in Infinite Campus. We will make every attempt to communicate changes as early as possible in order to provide you with time to make any necessary adjustments.