What's Up Whitehall?
November 2022
Amy Dorward, Zephyr, 5th Grade ELA Inclusion Team Teacher
How many years have you worked in education?
16 years
How many years have you worked in the district?
16 years
What are your favorite hobbies?
I love to read! I also enjoy going to auctions, exercising on the Ironton Rail Trail, and spending time with my children. Both of whom graduated from Whitehall.
What do you love about the Whitehall-Coplay School District?
I love the diversity of our district. The faces that dot my classroom come from around the globe. We truly are a microcosm of the great country we live in.
What advice would you give to your 16-year-old self?
Listen to your mother. She truly knows what she is talking about.
Penny Lauer, District Office, Administrative Assistant Special Education
How many years have you worked in education?
21 years
How many years have you worked in the district?
21 years
What are your favorite hobbies?
Gardening, vacationing to any beach, being with my family and my 2 puppies.
What do you love about the Whitehall-Coplay School District?
I love that in the WCSD we're a family, we all come together in time of need no matter what school you are in.
What advice would you give to your 16-year-old self?
Spend time with your family, enjoy your teens and don't take like too seriously enjoy the little things. Laugh more than cry. Chose a career that you are totally passionate about. Be happy, enjoy life!
Jamie Biro, Middle School, 7th Grade Science & Academic Strategies Teacher
How many years have you worked in education?
14 years
How many years have you worked in the district?
12 years
What are your favorite hobbies?
Walking my 3 rescued huskies, cooking & eating vegan food, gardening
What do you love about the Whitehall-Coplay School District?
Here at Whitehall, I have met some amazing people. My co-workers bring such diverse experiences and backgrounds to their teaching -- I have found people who are knowledgeable and passionate about such a wide range of topics. It has allowed me to learn and grow as a professional, and as a person!
What advice would you give to your 16-year-old self?
It's okay to not be perfect. You are a culmination of more than your grades and accolades.
Tracey Marino, Middle School, Data Collection 6, 7, & 8
How many years have you worked in education?
20 years
How many years have you worked in the district?
14 years
What are your favorite hobbies?
Scrapbooking.
What do you love about the Whitehall-Coplay School District?
The people are wonderful.
What advice would you give to your 16-year-old self?
Don’t ever give up.
Mark your Calendar!
November 2 - 1st Marking Period Ends
November 9 - Report Cards sent through SwiftK12 at 10AM
November 18, 21, 22 - Early Dismissal (Elementary and Middle School)
- Middle School Dismissal Time: 11:00am
- Elementary Dismissal Time: 12:00pm
November 18, 21, 22 - Parent/Teacher Conferences (Elementary and Middle School)
November 23, 24, 25, 28 - Schools Closed
November 29 - Schools Reopen
Family and Community Engagement Liaison
I want to introduce myself as the new Family and Community Engagement Liaison (FCEL) for the District through Communities In Schools (CIS). My name is Cesar Mercado, and I am a native of Colombia. Previously, I worked as a Child Abuse Investigator and Bilingual Administrative Mental Health Case Manager for Lehigh and Northampton counties. I hold a BA in Communications and Spanish from Hunter College in New York and am currently completing my Master's in Social Work at Widener University.
As part of my role, I will support and facilitate family engagement and community partnerships. I will collaborate with administrators and staff to create a schedule that supports the needs of our families. I will be able to support with interpretations in Spanish during IEP meetings, discipline meetings, parent/teacher conferences, document translations, and phone calls home when needed, as well as providing families with district and community referrals in the areas of medical and health needs, transportation, housing, food, and parenting support groups. I enjoy spending time with my wife, Ruth, and reading with my two daughters, Melanie and Cristi.
2022 PA Latino Convention
As we celebrated Hispanic Heritage Month, the Whitehall-Coplay School District recognizes the value of commemorating each culture represented in our District. Our Hispanic Middle and High School students attended the 2022 PA Latino Convention held in the Renaissance Hotel in Allentown on September 29th and 30th. Our students participated in the college fair, interacting with Latino professionals, higher education institution representatives, and community and governmental organizations statewide.
Ms. Berrios participated in the Equity Education Plenary with other school representatives from Allentown, Bethlehem, Easton, and Reading. Ms. Berrios highlighted Dr. Steckel and Mr. Schiffert's equity efforts to strengthen the District's mission of serving the diverse community by providing educational opportunities in excellence. Our counseling, family liaison, and ESL departments joined efforts to accompany 112 students from various countries representing our District: Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Mexico, Ecuador, Honduras, Guatemala, Colombia, Cuba, and Peru.
Congratulations to the more than 400 families representing our District's Hispanic Community!
New K-1 Building Livestream
In case you missed it, Whitehall-Coplay School District is in the process of constructing a new K-1 Elementary School Building! You can follow the progress in real-time by CLICKING HERE to view a live stream provided through the District website.
The project includes the construction of a 93,480 square foot 700 student Elementary School and associated site development on the pre-existing District Administration Building site. The design consists of an efficient layout of 32 classrooms and four small group rooms.
Additionally, the library, which will be located on the second floor over the main entrance, will occupy the most important position in the building and provides views to the east. To the north of the central lobby are the remaining shared use spaces. The most prominent space in this wing will be the multipurpose room, a combined gymnasium, cafeteria, and auditorium. One end of it will adjoin an elevated stage, and the other end connects to the serving line and kitchen. The room will be able to be divided in half to support simultaneous uses by means of a full-height folding partition.
A music classroom and large group room will be located across the corridor. Support spaces will include a health suite, faculty room, mechanical and electrical rooms, and receiving and storage rooms near the loading dock.
The computer and art rooms and a large group instruction room will be on the second floor above the administration suite. The entire shared-use wing, which will center around the multipurpose room on the first floor and the library on the second floor, will be available for community use without having to open up the rest of the building.
The entire building will be handicapped accessible with on-grade public and student entrances and an elevator conveniently located off the lobby to access the second floor.
