Haverford Happenings

The School District of Haverford Township proudly announces that Leon Smith, a dynamic and passionate education professional with over 22 years of experience, has been named a finalist for the esteemed 2025 Pennsylvania Teacher of the Year award.

Since 2001, Mr. Smith has been a cornerstone of Haverford High School, teaching AP US History, US History, and African American Studies. He has designed courses, curricula, innovative lessons, and assessments to meet the needs of diverse student populations. He has facilitated PLC meetings that analyzed qualitative and quantitative student data to monitor progress and promote continuous improvement. He developed the new AP African American Studies course, reflecting the school's commitment to inclusive education.

As a Developer for the "Grow Your Own" program since March 2022, he has been instrumental in forging partnerships with post-secondary institutions and organizations to create a robust pipeline to increase educator diversity within the district. His strategic insights and research on effective "Grow Your Own" programs have been pivotal in shaping a comprehensive plan to support this initiative.

HHS student Lauren Arce said about the DCIU Student Forum and Future Educators Academy, "Nearing the end of the forum, I spoke as a panelist to reflect on my involvement in the forum. I owe all of this to Mr. Smith because if it weren't for his wise words, I don't think I would have continued to be involved at the DCIU. I ended up growing a passion for this topic and I tried my best to help incorporate inclusion in different clubs such as the Asian Student Association, where I make students from different cultures feel welcome and validated."

As a Policy Fellow with Teach Plus PA, Mr. Smith has actively advocated for addressing teacher shortages and promoting educator diversity at the state level. His efforts include leading a working group of educators to develop and advocate for legislative changes that benefit both students and teachers in Pennsylvania.

Mr. Smith's leadership extends to co-chairing the Diversity and Inclusion Strategic Planning Committee, where he has mobilized a team to implement district-wide action steps toward achieving diversity and inclusion goals.

In addition to these roles, Mr. Smith has been a Professional Development Building Leader since 2008, designing and conducting training sessions for over 200 education professionals on equity, culturally responsive teaching, and effective instructional strategies.

"Mr. Smith's passion for teaching always motivated me to work hard in his class! The class always matched his enthusiasm for the course, and was excited to learn from him!, stated an HHS student

Amalyah Callahan.

Mr. Smith's unwavering dedication to fostering inclusive environments, supporting teacher and staff development, and driving student success makes them an invaluable asset to the School District of Haverford Township and a beacon of excellence in the educational community.

Watch the graduation ceremony here.

View the gallery of photos and videos from the graduation here.

Among other policies, these policies of parent/guardian and community interest were reviewed and approved at school board meetings this year. You can find all SDHT policies on BoardDocs here.

• Policy 130 Homework
• Policy 707 School Facilities Use
  

Vivien Dan, Haverford HS, won first place in the Ninth Grade category with her poem "Thy World of Appearance" in the Young Poets of Delaware County Poetry Contest sponsored by the Delaware County Libraries.

You can read the Thy World Appearance by Vivien Dan here.

The Central League Writing Contest featured 12 schools, each sending two students from every grade. The participants were recommended by their teachers and willingly agreed to take part. There was no prior submission, but the contest involved writing for the submission on the day of the competition. Then, the English teachers who attended from each school read and judged the submissions immediately after while students heard a guest speaker, Sara McDermott Jain, published author and screenwriter. Students were given a piece of art with a list of words they had to include in their story. They could write about anything as long as the art piece inspired it and included the words. They had one hour to handwrite their piece. To ensure fairness, every student used a pen name for anonymity during judging. Three winners were selected from each grade level, with Hannah Nelson-Poteet (10th grade) and Mary Mink (11th grade) emerging victorious. Haverford High School will host the Central League writing contest next year.

In conjunction with the unit covering the Leon Leyson memoir, "The Boy on the Wooden Box," Nancy Naylor, 6th Grade Developmental Guidance Teacher, arranged for a special guest speaker to visit Haverford Middle School. On May 22, 2024, they hosted Holocaust survivor Stefanie Seltzer, who shared her personal experiences and insights with the sixth-grade students.

Stefanie Seltzer provided a unique perspective on this historical tragedy, offering students an opportunity to engage with the human stories behind the statistics and events they learn about in their studies. Her testimony served as a reminder of the resilience of the human spirit and the importance of standing up against injustice and intolerance in our world.

As the Founder and President of the World Federation of Jewish Child Survivors of the Holocaust and Descendants, Stefanie has been instrumental in organizing 32 annual conferences, fostering healing and solidarity among survivors and their descendants worldwide. Additionally, her leadership extends to the American Gathering of Holocaust Survivors, where she serves as vice president, and the Leadership Committee of the Claims Conference.

The Haverford Middle School Art Club volunteered to paint windows for the Discover Haverford May Flower Window Painting event. The art club started volunteering to paint in 2022 with two businesses, and this year, they painted the windows at the YMCA! Mrs. Janiene Kwoczak is the Art Club sponsor.

Chatham Park Elementary students participated in the End Hunger Outreach Program. The Outreach Program offers a unique way to fight hunger. They facilitate food packaging events nationwide, where volunteers come to serve in an assembly-line fashion, packaging simple, nutritious meals using health and food safety guidelines.

Ninety-five percent of the packaged food stays in the USA and is distributed to people in need through food banks, centers for disbursement to those needing food, other non-profits, and churches.

The Girl Up Club at Haverford High School packed gently-used purses with donated toiletries to donate to Nana's Attic. Their "Pack-a-Purse" program puts the purses in the hands of women who are healing from domestic abuse.

Are you looking for a relaxing way to kick off your summer? Check out our summer reading list, which includes a variety of interesting titles in both print and digital formats.

To help your students maintain their reading skills and foster a love for literature, we recommend that families allocate time most days for students to read during the summer. Also, don't forget to complete the Summer Reading Summary Form on your grade-level page before the start of the new school year. Teachers will review the responses to assist students in continuing their development as readers.

You can find Summer Curriculum Resources here.

The District learned that effective June 30, 2024, Rave Mobility will no longer be offering the SwiftK12 Notification system we currently use. This system sends out principal messages, snow closing, and other weather alerts, as well as any district emails, texts, or calls. The district has chosen to transition to using SchoolMessenger for these services starting in July 2024. There will be future communication from the district about how to opt in to receive text messages and to notify you when we have switched over to the new system.

The School Board of the School District of Haverford Township intends to adopt its final budget for the 2024-2025 fiscal year at the regular public meeting on June 13, 2024, at 7:30 p.m. The proposed budget for the 2024-2025 year aims to maintain all the existing programs and staffing while absorbing some of the costs associated with the student support systems initially put in place with federal funding (ESSER), which districts will no longer receive. The real estate tax rate supporting this proposed budget is a 4% increase or 18.8951 mills. A public inspection copy of the proposed 2024-2025 budget is available for review by interested community members for viewing on the District’s Business Office website page here.

The Pennsylvania Property Tax/Rent Rebate program is offered through the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue. For questions regarding eligibility or application procedures, please visit the instructional link, or call 1-888-PA-TAXES.

Tax/Rent Rebate Program
​Older adults and people with disabilities 18 and older in Pennsylvania may be eligible to receive up to $1,000 in rebates.

​​​About the Property Tax/Rent Rebate Program​
The Property Tax/Rent Rebate Program supports homeowners and renters across Pennsylvania. This program provides a rebate ranging from $380 to $1,000 to eligible older adults and people with disabilities age 18 and older. This program is supported by funds from the Pennsylvania Lottery and gaming.

​​Property Tax/Rent Rebate Program Forms and Information HERE

Apply for the Property Tax/Rent Rebate Program HERE

Caribbean American Heritage Month Since 2006, June has been designated as Caribbean American Heritage Month by Presidential Proclamation. The month-long observance promotes the rich culture and heritage of the Caribbean-American people and their contribution to the United States of America.

Pride Month is currently celebrated each year in the month of June to honor the 1969 Stonewall Uprising in Manhattan. The Stonewall Uprising was a tipping point for the Gay Liberation Movement in the United States. In the United States, the last Sunday in June was initially celebrated as "Gay Pride Day," but the actual day was flexible.

Juneteenth is the oldest nationally/internationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States.

From its Galveston, Texas origin in 1865, the observance of June 19th as the African American Emancipation Day has spread across the United States and beyond.

Our spring Haverford High School signing brings the total to 26 student-athletes competing at 26 colleges and universities across the country! We congratulate them and thank their families, coaches, and teachers for supporting them throughout their careers and processes. We look forward to watching you with #HPride as you compete at the collegiate level.

Matthew Braunlich, golf, University of Scranton; Alyssa Bloxton, track and field, St. Joseph's University; Jaelyn Galloway, track and field, North Carolina Central University; Morgan Harwood, cheer, Western Kentucky University; Sarah Hubley, softball, Ithaca College; Cole McFarland, wrestling, University of Scranton; Kennedy Outland, track and field, Ursuline College; Kevin Shindler, golf, University of Scranton; and David Thomson, tennis, Elizabethtown College.

Coaches M and Rea led a fantastic Unified handball match! The middle school team competed against the faculty. The MS team was a strong opponent, and everyone had a great time.

Lynnewood Elementary students enjoyed a water ice party because they had the highest participation rate in the Twilight Run organized by the Haverford Education Foundation. The HTSD Education Foundation aims to raise funds to support grants that offer innovative educational experiences for SDHT students. To find out more about their mission and achievements, visit their website.

The Making a Difference Awards are an annual event sponsored by Delaware County's Right to Education Local Task Force. The event recognizes outstanding individuals who have demonstrated extraordinary efforts through their exceptional work to promote acceptance and understanding to ensure the inclusion of all children of all abilities.

Student Winners:

• Matthew Bakalorz (for overcoming obstacles), Nominated by Terri Gallagher
• Efa Havelin (for going above and beyond to support inclusion), Nominated by Colin Dunlavy

Promoting Inclusion Across the Community:

• Haverford Speech and Language Pathologist (playground core boards); Nominated by Nicole Battestelli
• Ava Miller (Sensory Friendly Play at the High School); Nominated by Pete Donaghy, Michelle Munoz-Miller, Maryanne Sholl
• Liam Reilly and Noah Reilly (Playground at Manoa); Nominated by Michelle Munoz-Miller

Thank you for your participation as a School Board student representative for the 2023-2024 school year.

High School: Eric Coyle, Lucy Filkin, and Austin McConnell

Middle School: Bianca Salerno, Teagan Day, Zora Alvarado, Colton Crowder, Sophia Colletti, Payton Manfre, Naomi Ludwig, and Alina Estornell.

On May 29th, members of the community joined some members of the Board of School Directors for a Community Conversation at Haverford Middle School.

The School District of Haverford Township utilizes BoardDocs, an online, paperless resource for all school board meetings. Here you can find the agenda, meeting minutes, video replay, and board policies. The meetings are live-streamed on YouTube.

Regular and Committee Board Meetings will be held at Oakmont Administration Building.

*NOTE NEW TIMES FOR COMMITTEE MEETINGS

Upcoming Meetings:

• June 13: Regular School Board Meeting
• June 17: Policy Committee Meeting at 6:30 PM
• June 27: Regular School Board Meeting

All presentations and videos can be found on BoardDocs.

The Chatham Park Additions and Renovations project aims to enhance our students' educational experience by providing modern, safe, and inspiring learning environments.
Included in the project are:

• Flexible learning spaces
• 4 new classrooms
• New gymnasium with a stage area
• New Cafeteria

More detailed information and pictures about the project can be found here.

June 14th Last day for students - early dismissal

June 19th Juneteenth

2023-2024 Calendar (At a Glance)

2024-2025 Calendar (At a Glance)

2025-2026 Calendar (At a Glance)

Join our team! Click the link to view available positions across the District and how to apply:

The mission of the School District of Haverford Township is to educate and to inspire a community of lifelong learners who become well-rounded global citizens.

Website: https://www.haverford.k12.pa.us/
Location: 50 East Eagle Road, Havertown, PA, USA
Phone: 610-853-5900
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/haverfordsd.net
Twitter: @haverfordsd