Business, Computers and Information Technology (BCIT) classrooms participated in Hour of Code across the District in December. Hour of Code is an international online educational event that builds computer programming skills with age-appropriate activities for every grade.
At the high school, students explored career opportunity statistics based on occupations and number of graduates both in Pennsylvania and across the country. Students tried various coding activities that included game design and completed challenging activities involving problem solving. Others worked on coding applications for productivity and compression of data. They had to compress a digital song file and code in blockchain (an advanced data management method) as it relates to crypto currency and bitcoin.
Eighth grade BCIT students invited Ferderbar ES kindergarten students to join them for an Hour of Code activity. The middle school students planned the activity and used the computer science skills they have learned in class to teach coding to their new friends. This was not only an exciting day of coding but also one for building relationships between the middle school and elementary school students. The kindergarten students used block-based programming to create games that they were actually able to play.
Fifth graders learned to use block-based programming as well. Examples included programming popular dance moves and songs for a sprite (a digital character that can be manipulated). Some students coded a Minecraft game. Their programs responded to timed events and user input in order to create dance animations, solve puzzles and create virtual worlds.
Participating in the Hour of Code is a natural extension of the many opportunities Neshaminy students have to learn computer programming skills and challenge themselves to design the apps and utilities that we will all be using one day.
Thanks to additional grant awards, Neshaminy School District is pleased to announce the addition of two new Pre-K Counts (PKC) preschool classrooms for the remainder of the 2019-2020 school year. PKC is a state-funded program that offers a quality preschool program to families that meet income qualification guidelines, which can be as high as $77,250 for a family of four.
Currently the District has PKC classes meeting at Albert Schweitzer ES, Joseph Ferderbar ES and the former Lower Southampton ES (currently leased to the Bucks County Intermediate Unit). The new classes will meet at Walter Miller ES in Levittown.
For more information or to apply, please visit www.neshaminy.org/pkc.
January is School Director Recognition Month – an opportunity for us to celebrate and recognize the challenging and vital work that our elected officials do on behalf of the students and our community.
Access to high-quality public education is not only essential for individual success, but also for the success and strength of our communities, nation and the entire world. It takes a team of education professionals, parent volunteers and community members to make this happen, and our School Board members are a key part of that effort.
According to the Pennsylvania School Boards Association, School Board members, who are unpaid, devote up to 10 or more hours per month to accomplish the complex business of running a school district. Their responsibilities include adopting policy, voting on budgets, evaluating school security issues and reviewing hiring decisions. Their informed decisions shape the direction of our schools and provide a pathway to success for every student.
If you see one of our School Board members (who are listed at the bottom of this newsletter) at a meeting or out in the community, please take a moment to thank him or her for the willingness to help Build Futures at Neshaminy
It's not too early to think summer! Neshaminy Summer Stock is excited to offer two great shows and Showcase for 2020: Phantom of the Opera (for students entering grades 7-12); Lion King, Jr. (entering grades 4-6) and the Showcase program for students entering grades 2-3. The workshop meets June 29-July 26. Registration is also open for the Instrumental Music Instruction program which meets between June 29-July 27. Info and registration forms HERE.
As part of a District-wide Defined Stem program, the first-grade students at Pearl S. Buck Elementary have become marine biologists. Their task is to research different types of Spheniscidae (penguins) and learn adaptations of the species. The end goal will be a non-fiction writing and diagram to show what they have learned. Playground Aide Mr. Jerry waddled in costume into class to build some excitement for the project.
Congratulations to all the Ferderbar students who participated in the Fall Walking Program! Those students had an opportunity to set and achieve goals, experience the physical, mental, and emotional benefits of daily physical activity, test their perseverance, take pride in the their accomplishments, apply mathematics concepts in an authentic setting, and more. Top walkers were recognized, including six that walked more than the distance of a marathon (26.2 miles) over the course of the program. The entire school walked 1357 miles - that's the distance from Ferderbar Elementary School to Bismark, North Dakota!
Art teachers Terry O’Neill (NHS) and Justin Bursk (Hoover ES) have been chosen to participate in the Exhibition Cross Pollination at Tyler School of Art and Architecture at Temple University. They will each exhibit one of their artworks alongside one of their student’s artworks. The students are Jackson Dilorio from Hoover and Maya Murry from Neshamimy HS.
Neshaminy School District Alumni Erika Walter, a student at Kutztown, will exhibit her work alongside one of her professors as well.
Cross Pollination 20/20 is a juried exhibition that explores the reciprocity of influence and inspiration between students' art-making and their teachers' studio practice. In its fourth year, this exhibition showcases work by Tyler alumni from many disciplines who teach in diverse settings alongside the work of their students.
The Walter Miller Elementary School Service Club Kindness Ninjas and Mrs. Hyjurick’s second grade students worked together to make over 250 peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for the homeless. The students packed the sandwiches, a snack, and a holiday message card in Ziploc bags that were delivered to those less fortunate in Philadelphia.
First grade students are working on a Defined STEM unit. They are learning about penguins by working in groups and using their iPads to conduct research. They then are writing about and drawing different kinds of penguins. This project is an opportunity to build collaboration, research, reading, writing and presentation skills.
On December 18, the 5th grade class at Maple Point MS invited their grandparents and other seniors to the school to enjoy a holiday feast and concert for their annual Senior Soiree. The students interacted and interviewed their guests as everybody enjoyed a huge spread of holiday goodies all donated by local businesses and families, then adjourned to the auditorium to hear the 5th grade string orchestra and 5th choir perform.
Congratulations to 5th grade student Kendall. She won the school raffle to have a pizza lunch with School Resource Officer Joseph Zaffino and seven of her friends. All of the raffle prizes offered experiences with different staff members at Poquessing, and it raised money for the ELF Holiday fund for Poquessing and Ferderbar families.
Thirty-six members of Neshaminy HS Thespian Troupe #8046 traveled to the PA Thespian Conference in December. Neshaminy made quite an impact at the festival. As a group, they achieved the status of Gold Honor Troupe. This distinction was only achieved by six other schools in Pennsylvania.
Three members were inducted into the Hall of Fame - Melanie Moyer for Performance, Liz Shekhterman for Technical Excellence and Erin McGinniss for Theatrical Leadership Excellence. The Roadies performed a number from "Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812" and received a standing ovation. Tommy Stacherski was selected to perform on the main stage during Closing Ceremonies and Grace McKenna was elected State Thespian Officer for Pennsylvania. Finally, Jackie Dyszel, Melanie Moyer, Casey Shoemaker, Tommy Stacherski, Grace McKenna and Devon Horton scored Superiors on their individual events and qualified for Internationals in Indiana.
The Neshaminy HS MiniTHON was held on Friday, January 17. This year the students raised $26,045.59 to set a new school record. MiniTHON is a local version of the wildly popular dance marathon that was started at Penn State University to benefit Four Diamonds, a non-profit that fights childhood cancer and helps young cancer patients. Students solicit donations to participate in the dance marathon.
On December 12, a group of seniors from Neshaminy HS and William Tennent HS gathered at NHS to participate in a "Legislator for a Day" event. The students first learned about the legislative process from Rep. Frank Farry and lobbyist Sean Schafer during a group session. They then broke up into committees - a Consumer Affairs Committee, Education Committee, Health Committee, Transportation Committee and Judiciary Committee to draft legislation which was then presented back to the larger group in a mock session of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. The students were guided by legislative staff members from the offices of Rep. Farry, State Senator Tommy Tomlinson and others.
In December, Neshaminy High School held another successful book fair at the Barnes & Noble store at Neshaminy Mall. Participants from the NHS Book of the Month Club read to young children, drama "Roadies" performed during the reading of a well-loved children’s book, and the Select Choir sang beautifully. Gym night participants competed in a beverage contest (lattes, frappuccino’s, hot chocolate, etc.) tallying points (red vs. blue) for mural funding while gift wrapping and selecting new titles for the library shelves. A group of creative writing students read original works and favorites.
