Tom Petko Jr. remembers watching a young George Banas play Midget baseball. “The kid was special,” he said.

But there was a problem for Mr. Petko who was a head coach in Quakertown’s Pop Warner Football League. George’s mom wouldn’t allow him to play football because she didn’t want her son to get hurt.

Knowing the kind of athlete George was, however, prompted Mr. Petko to pay a visit to the home of Mr. and Mrs. Banas. “I assured them I would take good care of that kid,” he recalled. “I knew deep down in my soul George was going to be a fantastic athlete. He turned out to be such a special kid. Eventually, his mother gave in.”

The rest is history.

Please click here to read the full story.

Adria Retter and Kacey Lambinus each had an outstanding showing during last weekend's PIAA Track & Field Championships at Shippensburg University.

Adria earned a fourth-place medal with a throw of 130-foot-8 in the Discus. It was consistent with her best throws, said Jason Anderson, QCHS girls Track & Field coach. Adria's throw of 142 feet at the District 1 Championship meet, a school record, gave her second in the districts and qualified her for states. Adria also holds the school record in the Shot Put at 43-foot-1/2. She finished 16th at States in the Shot Put.

She has qualified for States three different seasons and has two State medals, including sixth place in Indoor Shot Put in February. "I venture that her records will stand for decades!," Mr. Anderson said.

Kacey tied for ninth at States in the high jump, just missing out on a medal (the first eight qualify). This was her third trip to States, having earned a sixth-place medal in Indoor States in February, 2018, with a jump of 5-foot-4. She never jumped 5-foot-4 outdoors until Saturday. She was seeded 15th going into the competition.

Kacey qualified for the District 1 meet all four years of high school in the High Jump. "That's an incredible feat!" Mr. Anderson said. "I'm very proud of Kacey's and Adria's showing at States. Just qualifying is a major accomplishment, many of the area schools had no qualifiers at all."

Sherry Casey, a St. Luke’s nurse and education specialist, at left, and high school counselor Erica Henry, right, stand with Medical Career Pathway students. In the front row, from left, are Julia Cressman, Shelby Daugherty and Sarah Godshalk. In the back row, from left, are Madison Cummings, Andrew Labeeb, Lizzie Maceri, Sydney Meese, Suzie Njunge, Tori Caputo and Mariana Olivares. Students in the program not in the photo are Gitza Padilla-Perez and Piper Yerkes.

A partnership between Quakertown Community High School and St. Luke’s Quakertown Hospital is helping students considering a potential career in the medical field.

The Medical Career Pathways program is designed to give high school seniors opportunities to learn about numerous aspects of the healthcare profession. Students are onsite at the St. Luke’s Quakertown Campus twice a week throughout the school year. A combination of lecture and clinical observation exposes them to major service lines and support services from surgery, radiology and lab services to the cafeteria, nursing and pharmacy.

“The MCP program has proved to be a valuable tool for students to help them determine their paths within the medical and health sciences field,” said QCHS counselor Erica Henry. “Each year we get more applications for the program due to the positive reputation it has earned. The students are so enthusiastic and focused. I only see the program continuing to flourish and grow in the future.”

Please click here for the full story.

Each year Ronald Bernstein, executive director of the Foundations Community Partnership in Education Program, awards scholarships to one senior at each Bucks County high school. Quakertown, he said, has produced “a long line of outstanding recipients.”

The latest is David Fletcher, who plans to study biochemistry at Notre Dame. Mr. Bernstein visited Quakertown Community High School on May 23 to personally hand-deliver a $1,000 check to David.

“It’s a great honor,” said David, an outstanding student who plays saxophone in the QCHS Jazz Band, is a member of the National Honor Society and has organized Relay for Life fundraisers in memory of his mom.

David was highly recommended by the QCHS guidance department, including counselor Douglas Detweiler, for this prestigious award. “David is an outstanding student with outstanding character,” Mr. Detweiler said. “He does a lot to serve the school and the community. He is very deserving, and we know he will represent this school with integrity.”

Please click here for the full story.

Quakertown Community High School students Ashton Herd, Samantha Barkholz and Alexandra Brandis were recognized by the School Board on May 23 for being students of the month.

Ashton, a two-way starting lineman for the Panthers football team, was described by acting principal Jason Magditch as a "straight-A student." Ashton, who has taken five Advanced Placement classes, will be attending Ithaca College to major in physical therapy. He scored 1440 on the SAT and 34 of 36 on the ACT. "He's a joy in the classroom, and a joy in the weight room," Mr. Magditch said. "This individual is going to do a lot of great things."

Samantha, a junior, has taken Advanced Journalism, American Literature Honors, AP calculus, AP History, AP Physics, Advanced Digital Design and Spanish 4. She is hoping to be soccer team captain next year. She plays AAU volleyball, is on Student Council, edits the yearbook and is running to be president of the National Honor Society.

"When you see her in the hallway, she's always happy," Mr. Magditch said. "She's probably the most cheerful individual at the high school." Please click here for her Page 2 piece in Panther Ink: "Is it really possible to be cheerful all the time? Yes, yes, it is!"

Alex has earned $800 in scholarship money in 4-Way Rotary Speech Competitions. She has won local and regional events and finished second in districts. Alex plans to attend George Washington University and major in economics and political science, and minor in Mandarin.

Mr. Magditch said Alex is a straight-A student who has taken Honors Physics, Mandarin 3, AP Statistics, AP Government and AP Literature. She is a member of NHS, president of the high school's Model UN, vice president of Mini-THON, secretary of Reading Olympics, and treasurer of the Mandarin Club. "She's another great student we are blessed to be around," Mr. Magditch said. A Panther Ink story on her scholarship achievement can be found here on Page 8.

Students who will be in grades 7 to 12 for the 2019-20 school year must have an Athletic Physical to compete in sports.

The physicals are $10 and will be given in the Quakertown Community High School's Lower Gym from 5:15 pm to 7 pm on June 4.

Please click here for a form.

To sign up, please click here.

The Quakertown community came together for "Steps For Stetler" on May 26 to support Ryan Stetler, a teacher and coach battling cancer. Several alumni, pictured above, showed up to assist in the effort.

QCHS baseball coach Jonathan Pallone, who attended the senior prom the Saturday night before the Sunday morning event, posted on Twitter: "So proud to live in the Quakertown Community. What an awesome day showing support for a husband, father, teacher, & coach in the community. Saw many students & staff that were @ Prom the night before ready to run the morning after."

There was no fee to participate, but donations were welcome to help Mr. Stetler and his family manage medical costs. To help, contact Sean Stetler- stet2131@gmail.com

Quakertown Community School District students dominated the Bucks County Math 24 Tournament.

Shawn Zhu of Pfaff, in photo above, captured the event with a first-place finish. Owen Richwine of Richland (inset), winner of the district competition in March, finished third. Pfaff's Jason Marsten came in sixth.

In photo below, Ms. O'Neill is happy to be with her Neidig Ninjas!

Quakertown Community High School senior Paul Hand, of Trumbauersville’s Boy Scout Troop 13, was awarded the rank of Eagle Scout during a recent Court of Honor Ceremony. Only 4 percent of all Scouts earn the prestigious award, the highest rank in Scouting.

For his Eagle Scout Service Project, Paul lead a team of youth and adults to enhance and beautify the landscaping at Grace Bible Fellowship Church on Old Bethlehem Pike in Quakertown. Paul removed old plants and shrubs and designed and executed his plan with 40 new plants, five boulders, four yards of mulch and 2.5 tons of river rock.

Paul would like to offer special thanks to the 30 volunteers who contributed to a total of 183-man hours of work. At QCHS, Paul is an officer for the Class of 2019 and a member of the National Honor Society. He participates in band and is the Lead Trumpet in the Jazz Ensemble. Paul was Captain of the Cross-Country Team and Homecoming King. Paul is employed at the Quakertown Community Pool and Upper Bucks YMCA as a Lifeguard.

Paul found his passion for scouting as a Bear Cub Scout, while a third grader at Tohickon Valley Elementary School. While in Pack 13, Paul moved through the Cub Scout ranks and participated in various activities, including the Pine Wood Derby and summer camp at Camp Kirby. Paul earned his Arrow of Light award as a Webelos Scout and crossed over into Boy Scout Troop 185 of Quakertown in March of 2012.

Within Troop 185, Paul earned his Scout rank and attended his first Boy Scout summer camp at Ockanickon Scout Reservation. Soon after, he transferred to Troop 13, where he would continue his path to Eagle. Paul attended summer camps at Ockanickon and Camp Read, and enjoyed the camping experiences so much; he spent his next three summers working on the staff at Camp Ockanickon. After spending his first year as a Counselor in Training, Paul spent his next two summers as an Aquatics Program Aide where he taught the swimming, lifesaving and canoeing merit badges. He also ran programs such as the mile swim and snorkeling.

Paul completed the National Youth Leadership Training and is a member of the Order of the Arrow. He has earned 48 Merit Badges and numerous other certifications. He served his troop in positions of Bugler, Patrol Leader, Senior Patrol Leader and is currently the Junior Assistant Scout Master. Paul’s favorite Scouting memories are from attending Florida Sea Base on the Out-Island Adventure.

Paul will attend Honors College at West Chester University, where he has been accepted into the Honors College, to study cell and molecular biology in the pre-med program.

The Elementary Strings Orchestra, under the direction of Megan Edinger, gave its first performance on May 22. In only its first year, more than 40 students from the district's five elementary schools performed at Strayer Middle School.

Wednesday afternoon from October through May, several Quakertown Community High School “Bigs” walk down Park Ave. and make a right turn onto 7th Street to Quakertown Elementary School to meet their “Littles.”

It’s part of a program run by Big Brothers Big Sisters of Bucks County (BBBSBC) that matches QCHS students as mentors with strategically selected QE students who benefit from the weekly get-togethers.

QCHS students gain valuable experience in leadership and community service, while the elementary students benefit from being paired with positive older role models who provide them with the academic and social support.

Please click here for the full story.

Upper Bucks County Technical School students, from left, Jimmy Klyne, Josh Langenberg, Nate Carlucci, Andrew Hockman and Greg Derr-Haverlach designed the winning battle bot at the first Liberty Bots Robo-lution at Montgomery County Community College.

The Quakertown Community High School Q-Botics team, from left, Zachary Mulkiewicz, Emelia Graham, Jonathan Witte, show off a $500 check for the Innovation Award at the first Liberty Bots Robo-lution. Not pictured is team member Jasper Sinatra.

A team from the Upper Bucks County Technical School won the first Liberty Bots Competition at Montgomery County Community College. The team from Quakertown Community High School, coach by Chris Polk, won the $500 Innovation Award.

Liberty Bots Robo-lution is an exciting, fast paced workforce development program to introduce area students to the world of manufacturing. The school teams design, log, budget, and manufacture a robot, which then competes in a battle bot type event. The tournament, in which eight schools from the Delaware Valley competed, was the first regional contest of the National Robotics League, which hosts these robo-battles across the country to help inspire the next generation of engineers.

One hundred Pfaff Elementary School 2nd graders had their first “Safety Around Water” experience on May 13 at the Upper Perkiomen Valley YMCA. And the first thing Michael Tannous, the Y’s executive director, observed was the students’ enthusiasm.

“The kids are much more excited than we thought we’d see,” Mr. Tannous said. “There’s much less fear, anxiousness or nervousness than I anticipated. That’s the first thing we noticed, a lot of excitement.”

The Quakertown Community School District is partnering with the YMCA to have all 2nd graders participate in a “Safety Around Water” program. These are not swimming lessons. Rather, they’re a way to teach water safety skills to help prevent drowning, a significant cause of death for children. Pfaff and Trumbauersville students will receive this month’s training in Upper Perk. Students from Neidig, Quakertown and Richland students will travel to the Quakertown Y.

Please click here for the full story.

If you weren't able to make it out to the QCSD Art Show May 17-18, here's some of the creative work you missed.

For more photos, please click here.

Quakertown Community School Directors got a taste of what hundreds of district students have experienced with Google Expedition Virtual Reality headsets at their May 23 meeting.

The technology allows students to visit and learn about far away places from their classroom. Pfaff and Quakertown Elementary Schools, the Sixth Grade Center and Strayer Middle School have each received the technology.

QE teacher Ryan Wieand explained how he's used the headsets to help students learn, and four of his students - David Ochmanowicz III, Travis Marcus, Elena Ritter and Caitlin Sell - told the Board how awesome it's been to have them in class.

When it was David's turn to speak he waved to his Dad, School Board Vice President David Ochmanowicz Jr.

Bucks County attorneys recently visited with Quakertown Elementary School 5th graders to speak about the U.S. Constitution and civics.

It’s part of an educational outreach program called “Learning With Lawyers” that’s promoted by the Bucks County Bar Association.

Please click here to read the full story.

Strayer Middle School's Layla Cotter competed with her project alpaca "Panhead" for the 4-H Club Pronking Pacas at the recent Mid-Atlantic Popular & American Culture Association (MAPACA) in Harrisburg.

Layla and “Panhead” competed in multiple competitions. They placed third in Public Relations, fourth in Showmanship and fifth in Obstacles in the intermediate age group.

Layla also placed first in the youths photo contest for the category "Alpacas interacting."

Her results in the competition were outstanding as MAPACA had more than 50 youths competing this year.

In Mrs. Studer-Macy's Strayer Middle School science class, students made roller coasters to put their science knowledge to the test!

Please click here for prom photos in The Morning Call.

Interested in a job in the Quakertown Community School District? Please click here to see what positions are available.

Pfaff Elementary School students celebrated our diverse, multicultural school and country during Harmony Day on May 10. Students, with the help of teachers, have been working hard on posters, essays and poems. They have also participated in many fun activities focused on appreciation, respect and kindness toward all. Their guests who performed during Friday's West African Drum and Dance assembly are Troupe Da-Da.

During Neidig’s Leadership Day, students celebrated and highlighted their accomplishments in a morning assembly. Later, they demonstrated the seven habits through panels, jobs, classroom and group presentations.

Two Quakertown Community High School graduates recently reconnected at the Pennsylvania Political Science Association Conference (PPSA) at Muhlenberg College. Class of 2015 grad Amanda Hafler, a senior at Elizabethtown College (at left in photo), and class of 2014 grad Maddie Mulhall, a graduate student at Shippensburg University, had the honor of presenting at the conference, attended by students and faculty from throughout the state.

Hafler, a Legal Studies major, presented her undergraduate research thesis on Judicial Administration, while Mulhall presented her graduate research on Gun Violence in School Settings. Both girls credit their college success to the educational foundation they received in the QCSD, along with the focus and determination learned through extra-curricular activities.

While Mulhall was heavily involved in softball, participating on both the high school team and RASA, Hafler spent her time working with Relay for Life and participating in the music program. “The music program, under the direction of Mr. Lechner, taught me so much about commitment, hard work, and never giving up. I have carried those life lessons with me into college and because of that, have been very successful,” said Hafler, who graduated with honors on May 18.

Pre-K Counts is a free preschool program open to children ages 3 and 4 (by September 1, 2019) who meet the income eligibility guidelines. There are three local locations for this program: Pfaff Elementary, Richland Elementary, and LifeSpan's child care center.

Please click here for more information.

Baseball For Special People, a program for individuals with special needs, is seeking coaches.

Coaches must be at least 14 years old. Student coaches need a letter of recommendation from an adult. Adult coaches must have a background check similar to those of school employees. The league is also looking for players from the age of 5 to 99. Games are played on the Little League fields in Quakertown on Sunday afternoons, starting at 3:30 p.m.

For addition information, contact league president Paul Gerhart Jr., at 267-992-4973.

Two important presentations were recently given at Quakertown Community High School that Superintendent Dr. Bill Harner wanted to make parents and guardians aware of.

One involves drug abuse and vaping; the other is about the Pennsylvania Youth Survey.

David Fialko of the Council Of Southeast Pennsylvania, a highly sought after speaker, spoke about drug abuse and vaping. His presentation can be found here.

Carolyn Staffieri, a QCSD Pupil Services Administrative Intern, presented on PAYS data. Her presentation can be found here.

The Quakertown Community School District is in need of custodians. SSC Services, which services the district, is seeking full and part time permanent and seasonal custodian positions.

Candidates may contact Laird Ihle, director of SSC, at 610-392-1059 or via email at lihle-ssc@qcsd.org.

The Levy School Bus Company is seeking drivers.

The position has flexible hours, a positive environment and is conveniently located in the Quakertown area.

Levy offers a competitive wage package, 401(k) benefits with company matched funds, bonus incentives, training and development, career opportunities, extra hours available evenings and weekends (optional), and community involvement.

This is a perfect job for people who love children, stay-at-home parents, college students looking for education experience, former teachers and anyone in need of extra income.

If you’re interested in becoming a school bus driver or want to hear more, please call Len at 215-536-4567 x121 or email len@levybus.com.

Gary Weckselblatt, QCSD Director of Communications, writes about the people and the programs that impact the Quakertown Community School District. Find more District topics of interest on the qcsd.org website by clicking here.

Email: gweckselblatt@qcsd.org
Website: www.qcsd.org
Location: 100 Commerce Drive, Quakertown, PA, USA
Phone: 215-529-2028
Facebook: facebook.com/QCSDNews
Twitter: @QCSDnews