The Tigers' Pride

In this issue of The Tiger’s Pride, we proudly recognize many of our students, athletes, and faculty for making history at MNSD. It includes outstanding achievements, engaging student activities, and exciting performances. Congratulations to all on their historic moments! We hope you find their stories as inspiring as we do.

Tina M. Kane, Ed.D.

Superintendent of Schools

Each year, the Franklin Mint Federal Credit Union honors 20 outstanding educators from five counties (Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, New Castle, and Philadelphia). The recipients have made a positive impact through their work, dedication, and contribution. This prestigious award is accompanied by $1000 classroom and school stipends as well as a special awards ceremony in the spring. Marple Newtown School District is proud to have three recipients this year. Congratulations to our 2022 Excellence in Teaching Award recipients:

• Christine McCullough- Loomis Elementary
• Sean O'Donovan- Worrall Elementary
• Linda Wigo- Paxon Hollow Middle School

Congratulations on the historical accomplishments made by our MNHS teams:

• Alexandra Pastris (pictured left) won the AA State Championship for the second straight year, breaking numerous Central League records along the way.
• Cheerleading qualified for States and Nationals, finishing in the top 17 in the U.S.
• HI-Q advanced to the Delco Championship and lost on the very last question.
• Bocce won multiple medals this season, including Silver at the Delco Championships.
• Ice hockey won the D2 Division Championship with a victory over Archbishop Carroll.
• Girls basketball finished a record-setting season by qualifying for the state tournament for the first time and winning a tournament game, another first for the program.
• Boys basketball qualified for the state tournament for the second time ever and won two state tournament games, losing to the #13 team in the country by five points.

This past February, the MNHS Winter Guard performed live in-person in the MNHS gymnasium for the first time in two years! The Winter Guard performed a fantastic show. We extend our gratitude to MNHS alumnus and Winter Guard Director, Vinnie Cavalero. Please enjoy the first performance of their 2022 Program, “Home”, below.

Mrs. Taylor Amabile, MNHS social studies teacher, was recently selected as a Claes Nobel Educator of Distinction by The National Society of High School Scholars (NSHSS). The organization seeks to advance the goals and aspirations of high-achieving students through unique learning experiences, scholarships, internships, and peer networks. Each year student members of NSHSS are invited to nominate the educator who has made the most significant contribution to their academic career. One of the students who supported Mrs. Amabile’s nomination explained, “It’s her passion. She’s always pushing me to be the best version of myself. It’s one of the reasons why I look forward to coming here every day.”

Select student artists from Loomis Elementary School were recognized for their creative artworks on Tuesday, March 1st. Students and families attended a small gallery walk of the young artists' creations that are on display in the Marple Newtown School District Administration Building Board Room. Superintendent, Dr. Tina Kane congratulated each student, awarded certificates, and inquired about the inspirations of their artwork.

Paxon Hollow Middle School principal, Dr. TJ Gretchen and guidance counselor, Mrs. Linda Wigo recently visited each MNSD elementary school. During their visit, 5th grade students were able to take a virtual tour of Paxon Hollow and ask questions about the differences between elementary and middle school. All incoming 5th grade students will visit the middle school in early June and are invited to attend new student orientation on Wednesday, August 24th.

Russell Elementary School first-graders celebrated their 100th Day of School. To highlight this accomplishment, teachers designed counting activities up to 100 in which students were counting by 2’s, 5’s, and 10’s. In addition, they wrote about what they would do with 100 dollars if they had it, created additional words using the letters in “one hundred”, and revisited their favorite memories of the first 100 days. The students also dressed as if they were 100 years old! It was an educational and fun day for all involved.

Worrall Elementary School students recently participated in their annual Jump Rope for Heart event. During Unified Arts, students had the chance to gather with their entire grade level to enjoy some friendly jumping competitions, long rope jumping, and hula-hooping. Prior to the event, many students raised funds for the American Heart Association, earning small prizes along the way for attaining different monetary levels. Due to the students’ hard work and tremendous community support, Worrall was able to raise a grand total of $5,105.57!

Loomis Elementary School students and teachers in grades 3-5 participated in their third annual Kindness Walk. Students surprised Loomis neighbors by decorating and writing messages inside handmade cards to spread cheer on Valentine’s Day. By participating in this activity, Loomis students learned that small acts of kindness can really brighten someone’s day in a BIG way. In return, many recipients wrote thank you notes to express their surprise and appreciation for the students' thoughtful cards.

Loomis Elementary School fourth graders in Ms. Mastricolo’s math class were recently treated to a carnival of math fun! The students hardly realized they were learning as they rotated through their rounding and decimal carnival-themed stations.

Culbertson Elementary School students participated in a school-wide K-5 March Madness Tournament of Books. Throughout the month, homeroom teachers read a variety of engaging stories. During their scheduled library class, students then voted for the books they enjoyed the most, hoping to advance them to the next round. By the end of March, mystery guest readers will read the final two books aloud as they compete for the championship!

MN Drama recently entertained over 2,500 audience members with their performance of Roald Dahl’s Matilda the Musical!. The 92-member cast, featuring 4th through 12th graders, was led by title character, Lucy DeFrancesco, who captivated audiences with her sweet voice and her professional acting chops. Other lead actors included Peter Pilko (Miss Trunchbull), Arianna Berryman (Mrs. Wormwood), Bryan Kim (Mr. Wormwood), and Allie Wahl (Miss Honey). Mia Nye, stage manager, led the stage crew with professionalism, ensuring that the show ran smoothly. Lights, sound, props, sets, costumes, and special effects were all designed by students, helping to elevate the production value even more! To round the show out, eight student pit orchestra members enhanced the performance with their sweet tones and electric musical numbers. Matilda was submitted for consideration for regional awards (Greater Philadelphia Cappies and the Philadelphia Independence Award programs)-- good luck and congratulations to our MN Drama team!

The MNHS College and Career Access Counselors (CCAC) acknowledged our Delaware County Technical School (DCTS) students for Career and Technical Education (CTE) Month. CTE Month is a public awareness campaign that takes place once each year to celebrate the value and achievements of CTE programs across the country. DCTS offers a broad range of programs from engineering and medical careers to automotive and carpentry. Interested students should speak to their CCAC for more information.

February 22, 2022, was a special date at Worrall Elementary School. Students and staff celebrated the palindromic date of 2/22/22 with “Twosday”- themed events and attire. A date like this last occurred on November 11, 2011 (11/11/11) and will not happen again until March 3, 2033 (3/3/33).

Website: www.mnsd.org
Location: 40 Media Line Road, Newtown Square, PA, USA
Phone: (610) 359-4200
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Twitter: @MarpleNewtownSD