The Tigers' Pride Summer Edition

As the school year draws to a close, it is a fitting time to reflect with pride and appreciation on the many achievements and memorable moments shared across the District. From outstanding performances in statewide STEM competitions to record-setting reading programs, inspiring student art exhibitions, and meaningful cultural exchanges, our students have exemplified creativity, curiosity, and compassion in all they do.

Throughout the year, our school community has also united in support of important causes and celebrated the shared values that define and strengthen us as a learning community. These accomplishments are a testament to the dedication of our staff, the partnership of our families, and the ongoing support of our community.

It has been a distinct honor to be recognized as the 2025 Pennsylvania Superintendent of the Year. I consider this recognition a shared achievement with all of you who contribute to the success and spirit of our schools.

Thank you for your continued support. Let us finish the year with purpose and look ahead to the new opportunities that await.

Sincerely,

Tina M. Kane, Ed.D.

Superintendent of Schools

The 2025 K’Nex STEM Design Challenge invited students to tackle real-world problems in infrastructure, transportation, and urban development—aligning with United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 9. Participants were challenged to create innovative, efficient, and sustainable solutions to improve cities, roads, bridges, and essential systems.

Rising to the occasion, Culbertson Elementary’s Sigma Skyway Team proudly represented their school at the State Finals in Harrisburg, earning an impressive 2nd place finish! Their project, “A Sustainable City,” reimagined urban transportation through an elevated skyline system designed to reduce CO₂ emissions and enhance mobility. The design incorporated green canopies and liquid trees to improve air quality and promote a healthier, more livable urban environment.

We are incredibly proud of the team’s creativity, collaboration, and commitment to building a more sustainable future. Congratulations to Serena, Kian, and Chase on this outstanding achievement and a heartfelt thank-you to Mrs. Appleby for her exceptional guidance and mentorship throughout the journey!

Team Members: Serena Chen, Kian Ghorbani, Chase McGarvey

Teacher Sponsor: Mrs. Teresa Appleby

Throughout the month of March, excitement buzzed through Culbertson as students participated in the annual March Madness Book Tournament. Sixteen award-winning books were carefully selected to compete, offering a wide variety of powerful and engaging stories for readers to enjoy.

Each week, students voted for their favorite titles, determining which books would advance to the next round. A life-sized tournament bracket was displayed in the hallway, allowing students to track the progress of their favorite books throughout the competition. To keep everyone involved and eager for the results, weekly videos announcing the winning titles were shared with staff and families.

The tournament encouraged students to read and also sparked lively discussions and fostered a strong sense of community around the joy of reading.

The event concluded with a thrilling announcement: Rescue and Jessica: A Life-Changing Friendship was crowned the champion. In a special surprise, the book’s authors, Jessica Kensky and Patrick Downes, sent a personal video to the students, celebrating their book’s win and thanking them for their support. Hearing directly from the authors made the experience even more memorable for everyone involved.

The class with the most correct winners on their bracket wins the golden basketball trophy, this year's winners were Mrs. Acchione's class!

Earlier this year, Dr. Tina Kane was named the 2025 Pennsylvania Superintendent of the Year. This prestigious recognition, one of the highest honors in educational leadership, reflects Dr. Kane’s exceptional dedication, vision, and impact on public education across the Commonwealth. Selected by the Pennsylvania Association of School Administrators (PASA) from a highly competitive pool of nominees, this achievement clearly demonstrates her deep commitment to excellence and her effectiveness as a superintendent.

Dr. Kane was formally honored at the Pennsylvania Superintendent of the Year Award Night. The event was a proud and memorable occasion, attended by PASA members, neighboring superintendents, state representatives, local elected officials, family, friends, and colleagues. Together, they celebrated Dr. Kane’s inspiring leadership and the positive change she has brought to her district and beyond. The evening celebrated her outstanding contributions and emphasized the essential role that strong, visionary leadership plays in advancing education.

Congratulations to Dr. Tina Kane, a true inspiration to the Marple Newtown School District community!

Reading Olympics is a year-long competition sponsored by the DCIU, for students in grades 4-12. Students read 40 books throughout the year with a culminating game-show style event at the end of the year bringing together teams from across the county.

Teams are awarded blue, red, or green ribbons based on the total number of points earned. Intermediate Teams: Green Ribbon: Below 30 pts. Red Ribbon: 30 – 49 pts. Blue Ribbon: 50 – 60 pts.

Loomis Elementary students, "The Bookaneers", dominated and took home blue ribbons!

Loomis Elementary's Evening of the Arts was a special celebration of creativity, talent, and community. Thank you to everyone who came out to support our students, it meant so much to see our halls filled with families, friends, and smiles.

Thank you to Mr. Peters, Mr. Borell, and Mrs. Trigone for their dedication and guidance. Through their support and encouragement, our students continue to grow as artists, musicians, and performers. The passion and confidence our students displayed on stage and in their artwork were a reflection of the time and care these educators invest every day.

From colorful exhibits to unforgettable performances, the night was a shining example of what happens when creativity is nurtured and celebrated. We are so proud of our students and grateful to everyone who helped make this event a success.

Russell Elementary 5th graders truly shined during this year’s Wax Museum presentation!

With creativity and dedication, students brought inspiring historical and cultural figures to life, sharing powerful stories of courage, innovation, and imagination. From their detailed costumes to their engaging presentations, every part of the event reflected their hard work and passion.

A heartfelt thank you to our students, teachers, and families for making this event such a memorable and meaningful experience!

We were especially excited to welcome some very special guests this spring, students from Ystrad Mynach, Wales! They spent two and a half memorable days with our 5th graders, building friendships and sharing cultures through fun activities and meaningful connections. Their visit wrapped up on a high note with a touching performance at our Spring Concert that had everyone beaming with pride.

This marks the second year that students from Wales have visited Russell, thanks to the Taith program, an initiative supported by the Welsh government. We’re also incredibly grateful to the Philadelphia Welsh Society for helping bring this wonderful opportunity to Broomall. With deep Welsh roots in our area, it’s been a joy to see those connections come to life in our school community.

This March and April, our Student Art Recognition events provided a wonderful opportunity for young artists from Russell and Worrall to shine. Students proudly showcased their creative work and engaged in thoughtful conversations with Superintendent Dr. Tina Kane, art teachers, and their families.

These inspiring events gave students a platform to share the stories behind their artwork, offering meaningful insight into their creative processes and sources of inspiration.

We are proud to celebrate the exceptional talent and imagination of our student artists. It was truly a memorable and uplifting experience for all who attended.

The energy is high and the hallways are buzzing as PHMS wraps up another exciting spring season. With sports, clubs, concerts, and beloved annual traditions like the Potter Cup filling our calendar, there’s no shortage of activity or school spirit.

One of the most exciting events this spring was our 5th Grade Visitation Week, held the week of May 12. During this special week, all 5th grade students from across the district had the opportunity to visit their soon-to-be middle school and get a glimpse of what life at Paxon Hollow is all about.

We welcomed our Tigers with open arms and engaging activities. Students took part in interactive games such as Minute to Win It and Paxon Hollow Trivia, which helped break the ice and add a little friendly competition to the day. One of the highlights was a Q&A session with our Student Council members, who shared their own experiences and answered thoughtful questions from our curious visitors. The visit concluded with guided tours around the building, helping students get comfortable with their new environment before they officially join us in the fall.

We look forward to seeing our incoming 6th grade students and their families again in August for New Student/6th Grade Orientation. This event will offer another chance to tour the building, meet staff, and walk through schedules to help make the transition to middle school as smooth and welcoming as possible.

As we continue to celebrate the end of another fantastic school year, we are filled with pride in our students and gratitude for the supportive community that makes Paxon Hollow such a special place to learn and grow. Here's to a strong finish and an even stronger start next fall!

Fifth grade students from all four MNSD elementary schools had a fantastic day together at Camp Arrowhead! This special event gave students the opportunity to meet new classmates and start building friendships before they move on to sixth grade at Paxon Hollow Middle School. Everyone enjoyed the fun activities and the chance to connect with one another in a relaxed and exciting environment.

We are proud to announce that Paxon Hollow Middle School won the coveted Potter Cup on May 27th at Haverford Middle School! Students from both schools had a fantastic day filled with games, inflatable attractions, great food, and, most importantly, a shared mission to support children battling cancer.

This year’s Potter Cup raised an incredible $30,000, bringing our total contributions to over $600,000 in donations to Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation.

A huge thank you to everyone who participated, supported, and helped make this event such a success.

On March 28, the Marple Newtown High School Best Buddies hosted the Russell Elementary Best Buddies for the first annual Inclusion Day. This was an exciting day of crafts, reading, sharing and team building activities in which the two Best Buddies groups got to know one another and learn about Inclusion.

Marple Newtown High School was once again designated a No Place For Hate School by the Anti-Defamation League. Marple Newtown Best Buddies (High School) prepared 3 schoolwide activities to earn this honor for our school.

After graduating 16 seniors last year, the team this year has battled through the toughest regular season schedule we have had since this staff has been on board. We added top competition such as Springside chestnut hill and Cardinal Gibbons out of North Carolina. Our boys just won the district Title, the second of such in a row and 3rd in the last 4 years and we are sitting at the 1 seed in the states that start next week.

Player accolades:

Brian Box - All American, All State, Academic All American, 1st team all league

Ryan Keating - Academic All American, 1st Team all league

Evan Kostack - 1st team all league

Brett Wolski -2nd team all league

Marco D’Alicandro - honorable mention all league

Jace Kostack - honorable mention all league

Marple Flag Football finished with a 3-5 record in their inaugural season. The team consisted of 27 girls, some with experience and some new to the game, all worked hard to get better each day. The team had fun and are excited for next year. With only 2 seniors on the roster, the Tigers look to come back next season and make noise in the league/playoffs. At 3-2, the Tigers tough part of the schedule was coming up, with 3 experienced playoff bound teams to close out the season. The team played tough but came up short in each contest. These girls are hungry and will come back roaring next season on a mission!