In The Q

Three hundred and eight-five Quakertown Community High School seniors took "the walk" across the stage for their diploma on June 14 at Lehigh University's Stabler Arena.

The graduates made the Class of 2019 one of the highest performing in QCHS history. As Principal Dr. David Finnerty recounted:

• 17 students have committed to serving our country in the Armed Forces.
• 273 will follow their dreams to a college campus this fall in a 2- or 4-year program. These students have earned more than $6.2 million in scholarships.
• 65 seniors have earned membership in the National Honor Society.
  
• 17 seniors have earned membership in the National Technical Honor Society.
  

For the full story and additional photos, please click here.

For a video of the commencement ceremony, please click here.

Beginning July 1, Quakertown Community High School will have a new principal.

The Quakertown Community School Board voted 9-0 Thursday night in support of the administration’s recommendation to name Mattias van't Hoenderdaal to the position previously held by Dr. David Finnerty.

Mr. van’t Hoenderdaal, 35, is currently principal of School Lane Charter School’s International Baccalaureate Campus. Located in Bensalem, Bucks County, the IB Campus educates approximately 500 students in grades 7-12.

“I’m very excited and honored,” said Mr. van’t Hoenderdaal, who couldn’t attend the June 13 Board meeting because of School Lane’s graduation. “I’m eager to get started and get to know the community. For me, it’s about making an impact in the lives of students.”

Please click here for the full story.

After a year-and-a-half of planning, Neidig Elementary School celebrated its future on a warm May 29 morning with a groundbreaking ceremony that highlighted how the school’s great tradition will continue in a new 21st century educational facility 15 months from now.

“The traditions from the past, and everything that made Neidig Elementary School the great school that it is today are all coming with us as we start this renovation and addition project,” Principal Scott Godshalk said. “We honor those traditions from Neidig’s past, and we look forward to the limitless possibilities our updated 21st century school will provide.”

Mr. Godshalk emceed a marvelous event that included all 400 Neidig students and teachers, District officials, School Directors and visiting dignitaries.

For the full story and additional photos, please click here.

It was September 2017, and Mya Hibsman was one of more than 400 new seventh graders at Strayer Middle School. During an assembly, former Principal Derek Peiffer challenged the students “How will you make your mark at Strayer?”

Not long after, during a family dinner, Mya stated her legacy: “Mom, I want to start a lacrosse program at Strayer, wouldn’t that be awesome?”

With the help of Bruce Russell, a supportive teacher and former lacrosse coach, and a lot of hard work from several others, Mya’s goal became a reality.

Please click here for the full story.

Strayer Middle School students honored School Resource Officer Brian Hendrzak during their awards assembly. It's obvious the Richland Township Police Officer has had a profound impact on the young people he's come into contact with.

Students also put together a video to show what they think of him. Click here to view.

Messa di Voce, Strayer Middle School’s a cappella choir, achieved the Middle/Junior High School Overall Award for the 19th consecutive year during May's Music in the Park Festival.

The festival was held in the morning at Fleetwood Middle School in Berks County. The students then spent the afternoon at Dorney Park, where the awards ceremony was held at 5:45 p.m.

The Overall Trophy goes to the choir that has achieved the highest score of the day. Messa di Voce competed in three different styles: Mixed Choir, Renaissance Choir, and Vocal Jazz Choir receiving a superior rating (90th percentile) in all three categories. The founder and choral director of Messa di Voce is Cynthia Teprovich.

In the photo are, from left to right in the top row: Zachary Poleck, Riley Mann, Phillip Rotzell, Amoria Riendeau, Gwyneth Trumbore, Julia Huff, Elizabeth Glenn. Row three: Riley Roman, Bree Kuliga, Jack Dowler, Michelle Barratt, Jenna Hallock (percussion), Bryce Widdoss. Row two: Rachael Szabo, Alyssa Cassel, Rebekah Frei, Whitney Davis, Naci Hover, Row one: Colin Kern, Karinna Richardson, Lillian Miles, Kaitlyn Williams. Missing: Mason Lippincott, Alyssa Lynn, and Max Arkans, Kyle Charlton (both percussion).

Quakertown Community School Board President Steaven Klein opened the June 6 School Board meeting with thought's on D-Day. Here's what he had to say:

Putting history in perspective is powerful and moving.

Today, President Trump and President Macron of France celebrated and honored the surviving veterans of WWII that were active participants in D Day and the battles that followed. They also honored the thousands of fallen Allied Troops who began the liberation of Europe and the victory over the Nazi Regime that was very strong, very dug in and ready for the fight.

Put yourself in their shoes -- 17 years old, many had volunteered only weeks earlier, a few weeks of basic training and they were shipped over to England where the D Day staging took place. No cell phone to call home. No final goodbyes to your Mom, your brother, your sister, your father or your wife. The weather was so bad they delayed the invasion one day (from June 5th to the 6th). On the 6th the weather was still terrible, but they went anyhow. Can you image what this was like?

I could go on and on but I won’t. Just know that on this day 75 years ago, tens of thousands of Allied men fought to change the course of WWII and to defend the concept of being free and preserving liberty for all. It wasn’t just about winning this battle, our winning WWII. It was about the right of the human race to be free of tyranny and evil.

Thank God these Allied Forces were as brave and courageous as they were. Had they folded in the face of Nazi Germany, I promise you the life we all live today would be very different.

History can be a great teacher.

Quakertown Community High School students Angelina Becker and Justin Sawadski each received a medal for Distinguished Achievement from the American Legion during Memorial Day services in Memorial Park.

According to the American Legion: "The American Legion believes that our students should be praised when they demonstrate strong qualities of character and good citizenship. That's why, since 1926, the Legion has recognized such students with its Distinguished Achievement Award. The award is given to a freshman girl and boy as selected by faculty and school administration for consistently demonstrating six qualities that define character: Courage, Honor, Leadership, Patriotism, Scholarship and Service.

"Each award recipient is presented with a Distinguished Achievement certificate and a Medal of Honor with the six qualities engraved on the face of the medal. The back of the medal bears the Marine Corps motto, "Semper Fidelis" (always faithful)."

At the June 13 School Board meeting, the Board approved with a vote of 8-1 the district’s Superintendent’s (Draft) Goals 2019-20. For the past six years, the Superintendent’s Goals have been the blueprint for the School Board’s priorities with both long and short strategies to accomplish QCSD’s vision and mission.

Board-approved Superintendent Goals have guided the district to seeing student achievement flourish, dramatically improving college and career readiness, and establishing the Board as excellent stewards of our financial resources, all while sustaining, and even growing, student programs.

Please click here to read Dr. Harner's Blog.

Quakertown Community School District School Resource Officer Bob Lee, along with Quakertown Auxiliary Police, handed out flyers to QCHS student drivers on June 7 as they exited the parking lot.

The flyer included the number of points given out for a variety of violations, and warned against driving impaired, aggressively or without a seat belt. SRO Lee said it's a safety precaution during prom and graduation season.

Quakertown Community School District parents and guardians: beginning June 17, children 18 and younger can get FREE LUNCH at St. Luke's Quakertown Campus, 1021 Park Ave. The program runs Monday through Friday from 11:30 am to 1:30 pm through August 30. Please see the flyer for details.

Each Quakertown Community School District first grader went home for the summer with a new book. The gift is compliments of the Quakertown Community Education Foundation.

“First grade is such a crucial year for students in the development of their reading skills,” said Erin Oleksa-Carter, the district’s supervisor of literacy and arts. “We believe this will help them continue to grow as readers, and develop their love of reading.”

Approximately 365 books were given out, and the one each child received was determined by their teacher, based on the interest they’ve shown in a certain topic and their reading ability.

For the full story and more photos, please click here.

Quakertown Elementary School students, with passports in hand, “traveled” to 12 countries on June 5.

With exhibits set up outside the school, students from kindergarten through fifth grade “visited” Algeria, Brazil, Germany, Guatemala, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Poland, Puerto Rico, Russia and Vietnam. It was part of the school’s annual “Celebration of Cultures.”

"Our faculty and staff did a tremendous job putting everything together,” Principal Dr. Michael Zackon said. “This was an outstanding and important educational event for our students.”

Please click here for the full story.

During Wednesday’s College Signing Ceremony for the Class of 2019 student-athletes, the special bonds that have developed between coach and player, teacher and student radiated throughout the Quakertown Community High School Media Center.

As 14 of the school’s top student-athletes announced their college choices, the passionate and prideful words of district educators were there to help lift their students, as they had been during years of competition.

Girls track & field coach Jason Anderson, speaking about Swarthmore-bound Adria Retter, said “The opportunity to be part of her life for the last three years has been a gift. As a student she has no equal, literally first in her class.”

Please click here for the full story.

Quakertown Community School District will have ice hockey club teams at the high school (grades 9-12) and middle school (grades 5-8) levels for the 2019-20 school year.

Keith Krem, who has extensive experience playing and coaching for three decades, will be coaching the high school team and heading up hockey operations.

“We’re really excited about getting started,” said Mr. Krem, who lives in Quakertown with his wife and three children who attend district schools. “We have a lot of really good hockey players in the area, a really good base. The game is for anybody and everybody, boys and girls.”

Please click here for the full story.

At the Sixth Grade Center, students in Mrs. DiGiacomo's Computer Literacy class are getting a chance to code with little robots called Ozobot Evo.

With the help of a grant, each student in the class can program and use one. These bots follow color patterns on a paper or students can code online and load the code to the bot and let it execute the program.

Students have really enjoyed seeing their bots "run" their programs. Student Tyler Cole said "They are a lot of fun. It's neat to draw the code and then see the robot run the code you created."

Sixth grader Melody Lin agreed. " It's neat that you can make them do whatever you want with the code," she said.

Before they left for summer vacation, Sixth Grade Center Principal Mr. Eric Thompson has a message for his students:

"Be true to who you are, next year and beyond."

Four students from the Quakertown Community High School Gay Straight Alliance recently went before the School Board to advocate on behalf of having the same color cap and gown at commencement for all students.

WFMZ-TV news reporter Jamie Stover, a 2008 graduate of Quakertown Community High School, reported on the issue.

Click here to see her story.

Quakertown Community School District Assistant Superintendent Dr. Lisa Hoffman is among 20 women leaders chosen to participate in the American Association of School Administrators National Women’s Leadership Consortium.

Established in 2016 by AASA, The School Superintendents Association as part of the Women in School Leadership Initiative, the Consortium is designed to bring together successful women leaders to identify and address barriers females face when aspiring to top leadership positions. The Consortium is unique in that it’s designed to blend school superintendents with corporate and nonprofit leaders.

“I am incredibly honored to have been selected as a member of this incredible group of women educators,” said Dr. Hoffman, the district’s Assistant Superintendent for Teaching and Learning. “Being a part of this consortium provides me with an opportunity to connect with my peers throughout the country, share ideas and best practices, and build my professional practice.”

Please click here for the full story.

BSA Life Scout Daniel Boice of Quakertown's Troop 55 has received the Union League's "Good Citizenship Award."

The honor goes to 11th grade students who demonstrate hard work and fair play, and whose personal attributes include honesty, courage, tolerance, curiosity, loyalty and endeavor to follow and uphold the principles of American patriotism.

Troop 55 committee member Kiersten Hendricks said Daniel is a role model for his peers. "He is a good citizen based on several factors to include his success in school and many extracurricular activities."

Daniel was recently inducted into the National Honor Society, and he is involved with Math Club. He supports his church as an altar server, and serves with his troop in several annual service projects, including placing flags on veterans graves for Memorial Day, walking in the Memorial Day parade, performing food drives for the local VFW, and helping with the local community’s Bike Rodeo, which teaches bike safety to youths 4-12.

"Having had the opportunities to see his mother become a U.S. Citizen in 2008, take multiple trips to Malaysia, and participate in the 2017 Veteran’s Day Ceremony at Washington Crossing Cemetery have further taught him about patriotism," Ms. Hendricks said.

The Upper Bucks County Technical School is announcing a new program. The Agricultural Biotechnology (AgTech) and Life Sciences Academy introduces concepts of animal science, plant science, and plant & animal biotechnology.

As seniors, students will produce a culminating research project reflecting the objectives learned in the academy or enroll in an agribusiness course. These studies are not limited to lecture and theoretical discussions. Students will work directly with animals, cultivate plants and create projects that demonstrate learning. Students that complete the course may be eligible to receive college credits at Delaware Valley University and Rutgers University.

Please contact Michael Herrera at mherrera@ubtech.org for more information. https://lnkd.in/gvPr8T2

There's a new career training opportunity for high school seniors and other young adults ages 18 -24 at Bucks County Community College. This free pre-apprentice training starts February 2020 and prepares students for careers in Industrial Maintenance (Mechatronics).

Students, parents and school administrators are invited to an Open House to learn more:

Wednesday, June 26, 4 – 6 p.m.

BCCC’s Doylestown Public Safety Center

1760 South Easton Road, Doylestown

HS seniors will receive industry training while completing HS diploma. Students work one-on-one with career coach/job placement specialist to find employment post training. Classes run Monday – Friday, 1– 5 p.m.

Details on the program will be shared at the Open House. For more information about the Industrial Maintenance Training Program, go to www.bucks.edu/industrial-maint

Quakertown Community High School juniors, from left, Sam Brandt, Tyler Einolf and Jake Lewis, recently finished up a full week of the Summer Leadership Experience at the United States Military Academy at West Point. SLE is a highly competitive program the United States service academies offer for rising high school seniors.

QCHS students selected for Camp Neidig were, from left, rising seniors Sarah Stofik, Melissa Nong, Jollyfisher Ekpe, and Jake Berton.

The camp, sponsored by the Rotary Club, provides exceptional young men and women with the opportunity to live, work, and socialize together in a dynamic leadership environment.

During the last week's of school, Trumbauersville Elementary students had an amazing time celebrating a fantastic year. Much of their enjoyment focused on the principles of Compassion, Perseverance and Respect (CPR).

Above, during a jungle-themed First “Friday” assembly. Students were nominated by their peers for different awards and were recognized at an assembly! Their peers believed that these friends demonstrated CPR the best.

Great job!

Because of how hard Trumbauersville students have been working to show CPR, each grade level got to see a giant bubble demonstration and then get some time to experiment with different giant bubble wands.

Trumbauersville's Field Day was a huge hit thanks to all of the amazing parent volunteers. The students did a fantastic job showing CPR!

Before the end of the school year, Richland Elementary School had an Aloha Day for its fifth graders.

Students had a blast at the luau, dressing up in their most colorful, tropical wear. It's a great group of student headed to the sixth-grade center!

The Quakertown Community School District has several openings, including substitute school nurses and substitute aides. Please click here to see what positions are available.

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