Neshaminy Update

The holiday singalong at Pearl S. Buck Elementary School on Friday, December 20 took on a special meaning as it was the final assembly, and the last day of school for students at the 55-year-old building. After the holiday break, the entire school is transferring to the new Core Creek Elementary School on the Maple Point campus. Most students seemed excited about the upcoming move, with some expressing at least some sadness about leaving the current building behind forever. At the end of the singalong, the students sang a special version of "Best Day of my Life" by the band American Authors to mark the transition.

Minutes later, they gathered their backpacks and coats and left their classrooms. The hallways and rooms were mostly void of the curricular materials, student artworks and decorations that have already been packed for transport to the new building. As the buses pulled out for the last time, a light snow fell which proved to be a happy distraction.

On Monday, December 23, the students had an online learning day to give their teachers the chance to finish packing their materials. Moving vans circled the parking lot picking up large boxes full of classroom materials marked for their new destinations.

At 2 pm, the entire Buck staff drove across town to check out Core Creek Elementary School and see their new workplace, some for the very first time. On Thursday and Friday, January 2 and 3, their students will once again have virtual online learning days so the staff has time to prepare the classrooms and common areas. On Monday, January 6, the students will continue their school year at the new building.

CORE CREEK ES OPEN HOUSE

An open house will be held at Core Creek on Friday, January 3 from 4-7 pm for Buck students and their families to familiarize themselves with the building and see their classrooms. Members of the Neshaminy community are also welcome to join the open house to see the new school.

The Carl Sandburg MS Soundwaves Choir, K-8 winners of the B101 Christmas Choir Competition, performed Carol of the Bells before a full house at the Trans-Siberian Orchestra concert at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia on Sunday, December 22. Early on the previous Friday, the group traveled with their director, Sandburg Music Teacher Eddie Tamanini to the B101 radio studios in Philadelphia to perform their song live on the air during the station's morning show. They also visited the Middletown Community Center on Thursday to perform holiday songs at the annual Senior Holiday Luncheon.

This is the second year of success in a row for Neshaminy in the B101 choir contest. Last year the High School Select Choir won first place in the high school category for their rendition of Carol of the Bell / Wayfaring Stranger.

Neshaminy parents and guardians are invited to join an upcoming ESSA (Every Student Succeeds Act) Federal Programs Parent Advisory Team virtual meeting to help shape supplemental school programs federally funded through Titles I, II, III, and IV. Your input is crucial in supporting student success and improving educational experiences in our district. As a team member, you will:

• Provide feedback on academic and program goals.
• Collaborate to ensure programs meet student and family needs.
• Guide decisions for Title-funded initiatives.

To learn more about the ESSA Title I-IV programs and how they benefit our students, teachers and schools, please visit:

https://www.everystudentsucceedsact.org/

The meeting will be held on Thursday, January 9 starting at 7 pm. To register please visit the following link:

https://neshaminy.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_JzDo8IdIQcW3RPAFlXrGcg

The 2025 Neshaminy STEAM Expo will be held on Thursday, April 10 from 6:30 - 8:30 pm at Neshaminy High School. Since it was founded in 2015, this celebration of all things Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math has grown to become one of the most beloved and well-attended educational events in the district and a great night for students and their families.

We are looking for individuals, businesses and organizations who would like to share their STEAM expertise with the next generation to join the 2025 Expo as presenters. Please contact David Geanette at dgeanette@neshaminy.org for more information and to sign up.

• Tuesday, December 31: District Closed
• Wednesday, January 1: District closed
• Thursday and Friday, January 2 and 3: Virtual online learning day for Core Creek ES ONLY
• Friday, January 3: Core Creek Elementary School Open House, 4-7 pm
• Wednesday, January 8: Preschool "Coffee Talk", Maple Point MS, 10:30 am (see article below)
• Thursday, January 9: ESSA Parent Advisory Team virtual meeting, 7 pm (see article above)
• Saturday, January 18: Mini Mini-Thon (middle schools), Neshaminy HS Gym 3
• Monday, January 20: Schools Closed, Martin Luther King Jr. Day
• Friday, February 7: Neshaminy HS Mini-Thon, Gym 3, 3 pm

For more events and updates please visit the district and school websites.

The Neshaminy School District Pre-K Counts program and the Family Services Association of Bucks County have partnered for a series of supportive gatherings for parents and guardians of preschoolers. The next session will be held on Wednesday, January 8 in the District Board Room at Maple Point Middle School starting at 10:30 am. This month features three valuable items:

• Information on the kindergarten registration process
• Parents Plus Language Development session (free program for children with a language delay)
• Early Learning Resource Center representative

Families with infants, preschool and school-age children are invited to attend. Refreshments will be provided. Children are welcome to attend with their caregivers. These meet-ups are free, but pre-registration is required. Sign up at the link below.

🔗 Coffee Talks Sign-Up

With the start of the new calendar year, Neshaminy School District will be implementing a new way to report student absences using a smart phone app and website called Safe Arrival. Parents and guardians can use the system to schedule or report an absence without having to write notes or calling the school. Though manual reporting will still be available, the hope is that Neshaminy families find this new system an easier way to manage their student's absences and avoid automated phone calls when their student is reported absent.

Instructions on how to use the Save Arrival application will be shared with all district families over the next several days.

BOARD REORGANIZATION

At the annual Neshaminy School Board reorganization meeting held on December 2, 2024, the Board voted unanimously to retain Marty Sullivan as Board President and Tina Hollenbach as Board Vice-President for 2025. The Board also voted unanimously to retain the law firm of Begley, Carlin & Mandio, LLP as the district's solicitor for the new year.

DATA MANAGER

The Board approved the appointment of Joseph Ritorto as the Data Manager for the district, replacing Todd Perry who will become Neshaminy's new Information Technology Director effective January 1. Mr. Ritorto will be responsible for managing the many student information and online curriculum systems used by the District. He previously worked at as an I.T. Specialist at Neshaminy High School.

The next School Board Public Work Session will be held on Tuesday, January 14 at 7 pm in the District Board Room at Maple Point. The January Board Public Meeting will be held Tuesday, January 28 at 7 pm in the same location. The meeting video livestream, agenda and archive video of past meetings can be found at www.neshaminy.org/meetings.

COMMITTEE MEETINGS

Committee meetings are held throughout the school year. These meetings are a good opportunity to interact with School Board members and district administrators in a less formal, more conversational format.

• Tuesday, January 7: Educational Development Committee
• Wednesday, January 22: Business Operations Committee
• Thursday, January 23: Policy Committee
• Thursday, February 13: Facilities and Planning Committee

All committee meetings are held at 6:30 pm in the District Board Room at Maple Point unless otherwise noted. All meeting times and dates are subject to change; please consult the Neshaminy district website for updates.

The Neshaminy Education Foundation staff holiday card drive raised over $1600 during the holiday season. Neshaminy families were offered the opportunity to send a donation to the NEF in the name of a favorite Neshaminy staff member as an alternative to traditional gifts. Each staff member was presented with a festive card the week before the holiday break with the name of the donor and a personal message. This fundraiser will be repeated at the end of the school year.

The Joseph Ferderbar ES Chorale, a group of 4th graders, have been rehearsing before school on Thursdays during the fall. They performed on December 20 for the residents of Oxford Rehabilitation and Healthcare in Langhorne. The Saturday before that, most of the group performed at Crescent Fields in Huntingdon Valley. They will also be performed two shorter concerts for the school on Monday, December 23. These are some busy fourth graders!

The Holiday singalong at Albert Schweitzer featured a couple of student performances, an air guitar solo, a visit by the Grinch and much more!

Fourth grade students and Ambassadors collected items for ‘Winter Warmth’ and ‘Family Games’ for the Salvation Army.

Staff members at Herbert Hoover ES delighted their audience with a school-specific version of The 12 Days of Christmas featuring some phrases commonly heard in classrooms all year long.

On Monday, December 23, the entire student body and staff of Tawanka Elementary School surprised their music teacher, Brian Barber with a special song that the entire school learned over the past month. Mr. Barber is retiring after nearly 30 years with the district and the teacher rock band, which always performs on the last morning before the holiday break for the students and staff, finished their set with the tribute singalong of "Here Comes the Sun" by the Beatles, a favorite of Mr. Barber's.

The EarlyAct Club at Joseph Ferderbar ES held a donation drive for the Poquessing Food Pantry.

The staff and students at Walter Miller ES got into the holiday spirit with some help from a jolly visitor!

During the week of December 2-9, Joseph Ferderbar ES students got to test their skill on the Ferderbar Funtime Mini Golf Course. This lesson was the culminating activity of a unit focused on striking skills taught by student teacher Jack Blanker of Eastern University. The equipment used in the lesson was purchased with funds raised during last year’s Ninja Warrior Fundraiser.

Tawanka kindergarten students enjoyed a day of making gingerbread crafts on December 20. Family members were even invited to join the fun!

Tawanka ES hosted their second annual Sensory Friendly Santa Experience for students in the Autistic Support program on December 19. It was an opportunity to enjoy the tradition of a Santa visit in a subdued and calm environment. Students and their families were able to enjoy a private, calm, and sensory friendly Santa visit within the familiar setting of their school building, take pictures by themselves and with friends, enjoy a special snack, or just play with a sensory bin. Tawanka’s second year of hosting this was a huge success and the families truly enjoyed their time!

On December 13 Maple Point held their bi-annual Inclusion Social. Members of the Junior Honor Society and Student Council set up and operated sensory-friendly games and crafts to share with their fellow students.

Team C at Maple Point Middle School held a winter sock drive, gathering new socks for donation to a local shelter. The Maple Point community was very supportive of the effort and hundreds of pairs of socks were gathered. The students even wrapped them in festive holiday packaging.

This holiday season, students in Carl Sandburg's 8th grade AVID classes took part in a Care-Mail Holiday Card service project. The Break Free Education Organization believes students held in confinement need to know people care about them- especially during the holidays and Sandburg's AVID students were ready to share the spirit of the season. Each AVID student was matched with a student ranging in age from 15-17 in confinement. AVID students wrote thoughtful personalized letters to bring joy and hope during this lonely time and by doing so, they were reminded of all they have to be grateful for this holiday season. We hope the holiday letters bring as much joy to the teens as they brought to the AVID classes who wrote them.

The Poquessing Middle School 8th grade orchestra members played holiday music for Joseph Ferderbar ES students as they came in for the final day of school before the holiday break on Monday, December 23.

The Carl Sandburg Middle School Holiday singalong on Friday, December 20 doubled as a retirement celebration for teachers Cynthia Doan, Lea Barr and Principal Dawn Kelly. It was also pajama day, and the students enjoyed a very entertaining rendition of The Twelve Days of Christmas (complete with costumes and comedy sketches featuring the Sandburg staff). Mrs. Kelly, who is retiring after 31 years of service to Neshaminy, will be replaced by Acting Principal Derek Albarran when school resumes after the holiday break.

Eighth-grade Business, Computers and Information Technology at Maple Point MS conducted interviews with their teachers and some high school students to pick an employee for businesses that they are creating for a class project.

Proving that just about anything can be turned into an educational project, eighth graders in Nicole Doster's math class at Maple Point MS recently finished up a unit on volume. With the holiday break coming up, it was only fitting that they had to apply volume to making snowmen. The caveat: They were limited on the amount of materials they were allowed to use and were only given 30 minutes to design. While designing, they had to try to maximize the volume of their snowman all while trying to make their snowman look the best visually. Their final snowman had to be able to stand freely on its own.

The Neshaminy HS Science Club welcomed Nick Conlin, a 4th year PhD student from the Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Department at Princeton University on December 16. He came to talk about his experiences in his field and give some advice on the club members PA Junior Academy of Science competition projects. NHS has 35 students competing in the competition this February.

On December 19 Neshaminy HS students had the opportunity to enjoy a Flyers game along with some meet0and-greet extras!

In mid-December members of the Neshaminy HS Debate Team became holiday music experts and crafted a well-rounded argument for song of the season. They could choose a song that represented whatever holiday they celebrate or like or a song that they love that is played on the radio, on tv, in a movie, on streaming media or at family get-togethers. The Official Song of the Season went to the best argument - “All I Want for Christmas is You” & “Where Are You Christmas."

Each year the World Language students at Neshaminy HS sing various holiday songs in their respective languages throughout the day before the holiday break.

Tim Burns from the Langhorne Borough Business Association dropped off gift cards to support the holiday donation drive efforts at Neshaminy HS. While there he got to meet with some of the students.

Some of the many holiday meal boxes distributed to Neshaminy families this year thanks to generous donors at the high school and throughout the community.

Four Neshaminy High School holiday concerts were livestreamed and the edited, archived versions of each concert can be viewed below and found at www.neshaminy.org/nhsmusicvideo. New this year was the Neshaminy Rock Band Concert, featuring four bands from the newly formed Neshaminy Rock Band Club. The NHS In-School Concert was livestreamed on Thursday, December 19 and watched in classrooms throughout the district.

Students in the AVID 12 and AVID 9 classes took a trip to Holy Family University on December 6. One of the many goals of the AVID program is to expose students to various post-graduation possibilities in academics and careers.

The Neshaminy HS Marching Band was represented at Temple University's High School Band Day at Lincoln Financial Field on November 30.

Congratulations to NHS Senior Kylie Maxwell, who has completed an extraordinary high school soccer career at Neshaminy. Among her achievements, Kylie has been named to the following:

• 2024 - 1st Team All-League,
• Patriot League Player of the Year,
• PA Southeastern Team,
• PA All-State Team
• East Region All-American

She was invited this fall to attend Camp with the United States Women's U19 National team. This past season she reset Neshaminy’s single season scoring record with 38 goals. She has scored 76 Goals in her high school career.

Next year she will be attending Wake Forest University.

The Neshaminy HS swim team received a nutrition talk from Certified Nutritionist Alek Dinesen after one of their practices in December thanks to support from the NHS Swim Team Boosters. Alek shared the importance of proper fueling to help improve performance and gave simple suggestions for implementing a better nutrition plan at home.

On December 28, a ceremony was held in Gym 1 at Neshaminy High School to unveil a plaque in honor of Stephen "Stevie" J. Pirritano, a Neshaminy graduate and football player who passed away in 2016 at the age of 20. The plaque was placed next to the door used by teams to enter and exit the weight room behind the gym during games and practices. The ceremony was attended by the Pirritano family, friends, football boosters, Superintendent Jason Bowman, NHS Football Coach Steve Wilmot, School Board members and other district administrators.

Neshaminy Update is published monthly during the school year and distributed to the Neshaminy community via email and web. To submit comments, suggestions or news items for consideration, please email Chris Stanley, Community Relations Coordinator.

Neshaminy School Board of Directors

Marty Sullivan - President

Tina Hollenbach - Vice-President

John Allen

Erin Brosious

Alicia Lafferty

Beth Marshall

Carlos Rodriguez

Kellen Sporny

Jill Waldbieser

Contact Information

View Upcoming Meetings

Meeting Videos

Neshaminy School District

Superintendent

Jason Bowman

Assistant to the Superintendent/Director of Educational Operations

Sean Haines

Assistant to the Superintendent / Director of Elementary Education

Dr. Michelle Burkholder

Assistant to the Superintendent / Director of Secondary Education

Dr. Kate Hinshaw

Assistant to the Superintendent / Director of Pupil Services

Dr. Kevin Kane

Business Administrator

Deborah Klahold

Director of Human Resources

Kelly Kozik

Neshaminy School District

2001 Old Lincoln Highway

Langhorne, PA 19047

www.neshaminy.org