Community Conversations

I am excited to share some great news about our students' academic progress! Thanks to the hard work of our students, dedicated staff, and supportive community, Methacton is seeing notable improvements in math and other key areas, while continuing to be one of the top-performing districts in Montgomery County and the Commonwealth.

Earlier this month, Assistant Superintendent Dr. Regina shared an update with the Board of School Directors on our achievement data from 2023-2024, which reflects the district’s commitment to student success. You can view that full report here or view a summary below.

PSSA Performance

Our students demonstrated exceptional growth in mathematics across multiple grade levels. Some of the examples are listed below:

• Grade 3 math proficiency increased from 68.4% in 2023 to 81.5% in 2024, placing Methacton as the 3rd highest in Montgomery County while state scores continue to decline.

• Grade 6 math proficiency improved from 48.8% in 2022 to 57.5% in 2024.
• Methacton Elementary schools hold the #1 spot in mathematics scores for grades 3 and 4 across the 31 elementary schools in the North Montco sending region.
• Grade 3 English Language Arts proficiency is increasing at a rate three times greater than that of the state.
• Grades 6, 7, and 8 mathematics proficiency has continued to increase each of the last three years.
  
  

Keystone Exam Results

Our high school students continue to excel on the Keystone Exams, particularly in science and literature:

• Biology: Methacton demonstrated 70.8% proficiency compared to the state average of 50.5%.
• Literacy: Methacton increased to 70.5% proficiency, exceeding the state average of 63.2%.
• Algebra 1 Keystones has dramatically increased over the past three years at both Methacton High School and Arcola.
• Literature scores have increased by over 11% from the previous year’s results.
• Science scores have increased by over 8% from the previous year’s results.
  
  

Advanced Placement (AP) Performance

Methacton students continue to outperform their peers at the state and national level. Note: the highest score on an AP exam is a 5, and many colleges and universities accept a 3.

• Over 93% of all students taking Advanced Placement assessments scored a 3 or higher.
• Over 72% of all students taking Advanced Placement assessments scored a 4 or 5.
• 13 courses had at least 9 out of every 10 students scoring a 3 or higher in their courses.
• 7 courses had every student (100% of students) scoring a 3 or higher.
• 11 courses had students with average scores of 4 or higher.
• 81 students took five or more AP exams with an average score of 4.33.
• Seven AP courses had a 100% pass rate.
  
  

Our work to ensure academic success will continue in the 2025-2026 school year, as we launch exciting initiatives including the implementation of the new Science, Technology & Engineering, Environmental Literacy & Sustainability (STEELS) standards to enhance STEM education and an expansion of Positive Behavior Intervention and Supports (PBIS) to foster engagement and well-being. Together, we will continue to advance Methacton’s tradition of academic excellence and prepare all students for future success.

This month's Alumni Spotlight features Emily Hartung, Class of 2014, whose artistic journey took her from sketching in Methacton art classes to designing for a business-to-business advertising agency. Some of her mural work is even featured in a Methacton school! Learn more about how her passion for graphic design blossomed here!

Sincerely,

Dr. David Zerbe

Superintendent of Schools

Now let’s take a look at some of the events and achievements

that took place across the district in February...

Arrowhead held a Future Career Day as part of their 'Proud to Be Me' Week, which is a week that encourages students to express themselves and proudly show their individuality. Students dressed up as their possible future careers. There were doctors, business professionals, professional athletes and more. All Methacton elementary schools participate in Proud to Be Me Week each year.

Congratulations to all of the budding scientists who participated in the Eagleville STEM Fair! The K-4 students did an incredible job with their projects. The STEM fair is an exciting tradition in which students are encouraged to ask themselves 'What am I curious about?", "What would happen if..." or "I've always noticed that..." Approximately 50 students participated in the STEM fair this year and proudly presented their projects and findings. The evening concluded with a college professor and a few of his students demonstrating science experiments for the Eagleville community.

Students at Woodland worked on a number of projects this month in honor of Black History Month. From Kindergarten through Grade 4, they participated in a variety of activities that included reading about the courageous efforts of African Americans in the fight for civil rights, engaging in collaborative conversations about justice and the power of community, researching famous historical figures, creating posters and conducting oral presentations. The lessons extended into music class, where students learned about and listened to influential Black musicians like Louis Armstrong, Stevie Wonder, and Ella Jenkins.

New 3-D printers have arrived at the Worcester library, allowing students and staff to further their STEM education with hands-on activities. The printers were purchased for Worcester and Eagleville with a grant from the Methacton Education Foundation. Now, all elementary schools will have access to teaching students how to create 3-D models using TinkerCard and printing their designs using the new MakerBot devices. The Library Department has already incorporated 3-D printing lessons into their curriculum rotation for all 4th-grade students. As part of the lesson, each student will design and print their own personalized keychain with their name, giving them a tangible understanding of the 3-D printing process. Now that all schools have access to their own printers, there is more opportunity for staff to incorporate 3-D printing and creation into their lessons. Currently younger students can watch the creations being made and start to learn more about the process. Stay tuned to see the machines in action!

Skyview students recognized Black History Month by reading texts and engaging in conversations with their peers about notable figures like Ruby Bridges and the Civil Rights Movement. They even furthered their education about the impact and contributions of Black Americans during their Flex and Hawk Huddle times, working with their teachers to create biographies about an influential person.

7th and 8th grade students received an inspirational message about kindness, respect, responsibility, and self-belief from motivational speaker Ed Gerety. One student even joined Mr. Gerety to demonstrate gratitude live, calling his mother in front of the entire class to thank her for everything she does. The positive message aims to inspire students to be their very best every day and create a kind and welcoming environment at Arcola and beyond.

5 Methacton HS students medaled at the SkillsUSA District 2 competitions, showcasing their skills in Career and Technical Education (CTE). SkillsUSA is a student organization dedicated to Career and Technical Education (CTE). Our students had a chance to shine competing against schools from Bucks, Montgomery, and Delaware Counties. We're thrilled to announce our first-place winners, Avery Smith and Elijah Perdue, are advancing to the state competition in Hershey this April, with a chance to compete nationally in June! Congratulations and good luck, Warriors!

Congratulations to the cast and crew of the Methacton High School Theatre Company for their incredible Winter 2025 production of the classic musical comedy 'Guys and Dolls.' The play featured nearly 90 Methacton students on stage, behind the scenes, and in the pit providing the musical arrangements. Everything from the songs to the set design to the acting was a hit! A big shout out to director Mary Fitzgerald and assistant director Denise Naylor for organizing and inspiring these talented students.

If you missed it, you can still catch a performance Friday, February 28 and Saturday, March 1 at 7:00 p.m. Tickets are available through Hometown Ticketing.

Email: information@methacton.org
Website: www.methacton.org
Location: 1001 Kriebel Mill Road, Eagleville, PA, USA
Phone: 6104895000
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MethactonSchoolDistrict/
Twitter: @Methacton