Pennsbury School District Back-To-School Guide

Provided by the Pennsbury School District:

The Pennsbury School District will open its doors for approximately 10,500 students on a staggered schedule this year. Beginning on Wednesday, September 2nd, grades 1-5 in the elementary schools, grade 6 in the middle schools, and grade 9 at the high school will have their first full day of school.  Then on Thursday, September 3^rd, grades 1-12 will report to school. This staggered opening will allow for full-day orientations for the incoming 6^th and 9^th grade students as they begin the school year in new buildings.

Kindergarten Orientation

This year, Kindergarten students will be accompanied by their parents or guardians on September 2^nd to attend a one-hour orientation session. These students will be divided into Groups A and B and attend school for the next two days in a staggered fashion. Group A will attend Kindergarten for a full day on Thursday, September 3^rd, while Group B remains home. On Friday, September 4^th, Group B Kindergarteners will attend school for the full day while Group A students will remain home. On Tuesday, September 8^th (following Labor Day on the 7^th), ALL Kindergarten students will report to school together for the entire day.

Following is a brief summary of what’s new in Pennsbury this year:

New Principals in Place

Pending approval by the Pennsbury Board of School Directors at their next meeting on August 27th, the following new Principal assignments will be in place for the start of school:

Lisa Follman, previously Supervisor of Special Education K-8 and School Counseling K-12 for Pennsbury, is being appointed Principal of Eleanor Roosevelt Elementary School. Ms. Follman will succeed Elizabeth Aldridge, who was recently named to serve as the new Principal of Pennwood Middle School.

Terri Salvucci comes to Pennsbury after serving in an administrative capacity for the Philadelphia School District to assume the title of Principal of Manor Elementary School. Outgoing Manor Principal, Christopher Becker, was recently named to be the new Principal at William Penn Middle School.

Biographical profiles for each of these individuals appear below:

Elizabeth Aldridge

Ms. Aldridge takes the helm at Pennwood Middle School after serving as a Pennsbury administrator for 12 years, including the last five years as Principal at Eleanor Roosevelt Elementary. Leadership duties while at Roosevelt also included navigating through a $12.9 million school renovation and working on Pennsbury’s recent redistricting of elementary students. Prior to her work as Principal, Ms. Aldridge was an Assistant Principal at Pennsbury High School, where she served as the administrative liaison for the renovation of the PHS West campus. Among her other duties there, she supervised the District’s school counselors K-12. Ms. Aldridge began her career as a high school English teacher. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Secondary Education from the University of Scranton, a Master of Science in Instructional Technology from Philadelphia University, and principal’s certification from the University of Pennsylvania’s Leadership Program for Aspiring Principals. She has also completed doctoral-level work in the Teaching, Learning, and Curriculum program at Penn.

Christopher Becker

Mr. Becker steps in as Principal at William Penn Middle School after serving in the same capacity for the past five years at Manor Elementary. Prior to joining Pennsbury, Mr. Becker worked in the Parkland School District in the Lehigh Valley as an administrator at three different elementary schools. He also taught middle school for six years in Parkland before becoming a school administrator. “This position at William Penn provides me with the opportunity to once again work with and engage adolescent learners,” said Mr. Becker. Having served on several District-wide study committees in Pennsbury, Mr. Becker was most recently involved in the elementary school consolidation and middle school redistricting. He currently serves as a member of the Internal Leadership Team to assist with the development of the 2016-2019 District Comprehensive Plan. Mr. Becker earned his Master’s degree in Educational Leadership with Principal certification from Wilkes University and also holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Education from Kutztown University.

Lisa Follman

The 2015-2016 school year will mark Ms. Follman’s tenth year as a school administrator, including five years serving with the administrative team in Pennsbury. Most recently, Ms. Follman was working as a Supervisor of Special Education K-8 and School Counseling K-12. This position followed her role as an Assistant Principal at Pennsbury High School, where she was also Supervisor of School Counseling K-12. Ms. Follman served for nearly four years as an Assistant Principal at William Tennent High School in the Centennial School District, and prior to that, she taught high school English in Pennsbury and the Bristol Township School District. Appointed to serve as a member of the Internal Leadership Team to assist with the development of Pennsbury’s 2013-2016 District Comprehensive Plan, Ms. Follman has resumed this role in the development of the 2016-2019 Plan. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and a Master’s degree in Education, both from Temple University, and was awarded her Supervisor of Curriculum and Instruction PK-12 and Principal PK-12 certifications while earning her Master’s degree in Educational Leadership from Lehigh University.

Terri Salvucci

Ms. Salvucci joins Pennsbury for the first time as Principal of Manor Elementary School. She comes to the District after nearly 20 years in the Philadelphia School District, where she worked as an elementary school Principal, a district-level Content Specialist in K-8 Mathematics, and a teacher of Mathematics. Ms. Salvucci is also an Adjunct Professor at Rosemont College, where she instructs undergraduate education majors in Mathematics methods for elementary and middle school grade levels. In addition, Ms. Salvucci has worked for the Chichester School District, where she handled several long-term substitute positions in special education and also taught grades K-8 in all subjects. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Education (with Mathematics concentration) from West Chester University and a Master’s degree in Educational Administration with Principal Certification from Gwynedd Mercy University.

Acting Principal Assigned to Oxford Valley Elementary

Due to a temporary leave of absence by Oxford Valley Elementary Principal Fran Nitkin, an Acting Principal has been named to kick off the academic year at Oxford Valley. Donna Minnigh, who previously worked as an Administrative Intern at Edgewood Elementary School, has assumed the role of Acting Principal and has already spent several weeks getting acquainted with school office staff and procedures. Ms. Minnigh looks forward to working with the faculty, PTO officers, and the families at Oxford Valley to start off the year in smooth fashion.

Curriculum and Instruction – STEM Supervisor Named

Dr. Donna Dunar, Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction K-12, is pleased to announce that Elizabeth Price has been appointed to the new position of K-12 STEM Supervisor for Pennsbury, pending approval at the August 27^th School Board meeting. STEM ties together Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics content areas. Ms. Price will report to Dr. Dunar, supervise the Mathematics and Science Departments, and help to coordinate all STEM-related activities and programs in grades K-12. “This continuing focus on STEM remains an excellent way for us to promote creative and critical thinking,” said Dr. Dunar. “This year, Ms. Price will play an integral role as we renew our Math curriculum and instructional materials to better align with the PA Core Standards,” she added.

Ms. Price comes to Pennsbury from the Central Bucks School District, where she worked as a Science teacher from 1990 to the present. She served as the Science Department Coordinator there for five years. Ms. Price was recently selected as a state finalist for the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST) and she was also named a Hurd Award finalist this year by the National Middle Level Science Teachers Association. Other achievements include being named a Discovery STAR Educator, a PA Keystone Technology Integrator, and she holds National Board Certification in Early Adolescent Science. Ms. Price is also the recipient of numerous Science and STEM-related grants over the years. She is currently working toward her doctorate in Educational Leadership. Ms. Price earned a Master’s degree in Teaching and Curriculum from the Harvard Graduate School of Education and holds a Bachelor’s degree in Biology with Honors from La Salle University.

LYFT Pennsbury Character Award

During the last school year, Pennsbury was named a National District of Character by Character.org, a national advocate for character education based in Washington, D.C. In conjunction with Pennsbury’s ongoing character education initiative, special presentations will be made at the second School Board meeting every month to spotlight students who embody specific character assets at the elementary, middle, and high school levels. This new recognition program, called the LYFT Pennsbury Character Award, is a partnership effort that joins the School District with the LYFT Community Coalition. LYFT is an acronym that represents all four Pennsbury municipalities joined together – Lower Makefield, Yardley, Falls, and Tullytown. The first recognition will highlight students who stand out for “Positive Peer Influence,” encouraging their peers to avoid risky choices and to get involved in their schools and communities in positive ways. The award will be given at the October 10^th Board meeting. Nominations will be accepted throughout the month of September. To learn more about this new recognition program, call LYFT at (215) 949 1660 x 104, or emailtimp@uwbucks.org.   To obtain a nomination form, contact Sherwood Taylor at staylor@pennsburysd.org.

Technology Improvements

The following improvements were made to School District technology during recent months.

• Installed a new phone system that will produce a return on investment
• Migrated to a new point-of-sale system for food services
• Deployed over 1,800 Chromebooks for student and teacher use across the School District
• Upgraded several Technology Education labs with high-end computers
• Conducted a two-day Google “boot camp” for 50 teachers during the summer
• Procured Android tablets for instructional use in several elementary schools
• Installed fully-configured Google Apps for Education for teaching and learning purposes

Pre-K Counts Program Continues

A grant-funded, pre-school program for three- and four-year-olds is continuing this year in the Pennsbury School District thanks to a joint effort between Pennsbury and the Morrisville YMCA. Known as the Pre-K Counts Program, these classroom sessions are being offered on a half-day basis five days each week for the full school year. Funded entirely by the Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL), Pre-K Counts is open to children of families in Bucks County who meet eligibility guidelines. Children must be three or four years old by September 1^st to participate. Spearheading this effort in Pennsbury is Walt Disney Elementary School Principal, Laurie Gafgen.  “The Pre-K Counts Program benefits our community’s youngest learners to prepare them for a successful kindergarten experience,” said Ms. Gafgen. “We utilize a creative curriculum and certified teachers to help these children build skills needed for kindergarten. Ms. Gafgen welcomes calls from community residents who may be interested in learning more about the Pre-K Counts program. She may be reached at 215-949-6868, ext. 20815.

Facilities Improvements

Highlights of facilities improvement work conducted during Summer 2015 include the following:

• Manor Elementary School – roof repair work and electrical upgrades.
• Charles Boehm Middle School – temporary cooling units installed with new wiring.
• Pennwood Middle School – replacement of walk-in refrigerator.
• Pennsbury High School East – reconfigured cafeteria serving line with new equipment.
• Medill Bair Pool (PHS) – pool and related equipment repaired, cleaned, or painted.
• District-wide – phone equipment removed and placed, parking lot improvements, painting, general cleaning, and preparations for the new school year.

Transportation Safety

In a continuing partnership between the School District and law enforcement, area police departments will be monitoring local traffic closely this year to ensure that vehicles are not passing Pennsbury school buses when students are entering, disembarking, or walking in the road nearby when buses have stopped. To accomplish this task, police officers from the four Pennsbury municipalities of Falls, Lower Makefield, Tullytown, and Yardley may either follow District buses in patrol cars — or, from time to time — ride on buses to determine if motorists are stopping at safe distances when the buses’ overhead red lights are activated. 

Food Service in Pennsbury

Nationwide, all schools participating in the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program are required to offer meals that meet nutrition standards set by the USDA.  The number one priority of Pennsbury School District’s food service program is to provide high quality, delicious, and nutritious food.

Pennsbury’s provider of dining services – The Nutrition Group – offers a wide variety of fresh fruits and vegetables, light and fat-free dressings, and whole grains. More information about The Nutrition Group is available online at www.pennsburysd.org > Food Services.

Pennsbury parents and guardians continue to have the capability to provide online payment for their students’ cafeteria transactions, as well as to view their child(ren)’s meal/snack selections online.  Please visit www.parentonline.net  to access this information. In addition, the School District encourages all parents and guardians whose students qualify for free and reduced meals to apply online at www.paschoolmeals.com.

School Day Schedule

Elementary school students in grades K-5 will start at 9:00 a.m. and be dismissed at 3:40 p.m.

At the secondary level, orientation sessions are scheduled for students on the first day of school, as follows:

All three middle schools: The school day at this level ordinarily begins at 8:10 a.m. with daily dismissal at 2:55 p.m. On September 2nd, however, ONLY 6^th grade students will report to school at the usual start time. On the following day, students in grades 6-8 will all attend during normal school hours.

Pennsbury High School: Normally, the high school day begins at 7:20 a.m. and ends at 2:15 p.m. On September 2nd, ONLY 9^th grade students will report to school at the usual start time. On the following day, all students in grades 9-12 will report at the normal starting time and be dismissed at 2:15 p.m.

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