Dream Big, Achieve Greatness 

North Penn E-Matters

A Monthly Newsletter from the North Penn School District

Volume 5; Issue 1 
July
2014

 
Table of Contents
Congratulations to the Class of 2014
NPHS Teacher Named a Claes Nobel Educator of Distinction
NPSD Board of School Directors Approve Final Budget
NPSD Transportation to Hold Annual K-Day Event
NPSD Encourages Parents to Register Students for 2014-2015 School Year
June North Penn News Update
 
 
   

NPSD Schools Earn Governor's Award for Excellence in Academics

  

Nine schools in the North Penn School District received the Governor's Award for Excellence in Academics from Governor Tom Corbett. Schools receive this recognition for earning a 90 percent or higher on the 2012-2013 School Performance Profile.

 

Schools recognized include Bridle Path, General Nash, Gwyn Nor, Hatfield, Montgomery, North Wales elementary schools; Pennbrook and Pennfield middle schools and North Penn High School.

 

These nine schools are part of the 428 schools across Pennsylvania that reached this goal.

 

Congratulations to these schools on this accomplishment. For more information on the school performance profile, please click here.

Register for a CEP Summer Camp Today!

  
 

  

With warm weather here, there is still time to think about summer camps and activities for children. The NPSD Community Education Program is thrilled to be able to offer its summer camps.

 

The camps cover a wide variety of subjects. In the discovery category, camps include multimedia art/cartooning, summer leadership, color guard, theater and even ponies! For the athlete, register for the Community Education sports camps. Sports camps offered include aquatics, football, boys' lacrosse, basketball and soccer. 

   

Spots are still available in many camps including, girls' and boys' basketball, TV camp, technology and summer leadership.

 

Registration for cooking camps is also still available for students ages 5-14. Camp topics include Taste of Italy, Sweets for the Sweeties and Chocolate, Chocolate and More Chocolate and Cooking Around the Clock.

 

Some camps even offer a sibling discount if you are registering more than one child in the camp.

 

For additional information or questions about the available camps, please visit www.northpenncep.org or contact staff members in the Community Education Office at 215-853-1028 or 215-853-1029.

 

 

 


Join the NPSD Educational Foundation for the 13th Annual Golf Classic
 
 

Break out those golf clubs and join the NPSD Educational Foundation for their 13th Annual Golf Classic on Monday, August 18 at PineCrest Golf Club.

For only $125 per person, golfers will be treated to 18-holes of golf, a luncheon, awards, dinner and a chance to win great prizes.

 

For more information, including sponsorship information starting at $100, please contact npsdfoundation@npenn.org or click here.



Representatives from NPHS FBLA Succeed at National Competition
  

Representatives from the North Penn High School Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) had much success at the FBLA-PBL 2014 National Leadership Conference. Four students placed in the top 10 in the country in their event at the National Conference in Nashville, TN. Jeffrey Yang placed eighth in Database Design and Application; Matt Leung placed fifth in  Database Design and Application; and Oscar Armas-Luy and Kevin Chen placed third in Hospitality Management. 

 

Congratulations to these students and the adviser Linda Westerlund.

 
2014-2015 School Calendar is Now Available Online
  

The 2014-2015 school calendar is now available on the district website. Click here to see when important dates including the First Day of School, Back to School Nights and other evening activities are scheduled for the upcoming school year. To view the calendar, please click here.  

 

The printed calendar will be mailed to families in the end of August.

 

Keep up-to-date with NPSD Board Meetings

  

NPSD Board of School Directors Meeting

 

  
  
To view agenda attachments and minutes from past meetings, please click here
  
To access the list of meeting dates scheduled for 2014, please click here.

 

 NPHS School Store is Online!

  
Stock up on all your NPHS apparel with an online order. To visit the School Store's website, please click here.  

 

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In an effort to improve communications, the district has created "Say What" to provide people with a place to get answers to questions and to address rumors and inaccurate information that sometimes circulate throughout the community.


 
Press Releases 
 
nptv  
Click on the logo above
to check out NPTV's
media library. New content daily!


 

 

 

The North Penn School District  uses Phanfare, npsd.phanfare.com

 to upload and share its

photos and videos.

 

NPSD families, staff and community members are encouraged to submit their photos and videos here. Please check with your school to ensure that no students in the pictures are on the publicity refusal list.

 

For additional information, or questions about how to submit pictures through this site, please contact Chris Doerr at doerrcj@npenn.org.

 

 

 

 

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To give feedback or suggest story ideas, please email bergmamv@npenn.org.  

 

 

 

Quick Links 

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Dear Community,

 

Finally, it's summer and it's time to sit back and relax for a bit. Well, this really isn't the case for many North Penn School District employees. Many important projects take place during the summer weeks that are critical to the successful start of the upcoming school year.

 

Think about what it takes to route 100-plus buses to transport our students each year. Or what goes into compiling the school district calendar from 18 schools. Then there is the maintaining of technology, cleaning of classrooms, professional development of staff, and more to get to in eight short weeks. And believe me when I say this list is a small representation of all that is done in NPSD during the summer months.

 

One huge job I'd like to point out is all the work that is going into moving Hatfield Elementary School to Pennfield Middle School for the upcoming school year. Since the children left for the summer it has been non-stop action packing classrooms and other areas, labeling, moving to Pennfield and unpacking. Facilities staff and teachers are to be commended for their work in preparing for and implementing this monumental undertaking. You can see some of the work that has been done here.

 

Another big job this summer is planning for the NPSD Educational Foundation Golf Classic which will be held Monday, August 18, at PineCrest Golf Course. This annual event is not only a bargain at $125, but it's a great time that benefits NPSD students and staff. We are looking for both golfers and sponsors for the outing. For more information, click here.

 

I hope you continue to enjoy your summer.

 

Sincerely,

Curtis R. Dietrich

Sincerely,

 

 
Curtis R. Dietrich, Ed.D.  
Superintendent, NPSD
dietricr@npenn.org 
Congratulations to the Class of 2014

On Wednesday, June 18, nearly 1,000 members of the North Penn High School Class of 2014 became graduates of North Penn High School. During the ceremony, valedictorian Sam Curlee and salutatorian Amanda Kloth spoke about the influences they had in their time in North Penn and views of the future. Curlee thanked his teachers by saying, "to my teachers, [thank you] for challenging me to become not just a more knowledgeable person, but to be a better speaker."

 

Amanda Kloth discussed the Class of 2014's future and said, "I challenge you to find what matters, to stay true to yourselves and to never be afraid to stand up for your beliefs."

 

The commencement ceremony is currently being aired on North Penn Television. To access NPTV's weekly schedule, click here. Also, the NPHS Model Aviation Club took graduation to new heights this year, providing viewers with a different prospective on the ceremony with this exciting video. To view pictures of the graduation ceremony, please click here.

 

The Class of 2014 now joins a network of over 40,000 North Penn alumni world-wide. Graduates are encouraged to register with the alumni association to receive information about upcoming events and the latest alumni news. To register with the organization, please visit their website or like the association on Facebook.

 

 

North Penn High School Teacher Named a Claes Nobel Educator of Distinction

The North Penn School District is proud to announce that North Penn High School Teacher Christopher Young was recently selected as the recipient of the Claes Nobel Educator of Distinction by the National Society of High School Scholars (NSHSS).

 

Young was nominated by a student for being a role model and making a lasting difference in their academic career. He has been teaching science classes in the North Penn School District for 18 years and has previously served as a class advisor and currently advises the Simulation Gaming Society.

 

"This honor is richly deserved - Chris takes the challenging physics theories and presents the curriculum in an understandable and engaging manner," said Burt Hynes, principal of North Penn High School. "The fact that one of his students nominated Chris for this award speaks volumes about his outstanding ability to inspire students!"

 

Founded in 2002 by James W. Lewis and Claes Nobel, a senior member of the family that established the Nobel Prizes, the National Society of High School Scholars recognizes academic excellence at the high school level and encourages members of the organization to apply their unique talents, vision and potential for the betterment of themselves and the world.

 NPSD Board of School Directors Approve Final Budget

The North Penn Board of School Directors approved a final budget of $227,035,981 for the 2014-2015 school year at an action meeting Thursday night. The budget includes a 2.1 percent tax increase for residents, which is the state's Act 1 index. It equates to a $72 increase for the average homeowner in Montgomery County and $61 for the average homeowner in Bucks County.

 

The 2.1 percent tax increase is needed to help fund expenses, many of which are outside of the school district's control, that exceed total projected revenues for the 2014-2015 school year by $3.96 million. In fact, next year's budget is a 5.7 percent increase from the current year's budget due to a 6.9 percent increase in medical benefits, $2.1 million in funding for the potential of two new charter schools mid-year, new debt service for Hatfield Elementary School renovations and significantly increasing Public School Employees' Retirement System (PSERS) obligations. Due to the impact of pension obligations and health care costs on the overall total cost of compensation of employees, very modest increases are included in the budget for salary increases.

 

"Many school districts throughout the state are cutting student programs to balance their budget but I am very proud to say North Penn has not had to touch its academic offerings," said Dr. Curtis R. Dietrich, superintendent. "Through the hard work of staff we have focused controlling costs on the operational side of the school district so that our resources remain focused on student learning."

 

Due to prudent budgeting and continual efforts to raise revenues and decrease costs, NPSD is expecting to end the current year with revenues exceeding general fund expenditures. The savings come primarily from the operational side of the school district and include living with vacancies and energy savings. The district also saw a slight increase in earned income tax revenue.  These funds are now available to pay for important capital improvement projects such as roof replacements and technology infrastructure updates, and potentially to begin to replenish the health care fund which was significantly depleted this year by unanticipated medical claims. 

 

Also helping the bottom line is that NPSD continued its efforts to increase alternative revenue sources this past year. These efforts will continue into the 2014-2015 school year. Advertising, district-initiated property re-assessments and other initiatives help to increase revenues and offset expenditures.

 

"The cost of public education continues to rise at a rate that is difficult to manage without increasing taxes," said Vincent Sherpinsky, president, NPSD Board of School Directors. "I am pleased we once again passed a budget that maintains one of the lowest tax rates in the county, and at the same time provide a nationally recognized education." 

North Penn School District Transportation to Hold Annual K-Day Event

kdayFor the 14th consecutive year, the North Penn School District Transportation Department is holding its annual K-Day event! More than 500 students are expected to participate in this wonderful program, which is designed to ease the anxiety that kindergarten and first grade students who have never ridden the bus before (and their parents!) sometimes experience when they take that first ride on the big yellow bus! Kindergarten and first grade students from surrounding non-public and private schools are also encouraged to attend. No reservations are necessary.

 

Participants will be invited to explore the bus and even sit in the driver's seat while NPSD bus drivers explain school bus facts and safety information. Then, if they wish, parents, students and their siblings will be invited to take a seat for a short ride around the neighborhood. The exciting day will wrap up with a safety video, safety education regarding the "danger zone" around the bus when loading and unloading and the distribution of information regarding bus tags, bus schedules, emergency phone numbers and day care locations.

 

Last year's program was an exciting success and the transportation department is gearing up for another two days of K-Day fun! This year's program will take place on Thursday, August 7 and Thursday, August 14. There are two bus departure times for each date at 9 and 11 a.m. Please practice being on time for your stop and be prompt. The event will once again be held at Walton Farm Elementary School, located at 1610 Allentown Road in Lansdale.

 

Participation in K-Day is voluntary and does not preclude the safety training that occurs in all 13 of the district's elementary schools each fall.  

NPSD Encourages Parents to Register Students for 2014-2015 School Year
Kim.RegistrarIt's time for parents/guardians who need to register their child in the North Penn School District for the 2014-2015 school year. For students who are not registered yet, NPSD strongly encourages their parents/guardians to make an appointment as soon as possible so that new students are registered and are able to begin on the first day of school on September 2, 2014.

 

Families who have not yet registered can do so by clicking here or going to the North Penn School District website, www.npenn.org, to schedule an appointment. Information is available on the home page under Quick Links. This link will allow registrants to schedule an appointment online, and print the forms that need to be completed for the registration appointment. If registrants do not have internet access, they may also call the district registrar office at 215-853-1097 to schedule an appointment.

 

Please note: parents/guardians must bring the following items in order to register their child:

  • Proof of residency in the North Penn School District (current utility bill, lease or other official document showing your name and address);
  • Proof of child's age, such as a birth certificate;
  • Proof of immunizations for child;
  • If applicable, report card from previous school or transcript; and
  • If the child has participated in a special education program in the previous school district, please bring the most current evaluation report and Individualized Education Program (IEP).

Kindergarten students must be five years old by September 15, 2014. First grade students must be six years old by September 15, 2014.

 

NPSD families, staff and community members are asked to please share this information with friends, neighbors and family.

 

For more information about this centralized registration, please contact the NPSD registrar or 215-853-1097.

 

 

June North Penn News Update from NPTV 

North Penn Television (NPTV) students produced updates on what was happening around the North Penn School District during the month of June. This month's video update includes coverage the NPTV News Update, NPHS Nanotechnology Presentation and NPSD Reading is Fundamental play. To view the video library, please click here.

 

 

North Penn News Update 6-19-14
North Penn News Update 6-19-14


 

 

2014 NPHS Nanotechology presentation
2014 NPHS Nanotechnology presentation

 

 

NPSD Reading Is Fundamental Play 2014
NPSD Reading Is Fundamental Play 2014