Dear Community,

I'd like to welcome you back to another great year at North Penn. The 2016-2017 school year marks an exciting time for our district.

As I hope you all know, students in grades six through nine and at Northbridge in the NPSD have received their own personal Chromebooks to use both at home and in the classroom in conjunction with North Penn's curriculum in a variety of classes. Our technology department worked very hard in August during the six distribution days for students and staff members where more than 4,000 Chromebooks were given out. From distributing the machines to collecting payments and training our students and staff, I appreciate all of the helping hands throughout the district that made these distribution days such a success.

Although North Penn's first official day for students wasn't until August 30th, the district proudly celebrated the new school year on  Thursday, August 25th at our annual Staff Convocation event at North Penn High School. Employees  were recognized for submitting photos throughout the summer completing healthy activities to keep them fit and active as part of North Penn's wellness program. Our staff also heard from nationally-renowned inclusion expert, Julie Causton for a light-hearted, interactive and impactful presentation on the importance of inclusion in our schools. We finished up the day with a surprise performance of the North Penn Music Department's rendition of " Hey Jude " to get our teachers and support staff members pumped up for the 2016-2017 school year. For other important parts of convocation, click here

Montgomery Elementary School opened their doors to students on August 30th after the completion of phase one of an 18-month-long renovation project which took place over the summer. Students and staff excitedly explored the building to find updates to the office, health suite, principal's office, guidance office, library and more. Over the next year, updates to classrooms including the art and music room will take place, as well as much more.

I hope that our students, staff, families and the North Penn community enjoyed the summer months. It's my pleasure to welcome you all back to the 2016-2017 school year in hopes that you make this one your best year yet.


 
Sincerely,
        
Curtis R. Dietrich, Ed.D.  
Superintendent, NPSD
dietricr@npenn.org  

Table of Contents
 

   
August NPSD Board of School Directors Meetings
 

 
To view agenda attachments and minutes from past meetings, please click here.  


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

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Knights of Honor Monthly Spotlight : Mike Haynie

In May 2016, the North Penn School District announced its Inaugural Class of North Penn Knights of Honor. An induction ceremony for honorees has been scheduled for the evening of Wednesday, November 23rd at North Penn High School.

Over the next few months leading up to the induction ceremony, you will have the opportunity to learn more about each of our five honorees through a monthly spotlight. This month, NPSD would like to introduce to you Dr. Mike Haynie, NPHS class of 1988 alumnus and Vice Chancellor of Syracuse University. Click here to learn more about Mike Haynie.

NPHS Principal Todd Bauer Named to
List of 2016 Emerging Leaders


The North Penn School District is proud to recognize North Penn High School Principal Todd Bauer for being recognized among 22 additional business and community leaders from Bucks and Montgomery counties for being chosen as 2016 Emerging Leaders by
by The Intelligencer, the Bucks County Courier Times and the Central Bucks Family YMCA.
 
The honorees were selected from a pool of candidates nominated by community members. The first round of judging was done by representatives of the newspapers and the YMCA. Winners were then chosen by an independent group of community leaders.
 
Formerly known as "Forty Under 40," the awards program was expanded this year to recognize all up-and-coming leaders, regardless of age, the Intelligencer reported. The news organizations also sought a community partner to help present the program and recognize the award winners.
 
The winners will be honored at an awards reception October 7 at Delaware Valley University and profiled in a special commemorative section of the Bucks County Courier Times and Intelligencer published in print and online October 9, according the Intelligencer.
 
For more information about the 2016 Emerging Leaders and to see a full list of award recipients, please click here.
 
NPHS Welcomes Back Exchange Students

Last week, the North Penn School District welcomed back over 13,000 students for the 2016-2017 school year.
 
Many students experienced first-day-of-school jitters after the hiatus of the summer months. However, for six seniors at North Penn High School, the return was from much more than just a three month break from North Penn. Leanne Spiegle, Sydney Juska, Nolan Marette, Jacqueline Bumgarner, Taylor Young and Brittany VanStrein spent the 2015-2016 school year studying abroad with North Penn's International Friendship Committee's (IFC) Foreign Exchange Program.
 
For 53 years, NP SD has proudly supported the international travel and exchange of over 700 students through the International Friendship Committee (IFC), run by community members Ted and Bonnie Knauss. The self-sufficient program began in 1962 when NPHS sent its first student to Salzgitter, Germany to experience German culture by living with a volunteer "host family" and attending what has now become one of NPHS's many partner schools for an entire school year. Fast forward to over half a century later, and the North Penn IFC has expanded its exchange program partnerships with a total of five schools internationally in Germany, France, Spain and Japan-which was just added to the list last year.
 
Ted and Bonnie Knauss have worked diligently since the IFC's inception to create a program that gives students an opportunity to experience different cultures and make international connections that will leave a meaningful impact on their lives. Each year, the IFC sends select students from NPHS to study abroad through their exchange program at its five partner schools for one year. In return, select students from those partner schools travel to the United States to stay with host families in the North Penn community for one year and attend North Penn High School. As part of the exchange program, tuition for visiting students at each of the schools is waved and the trip is independently funded by the IFC, thus providing an opportunity for students of all financial situations to gain an experience unlike any other.
 
During the 2015-2016 school year, six students from NPHS spent nine months abroad through the IFC's Foreign Exchange Program. Leanne Spiegle spent the year in Salzgitter, Germany; Sydney Juska in Ollen Germany; Nolan Marette in Madrid, Spain; Jacqueline Bumgarner in Yokkaichi, Japan; Taylor Young in La Coruña, Spain; and Brittany VanStrein in Toulouse, France.
 
Two of the above students generously offered some insight and stories from their exchange experience. Please click to learn more about Brittany VanStrein's year in France and Taylor Young's year in Spain.
 
Each of these students are returning to North Penn High School for the 2016-2017 school year with unique cultural experiences and irreplaceable memories from their time spent abroad. The North Penn School District is proud to welcome back these six exceptional students and wish them the best of luck during their senior year at North Penn.
 
NPHS "Link Crew" Hosts Innovative Sophomore Orientation

North Penn High School proudly introduced a new transition program for the class of 2019 at this year's sophomore orientation held on Monday, August 30th.
 
Mr. Kyle Berger, Student Government Co-Advisor and Mr. Jon Fluck, Sophomore Class Advisor joined together with 160 junior and senior students along with district administrators to form what's known as the "Link Crew" at North Penn High School.
 
"We're given an interesting challenge at North Penn by welcoming over 1,000 new students into our building each year," explained Kyle Berger. "We're committed to building school culture and community here at NPHS."
 
District administration along with staff members at North Penn High School recently formed a "transition committee" to help with this challenge. It was through this committee that Mr. Berger suggested the Boomerang Project as a transition program for sophomores entering North Penn High School.
 
The Boomerang Project is a high school transition program that reaches over 4,500 schools and 15,000 educators who are united in a single purpose: to make schools great, safe and connected places for kids to learn. Built on the premise that students can help students succeed, the Boomerang Project trains educators to facilitate peer mentorship at their schools using leadership and group development methodologies.
 
Kyle Berger and Jon Fluck hit the ground running with this project, spending nearly four days at a training seminar to learn more about the Boomerang Project and gear up for the class of 2019's debut at North Penn.

NPSD Introduces New Online Student
Meal Payment Portal, School cafe
  The North Penn School District, School Nutri tion Services Department is changing its online cafeteria payment system for the 20 16-2017 school year. All balances will be transferred to the new system. Parents will be able to make payments and view all transferred balances beginning August 8, 2016.  Please keep in mind, parents will need t o re-register their students on the new payment system using their student's name and ID number.

The new payment system is called School cafe and can be accessed here. School cafe allows parents to: 
  • View your student's cafeteria account balance and purchases.
  • Receive low balance email notification messages.
  • Monitor what your student has been purchasing.
  • Utilize a convenient mobile app for parents on the go! 
  • Make secure online payments anytime, anywhere (for a small convenience fee).
  • Set up hassle-free automatic payments for each student

Read more... 

  

August North Penn News Update from NPTV
North Penn Television (NPTV) students produced updates on what was happening around the NPSD during the month of August. This month's video update includes NPSD's staff version of "Can't Stop the Feeling," a highlight of the Chromebook distribution and a First Day Message from NPHS Principal Mr. Bauer.

 
North Penn Can't Stop the Feeling 
North Penn Can't Stop the Feeling

Chromebook Distribution 
Chromebook Distribution

 
First Day Message from Mr. Bauer 
First Day Message from Mr. Bauer
 


To see more from NPTV, check out our