Thank you to our
NP ADvantage Program Advertisers
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January is... School Board Appreciation Month!
Public education is more than just learning the basic math, science, English and history; it's a platform for students to reach their potential. Public education exists in part because individuals volunteer their time to make informed decisions about the issues facing education. Every January the North Penn School District celebrates these everyday heroes - the nine elected school board members who serve our students and educational system.
School directors volunteer, on average, 20 hours a month to help run the schools in our community. The school board makes difficult decisions for the betterment of our students. They vote on multi-million dollar budgets, hire staff, plan renovations and construction of buildings, and much more.
During this month of recognition we ask you to show your appreciation for their service. Thank them for advocating on behalf of our collective interests and making the difficult decisions. Most importantly, thank them for making our students' success their priority.
The NPSD Board of School Directors will be recognized at the January 21st Board of School Directors Meeting.
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Do You Know a Knight of Honor?
In conjunction with its 50th anniversary, NPSD is excited to announce the launch of the Knights of Honor Program
.
The Knights of Honor program recognizes notable North Penn community members, former staff members and alumni who have brought honor and outstanding service to NPSD. The goal of the program is to pay tribute to these important people and their contributions, and to also inspire others to follow in their footsteps.
"The North Penn School District has benefited and will continue to benefit from the generosity, dedication and accomplishments of those that it serves," said Christine Liberaski, NPSD director of school and community engagement. "The Knights of Honor Program is one way of honoring those individuals and their work in a lasting way."
Annually,
selected Knights of Honor will be recognized at a reception held at North Penn High School. An individual plaque will be placed for all honorees in The Knights of Honor Wall located at the school.
Nominations for the inaugural class of Knights are due by March 1, 2016. For further information including criteria and application,
click here.
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Use the NPSD Educational Foundation link to
AmazonSmile.com to earn 0.5% of all purchases for the Foundation which supports innovative projects in our schools!
Here's how:
1. Go to
smile.amazon.com from the web browser on your computer or mobile device and log in using your existing account.
2. On your first visit ONLY to AmazonSmile, enter
"North Penn School District Educational Foundation" to receive donations from
eligible purchases before you begin shopping.
That's all! Do this
only once, and Amazon will remember your selection, making all of your future eligible purchases result in donations to the Foundation!
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Snowing?
Where to look for School Delay and Closing Information
Although the weather outside has not been so frightful, snow is bound to hit NPSD this winter. During these times, NPSD Superintendent Curt Dietrich is very busy consulting with various school district departments, other school districts and weather outlets to assess conditions and whether school needs to be delayed, dismissed or cancelled. It is not an easy job.
On snowy mornings, Dr. Dietrich (if he sleeps at all) is awake for a conference call before 5 a.m. It is NPSD's hope that school delays and closings will be decided and posted via district communication channels by 5:30 a.m. In some challenging situations, that may not happen but the decision is always made as soon as possible.
It is important to note that district communication channels are always updated first. Thus, in the event of inclement weather tune into North Penn Television (NPTV) on Comcast Cable channel 28 and Verizon FiOS channel 29 for the fastest information concerning delays and closings. You can also log on to www.npenn.org, "Like" NPSD on Facebook at www.facebook.com/NorthPennSD or follow NPSD on Twitter at www.twitter.com/NPSD.
Local radio and television stations are also notified but NPSD cannot guarantee the timeliness of their posting of the information. The KYW school closing number for NPSD is 303.
When snow arrives while students are already in school, Dr. Dietrich's job is just as challenging. The same process of information gathering and consulting with others is used. In situations when schools are dismissed early, all of the above-mentioned communication tools are used in addition to using the School Messenger program. Because of this, it is very important to keep your contact information up to date with your school's office.
For more detailed information about inclement weather notification, turn to your 2015-2016 Activities Calendar.
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North Penn High School Staff Celebrates High Ranks in School Performance Profile
North Penn High School (NPHS) continues to achieve as one of the top high schools in Pennsylvania. In November, the state released data pertaining to academic achievement for all public schools in the commonwealth. NPHS ranked 10th in the state in the School Performance Profile with a score of 97.6.
To celebrate this impressive accomplishment, the North Penn School District Board of Directors and district administrators threw the staff at North Penn High School a surprise reception with delicious refreshments provided by the culinary students at the North Montco Technical Career Center.
For more information about NPHS ranking 10th in the state in the 2015 School Performance Profile,
click here.
To view more photos from the reception,
click here.
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NPSD School Nutrition Services Introduces... Nutrislice!
North Penn School District is proud to introduce our new Nutrislice system from the district's Nutrition Services Department. Nutrislice is an easy and convenient way to view the schools' breakfast and lunch menu! This new digital menu tool provides a full nutrition analysis of each meal,
up-to-date information on allergens in all foods served, and ingredient lists of each food. It allows for easy access to nutrition information including calories, fat, carbohydrates, protein, cholesterol, fiber and sodium. Nutrislice features the carbohydrate content of foods to make carb counting easy and manageable for students, parents and staff.
Nutrislice is available online and as an app on smart phones or tablets! Downloading the app will allow you quick and easy access to menus, nutrition information, allergen information, carbohydrate content and much more!
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New Method of Advertising on District Website Approved
NPSD contracted with Pittsburgh area EDgeclick to sell advertising for npenn.org. The advertising firm currently works with dozens of Pennsylvania school districts selling space on their websites and in the process raising revenues for each school district.
Nearly three years ago NPSD approved advertising in specific publications, spaces and the website. Since then the North Penn ADvantage program has been successful and has raised nearly $50,000, primarily through advertising in our fields, stadiums and printed publications. Website ads made up only a small portion of advertising revenue.
EDgeclick sells advertising packages that provide space on multiple school district websites to national advertisers. School districts similar to NPSD regularly see upward of $20,000 in revenues from the partnership with the advertising agency.
"We are very excited about this new advertising opportunity," explained Erika Shaedle, NPSD Advertising and Marketing Specialist, "As always, the ads will meet our high standards of appropriateness and will be incorporated nicely onto our website."
NPSD has the authority to reject any advertiser or advertisement that does not fit its criteria. There will be a maximum of two ads on each webpage. These ads can now be seen at
www.npenn.org and on the homepages of our school websites.
For more information on the NP ADvantage program, contact
Erika Shaedle at 215-853-1027.
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NPSD School Nutrition Services
Did you know...
the North Penn School District's School Nutrition Services Department offers a great wellness program for students in our district?
NPSD
recognizes that student wellness and proper nutrition are related
to students' well-being, growth, development, and readiness to learn. The district is committed to providing a school environment that promotes student wellness, proper nutrition education, and regular physical activity as part of the total learning experience. In a healthy school environment, students learn about and participate in positive dietary and lifestyle practices that support student achievement.
The district further recognizes that the sharing and enjoyment of food, and participation in physical activities are fundamental experiences for all people and are a primary way to nurture and celebrate diversity. These fundamental human experiences are vital bridges for building friendships, forming inter-generational bonds, as well as strengthening and promoting community partnerships.
To learn more about NPSD's Wellness Program, click here !
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NPSD Board of School Directors Meeting
To view agenda attachments and minutes from past meetings, please click here.
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The school store is now online!
Stock up on all your NPHS apparel by ordering online. To visit the School Store's website, please click
here.
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Stay up to date with the latest news, events and highlights from North Penn School District |
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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 circulates throughout the community.
Click on the logo
to check out NPTV's
media library. New content
added daily!
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We want to hear from you! If you have a suggestion for a story idea or have comments, please email
andreykm@npenn.org
.
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Dear Community,
One of my goals for this year is to increase communication with legislators and other key decision makers to address issues important to NPSD. Discussion areas include education funding, testing, state and federal mandates that impact us and more.
This week, a small group of NPSD staff, board members and I had the privilege of sitting down with United States Senator Patrick J. Toomey to discuss such matters. I feel it is extremely important for superintendents to be engaged and informed about discussions and potential legislation impacting public education. I also think it is equally as important to give legislators our input on current laws and practices, at both the state and federal level, that may or may not be beneficial to our schools.
Senator Toomey came with open ears and a willingness to listen to our concerns and suggestions. Areas we discussed included the recently-passed Education Reform Bill (which replaces No Child Left Behind), student testing, special education costs and funding, increased English Language Learners, Title 1, the reauthorization of Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), and the Affordable Health Care Act.
Did we solve every problem? Of course not. But we did continue an important dialogue in support of public education that goes beyond the North Penn School District boundary. And there is perhaps no one better to advocate for the cause than those of us devoting our professional lives to the students of this community and beyond.
I thank Senator Toomey and staff for taking North Penn's input and I look forward to further opportunities for discussion on these important matters.
Sincerely,
Curtis R. Dietrich, Ed.D.
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Dr. Dietrich's Superintendent's Student Council
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Dr. Dietrich visited North Wales Elementary School for his December Superintendent's Student Council meeting, where he was joined by 5th and 6th grade students to get some feedback about what it's like to be a student at North Wales in the North Penn School District.
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Congratulations to Dr. Dietrich's 2015-2016
Superintendent's
Honor Roll Award Recipients
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Each school year, staff members throughout the North Penn School District have an opportunity to recognize their colleagues for their hard work and dedication both in and out of the classroom by nominating them for the prestigious rank of Dr. Dietrich's Superintendent's Honor Roll Award. Dr. Dietrich and an anonymous committee then review the large number of submissions and select the top candidates which stand out amongst the rest as true superstars of the North Penn School District. These recipients are selected in recognition of high level job performance and the impact that they have on their colleagues, school, community and most importantly, students.
Congratulations to this year's winners!
You may read their full award description and view photos of award presentations by clicking their names.
Dr. Barbara Galloway
Principal of Pennfield Middle School
Mrs. Joyce Hurst
NPSD Accounts Payable Specialist
Mrs. Debra Buckner
Health & Phyiscal Education teacher at Gwynedd Square Elementary
Mrs. Linda Westerlund
Business Administration teacher at North Penn High School
To watch the unforgettable moment when this year's and previous years' winners received their awards, click here.
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After Two and a Half Years,
Nash Reaches a Unique Goal
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General Nash Elementary School is proud to announce that after two and a half years of collecting tabs from soda cans, they have finally reached their goal of one million tabs, which they unveiled at their Holiday Sing-Along Assembly held in the gymnasium on Wednesday, December 23rd
at 9:30 a.m.
The "Million Tabs" initiative at Nash was started by parents Tanya MacGregor, Jen Jezyk and Lise Gawinski in the spring of 2013. Mrs. MacGregor's idea stemmed from a childhood memory of a similar project way-back-when in her mother's classroom at an elementary school in the North Penn School District. Mrs. MacGregor saw this initiative as a two-fold learning opportunity for students at Nash to both see and experience what one million of something looks like, while also allowing them to give back to the community, as the tabs will be donated to charities.
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Kindergarten Registration for
2016-2017 School Year
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Registration appointments are available from MARCH 7 to MARCH 18, and slots are filling up fast!
Book your appointment here!
Be sure to bring the following to your appointment, or you may have to reschedule your appointment for a later date:
- Your child
- Completed registration packet
- Proof of child's age
- Proof of residency
- Child's immunization records
All of the above are explained in detail on NPSD's Kindergarten Registration page. If you have any questions, please contact the district registrar's office at 215-368-1086 or Registration@npenn.org.
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Engineering Students at NPHS
Complete "Hour of Code" Program
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Nearly 100 students at North Penn High School participated in the "Hour of Code" event on Monday, December 7th. Mr. Mike Voicheck adapted this program to the curriculum in all five of his engineering courses at NPHS. The "Hour of Code" is a one-hour introduction to computer science, designed to demystify code and show that anybody can learn the basics. It's a time to show students that coding can be fun and easy.
After completing a couple of the online activities, students received a printable certificate stating they completed an hour of coding. With computer science as a huge component in many career fields, early exposure to computer programming is key to giving these students the 21st
century skills they need to succeed.
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750 Students to Perform in 6th Annual
NPSD Choral Showcase
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In
a unique display of district-wide collaboration and solidarity, 750 North Penn School District students in grades four through 12 will participate in the 6th
Annual NPSD Choral Showcase to be held on Thursday, January 14th
at 7:00 p.m. in the North Penn High School Auditorium.
Students in choirs from 15 NPSD schools will perform selections of Christmas hymns, folk songs, jazzy madrigals, pop songs and lots of other winter musical delights. Each choir will perform two selections from its winter concert repertoire. To close the show, all 750 students will join together to perform the exciting finale of "Lift Every Voice and Sing."
Read more...
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The Harlem Wizards Travel Back to NPHS for a Showdown Against the NP Dream Team
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The Harlem Wizards are back again, traveling to North Penn High School to take on The North Penn Dream Team, an All-Star cast of North Penn School District employees and alumni on Saturday, January 30th at 7:00 p.m.
Hosted by the NPHS Booster Club, the evening promises to be an outrageously entertaining event that is great for audiences of all ages. The Wizards vs. Dream Team game will offer a fun-packed two hours of family time where parents, grandparents and kids of all ages can laugh together. The Harlem Wizards are known to utilize their unique mission to "create awe-inspiring events throughout the country" as they entertain fans with amazing basketball talent combined with hilarious comedy. When you're in the stands at a Wizards game, you're more than a spectator; you're part of the show with loads of audience participation. Throughout the game, fans will experience a magical display of tricks, coordinated ball handling, fancy passing and aerodynamic athleticism combined with high-energy comedy and audience interaction. The experience can only be summed up in two words: Awe-Inspiring!
The North Penn School District invites families to come out for an evening of laughter while supporting the North Penn Dream Team as they challenge the Harlem Wizards on Saturday, January 30th at 7:00 p.m. at North Penn High School.
NOTE:
This year, tickets are available ONLINE ONLY. Please use the "Print at Home" option and bring your printed ticket to the game for entry.
For additional information, please contact Kyle Berger, NPHS Director of Student Activities at bergerkg@npenn.org.
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North Penn High School Football Players to Participate in 12th Annual "Reading Super Bowl"
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More than 80 North Penn High School football players will participate in the 12th annual North Penn Reading Super Bowl event on Wednesday, February 3rd 2016. This event is held in conjunction with the date of the NFL Super Bowl. These readers will visit all 13 North Penn elementary schools and will read to more than 5,700 children in 251 classrooms across the district as part of the reading incentive program.
Reading specialists at the elementary schools have chosen age-appropriate books for the football players to read to the students. This program fosters an interest in reading in the elementary students and allows the high school students to act as role models for literacy. For the 12th consecutive year, the NPHS football players will have
real trading cards highlighting statistics, including their favorite book, to hand out to the students.
In 2005, this event began with 30 football players visiting eight elementary schools. Twelve years later, it is exciting to see how this program has flourished into every elementary school and reaches more than 5,700 elementary-aged children.
The 12th annual Reading Super Bowl event will be held on Wednesday, February 3rd at various times at all 13 North Penn elementary schools. Please contact Cheryl Neubert at neuberce@npenn.org for these times or for more information regarding the event.
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NPHS Students Participate in 2016 Simulated Presidential Nominating Convention
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More than
1,100 North Penn High School students in grades 11 and 12 gathered for two consecutive days in the high school auditorium for the 2016 Simulated Presidential Nominating Convention on Tuesday, January 5th
and Wednesday, January 6th, 2016.
Led by NPHS teacher Brian Haley, the student-run Simulated Presidential Nominating Convention is a tradition at NPHS that dates back to 1976. The convention presents an opportunity for students to voice their political knowledge in an open forum and experience the political process first-hand. Students were divided into state delegations based on their social studies courses. They worked within these delegations to nominate a candidate for President of the United States. While in their delegations, students had the opportunity to contribute to open floor debates and participate in caucus discussions designed to allow students to generate a Political Party Platform focusing on the major issues of the 2016 Presidential Election.
This hands-on, civic learning simulation works to assist in generating graduates of North Penn High School who are prepared to be active participants and knowledgeable citizens in our 21st century Democratic Republic.
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Inglewood Elementary School Second Graders
Give the Gift of Reading
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The second grade classes at Inglewood Elementary School collected and donated new and gently used books to the Lansdale Public Library this holiday season. Special thanks to Mrs. Carolyn Barr-Hubbard, Mrs. Carolyn Powers, Mrs. Peggy Groller, and Mrs. Kathy Reed at Inglewood along with Mr. Tom Meyer, Director at the Lansdale Public Library, for organizing this wonderful charity event and instilling in students the importance of reading and giving back!
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Penn State Students Visit A.M. Kulp
to Kick-off Fundraiser
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Students from Penn State University visited A.M. Kulp Elementary School on Thursday, January 8 to help kick-off Kulp's January fundraising event, THON.
Seven Penn State Students, some of whom are North Penn High School alum, traveled to Kulp to explain to students what THON is, the level of impact it has on children and families battling pediatric cancer and how they can get involved to help the cause. They even taught the students and staff at Kulp how to perform a portion of the most popular dance at THON, which is performed once every hour throughout the event.
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Community Conversations with Dr. Dietrich
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The North Penn School District is excited to once again offer its families and community members the opportunity to speak one-on-one with Superintendent Dr. Curtis Dietrich. Community Conversations, a series of informal meetings with the district's superintendent, gives attendees the opportunity to talk freely about the important issues involving NPSD schools.
A third session has been added for the 2015-2016 school year, and is scheduled for Wednesday, February 10th from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. at the Educational Services Center, located at 401 E. Hancock St. in Lansdale.
All North Penn community members, whether parents of children in NPSD schools or not, are invited to attend these interesting and informative discussions. Space is limited and seats fill up fast, so call 215-853-1032 or email
andreykm@npenn.org to reserve your spot today.
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December North Penn News Update
from NPTV
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North Penn Television (NPTV) students produced updates on what was happening around the NPSD during the month of December. This month's video update includes a forensic scanning demo at North Penn High School done by representatives from Keystone Precision Instruments, a short video from NPSD about creating an inclusive learning community in North Penn and additional footage from NPHS's 2016 Simulated Presidential Nominating Convention.
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| Opportunity for All - Creating An Inclusive Learning Community in North Penn |
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| 2016 NPHS Simulated Presidential Convention - Day 2 Morning Session |
To see more from NPTV, check out
our
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