The Bulletin Board Newsletter |
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A monthly e-newsletter highlighting the discussions, decisions and business of the North Penn School District Board of School Directors. |
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The North Penn School Board (NPSB) welcomes questions and feedback from the community. To that end, community members may email the entire board at _npschoolboard@npenn.org.
If you would like to contact a specific board member via email or phone, please visit our website to find contact information. |
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Board Members
Tina Stoll, President
Christian D. Fusco, Vice President
Elisha K. Gee, Ed.D.
Jonathan M. Kassa
Wanda Lewis-Campbell, Ed.D.
Timothy MacBain
Juliane Ramić
Al Roesch
Cathy Wesley
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NPSD Board of School Directors Approve Calendar for the 2022-2023 School Year |
At the December 16 Action meeting, the NPSD Board of School Directors approved the NPSD School Calendar for 2022-2023. |
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Christian D. Fusco
Term Expiration: 2025
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Dear North Penn Community,
We are a society that champions a work ethic that demands 110% effort. The problem with that thinking is, by definition, it is impossible to actually give 110%. It is an unrealistic expectation that is placed on students today and it is a major contributor to the stress and anxiety they may face in their day to day lives. As we navigate our way through another year of a global pandemic, there is an urgent need to ensure we are prioritizing the mental well-being of our students through the services we provide and the practices we establish.
North Penn has tried to address students’ feelings of anxiety, stress, and isolation by offering and expanding mental health services and supports. These supports include contracting with Merakey and Lakeside Counseling to provide individual and group therapy for identified students, Second Step positive behavior programs, Social Emotional Learning (SEL) lessons for elementary school students, establishing a Traumatic Event Response Team in the event of an unanticipated traumatic event, and the North Bridge-RISE program to provide both short and long term intervention for students experiencing feelings of anxiety and depression.
These services are crucial but they are not enough. We must look inward at our practices as a district to establish a culture that prioritizes student mental health. Too often we ask students to choose between their academic success and their mental well-being. Students often point to homework as a major source of stress and anxiety in their lives. Hours spent completing homework assignment after homework assignment, long into the night, make it nearly impossible for kids to unplug and recharge after an already emotionally taxing day.
This is why we are asking the administration to take a close look at the way we assign homework. Research shows that more than 2 hours of homework per night for high school students can be counterproductive. Despite this finding, many secondary students describe a homework routine that at times takes twice as long to complete. With schedules that typically include science, social studies, English, math and foreign language classes, it doesn’t take long for many kids to surpass that two-hour homework recommendation.
High stakes tests require more content to be covered with little extra time to teach it. Many teachers are left with the option to assign work at home, simply to meet the curriculum’s scope and sequence timeline. Experts agree, homework should be directly connected to classroom instruction. It should be targeted, meaningful and effective, and not impede students’ ability to engage in extracurricular activities, spend time with family and friends or just relax after a long day. No one wants countless hours of work to take home after a day at the office, so why are we requiring it from our kids?
It is time to review our practices. The district will take a close look at how homework is administered in an attempt to mitigate a major source of stress for our students. In positively affecting student mental health, we must acknowledge the role we play as a school community and commit to prioritizing their mental well-being. Homework guidelines review is a great first step.
The upcoming holiday break presents a wonderful opportunity for everyone to take a breath, relax and reconnect with what is most important in our lives. On behalf of the NPSB of Directors, we wish you a peaceful winter break to enjoy the holidays before us. Thank you and take care.
Sincerely,
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Christian D. Fusco
Vice President, NPSD Board of School Directors
Term Expiration: 2025
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School Board Meeting Information |
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Meetings of the whole (Finance Committee; Worksession; Action) will be held in person at the Educational Services Center (ESC) located at 401 E. Hancock Street Lansdale, PA 19446 unless otherwise noted. Those who wish to make public comment at these in-person meetings must be present in person to do so. For residents who would like to pre-register to speak during the audience of citizens, please email the school board secretary at skrocksb@npenn.org. These meetings will be televised live and added to the library for later viewing on North Penn Television's (NPTV) YouTube Channel.
Per a state order mandated by Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf's administration, all students, staff, and visitors in both public and private schools must wear masks while in school buildings. The state order can be found here.
Committee meetings (Safe Schools; Facilities and Operations; Policy; and Education, Curriculum and Instruction) will be held virtually in an online format using Zoom, televised live and added to the library for later viewing on NPTV's YouTube Channel. |
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How to Watch Meetings
A recording of this meeting will be available on the district website, the NPTV YouTube Channel, and will air on North Penn Television Comcast Cable Channel 28 and Verizon FIOS-TV Channel 29 for the next three business days at 12:30 pm and 7:30 pm.
How to View Meeting Agendas
Meeting agendas are published the week of the meeting and can be viewed online on BoardDocs. To view meeting agendas, visit BoardDocs and select the "Meetings" tab in the top right corner. From there, find and select the meeting, and then click "view agenda".
How to Participate in Virtual Meetings
Public comment will be available using Zoom. A link to make public comment will be available on our website prior to the start of the meeting.
When it is time for public comment, please use the “raise your hand” feature in the zoom webinar. We will take public comment in order that hands were raised. Please listen for your name when called upon for comment and unmute your microphone.
If you do not have access to zoom, please email your comments to _npschoolboard@npenn.org and it will be included in the board minutes. |
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Meetings in Review
Board Reorganization Meeting
December 6, 6:30 pm
Action
December 16, 7:00 pm
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Upcoming Meetings
Worksession
January 11, 7:00 pm, NPHS
Action
January 20, 7:00 pm, NPHS
ECI Committee
Date Change: January 6, 6:00 pm, Virtual
Facilities & Operations Committee
January 31, 7:00 pm, Virtual
Finance Committee
January 11, 6:00 pm
Policy Committee
January 11, 5:00 pm, Virtual
Safe Schools Committee
January 31, 5:45 pm, Virtual
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You Could Save Up to $585 through NPSD Property Tax and Rent Rebate Program |
Are you eligible? Do you know someone who is? Learn more and help us spread the word about this program! |
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The Education, Curriculum, and Instruction (ECI) Committee met on December 7, 2021 at 6:00 p.m. in a virtual format.
At the meeting, the committee members received an update from Parents in Equity (P.I.E.) parent leaders regarding their role, action plans, strategies, and accomplishments.
Another agenda item was presented by Dr. D’Ana Waters and Mr. Jim Galante. They provided a brief summary of the ESSER Set-aside subgrant. The use of these funds, which are earmarked for pandemic-related student issues, is governed by very specific requirements.
The Committee also discussed the school calendar for 2022-23. On that calendar, Spring Break shifts to five (5) days during the week immediately preceding Easter Sunday.
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The next ECI Committee meeting will be held on January 6, 2022, at 6:00 pm in a virtual format. |
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Chair:
Dr. Elisha K. Gee
Members:
Christian Fusco, Tim MacBain
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Facilities and Operations Committee |
The Facilities and Operations Committee met on Tuesday, November 30, 2021.
The Committee reviewed the following items to be moved to this evening’s action meeting for the Board’s consideration.
- Three change orders for the Knapp Elementary School project.
- Two contracts for hazardous materials surveys of the High School and Bus Garage to provide information to the High School Master Plan
- Permission to advertise an RFP for a traffic study for the High School to provide information to the High School Master Plan
- A design contract for an exterior walk-in box located at the Support Services Center.
The Committee was presented and discussed informational items, including:
- An in-depth update of the Knapp Elementary and Crawford Stadium projects
- An update on the High School Master Plan Process and the draft schedule.
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The next Facilities and Operations meeting is scheduled for January 31, 2022, at 7:00 pm and will be held in a virtual format. |
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Chair:
Jonathan Kassa
Vice Chair:
Cathy Wesley
Members:
Juliane Ramić,
Tina Stoll
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The Finance Committee met on December 8, 2021, at 6:00 pm in a virtual format.
At the meeting, the the financial reports and monthly budget transfers were reviewed in addition to the following items:
1. Members of the curriculum department made a presentation regarding an upgrade to the high school planetarium. The current system is obsolete and is failing. The capabilities of a new system were reviewed as well as the financial impact. The approval to advertise for bid for a new system appears on tonight's agenda.
2. Mr. Skrocki provided an update on the status of the onsite health care clinic due diligence process as well as addressed additional questions from committee members. The contract with the selected provider, Everside, appears on tonight's agenda.
3. Mr. Skrocki reviewed a potential contract with the Montgomery County Planning Commission for an enrollment study. The study is needed as part of the high school master planning process. This item appears on tonight's agenda.
4. Under the information section of the agenda, Mr. Skrocki provided information on the first look medical rates for 2022-23, the updated Act 1 index projections, the latest Moody's bond issuer report, and the submission of the 2021-22 budget book to ASBO for consideration of the Meritorious Budget Award.
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The next Finance Committee meeting will be held on January 11, 2022 at 6:00 pm at the ESC. |
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Chair:
Christian Fusco
Vice Chair:
Al Roesch
Members:
Committee of the Whole
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NPSD Educational Foundation |
The Foundation met on Wednesday, December 8th at North Penn High School. The Foundation unanimously approved Curt Reichwein as a Trustee of the Educational Foundation beginning in January. Mr. Reichwein retires from North Penn High School in December and has been a long-time supporter of the Foundation.
Trustees also listened to a presentation from James Bauman, director of the NPHS Planetarium. Trustees unanimously approved funding $46,000 to help fund the planetarium's Digitalis system. This will be supported through the Educational Improvement Tax Credit Program.
Just this month the Foundation received more than $40,000 in new EITC funding from Univest, Peoples Security and Bank, Mid Penn Bank and Waste Management. We are very grateful for the continued support from our EITC partners.
This week the Foundation reviewed 27 grant applications, totaling $85,264. 12/13/21. More information will be provided next month.
Many of you may have received our annual solicitation. I hope you will consider making a donation to the Foundation.
Any questions about the Foundation can be directed to Christine Liberaski at the ESC or you may find your answer at npennedfoundation.org.
The next NPSD Educational Foundation Board of Trustees meeting will be held on February 9, 2022.
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Board of Trustees Member:
Juliane Ramić
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The Policy Committee met on December 8, 2021, at 5:00 pm in a virtual format.
The committee continued its review of policies in the 900 series with the following policies:
Policy 901 - Public Relations Objectives
Policy 902 - Publications Program
Policy 905 - Citizen Advisory Committees
Policy 906 - Public Complaint Procedures
Policy 910 - Community Engagement
Policy 913 - Nonschool Organizations, Groups, Individuals
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The next Policy Committee meeting will be held on January 11, 2022, at 5:00 pm and will be held in a virtual format. |
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Chair:
Christian Fusco
Members:
Al Roesch,
Tina Stoll
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The Safe Schools Committee met on November 30, 2021, in a virtual format.
Mr. Doerr reported that all required emergency drills for the beginning of the 21-22 school year have been completed. This includes a "Security" drill required to be held in each school within the first 90 days of the school year. This year, guidance allowed a more traditional intruder lockdown drill to be conducted at secondary schools but provided for a HOLD drill to be conducted at the elementary level due to pandemic mitigation measures.
Mr. Doerr also reported progress on the transportation GPS and parent app project. GPS equipment installation is underway with approximately 60 vehicles completed at the time of the meeting. Transportation staff training on use of the software platform is scheduled for early December, and details are being finalized for a small-scale pilot of the "Here Comes the Bus" parent app. The beginning of the 2022 calendar year is targeted for full roll-out of the app with communication to families.
Finally, Mr. Doerr shared an update on the RFP process for comprehensive school safety assessment. A total of thirteen proposals were received from qualified firms prior to the submission deadline. Virtual interviews with four finalist firms are scheduled for Monday, December 6th.
The Safe Schools Committee also met this evening, December 16th, at 5:45pm. Mr. Doerr presented details of the school safety assessment proposal from Margolis Healy & Associates, which is recommended for award. The project timeline calls for this item to be considered by the full board at the January 20th action meeting.
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The next Safe Schools Committee meeting will be held on January 31, 2022, at 5:45 pm and will be held in a virtual format. |
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Chair:
Jonathan Kassa
Members:
Dr. Wanda Lewis-Campbell,
Cathy Wesley
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