Dear North Penn Community,

The school year is up and running as we finish October and look towards the rest of the year. Knapp Elementary had an open house earlier this month, allowing community members to see the results of all the hard work these past few years to bring the building up-to-date. It was wonderful to see students showing their families around the building and I am extremely grateful to every Knapp staff member who has worked around renovations and continued to provide an excellent education to each student. 

In September, Brandon Rhone joined North Penn as the new Coordinator of Emergency Management and Safe Schools and a welcome member of the administrative team. Rhone is coming to us as a retired police officer with extensive experience as a nationally recognized expert in school safety. His background is available here, and community members are invited to watch his 30/60/90 day plans presented at the September Safe Schools committee meeting. 

School safety, much like public safety, is dependent upon all community members having an understanding of an ever-evolving strategy that is informed by the input of the key stakeholders in our community and schools. This makes it essential for us to invest in surveys and multiple types of outreach programs that hear the voices from all across our vibrant community. It is with this in mind that the district continues to invest in improvements to school safety based on the findings of our recent Safety and Security Program Assessment. Our board remains committed to advancing the recommendations of that report and ensuring the safety of our students and staff. 

The best way to keep our schools safe is to prevent threats before they happen. This is accomplished through several initiatives, including Safe2Say, an anonymous reporting system to help students report at-risk behaviors and danger signs. Schools need to create a climate in which students feel comfortable sharing knowledge regarding a potential threat. If students feel connected to their school and community, they are more committed to ensuring the safety of all and more likely to report potential threats. This approach is backed by extensive research and further reinforced by the Behavioral Threat Assessment model operating at North Penn.

As part of creating a positive school climate, we want to ensure that we are a welcoming district where students are excited to come learn each day, and community members feel connected to their school. The Crawford Stadium track is now open for community use when school is not in session and not used by a school team. The schedule of availability can be found here or posted outside the stadium. In the schools, we have begun to implement a therapy dog program, thanks to our amazing guidance counselor, Trish Pike, and her certified therapy dogs, Sid and Mario. Ms. Pike has been bringing Sid and Mario to Northbridge, where the transformation has been incredible. Attendance rates are up, and students are excited to come to school and see the boys walking the halls. Therapy dogs are also helping students open up more with each other and with counseling staff by creating a relaxing environment, besides just bringing a smile to everyone’s faces. Therapy dogs are one small way we are working to create a supportive and welcoming environment and we will continue to explore expanding programs like it to serve our school community. 

I would also like to take this opportunity to remind community members about the many ways they can contact myself and my fellow school board directors. The public is always welcome and encouraged to attend board meetings, whether it be via streaming or in-person, getting involved is the best way to stay connected and have your voice heard. While you may not always see it during meetings, we do follow up on emails and public comments and take everything we hear into consideration. Please also know that the fastest way to address an issue is not always to begin at the school board, but to begin at the building level with our wonderful principals and administrative teams there who are ultimately best-suited to help the individual student. 

There is always more to come! It is a privilege to work for the North Penn School District and get to witness every day the excellence coming out of our classrooms. From the students to the staff to the families supporting us all, it takes every piece of this puzzle to make North Penn what it is. Have a happy and safe rest of your year, and remember to take time and care for yourself so we can continue to bring our best selves to the community each and every day.

Sincerely,