Dear Community,
I have written many letters to this community as your superintendent these past 12-plus years. In fact, some quick math tells me that in E-Matters alone I have penned more than 140 messages regarding our great school district, the issues we faced and the recognitions we earned.
I often look back on previous messages to make sure I am not repeating myself. Oftentimes in the month of May I touched upon a subject that warrants continued communication, and that is appreciation of staff. Although not the only month set aside to recognize school employees and public education in general, May is filled with multiple opportunities to do just that. Within a span of just 31 days, we celebrate School Principals Day, National Child Care Provider Day, National Physical Education and Sport Week, School Communicators Day, National Music Week, National Teacher Appreciation Week/Day, School Lunch Hero Day and National School Nurse Day. There could possibly be even more of which I am not yet aware.
All year long, in just about every month, there are days and weeks set aside for school professionals. Days for custodians, secretaries, bus drivers, art educators, counselors, nurses, support staff, school board directors and more.
As we wind the school year down, please take a moment to thank and celebrate those individuals in North Penn who make a difference in the lives of children and who have committed their careers to the youth of this community. In fact, for those of you who would like, the NPSD Educational Foundation offers an easy way to show your gratitude with its annual Staff Tribute Program. More information on this annual program will be updated shortly at
With one E-Matters left after this month’s edition, I am already pondering what June’s message will be. I hope you will read it to see.
Sincerely,
Curtis R. Dietrich, Ed.D.
Superintendent
North Penn School District
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2022 Superintendent's Honor Roll Awards |
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Superintendent Dr. Curtis Dietrich awarded the 2022 Superintendent's Honor Roll, designed to celebrate staff members who go above and beyond in their service to North Penn. Check out this year's recipients! |
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Marisa Green is a nurse at Montgomery Elementary, Department Chair for North Penn Nurses, and NPSD Pandemic Liaison to the Montgomery County Office of Public Health. She serves as President of the Montgomery County School Nurse Association. Marisa is dedicated to the health and safety of every student and staff member in NPSD. |
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Jody Danenhower is the Payroll Supervisor for the North Penn School District, and works tirelessly to make sure paychecks get out without a hitch. She always rises to the challenge to ensure employees are taken care of and any issues are resolved. Jody brightens the day of anyone who meets her, bringing positive energy to everything she does. |
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Kevin Manero is an English teacher at NPHS, advisor for the Knight Crier, and baseball coach. He also does the morning announcements at NPHS and emcees the football games and countless district events. His leadership has transformed the baseball program into an extremely successful athletic program that not only creates athletes, but students who have the discipline to be successful in anything. |
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Christine Liberaski is the Director of School and Community Engagement, the Executive Director of the NPSD Educational Foundation, and the longest serving member of the Superintendent's Cabinet. In her time with North Penn she has expanded the Foundation into an organization that raises hundreds of thousands annually to fund grants for teachers and staff, expanding educational opportunities for all students. |
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North Penn Holding LGBTQ+ Informational Night |
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Join North Penn for a night of education and discussion to build an inclusive community culture for LGBTQ+ students. Increase your knowledge about LGBTQ+ / Inclusion 101 Terminology statistics. Participate in small group discussions around real-life scenarios impacting our LGBTQ youth and their families. Share ideas about how to create a more inclusive culture in our school & community.
The event will be held Thursday, May 12, from 7-9 PM in the NPHS senior cafeteria.
This event is open to ALL North Penn families. Discussion will center largely around LGBTQ+ scenarios from upper elementary and secondary level students. RSVP at the link below!
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Community Conversations With Dr. Curt Dietrich |
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Superintendent Dr. Dietrich will be holding his final Community Conversations as Superintendent on May 26 from 12-1 PM. Join Dr. Dietrich and a small group of community members to discuss issues within the district. Space is limited to allow for all to participate, so don't wait to register! |
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NPSD Named to Best Communities for Music Education |
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NPHS Students Compete at SkillsUSA |
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The North Penn School District has once again won the Best Communities for Music Education! North Penn has now won 11 years of this prestigious award, thanks to the hard work of the music department in all of our schools. The National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) Foundation names schools that demonstrate excellence and commitment to music education. North Penn is one of only 738 districts in the country to receive this award. |
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North Penn High School students attending the North Montco Technical Career Center (NMTCC) competed at the SkillsUSA competition, demonstrating excellence in their chosen career fields. Congratulations to Jayla C. and Julia F. who placed first in Career Pathways for Culinary Arts and will be advancing to the National competition. Good luck! |
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NPHS Key Club Holding Memorial Day Service |
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The North Penn High School Key Club will be holding a Memorial Day service on Monday, May 30,11:15 AM at Penndale Middle School. The ceremony will honor and remember fallen NPHS graduates who served in the military. The service will be held in the Memorial Garden on the corner of Penn Street and Church Road, a garden which is maintained by the club as part of their service to the community. |
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An Eye on Equity
A monthly feature from Dr. Pamula Hart, NPSD Director of Curriculum and Equity
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An Excerpt From the Equity Statement and Beliefs- NPSD Board of School Directors
"Students in the North Penn School District enter school buildings with their school
supplies, ready to learn. Students also bring with them unique gifts, individualized
learning styles, skills, experiences, and cultural identities. A significant number of our
students also carry the weight of poverty, racism, sexism, trauma, and other forms of
prejudices and conditions that affect how they perform in school. Achieving equity
ensures that students' identities will not predetermine their success in school."
To ensure that every student is successful, school-wide interventions and strategies are implemented in our middle schools and high school to meet the academic, behavioral, social, and emotional needs of ALL of our students. Read below to learn about four of them.
Restorative Practice
Restorative practices are rooted in the belief that wrongdoing is best addressed through collectively identifying the harm done by one's actions, and taking steps to repair that harm. Restorative practices give all parties involved a voice, identify motivation and impact of action, teach alternative behaviors, repair damage done, and build empathy in an authentic way. The practice focuses on the 5R's: relationship, respect, responsibility, repair, and reintegration.
Examples of Restorative Practice:
- Restorative conferences with teachers and/or peers as a consequence for an incident
- Natural consequences- if a student throws something in the cafeteria, they work with the custodian to clean up instead of traditional consequences
- Focus on building relationships before an incident occurs- increasing positive, meaningful interactions
Child Study
- Proactive teaming to discuss intervention approaches to support students in consideration of Child Find obligations
- Teams consist of building administrators, special education supervisors, school psychologists, school counselors, home and school visitors, nursing staff, and the special education department chair
- Teams meet weekly to discuss students' academic, behavior, and mental health needs
- Review of attendance engagement, behavior, academic strengths/needs through a lens of proactive strategies and approaches
- Basis for referral to Student Assistance Program (SAP)
Student Assistance Program (SAP)
SAP is a systematic team process used to mobilize school resources to remove barriers to learning. SAP is designed to assist in identifying issues which pose a barrier to a student's success. This can include alcohol, tobacco, other drugs, and mental health concerns. The primary goal of the Student Assistance Program is to help students overcome these barriers so that they may achieve, advance, and remain in school. Students, staff members, and family members can refer students to the SAP process.
North Penn High School
Social-Emotional Learning Curriculum
Purpose: To intertwine college and future planning, social/emotional learning and cultural competency into lessons to better support our teachers and students and to ultimately create a stronger community founded on shared norms, skills, and acquisition of knowledge, especially in this time of digital learning. These sessions are held once a week during Knight Time.
Mindful Mondays
Students participate in a variety of activities which include breathing exercises, meditation, and viewing short videos that model strategies related to mindfulness. These sessions are also held during Knight Time.
Math Lunch Study
All students have access to in-school support during their lunch period. These sessions are staffed by math teachers who can provide extra instruction and support for students.
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North Penn Holds Knights of Honor Ceremony |
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On May 5, North Penn School District held the 2022 Knights of Honor Ceremony, honoring those with who have made significant contributions to their school and community. Those honored included Joel Brown, Dr. Francis Jeyaraj, Ted and Bonnie Knauss, and Donald "Doc" Ryan. The full ceremony is available on NPTV. Thank you to those who attended the ceremony and to this year's Knights of Honor for your contributions to this community. If you missed the ceremony, it is available on NPTV! |
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NPSD Holding "Knight of the Arts" K-12 Art Show |
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North Penn School District will be holding the "Knight of the Arts" on May 25 and May 26 from 6-8:30 pm. The art show displays works from grades K-12 from a multitude of media including painting, photography, sculpture, computer animation, and more. Students will demonstrate their artistic skills, such as drawing, digital photography and throwing on the potter's wheel, live during the show. The Knight of the Arts also includes Senior Walls, featuring artwork by seniors who have taken three or more art classes during their time at NPHS. There will be a fashion show displaying many creative designed from the Family Consumer Science (FSC) department, and musical performances from schools across the district. Donations are accepted to benefit the Senior Art Scholarship Fund for students pursuing art in college. |
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NPSD Students Participate in Earth Day Activities |
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Students across the district participated in service projects to celebrate Earth Day on April 22. NPHS students in the ENACT Club held their annual "Hop Into Spring" event for the community. Children got to make a recycled craft, play a nature game, and do a scavenger hunt. North Wales Elementary held a school-wide cleanup day where students got to plant flowers, rake leaves, pick up sticks, and pull weeds. Students at Gwynedd Square Elementary helped spruce up the building by planting flowers and mulching out front. Check out pictures from Gwynedd Square below! |
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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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We need your help. Every school district across the state is experiencing a shortage of substitute teachers, which can impact student learning. If you have a four-year degree and enjoy working with children and teens, you can help us by joining the North Penn School District as a substitute teacher!
In addition to paying the highest rate in the county (starting at $180 per day; $170/day for guest teachers; and bonus incentives), we also provide great flexibility regarding daily assignments. You can share your availability and work as it fits your schedule. We will also provide training!
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