New Hope-Solebury School District

Engaging, Enriching, and Empowering All Students through a World-Class Education

#NHSSD Weekly eNews

Volume 32 | April 29, 2022

This week's eNews shares how our students recognized Autism Awareness Month, new exciting rankings for our schools, a School Board meeting recap, and includes a look at our Potrait of a Graduate. We've also shared upcoming District events, including a new date for our track and turf ribbon-cutting ceremony, Monday, May 9 because third times a charm!

Autism Acceptance

As we close Autism Awareness Month, our students had the opportunity to celebrate what makes us unique. At the UES, students participated in an Autism Spirit Week, wearing team spiritwear to emphasize that Together Everyone Accomplishes More and using a crazy sock and hair day to celebrate our individuality. At the MS, students were introduced to a new symbol for autism acceptance, the infinity sign. The infinity rainbow represents the endless possibilities and differences of the neurodiversity movement as a whole. Students had the opportunity to participate in creating a building-wide chain of infinity symbols in rainbow colors. According to teacher Ms. Simon, “This activity was meant to educate our population about a newly evolving perspective that is being voiced by individuals on the Autism spectrum…We honor the endless individualities of our population, while emphasizing the 'connectedness' to remind us of our communities. We are complete as we are, and strong together.”

Screen Shot 2022-04-28 at 5.12.25 PM.png

Screen Shot 2022-04-29 at 3.12.42 PM.png

Rising Ranks

We are delighted to announce that new rankings were recently released by U.S. News and World Report and data compiler Niche, and New Hope-Solebury has yet again been recognized for our students’ outstanding academic performance. In U.S. News and World Report, our High School reached the TOP 10 high schools in the State of Pennsylvania, up from a #15 ranking last year. The Niche ratings ranked our Middle School as the #1 School in Bucks County.

School Board Meeting Recap

Dr. Lentz and Mr. Brosious recognized the two UES teams who earned first and third place in the Bucks County Intermediate Unit's recent STEAM Design Challenge.

Highlights from the April Board of School Directors Meeting:

Comprehensive Plan: Dr. Lentz and the District Cabinet provided an update on the Comprehensive Plan, which identifies key areas of focus for the District, including Curriculum and Instruction, Innovation and Technology, Career and College Readiness, and Communications and Community Relations.

PAYS Survey: Dr. Minniti shared results from the most recently conducted PAYS Survey and the District's ongoing efforts to address the mental health concerns it identified. The Board discussed their next steps to prioritize this need.

Casas Associates: The Board approved a contract with Casas Associates for professional development programming. Jimmy Casas is regarded for his inspirational messages and as a leader in fostering future-ready schools. He was recommended for professional development by a team of NHSSD educators, who heard him speak during a recent conference.

Facilities Requests: The Board also approved facilities contracts to increase energy efficiency, including LED stadium lighting, which will also reduce light pollution, and new HVAC units at the UES.

District Donations: The Board accepted the following charitable donations to support our educational programs. We deeply appreciate the generosity of:

James Foster and Amy Wright

$10,000 to support our Robotics Programs

Josh and Barbara Skolnick

$5,000 to support the Mask and Zany Theater Club

Upcoming Meetings:

Policy Committee

Wednesday, May 4 @ 6:00PM

District Office Conference Room or via Zoom

Joint Curriculum Advisory and Special Education Committee

Thursday, May 5 @ 6:00PM

District Office Conference Room or via Zoom

Equity Town Hall

Learn More about our Equity Initiative

We invite the community to participate in an Equity Town Hall on Tuesday, May 3 at 6:30PM in the District Office Conference Room. The event will provide context around the formation of the Equity Committee and highlight key features of the District’s equity programs.

Portrait of a Graduate

The New Hope-Solebury School District's Portrait of a Graduate identifies the skills and qualities we endeavor to develop in our students prior to their graduation. This month, we'd like to highlight our efforts to cultivate effective communicators.

Mrs. Zerby's Class Presents Animal Research Projects

Mrs. Zerby's second graders have been hosting presentations to culminate their Animal Research Projects. Each student explored the key facets of presenting, including content, organization, voice, eye contact, and visuals. Students heightened engagement from their peers in creative ways, by using interactive games, green screens, and dioramas. The children also conducted question and answer sessions fulfilling the role of "expert" presenters. Great work, 2Z!

Preparing for the APEX Project

Mrs. Rosenberg prepared her seniors to seek internship opportunities for their upcoming APEX projects by emphasizing the importance of communication skills. They discussed developing professional connections, making great first impressions, questions to ask, information to share, and how to effectively follow up after an introductory meeting. Using these skills, her students obtained internships with The Pennsylvania School for the Deaf, The Michener Art Museum, and The Bucks County Children's Museum.

Upcoming District Events

Community Happenings

Solebury Parks and Recreation will host summer camps at Pat Livezey Park starting July 5. Activities include sports, theme days, arts & crafts, music, science programs, water programs, karate instruction, magic shows, and more.

The BucksIU FAB LAB invites you to a community open house on Sunday, May 1. This is a great opportunity for families to come see what the Fab Lab Center is all about, have some fun participating in our ‘STEAM-onstrations‘ and to learn about all the programs being offered.

Join the global movement to end hunger this Sunday, May 1. Rise Against Hunger is about empowering communities, nourishing lives, and responding to emergencies, and has reached over 2.7 million people in 2021 alone. Help play a part in the movement by signing up to pack 10,000 meals.

Arrows 4 American Indians will host the First Peoples Festival on Saturday, June 11 at Pebble Hill Church. The event will include a friendship dance, crafts and activites for kids, Native American storytellers, and refreshments.

Our Lions coaching staff and field hockey players will host the NHS Lions Youth Field Hockey Camp from Monday, July 11 through Friday, July 14. All proceeds benefit the HS field hockey program.

The NHS Education Fund is a non-profit organization that provides grant funding to enhance the quality of education for NHS students. Recent programs funded include the new UES broadcast studio and an author visit with Kwamee Alexander. Consider joining their board and learn more here.

New Hope-Solebury School District

180 West Bridge Street New Hope, PA 18938

Phone: 215-862-5372

Fax: 215-862-2906