Haverford Happenings

Ten students from Haverford High Competed as teams in an All Girls Hackathon at Flux Space in Norristown. The event was hosted by Lower Merion and designed to grow a community and enthusiasm for Computer Science. Each team was given the same starter code for a Pac-Man-like game and turn it into their own creative game. Both Haverford teams had a blast, performed amazingly, and one team earned third place in the contest! The student participants were Genevieve Chermside, Samantha Grein, Lauren Baxter, Grace Milo, Ellie Nagle, Sarah Yang, Luci Bannister, Mollie Carpenter, Tessa Weideman, and Alyssa Seavey. Students were accompanied by HHS Computer Science and Math Department teachers Chris Walter, Shannon Moore, and Kathleen Kelly.

The goals of Coopertown's Eco-Team Club are to analyze the sustainable needs of Coopertown and the community while brainstorming ideas to improve our ecological footprint. They are learning about various ecological concepts while gaining an appreciation for our environment. Whenever possible, they have hands-on projects such as creating posters and decorating reusable bags, and guest speakers. Dawn White, Owner and Certified Environmental Educator at Indian Run Environmental Education Center recently brought owls and other birds of prey to Coopertown and the students discussed the environmental impact of choices and wildlife protection.

Haverford students attend two ongoing sessions throughout the year, the Student Forum and the Future Educator Academy at the DCIU as part of their program "Coalition for Student Agency and Voice." Students in grades 10th and 11th attend the Student Forum to learn about advocacy while working to develop a Belonging Playbook to be presented in Fall 2023. The Future Educator Academy is for 9th and 10th-grade students who have leadership attributes that can lead them to work in the field of education. Students in each group gather with students across Delaware county to participate in engaging activities with each other. Leon Smith works with Future Educators Academy students, alongside Dr. George Ramoundos, and Christina Carter with our Students Forum Students.

Designed to help students make the connection between what they eat and how they feel, Mood Boost brings new lunch menu items and a collection of icons called "Moodies" that label the different moods they represent for their food items.

Emerging research has shown that the foods we eat the most often may have an effect on how we feel, not just physically, but mentally. When eaten regularly Mood Boost foods, especially nutrient-rich fruit and vegetables can help to elevate a person’s mood and enhance or sense of well-being. These foods contain vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that communicate with our brain to support personal characteristics such as happiness, alertness, strength, calmness, and confidence. This is the foundation for Mood Boost!

Chef Josh teaches students about the relationship between food to your mood and the importance of healthy eating. Here’s a taste of what’s on his display:

Strong: Green Peas – maximize oxygen uptake for optimal physical

Alert: Pineapple – important for focus and concentration

Happy: Tomatoes – linked to feelings of joy and positive well-being

Calm: Dark leafy greens – nourish the nervous system to reduce anxiety

Smart: Blueberries – to give your brain a boost!

Confident: Raisins – make your outlook and appearance shine!

Lynnewood Elementary raised $15,400.00 for the health of all hearts through the American Heart Association Kids Heart Challenge. In addition to raising the funds, the students learned about their own heart and brain health. During the last week of the Kids Heart Challenge, the students participated in the event Mr. Fulton calls, "The Great Jump OFF". During this event, the students participate in various jumping activities, such as the Standing Long Jump, Hula Hoop Hopping, Team Long Jump Rope, Sky Jumps, Low Hurdle jumping, and individual jump roping. The students jumped a lot during the event and hopefully will continue to think about the Heart Heros messages of living a heart-healthy productive lifestyle. The Heart Heroes this year talked about being leaders, being thoughtful, saying no to tobacco and vaping, being kind, the importance of sleep and active moving at least 60 minutes a day, and lastly the importance of drinking plenty of water.

All students in grades 3rd through 8th are expected to take the PSSA in April. The PSSA is a standardized assessment used to measure students’ grade level achievement and growth from the past year.

Assessment scores represent a snapshot in time of student performance and should not be considered the sole indicator of student achievement. Data obtained from each assessment serves as one of the tools for planning school programs, designing curriculum and instruction, and providing information to the public.

2023 Information for Parents/Guardians, Use of Cell Phones/Electronic Devices, Pennsylvania Calculator Policy, and Code of Conduct for Test Takers

Give Me 5! Five Facts about the Celebration:

1. Holi is a Hindu festival that has been celebrated since ancient times.

2. Holi is a lunar celebration, which celebrates the onset of Spring.
   

3. Holi is also known, as the festival of color.

4. This ancient tradition marks the end of winter and honors the triumph of good over evil.

5. Celebrants light bonfires, throw colorful powder called gulal, eat sweets, and dance to traditional folk music.

Give Me 5! Five Facts about the Celebration:

1. Originally the holiday was to honor St. Patrick, who introduced Christianity to Ireland in the 5th Century later evolving into a celebration of all things Irish.

2. St. Patrick is British. It’s believed that he was born in either Wales or Scotland. His real name was ‘Maewyn Succat’.

3. The original color associated with St. Patrick wasn’t green – it was blue.

4. St. Patrick’s Day is held on March 17th as this is the day that St. Patrick died.

5. It’s said that St. Patrick banished the snakes, but snakes are likely not in Ireland due to the ice age. There is no fossil showing snakes' inhabitance.

Give Me 5! Five Facts about the Celebration:

1. Ramadan is one of the Five Pillars of Islam. The 5 pillars of Islam are key practices that Muslims typically follow.

2. During Ramadan Muslims fast. Muslims don’t eat or drink anything during the hours of daylight. Children don’t usually fast until they are 14 years old. Not all Muslims have to fast. (If you are pregnant, elderly, or unwell you do not need to fast.)

3. The dates of Ramadan change every year. This is because the Islamic calendar is based on the moon cycle.

4. The end of Ramadan is celebrated with a big celebration called “Eid al-Fitr.” During Eid al-Fitr Muslims see their family, give gifts and give thanks to their god, Allah.

5. Ramadan remembers the month the Qur’an was first revealed to the Prophet Muhammad. The Qur’an is the Islamic holy book.

Click the picture to see books about women who have made a difference. Did you read about a woman who is new to you? Let these women inspire you to be the best you can be!

The GIANT Company's Feeding School Kids initiative, in partnership with its customers, raised more than $1.3 million to combat hunger throughout local public school districts in the communities it serves. Thanks to the generosity of Havertown customers who rounded up their totals at the register and donated CHOICE points, they are donating $17,051.29 to our school district to support food security and food assistance initiatives.

Thank you to our Villanova student-athletes who visited Coopertown Elementary for Read Across America Day.

Congratulations to Googie Seidman and Caroline Dotsey for achieving 1000 career points at Haverford High School.

Congratulations to our high school student-athletes, their families, coaches, and teachers who have supported them. We look forward to watching them with Haverford pride as they compete at the collegiate level.

Students who signed on to compete at the collegiate level include: Sefan Bilc, Volleyball, Concordia University, Katya Eruslanova, Swimming, University of Pennsylvania, Alexander DiMatteo, Cross Country/Track & Field, Moravian University.

The High School Drama Club presents its Spring production, Into the Woods! You can purchase tickets HERE!

Performances:

• March 23 & 24 at 7 pm
• March 25 at 2 pm & 7 pm

The School District of Haverford Township utilizes BoardDocs, an online, paperless resource for all school board meetings. Here you can find the agenda, meeting minutes, video replay, and board policies. The meetings are live-streamed on YouTube.

Regular and Committee Board Meetings are held at Oakmont Administration Building.

Upcoming Meetings:

• March 16: Regular School Board Meeting
• March 23: Curriculum & Instruction Committee Meeting
• March 30: Finance & Facilities Committee Meeting
• April 13: Regular School Board Meeting

All prior meetings, presentations, and videos can be found on BoardDocs.

March 15-17: MS and Elementary Parent Conferences, Early dismissal for students

March 23 & 24 at 7 PM, March 25 at 2 PM & 7 PM: Into the Woods, HHS Auditorium

March 28: Choral Night (6-12 Choruses) HHS Auditorium, 7:00 PM

2022-23 School Year Calendar

• At-a-Glance
• A detailed schedule of activities and holidays
  
  

2023-24 School Year Calendar

• At-a-Glance

The mission of the School District of Haverford Township is to educate and to inspire a community of lifelong learners who become well-rounded global citizens.

Website: https://www.haverford.k12.pa.us/
Location: 50 East Eagle Road, Havertown, PA, USA
Phone: 610-853-5900
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/haverfordsd.net

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/haverfordsd/
Twitter: @haverfordsd