Haverford Happenings

The School District of Haverford Township will embark on a strategic planning process that will shape the district’s path over the next 3 to 5 years. As part of our upcoming strategic planning process, we are committed to gathering diverse insights to help guide our decisions and shape our future direction. To ensure we capture a wide range of perspectives, we will be conducting surveys and focus groups shortly.

Your input is invaluable to us, and we encourage you to participate in these opportunities to share your thoughts, experiences, and ideas. More details on how to get involved will follow soon.

Watch highlights of our current strategic plan, the foundation of our District goals here: Strategic Plan Update 2024.

A select group of students nationwide are honored each year as National Merit Scholarship Semi-Finalist or Commended students. Out of the 1.5 million students who take the PSAT/NMSQT® tests, about 16,000 qualified as Semi-Finalists across the country and are in the top 1% of test-takers in their state and 34,000 students who score in the top 2–4% of PSAT/NMSQT takers are named Commended Scholars. We are very proud of our scholars!

Semi-Finalist: Jacob An, Jack Carfrey, Samuel Graaf, Joshua Lardin, Aiden Liu, Maxim Markiw, Maya Schmitt, Jorge Tecedor.

Commended Scholars: Eli Back, Lauren Baxter, Gian Buonviri, Leena Fadul, Andrew Fedako, Prudence Frein, Vickie Lin, Eleanor Nagle, Isabella Policarpio, Lila Spoelker, Caleb Uy, Mae Weaver, Vincent Ye.

After years of careful research and planning, PDE has introduced new science standards that were recently adopted by the Pennsylvania State Board of Education. The new STEELS standards (Science, Technology & Engineering, Environmental Literacy & Sustainability) will begin to be incorporated into science curricula across the Commonwealth in the 2024-2025 school year. At the same time, Pennsylvania’s assessment program will begin to transition to assessments that are aligned with the new STEELS standards. The transition to the STEELS standards will impact all three assessment programs beginning in 2024-2025.

The 2025 Science PSSA will transition to grades 5 and 8 and will be administered as a census field test. All students will be expected to participate in the field test; however, the scores will not be included in any local or state reporting systems. The data from the 2025 field test will be used to produce the 2026 Science PSSA that will be fully aligned to the STEELS standards and used for all state and federal reporting.

The Spring 2025 Biology Keystone Exams will include embedded field test items that are aligned to the STEELS standards. The field test items will not count toward students’ Biology scores in 2025. Like the PSSA, those items will be used as the basis for STEELS-aligned assessments in 2025-2026.

Providing students with a sneak peek, such as during summer orientation days, offers comfort and familiarity in several impactful ways. It helps reduce anxiety, especially for younger students or those entering a new school, by easing fears about getting lost or navigating unfamiliar spaces. Previewing the school environment allows students to establish routines by giving them a sense of what a typical day will look like, helping them prepare for daily activities like navigating the school schedule. Meeting teachers and staff ahead of time also creates a sense of connection, with familiar faces making the first day feel less overwhelming. Additionally, these preview days often involve other students, allowing kids to meet new peers and start building a sense of community early on. By exploring classrooms, lockers, and facilities, students are mentally and practically prepared, reducing confusion later. Overall, these experiences boost confidence, empowering students to feel comfortable and ready to engage in learning from day one. By minimizing the unknown, sneak peeks help our students transition smoothly and positively into new environments.

Nicholas Petrucci, a Haverford HS student, participated in the FBLA (Future Business Leaders of America) National Conference. He is a PA State Champion in Public Policy and Advocacy, competing against over 70 other students across the state!

Future Business Leaders of America, Inc. (FBLA) is the largest business Career and Technical Student Organization in the world. The FBLA National Leadership Conference is considered the pinnacle of the FBLA member experience and a springboard to one's future career.

The Pennsylvania departments of State and Education announced that 36 high schools in the Commonwealth won Governor’s Civic Engagement Awards (GCEA) during the 2023-24 school year.

Haverford High School won a Silver Level Award for registering to vote at least 65 percent of their eligible students. In total, about 160 students helped register more than 3,300 of their peers to win gold- or silver-level awards for their schools.

“These prestigious awards celebrate the efforts of Pennsylvania high school students to register their eligible classmates to vote and to hopefully launch them on a lifelong habit of voting,” Secretary of the Commonwealth Al Schmidt said. “Engaging the next generation of voters is crucial to the future health of our representative democracy.”

The School District of Haverford Township offers healthy meals every school day. Breakfast is free again this year to all students.

Additionally, students identified as eligible for reduced-price lunches through the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) will not be charged for their meals.

Your child(ren) may qualify for free meals.

APPLY: Click here to complete the application: https://www.schoolcafe.com/

INSTRUCTIONS: Click here for School Cafe instructions or watch this video for instructions on using School Cafe.

ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION: Please review the eligibility information for your household here.

The following options are available to add funds to a student's meal account:

• Submit a check to the food services cashier or school office.
  
• Set up an account at www.schoolcafe.com to pay using a credit card or a checking account. The checking account option does not charge a transaction service fee.
  • Below are the steps for adding a checking account to a SchoolCafé account:
    • Click the Payment Info button on your SchoolCafe account's navigation bar.
    • Click the Payment Sources tab.
    • Click the Add a Bank Account button.
    • Complete the Add a Bank Account form, then click the Add button to save.
    • You will now see your checking account on your Payment Sources page.
    • Within 4-6 business days, you will see a tiny withdrawal from SchoolCafé on your bank account. The amount is typically less than a dollar and will automatically be refunded back to the account.
    • When you see the validation debit on your bank account, you will go back to your Payment Info > Payment Sources page to complete the validation process.
    • Click the Click here to validate the account link on your bank account.
    • Enter the amount debited from your bank account into the Amount field.
    • Click the Validate button.
    • You can now use your bank account to make payments from your SchoolCafé account.

This October, we celebrate an extraordinary group of leaders in our community—our school principals. These dedicated individuals are instrumental in shaping students' futures and guiding the path of our education system.

Throughout the month, we have a special opportunity to honor and thank our principals for their unwavering commitment, outstanding leadership, and profound impact on student success. Join us in expressing our gratitude to these transformative figures this October.

Today and every day, we are grateful for our custodial staff and the essential role they play in keeping our school clean and safe. Their work goes far beyond maintenance; they foster a positive atmosphere with their warm smiles and dedication. Their commitment to going above and beyond makes a meaningful impact on the lives of our students, teachers, and staff.

September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. The month is dedicated to raising awareness of pediatric cancer, supporting families affected by it, and inspiring funding for research, prevention, and treatment.
Across the district, students and staff participated in a "Gold Out" to show our support for those affected by pediatric cancer. Activities included fun runs, sending cards to children going through treatments, thoughtful practice & recognition of kind acts, and supporting organizations to help fight against pediatric cancer. We also look forward to our @fordsfightforlife night at Haverford High School on 10/10.

Please join us for a community conversation with the Board of School Directors. It is a chance for members of the Haverford community to have a casual conversation with some school board members. The events will take place on Wednesday, October 23rd from 7-8:00 PM in the Library the middle school. All Haverford community members are welcome.

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 will be held at the Oakmont Administration Building.

*NOTE TIMES FOR COMMITTEE MEETINGS

Upcoming Meetings:

• October 10: Regular School Board Meeting
• October 17: Finance & Facilities Committee Meeting at 6:30 PM
• October 21: Policy Committee Meeting at 6:30 PM
• October 24: Regular School Board Meeting
• November 7: Regular School Board Meeting
• November 14: Curriculum & Pupil Services at 6:30 PM

All presentations and videos can be found on BoardDocs.

September 15th - October 15th is recognized as Hispanic Heritage Month.The National Theme is “Pioneers of Change: Shaping the Future Together." We celebrate the contributions, heritage and culture of Hispanic and Latino Americans. Explore our virtual library.

The month of October is dedicated to recognizing the contributions and achievements of Italian immigrants and their descendants in the United States.

The Americas are named for an Italian Merchant and Explorer.

• ​Amerigo Vespucci, who explored the east coast of South America between 1499 and 1502, is the source of the name "America."

The Declaration of Independence has Italian inspiration.

• Filippo Mazzei, a physician and promoter of liberty, was a close friend and confidant of Thomas Jefferson. He published a pamphlet containing the phrase "All men are by nature equally free and independent."

Oct 5: Haverford Township Day

Oct. 31: In-service (early dismissal for all students)

Nov 2: Discover Day at Haverford HS
Nov. 5: Teacher In-service Day (no school for students)

2024-2025 Calendar (At a Glance)

2025-2026 Calendar (At a Glance)

Join our team! Click the link to view available positions across the District and how to apply.

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
Twitter: @haverfordsd