SVSD Monthly Newsletter

Saucon Valley School District is committed to partnering with families to support student success and well-being. The NEW Family Engagement page provides access to information, tools and opportunities designed to help families stay informed, connected and supported throughout the school year.

Categories, which have or will soon feature resources, include Math, Reading, Mental Health, Digital Resources and more.

Reminder: It is a growing catalog of videos, tools and resources. If there is anything you'd like to be considered for inclusion, please email Grace.Griffaton@SVPanthers.org

The Superintendent Partnership Council -- a group of 12 community members, including parents, staff and alumni -- convened for the first time Wednesday. They spent their first two hours as a group discussing strengthening the bond between the district and the broader community. Participants expressed a deep sense of pride in the district’s legacy and voiced a strong desire to better understand operations and improve connections. Participants developed an extensive list of focus areas, which they will revisit to identify priorities as meetings progress.

The Student Advisory Council, a group of 8th, 9th, 10th and 11th grade students, also convened for the first time this week. The group expressed a deep desire to give the student body more of a voice in all areas of student life; including in the arts, activities, athletics and curriculum. Students identified the challenges they feel most strongly about and presented a host of potential solutions.

The Values Team, a teacher-led group, will meet for the first time by the end of the month,

Saucon Valley High School continues to expand opportunities for students with the addition of two new advanced academic pathways: the AP Capstone Diploma and AP Career Kickstart.

• The AP Capstone Diploma is a rigorous, two-year program developed by the College Board that builds advanced research, writing and presentation skills. The program begins with AP Seminar, where students investigate real-world issues and collaborate on team projects, and continues with AP Research, a year-long, in-depth independent study on a topic of the student’s choice. To earn the AP Capstone Diploma, students must score a 3 or higher on both courses and on four additional AP exams. Recognized by colleges and universities in the United States and internationally, AP Capstone provides students with a distinctive academic credential that demonstrates college-level readiness and the ability to think critically, conduct independent research and communicate effectively.
  
  
• AP Career Kickstart is another new option designed to connect advanced coursework with real-world career pathways. This program features AP courses aligned to high-demand fields -- such as business and cybersecurity -- including offerings like AP Business with Personal Finance and AP Cybersecurity. In addition to the opportunity to earn college credit, students who successfully pass qualifying exams can also earn employer-endorsed credentials recognized by industry leaders, such as IBM and Cisco. By combining academic rigor with career-focused preparation, AP Career Kickstart helps students graduate with both postsecondary credit and tangible workforce credentials.

You can learn more about AP Career Kickstart and the AP Capstone Diploma, along with other courses being offered, in this year's Program of Studies.

The Saucon Valley School Board has approved Friday, June 5, 2026, as the graduation date. In the event of inclement weather, the ceremony will be held on Saturday, June 6.

Governor Josh Shapiro signed a bill into law requiring Pennsylvania students to learn cursive handwriting at appropriate levels. This follows a nationwide trend; currently, more than twenty other states already have laws requiring cursive instruction. The bill's primary sponsor states writing in cursive activates areas of the brain tied to executive function, fine motor skills and working memory. There are also practical applications for cursive, including signatures on documents and being able to read older, historical texts.

We are excited to announce the creation of a Senior Spotlight, a special website designed to celebrate seniors and the many exciting paths they plan to take following graduation.

Please complete this form to have yourself or your student included.

The GIANT Company is partnering with SVSD to help support students in the community who are facing food insecurity.

Now through March 31, everyone who shops at GIANT, MARTIN’S and GIANT Heirloom Market stores will be invited to “round up” their bill to the closest dollar. The round up funds raised will support Feeding School Kids. Customers can also give back by converting their CHOICE Rewards Points to donations in the GIANT app.

Saucon Valley's goal is to support the children in our district who need the most help accessing nutritious meals and snacks. From backpacks with weekend food, to clearing lunch debt, to building a community pantry in our schools, the funds will be provided directly to our district’s food services program for use, at our discretion, to address food insecurity in our school community.

Part of what makes SVSD strong is our shared bonds. We'd love to connect and build on the lasting connections forged. Follow us today to stay informed and engaged: 👉 Saucon Valley School District on LinkedIn

This year, Saucon Valley Middle School is representing Crayola. Voting opens March 17, and every vote counts!

We want everyone to get ready to add their own splash of color to the competition and help Saucon Valley Middle School make its mark. Their collective goal is to showcase why manufacturing at Crayola is seriously colorful, creatively vibrant and anything but gray.

For more information or to see the full list of participating schools and companies, head to the contest website.

Hellertown’s Heritage Day will take place on Saturday, May 16, 2026. The Hellertown Historical Society (HHS) is looking for student volunteers to help out with the event. Up to 10 hours of community service can be applied towards your Service Learning Graduation Requirement.

For more information about this opportunity, please see or contact Mrs. Amy Kozel, SVHS Social Studies Teacher or contact Mr. Dennis Scholl at the HHS.

For anyone -- adults and students -- interested in volunteer opportunities with the HHS, there will be a Volunteer Open House on Saturday, February 21, 2026, from 9:30-11 a.m. at the HHS in their Tavern Room.

Saucon Valley Elementary School invites families to Llama Mia’s Learning Luau: Family Math & Literacy Night from 5-7 p.m. Thursday, February 26, 2026, in the SVES Cafeteria.

• Title I Overview: 5-5:15 p.m. in the conference room
• Interactive Math & Literacy Stations: 5:20-6:45 p.m.
• Teacher Q&A: 6:45-7 p.m.
• ES Book Fair in the LGI: 5-8 p.m.

We look forward to a fun and meaningful night celebrating learning together. 🌺🐾

Congratulations to our SVHS Panthers, who recently competed in the SkillsUSA District 11 Competition.

Gold Medalists

Two Saucon Valley students captured first-place finishes-- meaning they advance to the Pennsylvania SkillsUSA State Competition in Hershey this spring:

• Sam VanNorman — Fire Fighting Demonstration

• Tess Wenger — Action Skills
  
  

Silver Medalists

Saucon Valley students who earned second-place honors include:

• Vincent Costello — Automated Manufacturing (Team)

• Nicholas Kichline — Automated Manufacturing (Team)

• Joel Schneider — Motorcycle Service Technology

• Hunter Skriletz — CNC 3-Axis Milling Programmer
  
  

Bronze Medalists

Saucon Valley third-place finishers include:

• King Aris — Related Technical Math

• Phoenix Jones — Motorcycle Service Technology

Please join us in congratulating this month's Pawsitive Panthers. These are students who are nominated by their teachers for living out the elementary school's core values of being Respectful, Responsible, Safe and Kind.

• Madelyn “Maddie” Ball
• Chloe Martinez-Tejeda
• Jack Blacker
• Eve Johnson
• Cooper Clarke

Honored at the School Board Meeting

The recognition of Pawsitive Panthers concludes with a celebration at a School Board meeting, where students are honored for their character and contributions. They read aloud the nominations submitted by their teachers and, in turn, become even stronger leaders.

• Leading the Pledge: Selected students lead the Pledge of Allegiance.

• Sharing Achievements: Students explain why they were nominated and identify which core values they represent.

• Community Recognition: The celebration reinforces the importance of character and citizenship across the district.

Congratulations to Freshman Emmett Cook for placing first in this year's Pennsylvania Music Educators Association Composition Contest!

His piece "Stopped by Woods on a Snowy Evening/Winter" was selected as the outstanding original choral composition for the 2026 season. This composition is a setting of two poems, "Stopped by the Woods on a Snowy Evening" by Robert Frost and "Winter" by Pamela Joyce Randolph, scored for SSA voices. This piece was premiered at the High School Winter Concert, with Emmett conducting the choir.

Emmett is a freshman in High School and already has several major accomplishments to his name.

He is a member of Concert Choir, Concert Band, Jazz Band and Chamber Choir. In addition to these school groups, he has participated in County Choir and District Band, where he placed third on the trumpet. He missed qualifying for the highly competitive district choir by only one spot this year. In addition to being an advanced trumpet player and choral singer, he is a very talented jazz pianist and plays piano collaboratively for SVSD choirs, often accompanying them at concerts.

You can watch Cook's choir piece by clicking the play button below. Congrats, Emmett!

Please fill out the form linked here.

We're digging deeper than the standard résumé to share their backgrounds, passions and the secret superpowers they wish they had. Discover who is teaching your kids, coaching your teams and inspiring our future leaders! Click the image to view the file 💻

• Saucon Valley High School Newsletter
• Saucon Valley Middle School Newsletter
• Saucon Valley Elementary School Newsletter

• February 18: 2026-27 Kindergarten Registration Opens
• February 19-27 (Elementary): Book Fair
• February 24: School Board Meeting, 7 p.m.
• February 26 (Elementary): Family Math & Literacy Night, 5-7 p.m. @ SVES School Cafeteria
• March 2: First Day of Spring Sports
• March 4: Middle and High Schools Pops Concert, 6 p.m. @ HS Auditorium
• March 9: SongFest Choral Festival @ HS Auditorium
• March 10: School Board Meeting, 7 p.m.
• March 12: Spring Sports Picture Day
• March 16: Teacher Inservice Day
• March 19: Ticket Sales Open at 6:30 p.m. for High School Musical: The Drowsy Chaperone
• March 24: School Board Meeting, 7 p.m.
• March 27: Last Day of Quarter 3

You can view even more calendar events on the Panthers' School Calendar.