SVSD Monthly Newsletter

As we transition into the summer months, Saucon Valley School District would like to share updated campus hours for all district buildings.

Beginning June 8, 2026, all campus buildings will be open to the public Monday through Thursday from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. and Fridays from 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. Summer hours end August 14, 2026.

These public-facing hours will be consistent across all district buildings throughout the summer and differ from our regular school-year operations. The adjusted schedule allows staff and administrators dedicated time at the beginning and end of each day to prepare for operations and complete essential work before and after buildings are open to visitors and guests.

Please click the following link to register to play a sport at SVSD: Arbiter Registration Link

1. Click: Login (to the upper right side) Click: For Families/Students. The parent will use their previous Login from the old software, or if they didn't have one, they need to Create a Login.
2. Have the appropriate person(s) complete the first five sections of the PIAA CIPPE Form within this online registration.
3. Section 6 physical evaluation must be filled out by an Authorized Medical Examiner (AME), and uploaded in the appropriate section of this online registration.
4. WINTER & SPRING REGISTRATIONS ONLY: If you competed in a sport already for the current school year and answer yes to any questions within the Section 7 Recertification block, you will need to upload a Section 8, Re-Certification by Licensed Physician of Medicine or Osteopathic Medicine, within this online registration.
   
   

The deadline to register to play a Fall sport is July 27, 2026.

HS Football starts August 3, 2026.

All other Fall sports start August 10, 2026.

Arbiter Helpdesk:

Registration@arbitersports.com or call (800) 311-4060.

Saucon Valley Athletic Department:

Email Nancy.Bohnhorst@svpanthers.org or call (610) 838-7001 ext. 2720

The administration is pleased to announce Chad Shirk has been approved as Head Coach for the Girls Wrestling program. He will continue in his role as Head Coach of the Boys Wrestling program.

As interest in girls wrestling continues to grow across Pennsylvania following official recognition by the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (PIAA), Saucon Valley is committed to providing student-athletes with meaningful opportunities to participate and compete.

As with all new clubs and athletic programs, the District follows a process to ensure long-term sustainability -- including evaluating student participation, program consistency, staffing needs and financial responsibility before expanding district-funded support. Because Saucon Valley has already had female student-athletes participating within the wrestling program, the District believed it was important to formally recognize and support those opportunities while responsibly assessing future program growth.

Over the past several months, Coach Shirk has worked closely with district administration to help guide this transition and has agreed to lead the Girls Wrestling program during this important developmental phase. Under his leadership, the Boys Wrestling program has experienced tremendous growth and success, and the District is confident his experience and mentorship will provide a strong foundation for the girls program as well.

The District’s long-term vision includes developing and mentoring additional coaching support for girls wrestling so that, as participation continues to increase, the program will be well-positioned for future expansion. Saucon Valley has a proud and supportive wrestling community, and the District looks forward to seeing continued growth and success for its female student-athletes in the years ahead.

The Saucon Valley School Board has approved the instructional calendar for the 2026-2027 school year; which outlines key dates for students, parents and staff. The upcoming academic year will consist of 184 student days and 192 teacher days.

The complete Panther Calendar is available online at svpanthers.org/panther-calendar. There, you can also download and print the 2025-26 and/or 2026-27 calendar.

SVSD is proud to be recognized as one of the nation’s Best Communities for Music Education (BCME) by the NAMM Foundation. This honor highlights the district’s continued commitment to providing high-quality music education opportunities for students.

As a BCME district, SVSD receives opportunities to listen to and share exclusive BCME webinars. During a recent one, SVSD and other districts were highlighted for the role they play in facilitating these meaningful musical experiences. Speakers also dove into the potential career options for students passionate about music.

The webinar focused on the evolving landscape of music-related careers and encouraged educators to help students explore the wide range of opportunities across the industry. In addition to traditional careers in performance and music education, presenters discussed growing fields connected to technology, business, production, design, audio engineering, live sound, lighting design, music marketing and retail, instrument repair, manufacturing, event production, arts administration, media production, content creation, nonprofit leadership and software development.

Speakers emphasized that music education provides students with valuable transferable skills — including creativity, collaboration, communication, critical thinking, leadership and problem-solving — talents that are increasingly important across today’s workforce.

The full webinar can be viewed here: 2026 Best Communities for Music Education Webinar

Saucon Valley is proud to share we are 100% contactable via ParentSquare and ranked 1st out of 101 similar sized districts for our reachability.

Now, we need to increase the number of people using the app: Download the App for iOS or Android.

Consider trying Jamf Parent, which allows families to apply controls to student-issued iPads outside of school hours. The app provides parents with greater visibility and device management capabilities at home while maintaining the district’s instructional configurations during the school day. Download the app on Google Play. Download the app for Apple devices. You can also watch the 8-minute video linked below to get your student's iPad connected to the parent app.

We invite interested candidates to explore the following opportunities:

• Anticipated Opening – Spanish Immersion Teacher (District-Wide)
• Anticipated Opening – French Teacher (District-Wide)
• Anticipated Opening -- Middle School Secretary
• Accountant
• Varsity Boys Basketball Head Coach
• and more.

To view full job descriptions and submit an application, please visit our employment page on SchoolSpring.

Kindergarten Registration is available online only via InfoSnap. Ready to Enroll?

Additional information about the 2026-27 school year will be available over the summer.

Questions? Please contact Elizabeth Gallagher at Elizabeth.Gallagher@svpanthers.org.

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.

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

We are SO incredibly proud of our "What's So Cool About Manufacturing?" team!

They just placed SECOND in the state competition for their brilliant and incredibly well-done video showcasing the colorful manufacturing that happens at Crayola. They went up against 21 other teams from schools across the state that won their local contest.

You can watch the video that earned them "Outstanding Overall Program" at the regional competition here.

This is the first time the team has placed at states in at least the past 13 years!

Way to go, Micah Gill, Emma LaFlamme, Samantha McCarthy, Amelia Roberts, Andrew Roberts, Jacob Thompson, Eleanor Wechtler, Beverly Wood, Eamon Wood, John Cox and Jethro Yardley!

Thank you to Ms. Lesney, Mr. Austin, Mr. Schleicher and Mr. Stern for guiding and inspiring these students!

Saucon Valley School District would like to extend another round of congratulations to the Saucon Valley Alumni Association (SVAA) and senior Alexander Morawski -- both recently honored at the Colonial Intermediate Unit 20 Excellence in Education Awards.

Alexander was named a National Merit Scholar and is a true example of a student who has cultivated academic excellence during his time at SVSD. The SVAA was honored for its Wall of Fame recognition program, which highlights Saucon Valley alumni who have gone on to do great things.

Thanks for making everyone #PantherProud!

The Environmental Club just took Earth Day to the next level with a massive week of action, education and "groundbreaking" work.

The club kicked things off by challenging the district to go dark, but they didn't stop at saving energy:

• The Seedling Surge: Through the PA Game Commission’s Seedlings to Schools program, the club distributed 90 native tree and bush seedlings to eager students and staff!

• Leaving a Legacy: The final 10 seedlings were hand-planted at the Environmental Education Center, ensuring our campus stays green for generations to come.
  
  

On April 24, 2026, the club headed on their field trip to the Youth Climate Summit at NACC.

• The Mission: Learning the hard science behind local climate shifts and discovering the innovative ways local heroes are fighting back.

• The Inspiration: Members explored a stunning art exhibit dedicated to the region's unique natural phenomena.
  
  

The work doesn't stop here. The club is already gearing up to dive into the Saucon Creek Watershed Association’s upcoming stream cleanup.

This year’s presenters covered a host of professionals and public servants, including:

• Ashley Dayoub - Paralegal/Law
• Tiffany Wells - Deputy Director, Bethlehem Parking Authority/Engineering
• Jim Rayner - Firefighter/Emergency Response
• Jill Borger - College Student pursuing Psychology and School Counseling
• David Ruyak - Arborist
• Thomas Barndt & Steve Kunigus - Chief of Police & K9 Officer, Lower Saucon Township
• Melissa VanDoren - Civil Engineering/Philanthropy and Sergeant Bryant - U.S. National Guard.

To make the day even more engaging, students completed a Career Day scavenger hunt tied to each presentation and took time to reflect on what they learned and which careers sparked their interest.

Thank you to our elementary school counselors -- Ms. Joanna Suriel and Ms. Kelly Wehr -- who put in so much time and energy organizing the day and to all of our guest speakers for investing in our students and helping to bring learning to life.

Dozens of students celebrated being inducted into the NHS and Leo Clubs. You can read the article about the induction ceremonies.

Saucon Valley School District is so proud of the students who represented the district at the Special Olympics held at BASD Stadium.

Events like this provide meaningful opportunities for our students to compete in a supportive environment and give them the chance to shine. It's also amazing to see our regular and special education students come together. The event was special before our athletes even hit the field, because the elementary and middle schools sent them off in true Panther Pride fashion -- lining the halls to clap, smile, and wave to participating students before they left.

Two high school musicians have much to be proud of.

Freshman Emmett Cook received recognition for his composition Stopped by Woods on a Snowy Evening/Winter at the annual Pennsylvania Music Educators Association (PMEA) Conference.

Junior Ryan Pakzad just became the #6 Tenor 1 in Pennsylvania. Out of thousands of tenors who auditioned.

Saucon Valley junior Gaddiel Bido Huertas captured his first Colonial League championship in the 300-meter hurdles with a personal-best time of 39.30 at the 2026 league meet at Whitehall High School.

Gaddiel has quickly emerged as one of the area’s top hurdlers.... improving from a runner-up finish last season to league champion.

He has also set new personal and school records along the way. Way to go, Gaddiel!

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!

Meet Your Panther Family Document

• Saucon Valley High School Newsletters
• Saucon Valley Middle School Newsletters
• Saucon Valley Elementary School Newsletters

• May 14: SVHS and SVMS Chorus Spring Concert 2026, 6-8 p.m.
• May 15: Senior Pageant, 6-8 p.m.
• May 18: Start of Week 2 of the Keystone Exams
• May 21: Freddy Awards, 7-11 p.m. at State Theatre Center for the Arts in Easton

• May 25: Memorial Day Holiday -- NO SCHOOL
• May 27: SVHS Senior Sunset, 8:22 p.m. at the Montford E. Illick Stadium
• May 28: Senior Scholarship Ceremony, 6:30-8 p.m.
• June 3: SVES Field Day & Carnival
• June 5: Class of 2026 Commencement, 6:30 p.m. at the Montford E. Illick Stadium
  
  

You can view more calendar events on the Panther School Calendar.