Neshaminy Update
Neshaminy School District / September, 2023
Welcome back for the 2024-2025 school year at Neshaminy! I hope that you are enjoying the final days of the summer break and are ready to begin what I believe will be an exciting, productive and fulfilling nine months of learning, activities and friendship. As much as I enjoy summer days spent relaxing with family and friends, there is something about the crisp fall air, the sight of hallways crowded with smiling students and teachers re-uniting, and the electric atmosphere at Harry E. Franks Stadium as our athletes, musicians, cheerleaders and fans return for another exciting fall season that makes this my favorite time of the year. I am looking forward to spending time in all of our schools sharing in the hundreds of unique traditions, activities and learning opportunities that make Neshaminy such a great school district.
I would like to extend my appreciation to our Facilities and Transportation crews who spent their summer getting our buildings and buses ready for the new school year. We completed two significant building projects this summer, and construction work on the new Core Creek Elementary School is proceeding on schedule (see articles below). I am happy to report that our buildings are shining, and our facilities are ready to go for the first days of school.
One of the overarching goals of our district is to constantly re-evaluate our curriculum and student support systems to provide the best possible education and learning environment for our students to prepare them for the world that they will be facing at graduation. With that in mind, these are just a few of the programs that will be added or expanded during the upcoming school year:
Implementation of an updated math curriculum for grades 6-8 and Algebra 1.
A new elementary science pilot program for grades K-5.
Continuation of our exploration of block scheduling at the high school with possible implementation in the 2026-2027 school year.
Expand our Multi-Tier System of Supports framework (MTSS) to secondary schools. MTSS enables our staff to provide educational, behavioral and emotional support to all students.
Integration of Pennsylvania’s STEELS standards (Science, Technology & Engineering, Environmental Literacy & Sustainability).
Continuation of Into Reading and Literature programs, grades K-8.
I will be sharing details and updates about these and other programs with our Neshaminy community in future communications.
As you get your children ready for the new school year, please take a moment to review the information in this newsletter and watch for important email updates from their school. I also encourage you to explore all the co-curricular opportunities available to our students and participate in the many activities hosted by our schools and PTO volunteers. We are fortunate to have great support from our Neshaminy families and community and I am very grateful for everything that they do to help us provide the very best school experience for our students and their families.
Please enjoy the final few days of summer. Our entire Neshaminy staff looks forward to welcoming your children back to school next week.
Jason Bowman, Superintendent
Neshaminy School District
TEACHER / CLASS ASSIGNMENTS (information posted on Home Access Center)
- Wednesday, August 14: Elementary Schools
- Monday, August 19: Middle Schools
- Monday, August 19: Transportation / Bus Schedules (all grades)
- Wednesday, August 21: High School
ORIENTATIONS
- Tuesday, August 20: Neshaminy HS Orientation #1
- Tuesday, August 20: School Board Public Meeting, 7 pm
- Wednesday, August 21: Neshaminy HS Orientation #2
- Thursday, August 22: Middle School Orientations
- Tuesday, August 27: Elementary School Orientations / Classroom Visitation
OPENING DAYS
- Wednesday, August 28: First Day of School, Grades K, 5 & 9
- Thursday, August 29: All grades report
BACK-TO-SCHOOL NIGHTS (see school websites and emails for specific times)
- Thursday, September 12: Neshaminy High School
- Thursday, September 19: Elementary Schools (Tawanka ES 9/18 and 9/19)
- Thursday, September 25: Middle Schools
SCHOOLS WILL BE CLOSED ON...
- Monday, September 2: Labor Day
- Thursday & Friday, October 3 & 4: Rosh Hashana
- Friday, October 11: Yom Kippur
- Friday, November 1: Diwali
- Tuesday, November 5: Election Day
- Monday, November 11: Veterans Day
Check the district and school websites for more important dates and events! Click on the calendar image below for a printable version (PDF).
Summer is coming to an end but there is still time to complete Neshaminy's Summer Learning Activities! It is important to encourage children to engage in both reading and math activities to reduce the “summer slide" and prepare them for a great start to the new school year. Please note that summer access to the i-Ready and Clever apps is now closed until the start of the new school year. But the following activities are still available:
ELEMENTARY
Elementary Summer Reading | Smore Newsletters
Elementary Summer Practice / Math & Reading Newsletter (K-5)
SECONDARY
Secondary Math Packets (Grades 6-12)
Summer Reading (Entering AP Prep 10) Checklist
Summer Reading (Entering AP Prep 10) Presentation
Summer Reading (Entering AP Prep 11) Checklist
As we transition from summer to the 2024-2025 school year, we want to remind our Neshaminy families that every student's attendance, every day, is crucial to their academic success. Our staff needs your support to instill the habit of regular school attendance. It's important to understand that students who miss school frequently are at risk of lower academic achievement, failure, and even dropping out.
Regular school attendance not only contributes to academic success but also plays a significant role in boosting a child's self-esteem. By establishing this habit early on, children learn that attending and arriving on time to school daily is crucial. Good attendance not only helps children perform well in school but also prepares them for future work, fostering a sense of confidence and well-being.
“Every Student, Every Day” is our slogan to champion school attendance our schools.
Below are some suggestions you may wish to consider supporting your child's attendance:
- Avoid scheduling vacations when school is in session. They may be considered unexcused absences.
- Establishing regular bedtime and morning routines can significantly improve your child's attendance. This will ensure your child is well-rested and prepared for the school day, reducing the likelihood of absences.
- Lay out clothes and pack backpacks the night before.
- Talk about the importance of regular attendance and how your child feels about school.
- Only permit missing school if your child is genuinely sick. Use a thermometer to check for a fever. Remember that stomach aches and headaches may be signs of anxiety.
- If your child seems anxious about going to school, talk to teachers, school counselors, or other parents for advice on how to help your child feel comfortable and excited about learning.
- Avoid medical appointments when school is in session.
The 2024-2025 district calendar can be found elsewhere in this newsletter and on the school websites. Annually, handbooks outline various school policies that impact families and students. The District is taking extra steps to educate you on Policy 204: Attendance. Please see the letter linked below for additional information regarding this policy.
Food Services Information
Neshaminy Food Services offers a delicious, healthy breakfast and lunch at all schools at an affordable price. Research shows that students who eat healthy meals at school are more alert, ready to learn, and maintains focus on learning better.
School meals at Neshaminy meet the USDA’s required regulations as students are encouraged to choose at least 3 of the 5 great choices including meat/meat alternative, bread/grain, fruit, vegetable, and milk. At breakfast, students are encouraged to select at least 3 of the 4 items. Each meal choice should include at least one serving of fruit or vegetable. Even the ala cart items meet the Smart Snack guidelines.
For the 2024-2025 school year, one school breakfast per school day will be provided free of charge to all Pennsylvania students.
For lunch, payment accounts are created online at www.schoolcafe.com. Lunch prices are the same as last year and are listed below. Families are encouraged to visit the Free and Reduced Priced Program website to see if they qualify for meal assistance based on household income. If approved, support is provided for the entire school year plus 30 days into the following year to provide time to reapply. All applications must be resubmitted yearly. See the video below for more information.
For the 2024-2025 school year, students who qualify for the REDUCED lunch price will receive their meals free of charge along with those that qualify for FREE lunch.
Daily menus, meal prices, snack prices, carb counts, the free and reduce priced meal link, contact information and much more can be found on the Food Services website.
The annual student demographic information survey and re-verification survey is now open and must be completed before the start of the new school year.
- Families of students entering grades 1-4, 6-8 and 11-12 need to confirm and/or update their student and contact information.
- Families of students entering grades 5 and 9 must provide documentation to re-verify their address of residency. This documentation can be uploaded online through the survey website.
- Parents and guardians of students who just registered for kindergarten, or who completed registration for any grade in the past three months, do not need to complete the survey.
For more information and a link to the survey, please visit the link below.
Neshaminy is proud to be a 1:1 Technology District. A Chromebook is provided free of charge to all students for their educational use during the school year and over the summer. Students are responsible for the maintenance and care of their Chromebook. Students new to the district will complete and sign an agreement with their parents / guardians in order to receive their device at the start of the school year.
Chromebook reminders:
- Please remember to charge your Chromebook BEFORE the battery goes dead -- keep a good charge of 80% at all times.
- All Chromebook damages that are in need of repair are reviewed for possible negligence and a charge maybe assessed after a review by an administrator.
- If you have not used your Chromebook over the summer, please charge and power it up to make sure it is updated and working properly. If repairs are needed, please visit the website link below for service information.
Neshaminy School District recognizes that volunteers are an essential part of our student's educational experience and the strong relationship between our schools and our Neshaminy families and community is a point of pride. With the safety of our students and staff in mind, Neshaminy School District and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania require all school volunteers to pass background checks and obtain clearances before they are allowed to volunteer in our schools. These clearances can take days or weeks to obtain and must be renewed on a periodic basis. We ask all potential volunteers to review these requirements and obtain their clearances well in advance of activities such as field trips, in-school PTO activities and classroom parties. Please visit the website link below for instructions and resources to complete this process.
In 2017, Pennsylvania's Department of Health established requirements for school vaccinations. Please review this document from the Pennsylvania Department of Health and consult with your child’s healthcare provider. Communication from the District will continue as a reminder of this PA Department of Health requirement.
District Policy 203 requires that “a certificate of immunization shall be maintained as part of the health record for each student, as required by the Pennsylvania Department of Health.” Further, the Policy states that “a student who has not been immunized per state regulations shall not be admitted to or permitted to attend district schools unless exempted for medical or religious reasons or provisionally admitted by the Superintendent or designee after beginning a multiple dose vaccine series and submitting proof of immunization or a medical certificate on or before the fifth school day of attendance.”
The requirements allow for the following exemptions: medical reason, religious belief, or philosophical/strong moral or ethical conviction. Even if your child is exempt from immunizations, he or she may be excluded from school during a vaccine-preventable disease outbreak.
Communication from the District will continue as a reminder of this PA Department of Health and Policy 203’s requirements. Please contact your child’s School Nurse with questions.
BOARD ACCEPTS $25,000 KIDS CLUB DONATION
At the July 23 meeting, the School Board unanimously accepted a donation of up to $25,000 from Neshaminy Kids Club to be used for the library media center at Herbert Hoover Elementary School.
COMMITTEE CONSIDERS CORE CREEK RE-DISTRICTING OPTIONS
At the August 8 Facilities & Planning Committee meeting, members discussed possible scenarios for changes to school catchment areas resulting from the opening of Core Creek Elementary School. While the entire student body of Pearl S. Buck Elementary School will attend the new school starting in January 2025, a limited number of neighborhoods in other areas might also change elementary schools at the start of the 2025-2026 school year. The purpose of these changes is to properly match the current student population with building capacities throughout the district. Information about Core Creek Elementary and a June 2024 presentation on the redistricting plans under consideration can be found here.
ADMINISTRATIVE APPOINTMENTS
At the August 20 Board Public Meeting, three administrative appointments were approved:
- Melissa Campbell, Curriculum & Instruction Supervisor (new position)
- Brian McPeake, Curriculum & Instruction Supervisor (replacing Dr. Robert Boffa, who is returning to the classroom as a teacher at Neshaminy HS)
- Margaret McCurdy, Acting Coordinator of Student Affairs at Poquessing MS
Core Creek Elementary School
Construction of the new Core Creek Elementary School on the Maple Point campus is progressing on schedule. Construction and building certification should be completed by November or December of this year, and current plans call for students and staff of Pearl S. Buck Elementary School to move into the new building after the winter Christmas break.
Most of the exterior of the building including walls and windows has been completed. A new parking lot was added in the front and construction of the bus access driveway and playground area in the back of the building is under way. Inside, most of the HVAC, electrical, plumbing and data infrastructure has been installed. The building's electrical system will be energized over the summer and once inspections are completed, crews will begin installing overhead lighting, ceiling tiles and flooring.
As the building is completed, the construction staging area on the southwestern side of the property next to the Woodbourne Road driveway will be removed and the large adjacent dirt pile leveled into a new soccer field. This will supplement the existing sports fields and dirt track, which will remain.
The new school building can accommodate approximately 800-900 students. The entire student body of Pearl S. Buck ES will be moved to Core Creek in January, with some additional students from other elementary schools placed at the school with the start of the 2025-2026 school year. The School Board is currently considering four scenarios for the transfer of those remaining students. Additional information about Core Creek transportation and redistricting plans can be found at the link below.
Poquessing Classroom Expansion
The addition of four classrooms for Poquessing Middle School is nearing completion and will available for the new school year. These new rooms are located behind the school in the area adjoining Joseph Ferderbar Elementary School. These rooms will allow Poquessing to transition learning spaces that are currently shared back to full-sized spaces. The new rooms will be dedicated to teaching spaces for math, english-language development and learning support.
Wastewater Pipe Replacements
Over the summer, contractors worked on two sewer line replacement projects, one at Neshaminy High School and the other Maple Point Middle School. The work involved both interior and exterior digging to replace broken underground pipes that connect portions of each school to main sewer lines. Both buildings were able to be used for summer activities as the work did not affect the entire buildings.
July was busy for students in the 2024 Summer Intensive Learning Lab for English learners, which is funded by Title III grants. The students came to Maple Point each morning during the month-long camp at Maple Point and enjoyed many fun and educational activities designed to improve their English language skills while making some new friends! Classes were split among students in different grades. Transportation to and from the camp was also provided as part of the program.
The Neshaminy Extended School Year (ESY) program was held at Maple Point Middle School and Carl Sandburg Middle School from July 1 through August 1. The goal of ESY is to help students with special needs with the extra support they need to prevent "summer slide," giving them the opportunity to start the new school year at an advantage with a reduction in the loss of skills and achievements attained in the previous school year. ESY is designed to provide opportunities for academic, emotional, behavioral, and social growth for the students.
Neshaminy Summer Stock, the summer theater intensive program offered by Neshaminy School District, held their 58th camp in July. This year the program staged three shows: Mean Girls: High School Edition, Disney’s The Descendants, and an original Showcase production for the youngest performers called The 50th Annual Non-Scaring Monster Convention. This year the program involved approximately 280 students in grades 2-12 from Neshaminy and surrounding school districts.
Summer Stock included among its cast members some of the Neshaminy High School performers who were honored at the 2024 Philadelphia Independence Awards for their recent production of Monty Python's Spamalot, as well as 2024 Neshaminy High School graduate Cameron Krauss, who recently won an award at the National High School Musical Theatre Jimmy Awards in New York City.
Audiences packed Theodore Kloos Auditorium for all of the Main Stage shows between Wednesday, July 24 and Sunday, July 28 with near-sellout crowds. This year, the Showcase program, which included 50 young performers, sold out every show at the Black Box Theater. An extra show was added on Sunday to accommodate the demand. The entire show can be viewed in the video below.
