Neshaminy Update

On Tuesday, March 24, students and staff gathered in the school's cafeteria for a morning all-school assembly. What none of them knew was that the purpose of the assembly was to honor one of their teachers - who also had no idea of what was about to happen.

Two representatives from Citadel Credit Union were on hand to deliver a Heart of Learning Award to fourth-grade teacher Michele Cromwell. Each year for the past 25 years, Citadel has sponsored this award, dedicated to "celebrating educators who truly make a difference."

Principal Kristen McCreary introduced Jennifer Iannotti, Vice-President of IT Operations at Citadel, who presented the award which includes a glass sculpture and $1000. Before announcing the name, Ms. Iannotti listed some of the comments from the many nominations that they received.

"People say this teacher is a dedicated, compassionate and experienced educator who consistently goes above and beyond to support her students academically and emotionally. With over 20 years of teaching, she creates a safe, engaging and joyful classroom environment where every child feels valued and inspired to succeed."

"She always stands up for her students and ensures they feel heard, safe and supported. She is a passionate and student-centered teacher who combines creativity, compassion and experience to create a classroom where every child feels safe, inspired and capable of success."

A surprised Ms. Cromwell expressed her gratitude for the recognition and commented that she felt that many of her colleagues could have been the winners.

"I'm very much shocked but very appreciative of everyone that I work with, and the parents and the kids and the community. Neshaminy is just the best place to be."

"Ferderbar is so excited to share in celebrating Ms. Cromwell as the well-deserved recipient of Citadel Credit Union's Heart of Learning Award," said Principal Kristen McCreary. "Her love of literature, caring nature, and dedication to students continues to have a far-reaching and lasting impact in both the school and the community."

Ms. Cromwell graduated from Holy Family College in 1994 and started her career at Neshaminy as a Learning Support teacher for 13 years. After that she taught third and fourth grade at Lower Southampton Elementary School and Tawanka Elementary School before moving to Ferderbar Elementary this year.

On Saturday, April 25, the Bucks County Medication Take-Back Day will take place at 48 locations throughout Bucks County, including five sites in the Neshaminy community. This important community event is hosted in partnership with the DEA/Law Enforcement, Bucks County District Attorney’s Office, Bucks County Area Agency on Aging, Bucks County Children & Youth, Bucks County Drug & Alcohol Commission, Inc., Neshaminy Coalition for Youth and The Council of Southeast Pennsylvania, Inc.

Student volunteers will be on site at the GIANT supermarket locations in Levittown and Langhorne to:

• Greet participants
• Share information about safe medication storage and disposal
• Assist with brief surveys
• Gather community feedback to help improve future events

Numerous community partners are supporting this public health initiative and encouraging Neshaminy School District families to participate by safely disposing of unused or expired medications. The marketing class at Neshaminy High School created the video above to promote this important event.

The Neshaminy School Board approved the 2026-2027 district calendar at the March 24 Board Public Meeting. A text version and a high-resolution downloadable / printable poster version can be found at the link below.

🔗 2026-2027 Neshaminy District Calendar (text version, poster version)

The 2026 Neshaminy High School Commencement Ceremony will be held on Wednesday, June 10 at 6:30 pm at Harry E. Franks Stadium. The rain dates are Thursday or Friday night, same time, if needed. A livestream video of the ceremony will be broadcast and the link posted on the Neshaminy High School website.

Registration for the 2026-2027 school year is now open. Parents and guardians of new Neshaminy students should begin the process online by visiting www.neshaminy.org/register. Be sure to use the "Register a Student for Next Fall (2026—2027)" link on the registration page.

RE-REGISTRATION (ENTERING GRADES 5 and 9)

Parents and guardians of students entering grades 5 and 9 at the start of the 2026–2027 school year will be asked to review and update their residential and contact information. This routine re-registration process supports accurate student records and helps ensure smooth transitions, appropriate school placement, transportation, services, staffing, and resource planning for the upcoming school year. Visit the link below for more information.

STUDENT, FAMILY INFORMATION UPDATES (ENTERING GRADES 1-4, 6-8, 10-12)

Starting this spring, ALL Neshaminy parents and guardians (except those re-registering for rising grade 5 and 9 students) must update their information in Home Access each year. This is a new requirement that will help the district to maintain correct information and enhance communications. Parents and guardians can confirm or update their information by logging into their Home Access accounts. No documents are required unless there is a change of address, multiple occupancy affidavit, or affidavit of support required.

The deadline to complete this update is Friday, April 17. Please visit the Neshaminy website using the link below for information on how to update your information in Home Access Center. Families who would like assistance with updating or re-registration may attend one of two help sessions that will be held in mid-April:

• Poquessing Middle School: Tuesday April 14, 5:00–8:00 PM
• Maple Point Middle School (Board Room): Wednesday April 15, 10:00 AM–2:00 PM

🔗Annual Demographic Update and Re-Registration Procedure

BOARD APPROVES POLICIES

The Board unanimously approved several new and revised policies recommended by the Policy Committee at the March Board Public Meeting. The new policies related to assessments, student services, safety and enrollment.

BUSINESS OPERATIONS COMMITTEE

At the March 18, 2026 meeting, the Business Operations Committee received data from the Schrader Group Facility Assessment and Enrollment Projection. The data from this report will be used to identify current and future facilities needs. In addition, the committee heard an update on the progress of the 2026-2027 district general budget.

EDUCATIONAL DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE

The Committee heard update presentations on the elementary school science pilot, proposed changes to the middle school class schedule, and the special education plan at the March 3 meeting.

The next full Board meeting will be the Public Work Session held on Tuesday, April 14 at 7 pm. The April Board Public Meeting will be held on Tuesday, April 28 at 7 pm. All meetings are held in the District Board Room at Maple Point. The meeting video livestream, agenda and archive video of past meetings can be found at www.neshaminy.org/meetings.

COMMITTEE MEETINGS

Attending a committee meeting is a great way to interact with School Board members and district administrators in a less formal, more conversational setting. Committee meetings are held throughout the school year. Upcoming committee meetings include:

• Wednesday, April 15: Business Operations Committee
• Tuesday, May 5: Educational Development Committee
• Thursday, May 14: Policy Committee

All committee meetings are held at 6:30 pm in the District Board Room at Maple Point unless otherwise noted. Times and dates may change — please check the Neshaminy district website for updates.

• Thursday, April 2 - Friday, April 3: Easter holiday, district closed
• Monday, April 6: Spring break, schools closed
• Wednesday, April 8, 7:00 pm: Neshaminy Secondary Jazz Festival, NHS
• Wednesday, April 15, 6:30—8:30 pm: STEAM Expo, NHS (see article below)
• Wednesday, April 15: T-shirt registration deadline for the SUNset Challenge 2K/5K
• Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, April 21, 22, 24: PSSA exams (see article below)
• Tuesday, Wednesday, April 28 & 29: PSSA exams (see article below)
• Friday, May 1, 7:00 pm: Neshaminy HS Jazz Festival
• Tuesday, Wednesday, May 5 & 6: PSSA exams (grades 5 and 8 only)
• Friday, May 8, 7 pm: 6th Annual SUNSet Challenge 2K/5K, Maple Point MS, details at www.sunsetchallenge.org
• Friday, May 15: Elementary school Field Days
• Tuesday, May 19: Election Day, schools closed
• Friday, May 22: Middle school Field Days

For updated event and sports information please see the district and school website calendars.

The 2026 Neshaminy STEAM Expo will be held on Wednesday, April 15, 2026 from 6:30 - 8:30 pm at Neshaminy High School. Since it was founded in 2015, this celebration of all things Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math has grown to become one of the most beloved and well-attended educational events in the district. All Neshaminy families are invited and admission is free.

Registration is still open for the 2026-2027 Pre-K Counts preschool program at Neshaminy. This is a grant program funded by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania that provides free, high-quality pre-kindergarten education to families who meet the age and financial criteria. Classes in the Neshaminy Pre-K Counts program are held at locations in the district, including in Neshaminy schools. Click on the link below for guidelines and registration information.

🔗 Neshaminy Pre-K Counts Information and Registration

Every Pennsylvania student in grades 3 through 8 is assessed in English Language Arts and Math. Every Pennsylvania student in grades 5 and 8 is assessed in science. The PSSA exams will be held on the following days:

• Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday, April 21, 22 and 24
• Tuesday and Wednesday, April 28 and 29
• Tuesday and Wednesday, May 5 and 6 (grades 5 and 8 science exam only)

Important information about the PSSA can be found at the link below.

🔗 PSSA Assessment Information (Neshaminy website)

The Keystone Exam is a subject assessment administered to students in grades 8-12 for specific academic areas. The Keystone Exams will be held on the following dates:

• NHS Biology: May 12
• NHS Algebra 1: May 14
• NHS Literature: May 18
• Grade 8 Algebra 1: May 13 & 14

Neshaminy School District is pleased to offer two rebate programs to help senior homeowners and volunteer firefighters living in the district reduce their property taxes:

The Irene Boyle Senior Tax Assistance Program: The 2025 Neshaminy School District Property Tax Assistance Program began in January 2026. This program has been created to provide property tax relief to our Neshaminy senior citizens. Homeowners who reach the age of 65 by December 31, 2025, are eligible to apply. For more information please click here.

Volunteer Firefighter Tax Assistance Program: Volunteer firefighters that meet guidelines for service hours and who reside in the district are eligible for a service tax credit rebate. More information and an application form can be found here.

Neshaminy School District is looking for both certified and support staff for the 2025-2026 school year. Visit our employment website to see the available positions and complete an application or join us at one of our ESS Hiring Events held on several Fridays in the District Board Room at Maple Point.

STUDENT SERVICES

Families are encouraged to visit the district website for information about the following important services and policies:

• Special Education Services
• Gifted Students
• Services for Protected Handicapped Students
• Destruction of Records
• Medical Assistance
• Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)

HOMELESSNESS RESOURCES

Life is uncertain, but your child’s education doesn’t have to be. The McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act can help provide school stability for your child if you do not have a permanent home. More information is available here. Additional information and resources can be found on the district website here.

MEAL ASSISTANCE

Families in need of food assistance can take advantage of the following resources:

The Bucks County Opportunity Council Food Program

721 Veterans Highway

Bristol, PA 19007

Ph: 215-781-2661

🔗 Food Program: https://bcoc.org/food-program/

🔗 Food Pantries: https://bcoc.org/food-pantries/

The Bucks County HUB (“Live” Human Services Directory)

Phone: 215-348-6201

Monday - Friday, 9:00 am - 4:00 pm

🔗 Contact the Hub

The United Way 211 Helpline

Phone: Call 211

🔗 https://www.211.org/

REDUCE ILLNESS AND BOOST ATTENDANCE!

During the winter, families and friends spend more time indoors. This can make common illnesses easier to spread. To help reduce illness and keep students in school, please remember these best practices:

• Handwashing: Regular handwashing at home and school helps prevent the spread of many illnesses. Teaching and practicing proper handwashing lowers the chance of germs spreading.
• Respiratory Etiquette: Teach children to cover their mouths and noses with a tissue when they cough or sneeze. Throw used tissues in the trash right away. If a tissue is not available, students and staff should cough or sneeze into their elbow, not their hands. Hands should be washed right after blowing the nose, coughing, or sneezing.
• Vaccinations: Staying up to date with recommended vaccinations is important for preventing illness and reducing the risk of severe disease. School vaccination requirements help protect students from vaccine-preventable diseases. Information about required school immunizations is available at the NSD vaccination website.

CLAIM YOUR KEYSTONE SCHOLARSHIP!

Keystone Scholars provides a $100 scholarship to all children born to PA residents in 2019 and after. This scholarship can be used for your child’s post-high school training and education expenses. For more information please visit https://pa529.com/keystone/. Download a program brochure at the link below.

The 6th Annual SUNset Challenge 2K/5K running race will be held on Friday, May 8 at Maple Point Middle School. Registration is now open, but must be completed by Wednesday, April 15 to guarantee a race t-shirt.

Join hundreds of other Neshaminy families and friends from all around the district for this great evening race! Plus lots of extras including race t-shirts, music, food, giveaways and more. All runners will be chipped and the race digitally timed. Don't miss out on this great Neshaminy race, register today at www.sunsetchallenge.org

Albert Schweitzer Elementary proudly celebrated Read Across America by welcoming a wonderful group of guest readers into their classrooms, helping to spark joy and deepen our students’ love of reading. Read Across America is a nationwide initiative that encourages schools and communities to come together to celebrate literacy, promote diverse books, and inspire lifelong readers.

Members of the Neshaminy School Board—Beth Marshall, Nicholas McGoldrick, Jill Waldbieser, and Carlos Rodriguez—spent time reading with the students and sharing in the excitement of storytelling. In addition, several administrators joined as guest readers, including Derek Albarran, Joe Rischow, and Michelle Burkholder, further strengthening the sense of community and connection within the school and district.

Tawanka's Got Talent show on March 27

Puttin' On the Kids at Joseph Ferderbar ES

Walter Miller ES Talent Show

Students at Joseph Ferderbar ES enjoyed a visit from Mad Science for an interactive assembly.

The Herbert Hoover ES Chess Club is in the middle of their Spring Chess Tournament!

DJ Reggie danced along with Core Creek ES students and staff during an assembly as they reviewed the character traits of respect, responsibility, trustworthiness, fairness, and caring.

Each year, the Bucks County Intermediate Unit honors the county's student artists during a special reception held in March (recognized nationally as Youth Art Month). One artwork from each school district is chosen for a special exhibition at the BCIU offices in Doylestown. This year they showcased a work from Neshaminy artist John Kelly, a student at Carl Sandburg Middle School. John's beautiful weaving, titled The NeverEnding River, will be on display for thousands to enjoy. John shared that this artwork is a tribute to a future fishing adventure in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. Congratulations, John, and his art teacher Mrs. Rola for fostering John’s creativity!

Over several days in the first week of March, members of the Feasterville Fire Company visited Poquessing seventh-grade health classes at Poquessing Middle School over several days to demonstrate CPR and other resuscitation methods to the students. Some of the first responders are Poquessing alumni themselves.

On Friday, March 13, Maple Point students, their families and friends packed the gymnasium for the annual Coaches vs. Cancer basketball tournament. Maple Point hosts the largest tournament of this kind in the entire northeast region, raising thousands of dollars for cancer research. The evening began with tributes to cancer survivors and those who lost their lives to cancer followed by two basketball games between Maple Point and Carl Sandburg MS. A Coaches vs. Cancer volleyball tournament was also held on Tuesday, March 17 at Maple Point.

In March, 49 students who participated in Carl Sandburg’s musical, "Into the Woods Jr.," attended the Student Theatre Festival at the Bucks County Playhouse. They attended workshops in the morning with professionals from the industry and then had the opportunity to perform a 20-minute segment of their musical on the Bucks County Playhouse stage for an audience of adjudicators. Despite being the only middle school in attendance, they came home with two awards—Lulu Tavares won the "Scene Stealer" award for her performance as the Wolf, and Gage Rink won a "Spotlight: Listening Ears" award for his performance as Jack. They had a wonderful day learning from theatre professionals and area high schools!

Willy Wonka, Jr. at Poquessing Middle School

Seussical at Maple Point Middle School

Into the Woods at Carl Sandburg Middle School

The Carl Sandburg MS Soundwaves choir and Sandburg Jazz Band enjoyed a very successful performance at the Philadelphia 76ers game on Monday, March 23.

Students from Poquessing MS and Neshaminy HS Future Problem Solvers Clubs along with 6th graders in Poquessing's AE class took part in the Pennsylvania Future Problem Solving State Bowl on March 21 and 22 at Shippensburg University. The students excelled earning awards in every age category. Two championship teams from the high school - co-champions in the 7th-9th grade division (NHS FPS Club members Maya Kopansky, Maiia Khimich, Kriti Sunkara, and Lily Magen, all 9th grade) and champions in the 10th-12th grade division for the second straight year (NHS FPS Club members Liya Radjabov, Mahathi Bathula, Barb Aroshvili, and Muslima Rakhimova, all 11th grade) will be representing Neshaminy in the World Finals at the Future Problem Solving International Conference at Indiana University June 10-14.

NHS Science Club completed their second competition in March at the Bucks County Science Research Competition (BCSRC) at Delaware Valley University in Doylestown. They spent time Friday, March 13 after school getting their projects registered and then spent the whole day Saturday, March 14 explaining their projects to the judges. Eighteen students from NHS who competed, using their same independent projects from PJAS (the Pennsylvania Junior Academy of Science), in physical formats of a composition book, research report, abstracts, and a tri-fold poster.

Out of the 400+ students from all of Bucks County who competed, six Neshaminy students placed! Only one award (Honorable mention, 1st, 2nd, or 3rd place) is awarded to each student, per grade, per category. This is a special recognition for Neshaminy as it was also their first time participating in this competition. These six students received an award and a $1,000 scholarship to Delaware Valley University:

• Maiia Khimich – 3rd place
• Evan Krauss – Honorable mention
• Samuel Hunter – Honorable mention
• Kriti Sunkara – Honorable mention
• Yashvee Patel – 2nd place
• Jake Lohr – Honorable mention

Both Maiia and Yashvee, who placed, now have the opportunity to move up to the next level, the Delaware Valley University Science Fair, that is held at the convention center in Oaks, PA.

Several Neshaminy High School journalists were honored at the Pennsylvania Scholastic Press Association Awards at Penn State University for their work in March. Lilyanna Ellis and Ryan Hartman took home first-place writing awards; Nirja Patel and Carly Bogansky earned second place awards for their editorial artwork and Leanna Boles placed fourth for feature writing. These accomplishments reflect not only their individual talent, creativity, and dedication, but also the strength of the journalism and literary programs at NHS as a whole. Their hard work, attention to craft, and commitment to excellence truly set them apart at the state level.

Students from Neshaminy HS proudly represented their school and community at the Pennsylvania HOSA State Leadership Conference, held in Hershey, PA from March 11–13. This prestigious event brought together more than 2,400 HOSA members from across the state to compete, learn, and grow as emerging leaders in the healthcare field.

Neshaminy, a newly chartered HOSA chapter, fielded seven competitors at this year’s conference. Students participated in a dynamic program that included symposiums on current healthcare issues, more than 86 competitive events, and opportunities to network with peers and professionals from across Pennsylvania. Three students placed in the top ten in their respective competitive events:

• Jheel Patel — Biomedical Equipment Technician, 9th Place

• Nishtha Patel — Pharmacology, 7th Place

• Sanskriti Patel — Dental Terminology, 8th Place

“These students have demonstrated exceptional dedication, professionalism, and a strong commitment to pursuing careers in healthcare,” said Suzi Drake, HOSA advisor at Neshaminy High School. “As a new chapter, we are incredibly proud of their accomplishments and excited about the future of our program.”

Congratulations to Neshaminy HS artists selected to represent the district this year at the 31st Annual High School Art Exhibition to participate in the Congressional Art Competition, held in every congressional district each spring. The exhibit is on display to the public between March 18 – April 5 in the Hicks Art Center Gallery at Bucks County Community College, and included an awards ceremony and reception on Sunday, March 29. Artists include Cheyenne Bracken, Abigail Foley, Kaylee Germain, Nayelli Guadalupe Vallarta Lemus, Lauren Heilig, Evelyn Isakov, Virginia James, Josh Jophy, Vladyslav Kukhtin, Joel Landry, Jessica Lyle, Hannah Maher, Dylan Miller, Michael Perotti, and May Pileggi

Several Neshaminy HS artists were also honored at the Pennsylvania Art Educators Association's Youth Art Month Virtual Exhibition. Works by Alexis Christman, Ashlee Landman, Evelina Chuplina, Joel Landry and Layla Capaldi all had artworks chosen for the exhibition. A virtual reception was held on March 27.

Twenty-four students from Neshaminy High School’s Business Computer Information Technology (BCIT) program visited the CLA (CliftonLarsonAllen) office in King of Prussia for a career exploration experience in accounting and professional services. The visit was coordinated with Erin Brosious, Neshaminy School Board member and Director of School Internships at CLA.

Students toured the office, learned about the company, and heard from several principals about their career paths. A panel of five professionals also shared their personal stories, education paths, and advice about entering the accounting field. Students were able to ask questions and gain insight into what a typical day in the profession looks like.

Students were joined by Haverford High School for lunch and participated in a collaborative accounting team activity, working in mixed groups with students from both schools to solve a business-related challenge. The experience provided valuable insight into real-world careers while allowing students to connect with professionals and peers interested in business and accounting.

The NHS Symphony Strings and Council Rock HS South Symphony Orchestra performed separately and together alongside the professional group, the ATLYS String Quartet, at Council Rock on Wednesday, March 18.

On March 5, Neshaminy HS celebrated their February Students of the Month at a ceremony held in the Black Box Theater. Left to right: Reece Mocarski, Alex Mauro from Congressman Fitzpatrick's office, Emily Schumacher, Representative Joe Hogan, Polina Hudikova, Jack McAllister, Emma Hunter, Michael Lusinski, Kiera Fitzgerald, Taylor Karpinski, Principal Stephen Garstka and Defne Demir.

Gym Night 2026 is in the books! This year's theme was "Inventions with Intentions," which covered everything from the Galileo to Hip Hop. The score, which came down to the final hours, was Red 40 and Blue 32. A complete video of the Saturday night show can be viewed above.

Gym Night seniors

Neshaminy Update is published monthly during the school year and distributed to the Neshaminy community via email and web. To submit comments, suggestions or news items for consideration, please email Chris Stanley, Community Relations Coordinator.

Neshaminy School Board of Directors

Marty Sullivan - President

Tina Hollenbach - Vice-President

Erin Brosious

Kristin Egan

Jake Krause

Beth Marshall

Nicholas McGoldrick

Carlos Rodriguez

Jill Waldbieser

Contact Information

View Upcoming Meetings

Meeting Videos

Neshaminy School District

Superintendent

Jason Bowman

Assistant to the Superintendent for Educational Operations

Dr. Sean Haines

Assistant to the Superintendent for Elementary Education

Dr. Michelle Burkholder

Assistant to the Superintendent for Secondary Education

Dr. Kate Hinshaw

Assistant to the Superintendent for Pupil Services and Special Education

Dr. Kevin Kane

Business Administrator

Deborah Klahold

Director of Human Resources

Felicity Hanks

Neshaminy School District

2001 Old Lincoln Highway

Langhorne, PA 19047

www.neshaminy.org