Neshaminy Update
Neshaminy School District / September, 2023
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Dear Neshaminy Families, Students, and Staff,
Welcome to the 2025–2026 school year. I hope you are enjoying the final days of summer and are ready for a year filled with learning, growth, and community engagement. While summer offers valuable time to relax and reconnect with family and friends, there is something truly special about the start of a new school year—the refreshing change of season, the excitement of students and staff reuniting in our hallways, and the vibrant energy of fall activities at Harry E. Franks Stadium.
Over the summer, our Facilities and Transportation teams worked diligently to ensure a smooth start. Our buildings are clean, safe, and ready for learning, and our Transportation Department has completed all preparations to provide safe, reliable service for our students from the very first day.
As part of our ongoing commitment to delivering the highest quality education, we are introducing and expanding several initiatives this year:
- Strengthened literacy foundations in grades K–5, with expanded reading and writing strategies.
- Enhanced science instruction across all grade levels, emphasizing hands-on, phenomena-based learning aligned with STEELS standards.
- Engaging social studies pilot programs for grades 6–8.
- Expansion of MTSS to grades 6–12, providing comprehensive academic, behavioral, and social-emotional supports.
- Data-driven instructional practices tailored to individual student needs.
- Refined scheduling to better serve students, staff, and curriculum priorities.
In the days ahead, please review the information in this newsletter and watch for important email communications from your child’s school. I encourage you to explore the many co-curricular opportunities available and participate in school events and PTO activities throughout the year. Our strong partnership with families and the community is key to our success, and I am deeply grateful for your support.
We look forward to an exciting, productive, and rewarding year ahead. Enjoy these last days of summer, and we will see you soon.
Sincerely,
Jason Bowman
Superintendent of Schools
Neshaminy School District
215-809-6500
TEACHER / CLASS / SCHEDULE ASSIGNMENTS (information posted on Home Access Center)
- Wednesday, August 13: Elementary schools
- Monday, August 18: Middle schools
- Monday, August 18 : Transportation / bus schedules (all grades)
- Wednesday, August 20: High School
ORIENTATIONS
- Tuesday, August 19: Neshaminy HS Orientation #1 (last names A-K)
- Tuesday, August 19: School Board Public Meeting, 7 pm
- Wednesday, August 20: Neshaminy HS Orientation #2 (last names L-Z)
- Thursday, August 21: Middle School Orientations
- Tuesday, August 26: Elementary School K Orientations / Classroom Visitation (Gr. 1-4)
OPENING DAYS
- Wednesday, August 27: First Day of School, Grades K, 5 & 9
- Thursday, August 28: All grades report
BACK-TO-SCHOOL NIGHTS (see school websites and emails for specific times)
- Thursday, September 11: Neshaminy High School
- Thursday, September 18: Elementary Schools (Tawanka ES 9/17 and 9/18)
- Thursday, September 25: Middle Schools
SCHOOLS WILL BE CLOSED ON...
- Monday, September 1: Labor Day
- Tuesday & Wednesday, September 23 & 24: Rosh Hashana
- Thursday, October 2: Yom Kippur
- Monday, October 20: Diwali
- Tuesday, November 4: Election Day
- Tuesday, 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 reading 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
The summer reading activities can be accessed through student's Canvas accounts. For information about summer reading and instructions please read the documents below.
As we transition from summer to the 2025-2026 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 2025-2026 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.
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 2025-2026 school year, one school breakfast per school day will once again 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 2025-2026 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.
NEW SCHOOL BUS TRACKING APP
The Transportation Department is introducing a new bus tracking application, StopFinder. Over the next two weeks, parents and guardians will be invited to download and login to the new app to track their students' bus and receive notifications of arrivals and departure times, bus changes and more. This free application is available for both iOS and Android. For security purposes, access to their student's bus and tracking information will be available only by invitation. This new app replaces the previous app, Here Comes the Bus, which will no longer track Nesmaminy buses.
SCHOOL BUS SCHEDULES
School bus schedules are available in Home Access Center starting Monday, August 18. If you have any transportation questions or concerns please call 215-809-6260 or email dispatcher@neshaminy.org.
Construction on the final phase of the athletic fields project at Neshaminy High School shifted into high gear over the summer with the placement of the pre-fabricated Field House and construction of the surrounding landscaping and Football Hall of Fame. The new facility includes:
- A concession stand that will serve both the stadium and adjacent multipurpose field
- A new plaza / stadium entrance which will include the Hall of Fame
- Game officials room
- Trainers room
- New public restrooms
The work will be completed during the fall season.
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.
FIRST RESPONDER TAX CREDIT APPROVED
At the July 22 Board Public Meeting, Board members unanimously approved extending the real estate tax credit for active volunteer first responders living in the district. This credit allows for a credit of up to 100% of their school real estate taxes, with the amount to not exceed $800. This credit was established by the Commonwealth in 2020. Applicants must prove their active status as a volunteer firefighter or other nonprofit mutual aid service, and meet the following requirements:
- Active Volunteer means Fire Fighter or Fire Police
- The volunteer has been a member of the fire company or mutual aid organization for at least one year
- The volunteer has responded to at least 25% of the company's calls during the previous year
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 Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)
Congratulations to Neshaminy HS Class of 2025 graduate Sam Lugo, who earned 9th place at the Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) National Leadership Conference held in June in Anaheim, California. Competing in a challenging performance event, Sam stood out among more than 80 students in the preliminary round becoming the only finalist from Pennsylvania. She proudly represented Neshaminy High School with a top 10 finish on the national stage.
Episode 14 of the Giving Youth a Voice podcast has dropped with some timely advice for recent high school graduates heading off to their first year in college. Produced by the Neshaminy Coalition for Youth, the podcast features Neshaminy students discussing a variety of topics that are important to them and their peers. This episode offers tips for reducing the anxiety of dorm life, and advice for getting the most out of the college experience. The podcast is available on most popular platforms, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts as well as the NC4Y website linked below.
As Neshaminy students prepare for back-to-school, the Neshaminy Federation of Teachers is sponsoring a free showing of the Smurfs movie (rated PG) at the Regal Cinema, Oxford Valley Mall on Tuesday, August 19 at 12 noon. The festivities begin at 11 am when students and their families will have the opportunity to see some of their teachers, and support the Middletown School Resource Officers as they collect school supplies and snacks for donation. Students will also be able to pick up some free books as well. Register for the event by expanding the photo at right and scan the QR code or using the link below.
