Bensalem News and Notes

District Highlights ~ October 2025

We are delighted to showcase the many wonderful activities and events taking place in our schools. At the beginning of each month, we will feature one highlight from every school, reflecting the memorable moments of the previous month.

Also included are upcoming Dates to Remember.

National School Lunch Week ~ October 13-17

This year's National School Lunch Week theme was “Taste the World: Your School Lunch Passport!” Thank you to our incredible cafeteria staff for ensuring our students are well-nourished and ready to succeed each day! On October 16, students used their school lunch passports to take a trip to Mexico. The middle and high school menus included beef barbacoa nacho salad with refried beans and steamed corn. On October 17, the elementary students took a trip to Italy. They were served ravioli and garlic bread.

Image of a cafe worker handing a tray of food to student over the counter

Image of a cafe worker handing a tray of food to student

Image of a bus driver standing on the steps of the bus

National School Bus Safety Week ~ October 20-24

Thank you to our dedicated bus drivers for safely transporting our students to and from school each day.

Safe transportation of our students is a top priority and you can help! Remember to always stop for school buses and vans and help keep our children safe!

BTSD Celebrates National Hispanic Heritage Month

Rush Elementary students were treated to a visit from five Bensalem High School talented Latin dancers. The high schoolers introduced the younger students to a variety of Latin dance styles and even joined them on the floor to practice the moves together. This lively exchange was not only a fun and memorable experience for the Rush students—it was also a meaningful way to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month through culture, rhythm, and connection.

Additionally, Bensalem High School students celebrated their heritage by proudly holding the flag of their home country, highlighting the rich diversity and cultural pride within our school community.

Image of a high school students teaching a younger student a dance

Image of students in the gymnasium practicing dance steps

Image of 6 high school girls and 1 boy holding their heritage flag

Image of high school students and staff standing outside holding the flag of their heritage

Image of high school students holding their heritage flag

Students in Grade 4-6 Entertained by Bensalem High School Marching Band

BTSD students in grades 4–6 visited Bensalem High School to see our award-winning Owls Marching Band perform. The high school musicians entertained the crowd with several songs, including their field show, "Motown." The highlight of the day came when our elementary band students joined the high school band on the track to play stand tunes together. This was truly a memorable collaboration that left everyone inspired and energized to celebrate our music students.

Image of BHS Marching Band performing for elementary students

Image of elementary music students play with the high school band

Bensalem Celebrates the U. S. Navy and Marine Corps 250th Birthday

October 10th was a great morning at Bensalem High School! As part of the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps 250th birthday celebration, we hosted a wonderful event. Four military helicopters landed on the practice football field for our students, staff, and special guests to see. It was so exciting to see the fast-rope demonstration as four active-duty members descended a thick rope allowing them to deploy from the helicopter with the aircraft still in the air.

RADM Dusty Rhodes, Commander of Carrier Strike Group Two; RADM Stephen Barnett, Commander of Navy Region Mid-Atlantic; and BGen Henry Dolberry Jr., Assistant Wing Commander of the Third Marine Aircraft Wing, spoke with our students. Following their remarks, students, staff, and guests had the opportunity to view the helicopters up close, meet the aviators, and learn about the various types of aircraft.

Among the military leaders in attendance was Bensalem High School alumni, Class of 1997, Senior Chief Petty Officer Scott Reed, Jr. In 2000, Reed joined the Navy and has been stationed all around the world, from California to Italy and Japan. He returned to Pennsylvania about a year ago and is now the senior enlisted leader of Naval Support Activity Mechanicsburg and Philadelphia.

Additionally, we were delighted to watch and listen as the phenomenal United States Marine Corps Band played for the crowd followed by our fabulous Bensalem HS Marching Owls!

A special thank you to our wonderful Bensalem Police, Fire, and EMS who work tirelessly to ensure public safety every day! Also, thank you to Sgt. David Marshall - Bensalem Police Department and Colonel David Mills – USMC (Ret), BHS Senior Marine Instructor, who spent many months coordinating every detail. Their dedication made this unforgettable experience possible for our school community.

Image of BHS Marine Corps JROTC dressed in uniform

Image of students waiting for helicopters to arrive

Image of military officials, district admin and school board members

Image of students and staff looking at a helicopter

Image of a group of students pose with the pilot outside his chopper

Image of the Marine Corps band playing as students and staff surround them

Image of 14 high school students pose with State Senator

BHS Students Attend "Senator for a Day" Event

14 BHS seniors (Erin Blank, Damarcus Burke, Peyton DeCarlo, Lucas Ferrandez, Milce Findley, Ava Hood, Grace Leonard, Sarah O'Neil, Prisha Patel, Isabella Schneider, Jordyn Armstrong, Mary Beck, ,Kacey Wolanski, and Aidan Amzoski) participated in Senator Frank Farry’s “Senator For A Day” event. The sessions opened with an overview on how the legislative process works. Then, Senators divided into Senate committees to discuss bills, take positions on legislation, and actually draft legislation for the full Senate to consider. Committees included Aging & Youth, Education, Finance, Law & Justice, and Transportation followed by a Q & A – Wrap Up Session. A special thank you to Mrs. Elberson and Mrs. Pension for attending and supporting our students.

BHS Homecoming & Senior Night

BHS Homecoming Week took place from October 21-24. Students showed their school spirit throughout the week, wearing their class shirts on Thursday and their homecoming shirts on Friday. The annual bonfire was held Wednesday night, followed by a spirited pep rally on Thursday, all leading up to the Homecoming Game against Truman on Friday. The cheerleaders and band kept the crowd energized as the Owls crushed Truman 31-13! Congratulations to the Homecoming King and Queen, Evan Varallo and Jordyn Armstrong!

Image of students in the stands during homecoming game

Image of high school Marine Corps JROTC with swords in the air as homecoming court passes through

Shafer Middle School

At Shafer, students in Ms. Kelly’s GT Science class conducted an experiment using Bromothymol Blue to demonstrate the relationship between cellular respiration and photosynthesis. Students observed color changes in the solution over time and under different conditions.

Image of 4 students sitting in the lab conducting an experiment

Image of 3 students standing at their lab table conducting an experiment

Image of a group of students in science class

Image of 10 smiling students posing in front of the tiger statue

Snyder Middle School

7th graders at Snyder Middle School had a wildly educational day exploring The Philadelphia Zoo — America’s first zoo! Students participated in a hands-on scavenger hunt, working in teams to discover fascinating animal facts, observe habitats, and connect what they’ve been learning in science class to the real world. From spotting endangered species to learning about conservation efforts, students practiced observation, collaboration, and critical thinking — all while making great memories!

Image of 7 seventh grade boys posing in front of the elephant statues

Image of 2 boys taking a picture of an animal. You can see the image on their phones

Belmont Hills Elementary School

Fifth graders at Belmont Hills have been exploring the properties of matter and recently became science detectives. Using properties like color, shape, solubility, and conductivity, they investigated unknown substances. Students used these clues to successfully identify materials such as salt, sugar, and cornstarch.

Image of 4 students sitting at a table in their classrooms doing research

mage of 4 students sitting at a table in their classrooms writing down their findings

Cornwells Elementary School

The Cornwellians had a fun and busy month. First, they raised over $13,200 during their Fun Run event where students came together to support Cornwells and get some fresh air. Principal, Dr. Mark was a great sport, allowing students to cover her in Silly String after they reached one of their goals. During the walk, they had a guest appearance by an astronaut. Can you guess who that was?

Another exciting and tasty event was the ELD Cultural Night, celebrated by students and families from around the world. Students brought in a traditional meal to share, made crafts, received a book, and connected with local community groups. The smiles and interactions were priceless!

Image of students outside in a line smiling at the camera

Image of students surrounding a man dressed as an astronaut

Image of the principal with silly string all over her

Image of 2 students standing in front of an easel

Image of 4 students dressed in their native clothing

Image of a 2 young students sitting at their desk studying

Faust Elementary School

Faust Elementary kindergarten students in the English Language Learner program are diving into the sights and sounds of autumn. Through hands-on activities, songs, and picture books, students are learning seasonal vocabulary like pumpkin, leaf, scarecrow, and harvest. Teachers are using real-life objects, colorful visuals, and movement-based games to help students connect words to meaning. The classroom is filled with excitement as children practice speaking, listening, and identifying fall-themed words in both English and their home languages.

Image of a young student sitting at her desk with her workbook open

Image of a smiling young girl looking up from her workbook

Image of a group of students sitting on a colorful carpet holding up their leaf

Rush Elementary School

In science, kindergarteners have been learning all about leaves and trees as part of their FOSS Unit. Students and their teachers took a nature walk to visit the big tree on the playground and used their five senses to observe it. They talked about how the season of fall changes the way a tree looks. Each student brought a leaf inside to investigate more closely, noticing the different colors and shapes. The students wrote about their leaves, drew matching pictures, and even graphed the leaf colors to see which was most common. It was lots of fun exploring and learning outdoors.

Image of students outside examining leaves

Image of a girl holding up the leaf she chose to examine and learn about

Image of a chart of the colors of leaves with text that says Class Leaf Sort

Struble Elementary School

Kindergarten students are thriving with the new ECRI (Enhanced Core Reading Instruction) program. ECRI provides structured, research-based lessons that build strong foundational reading skills through daily practice with phonemes, sound blending, letter writing, spelling, and decodable books. Teachers are seeing noticeable gains in students’ decoding, fluency, and confidence as readers. So far this school year, ECRI already has proven to be an effective, consistent approach that’s setting the youngest learners up for long-term reading success.

Valley Elementary School

In social studies at Valley, third grade students have been learning about regions and vegetation in the United States. They explored how plants and animals interact and depend on each other. Students chose one type of vegetation, created a poster labeling key details, and researched the relationships between plants and animals in that environment.

Image of a students drawing of a bear the rainfall and vegetable growth

Image of a students drawing of the hot sun desert and camel

November & December Dates to Remember

November 3: Marking Period # 1 Ends

November 4: Election Day - Professional Development - No School for Students

November 11: Veterans' Day - Schools and Offices Closed

November 12: Report Card #1 Available on SCP

November 25, 26: Parent/Teacher Conferences - No School for Students

November 27, 28: Thanksgiving Day Holiday - Schools and Offices Closed

December 12: Interim Progress Reports on SCP

December 24 - January 2: Winter Recess - Schools and Offices Closed

Monthly calendars can be found here.

Bensalem Township School District

Location: 3000 Donallen Drive, Bensalem, PA, USA
Phone: 215-750-2800
Facebook: facebook.com/BensalemTownshipSchoolDistrict
Instagram: bensalem.school.district