The image that might best define the start of the 2020-2021 school year is screens full of little faces staring into their computers from kitchens, living rooms and bedrooms all across the District. In the schools, "Zoom in Session" signs were to be found on classroom doors as teachers, mostly sitting by themselves, adapted to a world of remote learning.
But even at that point, plans were underway to safely return students to where they needed to be - in their classrooms. In early October, students returned on a hybrid red/blue plan four days a week. In November, elementary students returned to all-in instruction four days a week. On March 12, elementary students moved to 5-day all-in instruction, and on April 5 the District celebrated the return of all students to the full-time all-in schedule.
While it is not fun to recall unpleasant aspects of this school year -- social distancing, masks, limited movement and the cancellation of co-curricular activities -- it is also important to remember what was accomplished despite the challenges.
In a letter to the community, Dr. McGee cited some of the many initiatives completed during the pandemic, including:
- Increased communication between teachers, parents and students
- Gains in the use of classroom technology both in-class and for remote learning
- Standardization of the District's Learning Management System (Canvas) in all grades
- The installation of bi-polar ionization HVAC systems in all schools to limit airborne viruses
- District-wide standardization of the K-4 curriculum
- Implementation of a new K-5 math program
- New universal screening in reading and math for grades K-4
- Paperless administration of PSSA/Keystone tests
These measures are a continuation of an ongoing process of evaluation and improvement that started well before the pandemic and will continue to move the District forward long after the masks and social distancing are just a fading memory.
Good news! Starting on Friday, June 18, the free "grab and go" meal program will continue with an expanded summer schedule. Meals to cover every day can be picked up on Tuesdays between 11am - 1pm AND on Fridays between 11am - 1pm at Carl Sandburg MS, Herbert Hoover ES, Poquessing MS and Tawanka ES. Meals will continue to be provided free of charge for all children under the age of 18 (no family income limits or application required) throughout the summer.
The next scheduled Board Public Work Session is Thursday, July 22 at 7 pm in the District Board Room at Maple Point Middle School. The meeting is open to the public and will also be livestreamed on the District website at www.neshaminy.org/meetings.
Among the items approved at the Board Public Meeting on Tuesday, June 22 are:
- The 2021-2022 District Final Operating Budget
- Appointment of a construction management services firm for the proposed new elementary school building on the Maple Point MS property
- 3-year continuation of the contract with Student Transportation of America for supplemental bus transportation needs
In addition, Board President Stephen Pirritano read a statement regarding a recent decision by the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania in favor of the District.
There are no scheduled Board Committee meetings during the summer; they will resume in the new school year.
Livestreams and archive videos of the Board Public Work Sessions and Public meetings can be viewed at www.neshaminy.org/meetings.
The Summer Math Learning Opportunities have also been posted. Included are tutorials to boost proficiency, eliminate learning gaps and keep students engaged at every level. Links and information can be found at the Summer Math Learning Opportunity Page.
In addition, a helpful newsletter for grades K-5 that highlights fun i-Ready reading and math activities has been created and can be found here.
Even before the last bus departed on the last day of school, preparation work for a laundry list of summer maintenance projects was already underway. The work is now shifting into high gear to ensure completion of most, if not all projects by the time that students return in the fall. Among the major projects:
- Roof repairs and replacement on the following buildings: District bus garage and maintenance garage; Facilities and Purchasing office; Neshaminy HS areas B3 and C6; Poquessing area D; Facilities warehouse behind Schweitzer ES; Carl Sandburg MS tech wing B&C.
- Elevator maintenance / upgrades at Poquessing MS and Maple Point MS
- Fuel oil tank replacement at Neshaminy HS
- Maple Point MS HVAC upgrades and control units
In addition, the Facilities staff and contractors will be busy starting to return classrooms and other common areas back to their pre-pandemic configurations across the District. This will involve moving furniture from storage or from use as cafeteria seating back into classrooms. This is in addition to their regular annual process of clearing classrooms, hallways, gymnasiums, and cafeterias for floor wax stripping, applying new wax and returning whatever furniture was moved back into place for the new school year.
2-1-1 Service: If you are looking for non-educational community resources such as food pantries, housing assistance, help with utility bills, unemployment information or crisis resources, the United Way of Bucks County offers a centralized information service which can be accessed by calling 211, texting your area code to 898-211, or visiting www.pa211.org. This service is available 24/7 and is available in 42 languages.
The Pre-K Counts program at Neshaminy is enrolling students for the 2021-2022 school year. This state-funded program operates in several Neshaminy school buildings, and offers a quality, free preschool program to families that meet age and financial eligibility guidelines. For the upcoming school year, the income guidelines based on household size are as follows (based on 2020 Federal tax returns):
- 2 family members: $52,260
- 3 family members: $65,880
- 4 family members: $79,500
- 5 family members: $93,120
- 6 family members: $106,740
- 7 family members: $120,360
Students must turn 3 or 4 years old by September 1, 2021 to qualify. To learn more about Pre-K Counts at Neshaminy or to apply for enrollment, please visit the Neshaminy PKC website www.neshaminy.org/pkc.
Students at Poquessing MS took turns over two days walking outside during their physical education classes in early June for a cause. The school's annual HOPE Walk was held June 8-10, and this year the students raised money to help the families of the four Neshaminy HS juniors involved in a serious car crash in April. The walk is sponsored by the Poquessing Student Council.
Congratulations to the Neshaminy High School varsity baseball and softball teams, who both had stellar regular seasons and advanced well into District and state playoffs.
The baseball team took the District 1 6A title in a championship game against Boyertown High School on June 3. They also advanced to the quarterfinals of the PIAA state competition.
The softball team took the 6A runner-up title in the District 1 race. They also made it to the quarterfinal round of the state competition, but were edged out in an extra-innings defensive thriller by a score of 5-3.
The boys varsity volleyball team earned a third-place finish in the District 1 championship, and earned a berth to the first round of the state PIAA championships.
