Community Conversations
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This section of the superintendent's website will include information regarding important matters impacting our students, our district, and our community. Please visit this page often, and bookmark www.methacton.org/communityconversations to stay informed. If you have feedback for my consideration on any of these matters, please send it to information@methacton.org.
Blog Postings
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2024-2025
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2022-2023
Click here for the 2022-2023 Community Conversations blog postings.
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2021-2022
Click here for the 2021-2022 Community Conversations blog postings.
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2020-2021
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2019-2020
October 2019
Welcome to the first edition of my COMMUNITY CONVERSATIONS for the 2019-2020 school year. #BeTheOne to EMPOWER, ENCOURAGE, and INSPIRE others to Learn, Lead and Succeed is our theme for the year and parents, students and the community at large can join us in sharing all the great Methacton moments where students, staff, and parents are being the one to do extraordinary things.
I am proud to announce that we will be starting a Pre-K Counts program at Arcola Intermediate School for up to 20 children run by the MCIU beginning in October. Parents interested in learning more about this can go here for English / here for Spanish.
While vaping is not a pleasant matter to discuss and not the topic that I want to start the year off with, it is, however, certainly a concern. Vaping or the use of e-cigarettes are challenging Methacton and other school districts across the country. What is more concerning is the misconception that these devices are safe alternatives to smoking. According to the CDC, U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and state and local health departments, there is a significant rise in the outbreak of severe pulmonary disease associated with e-cigarette product (devices, liquids, refill pods, and/or cartridges) use. The CDC is clear: "The use of e-cigarettes is unsafe for kids, teens, and young adults." The addictiveness and student-friendly flavors make e-cigarettes increasingly popular. The use of an e-cigarette is NOT a safe alternative to smoking - and in the opinion of health officials - it's even worse! So please talk with your child(ren) and share the attached document as you see fit from the Montgomery County Department of Public Health outlining the issues.
Staying on my topic of concern for student wellness, the Methacton School District and the Methacton Education Foundation are working to enhance the individual and collective wellness of our students through a wide range of programs and services focused on an individual’s state of physical, mental, environmental, occupational, financial, spiritual, emotional, and social well-being. It is clear that student wellness is directly linked to success in the classroom and in life.
While our curriculum and programming in health and physical education, school counseling, the Student Assistance Program (S.A.P.), and our Instructional Support team efforts at all grades levels are supporting this effort, there is a nationwide trend taking shape that clearly indicates a need for a wider, more intensive and applicable scope of programs and services.Methacton students in grades 6, 8, 10 and 12 participate every other year in the Pennsylvania Youth Survey (PAYS) funded by the Department of Education, Department of Drug and Alcohol, and Commission on Crime and Delinquency. PAYS seeks to gather information about youth knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors towards alcohol, tobacco, drug use, gambling, depression/suicidal ideation, violence, and bullying. This anonymous survey provides valuable information that helps us better determine the type and level of supports needed. The survey is again being administered this year during Oct/Nov.
One of the more recent supports implemented in the Spring of last school year is Safe2Say Something. This confidential reporting system is designed to educate students on how to recognize warning signs and to “say something” BEFORE it is too late. Last school year, Methacton saw 45 Safe2Say tips in the following categorical areas including Alcohol Possession, Anger Issues, Bodily Injury, Bullying, Anxiety, Drug Use, Violence, and Suicide. I have provided a Safe2Say parent brochure and our schools will be providing student training in the coming months as part of our annual training on this system and warning signs.
Lastly -- it gives me great pleasure to remind all of our students, parents, staff, and the community that Methacton Homecoming is just around the corner starting with Spirit Week on Monday, October 7 and culminating with the homecoming student dance on October 12. I invite the community to join us at the homecoming football game on Friday, October 11. The tailgate is hosted by MHS Senior Officers and begins at 5pm. The game starts at 7pm.
Sincerely,
Dr. David Zerbe
Superintendent of Schools -
2018-2019
May 2019
As we approach the end of another successful Methacton school year, it gives me great pride in knowing that this success is a result of many, many contributors.
First, and always first, our students. We are fortunate to have a student body that recognizes the value of hard work, perseverance, and patience while also taking part in some of the most challenging and, yet, rewarding academic, artistic, musical, and athletic activities. Our students share in the hope and desire to make their lives and the lives of those around them better through countless volunteer hours or simply lending a hand. Our students have self-respect and respect for others and have every opportunity to achieve great things.
It should be no surprise that the most important matter we conduct as a district is the hiring of a teacher. This is the single most important element in empowering and inspiring generations of students in our community to succeed. We are blessed with an outstanding, committed, and caring instructional faculty. Truly blessed.
Additionally, the success of the Methacton School District has been built on the strength and support of our community and our parents. Witnessed by activities such as Post Prom, Methacton Education Foundation, and Home and School, our parents and our businesses step forward each and every time to help make the Methacton experience unique, rewarding and lasting.
The tie that binds this all together is the District’s dedicated support and administrative staff. It’s clear that their dedication and work ethic brings us immeasurable rewards and helps contribute to our ability to climb higher.
Maybe this message becomes clearer through the graduation ceremony - a culminating activity that recognizes and celebrates all that went into those 13 years of schooling. To see the once kindergarten student walk across the stage as a highly educated young adult with all the prospect and opportunity before them and knowing that they have been prepared for whatever this world throws at them – is a testament to our mission and to all those valuable contributors along the way.
A BIG THANK YOU to our students, faculty, parents, volunteers, staff, and administration for all that you do! See you at graduation on June 13, 2019!
Sincerely,
Dr. David Zerbe
Superintendent of Schools
March 2019
Welcome to the March 2019 edition of my Community Conversations. My hope is that with this message, we see an end to the winter weather, and you can take a few minutes to allow me to share some important thoughts with you.
The Arrowhead Forward effort is in motion. The district has established a web page to house all things related to the conversations, public input, and decisions along the way in determining the facility renovation or construction needs on this campus.
Relating to this effort, the Board of School Directors has moved its work session meeting for Tuesday, March 19, 2019 to Arrowhead Elementary School, starting at 7PM in the auditorium. During this work session, the Board will discuss potential options and matters that it feels should be considered as we proceed forward. In addition, the Administration plans to recommend to the Board that it considers engaging a design professional firm that can assist the Board with this endeavor. While the timeline has built in opportunities to gather public feedback, the Board encourages the community to join us next week and to take a tour of the facility in advance of the meeting by signing up here.
This year marks the 20th Anniversary of Methacton Post Prom. It is a unique community event that has been keeping our children safe on prom night. On April 16, 2019, the Board of School Directors will be celebrating 20 years of the Post Prom event by recognizing community members for their leadership in bringing and growing Post Prom. If you have been a volunteer for Post Prom, please consider joining us for this historic event. Contact Amanda Kelly at akelly@methacton.org to RSVP.
Back in October 2018, I shared that the Arcola Intermediate team of administrators and teachers, led by Principal Dr. Amy Mangano, began a review of programming, services and structure at Arcola. This review included research, discussion, and planning to ensure that they remain aligned with the changing needs of our 7th and 8th grade students. While Arcola has always been recognized as a high achieving school, Dr. Mangano’s professional drive and the engaging spirit of the Arcola team places students first in their constant effort to improve. Dr. Mangano plans to share with the Board of School Directors at its meeting on March 26, 2019 the results of the review, along with recommended changes for next year.
In other happenings, Methacton High School has established a Unified Sports team that will begin this spring with Track and Field events. The Unified Sports program, available through Special Olympics Pennsylvania, was approved by the Board of School Directors in February. To learn more about Unified Sports, visit Special Olympics PA. To find out how you can volunteer or join the team, please contact Dr. Paul Spiewak at the High School, pspiewak@methacton.org.
Sincerely,
Dr. David Zerbe
Superintendent of Schools
November 2018
Dear Methacton Community,
This community conversation is centered on our efforts to address facility needs around the district. However, before we dive into this information, I want to extend warm thanks during this Thanksgiving holiday to all the volunteers, parents, and community members for all of their effort and support of the Methacton School District and our students. Furthermore, I hope that this Thanksgiving allows everyone in the Methacton community to give thanks to those that have inspired you, nurtured you, and continue to push you to do outstanding things for yourself, for the school district, and our community.
As background, in 2016, the Methacton Board of School Directors accepted a facilities study of all buildings owned by the district. This study has helped provide perspective on facilities needs and to help us begin addressing those needs in a comprehensive and organized manner.
In April of 2018, we began to address matters at the High School and at Arcola Intermediate School. The High School project included mechanical and electrical upgrades along with roof-top HVAC unit replacements, pool dehumidification upgrades, roof repair and replacement, as well as masonry testing. The Arcola project focused on the auditorium where interior ceiling and exterior roofing work along with HVAC upgrades were made. It also included acoustical sound clouds, lighting and sound system upgrades, finishing, stage improvements, and seating and flooring renovations.
The high school projects have reached substantial completion and the Arcola Intermediate project is near substantial completion as of this writing. While much of the high school project involves less visible improvements, the Arcola project includes several visible changes which we are very excited to unveil.
As such, I am inviting the community to attend any of the upcoming events scheduled at the Arcola auditorium. Not only will you see outstanding student performances led by our talented and hard working staff and volunteers, but also witness future stars in the making in our newly renovated auditorium.
Please join me for any and all of the following activities planned and check the district and school websites calendars for updates and additional events.
The district is looking at continuing to address our identified facility’s needs. The projects for the summer of 2019 include masonry and window work at Eagleville Elementary, sections of roof replacement at the High School and Arcola/Skyview, mechanical and electrical work at the High School, and security enhancements at all buildings just to name a few.
Lastly, on November 8, 2018, I provided the public with a presentation regarding the state of the district that included more information on facility matters. More specifically, this presentation was a starting point of a larger conversation to determine how to best address substantial facilities improvements identified at the Arrowhead Elementary School. As this conversation progresses, we will be keeping you informed.
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving and see you at the winter events. Go WARRIORS! – Go METHACTON!
-Enjoy!!!
October 2018
Welcome to the start of the 2018-2019 school year and the first of many Community Conversations that I will share throughout the school year. In this edition, I will be touching on the following matters: Mental Health Services, Strength of Staff, Strategic Plan, and Scheduling/Programming at Arcola.
Before I dive into many topics in this edition, let me share a few words about this year’s district theme- the Power Of We (“POW”). It is hard to imagine a school district with greater potential than Methacton with its strong Home and School organization, a one of a kind Post-Prom, a growing Education Foundation, a top quality and caring staff and faculty, and a supportive administration and school board! Together, WE can and WE will continue to make a difference for every child. Together, WE will help our students reach their potential. Together, WE will learn, lead, and succeed! “POW!”
In an effort to address the rise in social and emotional challenges facing our youth in society and in response to recent tragedies, the Methacton School District has developed a new program called REACH (Raising Expectations and Children’s Hopes) to provide a proactive, preventive approach to support our students at risk, by delivering intensive mental health therapeutic services. The REACH program will be implemented at Arcola Intermediate School (target date for services is November 2018). The district has formed a partnership with Springfield Psychological to provide individual, group, and family counseling services within the school setting in order to remove any challenges and barriers for our students and their families. As this program progresses, we will share more insights.
As we begin to provide this new support for our students, I would like to remind our readers that there are a number of other supports available such as School Counselors, the Student Assistance Program, Mental Health Specialist, Home and School Visitor and many more resources. The most important support is that of our compassionate, knowledgeable, and dedicated professional and support staff. Our teachers, custodians, secretaries, and aides go the extra mile, give the extra smile, and take a genuine interest in our students. Part of our way to recognize staff for their contributions is through the Methacton Award of Excellence. So when you see a Methacton employee, give them a fist bump and thank them for caring!
On September 26, 2018, more than 75 Methacton stakeholders – including students, teachers, administrators, parents, and others – participated in a mid-point review of the district’s 2016-2022 Strategic Plan. Participants were divided among the five Focus Areas and discussed strengths, challenges, opportunities, and threats associated with each area. District administrators will be reviewing the goal recommendations, revising the plan, and sharing a draft with the community at large for feedback. The goal is to have the plan updated by November 2018.
Several themes of that evening’s discussions were centered on improving the academic, social, and emotional experiences for economically disadvantaged students; increasing access to extra-curricular activities and the use of an after school activity bus; increasing the breadth of systems use such as Power School; relocation of bus garage and conducting traffic studies to reduce congestion; providing more professional development on safety related matters; look at consolidation of communications tools used with students and parents; provide a mechanism for students to provide comments on facilities improvement needs; and pursuing recruiting practices, methodologies, and mediums that are more closely aligned with district needs and talent pool.
The Arcola Intermediate Team has been engaged in a project led by Principal Dr. Amy Mangano, with support of teachers from various disciplines, to review best practices and conduct research in an effort to ensure that their programs, services, structure, and schedule are aligned with the changing needs of our students. This is a journey that will likely affirm much of what we do well and provide opportunities for new programs/services/structure for students in the future. The Arcola Team will be presenting recommendations to me in January. The recommendations will be formalized and a plan of action will be developed with the help of the Arcola Team and Central Administration. This plan will be communicated to students and staff appropriately. As this journey unfolds over the next several months, Dr. Mangano will be keeping everyone informed. “Our goal has and always will be the academic, social and emotional learning of all of our students,” Dr. Mangano said.
I continue to be thankful for members of our community, our parents, our staff and our students and their commitment of time and talents to making the Methacton School District one of the region’s most desirable districts to educate and raise a family.
Sincerely,
Dr. David Zerbe
Superintendent of Schools
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2017-2018
May 2018
Dear Methacton Family,
For the next installment in my Community Conversation series for 2018-2019, I would like to honor our teachers.
This past week, students, parents and volunteers could be seen all over the district sharing special lunches, baskets of goodies, flowers, notes, and many other gestures of kindness and thanks for all that our teachers do for our students every day. This week-long appreciation period annually reminds us of how important our Methacton teachers are to us, to our children’s current and future successes, and to the future of our community.
As we reflect during this time, I’d like to share an inspiring quote that resonates with me, and which is indicative of our teaching staff here at Methacton:
“Students don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.” Anonymous
The care that our teachers take to be there for each and every student daily in a variety of ways is a true testament to our teaching staff as professionals, as individuals, to our culture as a school district, and to the culture of our community. That said, I want to give thanks to you as students, parents, School board Directors, and community members for taking the time express your thanks to our teachers not only during this most important week, but all year round. Teaching is rewarding work. The gratitude means a great deal.
I’m proud of the work that our teachers do to make Methacton such a warm, wonderful place to learn and grow. They are the heart and soul of our district, and are deeply deserving of our recognition!
“Teachers affect eternity; no one can tell where their influence stops.” - Henry Brooks Adams
Sincerely,
Dr. David Zerbe
Superintendent of Schools
February 2018
Dear Methacton Family,
Following the tragedy at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida, our students and families may have questions about the ways in which the Methacton School District works to maintain a safe learning environment.
We address safety with a multi-faceted approach. The district’s efforts include:
- The Methacton Administration works with County Emergency Management Services and local law enforcement to review its emergency procedures, conduct safety audits, and ensure we consider best practices in our emergency preparedness and response methods. This is a continuous process.
- Each school’s emergency response team meets every other month to review, consider, and recommend ways of improving safety on campuses for our students and staff.
- The district’s strategic plan leverages our teachers and administrators working together to develop supports with a focus on the “Whole Child.” While listed as a curriculum and instruction matter within the strategic plan, the Whole Child focus considers the well-being of our children, including their social, emotional, and mental health.
- District staff are diligent in their efforts to form positive relationships with students that foster the communication and approachability necessary to support students and families in need.
- School counseling and nursing staff are trained in youth mental health first aid. The district has also provided free community mental health awareness trainings.
- We have begun to expand the Student Assistance Program (SAP) training to the elementary levels. Used primarily in secondary schools, SAP teams consisting of teachers, administrators, and outside mental health professionals meet to monitor and assist students and families in a variety of ways. The training that accompanies SAP helps our staff recognize early warning signs associated with drug, alcohol, and mental health concerns. This allows staff to be proactive in their support, and prepares them to communicate concerns to school personnel so that the appropriate community resources can be deployed. Click to learn more about the SAP process, or how to make a referral.
- Our partnership with Central Behavioral Health for four mental health specialists provides school based individual and group sessions with students with emotional support needs. In addition, Central provides professional development and consultation with Methacton staff.
- We have updated the physical security at several of our schools to increase safety with the use of technology, door locking mechanisms, and protocols.
- Families will find a number of resources for talking to their children on our pupil services department website here.
While the district has these and other emergency response procedures in place, it is understandable that school safety is at the front of parent’s minds and may generate questions. While most of our families know that we regularly conduct fire and weather drills, they may not know that we also conduct regular intruder drills. In addition, the district developed a Safety Awareness Presentation that can be found here https://youtu.be/JEoHYL7yvF4. This is designed to communicate a common understanding of safety terminology and the role we play in an emergency.
More than 4,000 students, along with many hundreds more staff walk through our doors each day. We take our responsibility to maintain a safe and secure learning environment seriously.
Thank you for your support.
Dr. David Zerbe
Superintendent of Schools
December 2017
In this issue of my “Superintendent’s Community Conversation,” I will be sharing an update on the district’s strategic plan.
As a result of an effort that involved over 100 participants including students, parents, teachers, administrators, and community and business leaders, the Methacton School district developed a plan to guide our work through the year 2020 in five focus areas.
I recently presented many of the changes, and revisions to strategic objectives at a public meeting of the Board of School Directors in November. Several of the highlights include major efforts in the area of career education; STEM; staff development, and the use of data to drive planning and instruction.
Career Education
The Board approved the appointment of Ms. Judi Schmitz as Methacton’s K-12 Career Counselor in May 2017. Working with the office of Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment, and the office of Pupil Services, Ms. Schmitz is engaged in planning services and activities aligned to the Pennsylvania Career Education and Work Standards. Our goal is to ensure every student and his/her family has access to the necessary academic, personal/social, and career development information that will allow informed post-secondary decisions. There are several actions in the works to this end, including collaboration on the district’s Pennsylvania Chapter 339 Plan, which includes the establishment of a an advisory committee. We expect to extend the work of this committee beyond the 339 Plan in order to assist our district with the development of comprehensive K-12 Career programming.
Use of Data in Planning and Instruction
Our Supervisor of Professional Learning and Continuous Improvement, Ms. Tara Ricci, will work with an advisory committee to establish a system of continuous improvement inclusive of staffing, systems, and protocols whereby the use of data can be easily leveraged by administrators and staff. As a main focus, Ms. Ricci is working to develop and supervise our efforts to put into cultural practice a set of processes that improve our efficient use of data across the district in making instructional and programmatic change.
STEM
The work of the Methacton Education Foundation, combined with internal efforts to document our current program and future direction, is at the forefront of our work with STEM. We had planned for a STEM strategic planning session earlier in the fall, but needed to pull back so that we can better prepare for the engagement of the community in that process. Director of Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment, Dr. Mary Katona, will lead that process along with other administrators and staff. I am eager to move the district forward with STEM and look to the day when we have the support of our local STEM industry, higher education institutions, our teachers, our parents, and our community organized in a cohesive and targeted fashion in support of our students and their success in the future workplace.
While there are a number of other additional strategic objectives, it is important to know that all of these efforts contribute to a stronger Methacton - one that is an exemplary, student-focused, and community-centered environment that prepares learners to meet the demands of our evolving world.
Dr. David Zerbe
Superintendent of Schools
October 2017
This is the first issue in the 2017-18 school year for my monthly “Superintendent’s Community Conversation” communication. This edition will feature just a few of the ways that our teachers are transforming the learning experience for our students. Rooted in our Strategic Plan, these activities may be observed in classrooms throughout the district. I’m proud to share how the efforts of our teaching staff are helping our students demonstrate critical 21st century skills.
This communication is not about the tools, the resources, or the things that we buy. It is about the passion, ingenuity, courage, and relentless pursuit of excellence of our classroom teachers, our librarians, music teachers, science teachers, special education, world language, math and English teachers, and countless others. Leaders in their profession, our teachers are finding new and exciting ways to reach our students and make learning fun and engaging. Whether through the use of technology tools like a Chromebooks or Ozobots, or some other resource, our teachers are pushing the envelope and enriching the lives of all children.
Science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) learning is a key focus of our planning now and in the future. Our science department is committed to proving high quality STEM research support for teachers across the curriculum. Longtime members of the Montgomery County Science Teachers Association (MCSTA), Methacton science teachers have supported their students in conducting high quality research in and out of the classroom through science fairs and other activities. Methacton High School students are averaging $275,000 per year in awards and scholarships associated with participation in these high-level science research competitions. These projects provide unique hands on experiences as well as opportunities for personal achievement and recognition.
There are numerous examples throughout the district on any given day that demonstrate what this looks like in practice. Below is a sneak peek into our classrooms.
Arcola Intermediate School and Methacton High School
The implementation of Chromebooks and Google Classroom at the high school and Arcola has made a huge impact on the way we deliver instruction. Teachers leverage Google Classroom to assign class and group project work, share materials, and communicate important concepts. Google Classroom is a great place for individual student reflection and practice, and is a method for submitting projects and assignments. While Google Classroom is free for school use, our teachers have leveraged much of this system to provide our students with the experience with what they will someday find at most post-secondary institutions and in the world of work.
Skyview
In the video below, librarian Janice Conger continues the conversation with her students after a recent library lesson during National Banned Books Week at Skyview. Students read and research on their Chromebooks while Ms. Conger leads them in a lesson on the SmartBoard. Later, the students save their work directly to Google classroom.
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2016-2017
June 2017
Dear Methacton Community,
As we approach the end of another school year, it is important we not only celebrate our many successes, but continue our focus on the future. Our strategic plan continues to serve as a guide to focus our student growth and academic achievement, staff development, technology, communications, fiscal, safety, human resources, activities and athletics and infrastructure efforts. One significant academic effort that is at the forefront of the district and of particular interest to our community, our students, and our families, is our efforts to strengthen STEM education.
Contained within Focus Area 1 of the Strategic Plan, our objective is to extend and promote STEM instruction & activities in the Methacton School District. Under the administration of Director of Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment Dr. Mary Katona, the district has approached this objective in the following way:
- Over the course of the 2016-2017 school year, we have collected information from across all grades and subject areas on STEM instruction and STEM core values (Collaboration, Problem Solving, and Critical Thinking). Courses offered and after-school activities were included in what is now under review to better leverage those efforts in the development of a comprehensive effort.
- This summer, the district, in partnership with the Methacton Education Foundation, will offer grant writing workshops in an effort to acquire alternative funding resources to bolster STEM programming and opportunities for our students.
- In September of this coming school term, the district will engage in a strategic planning initiative with a specific focus on STEM. We will be seeking volunteers from a wide range of interests and backgrounds to lend their support and guidance to in helping us to establish our path forward with STEM education.
While the efforts above reflect a small example of our efforts moving forward, the Methacton School District has a strong history of STEM programming and activities. As such, we recently celebrated the following outstanding successes in this area:- MHS Junior Karthik Yegnesh, Pens World Recognized Mathematical Research
- MHS Senior Inducted into NCWIT Aspirations in Computing Community
- Methacton School District Teachers Become STEM Innovators Through Program Offered by Wilkes University and Discovery Education
- MHS Wins at Delaware Valley Science Fair
- Congratulations MHS Science Researchers!
- MHS Students Win Lockheed Martin Code-Quest!
- Congratulations MHS T.E.A.M.S. Club - First Place Finish at Widener Engineering Competition!
The Methacton School District continues its dedication to innovative instructional programming that prepares our students to compete not only locally, nationally, and on the global stage; but to become significant contributing members of our society. As we progress forward, together, I ask that you consider ways in which you can get involved, provide support, and guidance to help us fulfill our mission.Sincerely,Dr. David ZerbeSuperintendent of SchoolsMarch 2017
Dear Methacton Community,While the recent focus of the administration has been centered on the matter of school consolidation and transitioning; work continues with the district’s strategic plan.The orchestration of this effort to address focus areas involved the hands-on participation of staff at every level of the district’s operation, and has resulted in completion of several matters along with progress on most goals. We have revised some timelines associated with individual strategic objectives within the plan as well.Several of the more recent matters of progress on the plan include the approval of a new student information system (See Focus Area 3: Safety, Operational Technology, Facilities and Infrastructure, Operational Technology Goal: Provide interoperable and standardized data systems that enhance operations, communications, and learning for all. Objective #3.) as well as infusing core STEM values into curriculum, instruction, and assessment across the district. A new student information system will allow us to leverage technology to better keep students and parents alike informed, while providing opportunities for the district to leverage information to improve operations and efficiencies. The STEM goals are geared toward embracing thought process and problem solving for career and life development.Progress updates are posted in the individual plan areas has been posted to the district’s website at www.methacton.org/stratplan2022. Alternatively, click the links access focus area updates directly:- Student Growth and Achievement/Staff Professional Development and Growth/Pupil Services/Educational Technology;
- Communications and Community Relations;
- Safety/Operational Technology/Facilities/Infrastructure;
- District Operations/Financial Management/Human Resources; and
- Co-curricular, Extra Curricular Activities, and Athletics.
Sincerely,Dr. David ZerbeSuperintendent of Schools
January 2017
Dear Methacton Community,I hope this message finds you well as we welcome the new calendar year and another edition of my Superintendent’s Community Conversation. As I do each month, I pick topics to share and to provide focus for our students, parents and residents of our community. This month marks the start of our new Methacton School Officer program. While the Methacton School District has had a successful partnership for many years with Lower Providence Township Police Department, recent changes to the school officer program are underway.
My administration developed a framework to provide two full time school officers and additional security services for all Methacton schools. In December, the Board approved the administration's recommendation to contract with U.S. Security Care (USSC) of Blue Bell for a period to begin February 1, 2017 through June 30, 2019. Today, I am pleased to introduce Methacton’s new School Officers; Officer Shelton Sneed, who will be based out of Methacton High School and Officer Matthew Sadoon, who will be based out of Arcola Intermediate School. The officers will work closely with students, teachers, and administrators in all of our schools. The officers began shadowing with Lower Providence Officers at the end of January and have now transitioned into the role full time. Our new officers look forward to getting to know faculty, staff, students, and families over the coming weeks as they integrate themselves into the day to day activities taking place in our Methacton schools.
This new partnership intends to build upon the success of our current program with continued educational programming in our schools that address student and staff safety, while providing added security.
In addition to the school officer presence in our schools, the district has engaged additional security officers to secure our school campuses during events and other high traffic periods. Most importantly, while our in school officer program partner has changed, we will continue to leverage the expertise of Lower Providence Township police and our State Police to round out our comprehensive means of supporting the safety and security of our students, staff, and community.
Sincerely,
Dr. David Zerbe
Superintendent of Schools
Holidays 2016
Dear Methacton Community,Our district’s mission is to challenge all students to achieve their greatest potential. An important part of accomplishing this mission is to create programs that engage our students in their community, encouraging them to grow into active, responsible citizens of this Commonwealth.This time of year presents us with an opportunity to do just that by engaging in community service efforts that include fundraising, food and clothing drives, outreach, and more. Underway throughout the district, many of these activities are driven by the passion of our students. Over the years, many tens of thousands of dollars have been raised for charities and causes near and far – and our students, faculty, and staff have contributed thousands of volunteer hours.This effort from our commitment as an educational institution to encourage everyone to do what they can to make our community, our Commonwealth, and our world a better place. Below are some examples of such efforts this year.Methacton High School’s students and faculty make community service and outreach a central part of what they do. Food, clothing, and funds are collected from area churches, schools, and charitable organizations to support struggling Methacton families. Our students give generously of their time volunteering with Special Olympics and the Variety Club, while participating in seasonal outreach including caroling at Einstein Medical Center. Our Kids Against Crisis Club has formed a relationship with Gotwals Elementary School in Norristown that has our students visiting the school to teach a lesson to the students on giving and the holiday spirit. This year, the administrators and faculty are organizing the school’s first ever Martin Luther King Day of Service. On a day when schools and offices are closed, students will work alongside faculty and parent volunteers supporting local organizations through projects at Meadowood Senior Living, St. James Outreach, Greenfield Retirement Home, the Mitzvah Circle Foundation, and others.Arcola Intermediate School students participate in many fundraising efforts during the year, including a paper drive for Norristown Ministries, and a recent walk-a-thon to raise funds to promote access to clean water. Arcola hosts its own “Toys for Tots” Club as a seasonal effort in support of the United States Marine Corps Toys for Tots program. Skyview Upper Elementary School has woven community service directly into the school’s culture, fostered by the school’s Character Counts program. Each year, Skyview hosts a “Community Service Day,” where representatives from different charitable organizations make presentations on their work to the students. The event culminates with a school-wide greeting card activity during which the students create cards with well wishes for patients at Einstein Hospital.Methacton’s elementary school students, staff, and families engage in efforts throughout the year, including collecting Pennies for Patients with Leukemia and Lymphoma, as well as participating in holiday toy and food drives. Arrowhead Elementary School has a special “First Responder’s Lunch” program for police and other first responders whereby students show their gratitude for the important role these men and women play in keeping them safe. Audubon Elementary School Student Council is visiting the Shannondell Retirement Community for an intergenerational community event this month. The students will spend time with the senior residents to share the spirit of the holiday, singing and giving holiday cards, as well as making a crafts. Eagleville Elementary School will again participate in the Patty Simmons Food Drive. This effort, renamed for Norristown Lieutenant Patty Simmons, represents the efforts of local law enforcement for the past 21 years. More than a dozen local law enforcement agencies and area businesses team up to collect over nine tons of food-amazing! Woodland Elementary School, among many other projects began an effort to collect personal care products for a local women’s shelter. Woodland families collected soap, shampoo, toothpaste and more to help struggling women and their children and provide some comfort during a difficult time. The Worcester Elementary School tradition includes the Student Council’s annual shopping trip to Target seeking items on wish lists provided by Worcester families in need.This holiday season is a reminder that Methacton’s students, staff, and parents, with their long standing tradition of giving, make a significant impact in the lives of so many in our community. I want to thank everyone for their commitment and passion for giving.I lastly would like to extend an invitation to everyone to help us celebrate the season by attending any of our winter concerts - a complete schedule of which appears on our website. I hope to see you there, and I wish you and your family the very best this holiday season.Thank you for your support of our schools!Dr. David Zerbe
Superintendent of Schools
October 2016
I hope this message finds you well and I hope that your children are off to an excellent start of school! In this month’s Superintendent’s Community Conversation, I would like to provide our stakeholders with an update on the progress with the strategic plan adopted in April 2016 (Strategic Plan for years 2016-2022). As you might imagine, the beginning of any school year is an inherently busy time, and yet we have remained on track with most of the strategic objectives set forth for this first year.I have provided updates within each individual focus area:- Student Growth and Achievement/Staff Professional Development and Growth/Pupil Services/Educational Technology;
- Communications and Community Relations;
- Safety/Operational Technology/Facilities/Infrastructure;
- District Operations/Financial Management/Human Resources; and
- Co-curricular, Extra Curricular Activities, and Athletics.
At this stage of our progress, it is again time to re-engage our stakeholders and draw upon their passion, experience, and knowledge to continue growing Methacton. Therefore, as part of Focus Area 4 Financial Management, I invite members of the community to consider participating in Strategic Objective 2 whereby a committee of stakeholders is to be formed to assist the district with the utilization of alternative funding resources.If interested in assisting the district with this endeavor or to find out more information regarding the committee, please contact Donna Koons at dkoons@methacton.org.On a note about the strategic plan, please find time to visit the updated district website. This is just one visible example of progress on the plan.In addition to all the work on the strategic plan, another substantial matter that we continue to address is the consideration of enrollment projections, building capacity data, and potential consolidation of schools. As part of my superintendent’s report at our work session in September, the Board of School Directors were provided an update on enrollment showing preliminary projections indicating stagnant or declining enrollment likely to continue over the next ten years. The Board approved moving to phase 2 of this project and asked our consultants, Milone and MacBroom, to address facilities capacity, redistricting options, and recommendations for the Board to consider all within the approved timeline established in May 2016 to reach a decision in January 2017. Recently, the Board held town hall meetings to discuss process considerations and to provide the final enrollment and capacity planning document prepared and presented by Milone and MacBroom. I plan to update the Board and public on our timeline and other future considerations associated with this matter in the coming weeks.Lastly, it gives me great pleasure to share that we are coming to closure on the Methacton High School Fields Project. While there are several outstanding matters that remain to be resolved, including remediation to the varsity softball field, it is important to know that these improvements have made a positive impact on our children, our student athletes, and our community. Students from Arcola to the high school have utilize these facilities already and have experienced the opportunities previously only available at other districts. In recognition of the efforts of many within the Methacton community, there will be a donor wall dedication on November 4, 2016 at halftime of the varsity football game. All are welcome to join us!Thank you for your continued support of our schools.Dr. David Zerbe, Superintendent of SchoolsBack to School Edition - September 15, 2016
Dear Methacton Community,
I would like to welcome back our students, their families, and our community to what I anticipate to be an extraordinary school year. While the first few weeks of the new school year were filled with many successes and a few challenges, I want to share the first community conversation in a series of monthly communications as a means to convey the areas of focus for the 2016-2017 school year.The district strategic plan, adopted last May, has been acted upon in various forms. There are measures taking place to highlight the mission, vision, and core values as a means to visually remind our constituents of our focus and path for success. In addition, much of this early work has included engaging committees to begin work towards the defined goals. As the start of the school year gets underway, we plan to engage students, teachers, parents, and community members to assist us by asking them to lend their expertise so that we may lead together. Specifically, one of the most visible and soon to be released outcomes of our strategic planning efforts is an update to the Methacton School District website. The website will receive a fresh new look by becoming visually more appealing with a responsive design that adapts to the user’s device such as an iPad, smartphone, PC, etc.
In terms of curriculum and instruction, several major efforts planned for 2016-2017 include the implementation of a new math resource in grades kindergarten through four, a Digital Learning and Instruction Initiative, and efforts to further develop opportunities in STEM.
Teachers in kindergarten through grade four began using the newly adopted math resource, Math in Focus. This text is designed to provide students with a deeper understanding through a focus on the application of mathematics in life and the world of work, which is a critical part of problem solving. We will continue conversations with parents about what the children are learning throughout the year.
An exciting roll out of the district’s Digital Learning and Instruction Initiative began in August and is well underway during the first several weeks of school including curricular efforts, teacher professional development, and the distribution of Chromebooks for all 10th and 11th grade students. The use of this new instructional tool leverages Google Classroom, and is part of our continued effort to provide learning experiences that prepare our students for future work or studies. Chromebooks will be rolled out to additional grades over the next three years so that by 2018-2019, Methacton students in grades 7-12 are equipped with a Chromebook.
Efforts are underway to further develop our STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) programming districtwide. While this effort is built into our strategic plan, we have our sights on a more pervasive level of programming that leverages collaboration among teachers, students, parents, and private industry to provide unique and enriching educational experiences. We plan to engage the support of the Education Foundation for the Methacton Community through EITC funding and other private contributions. There is much more on this to be told and I plan to elaborate in a future community conversation.
Through the curricula work of our teachers and administrators and the tremendous efforts of our students and their families; 168 Methacton High School (MHS) students were recently recognized for AP testing achievement. Of those, eight students are considered National AP Scholars, having achieved an average score of 4.72 on all AP exams taken. In addition, 15 MHS students were recognized as semifinalists in the National Merit Scholarship Competition. These students were selected in part as a result of their performance on the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test. These are tremendous accomplishments for these students, and they will certainly be among many recognized regularly for outstanding academic and extra-curricular achievements this year.
In other important matters, we are on target to provide the Board of School Directors with a new enrollment report that will serve to inform their decisions on the potential consolidation of schools. Any updates on this matter will be shared on the district’s website. Closely related to this matter is a soon to be a Board adopted Facilities Assessment Study that establishes our foundation of understanding for planning and addressing matters associated with our campuses and buildings district wide.
Lastly, our biggest challenge at the start of school involved busing. There is no secret that we have had our share of challenges stemming as far back as last year. Those issues were further perpetuated at the start of this year due to failures with completing routing properly. This led to a condensed timeframe to complete routing and as such resulted in major confusion for the bus drivers, students, and families. While I continue to apologize to our families for this experience, nothing less than implementing corrective measures and backups will prevent issues like these from recurring. At this moment, we have engaged additional experienced safety and routing personnel to review and address stop, consistency, and routing matters.
I look forward to sharing additional updates with our community throughout the school year so that our constituents may be informed. Thank you, and once again – it is a pleasure to welcome back to school our students and parents!
Dr. David Zerbe
Superintendent of Schools -
2015-2016
Proposed Final Budget - May 31, 2016
Dear Methacton Community,The topic of my community conversation this month is the 2016-2017 budget. The Board approved my administration’s recommended proposed final budget in the amount of $104,820,741 on May 24, 2016 which includes a proposed 3.35% tax increase. For a home assessed at the district average of $180,767, this represents a tax increase of $168.83 (total tax bill $5,211.51 based upon a proposed millage rate of 28.83). The budget is now available for public inspection and will be presented for final approval, pending any remaining changes, at the June 28, 2016 meeting of the Board of School Directors. Our work on this budget is a process that began in the fall of 2015. In December, the Board was presented with a “first look” at the budget, laying the groundwork for our conversations moving forward. Based on my recommendation, the Board voted to authorize the administration to seek available exceptions to the 2.4% Act 1 Index tax increase limit during their December 7 and January 26 meetings to address the projected increase in costs to the PSERS retirement system.With 95% of the district’s expenditures categorized as “mandatory,” it is challenging at best to address all our program and operational needs at the same time remain mindful of our taxpayers. Annually, we are faced with forgoing improvements and or not implementing new programs just to strike a balance.As an operation that relies predominantly on people to deliver the services of education, it is understandable that two of our largest expenditures annually are salaries and benefits. Even in these budget areas, my administration has found ways to strike a balance. The district utilized an early retirement incentive which resulted in a reduction of $281,786 to next year’s budget without sacrificing student access to programs.As described in detail in the May special meeting edition of Board Notes, the Board voted on a number of action items, providing direction for me in preparing the proposed final budget. Inclusive of these and many other reductions, we were able to reduce our expenditures from the initial budget proposal in January of $106,866,173 by $2,045,432.Please be mindful that several factors stand to affect our future budgetary landscape inclusive of school consolidation, a transportation routing study, tax assessment appeals, a high school scheduling study, and employee contract negotiations. These are in addition to any funding changes or mandates determined by state and federal government that could affect our ability to adequately fund our public schools.We are continually reminded that our community supports great schools for our children and recognizes that quality public schools impact the overall prosperity of the Methacton community. While a tax increase is never an easy decision, it is however, appropriate at this time as we remain focused on the future of the district and the education of our children.Thank you for your continued support of what’s important!
Dr. David Zerbe
Superintendent of Schools
Budget Preparation and Strategic Planning - May 9, 2016
Dear Methacton Community,
This month brings forward two main matters before the district, the adoption of a strategic plan and adoption of proposed final budget. The budgeting process begins in October for my administration and the budget has undergone many changes since its first public presentation in December. This process is challenging in that each year it becomes more difficult as the process commonly known as Act 1 continues to squeeze school district resources by limiting revenue against mandatory costs increases, thus forcing difficult conversations about preserving programming. While this is an annual process, it is one that we are making reasonable progress on and anticipate that we will be prepared with a balanced budget for adoption as a preliminary final budget at the May 24, 2016 meeting.
A strategic planning process that began in the fall of 2015 has produced a draft document which was presented as our “Blueprint for Success” during the April 27 School Board meeting. This document represents the contributions of more than 80 individuals, including community members, business leaders, students, faculty, school board directors, and staff. The document is now presented for a public review period that will conclude on Monday, May 16.
Following the incorporation of any necessary changes resulting from this feedback, the strategic planning document will be presented to the Board of School Directors for their final approval during their regular meeting on May 24. Please share your feedback by completing this online form.
Having these two critical items cross paths calls to mind the difficult balance between providing our students with the best possible educational experience, and the need to be stewards of the taxpayer’s dollars.
I am grateful that our community continues to convey their unwavering support for our students, even in the face of budgetary challenges. As such, no budget that we can prepare will satisfy all of our constituents.
We will however, continue to seek alternative sources of revenue, through initiatives like the capital campaign, and with the support of our own Education Foundation for the Methacton Community. It is my goal, through continued fiduciary responsibility in budgeting and with a supportive community such as ours – we continue to be the example of excellence among Pennsylvania public school districts.
As always, I am grateful for your support as we continue to learn, lead, and succeed – together.
Dr. David Zerbe
Superintendent of Schools
Extracurricular and Co-Curricular Activities - March 31, 2016
Dear Methacton Community,
This month’s Community Conversation is focused on the district’s extracurricular and co-curricular activities. As part of our strategic planning efforts, a subcommittee has been tasked with reviewing and establishing goals and strategic objectives to strengthen the district’s extracurricular and co-curricular activities for the benefit of our students.Extracurricular and co-curricular activities are designed to enhance or compliment the curriculum and are an integral part of a well-rounded school experience. These activities provide students with opportunities to explore their talents, interests, and abilities outside the classroom. The Methacton School District offers its students an array of activities and athletic programs to engage in, as well as co-curricular programs in music and other expressive arts.
Tailored to the needs and interests of our students, these programs reward hard work, commitment to excellence, grit, teamwork, and drive. They teach valuable life lessons of leadership and endurance. More than half of the Methacton School District’s students elect to participate in one or more of these activities.
Most recently, Methacton High School’s campus was enhanced with two new synthetic turf fields with lights, and softball and baseball fields. The warmer weather will allow us to welcome the community to our schools to cheer on our athletes. As is tradition this time of year, each of our schools will present spring music concerts throughout the months of April and May.
Look to the weekly “Methacton Happenings” e-newsletter, as well as the Warrior Athletic website at www.methactonwarriors.org to find an event that fits your schedule.
The Methacton High School junior and senior prom will take place on Friday, April 29, followed by the amazing 17th Annual Methacton Post Prom Party – an all-night event that is completely community supported and run by parents. The community is invited to view this spectacular one-of-a-kind event during the annual Community Walk-Through event, beginning at 6:30 p.m. This much-anticipated event is free for students, and provides them with a safe, fun place to celebrate prom night.
The support of our community is central to the culture in the Methacton School District. I’m looking forward to attending many of these fantastic events, enjoying a part of what makes Methacton such a unique and special place to live and work. I hope you will join me!
Dr. David Zerbe
Superintendent of Schools
College and Career Planning - February 1, 2016
Dear Methacton Community,
This month's Community Conversation is focused on the district’s College and Career Readiness and Planning activities. Our mission as an educational organization is to challenge all students to achieve their greatest potential. We accomplish this through programs, curriculum, and services focused on technical skill development, problem solving, critical thinking skills, social and emotional development, perseverance, teamwork and more. Our ultimate purpose can be summarized to that of preparing all students for future careers – the world of work.Methacton’s school counselors design programs to assist students with career awareness, preparation, acquisition, retention, advancement, and entrepreneurship. This process begins at the elementary level, where fundamental skills, socialization, and team work are integrated with math, reading and science to pique student interest, talents, and knowledge development. Students write their first resume in elementary school.
The career discussion becomes more apparent and direct as students progress into Skyview and Arcola. There, counselors help students explore the world of work, and post-secondary options through classroom lessons and career days. Special activities include evening programs for financing and planning for college.
Arcola counselors organize a College and Career Awareness Week in March including a College and Career Readiness Night event for parents. The goal of the week is to inform students about post-secondary options, motivate them to set and achieve academic and career focused goals, and to increase their awareness of the process of attending a post-secondary school. These events culminate with the annual STEAM Career Day on March 22 at Arcola, designed to promote opportunities in the fields of science, technology, engineering, the arts and mathematics; followed by the annual Skyview Career Day on April 29.
In grades 7-12, counselors, teachers, students, and parents utilize Naviance, an online tool to facilitate the career programming and college planning process. Students are introduced to Naviance in seventh grade when they begin building their career interest portfolio that follows them up to and including graduation. This same tool is used to facilitate and streamline the college search and application process, with support from faculty and counseling staff.
Beginning in eighth grade, students learn about programs and opportunities offered through the North Montco Technical Career Center (NMTCC). Counselors from NMTCC visit in January to describe opportunities and answer student questions while helping students explore potential career paths. Students visit NMTCC in February and participate in an open house with their families. Interested individuals can attend this year’s open house on Thursday, February 11 from 6 to 8 p.m. at NMTCC.
Integral to this process is the development of a Student Success Plan. All Methacton High School students complete this portfolio-based project as a requirement for graduation. The project centers on each student’s individual aptitude, interests, and desired career pathway. The process of developing and accumulating information for this culminating project begins in grade seven and continues throughout high school. These resources include the writing of goals, resumes, and the completion of on-line assessments designed to help students connect their interests to careers.
As we continue our District-Wide Strategic Planning process, we have considered the value of these current efforts and have discussed what more we can do to help students and families make these important life decisions. Our ability to accomplish this is tied to our ability to fulfill our mission. It is an enormous responsibility, and one that our School Board, administration, faculty, and staff share with parents, guardians, and students alike.
Sincerely,Dr. David Zerbe
Superintendent of Schools
Strategic Planning - December 15, 2015
Dear Methacton Community,As I outlined back in October, I plan to continue updating the community each month regarding important matters impacting our students, our district, and our community. This December 2015 installment of my Community Conversations shall provide you with a summary of the Methacton School District’s strategic planning process to date.
The formulation of a strategic plan is a process designed to set priorities, focus our energy and resources, strengthen operations, and to ensure that all stakeholders within Methacton School District are working toward common goals aligned around intended results. This effort will outline fundamental decisions and actions that will shape and guide how Methacton School District can move in a direction commensurate with the community’s needs and desires.
Above, Ms. Perotti goes over introductory procedures with the committees on December 9.In summary, we formed a Strategic Planning Steering Committee in September (info found here); we engaged a consultant by the name of JoAnn Perotti from the Bucks County Intermediate Unit to lead our planning process; established focus areas and sub-committees (info found here); and recruited over 80 participants to serve on the planning committees (list found here). These volunteers represent a wide variety of industries including education and higher-education, healthcare, law, business, information technology, research, finance, human resources, marketing, and real estate; and include students, parents, and alumni of our schools. The committees participated in an initial planning meeting on December 9, 2015. That first meeting concluded with introduction of committee members; the outline of the planning process; and committee work on the mission, vision, and shared values of the district.
Above: Working groups review the district's Vision, Mission, and Shared Values as part of the beginning stages of the strategic planning effort.There is much work ahead of us. The committees are scheduled to meet again on January 9, 2016 for a half-day session to determine strengths, challenges, opportunities and threats to each of the defined focus areas (see focus areas listed below).I am pleased with the response from the community. This outstanding group of volunteers may need to hold additional meetings and or seek additional input via surveys or focus groups to drive out the high level goals. Once the goals are firm, the district administration, likely in March 2016, will address each of the goals with actions, responsibilities, resources, and timelines. The Strategic Planning Committee will then review and make comments, changes, or further recommendations to ensure that we can produce a document that inspires support from within our greater community toward accomplishing our goals.
The final plan is to be presented to the Board of School Directors by April 30, 2016.
From my perspective, this process is critical to all that we do. It shall serve as a guide that determines where we focus our staff and our resources. It shall establish a fundamental focus for the following areas:
- Student Growth and Achievement/Staff Professional Development and Growth/Pupil Services/Educational Technology
- Safety/Operational Technology/Facilities/Infrastructure
- Co-curricular, Extra Curricular Activities, and Athletics
- District Operations/Financial Management/Human Resources
- Communications and Community Relations
I sincerely appreciate the continued support of our community, and I look forward to additional opportunities for our wider community to participate in this important process.
Sincerely,Dr. David Zerbe
Superintendent of Schools
Academic Program - October 23, 2015
The Methacton School District has a long history of success. Our success as a district can be witnessed in our many academic, music, arts and athletic accomplishments. As with any public school system, our fundamental business is based on providing a program of education centered on the core values of our community in concert with state education regulations and our collective desire to help our children grow into highly productive, responsible, and successful members of society.
Methacton students demonstrate many accomplishments as a result of our strong core curriculum supported by modern and traditional elective program offerings. They achieve as individuals and as members of teams as a result of our dedicated professional and support staff that truly cares for all of our children. Among the Commonwealth’s highest ranking public school districts, Methacton really prides itself on its ability to provide a high quality, well-rounded program of academics, music, arts, and athletics to meet the diverse needs of our community.
The foundation of this success, I believe, is rooted in the strong alliance built within our district and community among our parents and our teachers. This strong alliance exists in an effort to provide opportunities for our children. Our teaching staff is committed to helping each and every student reach his or her highest potential.
While we have much to be thankful for as a district, there remain many important topics before us that are core to our educational mission. As I mentioned in my letter to the community, I will be addressing several of these items in a series of communications centered on providing information to everyone as the district prepares to begin a comprehensive organizational strategic planning process. This week, I want to briefly address standardized testing, curriculum alignment with PA Core, technology integration, STEM, and career readiness. I then plan to follow up with more in-depth conversation on each of these matters in the coming months.
The first of these areas, standardized testing, in one form or another, has been a constant reminder to our students, our parents, and our staff that we live in the age of accountability and that our performance is constantly being measured. I recognize that the frequency of testing is a concern of many. While our successes cannot be minimized to simple numbers or data, I am a firm believer that standardized testing can be an important tool for assessing understanding of curriculum. It can also challenge us to strengthen our weaknesses in a natural and healthy manner of business.
Critical to our success in standardized testing, specifically with regard to the PSSA and Keystone exams, is the alignment of our curriculum to the PA Core. The PA Core is the basis of what these exams are designed to measure. While we are instituting a curriculum revision and adoption cycle that is aligned with PA Core, we must constantly monitor our work to ensure that our students remain highly competitive.
In the coming months, I will also take aim at sharing information about all the technology initiatives in the district. It was just a few years ago that the Methacton School District was one of just several districts in our area without wireless network connectivity. In the last three years, the district went from being one of the few districts without, to a district that now has guest and “Bring Your Own Device” (BYOD) wireless networks that enable students to utilize their smartphones and other mobile devices to support their work at school. To a greater degree, the integration of technology in the curriculum can be seen through the use of Google Applications For Education (GAFE) programs and through the high school’s recent 1 to 1 computing initiative among many others.
As a result of my entry plan, it was clear that an organized focus in the areas of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) must be institutionalized in order to leverage the will of our community, the expertise of our teachers and parents, and to best prepare our students to be problem solvers. STEM can pay huge benefits in how our schools prepare students for future careers. While the STEM initiative has a set of core subject areas, its basis is centered on the scientific problem solving methodology which can be applied to just about any discipline or issue. This is an exciting initiative that I look forward to delving into in greater detail in the coming months.
Lastly, strategic planning is an organizational activity that is used to set priorities, focus energy and resources, strengthen operations, and to ensure that stakeholders are working toward common goals aligned around intended results. I have created a steering committee and plan to invite members of the community to assist me in setting the course for our future. More information on how to participate in this process will be provided soon.
We have a great deal of opportunity before us as a school district and community; however, seizing these opportunities will require a great deal of work. Our success will be achieved by working together - students, parents, teachers and the community. As you read this and future communications in this series – please consider how you may want to work with us to Learn, Lead, and Succeed – Together.
Dr. David ZerbeSuperintendent of Schools
October 6, 2015
Dear Methacton Community,As your Superintendent of Schools, I plan to provide information over the next several months regarding important matters impacting our students, our district, and our community, including student performance and programming, finances and budgeting, capital improvements, and several other important areas. These communications are centered on providing information to all as the district prepares to begin a comprehensive organizational strategic planning process.More specifically, I will touch upon the recently approved 2015-2016 budget, which included no tax increase; the district’s capital campaign efforts, which have thus far resulted in private donations of more than $1.4 million to offset the athletic field improvements at the high school; and our developing efforts to bolster our STEM (Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics) programming. In addition to these good news items, I will also discuss topics that are challenging for our community including the evaluation of a potential school closing due to declining student enrollment.
In order to realize our mission as the Methacton School District, we must have a strong alliance between our community, our students, our parents, and our teachers. Here in Methacton, I believe we have this alliance, and that it is tremendously strong. It is my duty to ensure that our students come first and that I consider the interests of our families and our community. Our teachers must have access to needed resources, our parents must remain informed and be given a voice in our educational decision making, and those who contribute to funding our programs must be assured that I have considered them in my decision making as well.
The larger community of 11,000 plus households has a vested interest in the success of our schools. While academic, music, art, and athletic successes are the norm in Methacton, the educational, social and fiscal landscape challenges us to focus our conversations and energies on sustainability and growth for your children, my students, and our community.
These ongoing communications will be posted to the district’s website here in the superintendent's section, with paper copies available in all district schools and the Lower Providence Community Library. To receive an email notification when updates are posted, simply register by clicking the "register" button in the uppermost right-hand corner of the screen, creating a username and password.
Thank you for your continued support of our students and our schools.
Dr. David ZerbeSuperintendent of Schools -
Introductory Letter to the Community
October 6, 2015
Dear Methacton Community,As your Superintendent of Schools, I plan to provide information over the next several months regarding important matters impacting our students, our district, and our community, including student performance and programming, finances and budgeting, capital improvements, and several other important areas. These communications are centered on providing information to all as the district prepares to begin a comprehensive organizational strategic planning process.More specifically, I will touch upon the recently approved 2015-2016 budget, which included no tax increase; the district’s capital campaign efforts, which have thus far resulted in private donations of more than $1.4 million to offset the athletic field improvements at the high school; and our developing efforts to bolster our STEM (Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics) programming. In addition to these good news items, I will also discuss topics that are challenging for our community including the evaluation of a potential school closing due to declining student enrollment.
In order to realize our mission as the Methacton School District, we must have a strong alliance between our community, our students, our parents, and our teachers. Here in Methacton, I believe we have this alliance, and that it is tremendously strong. It is my duty to ensure that our students come first and that I consider the interests of our families and our community. Our teachers must have access to needed resources, our parents must remain informed and be given a voice in our educational decision making, and those who contribute to funding our programs must be assured that I have considered them in my decision making as well.
The larger community of 11,000 plus households has a vested interest in the success of our schools. While academic, music, art, and athletic successes are the norm in Methacton, the educational, social and fiscal landscape challenges us to focus our conversations and energies on sustainability and growth for your children, my students, and our community.
These ongoing communications will be posted to the district’s website here in the superintendent's section, with paper copies available in all district schools and the Lower Providence Community Library. To receive an email notification when updates are posted, simply register by clicking the "register" button in the uppermost right-hand corner of the screen, creating a username and password.
Thank you for your continued support of our students and our schools.
Dr. David ZerbeSuperintendent of Schools
