Dear Methacton Families,

As we head into the winter break, please know that we will return to in-person instruction beginning Monday, January 3, 2022.

I also want to inform you of a change related to masking that will begin next month.

The Board of School Directors have approved a change to the District’s Health and Safety Plan to allow for a mask optional indoor environment for students, staff and visitors. This change is dependent upon Methacton Community (Lower Providence Twp. + Worcester Twp.) transmission rates. Below is a chart to explain the masking optional parameters and notices that will be provided to students and families.

MASK OPTIONAL PARAMETERS
Methacton Community Transmission Rate	Arcola & High School (grades 7-12) and non-student buildings	Elementary & Skyview (grades K-6)
Requires Methacton Community Transmission rates to be below 100 per 100K Incidence Rate OR 10% Positivity Rate for 2 consecutive weeks - see rates here	Optional masking available beginning January 31, 2022 so long as Transmission Rate Requirements are met	Optional masking available beginning February 28, 2022 so long as Transmission Rate Requirements are met

Notice of masking status (required or optional) will be posted to the district website dashboard starting January 28, 2022. An email communication to students and parents will occur following 2 consecutive weeks where the Methacton Community (Lower Providence Twp. + Worcester Twp.) transmission rate meets the Montgomery County Department of Health defined High Level (see chart below).

Additionally, we are reminding parents/guardians that they can now choose for their child to return to in-person instruction or choose online instruction for the second semester. If you have any questions with regards to changing your child’s instructional method, please contact your child’s building principal.

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In other news, we will resume our Alumni Spotlight feature in the New Year. If you are a Methacton graduate who would like to be featured or you would like to nominate a Methacton graduate, please fill out the form here. Now let’s take a look at some of the outstanding events and achievements that took place across the district in December.

Arrowhead Elementary School

During library lessons, students at Arrowhead participated in an Hour of Code in celebration of computer science! As you can see in the video above, students applied their STEM skills to create coding playgrounds using Ozobots which were generously provided through Methacton Education Foundation. Students in grade four are also learning to code using the website Kodable. As part of our Arrowthon Fundraiser, we began our Principal of the Day Awards! Students help Dr. Aaron Roberts with morning and afternoon announcements, take a seat in the principal's chair, and assist with the building check! In the photos above, you'll find Mr. Sam Kane on duty as Principal of the Day! 

 

Eagleville Elementary School

Thank you Eagleville students and staff for donating food items to the Lt. Patty Simons Food Drive! Our Eagleville community joined together to contribute over 1,050 food items! The Student Council even assisted in loading the donations to be transported to families in need. 

Eagleville Elementary celebrated the season with an Ugly Sweater Day! Staff posed in their finest ugly sweaters for photos. The photos were then hung up and students voted for the "best" dressed.

 

Woodland Elementary School

Woodland Elementary is celebrating the number of days we've been learning at school! We dress for the decades on each milestone reached. On the 60th day of school, students and staff proudly wore 60's attire. On the 70th day of school, we all dressed in outfits from the 70's! Check out this fun slideshow to see more pictures.

Throughout the past month, Woodland fourth graders have been learning how to write plays. In the video above, see the wonderful play this fourth grade class put on as a culminating activity to their unit!Woodland third graders started a pretzel drive to help local families in need. During the month of December, we raised over $800 to donate! What an amazing experience and a marvelous way to give back during the holidays.

 

Worcester Elementary School

On Friday, December 3rd, Worcester students participated in a Pajama Day Fundraiser to benefit The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. Students were invited to wear pajamas to school and bring an optional donation. Worcester raised over $2,000! Thank you to our Worcester community for working together to give back during the holidays. 

In the beginning of December, Worcester Home & School Association held their Holiday Workshop! Students were able to purchase holiday gifts for their family members and friends. It was exciting to see what students picked out as gifts! Thank you to all of our parents who volunteered, we could not have had this event without you!

 

Skyview Upper Elementary School

On December 14th, Skyview students held their Winter Concert. It was a wonderful performance by our 5th and 6th grade band, orhcestra, and chorus!

Skyview celebrated a Day of Service this month. Students heard from a variety of community members and collaborated in creating cards for patients at Einstein Medical Center.

Skyview Home & School Association is hosting Winter Parties for students just in time for the holidays!

 

Arcola Intermediate School

 

Members of the National Junior Honor Society teamed up with Arcola's Toys for Tots club and No Longer Bound Development Center for a toy drive. They collected new, unwrapped toys for children ages three to fourteen. The collection concluded on Thursday, December 16th and was a great success! Thank you to all who donated!

 

Arcola has a Giving Tree! We are collecting gloves, hand warmers, and foot warmers for the Norristown Hospitality Center.

 

 

The Arcola Winter Concert was held on Tuesday, December 7th at 7:00pm. The band, chorus, and orchestra performed in the Arcola audistorium. It was an excellent show!

 

Methacton High School

Candyland came to the high school! MHS culinary classes and FCCLA decked the halls and prepared some delicious appetizers and cookies for Methacton teachers! Students worked together to prepare 95 dozen cookies and 35 different appetizers.

 

Rachel Steele designed the "save the date" for the 2022 MHS Art Show! Join us April 8th and 9th in the MHS library.

 

 MHS teacher, Karen Reed-Maher, has recently made early mornings more entertaining at the high school. During her morning duty of greeting students, Karen poses a "Question of the Day". Some of her most recent questions include, "What makes you happy?", "What's your favorite holiday movie?", and "Are you a dog person or a cat person?". Students who answer the Question of the Day also receive a piece of candy. Thank you Karen for helping to light up the hallways with early morning smiles!

 

 

MHS Theatre Company had over fifty students try out for their spring show, The Spongbob Musical! Between cast, crew, and pit, this dynamic musical performance will be put on by over fifty Methacton students! Don't miss the performances on February 24th, 25th, & 26th at 7:00pm.

 

During a faculty meeting, the MHS jazz choir surprised staff with a holiday flash mob! Students danced and sang to "All I Want for Christmas Is You". Thank you Liz Francisco and the jazz choir for brightening the day of Methacton staff and for getting everyone in the holiday spirit!

 

MHS Student Council collected food to support Methacon families in need. Donations were added to backpack supplies and packed into nineteen pantry boxes for our families. There was such a generous amount of donations that the Student Council has remaining items which will be donated to local food banks. The top donors were Dave Adoff and AJ Maida's homerooms. Great job and thank you to everyone who donated! 

MHS staff also donated a total of twenty Thanksgiving meals for area families in need.

 

Congratulations to MHS Orchestra freshman cellist, Matthew Chung! Matthew is the Concerto Competition winner for the Bucks County Symphony Orchestra.

 

Congratulations to Jack Bender for finishing in fourth place during the Regional History Bowl Competition! Jack competed against students from all over the country including New York, Florida, Arizona, Washington state, and more! Jack now qualifies to be a contestant in the National History Bowl Competition. In Spring 2022, he will be joined by peers from across the nation in Washington DC to compete. 

Dear Methacton Families,

As we approach this Thanksgiving holiday, I believe it is an appropriate time to reflect on the many things that we can be thankful for.

As a school community, there is nothing more important than the collaboration among our highly-skilled and caring staff and our parents. This collaboration -- a partnership of sorts -- is founded through a common desire to want, and work towards, the very best opportunities and preparation for our children’s future. I ask that the members of our school community take a moment to reflect on this collaboration and, where you see it appropriate, send a thank you email and express your gratitude. This type of staff/parent relationship is unique and is a large part of what makes us Methacton strong!

In terms of showing thanks and appreciation of others, the Methacton School District has provided the Award of Excellence each month for deserving staff and has now begun recognizing alumni that make us Methacton Proud.

In celebration of excellence in our school and community, we should also keep in mind our local fire and police departments and our local elected officials for giving of themselves to protect and serve. When you see one of these providers, stop and thank them for all that they do and wish them a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday.

While this last sentence should be first – make time for your family – press pause on the daily routine hustle, and do the things that allow you to reconnect with your children and loved ones (no cell phones, please), break bread and reflect on all that we have and are thankful for.

This month’s episode of the Community Conversations video series celebrates the importance of creating a sense of community. For this episode, I sit down with Nicole Berical, Principal of Skyview Upper Elementary School. Watch the video here.

Now let’s take a look at some of the outstanding events and achievements that took place across the district in November.

Arrowhead Elementary School

In collaboration with Arrowhead Home & School, Arrowhead Elementary honored our veterans on Thursday, November 11th. 

 

For the first time in TWO years, Arrowhead held our Book Fair.Arrowhead Student Council sponsored Operation Gratitude. Students were encouraged to bring in their leftover Halloween candy which was then donated to our local veterans and current military personnel as a way of thanking them for their service to our country. We are so proud of our students, school, and community!

 

Eagleville Elementary School

Eagleville students and staff showed up in red, white, and blue style to honor our nation's veterans on November 11th.

We celebrated American Education Week!Our students did such a wonderful job during Eagleville's Read-A-Thon that they earned a popsicle party!

 

Woodland Elementary School

During the first week of November, many Woodland families celebrated Diwali. Check out this amazing dance video performed by Woodland 4^th graders!

Here is another example of our amazing Woodland students singing a song of Diwali.

Woodland students brought in their leftover candy to donate to veterans and current military personnel. Woodland student council was able to donate FIVE full boxes of candy!

Our Woodland family honored Veterans Day on November 11^th. Woodland Home & School helped create an amazing presentation to honor veterans who are related to our Woodland families and friends.  Not only was this an educational video, but it also was extremely heartwarming for many Woodland family members.

November 15^th was the 50^th day of school! Students and staff dressed in 1950’s gear. Every day over announcements, Dr. Euker provided facts about events happening in the fifties.  Did you know that both NASA and Disneyland originated in the fifties? Alaska and Hawaii became states in 1950, too! An ice cream cone cost 13 cents and fast food became popular in the fifties. Woodland can’t wait until the 60^th day of school!  What will the staff wear for the 60’s?

The week of November 15^th was American Education Week. Woodland staff joined together to create a tribute to all the learning and teaching that happens in our special school. Look at the energy and positivity that all staff and students exhibit in this video! Woodland is truly a place to grow, learn, and dance!

 

Worcester Elementary School

Worcester collected pictures of veterans who are related to our families. These pictures were placed in our lobby area for all to view. We created a special video to honor these veterans which includes a patriotic song by our fourth grade students. Additionally, our fourth grade chorus shared a patriotic song with their entire grade.

Worcester students had a great time at our Fall Festival classroom parties. Our homeroom parents did a fantastic job organizing games, crafts, and activities. It was a fun day for all!

Worcester held our annual Walk-A-Thon fundraiser on November 3^rd. Our donations are still being calculated, but we hope to meet our goal of $8,000! The students had a fun time walking, all while raising money for our school.

 

Skyview Upper Elementary School

 

In honor of Veterans Day, fifth graders created acrostic poems and learned about our nation's brave veterans.

Throughout the month of November, Skyview students and staff practiced our drills. We were impressed with everyone's teamwork which allowed us to carry out our drills swiftly and accurately!

Check out the video Skyview principal, Nicole Berical, made in celebration of American Education Week!

 

Arcola Intermediate School

Arcola held a virtual program to honor those who served for Veterans Day. Students took an active role in the filming and production of the program. Thank you again to our veterans and The Patriotic Order Sons of America Washington Camp #523 for their service and participation!
Auditions for the spring musical, Xanadu, Jr., took place on November 17 and 18.  The turnout was high, and the students were terrific by all accounts. 

November 19 marked the end of American Education Week, a time to honor the public education system and those who serve our students. A brief video was created to show a little of what our teachers do at Arcola. Thank you!

Methacton High School

The Methacton High School Theatre Company put on our first live performances in almost TWO years! We had over fifty cast and crew members for both our Fall Play, The Dining Room, and our Fundraiser, All Together Now! Many of these students performed in both shows.

 

Alice Liang and Hana Nouaime are the 2021 State Champion Doubles team for tennis!

 

The varsity field hockey season came to a close at the state semi-finals against Emmaus. They had an amazing season!

 

Art students learned about and engaged with the art of Steve Tobin.

 

Darren Brady, 12^th grade, qualified for the 2021 All-National Honor Ensembles for orchestra.

 

The National Honor Society inducted forty new members. Sponsors Gabby Winters and Lianne Dacri, and NHS officers, Michael Willen, Claire Ferrance, Irene Biju, and Misa Kasparcova, put together a beautiful evening for the students.

Dear Methacton Families,

I am so proud of all we have accomplished in these first few months of the school year. And it is all because of the contributions of our students, families, and staff! Thank you for creating the positive momentum that will propel us into future!

The Methacton School District has enjoyed a tradition of excellence with a state ranking as high as 11 and an average state ranking of 71 over the past 17 years. The district’s strategic plan will specifically target improving rank by 25 places as one of the plan’s two goals. Using the measures associated with the US News and World Report, Niche, and School Digger, the goal is to meet this mark in two of the three most commonly found rating systems over the next five years. While we have once again earned the honor of our high school being among the top high schools nationally by US News, our strategic planning process is all about how we can make things even better.

Given the strategies implemented in curriculum, we have seen an increase in rank over last year of +9 in the US News and World Report, +7 in Niche, and +14 in School Digger.

As a method to making improvements, the strategic planning focus groups kicked off their first meetings on October 21, 2021 with over 200 registered participants including students, teachers, staff, parents, and community members. They held initial discussions that focused on the development of new opportunities for a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) Academy to highlighting the strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities in each of the following areas: Student Growth/Achievement, Instruction, Staff Development, & Technology; Pupil Services; Communication; Student, Staff, Community Experience;  Safety/Facilities/Infrastructure; Athletics/Clubs & Activities; and Financial/Human Resources. Additional meetings are planned and committee reports are due by December 10, 2021.

The second goal of the plan is to increase student, staff, and community experience by 25 percent from the baseline results gathered via the surveys administered in October of this year. The Student, Staff, and Community Experience focus group have been reviewing the results. The survey results are planned to be posted by the end of November on the district’s strategic planning website.

The administration will review the reports from the focus groups and prepare a plan for the Board and public in February 2022.

In other news, I invite you to watch this month’s episode of the Community Conversations video series. Dr. Matt Walsh, Director of Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment, shares some way families can inspire children to have a Love of Literacy. Watch the video here.

Now let’s take a look at some of the outstanding events and achievements that took place across the district in October.

Arrowhead Elementary School

On Wednesday, October 6^th, Arrowhead students showed up in style (and brought some dance moves) in celebration of Fall 2021 Picture Day!

As you can see, nothing is more fun than picture day in elementary school! @Methacton pic.twitter.com/0fIbdqTQCJ

— Dr. Aaron Roberts (@DrAaronRoberts1) October 6, 2021

Students and families helped raise over $30,000 during our Arrowhead Arrowthon event! This year’s theme was Kindness Matters. Students pledged acts of kindness during this Good-Deeds-A-Thon. To celebrate reaching our goal, students were treated to a DJ and the Kona Ice Truck.

Progress is being made on our new Arrowhead building! Check out the video below to see the main entrance, administrative offices, and framing for future classrooms.

 

Eagleville Elementary School

In Art class, the students of 4H learned about and designed new copper tubing. We discussed how tubes are used to move liquids here in our building. This activity holds a special interest because they can see the tubing going into the new and updated portions during this time of construction.

 

Charlie Mullen is being recognized as an Outstanding Safety Patrol Member! Honorees are good role models, exceptional rule followers, strong leaders, and consistently set good examples.

 

Eagleville Read-A-Thon ran from October 4^th through October 22^nd. Students worked hard to raise a total of $18,365 and read a total of 69,118 minutes! Not only will Dr. Harmer be dressing as a hot dog, but he will also be camping out overnight in Eagleville’s outdoor classroom in the spring. The kindness and generosity we've seen from the Eagleville community has been amazing!  We are extremely appreciative of our students, families, and staff that made this such a fun and educational fundraiser. Great job Eagleville students!

Woodland Elementary School

 

This was a great month at Woodland!  Teachers have been hard at work “Building Our Future” with the students. Check out the fun bulletin board activities they have done.

Woodland had our Read-A-Thon! Home & School sponsored this event from Get Movin’ last year and it was so amazing that they decided to do it again! Students recorded their reading minutes and had friends or family members sponsor them. Last year Woodland made $14,000 for school activities. This year's goal was $15,000. Within the first two days, we were up to nearly $10,000! We surpassed our goal and raised more than $16,600 with a total of 57,939 minutes read! The winning classroom at each level gets to choose which spirit day the whole grade will do on October 29^th.  Some ideas floating around are Rock and Roll Our Reading, Disney Day, Blast from the Past, or Animal Day. We can’t wait to share the pictures from this day!

Here are two videos made by the teachers to excite the students about reading:

First graders had so much fun this month.  We had a visit from the fire department and had a whole day dedicated to pumpkins and fall.

Worcester Elementary School

 

Interested students designed a cover page for our Home and School Student Directory as part of an art contest. Check out the contest winner’s drawing!

Worcester had our Cardboard Challenge on Friday, October 15. It was great to see families working together to create something using cardboard and recycled items. Mrs. Cherry, our librarian, runs this activity annually in conjunction with our Home and School Association. We had about 35 families attend!

Former Worcester student, Avery Barber, revitalized our school garden for his Eagle Scout project. We appreciate all of the effort that Avery put into this project!

Skyview Upper Elementary School

Our Skyview Strong Fundraiser has kicked off! Students are working toward classroom, team and building goals to help build community. Some of the amazing prizes include a school-wide spirit days, a 30-minute recess for the entire school, and an outdoor faculty tricycle race! The fundraiser will culminate with a celebration of our success called Skyview Strong Day!

 

Skyview had a contest to officially name our Hawk mascot. Everyone meet Hank!

Skyview students and families participated in a fun hayride and corn maze this month at Olszonowski’s Farm!

Arcola Intermediate School

 

Arcola gave a warm welcome to their new principal, Mr. Michael Bourdreau!

We are thrilled to be hosting the MCIU Pre-K Counts Program with Ms. Alyssa Armagost! The Pre-K Counts Program delivers high-quality pre-kindergarten programs to 257 age-appropriate children at no cost to income eligible families in Montgomery County. The program is up and running and doing fabulous!

Arcola’s Mallon Planetarium welcomed back elementary field trips! All second and third grade students visited the planetarium throughout the month of October. Planetarium Director, Mr. Adam Chantry, was thrilled to teach them all about the phases of the moon!

Methacton High School

 

(Art by Sarah Schafer)

(Art by Rachel Steele)

On Saturday, October 9th, the following two art students were accepted into university art programs after sharing their work with university representatives at Philadelphia’s National Portfolio Day event. Congratulations!

Sarah Schafer: Moore College of Art and Design & Kutztown University (The Apple & Cat Clock)

Rachel Steele: Kutztown University & Tyler School of Art and Design (Interior Shelving & Art Girl)

Senior, Melinda Jin, participated in the Pennsylvania School for Excellence in the Agricultural Sciences Program, formerly a Governor’s School at Penn State. With a competitive application process, the program is designed to provide rising senior high school students an expansive overview of the diverse fields of agricultural science and natural resources in the university setting. Melinda attended core agricultural and environmental courses and researched a topic related to insecurity in a targeted country (as part of the World Food Prize Foundation). In her research paper, Melinda examined climate volatility related to food insecurity in Lesotho. Melinda presented her findings and proposed solutions during the Pennsylvania Youth Institute in July 2021 and was not only awarded as a “Borlaug Scholar”, but also, was selected to represent the PA Youth Institute at the World Food Prize Foundation’s Global Youth Institute.

Dr. Karey Kochenour, MHS Assistant Principal, has been invited to be on the Advanced Placement 2021-2022 Principal/Coordinator Advisory Panel.

These first few weeks of school have been amazing!

Students have returned in person!!! The feeling in the classrooms and hallways is electric! The buildings are filled with such positive energy and excitement that it brings much needed normalcy to our lives.

As parents, you recognize this from the feedback you receive from your child at the end of each day. I feel this from the feedback that I get from parents as I welcomed you back during the recent meet the teacher nights. It was really good seeing and speaking with you all. To see the huge turnout of parents shows your commitment to your child and to this school community. I was appreciative of all the positive feedback from parents regarding the work that our teachers are doing and how their child(ren) are enjoying being back in school.

So – THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!

The feeling that your children get each and every day and the feeling that you get when you visit our school stems from the culture that our building principals have led and our staff have embraced. The nurturing environment in each of our schools provides the best opportunity for your child’s success.

Together, our staff provides a healthy, safe, engaging, supported and challenging school environment and one that provides a distinct advantage for your child(ren). 

The culture within our schools and our school community allows for a true partnership among parents, teachers and staff to support all children in their academic and social/emotional growth. Thank you to our principals for being our culture leaders! Thank you to our staff for building strong relationships with our students! We have tremendous appreciation of our parents and community for their continued support.

In this month’s episode of the Community Conversations video series, Dr. Deb Euker, Woodland Elementary School principal, helps outline the importance of School Culture. Watch the video here.

Our Methacton students – past and present – achieve so many things that make us proud every day. Another alumni who makes us Methacton Proud is Miriah Rutledge – MHS ’09. Read her Alumni Spotlight profile here.

Now let’s take a look at some of the outstanding events and achievements that took place across the district in September.

Arrowhead Elementary School

Check out the progress being made at the new Arrowhead building! In the following video you will see the future main entrance, the gymnasium area, the gym stage, the administration area, and future classrooms.

Mrs. Hobson’s class read the book, If I Built a School, by Chris Van Dusen. Then, using their amazing STEM skills, they built their own versions of new school buildings!

The Arrowhead Home & School Committee welcomed back our students and teachers with some superb signs for their first day of school!

 

Eagleville Elementary School

Mrs. Kraus, Mx. Shuey, and Mrs. DiRenzo spruced up the hallways at Eagleville! During construction, our teachers added some temporary inspiring artwork to the walls to make everyone’s walk to class more fun.

In support of our 2021-22 school year theme, Building Our Future, Eagleville teachers arrived to the first day of school in construction gear!

Eagleville students and teachers are already utilizing our outdoor classrooms for some fresh air and sunshine! 

 

Woodland Elementary School

September was all about the start of the new school year and the beginning of our 2021-22 school year theme, Building Our Future! Woodland decorated bulletin boards and wore construction hats to celebrate.  We are all excited about the opportunities that will occur this year!

Woodland was thrilled to have our in-person ice cream social! Over 120 families came out to enjoy Zwahlen’s ice cream and catch up with old Woodland friends.  Families brought camping chairs and set up anywhere on the fields or black tops.  Everyone was conscious and respectful of the social distancing guidelines put in place.

In honor of September’s Patriot Day and Constitution Day, students and staff completed activities that fostered pride in our country. The whole school wore red, white, and blue on both days! Dr. Euker also sent a video on both days to all families subscribed to her newsletter.

 

Worcester Elementary School

On the first day of school at Worcester, students were welcomed by teachers dressed as construction workers, ready to “Build Our Future”!  Additionally, the State Police from the Skippack Barracks were there to welcome our students.

Parents volunteered their time and joined us in the cafeteria and library. It was great to see our children’s parents back inside Worcester!

Worcester welcomed parents back to school on September 13^th during Back to School Night! Our teachers did an excellent job presenting information about Methacton School District, Worcester, and our student’s curriculum.

 

Skyview Upper Elementary School

To kick off Start with Hello Week, Skyview students participated in an empathy project that empowers students to end social isolation. Our students created posters during their lunch time to help spread the word. The posters are exhibited throughout Skyview in 50 different languages!

Skyview students are holding a gently used shoe drive to help support our community and those in need of additional shoes. This drive helps support our project around empathy as we think about “walking in someone else’s shoes”.

We are beginning to recognize students who have been Pillar-ific! We are excited to continue this Skyview weekly tradition and look forward to recognizing students who show they are trustworthy, respectful, responsible, fair, caring and are good citizens!

Arcola Intermediate School

We are off to a fantastic in-person start at Arcola!

State Representative Joe Webster visited Arcola! Rep. Webster and our students had an informative conversation about Constitution Day and Citizenship Day. Our students learned about the important role The Constitution plays in American citizen’s daily lives. Rep. Webster also shared about his personal experience working for the US Air Force at the Pentagon on September 11th, 2001.

As part of our 2021-22 school year theme, Building Our Future, everyone at Arcola is working hard on building connections! Forming quality connections allows us to cultivate a positive school culture and flourishing community at Arcola.

 

Methacton High School

Cathy Denshaw was selected to the Teacher Advisory Council for the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia! Ms. Denshaw will work with the leaders of the museum and +100 teachers across the country to promote the great in person and virtual programs at the museum. She will be virtually connecting her AP US Government classes to some of the programs at the museum. These programs involve constitutional experts, judges, politicians, and political media experts!

The MHS Theatre Company has started rehearsals for our fall play, The Dining Room, which will be performed November 11^th through 13^th. We have 30 cast members and we are working on building our technical crew over the next few weeks. Our first read-thru was Monday, September 13^th. It was amazing to have everyone in the auditorium again to kick off what promises to be a memorable season!

We have 11 National Merit Semi-Finalists representing Methacton High School! Congratulations students!

Our Freight Farm is being delivered soon! Our student and teacher team is anxiously awaiting the arrival to be able to dig into getting this amazing program started.

Our Art Department hosted Painting with a Snack during orientation. They also hosted an art critique from The Savannah College of Art and Design to review student portfolios.

Orientation back to school was a great success! Students enjoyed getting to know their teachers and classmates during the first few days of school. Students picked opportunities that sounded fun to them—ping pong, flag football, corn hole, can jam, jumbo tricycles, painting with a snack, swimming, and trivia were just a few of the choices available to students.

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Sincerely,

Dr. David Zerbe

Superintendent of Schools

WELCOME BACK TO SCHOOL… and welcome back to Community Conversations – a monthly report from Dr. David Zerbe, Superintendent of Schools.

This year, we have added two new features to the Community Conversations series – a video segment that will feature teachers, administrators and members of the public discussing, with me, matters of importance to them, the district and our community. See our first segment on the “Whole Child Approach” here. The second new feature is our Alumni Spotlight segment that touches on an alumni who has made us Methacton Proud. Our inaugural inductee is Michelle Konkoly – MHS ’10. Read her profile here.

Our theme this school year is “Building Our Future”. While we kick this school year off by going “back to our future” – in terms of getting back to in person instruction and getting back to some level of normalcy – we also continue to move forward, despite the challenges of the pandemic. We have our sights set on educating, nurturing, and supporting your child(ren) today, tomorrow, and well into the future.

The most important aspects of a community school relationship is one that connects a shared vision, a shared plan, and a shared set of expectations so that each child, each parent/guardian, each staff member, and each community member can make their contributions to the greater good and can relish in being part of that success.

In an effort to best ensure that we continue to meet those expectations and needs and to move the district forward, we need your input.

Our goals to increase favorable constituent feedback and increase District ranking are at the forefront of a Strategic Planning process that will unfold this October. We will be calling upon you to share your experiences, your opinions, and your feedback in all that we do. This planning process is valuable to our path forward – in realizing our vision. More is to come on the strategic planning efforts – see the timeline posted here.

Our teachers are ready to welcome your children with open arms to help build strong student-teacher relationships, create positive mindsets and a lifelong love of learning. I look forward to seeing parents/guardians at the back to school nights. So let’s build our future – TOGETHER!

Here is a short video to kick off the new 2021-2022 school year.

Dear Methacton Families,

I hope you and your family are doing exceptionally well! As we approach this Memorial Day weekend, let’s all take a moment to remember the true meaning of Memorial Day. It is an opportunity for each of us to remember and honor those who have given the ultimate sacrifice while serving in the military, while serving our country, and while serving to protect our freedoms and liberties.

In addition, this weekend unofficially marks the beginning of summer. While there are about 3 weeks of school remaining -- I just want to thank our students, families, staff and community for everything you’ve done to make this an extraordinary year!

A few other important notes:

• The 2021-2022 school year will be in-person. All K-12 students will automatically be scheduled for Monday-Friday in-person learning. Parents/Guardians seeking an online alternative should read the 2021-2022 Instructional Guide prior to completing the required Online Learning Request Form in the PowerSchool Parent Portal between June 1, 2021 through June 7, 2021.
• May is Mental Health Awareness Month. It is important for all of us to maintain our health and wellness. We have complied some mental health resources that you can review here.

Now let’s take a look some of the outstanding events and achievements that took place across the district in May.

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DISTRICT-WIDE

The month of May was a celebratory one across the school district. We celebrated Teacher Appreciation Week, which began May 3rd through May 7^th. To end that week, members of the Board and the Methacton Administration surprised the staff at each building with a water ice celebration at lunchtime. Our school community also stepped up in a big way to show their support of our teachers through the Methacton Education Foundation's SHARE THE LOVE campaign, which raised more than $5,000 for Methacton Schools. We thank our teachers for all they do to prepare the next generation of learners and for sharing their talents with our school community today – and every day!

The district hosted a surprise awards ceremony to celebrate the nursing department on May 12, which was also School Nurse Day. Our school nurses are: Kelly Benarick, Joni Cosgriff, Annette Cramer, Jodi Lattanze, Valerie Lozinak, Kimberly McDonald, Cheryl Peiffer, Mary Thomas, and Kathy Thompson.

Our nurses were each presented with awards for EXCELLENCE IN NURSING and certificates of appreciation for their extraordinary efforts during these extraordinary times. Mrs. Peiffer, the district's Nursing Services Coordinator, received the Leadership Award for Excellence in Nursing.

Skippack Pharmacy held a vaccine clinic for those 12 and older at Methacton High School on May 26. More than 160 people were vacinnated during the clinic. A special THANK YOU goes to all of our nurses, and adult and student volunteers who worked together on this very successful event.

Methacton’s 3rd and 4th Grade musicians performed in their Virtual Spring Concert on May 26. Watch: https://youtu.be/3jEaDH1lU4s.

ARROWHEAD

Thank you to the Arrowhead Home and School, along with Elmwood Park Zoo, for planning and hosting this year's Arrowhead “Maskerade”. The event was held for former Arrowhead (current 5th grade) students as well as our 3rd and 4th graders. The weather, festivities, and food were perfect. As you can see from the photographs, everyone had a wonderful time. What a great evening!

Arrowhead celebrated Teacher Appreciation Week with a delicious lunch provided by the Arrowhead Home and School.

We’re getting a clearer picture of the new Arrowhead Elementary. Steel beams were put up this month and we can really start to see the building outline. The video below captures some of the steel beam installation taking place: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=75wn6mgd7MU

EAGLEVILLE

 Congratulations to Cameron Polen and Natalia Cordero for receiving Citizenship Awards from State Representative Joe Webster in recognition of their outstanding contributions to the Eagleville School and Community.

Our Eagleville Home and School recognized our teachers with a little treat every morning during Teacher Appreciation Week.

Our school nurse, Annette Cramer, was recognized along with the other Methacton School Nurses during National School Nurse Day.  Mrs. Cramer has done such a fantastic job keeping our school safe during an exceptionally tough year. https://youtu.be/e6u9J61x8Qk

In honor of Arbor Day, our Environmental and Art clubs held a tree planting ceremony https://youtu.be/PathshkZxg8

WOODLAND

May was a busy month at Woodland.  We hosted our second annual virtual variety show.  We had about 70 acts submitted.  The community has enjoyed watching the diverse talents of Woodland Students.  Teachers are also playing videos of their students during the school day.

Click Here!

During Teacher Appreciation Week, the Woodland Staff enjoyed a hot lunch of Mexican food from our Home and School, Rita’s water ice from the Methacton School Board, and many certificates for “Show the Love”.

With our focus on kindness, our fourth graders made this book reading to share with all Woodland Families.  What an important message!

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1F0qnDnC_xLQfxEcVUcKgvLDKl0zY0r6n/view

Each of our grade levels have created a special dance.  These videos were created by the students but put together by Mrs. Engler, Woodland’s music teacher.  This month it was our kindergarteners who danced! https://youtu.be/opxuJy04J8c

WORCESTER

This month, Worcester’s Home and School Association provided many special treats for Teacher Appreciation Week.  The staff enjoyed raffle baskets donated by parents and local businesses, and concluded the week with a delicious lunch.  Teachers and staff also enjoyed talking with Mrs. Perdue while enjoying their delicious water ice.

Many students enjoyed the nice May weather and some teachers even took their teaching outside.

This month we also welcomed back virtual students that came to school to take their PSSAs.  It was great to see our online students!

 Worcester Staff was treated to a yoga/meditation session.  The session was taught by an Aim High Studio instructor onsite at Worcester.  It was a relaxing and fun time for all of us!

 Mrs. Santucci taught her Challenge students about Chromatography.  They predicted what color inks are used in different color markers.  The result was beautiful!

Worcester’s first grade classes are growing bean plants!  Students are wondering how tall their plants will grow!

SKYVIEW

Skyview Environmental Club Courtyard Clean Up

 

The Skyview Environmental Club, under the direction of Mrs. Leslie Kulp, worked in the Skyview courtyard this month. Students weeded the flower beds and planted perennial flowers.

Fifth Grade Social Studies Virtual Field Trip

This year, 5th grade Social Studies classes have participated in virtual field trips to the Museum of the American Revolution. Sessions have included Thinking Like a Historian and Women in the American Revolution.

Mrs. Kim Nominated for Citadel Heart of Learning Award

 

Mrs. Cynthia Kim, 6th grade teacher on Team USA, was nominated for the Citadel Heart of Learning Award by her student, Tyler Panetta. This award aims to recognize local teachers who show dedication in and outside of the classroom.

Welcome Mrs. Berical

 

Skyview welcomed Mrs. Nicole Berical as Principal on Monday, May 24th. Mrs. Berical comes to Methacton with leadership experience in the North Penn School District. She takes over the T.R.R.F.C.C Skyview community from Mrs. Melissa Gorla who has moved to the district office as Supervisor of Secondary Education.

ARCOLA

Shout-out and special thanks to:

• The Arcola office staff - Sophie, Caroline, Aimee and Kathy for all your preparation for our staff and students on all testing days.
• Our virtual families/students: It was wonderful to see all of you on site at Arcola, great job!
• Arcola staff for staying the course and being present for all of our students!

The Arcola Orchestra and Arcola String Ensemble recently hosted their Spring Concert in a virtual venue. Their hard work was clearly on display as our student-musicians put on a lovely show. Click the link to listen: audio; program.

MHS

Grab your tickets for the Methacton High School Theatre Company’s presentation of “Urinetown – The Musical”. Show dates are May 27, 28, and 29. Tickets are available for streaming: https://www.showtix4u.com/event-details/50702.

Special recognition goes out to the Theatre group seniors. Pictured L-R (Top Row): Julia Brady, Jackson Fisher, Maria Coyle, Jordan Kaminski; (Bottom Row): Lindsey Reid, Paige Brady, Thy Nguyen, LJ Paone.

Playbill: https://www.playbillder.com/show/vip/Methacton_High_School/2021/Urinetown_The_Musical_93906

Presenting the 2021 Methacton High School Art Show: https://bhall12268.wixsite.com/my-site-1​

The senior class had an amazing time at their senior celebration! Thank you to the Kleckner family for hosting us at Linfield National Golf Course. The students had a wonderful time celebrating with classmates with food trucks, yard games, a comedian, balloon artist, and caricaturist. We extend our sincere thanks to Mrs. Fabrizio and Mrs. Alderfer, and to the Post Prom for their help in making this such an amazing night.

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OUTSTANDING WORK, Methacton! Have a safe and healthy Memorial Day weekend!

Sincerely,

Dr. David Zerbe

Superintendent of Schools