March 27, 2023

Dear Methacton Families,

Our thoughts are with the community of Nashville as they deal with the aftermath of today’s school tragedy. I understand these events may be of concern to our students and how they feel about safety in their own school. Please know that Methacton School District is committed to maintaining a safe and supportive learning environment for all of our students. There are multiple measures that we have in place to maintain the safety of our students and staff. Among them, the district has its own armed school resource officers and security team, we are engaged with and remain in constant communication with our local law enforcement agencies, and our students and staff participate in drills to prepare in the event of an emergency.

We have support available for any student who needs to speak with someone. Our school counselors and mental health professionals are here to provide assistance to students who need any additional support.

Sincerely,

Dr. David Zerbe

Superintendent of Schools

Dear Methacton Families,

I want to share with you how proud I am of our Methacton High School Football student-athletes and coaches in their handling of a recent hate speech incident from a member of the opposing team at last week’s football game.

On Friday, 10/7/2022, on the field during the game, it was reported that a player from the opposing team, on several occasions, used hate speech directed towards members of the Methacton Football team.

Our student-athletes and coaches handled themselves with extreme dignity and professionalism. While the use of hate speech is inexcusable, our student-athletes did the right thing in supporting their teammates and reporting the matter. Coaches and school administration from both school districts took the matter seriously by taking immediate action. 

The Methacton Football coach and district DEI Office including Alexis Washington, Methacton’s K-12 DEI and Climate Counselor, met with the team to share with players how proud we are of how well they handled themselves and to offer support if they would need to speak with an adult.

Please know that the district has taken additional actions to support and inform others regarding this matter to help protect our students from this type of behavior being replicated during an athletic contest in the future.

 

Sincerely,

Dr. David Zerbe

Superintendent of Schools

August 8, 2022

Dear Methacton Families,

It is with deep sadness that I inform you that on 8/6/2022, Methacton High School 11 grade student, Owen Cotty, passed away due to sudden cardiac arrest while playing frisbee with his family. I am sharing this information with parents/guardians of all students in the district so that you can best determine how to relay this information to your children since this loss is sure to raise many emotions, concerns, and questions for our entire school community.

Methacton School District has a Crisis Intervention Team made up of professionals trained to help with the needs of students, parents, and school personnel at difficult times such as this. We will have counselors, psychologists, and our social worker available at Methacton High School in the library the following days/times for anyone who may want assistance surrounding this loss. We encourage students, parents and staff to use these free resources.

Drop in counseling hours:

Wednesday, 8/10/22	12:30-2:30
Thursday, 8/11/22	10:30-12:30

If for some reason you are unable to make the times above, please reach out to your child’s school counselor or High School Office and an appointment will be scheduled.

We have enclosed some information that may be useful to you in helping our students.

• National Association of School Psychologists: Addressing Grief in Children
• Grief and Loss Support Groups
• Montgomery County Mobile Crisis Support

If you would like additional information or need assistance, please do not hesitate to contact Cindy Hartson, Secondary School Counselor Department Chair, at chartson@methacton.org. 

We are deeply saddened by this loss.

Sincerely,

Dr. David Zerbe

Dear Methacton Families,

In this communication:

• Summer Academic Resources
• Back to School Night Schedule
• 2022-2023 Budget Overview
• Volunteering at Methacton Schools
• Job Opportunities

I hope all of our students, parents, staff and community are enjoying the summer. With the first student day of the 2022-2023 school year being August 30, 2022, I want to make certain that you can best support your child in preparing for an exceptional experience.

Summer Academic Resources

As a reminder, please review with your child these academic resources: Academic Resources and Summer Work.

Please note that some levels have specific summer requirements (high school) while other grade levels/buildings have resources to keep student skills fresh and provide some enrichment.

Back to School Night Schedule

It is important to be actively engaged with your child’s education. So please plan to join us for your child’s Back to School Night! You can review the schedule here.

Our staff looks forward to these evenings each year and we welcome you to join us to learn more about your child’s educational programming.

2022-2023 Budget Overview

The Board of School Directors adopted the 2022-2023 operating budget in June. This budget overview is designed to highlight the revenue and expenditures. This is a new publication that we will be issuing annually going forward and you can find it on the Business Services page under Budget Information.

Volunteering at Methacton Schools

Volunteers really make a difference! Another way to be actively engaged with your child’s education is through volunteering. Approved volunteers can chaperone a trip, assist a teacher in a classroom, help with our outdoor education program, coach a camp, sport, or band/musical activity and so many more opportunities. Please consider becoming a volunteer. Please see the process required to become a volunteer including background checks to ensure safety for all.

If you have any questions regarding how, when or what you may volunteer for, please email us at information@methacton.org.

Job Opportunities

Please see the various support and professional positions available with the district and our third-party providers. The district, along with First Student and Aramark, have excellent benefit and wage-earning potential either in a full-time or part-time capacity. Apply today by visiting: https://www.methacton.org/careers.

Sincerely,

Dr. David Zerbe

Superintendent of Schools