WHERE IS THE CLASS OF 2011 HEADED THIS FALL?

MORE THAN 90% OF THE 768 MEMBERS OF THE CLASS OF 2011 WILL CONTINUE THEIR EDUCATIONS AT COLLEGES, BUSINESSES, AND TECHNICAL SCHOOLS, AND IN THE ARMED SERVICES.

This fall, a total of 10 students will enroll at Ivy League schools including Columbia (1), Cornell (3), Princeton (2), and the University of Pennsylvania (4). Enrollment at Penn State University's Main campus is 31 students and 54 will attend a Penn State branch campus. Locally, college enrollment includes Cedar Crest College (1), DeSales University (3), Kutztown University (34), Lehigh University (8), Moravian College (4), Muhlenberg College (3), Lehigh Carbon Community College (137), and Northampton Community College (12). Some other popular choices include Bloomsburg University (27), Drexel University (9), East Stroudsburg University (8), Indiana University of PA (14), Lock Haven University (7), Millersville University (12), New York University (6), Temple University (44), University of Delaware (8), University of Pittsburgh (14), Virginia Tech (6) and West Chester University (14). Two students will attend the U.S. Military Academy and 26 students will enter the military.

Pictured above are 2011 co-valedictorians Eugenia Kim and Danielle Rosen. Eugenia plans to attend Cornell University in the fall where she will pursue a degree in Medicine and Cognitive Science. Danielle plans to attend the University of Pennsylvania in the fall. The class of 2011 included four salutatorians: Christina Hardin will be attending Cornell University as an Engineering major. Nishant Modi plans to attend the Penn State Schreyers Honors College and major in Neuroscience and pursue a career in medicine. Sophia Srinivasan plans to attend Georgetown University and major in Foreign Service. Bakhtawar Rana plans to attend Villanova University and major in Pre-medicine.

NEW APPOINTMENTS

Brenda L. DeRenzo will begin the school year as the Principal of Fogelsville Elementary School. She served as the school's Interim Principal for most of the last school year and prior to that was a K-8 Special Education Coordinator in Parkland.
Thomas J. Stoudt has been newly hired and will serve as Orefield Middle School's new Assistant Principal, taking over for Mr. George Karetsky who has retired. Mr. Stoudt comes to Parkland from Dieruff High School in the Allentown School District where he was also serving as a Professional Learning Community Facilitator and a member of the Instructional Learning Team. Tom also served as a paid administrative intern and as a Dean of Students in Allentown. Prior to becoming involved in his administrative roles, Tom was a middle school teacher in Maryland and a high school teacher for seven years in the Allentown School District.
Diane Neikam will begin a new role in Parkland as Curriculum Supervisor of Elementary Education after serving as the principal of Parkland's Fogelsville Elementary for the past nine years. Prior to her service in Parkland, she worked in the Allentown School District where she served as an elementary teacher, an administrative intern, an assistant principal and as an elementary principal.
James E. Moniz II was newly hired as Curriculum Supervisor of Secondary Education. Mr. Moniz comes to Parkland from the Allentown School District where he served as a social studies teacher, assistant middle school principal, assistant high school principal and high school principal and most recently as the Administrator of Strategic Initiatives.
Frank Pearn has been hired as the new Assistant Director of Business Administration. He replaces Ms. Catherine Csencsitz who retired. Frank served Parkland for the past 6 years as the District's Tax Office Administrator.
L. Randy Claroni will begin the 2011 school year as the new Director of Curriculum, Instruction and Professional Development. He was previously Coordinator of Secondary Curriculum.
Marge Evans, currently serving as Interim Coordinator of Elementary Curriculum, Assessment and Federal Programs will move into the position of Coordinator of Data Assessment and Federal Programs.
Jason Henry, who served as the high school's Classrooms for the Future Technology coach, will expand his role to include the coaching of all of Parkland's K-12 schools as he becomes the Coordinator of Educational Technology.
Tom Cierlitsky was promoted to Manager of Network Operations.
Phyllis Grice was promoted to Assistant Director of Technology.
John Pfeiffer, Ed.D, is the newly appointed Alternative Education/DEAL Supervisor and was previously a Curriculum Supervisor at Parkland High School.

Congratulations are extended to Dr. Howard Lessel, Principal of Parkland High School, and Dr. John Pfeiffer, Alternative Education/DEAL Supervisor, who earned Doctorates in Education over the summer!

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SUPERINTENDENT'S MESSAGE

Dear Parkland Community,

I wish to express how excited I am as I begin my tenure as the new Superintendent of Schools of the Parkland School District. I have a keen awareness of the complexities and pressures that come with the superintendency and I welcome this challenge. Actually, I relish it! Fortunately, I have been blessed to have been mentored by both Dr. Louise Donohue and Dr. Gary McCartney, two excellent leaders that I admire and respect. I am especially thankful for the last two years to have worked under the direct leadership of Dr. Donohue, as she has contributed much to my professional growth.

My main motivation for pursuing the superintendent's position is simple, yet compelling. Twenty-seven years ago, I entered the education profession with the commitment and desire to make a difference in the lives of my students. Educators in my life did as much for me and I wanted to continue this trend and be part of this life altering behavior. I am excited about the opportunity to serve students, staff, parents, school board and community members in continuing to provide a quality education in which all students have an opportunity for success. My intention is to work collaboratively with all staff to continue to enhance the quality of the educational programs in our district and, in turn, benefit the students we serve.

My vision for Parkland School District is one of continuous improvement in all aspects of our organization, with improving student achievement as the primary goal. We stand in the "eye of a financial storm" and a myriad of political issues swirling about us. By utilizing a collaborative approach, we can ensure that the competing interests of a high-quality educational program, and the ability of the tax-paying public to afford it, maintain a respectful balance.

I am committed to dedicate myself to serving Parkland School District with an appreciation of the basic ethical principles of honesty, accountability, integrity and respect. Biases aside, I truly believe we have a great board and administrative team, a dedicated and talented staff, a supportive and caring parent community, and enormously talented students. I consider it an honor of the first order to represent this district as Superintendent of Schools.

Best wishes for a wonderful start to the school year,

Richard T. Sniscak

Superintendent of Schools, Parkland School District

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NEW PROGRAM HARNESSES NEW TECHNOLOGY SKILLS

Educates Incoming Freshman on How to Safely and Effectively Navigate the Internet

To make sure students are exposed to current technologies, and better prepare them for the high school experience, 8th grade Information Technology teachers helped incoming freshmen learn two new online learning applications: Moodle and Google Docs. Moodle (http://parklandsd.moodle.org) is an online learning management system that many high school teachers use to extend the classroom experience past the traditional school day by making class presentations, notes, assessments and more available on any computer with an Internet connection. Google Docs (http://docs.parklandsd.net) is a free online tool used to collaborate on projects.

Both tools will be used as part of a new program to educate students about Internet safety and the use of social networking sites. Students received their Moodle and Google Docs accounts at the end of 8th grade, and were instructed to complete a 6-hour Moodle course on Internet Safety over the summer and during the 1st marking period of the 2011-12 school year. Once the students enter Parkland High School, school librarians will continue facilitation of the program. The Moodle course was created by the Coordinator of Education Technologies, Jason Henry, and Parkland High School librarian, Lauren Will. Once complete, the students will effectively be given an Internet Driver's license that will allow them to access email and various web sites while at Parkland High School.

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TEACHER HIGHLIGHTS

Keri Heidecker, Parkland High School English teacher, opened her second show in NYC this summer. The show had the same name as last year's debut, Freak Magnet, and the same star (Ms. Heidecker), but this year's show included a new theatre, new comedic routines, and new songs that she co-wrote with musical director, Rick Jensen, whose career includes musical direction for cabaret legend Nancy LaMott and Broadway actress Tovah Feldshuh. Ms. Heidecker prepared for the show for a whole year after learning from her recent experience of being chosen as one of 30 singers to participate in the International Cabaret Conference at Yale.

Michael Messerschmidt, 8th grade social studies teacher at Orefield Middle School recently completed marathons in South Africa and Iceland. He has a goal of running a marathon on every continent and is pursuing this aspiration.

Read more

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CLEAN OCEANS PROJECT IS A CALL TO ACTION ACTIVITY FOR
4TH GRADE FOGELSVILLE STUDENTS

Did you ever wonder what happens to all that plastic that we throw away or that you see lying by the side of the road? Fogelsville Elementary art teacher Margarita Daly and fourth grade teacher Jacque Creamer wanted their students to understand the effects that a global plastic pollution problem has on the Earth. Ms. Daly, passionate about the environment, posted pictures of the 500 square miles of plastics that are currently swirling around in ocean currents. She lectured the students about the importance of recycling and the importance of cleaning up oceans as garbage contaminates the fish that we eat and kills ocean life. She then assigned students to create sculptures out of plastic bottles in an effort to re-use the plastics in their own households. Mr. Creamer then asked his students to write newspaper "letters to the editor" in an effort to educate others about the plastic pollution. Students asked their peers to stop polluting and to help clean up the oceans in their letters.

Read more

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ABC GARDEN IS CHERISHED AT PARKWAY MANOR

Parkland Junior Ajay Gandhi wanted to help students learn the alphabet at Parkway Manor Elementary School. In an effort to help beautify the school's courtyard and aid teachers in helping students improve letter recognition, Ajay planted a garden for kindergarten students as his Eagle Scout project. With the assistance of Ajay's Boy Scout Troop 12, his friends, along with the Parkland Garden Club and Master Gardener Louise Schafer, the garden became a reality. Ajay was able to associate a plant with each letter of the alphabet, except for the letter "q." For example he planted Echinacea for "e", Geranium for "g", and Viola for "v." This garden greatly improves the overall look of the school and the primary grade teachers use it for academic purposes. Special thanks go out to Ajay for showcasing his creativity at his alma mater.

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Parkland Seniors ~ A Community of Learners

The following classes will be offered this fall to senior citizens, ages 55 and older, who reside in the Parkland School District. The classes are FREE of charge. Please register online at www.parklandsd.org/ seniors/

Click here for class list.

Register online at: http://www.parklandsd.org/seniors

GOVERNOR'S BUDGET EFFECTS LOCAL SCHOOL DISTRICTS

Late on the evening of June 30, 2011, the last day of our fiscal year, and after all school districts from across the Commonwealth were forced to turn in their 2011-12 school budgets, our state legislators passed a state budget that reverted Basic Education Funding back to 2008-09 levels. In all, public education was cut by $900M. The Accountability Block Grant, which for many years has funded professional development and full-day kindergarten and preschool programs in Pennsylvania, was cut by $160M. The ability for Parkland to regain any money that follows a student to a charter school was cut to zero. (Before, Parkland was reimbursed 30% of the cost of sending a child to a charter school by the state – a loss of about $250,000.) There was no money allocated for dual enrollment opportunities at the college level for our high school students. Special Education funding, a cost area that grows every year in Parkland and currently comprises more than $17M of the $138M budget, remained level funded at approximately $3.25M for the 3rd year in a row, and funding for career and technical education remained stagnant.

Read more

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CHARTER SCHOOLS -- WHAT IS ALL THE CONTROVERSY ABOUT?

Charter schools are a viable and important option for the students of
Pennsylvania. The school choice debate has brought charter schools into
the limelight and raised some questions about how they operate. As you
may know, school districts are mandated to send their local cost per pupil
expenditure to the receiving charter school for any student who leaves
the district to attend a charter school. This requirement became an even
greater burden at the local level after Governor Corbett's budget which cut
the state subsidy school districts had been receiving (30% for Parkland
students) for charter school students.

Read more

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NATURAL GAS PIPELINE WILL CONNECT
PARKLAND HIGH SCHOOL TO SAVINGS

A project is underway that will allow UGI to extend and connect an existing natural gas pipeline to Parkland High School. After extensive safety and cost analysis conducted by both UGI and district-hired engineers, it was deemed by both parties that the project will pay for itself within a year of installation. Non-corrosive plastic piping and a pressure monitored system will ensure safe fuel entry to the building. Parkland High School was initially built as a facility that could heat the building with dual fuel capabilities with the foresight that a natural gas pipeline could come into fruition, however the cost to install a pipe from Route 309 to PHS had previously been cost-prohibitive. Therefore, PHS has been using fuel oil for its main source of heat which is currently much higher than the cost of natural gas. Since a pipeline was recently extended to GEO Specialty Chemicals, the district can now install and connect its pipeline at a much lower cost. The new UGI pipeline will take approximately 2 months to install and work will begin on October 1st. After the break-even point, the district should enjoy a cost savings in heating/utility costs for many years to come.

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FOR KIDS AND FAMILIES
CALENDAR AT A GLANCE -- IMPORTANT DATES

FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL
September 6, 2011
OPEN HOUSES
September 8 Schnecksville Elementary School
September 13 Orefield Middle School, Parkway Manor Elementary School
September 14 Fred J. Jaindl Elementary School, Cetronia Elementary School
September 15 Parkland High School
September 21 Kratzer Elementary School, Springhouse Middle School
September 22 Fogelsville Elementary School, Ironton Elementary School, Kernsville Elementary School
DISTRICT-WIDE EARLY DISMISSAL DAYS
Friday, October 21
Friday, January 27
Friday, April 27
Friday, May 11
PARENT-TEACHER CONFERENCES
Elementary Parent-Teacher Conferences – November 17, 18, 21, 22, 23 (note: elementary students will dismiss at 1:45 PM on these days)
Middle School Parent-Teacher Conferences – November 22 and 23 (note: middle school students will dismiss at 12:45 PM on these days)
High School Parent-Teacher Conferences – November 23 (note: high school students will dismiss at 12:45 PM on this day)
LENGTH OF SCHOOL DAYS
Kindergarten 8:50 a.m. - 11:35 a.m.; 12:45 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Elementary School 8:50 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Middle School 7:45 a.m. - 2:38 p.m.
High School 7:40 a.m. - 2:53 p.m.
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT DAYS -- SCHOOLS CLOSED
All Parkland Schools will be closed on September 29, October 10, January 16 and
March 9 for Professional Development.
TESTING SCHEDULE
PSSA Reading, Math, Science, & Writing Re-Tests/Make-up Testing – GRADE 12
Monday, October 24 - Friday, November 4
OTIS LENNON SCHOOL ABILITY TEST/ MAKE-UP TESTING -- GRADE 1
Monday, February 6 – Tuesday, February 14
PSSA READING & MATH ASSESSMENTS/ MAKE-UP TESTING -- GRADES 3, 4, 5, 6, 7,
8 & 11
Monday, March 12 – Friday, March 30
PSSA WRITING ASSESSMENT – GRADES 5, 8 AND 11
Monday, April 16 – Friday, April 20
PSSA SCIENCE ASSESSMENT – GRADES 4, 8 AND 11
Monday, April 23 - Friday, April 27
CAFETERIA PRICES FOR THE 2011-12 SCHOOL YEAR:
Elementary $2.10
Secondary $2.35
Breakfast $1.10
Adult $3.50
Kindergarten Milk $.10
Milk $.50

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PHS ~ A Season of Classic Theater

Click here for Order Form:

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COMMUNITY ADVISORY COUNCIL 2011-2012 SCHEDULE

The Parkland Community Advisory Council (CAC) is a committee of approximately 25 volunteer representatives from the community who serve as liaisons
between the school district and Parkland community. Any district resident interested in serving on the CAC should contact Dr. Rodney Troutman, Assistant
Superintendent, at 610-351-5505. Meetings are open to the public and all are invited to attend any of the following planned meetings.

OCTOBER 10/20/11 7:00 PM AD CENTER
CONNIE HARAKAL, ROB THORNBURG
SIGNS & SYMPTOMS OF AT-RISK BEHAVIORS
NOVEMBER 11/17/11 7:00 PM AD CENTER
CURRICULUM DEPT.
UPDATES/SCHOOL DISTRICT RANKING/ TEACHER PERSPECTIVE OF PARKLAND
TEACHER PERSPECTIVE OF PARKLAND
DECEMBER 12/15/11 PHS LIBRARY CLASSROOM
PHS VISUAL ART DEPARTMENT/WINTER CONCERT 6:15 PM
RICH SHEMONSKY
COMMUNITY OUTREACH NIGHT
JANUARY 01/19/127:00 PM AD CENTER
JOHN VIGNONE/RICH SNISCAK
PSD BUDGET PROCESS/QUESTION AND ANSWERS
FEBRUARY 02/16/12 7:00 PM AD CENTER
JASON HENRY/TRACY SMITH
CLASSROOM TECHNOLOGY: THE CYBER WORLD
MARCH 03/15/12 7:00 PM AD CENTER
MIDDLE SCHOOL STAFF
MIDDLE SCHOOL PROGRAM TRANSITIONING TO/FROM
APRIL 04/19/12 PHS LIBRARY CLASSROOM
ERIC ROBERTS
PEER MEDIATION/COMMUNITY SERVICE 6:15 PM
DRESS REHEARSAL FOR SPRING MUSICAL
MAY 05/17/12 2012-13 6:30 PM PHS LIBRARY CLASSROOM
TOPICS/ELECTION OF OFFICERS

Parkland Bulletin Board

NEW ART WORKS COURSE - Handbuilt Ceramics and Fused Dichroic Glass Thursdays: Sept 29th, Oct 6th, 13th and 20th, 7-9 PM, Springhouse Middle School, Room A207. Learn ceramic (clay) hand-building techniques and create a clay piece or two. We will also experiment in class with fusing dichroic glass to ceramics. Cost is $100 per student (students will be asked to supply a few materials. Upon registration a list will be provided to students). Email griffink@parklandsd.org for an application no later than Sept 23rd.

THE 5TH ANNUAL CADET ANTHONY SEVERO 5K RUN/WALK will take place at 10:30 AM on Sunday, September 25, 2011 at Parkland High School's Cross Country Course. Registration will begin at 9:30 AM. All proceeds will benefit Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD) and Parkland Wrestling Scholar Athlete (PWSA). The purpose of this run is to bring awareness and education to "Driving After Drinking." Applications are available at http://www.parklandsd.org/phs/ then click "activities." For more information, please contact Larry Severo at (610) 398-3296 or e-mail severoe@aol.com.

TROJAN FOOTBALL SEASON TICKETS are on sale for the 5 home varsity football games in the Parkland High School Athletic Office on weekdays from 8:00 am to 3:00 pm. The price is $12. The Trojan Football Team opens its 2011 season on Friday, September 9th against Dieruff High School (away). Home games include: 9/16 vs. Emmaus (Alumni Night), 9/30 vs. Liberty (Youth Night), 10/7 vs. Allen High School (Shirt off Your Back/Freshmen Night), 10/21 vs. Nazareth (Homecoming), and 11/4 vs. Whitehall (Senior Night). Call 610-351-5900 ext. 75581 for more information.

THIS YEAR'S FALL PLAY, A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM will be presented on Friday and Saturday, November 11 and 12 at 7:30 PM in the Parkland High School auditorium. Tickets are on sale now. For more information, call the box office at (610)351-5666.

STUDENT WORKING PAPERS are available in the Parkland High School main office between 8 AM and 6 PM, Monday through Friday. The application must be secured by the student's parent or legal guardian and returned by the student. Proof of birth must be provided when the application is obtained.

NOT SURE WHERE TO VOTE ON ELECTION DAY which is Nov 8, 2011?
Visit http://www.votespa.com and click on "Where to Vote."

FAMILIES SAVE THE DATE FOR THE ANNUAL CHILDREN'S SHOW CHARLOTTE'S WEB Sat. January 21 - 11 AM and 3 PM Sun. January 22 - 1 PM and 4 PM
For tickets and further information: 610-351-5666

FALL CALENDAR OF EVENTS
Plan a night out with the family and join us for a fall or winter event!
10/25/2011 Orefield Middle School Fall Play "Adventures of Tom Sawyer" at OMS 7:00 PM
10/26/2011 Orefield Middle School Fall Play "Adventures of Tom Sawyer" at OMS 7:00 PM
10/26/2011 Springhouse Middle School Fall Play "James and the Giant Peach"
at SMS 7:00 PM
10/27/2011 Springhouse Middle School Fall Play "James and the Giant Peach"
at SMS 7:00 PM
11/11/2011 Parkland High School Fall Play "A Midsummer Night's Dream"
at PHS Auditorium 7:30 PM
11/12/2011 Parkland High School Fall Play "A Midsummer Night's Dream"
at PHS Auditorium 7:30 PM
12/1/2011 Springhouse Middle School Chorus Winter Concert at PHS 7:00 PM
12/5/2011 Orefield Middle School Chorus Winter Concert at PHS 7:00 PM
12/8/2011 Parkland High Orchestra/11th & 12th Grade Chorus/Chorale Winter Concert
7:00 PM
12/10/2011 Parkland High School Performing Arts Club Children's Theatre Workshop
9:00 AM & 12:30 PM
12/12/2011 Orefield Middle School Band Winter Concert at PHS 7:00 PM
12/15/2011 Parkland High School Band/9th & 10th Grade Chorus Winter Concert 7:00 PM
12/16/2011 Middle School Orchestra Winter Concert at PHS 7:00 PM
12/17/2011 Parkland High School Performing Arts Club Children's Theatre Workshop
9:00 AM & 12:30 PM
12/20/2011 Springhouse Middle School Band Winter Concert at PHS 7:00 PM

All events are free with the exception of the PHS fall production of "A Midsummer Night's Dream" and Children's Theatre

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