Dear Community,

This month offers two great opportunities to become further engaged in the North Penn School District.  On Friday, April 22, community members are invited to hop on the Bus to the Past and take ride through our district's history. The event, scheduled from 9:30 a.m. to approximately noon, begins and ends at Penndale Middle School and is part of the district's celebration of its 50th anniversary.
 
Throughout the two-and-a-half hour tour, riders will learn about the history of NPSD and how we formed and developed over the decades.  We plan to drive by all of our current school buildings as well as the sites which were once school buildings. Specially selected tour guides will add insight and stories along the way. The half-hour stop at NPHS will include a brief student performance and light refreshments. Click here to register for this event.
 
Then, on Wednesday, April 27, a Community Forum will be held on the topic of Learning and Teaching in the Digital Age. Sessions will be held at 10:00 a.m. at the Educational Service Center and 6:30 p.m. at Penndale Middle School. At this time I will join NPSD Director of Technology Dr. Kristen Landis as we lead a conversation about how technology has changed the way we deliver education and how students participate in it. We will discuss the idea of providing laptops for students to use in school and at home, how this is helping students succeed nationwide, and how we might be able to implement this here in NPSD
 
Gathering feedback on the future of technology integration for our students is crucial. Participants at the forum and those watching at home on NPTV will have an opportunity to provide feedback on the important topic.  More detailed information is being developed on the forums. Please check www.npenn.org as plans are finalized.
 
As superintendent, it remains my goal to keep the NPSD community informed and involved. I hope to see you at one of the upcoming events.

 
Sincerely,
        
Curtis R. Dietrich, Ed.D.  
Superintendent, NPSD
dietricr@npenn.org  
Table of Contents
Dr. Dietrich's Superintendent's Student Council Meeting
NPSD Hosts Technology-Driven In-Service
NPSD Middle School Students at Valley Forge Regional MathCounts Competition
NPHS Theatre Students take 1st Place at PA Shakespeare Competition
NPSD Music Groups Perform at PMEA State Conference
Inglewood Helping Hands Day
Hometown Hero Brandon McManus Visits NPHS
North Penn High School Theatre Update
North Wales Students Win Writing Competition
NPSD Rocks their Socks
Registration Update
NPHS Navy Jazz Band to Play New Orleans Jazz Fest
Penndale FCS Donates to Meals on Wheels
Emmy-nominated, NPHS '02 Graduate Visits NPHS
NPHS FCS Fashion Show
March North Penn News Update
 
Thank you to our
NP ADvantage Program Advertisers

Reserve Your Seat Today!
April 22nd, 9:30 am - 12:00 pm



Community members are invited to travel through time and the streets of the North Penn area on the North Penn School District's first-ever Bus to the Past event, on Friday, April 22.
 
Bus to the Past will take participants on a journey highlighting the NPSD's 50 years. The bus route will include driving past all current schools and former NPSD schools closed years ago.
 
A highlight of the Bus to the Past will be the tour guides on hand to share their stories and experiences in North Penn schools and the community.  Retired NPHS principal Burt Hynes, retired NPSD Manager of Support Services John Strobel, retired Principal Al Koehler and 50-year NPSD bus driver Jim Allebach will be joined by Pat Reiker from the Lansdale Historical Society to act as the vocal backdrop to the bus ride. 
 
Bus to the Past is one of several events NPSD has planned in honor of its 50th Anniversary. Reservations are required and can be done online or by calling 215-853-1032.


IMPORTANT NOTICE
TO GOLD CARD MEMBERS

Due to the rescheduled snow day for students, the Gold Card performance of the Spring Musical will be changed from Tuesday, April 26 at 1:00 p.m. to Wednesday, April 27 at 1:00 p.m.

Please note that DOORS OPEN AT NOON. Audience members should refrain from arriving before then, as it is a normal school day and there will be students in the building and buses making special runs before this time.

It is strongly encouraged that gold card holders attending this performance are dropped off and picked up, as parking which is close to the entrance will be extremely limited.

Parking spaces will be available in "S Lot," which is located immediately to the right when entering the high school from Valley Forge Rd.

 
Back by popular demand, the NPSD Educational Foundation is preparing to kick off its 3rd Annual Online Auction, "Oh the Places You May Go." The auction will be open from Monday, April 25 to Sunday, May 1. Last year more than $8,000 was raised.
 
If you thought last year's items were hot, wait until you see what our generous donors have in store for you this time around! From gift certificates to spas and local grocery stores, tickets to museums, theater performances and sporting events, group gatherings at your favorite local spots, and NPSD exclusives like front row graduation tickets and much more - there's something for everyone in this year's online auction!
 
The Foundation is still accepting for donations for this year's online auction. Whether it's a fun summer tailgate raffle basket, a gift certificate to a local shop or business, or whatever creative item that would catch someone's eye, the Foundation would be thrilled to feature it in this year's auction.
 
All North Penn community members are invited to bid in the online auction to help the Foundation raise money to provide innovative learning experiences for over 12,500 students in the North Penn School District. All funds raised through this auction will return to NPSD classrooms through grants for the 2016-2017 school year, and years to come. Bid items and raffle baskets will be sure to provide community members with a unique, memorable experience.
 
The auction is not yet ready to be unveiled to the public, but will be available to view at www.npenn.org by April 25th. For more information about the NP Educational Foundation or if you're interested in donating to the online auction, please contact Christine Liberaski at 215-853-1020 or liberacd@npenn.org. 
Congratulations to the NPHS Girls' Swimming and Diving Team, our 2016 PIAA State Champions!



For more information including online registration, click here!


Congratulations to the following NPHS students who competed at the PMEA Region Chorus Festival and the PMEA All-State Festival in March and April!
 
Region Chorus
Francis Burk (Tenor I)
Noelle Horrell (Soprano I)
Omkar Katta (Bass I)
Owen Nakatani (Bass I)
Kyle Preston (Bass II)
 
Region & All-State Chorus
Lia Franco (Soprano II)
Alexis Lapreziosa (Soprano II)
Emma Moyer (Alto I)
Katja Pennypacker (Soprano II)
Christina Romano (Soprano I)

NPSD Celebrates National School Breakfast Week

Students and families in the North Penn School District celebrated National School Breakfast Week by joining together in the cafeteria for a healthy, balanced meal during the week of March 7th through March 11th, 2016.


 
Summer 2016 Classes Open for Registration!

The North Penn School District Community Education Program (CEP) offers a variety of learning and recreational experiences for people of all ages. From sports and fitness to music, theater and cooking classes, there's something for everyone in the Community Education Program. Course listings are available online and are distributed by mail. 

Ready to sign-up?
Register here online, or visit the Community Education Department at the Educational Services Center, located at 401 E. Hancock St. in Lansdale.

For more information, call the Community Education office at 215-853-1028 or 215-853-1029.


Kolleen Keefer and Joanne Carrick have 30 AP Art and Digital Photo 3 students participating in the AP Art Show  on April 22 from 6:00 to 8:00 pm in J-pod at North Penn High School.

Each student creates 24 works of art for a portfolio that ranges from 2D and 3D design to drawing. These portfolios are submitted to College Board and students can potentially earn college credit for their work. Unlike other AP tests which are written exams, these portfolios consist of art pieces which are an in-depth exploration of drawing and design concepts.

The AP Art Show displays 5 art pieces from each student's quality section of the portfolio.

For more information, please contact Joanne Carrick at carricjf@npenn.org.
Students in the North Penn School District celebrated Dr. Seuss's birthday on March 2nd with a variety of different activities.

Community Conversations 
with Dr. Dietrich



The North Penn School District is excited to once again offer its families and community members the opportunity to speak one-on-one with Superintendent Dr. Curtis Dietrich. Community Conversations, a series of informal meetings with the district's superintendent, gives attendees the opportunity to talk freely about the important issues involving NPSD schools.

The next session is scheduled for Tuesday, April 12th from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. at the Lansdale Public Library located at 301 Vine Street in Lansdale.

All North Penn community members, whether parents of children in NPSD schools or not, are invited to attend these interesting and informative discussions. Space is limited and seats fill up fast, so call 215-853-1032 or email andreykm@npenn.org to reserve your spot today.  

To learn more, click here .

   
March NPSD Board of School Directors Meetings
 


 
To view agenda attachments and minutes from past meetings, please click here.  

 


The school store is now online!
Stock up on all your NPHS apparel by ordering online. To visit the School Store's website, please click here.

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Quick Links  

Dr. Dietrich's Superintendent's Student Council
 
Dr. Dietrich and Dr. Deb McKay, Director of Secondary Education, visited North Penn High School for the March Superintendent's Student Council meeting, where they were joined by 10th, 11th and 12th grade students to get feedback about what it's like to be a student at the high school in the North Penn School District.
NPSD Hosts Technology-Driven In-Service Featuring Google Educator Rich Kiker

The North Penn School District is pleased to announce that it hosted a day-long technology-driven In-Service for employees, featuring renowned Google Educator Mr. Rich Kiker as the keynote speaker on Wednesday, March 23 in the North Penn High School Auditorium.

Our teachers had an awesome, interactive day testing out and learning about cutting-edge devices such as Google Cardboard at the In-Service.

NPSD Middle School Students Perform Well at Valley Forge Regional MathCounts Competition
Thirty students from Penndale, Pennbrook and Pennfield Middle Schools competed at the Valley Forge Regional MathCounts competition held at Christopher Dock High School on February 20th, 2016. 
 
More than 175 students from 24 schools in the Montgomery County area participated in the competition. All three North Penn School District (NPSD) middle schools earned top ten honors in the team competition with Pennfield finishing in 4th place, Pennbrook earning 7th place and Penndale claiming 8th place. 
 
Individually, three North Penn students earned top ten finishes on the written portion of the contest to qualify for the Countdown round. These students were Tony Xu from Pennfield, Emily Liu from Pennbrook and Samuel Lee from Pennfield. During this final round of the Valley Forge Regional competition, Samuel Lee won both of his match-ups to emerge as the overall champion.
 
All three middle schools had individual students finish in the top 50. Congratulations to these students on their hard work and outstanding performance!

The 30 NPSD student participants are listed here.

NPHS Theatre Students take 1st Place at PA Shakespeare Competition

Congratulations to the North Penn High School Theatre Shakespeare Team and coach Mrs. Andrea Roney for earning 1st place at the 8th Annual Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival Competition on Saturday, March 5th!
NPSD Music Groups Perform at PMEA State Conference


Congratulations to the following groups that were selected to perform at the Pennsylvania Music Educators Association All-State Conference this past weekend in Hershey, Pennsylvania:
  • Bridle Path/Montgomery Elementary Select String Ensemble
  • Pennfield Middle School Wind Ensemble (pictured above)
  • North Penn High School Navy Jazz Band
  • North Penn High School Women's Choir
Inglewood Elementary Participates in Annual
"Helping Hands Day"

Students at Inglewood Elementary School participated in their annual "Helping Hands Day" on Tuesday, March 15 in the gym at Inglewood.

This school-wide program is run each year by the Inglewood Home and School Association, staff and parent volunteers who donated items to this charitable cause to help students gain an understanding of the importance of giving back to their community.
 
Students in each grade had an opportunity to package items, craft cards, sign banners and assemble and decorate care packages for local nonprofit organizations including The Baby Bureau, Manna on Main Street, The Lansdale Boys and Girls Club, Stray Cat Blues, Schwenckfeld Manor and the Towamencin Police and Fire Company.
 
NPSD would like to thank the students, staff, Home and School Association and families at Inglewood Elementary for coordinating this selfless act of charity for our local nonprofit organizations.
 
Hometown Hero Brandon McManus Visits NPHS

NPHS 2009 Graduate and Super Bowl 50 Champion, Brandon McManus, made a surprise visit to NPHS today. The NPHS Student Government Association presented a check to Brandon's Anti-Bully Squad for $2500 raised through the McManus Day T-Shirt sale.


North Penn High School Theatre Update

North Penn High School Theatre is presenting Once Upon A Mattress, with music by Mary Rodgers (daughter of Richard Rodgers), lyrics by Marshall Barer, and book by Jay Thompson, Dean Fuller and Marshal Barer.

Begun by the writers as a one-act show for an adult summer retreat, the show eventually made it to Broadway where it was nominated for a Best Musical Tony in 1960 competing with The Sound of Music.   Of course, The Sound of Music won. However, the popularity of Once Upon A Mattress has rivaled that of most other musicals with schools, colleges, community and professional theatres since 1960 and it continues as one of the most produced and best-loved musicals of all time.
 
Once Upon A Mattress is based - loosely - on Hans Christian Anderson's beloved fable, "The Princess and the Pea."


Two North Wales Elementary Students Perform Well in Writing Conference Inc. Writing Contest
The North Penn School District is proud to announce that two students from North Wales Elementary, Claudia Pendlebury and Conner Rasmussen, received awards in the 2015-2016 Writing Conference, Inc. Writing Contest.
 
Established in 1980, the Writing Conference, Inc. provides services to children, young adults and teachers with interests in reading and writing.  The goal of this non-profit organization is the improvement of writing and reading skills of young people.  Many activities, events and services are sponsored by the Writing Conference, Inc. 
 

NPSD Schools "Rocked their Socks"
in Honor of World Down Syndrome Day

In honor of World Down Syndrome Day on Monday, March 21, many schools throughout the North Penn School District participated in a "Rock Your Socks" spirit day.

Students and faculty were encouraged to wear their most colorful, spunky socks in celebration of people with Down Syndrome and their unique differences that make our world brighter. People all around the world were celebrating!

Read more... (and see more photos)
Registration Update
An additional session for centralized kindergarten registration for the 2016-2017 school year will be held June 6, 7 and 8, 2016.

Registration for first grade students for the 2016-2017 school year who DID NOT attend kindergarten in the North Penn School District will be held on May 17, 18 and 19, 2016.

Registration for students in grades 1-12 for the 2016-2017 school year does not begin until May 1, 2016.

PLEASE REMEMBER TO BRING ALL OF THE FOLLOWING DOCUMENTS TO YOUR APPOINTMENT. Failure to do so will result in having to reschedule the appointment.
  • Completed registration packet
  • Proof of residency
  • Proof of age (birth certificate, etc.)
  • Immunization records

For more information about registration, visit the website or contact the district registrar at registration@npenn.org or 215-853-1086.


NPHS Navy Jazz Band to Play New Orleans Jazz Fest

The North Penn High School Navy Jazz Band is preparing for its biggest engagement to date, a trip to the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival in April.
 
After winning the 2015 SteelStacks High School Jazz Band Showcase, the band was invited to perform at Jazz Fest by grabbing the attention of the Dirty Dozen Brass Band while opening for them during a concert at SteelStacks May 15, 2015. A year later, The North Penn Navy Jazz Band performed in finals at the 2016 SteelStacks High School Jazz Band Showcase on Sunday, March 22. Although the band won't know the winner until the show is broadcast on April 2, the band came away with a Superior rating, Best Trombone Section and three soloist awards.

Penndale FCS Students Donate Place Mats
to Meals on Wheels

The Family and Consumer Sciences majors at Penndale Middle School recently studied textiles and how they come together. During this unit of study, the students weaved place mats and then furthered their hand sewing skills by sewing on an accent piece.

Ms. Rachel Moore explained that weaving the place mats teaches students how fibers become the textiles that are used each day in class. These place mats were then donated to the Ambler Meals on Wheels for distribution to their clients. Their clients are given two hot meals a day Monday through Friday and allow older adults and people with disabilities to live in their own homes. Each client will receive a  custom made place mat that will give some color to brighten up their day.
 
Emmy-nominated, NPHS '02 Graduate Visits NPHS

Emmy-nominated, North Penn High School 2002 alumna Danielle Vollmar will be visiting her Alma mater on Friday, March 11th to speak to students and staff studying communications, meteorology and women's voices about her background at NPHS and her path to success in the media news industry.


NPHS FCS Students Host Annual Fashion Show

North Penn High School Fashion Merchandising students hit the runway on Thursday, March 3 at 9:00 a.m. to model their original creations at the NPHS Secret Garden Fashion Show in the high school auditorium.
 
Read more... (and see more photos!)
March North Penn News Update from NPTV
North Penn Television (NPTV) students produced updates on what was happening around the NPSD during the month of March. This month's video update includes the NPHS Junior Prom, Assistant Principal at Penndale Mr. Jason Bashow "Going Green" For a Cause, and a video presentation for NPSD staff with everything you need to know about Keystone Exams.


North Penn High School Junior Prom
North Penn High School Junior Prom

Mr. Bashaw Goes Green for a Cause
Mr. Bashaw Goes Green for a Cause

What You Need to Know About Keystones in the NPSD
What You Need to Know About Keystones in the North Penn School District



To see more from NPTV, check out our