Look on youtube.com for all the live streamed recordings of the music concerts for the High School, Middle School and the Elementary School. The recordings are available to watch on the Oley Valley School District YouTube channel at any time. We have some very talented students in Oley Valley!

As we approach the winter season, we are updating and streamlining our reporting procedures. When the time comes to make decisions on early dismissals, delayed starts, snow days, or Flexible Instruction Days (FID), we will use the following media outlets to notify parents:

• All Users School Messenger phone call, text, and email

• OVSD Webpage

• WFMZ

• Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram

The Oley Valley School District was honored as the 2023 Community Partner of the Year at a Holiday Party hosted by Big Brothers Big Sisters of Berks County on December 14th. The District is truly honored to have received this award.

Facebook: http://facebook.com/OleyValleyES/
Twitter: @ElemOley

Facebook: http://facebook.com/OleyValleyMS/
Twitter: @OleyMS

Facebook: http://facebook.com/oleyvalleyHS/
Twitter: @OleyValleyHS

The high school’s Aevidum Club ran its “We are thankful for OVHS” campaign throughout November. During this time, all students were invited to sign the windows outside of the cafeteria during lunch. This created a large community mural showcasing the students and staff that make OVHS a great place to be!

At the Regional Leadership Conference, the following members of FBLA qualified for the State Leadership Conference by placing first, second, or third in their events:

- Nora Biehn & Laura Kelly: 1st Place in Business Management (Objective Test)

- Spencer Haines: 1st Place in Help Desk (Objective Test)

- Brooks Muir: 1st Place in Supply Chain Management (Objective Test)

- Carter Smith: 2nd Place in Banking & Financial Systems (Objective Test)

- Aydan Cogan: 3rd Place in Public Policy & Advocacy (Objective Test)

The following students placed in their events and may qualify is another member of the region chooses not to compete at in their event category at states:

- Samantha Wagner: 4th Place in Job Interview (Performance Event)

- Elayna Wetherhold: 4th Place Marketing (Objective Test)

On November 14th Oley Valley FFA traveled to Lebanon County Fairgrounds to compete in various Career Development Events (CDEs).These events allow students to compete in many different areas such as Forestry, Horse Judging, Milk Quality, Aquatics, etc. Students are able to explore many different areas and learn if they have an interest in them. Students compete in the spring and fall every year with different competitions each time. This year we took 17 freshmen to compete! To compete students had to sign up for their CDE and they then had to study during their lynx period twice and stay after school for one practice. All of the students did very well in their CDE’s and we could not be prouder of how hard they worked.

On December 1st, we held our annual Christmas Line Dancing at the Oley Valley Fair Centre! Students stayed after school to help set up; they lined the walls with lights and filled the kitchen with drinks and snacks. At 7 pm the lights went out and DJ Chicken Nugget started his music for the night. We are so happy that everyone had a good time and can’t wait for the next one!

It’s citrus time! Every year the Oley Valley FFA holds the Citrus fundraiser. This fundraiser allows the students to go to the PA Farm Show in January. Students work hard starting on October 16 until November 16! Students race to gather orders around the school and outside of school. The top 10 sellers get to help unload all of the citrus and students deliver their citrus on December 12!

As the year comes to an end and with only a few events left in the year students are looking forward to their Christmas Break. On December 21 the Oley Valley FFA officers are welcoming 6 Oley FFA alumni to present to students on their college careers, and careers after college. It is so fun to listen to so many different experiences and careers. Students learn so much about different AG careers and it gets them thinking about their futures!

On Friday, December 1st, Oley Valley High School students enrolled in Public Speaking CP visited Alvernia University. The day began at the campus’s Flynn Center for Recreation, Wellness, and Health Sciences (PLEX). OVHS students and their teacher, Mrs. Kallis, were greeted by Professor Kristine Parkes and escorted to her classroom. As college students entered the classroom, the high school students interacted with them and had the opportunity to ask questions regarding their class and campus life. For this class session, Professor Parkes’s students were completing their final examination assignment: in small groups, they were challenged to deliver a persuasive and informative speech on a controversial topic. The first group elected to present on the impact of tattoos, piercings, and brightly colored hair on job opportunities. Next, class members addressed the limited opportunities for Generation Z to enter the housing market. Olivia Denton, OVHS Public Speaking CP student, stated, “Visiting the public speaking class was a very fulfilling experience, and interacting with the college students helped give me more insight about how my college experience will hopefully be.” At the conclusion of each presentation, students were afforded the opportunity to ask questions.

Upon the dismissal of the college students, Professor Parkes and Mrs. Kallis led a discussion with OVHS students wherein they were asked to analyze each speech for both its content and delivery. Students participated in intellectual and passionate discourse. Giuliana Santangelo, OVHS student, remarked, “The discussion after the class was very engaging. It helped me to learn more about college classes and college in general.”

Following the academic portion of the visitation, students were treated to a delicious lunch in the university’s cafeteria. After overindulging in the buffet, all were eager to walk the campus for a tour provided by a senior AU student. Sophomore Elita Bogdanova commented, “I appreciated that the tour guide knew the answers to my many questions. I learned a lot about Alvernia’s campus and what the school has to offer.” Sophomore Kaitlyn Gasparro remarked, “Alvernia University has a very pretty campus, and the students and faculty members we met were kind and helpful.” Provided with an educational campus visitation, everyone involved had an enjoyable experience.

On Thursday, November 30, 2023, 24 new members were inducted into Oley Valley High School’s chapter of the National Honor Society during a candlelight ceremony. These students represent the four pillars of the National Honor Society: character, leadership, scholarship, and service. Mrs. Muriel, advisor, and the student officers, Victoria Grim (president), Bode Brewer (vice president), and Korra Sanders (secretary), led the ceremony with Mr. Harrison, principal, as the guest speaker. Families were invited for a light reception afterwards.

Throughout the year, members of our chapter serve as role models for other students. In addition to the strong academic records which establish eligibility for membership, our chapter members are leaders in many organizations and serve our school and community through many service activities and peer tutoring. Last year, NHS students completed a combined 661 hours of community service and 358 hours of peer tutoring. We are proud of this record of accomplishment and welcome these energetic new members who support the values of the NHS.

Congratulations to the following NHS inductees:

Eleana Arrowsmith

Natalie Bauom

Nora Biehn

Elizabeth Bronson

Kylee Brown

Benjamin DeBalko

Vincent Dick

Charlie Donoff

Nathan Firek

Eva Glick

Wesley Hoffman

Dominique Hoover

Ethan Johnson

Dylan Kauffman

Laura Kelly

Ammoni Lockhart

Dezahyni Melendez-Perez

Jamie Rogers

Jonas Smith

Molly Stroupe

Caleb Teeters

Samantha Wagner
Leah Walters

Kayla Weller

Students enrolled in English II CP, English II, and Public Speaking CP were treated to a special poetrypresentation held in the high school library on December 18th. Since the students are currently writing spoken word poems and will be participating in a poetry slam competition, Mrs. Kallis invited three professional poets to OVHS. Dominique Miller-Shell (Sir Dominique Jordan), Tina Ortiz (Thunda Khatt), and Julie Pyle Childs presented on spoken word poetry and the annual Poetry Out Loud contest.

To begin the presentation, Julie Pyle Childs, director for the Regional Poetry Out Loud contest, introduced Sir Dominique and Thunda Khatt; both of whom then continued the presentation by performing some of their own works. Next, they facilitated several interactive activities to get the students involved and excited about poetry. After participating, the students were invited to ask questions about the poets’ creative processes and tips on performing. Student Natalie Boyd remarked, “I thought the presentation was so fun and interactive. I really liked the games we played and hearing them recite their poetry. This presentation helped me with ideas for the poem I am writing for the competition.”

To conclude the presentation, students were encouraged to share their own works. Genevieve Turgeon and Megan Schaeffer volunteered to perform their outstanding poems for the group, and they both received feedback from the professionals and their peers.

Upon returning from winter break, due to the engaging presentation, students will be better prepared to present their poems to their classmates. Each class will vote on the top three performances, and those poets will compete at the Celebration of the Arts held in the high school courtyard in the spring. At that time, a panel of judges will determine the winner of this year’s poetry slam.

Students who are interested in competing in the annual Poetry Out Loud contest will be required to memorize and perform two poems they select from an online anthology. This year, the high school Poetry Out Loud contest will be held on January 5, 2024. Any interested high school students are invited to participate and should contact Mrs. Kallis.

Workforce Wednesdays have returned this year! Each month, we have 3-4 guest speakers in the OVHS library discussing their careers with students. Students have the opportunity to sign up for presentations that align with their career interests. Students can sign up using the form posted on Schoology.

Here’s a look at some of the presentations we’ve had so far this year:

• 
  
• Manager of a local bank
• Using AI in business
• Engineer / sales manager
• Youtuber / podcaster
• Carpenter / business owner
• Levan Machines / business owner
• PA Game Commission
• Research Zoologist
• Physical Therapist

As of early December, we have had 124 participants! Thank you to school counselors, teachers, administrators, and the Local Advisory Council who support this library program.

Are you interested in being a guest speaker for an upcoming Workforce Wednesday presentation? We’d love to hear from you. Fill out this form or contact Mrs. Muriel at 610-987-4100 x6075 or jmuriel@ovsdpa.org.

On Tuesday, December 19th, Mr. Jeff Gernsheimer continued his annual tradition of visiting Oley Valley High School to speak to Mr. Kallis’s 11th and 12th grade students enrolled in History of the Holocaust CP. Mr. Gernsheimer was also accompanied by his first cousin, Ellen Azrael.

Mr. Gernsheimer shared his mother’s experiences from before, during, and after World War II. Hilde Gernsheimer was born in Germany in 1926 and witnessed the rise of Adolf Hitler and his Nazi Party. Fortunately, she managed to escape during the Kindertransport – a rescue operation that sent thousands of European Jewish children from Nazi-controlled areas to live with British foster families for the duration of World War II. Sadly, Mrs. Hilde Gernsheimer passed away a few years ago.

Next, Mrs. Ellen Azrael spoke to students about both of her parents and their experiences in Camp Westerbork. Located within the Netherlands, Westerbork was used as a staging location for sending Jews to concentration and extermination camps elsewhere in Nazi occupied Europe. Unbelievably, her parents not only met, got married, but also survived the inhumane conditions of Westerbork by the time World War II ended.

Mr. Jeff Gernsheimer and Mrs. Ellen Azrael have continued their shared mission of educating future generations about the impact of antisemitism, indifference, and never losing hope in oneself or humanity. We look forward to seeing them again.

Scholarship Application Opens January 3, 2024!

OVCEF is pleased to announce it will award 10 scholarships totaling $28,500 to deserving students of the class of 2024. The scholarships that will be awarded are:

· 1 - $5,000 Philip B. Fleck Memorial Scholarship

· 1 - $3,000 Positive Impact Scholarship

· 3 - $3,000 Sally Breidegam-Miksiewicz Scholarships

· 3 - $3,000 OVCEF Scholarships

· 1 - $1,500 Walter Levan Skilled Trade Scholarship

· 1 - $1,000 Sports Medicine Alumni Scholarship

The application deadline is February 29, 2024. To learn more about OVCEF’s Scholarships, please visit our website at https://www.oleyvalleycef.com/scholarships. If you have any questions, please see Mrs. Schorr in Room 130 or email her at ovcef@ovsdpa.org.

Save the Date for the 13th Annual Zackon 5k & 1-mile Fun Run: Saturday, April 20, 2024!

This event takes place in the picturesque Oley Valley. The day-of-race registration table opens at 8 AM, and the race begins at 9 AM. Fun Run will begin at 9:10 AM. Registration will open soon, and you can find full details as well as the registration form on our website at https://www.oleyvalleycef.com/zackon-5k-run-and-walk. Thank you for your support, and we look forward to seeing you at this outdoor, family-friendly event.

For families and students who may experience homelessness, information on the McKinney-Vento Act is available on the Oley Valley School District Website or see below.

OVSD Homeless Liaison and Unaccompanied Youth Contact:

Mia K. Pietsch, M.Ed

Director of Student Services

Oley Valley School District

17 Jefferson Street Oley, PA 19547

610. 987.4100 ext. 1187 or ext. 1188

mpietsch@ovsdpa.org

Please Visit the Sites below for information:

Dr. Zachary Fatkin, President

Aaron Keller, Vice President

Dawn Zackon, Treasurer

Maria Bogdanova-Peifer, Member

Candice Corle, Member

Jamie Freed, Member

Mary Harris, Member

Sharon Kershner, Member

Benjamin Raker, Member

Benjamin Pratt, Esquire, Board Solicitor

The Oley Valley School District is an Equal Opportunity Employer and Educator who fully and actively supports equal access for all people regardless of Race, Color, Religion, Gender, Age, National Origin, Veteran Status, Disability, Genetic Information or Testing, Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity or Expression and prohibits Retaliation against individuals who bring forth any complaint, orally or in writing, to the employer or the government, or against any individuals who assist or practice in the investigation of any complaint, or otherwise oppose discrimination. Compliance issues/questions should be directed to the Office of the Superintendent.