Rose Tree Media Reporter

The 65th annual Penncrest High School graduation ceremony was held on Friday, June 9 at Neumann University. [View the 2023 Penncrest Graduation]

During June, we also honored our 5th and 8th graders as they were promoted to the next grade level! Enjoy photos of many of the end-of-year activities and celebrations in our schools throughout this newsletter.

Congratulations to the entire Class of 2023!

Sharon Williams, a Springton Lake Middle School language arts teacher, was selected as one of 12 finalists for 2024 Pennsylvania Teacher of the Year!

The honor serves as a platform to highlight the vital role that K-12 teachers play in shaping the future generation. With nominees from nearly 500 Pennsylvania school districts, Ms. Williams’ recognition as a Teacher of the Year finalist is a testament to her unwavering passion and tireless efforts. It celebrates the profound influence she has had on her students' lives and acknowledges the extraordinary commitment she’s held to fostering a love of learning and inspiring academic growth over 16 years in our district.

To read more about Ms. Williams and the Pennsylvania Teacher of the Year Award, visit: https://www.delcotimes.com/2023/05/20/rose-tree-media-language-arts-teacher-named-pa-teacher-of-the-year-finalist/

The Rose Tree Media Board of School Directors approved the district’s budget for the 2023-24 school year. The 2023-24 General Fund Budget has expenditures of $117,038,526 and revenue of $114,488,009. It includes a projected use of the fund balance in the amount of $2,550,517 – a 40-percent reduction from last year. The budget advances the district’s goal of eliminating any reliance on fund balance.

In addition to this reduction, the district’s 2023-24 budget tax increase of 3.7% is smaller than the Pennsylvania Act 1 limit of 4.1%. Last year, the district took the full increase. Rose Tree Media’s millage tax rate remains third lowest of the fifteen districts in Delaware County.

More information about the RTMSD budget is available on our Business Office webpage.

On June 8, Penncrest Class of 2023 graduates came back to the place where it all started—Glenwood! During this annual tradition, seniors visit in their caps and gowns to walk the halls of Glenwood one last time.

The end of the year is a bittersweet time. As excited as students are for summer, the thought of leaving their classmates and teachers behind can be tough. To spend some extra time together, the entire 3rd grade class of 96 students gathered together on the playground for a morning meeting. It was a special treat to celebrate the end of the school year!

Also in June, Mr. Leahan and Mrs. Leiberman, Glenwood's physical education teachers, planned an incredible Field Day celebration. Participants were placed on two teams—green and white—and rotated through 22 stations. What a fun experience!

In early May, 1st grade teachers and students invited loved ones to the Glenwood cafeteria for some light breakfast treats and to share the morning together. The students made crafts, sang songs, recited poems, and spent time with their loved ones!

May and June are busy months for field trips at Glenwood! Third-grade students went to the Franklin Institute at the end of May, where they explored the museum and learned about the brain, heart, exercise, and more! Many exhibits at the Franklin Institute directly correlate to the school’s science curriculum, and students were able to experience a number of hands-on learning activities.

Fourth-grade students traveled to Historic Philadelphia for a tour, where they visited the Betsy Ross House, Independence Hall, The Liberty Bell, and more. The students all enjoyed their trip to the city to learn about the past!

At the last Junior Optimist Ambassador meeting, Glenwood 4th and 5th grade students held a special breakfast for staff as a way to thank them for supporting the club throughout the school year! In addition, the Ambassadors collected almost two cars full of donations for the Delaware County division of Fostering Hope, a charity that gives children safe places to live.

Blaire Jamison, a Glenwood parent who runs this branch, helped facilitate the projects. Students put together more than 75 “bags of hope,” presented to children as they leave their homes for temporary living arrangements.

Glenwood welcomed incoming kindergarten students on June 8. The students had the opportunity to meet with teachers, meet Mr. Bucci, tour the school, and learn what kindergarten will be like!

As an end-of-year science project, Glenwood’s 4th grade students had an opportunity to learn how to code as part of a STEM project. Students used the Sphero app, allowing them to control a robot’s movement and put to use lessons learned during their kinetic energy studies. Using Kinex, Magnatiles, Legos, and Unifix codes, they designed obstacles through which they were able to maneuver the Sphero robots.

As part of the Reader's Workshop Curriculum, 3rd grade students study different types of biographies, and then identify challenges, successes, and positive impacts on the world as found in their reading. As a culmination of the unit, students chose a specific person to research and presented their information dressed like the person they chose to study!

Penncrest High School seniors who attended Indian Lane Elementary came back for one last visit prior to graduation! Elementary students lined the hallways to congratulate the seniors on reaching this milestone and cheered as they passed by.

Poetry Cafe has become a well-attended event where students in grades 1-5 and their guests share their original work or recite published poems with a live audience. The light-hearted atmosphere provides a welcoming space for sharing creativity while instilling an interest in poetry.

The Indian Lane Unified Track & Field team ended the season with a team competition in Plymouth Whitemarsh on May 20. Students brought their range of abilities together for the meet and performed their best. They each exemplified hard work and demonstrated an impressive commitment to inclusion.

Athletes formed friendships with their peers that will continue long after the season. Way to go, Bobcats!

Indian Lane’s Girls on the Run (GOTR) team represented the school well at the celebratory annual 5K fun run on May 21! The team, made up of 18 girls in grades 3-5, met twice each week from February to May to train as a team for the event.

GOTR is a national organization with an empowering and positive message for young girls to find “confidence through accomplishment” as they train for and finish the run. Leaders inspire the runners to believe in themselves and find their confidence as they cross the finish line on run day.

Indian Lane Art Teacher Katie Devine partnered with Riddle Hospital to create the digital mosaic featured at the new Riddle Hospital medical pavilion! Adding to the significance of this community space, three RTMSD student artists have contributed their work to the mosaic. The project is sponsored by S.N.A.P., and the pavilion officially opened on June 14.

Indian Lane 5th grade performers put on a fabulous production of “Willy Wonka, Kids” on May 11! The matinee performance was enjoyed by the entire Indian Lane student body, with an encore public performance for families that evening.

The highly anticipated Indian Lane Field Day was a success! Students in grades 1-5 participate in the spirited tradition of a day rotating through fun stations like the water slide or obstacle course with their classmates. Special recognition goes to Tessa Palmer for her incredible rendition of the National Anthem. Check out the highlight video to see the fun for yourself!

Indian Lane is proud to support inclusion, and we believe everyone has a right to be part of our school and community. This school year, students completed several lessons and activities that teach our philosophy of inclusion. Pledging their commitment to spread kindness, everyone signed a banner that will proudly hang in our building. Students also enjoyed a frozen treat together to celebrate their accomplishment and collective promise!

Indian Lane Elementary School's PTG is proud to host “Run The Lane,” a 5K run or 2-mile walk supporting the NK Smiles Scholarship Fund. The race is held each year to benefit the scholarship fund that memorializes Norm Kelly, Jr., an Indian Lane teacher who passed away in August 2006 after a battle against cancer. The scholarship is awarded to Penncrest seniors pursuing a career in the education field.

This year, the event brought in more than 300 racers! The kid’s fun run, the “Bobcat Bolt,” was a welcomed addition to accommodate even the youngest racers.

Indian Lane 5th graders followed the steps of the scientific method to prove or disprove their hypothesis during science class. The young scientists created visual display boards that showed their process, data analysis, and final conclusions. Their displays were on exhibit in the cafeteria for the annual Science Fair, where they had the opportunity to present their findings to 3rd and 4th graders.

Students and families joining our Indian Lane community as kindergartners enjoyed an open house event on June 5. The kindergarten classroom provided the perfect space for parents to meet with Mrs. Britton while classmates got to know each other over blocks, coloring, and other imaginative activities.

Mrs. Lisa Hooven was the guest of honor at the dedication ceremony for the new Media Elementary Lisa Hooven Kindergarten Playground. Mrs. Hooven retired last year from MES, but came back in May 2023 for a warm-welcomed visit where the school held an assembly to celebrate her career. The dedication plaque reads, “Where All Friends Are Welcome,” which pays homage to Lisa’s kind, thoughtful, and loving approach to teaching.

A former student described Mrs. Hooven as the “perfect teacher for welcoming a child into elementary school,” which is the spirit she leaves on the new playground!

The Media Elementary Garden Club has enjoyed bountiful harvests from their garden. Students had an active role in maintaining the garden and were responsible for planting, watering, weeding, harvesting, and preparing the produce for eating.

Media Elementary students in grades 1-5 practiced and demonstrated the games and activities planned for the annual Blue & White Field Day. It was a great opportunity for students to demonstrate their abilities in skills like catching, throwing, kicking, and dribbling to their teachers and families.

The rehearsal is an added enrichment for students as they can earn sportsmanship points in each of the team-building challenges. The annual Media Elementary Blue & White Field Day took place Friday, May 26.

Media Elementary was fortunate to have hosted representatives from Media Fair Trade to present the heritage of fair trade in the community!

The students engaged in a “farming” role play to simulate what fair trade is and how it is applied.

Media Elementary has been recognized for achieving a Tier 1 status for its Universal School-Wide Positive Behavioral Intervention and Supports (SWPBIS) Features in its SWPBIS Tiered Fidelity Inventory.

This national recognition validates and measures the extent to which MES staff are applying the foundations of SWPBIS. The inventory includes three tiers that can be used separately or in combination to assess the application of SWPBIS foundational principles.

This is a testament of the school’s collective efforts to teach, implement, and practice the 3Rs (Ready, Respectful, and Responsible) with positive reinforcement and mutual respect between staff and students. Congratulations, MES students and staff!

Second graders put their economics unit to work by operating a storefront from their desk in an exercise named “Media Markets.” Students built a business plan for goods or services to sell to their classmates. The entrepreneurs had to manage their costs and take into consideration their earnings. Students also analyzed and compared needs versus wants and made smart decisions to sustain a successful store.

Four of Media Elementary’s Academically Gifted Program (AGP) students, under the guidance of their coach, Mrs. Rigatti, earned first place at the 2023 Pennsylvania Thermo Fisher Scientific STEM K’NEX Design Challenge in Harrisburg.

The team was challenged to conduct research on an environmental issue of their choice and brainstorm possible solutions to the issue. After working through this part of the project, students then presented their proposed solution with a prototype constructed out of K’Nex, a rod and conductor building system.

Media Elementary students enjoyed the annual Art Show, generously hosted by Mrs. Bellamy and the PTG. The show featured an art scavenger hunt and a collaborative message board, where attendees wrote their response to the prompt: “How does art make you feel?” Each MES student had a piece of their work on display at the show.

Families and students celebrated and recognized the time spent at Rose Tree Elementary during our 5th Grade Recognition Ceremony. Congratulations to all!

The Rose Tree Elementary Chorus Theater Club performed “The Lion King” in June! Directors Mrs. Williams, Miss Ripley, and Miss Loughlin worked hard to prepare our students for these performances. A team of parents and guardians have also helped out with costumes, makeup, sets, lighting, and more. We are grateful to everyone involved in this production!

RTES welcomed many parents and community members into the school for the 5th Grade Career Showcase, along with the all-school Cultural Heritage Day.

During the Career Showcase, parent volunteers met with small groups of students to discuss their careers.

To celebrate Culture Heritage Day, members of the community visited classrooms to share information about their culture and heritage. Thank you to the F.A.R.E group which was instrumental in the success of Cultural Heritage Day!

Congratulations to Parker LePard, a 4th grade student at Rose Tree Elementary, who had a winning poem in the 2023 Young Poets of Delaware County Competition! Thank you to Miss Loughlin for supporting Parker’s endeavors.

RTES celebrated STEAM Week May 30-June 3. STEAM. During this week, each grade was given a task related to science, technology, engineering, the arts, and/or math. Students were asked to plan, design, build, test, and improve upon their project.

STEAM Week not only exposes students to important subjects, but it also allows them to continue to enhance their ability to collaborate with others, communicate effectively, think critically, and be creative!

RTES students have been enjoying BINGO this spring! First, students earned a school-wide reward, and they chose to play whole-school BINGO. Thanks to Mrs. Morris and Mrs. Schreiber for the energy and enthusiasm that they brought to the schoolwide BINGO games!

Also, the PTG ran a very successful “Luau BINGO” in the cafeteria. Hundreds of students and families participated in this fun evening!

Three Springton Lake teachers have been recognized for their accomplishments and contributions to the profession:

• Devon Hartzell, SLMS special education teacher, was awarded the Franklin Mint Excellence in Teaching Award for Delaware County.

• John Phillips, 8th grade language arts teacher, was conferred with a doctoral degree from West Chester University.

• Sharon Williams, 8th grade language arts teacher, was announced as one of 12 finalists for the 2023 Pennsylvania Teacher of the Year.

Springton Lake Middle School music students in grades 6-8 participated in the spring concert season, which featured a wide variety of musical selections across chorus, band, and orchestra studies. Students in the Choice Voices, Select Chorus, Orchestra, Honors Strings, Jazz Band, and Band programs also performed in the Annual Trills & Thrills Music Festival in Hershey Park on Friday, May 19.

Three teachers and three students from SLMS took a trip to Philadelphia to take part in a trivia battle as part of Fox Studios’ trivia show, “The ClassH-Room.” The show, designed specifically for local schools, airs on Wednesday evenings at 6:30 p.m. on local television. You can also find it on the show’s YouTube channel.

SLMS students earned national recognition for their performance on the 2023 National Spanish Examinations. Results included four gold medals, two silver medals, and seven bronze medals, along with 12 honorable mentions!

Kelsey Meissner, a 7th grade student, earned second place in the 64th annual Delaware County Bar Association Law Day Essay competition. This year’s theme was Cornerstones of Democracy: Civics, Civility, and Collaboration.

As part of the celebration of Spring Lake’s 50th anniversary, alumni were invited to campus to open a time capsule from 1972. The ceremony was recorded and shared during the formal anniversary celebration on May 25, where previous administrators, alumni, and current students celebrated the school’s past and committed to the future. They also re-designated SLMS as a Pennsylvania School to Watch!

The Penncrest girls’ track team claimed the Central League championship after a remarkable undefeated season, led by head coach Zachary Musselman and assistant coach Gina Kokoska! This included a win over Strath Haven, which had not been beaten in a central league match in over 12 years.

Sophomore Ruby Schwelm broke the school record in the two-mile race and currently is 6th in the state with that time. The 4x100, 4x400, and 4x800 relays all qualified for districts, along with multiple athletes in open events.

Congratulations to the Girls’ 4x100 relay team (Maddux Morgan, Olivia Clark, Regina Zizivily, Zoe Clark)! They earned the 8th place medal at the State Track and Field Championships!

Additionally, the Boys’ track 4x800 relay team are PIAA State Champions! Team members are Ben Holst-Rightley, Shane Hall, Kadin Salaria, and Brendan Hefferan. Their coaches are Dion Durnell and Tom Kennedy. They took home the first boys’ track relay state championship in Penncrest school history!

Penncrest students will represent Pennsylvania in the International NCF Envirothon in New Brunswick, Canada in late July! PHS students qualified for the event after winning the Pennsylvania State Envirothon Competition this spring.

Team members Sophia Donnelly, Jordan Knox, Leo Ouyang, Zaid Salaria, and Sophia Murphy competed against 62 other teams in the state final. Penncrest took first place in the Current Issues component and had a perfect score in the Oral component. Each team member was awarded a $1,000 scholarship for their efforts at the state competition!

Penncrest was represented by five outstanding musicians at the PMEA All-State Conference in April. These students reached the highest level of the Pennsylvania honor band system, participating in rehearsals and sessions led by top conductors in the region and performing at unforgettable concerts.

The festival took place at the Kalahari Resort in the Poconos. A big congratulations goes out to:

• Josie InTham, Senior, Clarinet

• Zoe Mackenzie, Senior, Trombone

• Evan Menta, Sophomore, Clarinet

• Olivia Truocchio, Senior, Trumpet

• Ben Werner, Senior, Trombone

Penncrest Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) members competed against 5,000 other students across Pennsylvania at the recent State Leadership Conference, held in Hershey. PHS students placed in the top four of their respective competition and were able to compete at the state level. They also attended numerous workshops and had networking opportunities with business leaders and college representatives.

Taking part in the event were Rachel Adams, Carly Boyer, Eva Chen, Melody Chen, Kailyn Conway-Bulkley, Brady Donaghy, Mia O'Boyle, Raegan Viau, Kylie Keinath, Lilly Kirkpatrick, Matthew Kozma, Anders Kristiansen, Rohin Kutty-Martin, Zoe Mackenzie, Abigail Montgomery, Ai-Linh Nguyen, Sarah Pyfer, Andrew Rea, Abigail Ryan, Liam Wray, and Jason Vlaminck.

The opening reception for Penncrest High School’s 65th Annual Celebration of the Arts took place May 10. In addition to the more than 1,000 works of art displayed, musical performances by the Ambassador Choir, the PHS Jazz Band, and the PHS String Quartet rounded out the evening. It was the first in-person opening in three years, and it was a huge success! The art department has three teachers and offers 13 art courses.

The PHS girls’ lacrosse program continued their stellar season and played in the school’s first-ever 3A District 1 championship this spring. They earned a silver medal against Owen J. Roberts. They then went on to compete in the state championship match, again falling a little short against Roberts. Congratulations to the team on an outstanding season!

The Penncrest Coding Club took two teams to the CodeLM event on April 27 in Norristown. The team of Josh Fineberg, Aditya Murthy, and Samar Pithiya took first place out of more than 30 schools and 100 total teams! Also competing for PHS was the team of Reid Graham, Ethan Krall, and Nate Weinrich. The club is sponsored by Mr. Jason Ritter.

Reviving a 25-year tradition that was sadly interrupted by COVID-19, speakers from the Vietnam Veterans of America, Delaware County Chapter 67, visited social studies classes on May 23.

Frank Roessner (Navy), Ray Stankus (Army), and Dave Humphrey (Army and the president of VVA Chapter 67) spoke to almost 500 students as they gave presentations throughout the day. They shared personal stories and provided broader context about what it was like to graduate from high school and college when there was a war raging and a draft in effect. They also described the social upheaval and the hostility that veterans faced when returning from service in such an unpopular war. And, they touched on the prevalence of PTSD among many veterans.

Senior Thomas Mulholland, who is bound for West Point, volunteered to model some of the gear that Vietnam-era infantry would have worn and carried. We have done this presentation for many years for thousands of Penncrest students in the week leading up to Memorial Day. It is a great opportunity to remind students about the seriousness of the holiday, when we remember those who gave it all so that we may enjoy the freedoms we have today.

• Information about the Rose Tree Media School District and its schools is available on our website at www.rtmsd.org.
• District Overview: www.rtmsd.org/domain/61
• Board of School Directors: www.rtmsd.org/domain/60
• Employment: rtmsd.tedk12.com/hire/index.aspx
• District and School Calendars: www.rtmsd.org/Page/2
• Archived Newsletters: www.rtmsd.org/Page/153