EXETER TOWNSHIP SCHOOL DISTRICT

From the Desk of Dr. Beverly Martin, Superintendent

“Responding to Tight Financial Times Brings About Change in Use of K-4 Schools”

(continued on page 2)

I am always amazed at how

quickly the days fly by, and that a

quarter of the 2010-11 school year is

already behind us! With so much to

keep us all busy, there is no question

that the rest of the year will pass with

equal speed here in the Exeter Town-

ship School District.

Among the many things we are

looking forward to is the opening of

Owatin Creek Elementary School,

which will be Exeter’s first LEED

Certified (Leadership in Energy and

Environmental Design) school build-

ing. In using energy-efficient and

environmentally-friendly materials, we

are conserving for the future and re-

ducing energy costs. We have also

applied for and received a grant to help

us in this endeavor, and will receive

additional state reimbursement avail-

able for LEED certified school con-

struction. Thus far, the construction

has proceeded very well, and is right

on schedule. We have a terrific team

of people working with us on this pro-

ject, including architects, construction

managers, and various contractors,

who are all committed to doing a qual-

ity job at a reasonable price in a timely

manner. Owatin Creek Elementary

School is designed for up to 500 stu-

dents and expandable for up to 250

additional students in its current con-

figuration.

As we move closer to the opening

of the new school, many decisions still

lie before us. We must determine how

to redistrict to allow students to oc-

cupy Owatin Creek, we must identify

the staff that we will put in place to

support the children, and we must pro-

vide the furniture, supplies, and educa-

tional resources for the classrooms,

library, gymnasium and computer lab.

As we proceed with this process, it is

stating the obvious to point out that the

economy remains a serious problem for

our residents, our community, and the

district. All public school systems are

feeling the impact of the slowed hous-

ing market, property tax reassessments,

and lack of support from the state and

federal government.

As we considered our redistricting

options, we realized that we had to

make some difficult decisions that

would impact Exeter School District

families. We recognized that our en-

rollment has remained stable at 4,400

students since the recession began, and

the rapid pre-recession growth in our

student population that we experienced

prior to 2008 had, at least temporarily,

stopped. It became clear that there was

an opportunity to save a significant

amount of money by expanding the

number of students originally planned

to be assigned to Owatin Creek Ele-

mentary School (exceeding the original

500 students), reduce the students at

the crowded Jacksonwald Elementary

School, and move the current student

population from M.L. Lausch School to

one or more of the other schools. We

could then determine how best to use

Lausch, and what renovations we need

to make to it to conform to the current

and future needs of the district. Since

we know how important schools are to

families and to the staff who work in

them, we know that there will be a lot

of emotion that accompanies this deci-

sion. Lausch is a wonderful school,

Construction of Owatin Creek Elementary on Schedule

Construction of the Owatin Creek Elementary School is on schedule for final completion next summer. This view, looking east from Schoffer’s Road, shows the two-story classroom wing in the foreground and the

gymnasium in the background.

Vol. 36 Number 1 Fall 2010

2 ETSD NEWSLETTER

Senior Citizens Tax Rebate Program

and we plan to assess our current fa-

cilities and needs, and determine how

best to use it, possibly for administra-

tive purposes and some specialized

educational programming. However,

by assigning our K-4 students to three,

rather than the four schools beginning

in the 2011-12 term, we can save sig-

nificant costs including additional sala-

ries, benefits, furnishings and supplies,

as well as some operating expenses.

The Lausch building will be available

to serve as a school in the future when

enrollments increase and additional

classroom space is needed.

In the meantime, our next step is

to determine the attendance boundaries

for the three K-4 schools

(Jacksonwald, Lorane, and Owatin

Creek), and then communicate with

our families to prepare them for the

changes that will affect them. We also

will survey staff members, and make

decisions about staff relocation, and

work diligently to assist and support

the transitions that will need to be

made for our students, their families

and our staff. With this plan we are

convinced that the high quality of ele-

mentary education will continue and at

the same time save taxpayer dollars.

Jacksonwald Elementary:

Doing What’s Best for

Children Through

Shared Leadership Craig Sell, Assistant Principal

Jacksonwald Elementary has had a

great start to the 2010-11 school year

and we look forward to working to-

gether to help every student find suc-

cess. This year we are excited about

continuing to work with the Response

to Instruction and Intervention (RtII)

program which utilizes data to make

educational decisions about student

needs. The use of student data at Jack-

sonwald also helps focus our instruc-

tion and makes sure that we are ad-

dressing state standards appropriately.

The teachers have done a phenomenal

job using the data to improve instruc-

tional practices, and together with sup-

port from the district and community,

the children at Jacksonwald receive

high quality instruction. Each week the

RtII leadership team meets with grade

level teachers and parents to work to-

gether assisting individual students to

ensure their success. In addition, the

social and emotional development of

the students remains an important part

of our educational process as we con-

tinue to look at the whole child.

The Jacksonwald Elementary staff

works together as a professional learn-

ing community to provide leadership in

a variety of areas. Whether it is read-

ing data, working on curriculum, or

assisting students, staff members share

their knowledge and help others learn

from their individual strengths to im-

prove the collective knowledge of our

learning community. Professional

development and opportunities to im-

prove instructional practices are a val-

ued part of our growth as a learning

community. As a team, Jacksonwald

Elementary provides a safe and nurtur-

ing place for every child to have every

opportunity to learn and grow every

day.

The Volunteer Tax Rebate Program for senior citizens is designed to provide assis-

tance for senior citizens in paying real estate taxes and to provide the district with citizens’

skills and time. The program is open to residents of Exeter Township School District, 60

years of age or older, who have a household income of less than $35,000 and are owners of

residential property.

In exchange for a tax credit, senior citizens can volunteer to work in a classroom, li-

brary, cafeteria, office, playground, or outside groundskeeping. Interested senior citizens

should submit completed “Senior Volunteer Application” and “Financial Needs Assessment

Information” forms to the business office at 3650 Perkiomen Avenue. The law requires

that new volunteers must also submit the Pennsylvania State Police Criminal Record

Check, the Pennsylvania Child Abuse History Clearance, and the Federal Criminal History

(FBI fingerprint).

After a senior is approved for the program, a record of volunteered time must be kept

by the volunteer and the department/building office. Every hour of service provided to the

district (maximum 100 hours from January 2011 to June 2011), $5.99 of credit will be set

aside towards a rebate on the next fiscal year’s property tax bill (maximum $599.00 or the

amount of property tax if less than $599.00). At the end of the district’s fiscal year (e.g.

end of June 2011), the business office will calculate the dollars earned during that fiscal

year, review the amounts with the superintendent, present the total list to the Board of

School Directors for approval, and issue a rebate check after the volunteer has paid his/her

next fiscal year property tax bill (e.g. issued in July 2011).

Superintendent’s message (continued from page 1)

Sixteen new teachers, eight ele-

mentary and eight secondary, were

welcomed and oriented to the district

during five days of inservice training

prior to the 2010-11 first student day.

At the senior high school Brett Witmer

is teaching social studies and Laura

Price is a long- term substitute (LTS)

also teaching social studies, Calli

Maguire and Elizabeth Tesoro are spe-

cial education LTSs, Matthew Hummer

is the new Latin teacher, and Virginia

Gonzalez is teaching Spanish. Jason

Zalno is a new member of the junior

high school staff, teaching technology

education.

At Reiffton Michelle Woolsey is

the newest fifth grade teacher and Kim-

berly Hinkle is a LTS special education

teacher. Monica Weisser is the new

reading specialist at Lorane and Kath-

ryn Hong is a LTS music teacher. At

Jacksonwald Kathy Walker is teaching

gifted education, while Matthew Had-

ley and Melinda Leffel are LTSs. Matt

is teaching physical education and

Melinda is teaching kindergarten.

Megan Hunt is the long-term sub guid-

ance counselor at M.L.Lausch and

Emily Holleman is teaching elementary

strings.

New Instructional Staff

for 2010-11 Welcomed

Fall 2010 3

Introducing Two New Assistant Principals

Inclement Weather & Emergency Reminders

A decision to close school or have a late start due to inclement weather is usually

made by 6 a.m. As soon as the decision is made, information will be disseminated to stu-

dents, parents, and staff using Connect-ED, the telephone messaging service. Messages

for late starts and closings are forwarded to home phone numbers. Emergency communi-

cations, including early dismissals, will be forwarded to all phone numbers listed for each

student. This includes a parent’s home, cell, and work phone, if provided to the district.

Closing, late starts, and early dismissal announcements will also be broadcast on

local television and radio. The following television stations will air the message: WFMZ

Channel 69, WCAU Channel 10, and WPVI Channel 6. Radio stations that will announce

the message are: 830 AM, 1340 AM, 107.5 FM, 96 FM, 99.9 FM, Y-102 FM, and 100.7

FM. The information is also available on the Internet at: Cancellations.com (it can also

be accessed from the district’s website) or www.wfmz.com.

It is imperative that young children know where they should go and what they

should do if a parent is not at home and there is a need for an unexpected early dis-

missal. In order to avoid a problem, please prepare children for this potential cir-

cumstance.

If there is a need to delay the opening of school for two hours, a modified schedule

will be used for kindergarten. The adjusted schedule will be: AM kindergarten (11 a.m. to

12:50 p.m.) and PM kindergarten (1:50 to 3:40 p.m.).

Craig A. Sell was appointed as the Jacksonwald assistant principal last spring

replacing Tara Ricci, who acquired a principal position in another district. Mr. Sell

comes to ETSD from the Perkiomen Valley School District where he served as a third

grade teacher and Instructional Support Team coordinator for 12 years. He coached

high school varsity baseball and various elementary sports.

Mr. Sell grew up in the Lehigh Valley and graduated from Northern Lehigh High

School. He earned a B.S. in early childhood education and psychology from James

Madison University, a M.Ed. in elementary education from West Chester University,

and principal certification from Alvernia.

Craig and his wife currently reside in northern Chester County and are the parents

of a four-year-old daughter and a two-year-old son. He enjoys spending time with his

family, golfing, and is an avid baseball fan. After several months in the district, Craig

said: “It has been a pleasure getting to know the staff and students of Jacksonwald and

I am excited to be part of an excellent school and supportive community.”

On October 25 Jeffrey A. MacFarland began his duties as an assistant principal at

ETSHS. Mr. MacFarland replaces Joseph Hepp who left the district to work in an-

other district. Prior to arriving in this district Jeff taught social studies at Springfield

Township High School in Erdenheim, PA. He also served there as a gifted support

teacher, senior seminar teacher, head boys’ tennis coach, and class advisor.

Mr. MacFarland received a B.A. in history from The College of William and

Mary, a M.Ed. in secondary social studies from Arcadia University, and principal

certification from Pennsylvania State University.

Jeff and his wife are the parents of a three-year-old son and a 10-month-old

daughter. The family resides in Paoli. In the warmer weather, Jeff enjoys staying ac-

tive with golf and tennis and heading to the beach with the family. When asked about

his first impressions of ETSD, Mr. MacFarland said: "While searching for a job in

educational administration, I focused on finding a high school that was a match with

my own educational beliefs, practices and personality. Among the supportive admin-

istrative team, the talented faculty and staff, the strong community connections, and

most importantly, the students who have welcomed me with sincere graciousness, I

could not have found a better match. I am incredibly excited to be working at Exeter

Township Senior High School."

Craig Sell

Jeffrey MacFarland

Don’t miss an

opportunity to

meet face to

face with your

child’s teachers.

Schedule a

Parent Conference

JHS Nov. 17 - 5:30-8:30 p.m.

SHS Nov. 18 - 5:30-8:30 p.m.

Elementary

Nov. 22 - evening

Nov. 23 - afternoon

Nov. 24 - morning

Fall 2010 4

Each year the district applies for and receives numerous grants that provide valuable revenue to enhance programs and ser-

vices for ETSD students. Most grants are very specific in their purpose and dictate how the funding can be used. The district is

pleased to inform residents about the grants received for 2010-11 which total over $2 million.

Program or Grant Purpose Amount Title I Improving basic programs $317,474

Title II Increase achievement by improving teacher and principal quality $86,431

Title III: Improving Help for limited English proficiency & immigration

Language Instruction students attain English proficiency $11,182

PA-PACT “Above the 2.9%” Instruction of students $42,357

“Up to and including 2.9%” Instruction of students $936,571

Accountability Supports student achievement through full-day kdg. and class size

Block Grant reduction in K-3 classrooms $460,420

Educational Assistance Portions of teachers’ salaries to support students who struggle academically $86,576

Program

PA Green School Assists with Owatin Creek “green design” $25,000

Planning

Classrooms for

the Future Assisting teachers to use technology $25,000

Dual Enrollment Assists with tuition cost reimbursement $19,054

District Acquires $2 Million Through Grant Funding

TOTAL $2,010,065

Senior Timothy Austin, the son of

Patrick and Kathryn Austin, earned a top

composite score of 36 on a recent ACT test.

The ACT, originally known as the Ameri-

can College Test, assesses high school stu-

dents' general educational development and

their ability to complete college-level work.

Nationally, while the actual number of

students earning a composite score of 36

varies from year to year, roughly one-tenth

of one percent receive a top score. Among

test takers in the high school graduating

class of 2009, only 638 of nearly 1.5 million

students earned a composite score of 36.

Out of the students who took the ACT in

June 2010 (when Tim took it) only four in

the entire Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

and no other student in Berks County scored

36.

The ACT consists of tests in English,

mathematics, reading and science. Each test

is scored on a scale of 1-36, and a student’s

composite score is the average of the four

test scores.

ETSHS Senior Earns a Perfect Score on the ACT

Tim Austin

School Meals - We Serve

Education Everyday! Gloria L. Clay SNS

Food Service Supervisor

We all know that food prices have

increased considerably and school meal

prices, while they have risen slightly,

are still a great value.

The Exeter Township School Dis-

trict recognizes that student wellness

and proper nutrition are essential to a

student’s physical well-being, growth,

development and readiness to learn. All

Exeter schools serve nutritious meals

which follow the National School Pro-

grams regulations and are under the

supervision of the U.S. Department of

Agriculture and Nutrition Services.

When planning school menus, a

computerized analysis is used to make

sure the menus meet the required key

(continued on page 5)

ETSD NEWSLETTER 5

Reiffton Is Busy with Many Fall Activities

Principal Gregory Fries, Ed.D.

As you walk through the front

doors of Reiffton School there is a

large banner hanging over the library

entrance that states “United in Excel-

lence.” Each year the previous sixth

grade class chooses a theme for the

incoming fifth and sixth grade classes.

At Reiffton we work hard to emphasize

to students that they are all part of a

“united” Reiffton team. Our team of

teachers works extremely hard to pro-

vide a quality education for our stu-

dents and challenges them to use the

knowledge and skills learned during

their two years at Reiffton by applying

them throughout their lives.

One of the highlights of the fall is

our annual Team Building Days which

focus on respect, responsibility, rela-

tionships, trust, and community build-

ing. Craig Erb and his Experiential

Dynamics team lead activities that in-

clude discussions on ground rules for

success, goals for the day, cooperative

games, trust-building activities, and

group problem solving. Each day con-

cludes with a debriefing of what stu-

dents learn and how that information

can be used during their time at Reiff-

ton School. It is always a pleasure to

see all students working together as a

team to solve problems. It is our hope

that the students will take what they

learn from these days and apply it to

the classroom.

At Reiffton we are committed to

preventing all forms of bullying. On

September 16, John Halligan came to

Reiffton to speak to our students about

the dangers of bullying. Mr. Halligan

travels around the country presenting

“Ryan’s Story.” He explained to our

students that his son Ryan was first

bullied as a fifth grade student, and at

age 13 ultimately took his own life.

Mr. Halligan’s presentation focused on

the dangers of bullying and cyber bul-

lying and how it can be prevented.

This powerful presentation gave our

students much to think about.

Starting in November our students

will have the opportunity to take part in

an after-school program in which they

will be given an introduction to the

language of Mandarin Chinese. Each

Thursday the students will spend one

hour learning about the language and

culture of China. This program is being

offered through a grant awarded to the

BCIU. Ms. Summer Perella, who has

taught Mandarin Chinese to students in

the Twin Valley School District, will be

coordinating the program at Reiffton.

Ms. Song Ying and Ms. Yang Zequing,

visiting teachers from China, will be

teaching our students how to speak in-

troductory Chinese. Students were in-

troduced to Mandarin Chinese for the

first time on October 8, when all three

teachers came to read at our Morning

Reading Club. A total of 248 students

listened to the teacher read the story in

English and then in Mandarin Chinese.

Our holiday concerts will set the

spirit for December. Mrs. Claus, Ms.

Kline, and Mrs. Keebler have been

working very hard to prepare their stu-

dents for the first concerts of the school

year. This year’s grade five concert will

take place on December 14 at 4:15 p.m.

and the grade six holiday concert will

be held on December 16 at 4:15 p.m.

The doors will open at 3:45 p.m. with

both concerts being held in the Reiffton

cafetorium. The children have spent the

first several months of the school term

learning songs and learning how to play

their instruments, and they will be eager

to demonstrate their accomplishments

for parents and staff.

nutrients, including calories, fat, iron,

protein, calcium, Vitamin A and C.

Meals include vegetables, salads, fresh

and canned fruit, whole grain bread

and low fat milks. Entrees and potatoes

are baked and not fried, helping to re-

duce the fat. Luncheon meats and hot

dogs are turkey based, which also help

in fat reduction.

We provide wholesome food and a

variety of choices. Our staff provides

service with a smile and a caring atti-

tude while encouraging students to try

new foods, as well as, enjoying the

“old comfort” favorites.

The Food Service Department

offers many services and information

on the district’s web site:

Menus for breakfast and lunch

Nutrition analysis of lunch meals

A celebration party form for order-

ing foods for birthday or class par-

ties

Access to the LunchBox point-of-

sale account information

Internet payment to LunchBox

meal accounts

The Food Service Department also

provides nutritious breakfasts for local

senior citizens prior to the JHS fall

musical and SHS spring musical per-

formances. The senior citizens’ break-

fast and show at the JHS is November

18 and at the SHS on March 9.

Schools Meals (continued from page 4)

The SHS Student Forum was held in October and the discussion topics included bullying, course work, and school rules. Participating in the senior class discussion were (left to right) Mary Kate Hennessy, Maya

Cryor, Brooke Harley, Risa Cullen and Morgan Hissick.

SHS Student Forum Covers Many Diverse Topics

6 Fall 2010 EXETER TOWNSHIP SCHOOL DISTRICT

POSTAL CUSTOMER

Carrier Route Presort

Non-profit Org.

U.S. Postage

PAID

Reading, PA

Permit No. 810

The NEWSLETTER is the official publication of the

Exeter Township School District 3650 Perkiomen Avenue Reading, PA 19606

Telephone: 610-779-0700 FAX: 610-779-7104

www.exeter.k12.pa.us

Beverly A. Martin, Ed.D., Superintendent

Warren Mata, Ed.D., Assistant Superintendent

BOARD OF SCHOOL DIRECTORS Jack A. Linton, President

Russell J. Diesinger, Vice President

Dr. David S. Bender - James J. Brady, Jr. - J. Ken Hart

Carole A. Kutscher - Sharon McLendon

Robert H. Quinter, Jr. - Joseph R. Staub

Appointees: Anne C. Guydish, Secretary

Kathlene M. Tschudy, Treasurer

Questions, suggestions, and/or information concerning

the NEWSLETTER should be directed to Don W. Cramer,

Editor, in the Instructional Support Services Office.

WHAT’S INSIDE . . . Changes in Use of K-4 Schools $2 Million in Grant Funding New Instructional Staff Reiffton School Happenings Senior Earns Perfect Score Two New Asst. Principals

Jacksonwald News School Meals Are a Good Value Senior Citizens’ Tax Rebate

The Exeter Township School District is an equal opportunity educational institution and in compliance with the requirements of Title VI, Title IX, Section 504, and the Americans with Dis-

abilities Act. The district will not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, ancestry, national origin, disability, or handicap. For information regarding civil rights or grievance

procedures, contact Don W. Cramer, Compliance Officer, 3650 Perkiomen Ave., Reading, PA 19606.

Nov 18 Senior Citizen Breakfast &

Show - JHS, 8:15 a.m.

Nov 19-20 JHS Fall Musical

“Guys and Dolls”

JHS aud 7:30 p.m.

Nov 22 SHS Talent Show

SHS aud 6 p.m.

Dec 7 8th Gr Winter Concert

SHS aud 7:30 p.m.

Dec 9 7th Gr Winter Concert

SHS aud 7:30 p.m.

Dec 14 5th Gr Holiday Concert

Reiffton café 4:15 p.m.

Dec 15 SHS Orch Winter Concert

SHS aud 7:30 p.m.

Dec 16 6th Gr Holiday Concert

Reiffton café 4:15 p.m.

Dec 20 SHS Choral Winter Concert

SHS aud 7:30 p.m.

ECEF’s “Gift with a Future” Program

Show your appreciation to someone who is a special mentor in your child’s

life. This could be your child’s teacher, coach, librarian, bus driver, family member

or daycare provider. It could simply be to honor your child for excellent academic

performance, service achievement, positive attitude or ANY accomplishment.

Whatever the reason, your donation will help the foundation’s efforts to enhance

and enrich student programs throughout the Exeter Township School District. This

is a great holiday or anytime gift to show that you care. Printed notification in-

forms the honoree that a donation has been made to ECEF by the donor. All contri-

butions are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law. ECEF is a 501(C)(3) en-

tity. Visit www.ExeterEducationFoundation.org for a “Gift with a Future” form or

for more information on ECEF.

The Exeter Community Education Foundation (ECEF) is a non-profit organi-

zation dedicated to enhancing the education of students in ETSD. ECEF is an inde-

pendent public charity dedicated to encouraging community-wide participation and

philanthropy, including post-secondary scholarships,

in order to enhance and expand enrichment opportuni-

ties of all students. The mission of the Foundation is to

secure resources for our students to support programs

for which sufficient funds are not available from fed-

eral, state, and local public sources. These programs

will promote excellence in learning and mobilize com-

munity support for enhancing the quality of education

in the Exeter Township School District.