Senkow’s 2nd Grade Trip and Poster Contest Winners;Stonehurst Hills Fall Movie Night and Message

from the Principal

High School News: Ethics Bowl Case, Summer Wrestling and Girls Cross Country

BHMS Recognizes Breast Cancer Awareness Month and Enjoys 6th Grade Social; DHMS’s 8th Grade Autistic

Support Class and Dermond Field Clean-Up

Upper Darby School District News; October Community Events and Student Musicians at Bywood

Aronimink’s Walk to School Day and Phys Ed. News; Westbrook Park’s First and Third Grade News

News from Hillcrest’s Second and Third Grades; Highland Park Celebrates Family Heritage Night

and Pinwheels for Peace

Community Art and Move Night at Primos;Family Fun at Garrettford

First in Math and Curriculum Night at Kindergarten Center; Charles Kelly Celebrates Fluency Night and

Welcomes Miss Hedrick

Syndie Meyers is Making a Diference at Aronimink Elementary School; Congressman Meehan’s Leadership Summit;

Superintendent’s Corner (continued on page 10)

The Upper Darby School District is filled with student “superstars” but Aronimink is thrilled to welcome a true television star this

school year. Sydnie Meyers just moved to this area but she is already making a difference at Aronimink Elementary School. This summer, Sydnie took part in a Food Network competition that was seen nationally. While she didn’t win the competition, she showed poise and grace under pressure. She is very humble about her “stardom” and appreciates all of the local recognition she has received since arriving in Drexel Hill.To see how Sydnie’s story is making a difference and share in her adventure, please visit our Vimeo page.

Up p e r Da r b y Sc h o o l Di S t r i c t

Royal ScrollOctober 2016

26th Edition

“Honoring A Diverse Community Where All Students Achieve”

Sydnie Meyers is Making a Difference At Aronimink Elementary School

Sc h o o l P e r f o r m a n c e

Profile scores (SPP), essentially report cards that display the overall achievement of each school throughout

the Commonwealth, were due to have been released to the public on October 6, 2016. This is the second consecutive year that SPP scores will not be released on time. Dr. McGarry, Christine Kelley, and I have been involved in several phone conversations with other area Superintendents as well as representatives from the Delaware County Intermediate Unit (DCIU) collaborating on concerns and data irregularities discovered during the LEA level review of all SPP scores.

Continued on page 10In this Issue

Superintendent’SCorner

Superintendent’s Corner (continued from page 1); UDAEF is Thankful for Support

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Daniel Nerelli

Twenty juniors and seniors, attended Congressman Meehan’s Youth Leadership Summit at Marple Newtown High School. The

event unites successful leaders from the community with student leaders from all of the high schools in Congressman Meehan’s district.

CongreSSman meehan’S LeaderShip Summit

Pictured Above (Left to Right): Scott Devlin, Nate RImel, Jacob Hoback, Casey Quinn, Adoley Allotey, Joseph Vizzari, Congressman Meehan, Eliza McCarthy, Raghed Kurbaj, Denim Cherian, and Jalen Grayson

October 2016 - The Royal Scroll October 2016 - The Royal Scroll2 3

Please welcome third grade teacher Miss Keri Hedrick to our Charles Kelly family.

We are lucky to have her join us. Her students are thrilled!

On Wednesday evening, October 12, the Charles Kelly Family met to enjoy dinner and a night discussing the importance

of fluency in reading and math. The event targeted our first and second grade students and families, but all were welcome. During dinner, Mrs. Udovich, our interim principal, greeted our scholars and families, introduced the faculty in attendance, and gave an overview of the evening. Mrs. Feehery then gave an overview of the meaning of fluency

and why being fluent in reading and math facts is so important to our students now and going forward.

On Friday, September 30th, Primos held its annual Back to School Barbecue. This year,

with the assistance of the Upper Darby Township Council and Mayor Tom Micozzie, the students were also treated to a movie. The students and their families watched “The Angry Birds Movie” while munching on delicious barbecue and snacks. We even had special guest State Representative Jamie Santora join us for the festivities.

One special addition this year was the sensory-friendly movie room, which provided a well-lit environment for students with sensory difficulties. Both movies were playing simultaneously and enjoyed by all!

This month the Kindergarten Center students were

introduced to First in Math. Students have an opportunity to play math games online while earning points to compete for “Player of the Day.” Each day, classroom teachers will recognize one or more students as Players of the Day. These students get to wear

a special “Player of the Day” lanyard, which helps to encourage other students to utilize this online tool at home! At the end of each week, the classroom with the greatest points will be recognized as the “First in Math Classroom of the Week” and is awarded a trophy in their classroom! This is exciting for teachers and students alike!!!

KINDERGARTEN Center INTRODUCES FIRST IN MATH

CurriCulum Night

Garrettford Movie Night Provided Great Family Fun

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On September 28th, parents joined teachers for Curriculum

Night at the Kindergarten Center. Teachers shared important aspects of our Language Arts and Mathematics Curriculums. Parents were introduced to key components of our programs that children use on a daily basis to learn new concepts. Parents enjoyed visiting classrooms and talking to teachers as they explored what

kindergartners are expected to learn throughout the school year to prepare them for first grade.

Primos Holds its Back to School Barbecue and Movie Night

Primos Community Art

As the year got off to a start, students worked together to create the first art project of the year! Each student created a leaf to represent themselves; some students chose to depict

their names in fancy lettering, some decided to draw themselves, and others filled their leaf with things that enjoy doing. Each leaf is as unique as the student who created it. Together the leaves make up one tree, representing the Primos community!

Welcome Miss Hedrick

On September 23rd, UD Township sponsored a community movie night at Garrettford Elementary. Many families enjoyed the presentation of “Minions.”

Sprawled out across the playground, families brought chairs and blankets to view the film. The Home and School Association sold refreshments, including popcorn, which was enjoyed by the patrons. A note of thanks is extended to the Mayor and Township Council and Garrettford Home & School Association for bringing this wonderful event to the Garrettford community.Before the movie night, Mrs. Calvanese had a family make and take art project to celebrate the Art Inside Out exhibit. Families worked together to create a masterpiece. Many of the UDSD art teachers and former students came to help facilitate the project. Township officials, the Mayor and State Rep. Santora also joined in the fun!

Charles Kelly’s Fluency Night

October 2016 - The Royal Scroll October 2016 - The Royal Scroll4 5

The third graders have been enthusiastically classifying sounds

according to pitch, volume, and vibrations. They have enjoyed being scientists investigating tuning forks, observing how sound travels through different materials and constructing homemade instruments.

The first grade children are using manipulatives as

they learn new strategies to strengthen their knowledge of the concepts of addition and subtraction.

Second graders had the opportunity to explore

a rural farm community in Malvern, PA when we visited Sugartown Strawberry Farm on October 11th. Farmer Bob took us on a hayride through the pumpkin patches, and students got the opportunity to pick fresh

pumpkins right off the vines. They played in a hay maze, and had a great time, as we learned about this lovely working, family-owned farm, just outside of our suburban community. Students had a lesson about harvesting honey using the hives they keep on the farm. It was a great opportunity for students to discover what rural communities are like.

Nov. 23: Turkey Trot begins at 9:10 a.m. New this year, Mr. Dunn will be providing weekly updated healthy tips for students and parents on his web page. Interested in providing healthy snacks for your child? For more information type into your computer’s search bar www.upperdarbysd.org and search for Mr. Dunn’s web page.Thank you in advance for sending your child to school with a can of food or two for the less fortunate in our Upper Darby community.

Physical Education News

Aronimink’s Walk to School Day

Westbrook Park’s Fabulous First Graders

Hillcrest Second Grade News

Highland Park’s Family Heritage Night

Thrilling Third Graders

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On Wednesday October 5th, stu-

dents participated in Mrs. Einhorn’s Walk to School Day for Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Families were also invited to join the event!

Third grade has been busy learning a variety of science lessons. Whether it’s creating

instruments to produce sound in a variety of pitches or watching the development of our fast-growing Brassica plants, our Hillcrest third graders are eager to learn!Our third grade authors are currently producing a personal narrative for their writing portfolios. Their stories are very creative and well developed. Each budding author is very excited to share his/her finished masterpieces with you in the near future!

It’s an exciting time in Rooms 21, 22, 25, and 26. November promises to be filled with many other wonderful adventures for our students.

Third Grade News

Highland Park’s Family Heritage Night was a success despite the rainy

weather. Over 250 people representing 35 countries shared an evening of mouth watering international food, beautiful cultural fashion, lively entertainment and dancing. Many thanks to all those who attended.

The Annual Pinwheels for Peace Ceremony

was another great success this year. Students from each grade level created a beautiful and unique pinwheel to help Highland Park spread the message of global non-violence to celebrate an International Day of Peace. Students and staff enjoyed our last bit of warm weather by dancing

and decorating the green spaces around our school with colorful artwork.

Pinwheels for Peace

Nov. 1: Turkey Trot canned food collection begins.

October 2016 - The Royal Scroll October 2016 - The Royal Scroll6 7

The month of October was full of many events that brought our Bywood Community together, such as our Title One Parent Night, Anti-Bullying

Night, and Family Movie Night! It is with the help of our parents, staff, and community members, that we were able to organize, fund, and set-up these events for our families. Thank you to everyone who participated and contributed, and we look forward to many more fun-filled events throughout this year. In November, we will hold our parent-teacher conferences, so please be sure to select a time that works best for you!

The grounds crew has been very busy

maintaining the outside areas of the school

district. They are transitioning from the spring and summer jobs of mowing the lawns and trimming the hedges to getting ready for the fall clean-up. They also repaired playground equipment at four schools to ensure the safety of our students and all members of the community. Other maintenance employees have been fixing the high school baseball dugouts and bathrooms.

The Upper Darby School District takes safety

very seriously. Emergency Preparedness Drills are an

important part of keeping our school community safe. This month, working with the Upper Darby Police Department, we have been conducting unannounced lock-down drills in our schools. The Upper Darby Fire Department has also been visiting our schools conducting unannounced fire drills.

I would like to highlight our newest Safety Officer. Her name is Amanda Green. Officer Green is a graduate of Upper Darby High School and has worked for the Yeadon Police

Department, as well as the Cheney University Police. She is a welcome addition to our staff and is assigned to the high school.I want to thank the community, our students, staff and parents for your continued cooperation in making our schools a safe place for our students to grow and learn. Remember, a safe school is everyone’s responsibility.

upper darby SChooL diStriCt newS News from the Middle Schools

Department of public Safety

TRANSPORTATION NEWS

Our new student registration is now online! Our registrars are actively processing the

new on-line student enrollments. Kindergarten registration begins in January. Please check the website for dates for your school.We continue to vigorously investigate all non-resident student complaints. If you have any information about illegal students or want to leave an anonymous tip please call 610-352-2400 Ext. 2507. Working together we can make a difference.

central regiStration attenDance ServiceS

BHMS 6th Grade Social

dhmS’S 8th grade autiStiC Support

Paw Pride

FACILITIES DEPARTMENT NEWS

NEWS FROMMEDIA SERVICES

Amanda Green

Bywood Students Demonstrate Their Music Skills

The state of Pennsylvania

requires that all students who ride the school bus participate in an emergency evacuation drill. This drill must be completed twice a year, typically every September and March. All Upper Darby students completed the bus evacuation drill this September. We want to thank all the drivers, students and staff members for participating in this state mandated drill.

Music classes are putting their creative minds to work this month! Dr. Kane, our

Music teacher, has set up the perfect space for students in all grades to demonstrate their music skills and be true musicians! Keep up the great work!

The Bobcat Bounce

Media Services would like

to welcome our new intern Jacob Schaffer. Jacob is from Drexel Hill, P e n n s y l v a n i a and is the oldest

of five siblings, all of whom attend schools in the Upper Darby School District. He is involved in many extra-curricular activities inside and out of UDHS. Jacob is a member of the Anti-Bully club and a Homeroom Representative for his class. Jacob assists in many of the daily functions of the Media Services center such as printing IDs and making posters for the school district. His goal is to attend the University of Pittsburgh in the fall and major in a journalism track that will lead him into his dream job in the book editing industry.

Jacob Schaffer

Beverly Hills students and staff recognized Breast Cancer awareness month. Students and staff wore pink to show their awareness and support for the men

and women who have been taken by or are survivors of breast cancer.

BHMS Recognizes Breast Cancer Awareness Month

On Friday, September 30th, we had our annual 6th grade Social in the cafeteria after school. Over one hundred students showed up to have a great time dancing, eating, and socializing with friends.

On Thursday, September 29th, Ms. Carangi’s 8th grade Autistic Support class visited the school library for the first time this school year. They listened to Mr. Dambman, the librarian, explain

how to find things in our library. Then the students enjoyed searching for and checking out books that interest them. They checked out books about animals, football, famous women in history and Star Wars. Ms. Carangi’s students really enjoyed picking out their own library books and spending time reading them! Special thanks to Mr. Dambman for all his help.

OUTSIDE the classroom...On September 27th, the 1776ers team participated in its 15th annual Park Clean-up at Dermond Field. Our students learned the importance of giving back to the community and had a great time in the process on a beautiful fall day!

October 2016 - The Royal Scroll October 2016 - The Royal Scroll8 9

We were proud to present to the Upper Darby School District Board of Directors for the October board meeting how Positive

Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) is implemented at our school. After a brief introduction of our philosophy around the importance of building school wide cultural norms, I let the students ‘take the wheel’ and talk about what PBIS looks like and sounds like at our school. 4th grader Brianna Clements said:“The Pillars of Character are important at our school. Every month students are recognized at our Student of the Month assembly for displaying good character. Our teachers work with us on what each

pillar of character means and ways we can display it. The pillars of character are: Responsibility, Trustworthiness, Fairness, Respect, Citizenship and Caring.”

Congratulations to the UDHS Cross Country

team on their strong races at the Six Flags Wild Safari Invitational. Freshman Alaysha Jones placed 3rd out of 120 runners in the JV race. Upperclassmen Dootleen Joseph and Tanti Boduo won medals in the Varsity race.

Keep making UDHS proud, and good luck the rest of the season.

Stonehurst Hills Fall Movie Night

Principal’s Message

Senkow’s 2nd Grade Field Trip

Senkow winners for the Fire Safety Poster contest are from left to right:

Zefat - 2nd place, Lylah - 1st place

Paimalpreet - Honorable Mention, Minhaz - Honorable Mention

Fire Safety Poster Contest Winners

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UDHS ethiCS bowL

udhS girLS CroSS Country

upper darby Summer wreStLing

As part of their Ethics Bowl unit, students in seminar class discussed the case of armed

police and whether or not it is morally permissible to disarm police for the sake of potentially enhancing overall public safety. Some European countries, like the United Kingdom, have largely unarmed police forces. Ms. Lea, a retired police officer from the London Metropolitan Police, came in as a guest speaker to share her experience and contribute to the discussion.

Pictured Above (Left to Right): Aniqa Islam, Merlin Kochunilathil, Blya Krouba, Austin Pierce, Maroof Chowdhury, Vik Russell, Rain Diaz, Jason Fitzpatrick, Johana McCabe, Liam Flahertu, Ms. Lea, Rachel Holt, Ell Cleland-Batt, Abbey Liu, Alyssa Do

The Upper Darby Wrestling Program is one of the most successful programs in the area. The team has won three

Central League Titles in the last four years. The key to their success has been hard work, dedication, and sacrifice of the wrestlers and the coaches. Fifteen dedicated wrestlers attended a four-day wrestling camp at Kutztown University where they learned technique and competed in a dozen dual meets. Seniors Colin Cronin and Brian Kennerly were invited to join elite Pennsylvania all-star teams that competed in national tournaments in Virginia, Florida, and Texas. Colin and Brian both attained All-American status based on their success in these competitive events. Colin and Brian, along with Max Livingston, are ranked in the top 300 PA

recruits for the upcoming season.

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2nd Grade went to Highland

Orchards. The students went

on a hayride, picked different

kinds of apples, used a cider

press to make apple cider

and tested the cider and

apples!

CHECK IT OUT UDHS ROYAL BLOG

EDITORIALEDITOR IN CHIEF- DANA SPINO

CREATIVEART DIRECTOR ROB FEDALEN

EDITORIAL STAFF

COMPANY INFOUPPER DARBY SCHOOL DISTRICT

MEDIA SERVICES OFFICE601 N. LANSDOWNE AVE DREXEL HILL, PA 19026(610) 622-7000 X2317

dspino@upperdarbysd.org

If you have not already, please be sure to check out the blog that some

of our students have started to get the good news out about UDHS. They are working hard at this and would love to see some of us adding comments. They have already had thousands of views!http://voicesofupperdarby.blogspot.com/

Students will be chosen as student of the month based on the following character traits: Responsibility, Self-Control, Respect, Citizenship, Friendship, Cooperation, Honesty,

Fairness, Leadership, and Hard-working.October is Self-Control!

On Wednesday, September 28th, 175

community members, students, and

teachers came out to enjoy our Fall Movie

Night. All had a great time as we watched

the animated comedy, Angry Birds. We also

welcomed community members, students,

and teachers at our Bingo Night on

Wednesday, October 26th.

Students of the Month

Brian Kennerly

October 2016 - The Royal Scroll10

Superintendent’s Corner Continued from page 1

Daniel Nerelli

THANK YOU TO ALL OF YOU WHO SUPPORTED UDAEFAT OUR “FRIENDS OF THE FOUNDATION” NIGHT!IN ONE NIGHT WE… *RAISED FUNDS FOR MORE UDSD CLASSROOM GRANTS,*PARTNERED WITH THE UD/LANSDOWNE ROTARY, AND *WELCOMED NEW FOUNDATION BOARD MEMBERS: BRIAN MCFADDEN, NICK VOIGHT, AND STEVE DEMOTTREAD MORE ABOUT THEM IN OUR MONTHLY NEWSLETTER!TEXT “UDFOUNDATION” TO 22828 TO JOIN OUR MAILING LIST!

Does your employer participate? If so, please consider naming Upper Darby Arts & Education Foundation as the recipient of your United Way contribution.Our donor option number is 4778Thank you for supporting our mission and making a difference for the children of Upper Darby!www.udfoundation.org

GIVE TO UDAEF THROUGH UNITED WAY!

In collaboration with our District Solicitor, I sent a letter to the School Performance Profile (SPP team) team as well as to Secretary of Education, Pedro Rivera. Our letter asks questions about the

manipulation of testing data during the calculation of SPP scores and calculation used to create the SPP scores and our overall concerns about the communication and potential to release inaccurate testing information on schools. The Pennsylvania Department of Education has delayed the release of scores and asked school districts to review the data they have sent us again. We have been not been informed of the new release date of SPP scores at this time. We will update the public as soon

as the information is available. As a reminder, this data has a direct impact on teacher and principal evaluations.

The District has reestablished a Facilities Committee as a result of the September Finance and Operations meetings. The Facilities Committee held its first meeting on October 6, 2016. There was an update provided during the October Finance and Operations Committee meeting. That presentation can be found on the district website.Upper Darby School District administration was asked to meet at the Philadelphia Sikh Society on October 15, 2016 from 6PM-7PM in order to listen to questions and concerns from the Walter M. Senkow school community about the future of their school. This was a follow-up meeting from the September 23, 2016 Senkow Community meeting.

October was Fire Prevention Month, and we greatly appreciate the support from our local fire department. We are fortunate to have the support we do in this community. Schools are also completing unannounced Lockdown Drills/Intruder Drills with local law enforcement in order to keep our students and staff safe.

The District held its annual Parent Information Night on October 18, 2016. The event took place from 5:30PM-7:30PM in the Performing Arts Center. Parents had the opportunity to learn about Internet Safety from the Delaware County District Attorney’s PA Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. Dinner and Childcare was provided, and nearly 100 parents attended the event.

In closing, I have presented my goals for this school year to District Administration and will provide the Board and the public with my goals at the November board meeting.