SAHS Newsletter - May 2015 - Souderton Area High School

May 2015
PRINCIPAL’S MESSAGE
Dear Parent(s)/Guardian(s),
Inside this issue:
Calendar
2
Final Exams
2
Graduation
3
Graduation
Practice
3
Keystone testing
days
4
Military Opt Out
4
Pathway 360º
3
Pre-requisite
Checking
4
Senior Check-Out 3
Students of the
Month
5
It certainly has been a school year of ups and downs at SAHS.
We have endured multiple tragedies in our school and community,
including the loss of two members of the Class of 2015, as well as a
member of our freshman class and many of her family members.
Times have been tough and we as a community have found the hope
and strength to help each other through them.
SAHS students and staff have had many successes inside and
outside of the classroom throughout the school year, and I anticipate
more will come as the year concludes. Once again we found huge
ways to help others. Most specifically, our inaugural SouderTHON
that raised $25,000 to fight pediatric cancer. I believe that the process
of engaging in such an endeavor is as worthwhile as the result in that
students work together and feel a sense of belonging and pride in their
school and community. As a result, our students continue to achieve
highly on most academic measures with little emphasis on any form of
test preparation. Such achievement is a tribute to our incredible teaching staff, good curriculum, excellent students, and a supportive and
engaging school environment.
Please join me in offering early congratulations to the Class of
2015 on their achievements and impending graduation, while also
wishing them the best in their future endeavors!
Student Spotlight 6
Winners
Sincerely,
Summer Reading 7
Samuel A. Varano, Jr., ED.D
Principal
625 Lower Road
Souderton, PA 18964
215-723-2808
Calendar
Spring Choir Concert ............................................................................... May 8, 7:00 PM
Junior Prom ............................................................................................. May 9, 7:00 PM
Keystone Exam—Literature ..........................................................................May 13 & 14
SAHS Art Show ...................................................................................... May 14, 6:00 PM
Spring Pep Rally...................................................................................................... May 15
Key Club 5K Color Dash ........................................................................ May 16, 9:00 AM
Special Olympics ..................................................................................................... May 18
National Honor Society Induction Ceremony ...................................... May 18, 7:00 PM
Election Day—NO SCHOOL ................................................................................. May 19
Keystone Exam—Algebra ..............................................................................May 20 & 21
Memorial Day—NO SCHOOL ............................................................................... May 25
Keystone Exam—Biology ..............................................................................May 26 & 27
Scholar’s Banquet .................................................................................. May 27, 6:00 PM
Spring Band Concert ............................................................................. May 28, 7:00 PM
Senior Prom............................................................................................ May 29, 6:00 PM
Senior Awards Night ............................................................................... June 2, 7:00 PM
Senior Check-Out (last Names A-K) ............................................ June 3, 12:40-3:00 PM
Senior Check-Out (last Names L-Z) ............................................. June 4, 12:30-2:30 PM
Final Exams ...................................................................................................... June 4 & 5
Mandatory Graduation Practice ............................................................. June 4, 3:00 PM
Senior Bash ............................................................................................. June 4, 4:00 PM
Early Dismissal ....................................................................................... June 8, 1:00 PM
Graduation .............................................................................................. June 8, 6:00 PM
Last Day of School—Early Dismissal .................................................. June 9, 10:00 AM
Report Cards Available on HAC ........................................................................... June 16
FINAL EXAMS
In order to provide our students with an excellent testing environment for final exams, during
the exams, from June 4-5, the sole focus of our school community will be on administering the exams. Each of the days will consist of four sessions, with the teachers in each department administering their exams at the same time. With a signed parent permission form submitted, students will be
permitted to not be in school during exam sessions when they do not have an assessment to take. If
parents/guardians signed a form for the First Semester finals in January, that permission form
will also pertain to these finals. If a parent/guardian would like to revoke that permission, please
contact Mr. Coddington at [email protected]. Additional forms are available in the Main
Office. Supervision will be provided for students who do not have permission to not be in school
when they do not have exams.
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SENIOR CHECK-OUT
Check-out/cap and gown pick-up for seniors whose last names start with the letters A through K
is in the Concourse (near the Natatorium) on June 3rd, between 12:40 and 3:00 PM. For students
whose last names start with the letters L through Z, check-out is on June 4th, between 12:30 and 2:30
PM. Mandatory Graduation Practice will follow at 3:00 PM on June 4th for all seniors.
All seniors must pay a $30 fee before they are able to check-out. This must be paid in the 2nd
Floor Student Services Office any time between now and check-out. If you would like to pay by check,
please make the check payable to SAHS.
GRADUATION PRACTICE
A mandatory graduation practice for all graduating seniors will be held on Thursday, June 4th, from
3:00-4:00 PM. To participate in the ceremony, graduating seniors must attend.
GRADUATION
The graduation ceremony is on Monday, June 8th, beginning at 6:00 PM on Indian Field.
The ceremony will be held on June 8th , rain or shine. In the event of inclement weather, the ceremony will be moved into the Gym. This decision will be made by 9:00 AM on June 8th. All students will receive 8 tickets for grandstand seating in the stadium and 4 tickets for Gym entrance in
the event of inclement weather. Please understand a ticket is required for those who sit in the grandstands in the stadium; a ticket is not needed to enter the stadium to stand to see the ceremony. Additionally, in the event that the ceremony is held in the Gym, the ceremony will be simulcast in various places in the building.
PATHWAY 360º UPDATE
The Class of 2015 will be the first class to have fully experienced the Pathway 360º Program,
beginning when they were 8th grade students. The program, while certainly needing improvements,
has seemed to be very successful based upon the information below:
330 student mentorships (76% of eligible seniors)
159 % growth in STEM enrollment since 2010
355% growth in AP enrollment since 2006
65% Distinguished and 33% Proficient on senior projects
As the word has spread about the success of Pathway 360º, many schools from our region and
outside of our region have visited SAHS to learn more. On April 29, 2015, through the Pennsylvania
Pathways Innovation Network, of which SAHS is a member, we were selected to host a school study
tour. More than 40 staff members from other school districts attended, one coming from as far as
Ohio.
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UPCOMING KEYSTONE EXAM TESTING DAYS
Test
Literature
Algebra I
Biology
Dates
May 13 & 14
May 20 & 21
May 26 & 27
PRE-REQUISITE CHECKING
Prior to the 2015-2016 school year, we are asking that parents check the classes for which their
student is scheduled to ensure that the pre-requisites for the courses have been met.
Pre-requisites for courses can be found at the following link http://sahs.soudertonsd.org/academics/pos/.
Click on the department on the right side to find the course for which you are looking.
If your student has not met the pre-requisite grade or course requirements for any course on his/
her schedule, parents should contact their student’s counselor as soon as possible. However, course
schedules and final grades that are necessary to do the pre-requisite check will not be available
until after July 15, 2015.
If your student did not meet the pre-requisite requirements for a course he/she is taking, and
you have not asked for schedule change, SAHS will assume that your student will be up to the challenge of the course. During the first week of school, teachers will be on the lookout for students who
are clearly not prepared and a schedule change attempt will be made at that time. If you have questions regarding this process, please contact your student’s school counselor.
MILITARY OPT OUT
Federal law requires that high schools provide military recruiters with names, addresses, and
phone numbers of current 11th and 12th grade students, unless parents request that such information not
be provided. A parent not wanting this information released should go to http://sahs.soudertonsd.org/
home/optout.cfm to complete the necessary waiver form. This form only needs to be completed once;
therefore, if you have completed this form in the past, there is no need to do so again. This form is due
no later than September 18, 2015 to the Guidance Office.
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THE 2014-2015 STUDENTS OF THE MONTH
FEBRUARY
Grade 9 - Boy
Samuel Kaufman
Grade 9 - Girl
Emma Ford
Grade 10 - Boy
Shane Cox
Grade 10 - Girl
Lauren Woolf
Grade 11 - Boy
Kyle Wetzler
Grade 11 - Girl
Hannah Blair
Grade 12 - Boy
Jason Dietrich
Grade 12 - Girl
Rachel Smith
MARCH
Grade 9 - Boy
Griffin Horner
Grade 9 - Girl
Giana Kamaratos
Grade 10 - Boy
Joseph Breen
Grade 10 - Girl
Helen Kohler
Grade 11 - Boy
Stephen Sherlock
Grade 11 - Girl
Katie Halteman
Grade 12 - Boy
Ric Landis
Grade 12 - Girl
Abigail Steinly
APRIL
Grade 9 - Boy
Bret Vince
Grade 9 - Girl
Makenna Kregel
Grade 10 - Boy
Jared Qahash
Grade 10 - Girl
Kristen Gibbs
Grade 11 - Boy
Nathaniel Verso
Grade 11 - Girl
Mackenzie Moyer
Grade 12 - Boy
Philip Halteman
Grade 12 - Girl
Diana Grater
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STUDENT SPOTLIGHT WINNERS
Student Spotlight winners are selected each month by designated departments to recognize students
who are committed to working hard, who display excellent character traits, and who are a composite of the
best of Souderton’s pride. We are proud to feature these students and to recognize their accomplishments.
These winning students’ pictures and interviews can be found in the display case near the Lower Road Entrance.
Month
January
February
February
March
6
Department
PE/Health
Business
FCS
English
Student Winners
9th – Carlie Doughty
9th – Dean DiPisa
10th – Kristen Gibbs
10th – Nick Shupinski
11th – Kathleen Winters
11th – Garrett Jurgensen
12th – Kelly Williams
12th – Michael Kelly
9th – Tahlia Detweiler
9th – Griffin Horner
10th – Cara Plummer
10th – Patrick Eisert
11th – Gayle Gross
11th – Daniel Trout
12th – Anna Kaizar
12th – Thomas Meehan
9th – Mary Beth Kaelin
9th – Bobby Frankenfield
10th – Megan Derstine
10th – Andrew Young
11th – Dayna Shelly
11th – Jared Peddigree
12th – Natalie Slick
12th – Casey Wenger
9th – Bryce Collingwood
9th – Caoilann McKenna
10th – Garrett Jurgenson
10th – Savannah Bostwick
11th – Gurjason Singh
11th – Morgan Bradley
12th – Adam Novak
12th – Jennifer Giannini
2015-2016 Souderton Area High School Pre-Course Reading List
The purpose of the SAHS summer reading program is to engage students in reading books of strong
literary merit which will be useful to the particular course of study for each year. Students can expect an assessment on their summer reading early in the semester. This assessment will count as not more than 15% of
the First Marking Period grade. In ninth grade, students will study American Literature; in tenth grade, students will study British literature. As juniors and seniors, students will select from quarter courses based on
their interests and will also have the option of Advanced Placement courses in language arts. Alternative book
choices must fall within the literature focus of the student’s scheduled course. Prior approval must be obtained for an alternative book. Please use the Alternative Book Approval Form found on this link: http://
sahs.soudertonsd.org/academics/AlternativeBookApprovalForm.pdf
To request approval for an alternative text, please email the form to Dr. Aronow, at
[email protected]
Co-Taught Academic English 9 & Academic English 9
Anthem by Ayn Rand
Honors 9 (Both required)
The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway and The Help by Kathryn Stockett
Co-Taught Academic English 10
The Time Machine by H.G. Wells or Purple Heart by Patricia McCormick
Academic English 10
And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie or The Time Machine by H.G. Wells
Honors 10 (Both required)
Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte in addition to either Emma by Jane Austen or The Razor’s Edge
by Somerset Maugham
Journalism—Please note your year and position in journalism when choosing which summer
reading book to read.
1st Year Staff: Edward R. Murrow and the Birth of Broadcast Journalism by Bob Edwards
2nd Year Staff AND 3rd Year Staff: Heat and Light: Advice for the Next Generation of Journalists by
Mike Wallace and Beth Knobel
1st Year Editors: The New New Journalism: Conversations with America’s Best Nonfiction Writers on
their Craft by Robert S. Boynton
2nd Year AND 3rd Year Editors: Page One: Inside The New York Times and the Future of Journalism
edited by David Folkenflik
Honors English 11/12 (Both required)
The Odyssey by Homer and Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe
Quarter Courses English 11 & 12
Sociology and Psychology in Literature: Marching for Freedom by Elizabeth Partridge
Pandora’s Legacy: Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
Mythological Men and Women: Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman
War Stories—Perception or Reality?: Hiroshima by John Hersey
Great Books—Universal Ideas: Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathan Swift
Money, Power, and Social Justice: Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Women’s Literature: A Place Where the Sea Remembers by Sandra Benitez
Co-Taught Academic English 11
Kite Runner by K. Hosseini or The Glass Castle by Jeanette Walls
Co-Taught Academic English 12
Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens
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