Jo r nal - Upper Moreland School District

The Newsletter of the Upper Moreland School District
Jo r nal
Winter 2010
College Attendance on the rise in Upper Moreland
T
oday, one of the major goals of the educators in the Upper Moreland School District is to increase the number
of students who attend college following graduation from our
high school. This goal has been a strong focus for the past four
years, and has been paired with our District goal of increased
academic rigor in all of our K-12 programs.
During the 2006-2007 school year, Upper Moreland elementary and middle school parents were surveyed about
their expectations regarding college matriculation
for their children. The
results provided a strong
message to our community and to our District.
Survey data included the
finding that consistently,
Primary School student Marcus Sides
talks about why he is proud of Temple to more than 80% of our
his first grade teacher, Lauren Standen, Upper Moreland parents
a Princeton University graduate.
held the expectation that
their children would graduate from college, that they as parents
would play a significant role in deciding with their child what
happens after graduation, and that they as parents would pay
most or all of the costs associated with college attendance for
their child. At the elementary levels, more than half of our
parents reported that they were already saving for their child’s
college education.
Four years ago, the percentage of Upper Moreland parents expecting their children to attend college exceeded our District’s
record of college matriculation. Data gathered in our district
from 1998 to 2006 revealed that an average of 68% of our
students entered college in the fall following their high school
graduation. This college attendance rate varied from 74% (the
class of 2000) to a low of 55% (the class of 2004). Beginning
with the 2006-2007 school year, our staff began a series of initiatives to increase these numbers.
Special events at each of our schools over the past year have focused on raising college awareness and continuing to grow the
By: Dr. Robert Milrod, Superintendent of Schools
number of students
that attend college
following graduation. At our Elementary Center, these
efforts start with
early units on career
and college awareness, and on hosting Seniors Christine Keeney and Christie Graf
special “college gear” post their pennants celebrating their receipt of
days when students Letters of Acceptance from the colleges of their
choice.
and faculty come
dressed in their favorite college shirt. At the Upper Moreland
Middle School, January was “College and Career Awareness
Month,” and provided a month-long slate of events and activities including a wall display of our professional staff members’
diplomas, school-wide essay contests on the importance of college planning, and college fact sheets and pennants distributed
in homerooms. At the Upper Moreland High School, events
for improving college attendance are available year round.
Services provided
to the parents of
our high school
students include
a breakfast series
with topics related
to post-secondary
planning and the
college
applicaObserving the diplomas of their teachers are (l-r)
tion process, an students Alex Mitchell, Matt Iehle, Steve Leventhal
emphasis on four and Upper Moreland Middle School Guidance
year plans for goal Counselors Susan Carney and Jennifer Hackett.
setting, nighttime presentations to parents and students, and
individualized meetings with students and their parents.
I
n just a few short years, District-wide efforts to improve
the percentages of students attending college after graduation have paid off. This fall, 82% of the class of 2009 began
their college experience. This milestone marks the first year
College Attendance - Continued on Page 3
Student of the Month
The Willow Grove Rotary Club names two students per month as “Student of the Month” for demonstrating the
Rotary’s motto, “Service Above Self.” Students are selected from the Upper Moreland High School and the Eastern
Center for Arts and Technology.
Pam Kleinfelder, the December Student of the Month, demonstrates qualities of dedication,
dependability and leadership. Pam is a serious student who approaches every task rationally and
responsibly.
Academically, Pam has achieved the Distinguished Honor Roll throughout her High School career.
At the top 10% of her senior class, Pam has a GPA of 95.6 and is currently enrolled in AP (Advanced
Placement) Chemistry and AP Psychology. In addition, Pam is actively involved in the Key Club,
Interact Club, Environmental Club, Yearbook Committee, is a member of the National Honor Society, and is Captain of
the Cheerleading Squad.
Outside of school, Pam is involved in Alex’s Lemonade Stand, Earth Day park cleanup and now the Doe Fund, a club
which she spearheaded at Upper Moreland. The Doe Fund is a foundation that gives men that have lost their jobs and
became homeless, a place to stay for a certain amount of time so they can get back on their feet. In her spare time, Pam
manages to work at Starbucks Coffee.
Pam would like to attend Boston University in the fall and major in Chemistry.
Victoria Travis, the January Student of the month is a humble, self-assured student who has chosen a
challenging curriculum throughout her high school career.
Victoria maintains outstanding grades while keeping a rigorous academic schedules. She is enrolled
in AP (Advanced Placement) English, AP Statistics, AP Spanish, AP Physics in which she holds an
average of 95.86%. Victoria is ranked 4th in her senior class and has made Distinguished Honor Roll
throughout her high school career. Victoria is Co-Editor in Chief of the High School Yearbook, a
member of the Tennis Team, Key Club, National Honor Society and the Environmental Club. In addition, Victoria is active
in Concert Choir and Band Choir.
Outside of school, her motivation is endless. Victoria volunteers at Holy Redeemer Hospital and the Holy Redeemer Thrift
Store. She has participated in the National Vocabulary Championship Philadelphia Citywide Competition and the Math
Options Program at Penn State Abington.
Victoria has applied to several colleges and plans to study neuroscience.
Michael Dummeldinger, the February Student of the Month, demonstrates qualities of dependability and
leadership. He is a conscientious student with a multitude of talents.
Academically, Michael is very accomplished. He has distinguished himself by receiving Honor Roll
every marking period since freshman year and maintains a GPA of 103.1, ranking #1 in his senior class.
Michael currently is enrolled in a demanding program including AP English, AP Biology, AP Statistics,
and Honors Physics. He is involved in the National Honor Society, Marching Band, Jazz Band, Concert
Band, Chess Club, Quiz Bowl, and the Tennis Team. In the Marching Band, Michael was chosen Section Leader and was
selected to District Band on Alto Saxophone for the second year in a row.
In the community, , Michael has volunteered his time the past five years as a Children’s Ministry Assistant for Pre-K and
Kindergarten members at Gloria Dei Church.
Michael’s excellent leadership qualities will surely bring him success next year. He has applied to Princeton University,
University of Delaware, Bucknell University, Lafeyette College and Lebanon Valley College and plans to study Chemical
Engineering.
UMTSD Happenings
Upper Moreland School District competes in Fitness Challenge
L
ast fall, the Montgomery County Intermediate Unit chal- Congratulations to three of our top employees, Joshua Cralenged the 22 school districts in Montgomery County to mer, Terry Johnston and Candy Tariff. Joshua is an Instructional Assistant at the Intermediget fit. What the Intermediate Unit
ate School and also fills the role of
did not know, though, was that the
Middle School co-curricular trainer.
Upper Moreland Bears would acJoshua was tied for first place with
cept this challenge head on! District
17 other contestants, logging 11,880
staff were invited to participate in the
minutes of activity or an average of 8
“Montgomery County Schools Fitness
hours a day. Terry Johnston of the
Challenge : Fit in 60 days” - the chalTransportation Department wasn’t
lenge to live a healthier lifestyle. We
too far behind Joshua with 11,820
had 53 active participants who logged
minutes. Middle School food-servica total of 117,960 minutes for an aves employee Candy Tariff won third
erage of 2225 per participant. We finTop UMSD winners from the MCIU Fitness Challenge: place in the Challenge.
ished 4th in the county! Employees
were required to log their physical activ- Josh Cramer, Candy Tariff, and Terry Johnston.
ity for 60 days. Physical activity included not only sports, but “I’ve lost 22 lbs since October, and I continue to live a healthwalking, gardening and house cleaning - -anything that gets ier lifestyle,” Candy said. “I’d like to thank the MCIU for the
your body moving and increases your heart rate. Members of Fitness Challenge. The challenge provided me the jumpstart
the Delaware Valley Health Care Consortium (DVHCC), the I needed to find insight as to how to manage my diet and
MCIU and the Montgomery County school districts’ devel- exercise regimen.”
oped the Fitness Challenge as a way to promote healthy lifestyle
initiatives to staff.
Board Reorganization
Remember: Daylight
Savings Time begins on
Sunday March 14, 2010!
Turn clocks ahead one hour!
College Attendance - continued from Page 1
Meet the 2010 Upper Moreland School Board of Directors
who were sworn in at the Board Reorganization Meeting in
December (bottom row l-r): Brian Davis, Donald Warner
(Vice-President), Dr. David Hakes (President), Lisa Berlin
(Asst. Secretary), Daniel Barber; (top row): Superintendent
of Schools, Dr. Robert Milrod, Business Manager and Board
Secretary Michael Braun, Emily Graupner, Mark Wenik,
Paul Roberts, and Dr. Richard Latta.
in our District history
that more than four out
of five of our graduating
class entered college. We
anticipate that this success will continue in the
future, as we maintain our
emphasis on academic
rigor. Our new goal is
Fourth grade student, Zoe Wolfenson, for this percentage to be a
proudly displays her college of choice! starting point, with more
and more of our graduates
leaving Upper Moreland High School to pursue a four year
college degree.
Striving To Be....
I Remember: the Oak Tree
Senior Samantha Wesner was selected as a recipient of The
Philadelphia Inquirer 2010 Student Citizenship Award. The
award recognizes students who demonstrate the qualities of
civic or community contribution, good scholarship and school
participation. Samantha is a member of the National Honor
Society, the German National Honor Society, is President of
the Environmental Club and is an officer of the Interact Club.
She is a four year member of the marching band and is on the
winter and spring track teams. Outside of school, Samantha
spends her summers volunteering at the Bee Long Adult Day
Service. Samantha is undecided where she will attend college
next fall but would like to study Occupational Therapy
with an emphasis on geriatrics.
LIFE WILL ALWAYS GO ON. Perhaps this new tree will
draw us to admire its beauty and enduring spirit some time
in the near future.
ar
Be
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Go
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an
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s
School stores - reopen
id you know your student can bring home
notecards, pencils, folders, looseleaf paper,
or other useful supplies they may need during the
school day. Thanks in part to the Willow Grove Rotary Club,
who provided the Interact Club a loan to get the High School
store up and running, the High School re-opened the “J.R.
School Store” - named after their principal Dr. Joseph Roy.
The store is located in the upper level of the cafeteria and is
open during all lunches and before school. The Interact Club
hopes to have t-shirts, sweat shirts and sweat pants available in
the future, but for right now, they are happy to supply your
student with the essentials they need to get through a day at
Upper Moreland High School.
el
2010 Student Citizenship Award
I guess it was its time. We stood there for a while longer, and
as we looked more closely at that stump, a tiny green sapling
rose from its sad remains. My heart leaped with excitement
and understanding.
or
Jane Peters, a former second grade teacher and friend, introduced me to this splendid sight quite a long time ago. This
proud tree stood at this place before General Washington and
his men crossed the Delaware and surprised the British troops.
It stood watch when Bowman’s Tower was erected. It was there
when America was born. Perhaps this tree was a gathering place
for little Native American children to dance around, when this
area was still occupied by Indian tribes who lived there. Perhaps
rM
I
pe
In "I Remember: The Oak Tree" author Anita Plutte talks
about the cycle of life.
n an open area, near Washington’s Crossing on Aquetong
Road, a magnificent oak had its home there. Its roots anchored the sturdy oak for about 500 years, through storms
and droughts, through war and peace.
I admired that tree and introduced it to many of my friends.
Then this October, my daughter-in-law and my son invited me
to admire the beauty of fall with all its bright colors and special
splendor. “Aha,” I thought. “My family would love to see this
special tree.” We drove on
Aquetong Road toward River
Road, but to my great disappointment and astonishment,
the tree was no more. A huge
stump was all we found. We
stood in silence as if we were
standing before a natural altar. The surrounding woods, UMHS student Holli Goldenberg
helps Anita Plutte with her writings.
the cathedral.
Up
The following is a piece written by Anita Plutte, a resident of Maple
Village in Hatboro and a member of the senior citizen writing group
held in the TLC 2 of the Upper Moreland Intermediate School. The
program is in its second year, and teachers from the Intermediate
School, the building principal, and high school students from the Key
Club joined the seniors for five Saturday mornings to write, write,
write! The program will resume in February for five sessions. All
senior citizens of Upper Moreland are welcome! The group writes,
talks, and publishes with the help of teachers and students. The writing is a record of the precious moments in the lives of the participants
to be shared with family and friends.
By Anita Plutte
they collected its acorns and pounded them into flour to make
a meal.
At the Middle School, apparel is available at the school store.
Clothing ranging from mesh shorts to hooded sweatshirts can
be purchased before or after school. If you are interested in
purchasing items, or to see what is available, check out the
Middle School Store under the Community tab at:
http://www.umtsd.org/190910101284613130/site/default.asp
The following was omitted from the list of the members of the UMHS
Class of 2009 who are attending military programs, colleges, or universities
around the world. Levy, Alyssa - Bloomsburg University
The Best We Can Be....
Diversity/Acceptance Day
Tax-deductible donations
O
ver the years many benefactors have
established scholarships for high school seniors who are attending post-secondary or professional education institutions. Each scholarship has its own unique
qualifications. If you wish to contribute to a scholarship or
create one of your own, contact Nora Rosenbaum at [email protected] or by phone at 215-830-1587. All donations are tax deductible. If you wish to contribute directly to
an account or scholarship, please mail check or money order,
made payable to
Diversity/Acceptance Day was recently celebrated across the
District. Various activities were planned to provide students
with the opportunity to gain a better understanding of student’s differences and appreciate the uniqueness of others. Realizing students come from many different types of families,
Primary School students were asked to create a “My Family
Photo Album.” Pictured above presenting his album is Mehul
Ghosal. Mehul explained to the group his heritage/culture and
traditions of his family.
Upper Moreland School District,
2900 Terwood Road,
Willow Grove, PA 19090
Attn: Mike Braun
A list of scholarships can be found on the District Website
under the Community tab at:
http://www.umtsd.org/190910122142334313/site/default.asp#
Kindergarten, 1st Grade & 2nd Grade Registration
Kindergarten, 1st Grade & 2nd Grade registration for all students living in the School District of Upper Moreland Township will be held on Tuesday, March 23, 2010 from 5:30 - 7:30 PM or Tuesday, March 30, 2010 from 1:00 - 3:30 PM.
Please call the Primary School at 215-325-1400 with the child’s name, address, and birth date so that a 2010-2011 kindergarten pre-registration packet can be mailed out. The packet will include information and forms that will need to be
completed and returned on the registration date.
100th career win
Kudos to senior wrestler James Nicholson who earned his
100th career win. James, who has been wrestling since the 7th
grade, recorded his win on Senior Night against Upper Dublin.
James plans to wrestle next year at either Edinboro or Kutztown
University. Celebrating his victory is his mother, Tanika
Jones, and his brother Seyvon Jones.
700/800 Club
The 700/800 Club at the High School is an academic distinction that showcases those students who achieved a score
of 700+ on the verbal, math or critical reading section on the
SAT IIs. Pictured are the latest members receiving this honor: (l-r) Bettina Makalintal, Michael Dummeldinger, Alex
McPeak, Alan Zigler and Han Na Kim. Not pictured is
Hajeong Byun.
UM Students....
Suburban 1 First Team
Middle School contest winners
Selections for the Suburban 1 First Team were made by the
coaches in the Liberty Division. Pictured above are selected UMHS fall athletes: Menvekeh Daramay - Soccer; Tim
Uveges - Soccer; Bill Conover - Football; Ronye Dennis Football; Drew Magaha - Cross Country.
As part of College Awareness Month at the Middle School, various contests were held by the Guidance Department - from College Trivia to Essay Contests. Essays were written asking the
students to envision their lives in 15 years into the future and
talk about their career and how it has impacted their lives. Congratulations to Middle School winners: James Soulges - College
Trivia, Kelsey Comstock -1st Place Essay Contest, Elise Alvarez 2nd Place Essay Contest, and Josh Choi - 3rd Place Essay Contest.
KUDOS TO:
The UMHS Quiz Bowl Team: Joseph Cranney, Michael Dummeldinger, Katherine Murt, Alan Zigler, Drew Taylor, Rose
Morrison and alternates who help to prep the students: Matt Dummeldinger, Conrad Mason, and Gordon Reich. The
Team competes on March 17th at the Montgomery County Intermediate Unit. Good Luck Team!
The UMHS Wrestling Team for a spectacular season. The 2009-2010 Golden Bears went on to become Co-Champions
of the Suburban One League American Conference. The team join the 1966 team as co-holders of the championship.
The students of the High School, Middle School, Intermediate School and Primary School for their District Wide effort
to assist the victims of the earthquake in Haiti. Students across the District collected almost $5000.00.
The High School Interact Club for their successful start to the 2009-2010 school year. The club is currently working on
the opening of the JR School Store and providing assistance for the benefit concert on March 11, 2010.
A
Reduce - Reuse - Recycle
s the nation strives to create a green environment, Upper Moreland is getting in on the act as well. The Upper Moreland High School Recycling Club launched
a program that aims to cut the school's waste in half,
reducing their non-recyclable output. Did you know
that 1200 plastic drink bottles can be recycled into
carpet for an average living room? As part of the plan,
the High School's lunchroom is taking its own steps
to cut down on wasted material. Instead of Styrofoam
trays, the High School has switched to reusable plastic trays.
In addition, instead of paper milk cartons, they have switched
to plastic or aluminum containers. By eliminating Styrofoam
trays, Upper Moreland High School is also eliminating the
dangerous chemicals that are used to manufacture it. Styrofoam, which is manufactured from petroleum, uses a
chemical called benzene that is a known human carcinogen.
Last year the High School cut down approximately half of the
trash output through plastic and aluminum recycling.
Sam Wesner, President of the High School Recyling
Club states, “Our program at the high school is very exciting, and I would love to see it prosper. Administrators,
teachers, students and our custodial staff work very hard
to reduce our non-recyclable output. The High School
needs the community to help out as well! Please drop off your
recyclables and help save the environment.”
The green & yellow dumpster is located outside the cafeteria, in
the Main Parking lot. Cardboard boxes can not be recycled in
the dumpster. However, boxes can be placed in the fenced in yard next to the dumpster.
...In the News
PMEA District 11
Congratulations to the UMHS students chosen to participate
in the Pennsylvania Music Educators Association District 11
Choir, District Orchestra and/or Band Festivals. Through
an audition process, the students were selected from 35 area
school districts from Bucks & Montgomery County. Pictured
are participating students: front row (l-r) for District Choir:
Sean Burman and Kristi Lowery; back row (l-r) for District
Band - Andrew Odendahl & Alex McPeak for Trumpet, and
Mike Dummeldinger for Alto Sax. Alex was also selected to
District 11 Orchestra for Trumpet.
UMMS Humantiarian Award
Back to back success
The Upper Moreland Middle School Golden Bears Wrestling
Team repeated as Suburban One American Conference Champions in 2010. In route to achieving back to back championships the Golden Bears were a perfect 8 – 0 in Suburban One
League dual meets. Congratulations to Middle School athletes:
David Antoni, Mike Balot, Noah Beben, Shane Bowman, Julia
Brady, Ernest Brown, Samantha Choi, Joey Colebridge, Jelani
Crosby, Anthony DeLaurentis, Dominic DeLaurentis, Chris
Fleming, Ariel Garcia, Torin Grumm, Justin Hester, Ali Humbrecht, C.J. Jackson, Dylan Johnson, Jacob Johnson, James Lee,
Tommy Lloyd, Ricky Mapes, Kahlee McLaughlin, Eric Miekley,
Kane Nelson, Isabel Pilong, Christian Scherer, Josh Smallwood,
Nicole Snyder, Justin Stout, Ben Swartz, Brianna Van Loon, Tyler Whitmore and Isaiah Williams. Coaches: John DeFranco,
Dave Bolich and Anthony DeLaurentis. Way to go BEARS!
Traveling Art Show
D
Congratulations to retired UMMS teacher Patti Petrash and
7th grade student Maureen Farley who were awarded the Dr.
Martin Luther King, Jr. Humanitarian Award at the Middle
School’s Acceptance Day celebration. The annual award
acknowledges adults and students who display acceptance of
others, and who have worked to improve the lives of others.
Presenting the awards to Patti & Maureen at the celebration
were committee members (l-r): retired UMMS teacher Anne
Billis and UMMS teachers Rob Ricker and Laura Bielefeldt.
id you know that Upper Moreland‘s
aspiring artists will have their
artwork displayed at various businesses in
the community? In honor of Arts in Education
Month, the Traveling Art Show will visit the TLC II in the
Intermediate School from March 23, 2010 through March
31, 2010. Artwork from students K-12 will be on exhibit
throughout the week.
On Thursday evening, May 13, 2010 the K-12 DistrictWide Art Show will be held. The show will be hosted in
the lobby of the Upper Morleand Middle School. Doors
will open from 6:30 PM - 9:00 PM. Artwork from all
district buildings K-12 will be on exhibit throughout the
evening.
A Glance Ahead
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Beauty & The Beast
Thursday, March 25 - 7:30 PM
Friday, March 26 - 7:30 PM
Saturday, March 27 - 2:00 & 7:30 PM
**Dates are subject to change.
The UM Journal is published by:
The Community Information Network
Nora Rosenbaum
Publisher
Robert J. Milrod, Ph. D.
Superintendent
Willow Grove, PA
Permit No. 62
Non-Profit
Organization
Upper Moreland School District
2900 Terwood Road
Willow Grove, PA 19090
PAID
Nonprofit
U.S. POSTAGE