SPRING NEWSLETTER 2014INSIDE THIS ISSUE

A Message from the Superintendent | p2School Choice Policy / Kindergarten & New Student Registration | p3WASD Education Foundation’s Return to Glory Capital Campaign| p4

Stevens R.E.A.D.S Program| p5Special Education’s ChildFind Public Notice / WAHS Renovations Update | p6

Students Take the Role of Teachers / WAMS After-School Program | p7District Directory / Construction Trades Excels in Las Vegas | p8

Developing responsible citizens through excellence in education.

w w w . w a s d . o r g

WA

What skills does an individual need to be successful in a career? Most of us immediately identify reading, writing, mathematics, and technological skills as

the core skills for future success. Although a high level of proficiency is needed in these areas, they are not the first qualities that are mentioned by many employers.

In a recent tour of a major business in the Williamsport area, I had the opportunity to meet withthe plant manager and her team to discuss the qualities they seek when hiring new employees.

The qualities that these employers mention first are: (1) Show up for work every day, on time, and are prepared for the day’s tasks; (2) Are flexible and willing to do whatever is needed; (3) Work well as a

member of a team; and (4) Can identify problems and bring viable solutions forward.

The above characteristics of preferred employees are not unique to this one business. This is the consistent message I have received from the managers and owners of every business I have visited in the past year. These skills are often referred to as “soft skills.” Instead of the term “soft skills,” I would

suggest that these skills should be referred to as “essential skills,” because these skills are essential to the success of every employee.

The mission of the Williamsport Area School District is “developing responsible citizens through excellence in education.” Preparing students with both the academic skills and the essential skills

needed for career success is central to this mission.

Sincerely,

Don C. Adams, Ph.D.Superintendent570-327-5500

dadams@wasd.org

Dear Community,

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A MESSAGEFROM THE BOARD OFSCHOOLDIRECTORS

Nicholas Grimes Dr. Robin Knauth

Chester Peterman Spencer Sweeting

MEET OUR NEW BOARD MEMBERSWe welcome the following new board members to the WASD Board of Education!

Dear Community,

The school district’s Board of Education may have some new faces, but our commitment to providing quality educational programs has not changed.

Despite “level” and reduced funding, our goal and focus remains on student achievement. We have quality leadership among our district administration making sound efforts to assist the Board to keep programs in place. This helps guide our decision-making process at the Board level while keeping all the stakeholders of the district in mind.

We welcome everyone to attend the public Board meetings, hosted the first and third Tuesday of each month at 6 p.m. at the District Service Center to see “what’s going on in our district!”

Sincerely,

Lori BaerPresidentWASD Board of Directors

WA

When registering a student for primary school (kindergarten through third grade), parents can

request to have their child attend any of the district’s primary schools as long as there are openings in the school and transportation can be arranged.

Each year during the spring semester, school choice applications will be distributed to the parents and guardians of primary students currently enrolled. Parents of kindergarten and new students entering the district will fill out the choice applications during registration. Each choice application must include three different selections: a first, a second and a third choice. Parents and guardians who fail to submit an application will be assigned to their child’s resident school.

If parents’ first-choice school does not have openings, their child will be assigned to the parents’ next choice school that has an opening. Children who live in a school’s area of residence who have not been assigned to that school can be placed on a waiting list until an opening is available.

Students are placed using the following criteria, in this order, as long as there are openings:

• The student’s current residence is within the boundaries of the chosen school’s attendance area for the following

year.• The student is currently attending the chosen school.• The student’s sibling is currently attending the chosen

school in any grade except the highest grade level.• The educational needs of the student are considered.• The student’s parent/guardian has not exercised the

“choice” option to change schools previously.• The student’s family provides verification of federal

income that is below the most recent cutoff for poverty (parent response optional).

• A lottery system will be employed for any remaining applicants.

Kindergarten and new student registration information

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Registrations will be taken at ALL primary schools from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. beginning Monday, March 31, through Thursday, April 3.

Parents are encouraged to register their child during this period to access the district’s Controlled School Choice Policy.

Children must be age 5 by Sept. 1, 2014, in order to enroll.

The best beginning for the brightest future.

Williamsport Area School District

2780 West Fourth StreetWilliamsport, PA 17701

570.327.5500www.wasd.org

Kindergarten & new Student regiStration March 31 through april 3

Please be prepared to spend at least 30 minutes at registration and provide: Child’s Birth Certificate • Guardian ID (driver’s license, state ID, etc.) • Proof of Residence (rent or utility receipt, etc.) • Child’s Immunization Records • Record of School Age Dental Examination and Medical Examination, if completed.

There’s exciting progress to report on the WASD Education Foundation’s Return to Glory Capital

Campaign in support of the restoration and upgrades to the Williamsport Area High School’s athletic complex.

“To date, we have a commitment of more than $1.6 million of our $3.5-million goal,” said Executive Director Greg Hayes.

The plan to upgrade the facilities at the high school began in 2012. The campaign publicly launched last fall during a halftime kick-off celebration at Homecoming after a $500,000 infusion from the district’s transportation company, Student Transportation of America, Inc. That donation secured the naming rights to the high school stadium.

A BRIGHT FUTURE FOR OUR COMMUNITYThe Return to Glory upgrade will benefit the community and students of all ages with expanded opportunities for soccer, track and field, football, marching band and other activities.

The first phase of modernization is expected to include the installation of an expanded all-weather turf field for football, soccer and band; a new, eight-lane track-and-field complex; and other infrastructure improvements to the stadium (see rendering, above right).

COMMUNITY-SPONSORED EFFORTSWith a $3.5-million goal, the Return to Glory campaign is driven by a volunteer task force of community leaders. Making it easy to give is one goal of the campaign, as donors are being offered flexible, long-term payment options.

“Donors are able to schedule pledges at their convenience over a five-year period,” Hayes said, which has been favorably viewed by those willing to make significant gifts. “Naming opportunities also are available for purchase for portions of our campus.”

To date, the campaign has been supported by the district’s staff and administration, individuals, corporations, businesses, and other organizations.

“Every dollar makes a difference in this effort,” Hayes said. “We’ve been lucky and we’re grateful for the support we’ve been able to attract so far. That continued support will be crucial to our success.”

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NEW AND IMPROVED Relocated from the sub-gym to a retrofitted Blue Cafeteria, the new Fitness Center opened the first week of March. The Fitness Center is part of the overall renovation work that is taking place at the high school (see Page 6), which is scheduled to be completed later this fall.

The new Fitness Center features an expanded training room and new locker rooms. Plans for the new space include use for physical education classes and sports training, as well as being part of the district’s wellness program.

The WASD Education Foundation has raised about $40,000 over the last several years through its annual golf tournament to help support the cost of future equipment needs.

Recapturing history by making history: ‘Return to Glory’A community campaign to restore and upgrade the WAHS athletic complex

GET INVOLVED! Learn more about the Return to Glory campaign, or make a tax-deductible donation at www.wasd.org/returntoglory.

Thanks to a $5,000 donation from Brodart Co., students at Stevens Primary School have embarked on a new

reading campaign this spring called Stevens R.E.A.D.S, a program aimed at increasing independent reading among students in kindergarten through third grade.

The program with an acronym that stands for “Read, Every Day, Achieve, Discover and Succeed,” is a partnership between the district’s Title 1 Department, the WASD Education Foundation and Brodart.

The goal of the new program is simple: Get students to read on their own or with an adult on a regular basis. Through Brodart’s support, provided to the WASD Education Foundation through the Educational Improvement Tax Credit Program facilitated by the First Community Foundation Partnership of Pennsylvania, the district has been able to link students with books and incentives to help increase their independent reading skills.

Students are challenged to read at least 60 minutes a day, before, during and after school, with a reading log — or “Thinkmark” — to be filled out and validated by a teacher or supervising adult. “Thinkmarks” are submitted for a chance to earn a reward at the end of every two weeks, an extrinsic reward for what “we hope will lead to intrinsic motivation,” said Federal Programs Director Dr. Susan Bigger.

“Our collaborative effort with Brodart and their generous donation has created opportunities for the Stevens students to be recognized and motivated to spend more time reading both at school and at home,” said Principal Kirk Felix. “Parent participation is increasing as a result of the program. Due to the incentives, students

are pushing the parents to be more involved with reading at home.”

“If we can inspire reading early, the chances are better that we will build lifelong readers,” Bigger said. “We know there is a strong link between independent reading and reading achievement.”

According to Rick Dill, CFO at Brodart, participating in the EITC program and giving toward Stevens R.E.A.D.S is a chance to “put money to work locally,” and, because of what Brodart does, “we feel very strongly about literacy and education.”

Stevens R.E.A.D.S: Brodart helps build a love for reading

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HARLEM WIZARDS The “Millionaire Magicians,” a team of teachers, staff, principals and high school students, took on the Harlem Wizards in a charity basketball game on Feb. 17 in the Magic Dome. The event brought in $8,657 for the WASD Education Foundation, which hosted the event.

More than 1,500 people from the Williamsport community packed the gym to watch the district’s team of 20 go up against the entertainment basketball squad known for its comedy, fancy teamwork and ball handling.

Sponsors of the event were the Genetti Hotel & Suites, Lamar Advertising, Williamsport Sun-Gazette, Webb Weekly and Demans Team Sports.

The Williamsport Area School District is required to share ChildFind procedures annually with the public.

Identification activities are implemented to identify students who may be in need of special education and/or gifted education and to develop meaningful educational programs based on individual strengths and needs.

REFERRAL/SCREENINGScreening activities are ongoing and include observations, group testing, vision and hearing screenings, speech/language screenings, review of cumulative records, report cards, and/or fine and gross motor skills. Screening may lead to intervention through the district’s Response to Instruction and Intervention process (RTII). If a student does not demonstrate progress with RTII, parents may be asked to give their written consent for the district to conduct a multidisciplinary evaluation.

EVALUATIONEvaluations are conducted by a multi-disciplinary team (MDT) to determine the child’s learning ability, behavior patterns, physical abilities, communication skills, and achievement levels. Results of the evaluation are reviewed by the team to determine if the child is eligible and in need of

special education services. If special education services are rec-ommended, the parents are expected to be a part of the team that determines the exceptionality and develops the Individual Education Program (IEP) for the child.

PROGRAMSSpecial education services are available to children who have one or more of the following disabilities: Autism, Deaf/Blindness, Emotional Disturbance, Hearing Impairment, Intellectual Disability, Multiple Disabilities, Orthopedic Impairment, Other Health Impairment, Specific Learning Disability, Speech and Language Impairment, Traumatic Brain Injury, Visual Impairment

STUDENT RECORDS AND CONFIDENTIALITYAll information gathered about your child is subject to the confidentiality provisions contained in federal and state law. The district has policies and procedures in effect governing the collection, maintenance and disclosure to third parties of this information.

For more comprehensive information about the district’s ChildFind procedures, please refer to the Student Rights and Responsibilities Handbook, or the WASD Special Education webpage at www.wasd.org.

Special Education Department’s ChildFind annual public notice

NEARLY COMPLETE Renovations at the Williamsport Area High School are nearing the end, as crews work toward a final, aggressive push this summer to wrap up the job this fall. Scheduled work over the next several months includes improvements to the orchestra/ensemble areas, gym, natatorium, as well as upgrades to the building’s rest rooms, locker rooms and exterior work around the building. To date, completed work includes the new administrative and nurses’ suites, cafeterias, BlackBox Theatre relocation, Fitness Center, and new classroom space, as well as electrical and mechanical work.

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For the first time this year, the middle school’s after-school program for seventh- and eighth-grade students moved under one roof with the opening of the renovated Williamsport Area Middle School.

Funded by a 21st Century Community Learning Centers Grant and the Pennsylvania Department of Education, the program directs its focus on building foundational skills for students enrolled in the program. From partnerships with the Pennsylvania College of Technology and other local organizations, it is able to offer students real-world experiences mixed with hands-on activities to keep them engaged and learning.

WAMS After School Program

FOCUSED ON ENGAGEMENT

The year opened with a month-long career camp last summer, hosted at Penn College, that not only provided an in-depth career inventory program but also academic support for reading and math.

The program also further expanded opportunities for students this year with the implementation of “mini-courses,” taught by the after-school program staff of district teachers, that are subject-specific, ranging from the arts to the sciences to mechanics, such as constructing bicycles, as pictured above, and STEM. Additionally, a partnership with the YMCA has brought with it the opportunity for increased recreational activities once a week for the students.

Each day is segmented to give students allotted times for academics, recreation and a meal, as required and funded through the grant.

Led by Grant Coordinator Stephanie Pardoe, the after-school program runs Monday through Thursday from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. from October through May and is open to all district middle school students.

Students from the Williamsport Area High School have once again taken the initiative to bring their leadership and instruction to their younger peers — whether through establishing educational programs or simply tutoring at the intermediate and primary schools.

Throughout the year, students took control of the classroom, delivering lessons from science to literacy, all the while forming positiverelationships and having ongoing interactions with students despite the divisions in age.

One set of students who graduated from the 2013 Pennsylvania College of Technology Youth Leadership Program put to use a $570-grant they received last year to conduct an

after-school Mentorship Through Science program for sixth-grade students at Curtin Intermediate School (as depicted in the top photo). Students Livia Nash, Divia Feinstein and Alanna Harding organized and led a program that used hands-on

experiments in STEM (science, technology, engineering and

math) areas, and brought a variety of lessons to a group of students after school every Thursday through the fall and

winter.

At Stevens, WAHS students worked weekly with

kindergartners on their literacy skills by setting up a series of workshops (shown in center photo). Each student was matched with a kindergartner and worked through prepared lessons facilitated by Title 1 Coach Lynne Piotrowski.

Students take the role of teachers

The WAhS MuSic DepArTMenT preSenTS

The Secret GardenFriDAy, April 11 & SATurDAy, April 12

7 p.M. | WAhS AuDiToriuM | $10/ADulT, $5/STuDenT

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WASD Board of School Directors

PRESIDENTMs. Lori Baer

VICE PRESIDENTMrs. Karen Confer

MEMBERSMr. Nicholas Grimes Dr. Jane PenmanDr. Robin Knauth Mr. David Stone, Jr.Mrs. Jerene Milliken Mr. Spencer SweetingMr. Chester Peterman

WASD Building Directory

J. Henry Cochran Primary School570-322-9731 | 1500 Cherry StreetMrs. Cindy T. Schuyler, Principal

Hepburn-Lycoming Primary School570-494-1112 | 355 Route 973 East Cogan StationDr. Robert L. Williams, Principal

Andrew Jackson Primary School570-323-1992 | 2500 Newberry StreetMr. John Killian, Principal

Thaddeus Stevens Primary School570-322-7853 | 1150 Louisa StreetMr. Kirk C. Felix, Principal

Andrew G. Curtin Intermediate School570-323-4785 | 85 Eldred StreetMr. David J. Michaels, PrincipalMr. William Rathjen, Assistant Principal

Lycoming Valley Intermediate School 570-494-1700 | 1825 Hays Lane Mr. Tim Fausnaught, Principal Mrs. Michele Kunkle, Assistant Principal

Williamsport Area Middle School570-323-6177| 2800 West Fourth StreetMr. Brandon S. Pardoe, PrincipalMr. Richard J. Poole, Assistant Principal

Williamsport Area High School570-323-8411 | 2990 West Fourth StreetMr. Michael Reed, Head PrincipalMr. William G. Emery, PrincipalMr. Jeffery T. Robbins, PrincipalMr. Reginald Fatherly, PrincipalMs. Leslie Whitehill, Dean of StudentsMr. Randy Zangara, Director of CTE

District Administrative Staff570-327-5500 | 2780 West Fourth StreetDr. Don C. Adams, SuperintendentDr. Susan Bigger, Director of Federal ProgramsMrs. Marisha Cruz, Director of Special EducationMr. Richard McCusker, Director of TransportationMr. Bryan McCaffery, Maintenance SupervisorMr. Jeffrey Richards, Business AdministratorMs. Debbra J. Moore, Esq., Human Resources DirectorMr. David C. Wright, Director of Student Services

Stay connected to the Williamsport Area School District with our website and Facebook! Visit www.wasd.org or ‘like’ us on Facebook for official district news and updates at www.facebook.com/WASDEducationFoundation!

The NAHB Student Chapter at Williamsport Area High School placed sixth in the Secondary School category of the National Association of Home Builders Residential Construction Management Competition and earned the Rookie of the Year Award at the 2014 NAHB International Builders’ Show in Las Vegas in February.

Those students were junior Justin Niklaus and seniors Marc McClain, Collin McCoy, Dan Hollingsworth, Noah Esposito, led by WAHS Construction Trades teacher Randy Williamson.

More than 75,000 builders, remodelers, students, faculty mem-

bers and suppliers packed the aisles at the 2014 International Builders’ Show, Design and Construction Week. Fifty-six teams representing universities, community colleges, high schools and career technical schools across the U.S. participated in the annual competition.

“I cannot express how proud I am of these five students,” said Williamson. “They really had to step up their game for this competition compared to what we normally cover in our program. The trip and competition has really sparked an interest in many of our underclassmen, so I am really looking forward to next year. We have a lot of great kids in the program, and I think we are going to have a difficult time choosing next year’s team.”

A full list of award winners, including faculty and student chapter awards, can be found online at www.nahb.org/stu-dentchapters. The West Branch Susquehanna Builders Association sponsored the WAHS trip to the competition.

Construction trades students excel at Las Vegas showcase

Snow Make-Up DayS:Tuesday, April 22Friday, May 23

Tuesday, May 27