PENNSBURY PARTNERS & GRANTS PROGRAM CONTINUES TO THRIVE

The Pennsbury Partners Program (PPP) has forged over 1,000 partnerships with businesses and local community organizations

for the last 17 years, benefiting Pennsbury students. These partnerships enable the School District to:

demonstrate real-life applications of the Pennsbury curriculum;

offer opportunities for students to provide community service; or

offer mentoring programs and other career awareness and development activities to prepare students for satisfying

careers.

Each partnership helps to prepare students for higher education and the workforce of our future.

PARTNERSHIP & GRANT SUCCESSES THIS YEAR

The Pennsbury Partners Program had another busy and successful year. Some highlights include:

1. Established eleven new partnerships including: Bucks County Eye Specialists, Bowman’s Hill Wildflower Preserve,

First Data Corp., Huret Associates, Inc., Rhodia Analytical & Technology Laboratories, Stifel Nicolaus, Yardley

Fitness, R&M Music Studios, Kids On the Block, Piazza Bakery, and the Aark Wildlife and Rehabilitation Education

Center.

2. Celebrated the 13th year of recognizing outstanding business and non-profit partnerships via Annual Partnership

Recognition Dinner. Nearly 200 business people, non-profits, administrators, school board members, teachers and community members attended;

3. Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company expanded their annual “Young Women in Technology and Engineering” to include all

three Pennsbury Middle Schools. Over 150 8th grade girls who

excel at math and science were invited to the Newtown, PA

Lockheed Martin campus. See page 4 for more information

On May 15th, teachers, students and their families were invited

back to Lockheed Martin to view the launching of their 100th and

101st GPS satellites from French Guiana – seen on large screens

while they enjoyed food and entertainment. Approximately 50

people from the District were in attendance.

4. The Pennsbury Partners Advisory Board Mini-Grant Committee awarded eleven schools with special corporate-sponsored grants for a total of $6,623. The purpose of the annual PPP mini-grants is to foster partnership development

in each school. See pages 7-8 for more information.

13th ANNUAL PARTNERSHIP

RECOGNITION DINNER

With an attendance of almost 200, the Pennsbury

Partners Program celebrated its 13th year of

recognizing outstanding business and non-profit

partnerships!

The William Penn Middle School Cafetorium was

transformed with red, black, and silver decorations as

well as a red carpet to complete an “Oscar-Themed”

night to remember! Sipping cranberry juice spritzers, our partnership guests mingled with district School Board members, administrators, and teachers.

PENNSBURY PARTNERS PROGRAM

2011-2012 ANNUAL REPORT

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In the vein of Wolfgang Puck’s Spago restaurant, Metz Culinary Management prepared a varied meal of fancy individual

pizzas, roasted vegetables, and more. The savory meal was finished off with a delicious fresh mango and berry assortment

topped with crème anglaise.

As in previous years, the prestigious Pennsbury Partners Program Recognition Awards were presented to the outstanding

school/business and school-non-profit partnerships. The recipients of the awards were:

2011-2012 School-Non-Profit Award The Pennsbury School District

and The Levittown–Fairless Hills Rotary

2011-2012 School-Business Award Charles Boehm, Pennwood, and William Penn Middle Schools

and Lockheed Martin Space Systems Co.

(from left to right) Dr. Christine Zervos, Community/Business Partnership

and Grant Coordinator, Jack O’Connor, Levittown-Fairless Hills Rotary

President, Debbie Harker, First Federal of Bucks County-Levittown, Tim

Birch, Greater Philadelphia Media, Breanne Cook, PHS-E English

Teacher, and Robert Listerman, Rotary Interact Club Leader

(from left to right) Lockheed Martin Space System Co Employees: Dave

Degler, Vanessa Benjamin, Paul Curtis, Elisabeth Humphrey, Joseph

Trench, Dee Valleras, and Peter Papula

This year, Levittown-Fairless Hills Rotary helped create an Interact club for Pennsbury HS students. Interact is a service and

social club for young people ages 14-18 to engage in local and international service projects. Interact derives its name from the

words “international” and action,” reflecting the nature of an organization that exists in 110 countries and promotes active

service at home and abroad.

DISTRICT PARTNERSHIP HIGHLIGHTS

Significant changes occurred to the Partnership Activity Knowledgebase (PAK) interactive database that now provides

statistical information. Nearly 150 partnership activities this year were submitted electronically – up twenty percent from last

year.

Listed below are examples of outstanding school partnerships that focus on Curriculum, Career Awareness and/or Community

Service opportunities:

Pennsbury High School West (STEM, Career Awareness)

Drexel University and the U.S. Navy

In a partnership with Drexel University engineering students, and the U.S.

Navy, Pennsbury Robotics teacher,

John Sanders, challenged his members

of Pennsbury Sea Falcons Submersible

Robotics Team to build an underwater

robot. This annual completion requires the team-built robot to maneuver under water and

perform tasks in an underwater obstacle course- all within three minutes.

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Pennsbury High School (Career Awareness)

Career Fair The 16th Annual Career Fair hosted over 90 area businesses and was able to

encompass all subject areas within the Pennsbury curriculum. Another huge

success, the students were able to visit with individuals representing

everyone from the local police, culinary services, architecture, law,

modeling, and more.

Pennsbury Elementary Schools Food Drive and Interact Club (Local and International Community Service)

Levittown-Fairless Hills Rotary

In addition to the Rotary sponsored Interact Club created at PHS this year, the Levittown-

Fairless Hills Rotary partnered with Pennsbury Elementary Schools to collect and distribute

canned and dry goods to the American Red Cross Homeless Shelter families. This food drive,

“Children Helping Children in Need,” was very successful, providing these needy families over

2 tons of food.

Children gained a personal perspective on some of

society’s larger social issues such as hunger and

homelessness.

Pennwood Middle School (Career Awareness)

Newtown Veterinary Hospital and Bucks County Community College

Special Education students from Pennwood Middle School were able to

examine career possibilities by visiting several local businesses as well as

Bucks County Community College. The Newtown Veterinary Hospital

provided the students with a tour of the hospital, kennel and offices as they

learned about the different types of

jobs and responsibilities when

working for a veterinarian.

At the Bucks County Community College, admissions personnel gave

the students a few program/course

options for future career opportunities. .

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Pennwood Middle School (Language Arts)

McCarter Theatre – Sunjata Kamalenya

All 6th grade students participated in performances of the time-honored epic Sunjata Kamalenya. This experiential theater

piece was staged with professional scenery, music and actors

from the McCarter Theater. The performance itself was

rooted with interactions from our students as they reacted to

the imaginary circumstances within the play. With a series of

prompts, the students portrayed characters and made character decisions based on their interpretations

of the events within the play and the people they were portraying.

Following the event, actors took place in a discussion with the students, answering questions about

performance, scenery, and script writing. The actors even entertained questions about the history of the

story, bullying, and peer pressure.

Charles Boehm, Pennwood, and William Penn Middle Schools (STEM)

Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company

Over 150 8th grade young women from

Pennwood, Charles Boehm and William Penn

Middle School traveled to Lockheed Martin's

Newtown satellite facility to participate in the 13th

annual Young Women in Technology and Engineering program. These high-achieving students met with engineers who gave guided

tours They also provided answers to questions about what it really means to be an engineer,

mathematician, or scientist. The tour was followed by a popular annual competition where the

girls worked in teams for a number of design challenges.

Charles Boehm Middle School

Horace Mann Companies

Horace Mann Companies supported the PRIDE Program at Charles Boehm

Middle School this year by awarding a brand new shinny bicycle for the winner of PRIDE points.

PRIDE stands for: P-Prepared, R-Respect,

I-Involved, D-Determined, E-Excellence.

Makefield Elementary School (Environment, Math, Language Arts, Social Studies, Art and Community Service)

Waste Management

A grant from Waste Management helped children create a learning garden as an outdoor classroom. Students are involved in every aspect of gardening from the

design, the building, planting, maintaining and harvesting. The garden offers an

opportunity to teach all subjects. An ongoing projected started by 3rd grade teacher

Tom Guest said, “It is nice for the students to see the total life cycle, from seed to

seed. The garden waste is composted as part of our green initiative.” Maintained by

parent volunteers during the summer, the organic vegetables grown in the garden are

enjoyed by Makefield families as well as donated to the bucks County Food Pantry.

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Manor Elementary School (STEM)

Rhodia Analytical Research and Technology Center During National Chemistry Week, Rhodia scientists visited Manor

Elementary 3rd grade students, providing an insight into chemistry.

They demonstrated principles of chemistry found in common

ingredients from supermarkets, homes and classrooms. Students had

fun making putty, working with different polymers and creating

chemical reactions.

Eleanor Roosevelt Elementary School (Reading and Language Arts,

Science, Social Studies)

The Aark Foundation and Education Center

Second Grade students learned about wildlife in their local communities. The Aark

brought in baby starlings, possums, ducks, and geese as well as a great horned owl

for the children to see and touch. These babies are raised, and will be released

back to the wild at an appropriate time.

Student Maya Young said, "If you find a hurt animal call the Aark!"

In general the students agreed their favorite wild thing was Chatterbox, the owl.

Penn Valley Elementary School (Reading and Language Arts)

Thanks to a PPP Mini-Grant, Penn Valley Elementary School Reading

Specialist, Kerry Bauerle, was able to purchase over 300 books for

Kindergarten and 1st grade students in the style of the renowned “100 Book Challenge” model. The students read 30 minutes daily while in

school and 30 minutes at home. Penn Valley parents are a large part of

this program.

Fallsington Elementary School (Environmental Education, STEM)

Lower Bucks County Joint Municipal Authority –

Waste Water Treatment Plant

Students learned all about making our water safe to drink during a visit from

School Board Member, Gary Sanderson, who works for the Department of

Environmental Protection for the State of New Jersey. Later, they visited the

plant and took a tour.

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Eleanor Roosevelt Elementary School (Social Studies, Language Arts,

Career Awareness)

Author Jen Bryant and the New Jersey State Police Museum

Fifth grade students met with author Jen Bryant whose book, The Trial, deals with the 1932 kidnapping and subsequent death of the Lindbergh

baby. She showed the students historical artifacts, spoke about her

research techniques, and led writing lessons on poetry. Students from

the gifted program were able to visit the NJ State Police Museum with

Ms. Bryant where they viewed actual evidence from the kidnapping, and

met with the foremost expert on the trial.

Walt Disney Elementary School (Social Studies)

Three Arches

Fifth grade students visited Three Arches, the former home of William and Mary Sotcher,

caretakers of Pennsbury Manor. Students were able to have a first-hand look at daily life during

colonial times. The following day, the students took part in a variety of typical activities from

this era, including writing with a quill, making fresh butter, sewing hats and pockets, tin punch

art and sewing a quilt.

Edgewood Elementary School

(Environmental Education and International

Community Awareness)

Philadelphia Zoo

Fourth grade Edgewood students partnered with the Philadelphia Zoo to help save

orangutans and build positive awareness around the issue of orangutans and palm

oil. They made presentations to many classes, and raised $500 dollars. They were

able to adopt an Orangutan and buy 4 acres of land.

Quarry Hill Elementary School (Community Service)

Sunrise Assisted Living

Fifth grade students celebrated the holiday season with residents of Sunrise Assisted Living

where all participated in a festive sing-a-long followed by students giving out hand-made

cards and other holiday items to spread cheer. This annual event is always greatly

anticipated by the residents and staff of the center.

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Afton Elementary School (Career Awareness)

Southwest Airlines Pilot

Afton Elementary 4th grade students adopted a pilot. They learned how short and long term goals helped him become a

pilot. They discussed geography and illustrated the time zones across the world. The visiting pilot helped students design

ties for the national Design a Southwest Pilot tie competition. The winning tie is worn by all pilots for one year. Student workbooks about flight were given to all students in the class.

Village Park Elementary School (Safety, Career Awareness)

Fallsington Fire Company

Fireman Jeff Beck returned to Village Park this year during National Fire Safety week. He and his partner taught the

children fire safety rules and showed them some of the equipment that firefighters use to stay safe. The life-saving

presentation was made to all 325 students at Village Park.

SUCCESSFUL DISTRICT & SCHOOL GRANTS and SPONSORSHIPS

The Partners Program is happy to announce another successful year of various grants awarded to the Pennsbury School

District. Competitive and partnership awards included:

Pennsylvania Department of

Education

Fresh Fruits & Vegetables for Fallsington and

Partnership with Snipes Farm $15,540

Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company

Young Women in Engineering – to include Charles Boehm and William Penn Middle Schools

$1,000

Wells Fargo Corporate

Contribution Pennsbury Arts Foundation

$1,000

Chick-fil-A Spirit Week Community Partnership $1,000

Safe Schools Targeted Grant Character Education $15,000

Waste Management Partnership

Larger Grant

Penn Valley, Manor, Afton, and Makefield

Elementary Schools $4,000

Partnership Funding PPP Mini-Grants, Bus Trips, Staff Development $8,875

2011-2012 TOTAL 47,415

PARTNERS HELP STUDENTS IN NEED

Back-To-School Supplies

Thanks to one long-standing and two new Pennsbury partners, hundreds

of book bags filled with school supplies and other personal items were

delivered to three of our elementary schools. Fashion Bug donated bags

to Fallsington Elementary, Hand Maiden Ministries to Penn Valley

Elementary, and First Data Corp to Village Park Elementary. These

generous partners are proud to have ensured that children from low-income families, in these schools, will have the necessary school supplies

to begin a successful 2011-2012 school year!

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PPP MINI-GRANTS

The Pennsbury Partners Program awarded several competitive PPP mini-grants in the amount of $6,623 from last year’s PPP

sponsorships monies. This year, the PPP Office opened their applications to include multiple winners from the same schools.

As a result, several schools were awarded well over $500! Applications were reviewed by the PPP Advisory Board Committee

and following eleven schools received sixteen PPP mini-grants:

Afton Elementary – (Disability Awareness – Afton houses four I.U. classrooms) Kids On the Block, Katie Quinn, $400

Eleanor Roosevelt Elementary – (Social Studies, Science: REEP, Listening and Speaking – Animal Communities) Bucks County Wild Things Come to E.R., Chris Ward, $450 The Lindbergh Baby Trial: History in Our Backyard, Kathy Royal, $500

Fallsington Elementary – (Language Arts, Safety, Career Awareness, World History, Cultural Studies) Let's Learn About Safety, Kristen Cahill, $185 Japanese Culture Experience, Monica James, $315

Makefield Elementary – (Social Studies, Career Awareness, Language Arts) 5th Grade Goes to Work, Nicole Bond, Alison Marseglia, $500

Manor Elementary – (Nutrition, Science, Math) You Are What You Eat, MaryBeth Davis, $500

Oxford Valley Elementary – (OV Building Initiative: Respect, Responsibility, Sportsmanship, and Cooperation)

Facilitated Recess, Cherie Lynne Kooker, $500

Penn Valley Elementary – (Language Arts, Reading Incentive Program) 100 Book Challenge Model, Kerry Bauerle, $500

Quarry Hill Elementary – (Community Service, Music) Author Ed White, Kathy Setash, $98

Walt Disney Elementary – (U.S. History, Science) Colonial Days, Kristen Fitzpatrick, Kim Lafferty, $350 Zoo On Wheels, Lorie Becker, Katie Duncan, $425

Pennwood Middle – (Language Arts, Arts, Career Awareness) Sunjata Kamalenya (Interactive performance from McCarter Theatre), Stacy Kirsh, $500 Career Connections For Special Ed Students, Linda Alampi, $500

Pennsbury High School East Campus - (Career Awareness) 15th Annual Career Fair, Frank Mayo, $500 College and Career Fair, Tracey Mountford, Joyce Cesari, Lisa Follman, $400

To learn more about the Pennsbury Partners Program, visit www.pennsbury.k12.pa.us/partners or call 215.428.4217 and speak

with Dr. Christine Zervos.