Dear Parent(s)/Guardian(s),

Happy summer, still! I know that this message and newsletter always

arrives too soon for most of you. While I love the energy that our stu-

dents and teachers bring when they return for the next school year, I

do enjoy summer.

Last year was amazing in many ways. Winning State Championships in

two 6A sports, girls soccer and baseball, is unthinkable. Our coaches,

student-athletes, athletic program, and Athletic Director, Dennis Stan-

ton, deserve loads of credit for cultivating an environment where

those involved have positive and growth-oriented experiences, while

also winning! It is no coincidence that the winning is a result of a posi-

tive culture.

My most challenging responsibility is to help guard against compla-

cency. Fortunately, we have amazing staff members and an incredible

student body and community at Souderton who are precipitously col-

laboratively competing to generate the next innovative idea. A great

example of this collaborative competition has been the development

in recent years of both Women’s and Men’s Leadership Symposiums,

with the females spawning the idea first, and the guys saying, “What

about us?”

I am looking forward to another great year at SAHS!

Sincerely,

Sam Varano

Principal

SAHS

Souderton Area High School August 2019 Newsletter

625 Lower Road, Souderton, PA 18964 http://sahs.soudertonsd.org

PRINCIPAL’S MESSAGE Inside this issue:

5th Block 4

Activity Fee 7

Athletic Department 7

Back to School Night 3

Bus Passes 9

Calendar 2

Canine Searches 12

Cultural Awareness 8

Dress code 12

Finals Permission Form 9

Food Service Prices 4

Freshman Orientation 3

Graduation 2020 8

Guidance Counselors 6

Hands Across the District 11

Homecoming 3

Home Access Center 5

Hot Spot 6

Keystone Exams 9

Laptops 6

Marking Periods Dates 2

Military Opt Out 11

Naviance 8

Non-Discrimination Statements 13

Pathway 360° 4

Parent Participation 11

Picture Day 3

Physical Education Lockers 7

PSAT 9

SAHS Goals 10

SASD NEXT 10

Scholar’s Banquet 8

Senor Privilege 2

Student Handbook 2

Summer Reading 5

2

Parents/Guardians can continuously monitor stu-

dent progress on Home Access Center (HAC)

End of

Marking Period

Report Cards

Available on HAC

MP1 11/4/19 11/13/19

MP2 1/27/20 2/5/20

MP3 4/2/20 4/13/20

MP4 6/10/20 6/17/20

AUGUST

AUG 23: Freshman Orientation - 7:40AM

AUG 23: Freshman Tailgate - 5:00PM

AUG 27: First Day of School

AUG 28: College Admission Presentation - 5:30PM

AUG 28: Post-Secondary Options Panel - 6:00PM

AUG 28: Back to School Night - 6:30PM

AUG 29: Welcome Back Dance - 7:00PM

AUG 30: NO SCHOOL - Labor Day Holiday

SEPTEMBER

SEPT 1: NO SCHOOL - Labor Day Holiday

SEPT 11: Picture Day

SEPT 12: College Fair - 7:40AM

SEPT 18: College Financial Aid Night - 6:00PM

SEPT 26: Parent Participation Meeting - 9:30AM

SEPT 27: Homecoming Wing Bowl

SEPT 27: Homecoming Football Game - 7:00PM

SEPT 28: Homecoming Dance - 7:00PM

SEPT 28-29: SAT Bootcamp - 9:00AM

SEPT 30: NO SCHOOL - Rosh Hashanah

OCTOBER

OCT 2: College Admissions Presentation - 6:00PM

OCT 5: SAT - 7:00AM

OCT 9: NO SCHOOL - Yom Kippur

OCT 16: PSAT - 7:40AM

OCT 16: FAFSA Completion Night - 5:30PM

OCT 22: Picture Retake Day

OCT 23: NO SCHOOL - Act 80 Day

OCT 24: Parent Participation Meeting - 9:30AM

OCT 25: FAFSA Completion Night - 5:30PM

OCT 26: ACT - 8:00AM

NOVEMBER

NOV 4: End of Marking Period 1

NOV 5: NO SCHOOL-Election Day

NOV 7,8,9: Fall Play - 7:00PM

NOV 13: Report Cards Available on HAC

NOV 20: Parent Participation Meeting - 9:30AM

CALENDAR Senior Privilege (1st School Day)

On the first day of school (August 27th), all students

with senior privilege must report to 5th Block for the

start of the school day. All senior privilege students

will meet with Dr. Coddington at 8:30 AM in the Auxil-

iary Gym. Period 4 senior privilege students will be

permitted to leave school after Period 3.

2019-2020 End of Marking Period Dates

The Student Handbook is available on-line only. You

may access the Student Handbook through the web-

site. Students and parents are responsible for being

aware of the content. The handbook can be found

at:

http://sahs.soudertonsd.org/students/handbook

Student Handbook

3

SAHS Homecoming begins

with Spirit Week, September

23rd—27th,with daily themes

to be announced. The week

ends with a Pep Rally, Wing

Bowl, and Homecoming foot-

ball game against Central

Bucks East at 7:00 PM.

Be sure not to miss the Home-

coming Dance on Saturday,

September 28th, 7:00 PM—

10:00 PM at the high school.

Tickets will be on sale during

Spirit Week.

Freshman Orientation

We are excited to welcome the freshmen to Souderton Area High

School! All freshmen should come to the high school on Friday, Au-

gust 23rd, for orientation.

The day will begin at 7:40 AM and end at 12:00 PM. The regular bus

run will pick students up at their designated bus stop and drop them

off there at the end of the day.

This will be a half-day of fun and an opportunity for freshmen to get

to know the school and their classmates. This day is a student day!

We hope to see all of our freshmen at orientation, for which the Link

Crew has been working diligently to prepare.

The First Semester Back to

School Night is scheduled for

Wednesday, August 28th, from

6:30 PM to 7:30 PM. Parents

will follow their student’s First

Semester Schedule only.

Please plan to arrive early

(pulling into the school by 5:45

PM is recommended), and use

both the Lower Road and

Halteman Road Entrances. We

will begin promptly at 6:30

PM. We look forward to seeing

you there!

Please bring a copy of your

student’s schedule.

Back to School

Homecoming 2019

Pictures will be taken of all freshmen, sophomores and juniors on

Tuesday, September 11th. An order form is part of the first day

packet for students. Full-time North Montco students should report

to the Auditorium upon arrival to

school on September 11th, as we will

take their photos prior to them leav-

ing for North Montco.

Picture Day!

4

The hallmark opportunity for students in Souderton’s Pathway

360° Program is the 20-hour unpaid mentorship. The Class of

2019 did a good job of taking advantage of these opportunities,

with 364 seniors completing a mentorship. Souderton’s goal is to

strive for every graduating senior to complete a 20-hour unpaid

mentorship sometime between the summer after sophomore

year and the beginning of senior year.

With the intent of catering to more students’ needs for mentor-

ships, last year we established, in collaboration with Grandview

Hospital, the Grandview Health Program, which provided men-

torships to 20 Souderton students. Additionally, through the

leadership of our police officers, Sergeant Gower and Officer

Diehl, we re-established the mentorship program, Police Acade-

my, of which several students took advantage. Our goal with in-

house programs is to provide opportunities for students that are

difficult to come by through the regular mentorship networking

process.

The Class of 2020 is the first class that has college and career

readiness requirements, which students fulfill by simply com-

pleting Souderton’s program, including the Reflections in Pathway

Manager. However, our staff will be focused on ensuring that stu-

dents are up to speed at the beginning of the 2019-20 school year

in order to be on target to graduate.

What is 5th Block?

5th Block, which is scheduled Tuesday and

Wednesday mornings, provides support and ex-

tension activities specific to each grade level.

The freshmen and sophomores focus on their

transitions to high school, relationship build-

ing, and exploring their selected

career pathway through job

shadowing opportunities. The

junior and senior 5th Block ad-

dresses mentorships, college,

career, and post-secondary edu-

cation.

Breakfast (All Schools) $1.65

High School Lunch $3.50

Milk - A La Carte $ .60

To get free or reduced price meal benefits for

your children, you must complete an application

and return it to school. Applications will be sent

home the beginning of each school year.

Questions? http://www.soudertonsd.org/parents-students/food-

services/free-reduced-meals

Food Services Prices

Pathway 360°

5

2019-2020 Souderton Area High School Pre-Course Reading List

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 9th grade, students will study Ameri-

can Literature; in 10th 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 Place-

ment courses in language arts. Alternative book choices must fall within the literature focus of the stu-

dent’s scheduled course. Prior approval must be obtained for an alternative book. Please use the Alter-

native Book Approval Form found at:

http://sahs.soudertonsd.org/UserFiles/Servers/Server_95868/File/

Students/Library/AlternativeBookApprovalForm.pdf

To request approval for an alternative text, please email the form to Dr. Aronow at saranow@soudertonsd.org.

Click here for the Summer Reading List for all students.

Schedules and Report Cards on Home Access Center (HAC)

As a means to be more efficient and fiscally responsible, while also conserving paper, we will continue

our protocols of not printing and mailing schedules prior to the school year and not mailing paper cop-

ies of report cards. Transcripts and students’ course histories will also be available on HAC. If parents

and students are having trouble accessing HAC, such as log-in problems, please contact Kelli Nonema-

cher at knonemacher@soudertonsd.org or at 215-723-2808, ext. 20021. Parents/guardians who do not

have internet access at home should contact the Guidance Office at (267) 203-0117, or Dawn Kester at

215-723-2808, ext. 20115 or dkester@soudertonsd.org, to request that they still receive a hard copy of

report cards.

Instructions: When you log into HAC there are tabs across the top that are self-explanatory (i.e., Re-port Card, Schedule, and Transcript). Simply click on that tab to see your student’s information.

6

All Students Receiving Laptop Computers for 2019-2020 School Year

Expectations with Computers in School

• Students are expected to carry their computers to all classes.

• When moving about the building, students should carry their computers and power cords in

their backpacks to avoid damage.

• The laptop is an educational tool and should be used only for school.

• Students are responsible for making sure the laptop is charged and ready for use every day.

• Students may only use software that is permitted and installed by the school district.

• Students cannot share/loan/borrow another student’s laptop.

• Students should never share user names or passwords.

• Students should never close the screen with any items on the keyboard (pens, paper, etc.).

Indian Valley Public Library now offers mobile internet hotspots for a 1-week loan.

Take the internet with you wherever you go!

Follow this link to learn more!

Grade 9 Counselor Grade 10 Contact Information

A-E Alison Kircher A-Fe akircher@soudertonsd.org

F-K Nickole Trout Fi-L ntrout@soudertonsd.org

L-Ri Kate Hardgrove M-Ro khardgrove@soudertonsd.org

Ro-Z Dan Glatts Ru-Z dglatts@soudertonsd.org

Grade 11

Counselor Grade 12

A-Ga Tom Overberger A-E toverberger@soudertonsd.org

Ge-L Dan Barber F-La dbarber@soudertonsd.org

M-R Laura Baranek Le-Rh lbaranek@soudertonsd.org

S-Z Anne Grant Ri-Z agrant@soudertonsd.org

Guidance Counselors 2019-2020

7

Physical Education Lockers

In the locker rooms, students will not have pre-assigned combination locks built into their lockers.

Therefore, students will need to bring their own lock each day to lock their physical education locker.

Students will be assigned a locker for their class period. When class is over, students will need to take

their personal items with them in that the next class will then be using the lockers. Combination locks

will be available in the School Store.

Activity Fee

An activity fee of $175.00 will be paid by all middle and high school

students if they choose to participate in any co-curricular activity, ei-

ther athletic or non-athletic. The fee is paid one time per year even if

a student participates in multiple activities.

The activity fee will be collected for participation in all co-curricular

activities excluding, but not limited to, the following: service clubs,

student empowerment groups (Student Government and Student

Council), and accredited courses.

Provisions will be made for exemption from paying either a part or all

of the fee by students whose economic situation would otherwise

preclude their involvement. Students who would qualify for free or

reduced price lunches under the guidelines established for the feder-

ally funded lunch programs will not be required to pay the student

activity fee.

Athletic

Department

For changes and cancella-

tions, check the Souderton

Area High School Athletics

website

https://soudertonathletics.org/

or call the hotline at

(215) 723-7630 after 1:00

PM. It is recommended that

you check the website be-

fore calling. We are all look-

ing forward to a great year

SAHS Baseball #1 in State!

8

Seniors will be required to request transcripts through Naviance. Electronic submission of college ma-

terials (transcripts, secondary school reports, counselor and teacher recommendations, etc.) will occur

through Naviance. Prior to Back to School Night on August 28th, at 5:30 PM in the Auditorium, par-

ents of seniors will have the opportunity to attend a presentation on the college admission process

that will address the electronic mailing of college materials. Unless specifically requested by a college

for a specific reason, transcripts will not be mailed until the first week of school after students are in-

formed of the process.

Naviance

Class of 2020

Graduation

The date of the Graduation

Ceremony will be

announced after the

inclement weather season.

Scholars’ Banquet

Following are the qualification criteria for the Schol-

ars’ Banquet 2020:

10th Grade Students = Distinguished Honor

Roll (straight As) for each of the first three

marking periods of the year

11th and 12th Grade Students = Top 5% of

their class

Reminder: Class rank is not publicly reported.

Valedictorian and Salutatorian will be determined

based upon applications from students in the top 5%

of their class.

Cultural Awareness Alliance

The Cultural Awareness Alliance is open to all SAHS students and offers them an opportunity for fellow-

ship and to learn about different cultures. The goal of the club is to create unity and maintain a positive

voice in the high school community. The club also serves as a forum for sharing and learning about stu-

dent experiences in school from the perspective of students of color.

The club started during the 2018-19 school year in collaboration with North Penn High School’s African

American Awareness Club. During the school year, SAHS club members collaborated with North Penn

students and attended school climate forums in Norristown and Coatesville. The club also met periodi-

cally during 5th Block to discuss its goals and to help raise schoolwide awareness of the club and its mis-

sion. During the 2019-2020 school year, students will continue the work on what they started last year

and hope to create a partnership with a Philadelphia elementary school.

9

Keystone Exam Administration

Winter 2019-2020 Keystone Exam Administrations:

Literature Keystone:

Taken by all students in English 10 during Semester 1

Taken by all 11th grade students who were previously not Proficient on the Literature

Exam and who have an English class during Semester 1

Administration dates: December 10 & 11, 2019

Algebra I Keystone

Taken by all students in Algebra I during Semester 1

Taken by 10th and 11th grade students who were previously not Proficient on the Algebra 1 Key-

stone and are in Algebra II during Semester 1

Administration dates: January 8 & 9, 2020

Biology Keystone

Taken by all students in Biology during Semester 1

Administration dates: January 13 & 14, 2020

For Keystone review resources to help your student on the exam, please visit:

http://sahs.soudertonsd.org/students/academics/keystone-exam-resources

Final Exams

The Finals Permission Form may be found at:

http://sahs.soudertonsd.org/UserFiles/Servers/Server_95868/File/About%

20SAHS/%20Academics/Final-Exams-Permission-Form.pdf

PSAT

PSATs will be administered to all 11th grade students free of charge

on Wednesday, October 16, 2019. Any 10th grade student can also

take the PSAT on October 16th in school; however, 10th graders would

need to pay a fee. Cost and online registration information will be

available by mid-September. We are pleased that we are able to pro-

vide 11th grade students with a free opportunity to learn more about

Advanced Placement and their college readiness, as well as potentially

becoming candidates for National Merit Scholarships.

Bus Passes

If a student needs to take a

bus other than the one to

which he/she is assigned, a

note submitted to the Main

Office or Attendance Office is

required from a parent/

guardian. We do not accept

permission over the phone.

10

2019-2020 SAHS Goals

As a staff, we will be focused on two goals during the 2019-20 school

year, which are:

1. Complete a study trial of the Lunch and Learn concept for the

middle of the day. When two SAHS staff members attended a sched-

uling conference last school year, they learned of this very successful

program that the high schools in the Lower Merion School District,

Harriton and Lower Merion High Schools, utilize. The Lunch and Learn

concept involves having one hour for the entire school to eat lunch

throughout the day with the following stipulations:

• All teachers will have an announced 30-minute office hour for stu-

dents.

• Students can eat at any time in specified locations throughout the

building during the hour. There will be many opportunities for stu-

dents and staff to connect.

2. Continue to explore interdisciplinary curriculum opportunities in

which students will learn subject matter in more real-life situations,

rather than being isolated, as, for example, when history and science

are taught alone. This year, we have our first interdisciplinary course

in Interdisciplinary Honors Seminar (with the Academic Decathlon

curriculum). We hope that through collaborative staff and student

work will be the springboard for more opportunities.

In this fourth year, the five-year plan for improving instruction and learning in the SASD continues to

manifest itself in the below five focus areas at Souderton Area High School:

• SAHS classrooms are student-centered.

• SAHS classrooms are differentiated.

• SAHS classrooms promote ongoing feedback and reflection.

• SAHS is a place where students are engaged with content, teachers, and classmates inside

and outside the building.

• SAHS has purposeful, effective use of technology to enhance collaboration, creativity, and

critical thinking.

11

Parent Participation Meetings

Parent Participation Meetings are informal meetings with the principal during which parents are

updated about high school initiatives and have an opportunity to ask questions and/or address

concerns. Below is the meeting schedule for the 2019-2020 school year.

Thursday, September 26, 2019 Wednesday, January22, 2020

Thursday, October 24, 2019 Thursday, February 27, 2020

Wednesday, November 20, 2019 Thursday, March 26, 2020

Wednesday, April 22, 2020

All meetings are at 9:30 AM in Room A101

Military Opt Out

The No Child Left Behind Act includes a provision mandating the release of student information (names,

addresses, and telephone numbers) to military recruiters and institutions of higher learning, upon their

request. Additionally, the district must also notify parents/guardians of their right and the right of their

child to request that the district not release such information without prior written consent.

If you do not want the school to release the above information to military recruiters and/or institutions

of higher learning, please download, complete and print the opt-out form using the link below and sub-

mit it by September 30th, to Mrs. Robin Johnson in the Guidance Department via e-mail

at rjohnson@soudertonsd.org or by mail.

http://sahs.soudertonsd.org/UserFiles/Servers/Server_95868/File/MilitaryOptOut-Policy250.pdf

Hands Across The District The high school’s Hands Across the District co-

ordinators for the 2019 – 2020 school year will

be Judy Longo and Heather Wassel. Those in-

terested in joining our Hands Across the District

volunteers should complete the volunteer ap-

plication found on the district website

(www.soudertonsd.org) or contact the coordi-

nators at http://sahs.soudertonsd.org/cms/one.aspx?

portalId=95952&pageId=113095

12

Canine Searches In an ongoing effort to ensure that our schools are safe and supportive for all students, the Souderton Area

School District continues its Student Search Policy that includes the use of a canine search dog. The param-

eters indicated by the Student Search Policy will be included in the Student Handbook.

This canine search process will be used to determine the presence of unlawful or illegal substances within and

outside of the school. “Periodically, or as a specific situation warrants, the dog may be used to sniff the air around

lockers, desks, bags, purses, book bags, and other items, or even vehicles that are on district property or at a dis-

trict sponsored event.”

The Souderton Area School District is committed to providing schools free of drugs, alcohol, and weapons, includ-

ing explosive devices. Together, we strive to provide a safe and healthy learning environment for our students.

This is an essential part of our duty as caring educators and responsible adults. We thank you for your support as

we continue to work together to address issues that impact the lives of our students.

Dress Code Reminders

As this summer draws to a close and you plan your back-to-school shopping, please be mindful of SAHS’s dress

code, which has been established to encourage students to focus on the learning process without the distraction

of unsuitable dress and grooming. The students at SAHS are expected to dress in a manner that is supportive of,

and not disruptive to, the educational environment. Among the clothing guidelines are:

Shorts must be loose fitting and long enough to be appropriate school apparel.

Dresses/skirts must be at least mid-thigh length, with no plunging backs below the mid-back, not made from transparent material, nor have side or front cutouts.

Pants should not be worn below the waistline. All undergarments must be covered at all times.

Students must wear apparel that covers the midriff. Boys may not wear tank tops, sleeveless shirts, or muscle shirts. Clothing with profane or questionable language imprints is unacceptable school apparel.

Students must wear footwear at all times. Because of safety and sanitation in situations such as chemistry lab, teachers may require more substantial footwear.

Sunglasses are not to be worn in the school building.

Any form of head apparel that covers the head (hats, scarves, hoods, bandanas, etc.) is prohibited, except under the terms of specially designated days. Hoods are forbidden in all cases.

Outerwear (coats or jackets that zip or button the length of the garment) cannot be worn during the school day and must be stored in the students’ lockers.

Bracelets, collars, or other apparel that have spikes, studs, or other potentially dangerous components are prohibited.

All forms of attire are subject to evaluation on an individual basis. Students not in compliance with the dress code

will be required to obtain an immediate suitable change of clothing and will face disciplinary action ranging from

warning to suspension. Any student wearing apparel to school deemed inappropriate will be referred to the ad-

ministration.

13

Non-Discrimination Statement

The Souderton Area School District is an equal opportunity education institution and will not discriminate on the

basis of race, color, age, creed, religion, sex, sexual orientation, ancestry, national origin, marital status, pregnancy

or handicap/disability in its admissions procedures, educational programs, services, activities or employment prac-

tices as required by Title VI, Title IX and Section 504 and/or any applicable federal statute.

For information regarding non-discrimination in school, classroom, and employment practices, contact the Dis-

trict’s Compliance Officer.

Compliance Officer

Dr. Christopher D. Hey, Assistant Superintendent/Director of Human Resources

Souderton Area School District Administrative Offices

760 Lower Road

Souderton, PA 18964

215-721-6061

chey@soudertonsd.org

The Souderton Area School District will assist students who have Limited English Proficiency to participate in all

programs, services and activities.

In compliance with state and federal law, the Souderton Area School District will ensure that all district programs

and practices are free from discrimination against all qualified students with disabilities. The District will provide to

each qualified student with a disability without discrimination or costs to the student or family, those related aids,

services or accommodations which are needed to provide equal opportunity to participate in and obtain the bene-

fits of the school program and extracurricular activities to the maximum extent appropriate to the student’s abili-

ties. A qualified student with a disability is a school-age child who has a physical or mental disability which substan-

tially limits or prohibits participation in or access to an aspect of the district’s educational programs, nonacademic

services or extracurricular activities.

These services and protections for “qualified students with disabilities” are distinct from those applicable to all eli-

gible or exceptional students enrolled (or seeking enrollment) in special education programs.

For information regarding non-discrimination of qualified students with disabilities, as well as the evaluation pro-

cedures and provision of services to qualified students with disabilities, contact the District’s Section 504 Coordina-

tor.

Section 504 Coordinator

Ms. Megan Zweiback, Director of Pupil Services

Souderton Area School District Administrative Offices

760 Lower Road

Souderton, PA 18964

215-721-6061

mzweiback@soudertonsd.org

Non-Discrimination of Qualified Students with Disabilities

Annual Notice to Parents