Village Park Elementary School to Close, Board Rules

Students will be redistributed throughout the district beginning in the 2013-14 school year.

During its public meeting on May 9, the Pennsbury Board of School Directors approved a motion to close Village Park Elementary School effective as of the commencement of the 2013-2014 school year. The school closure had been recommended by the Elementary Enrollment and Space Utilization Committee—a stakeholder group of parents, administrators, and community members – that had convened last fall. A public hearing on the matter was held on Jan. 31. “As a result of decreasing enrollments on a district-wide basis, along with severe budgetary constraints, the board took this action on the recommendation of the EESU Committee,” said Sherwood Taylor, director of administrative services, who co-chaired the stakeholder group with a parent volunteer…

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Pennsbury Prom Preview

Will Ellen DeGeneres Attend Pennsbury's Prom?

If the students of Pennsbury High School get their wish, Ellen DeGeneres will attend their prom on Saturday, May 18.

Pennsbury High School's Senior Prom has been heralded as the "best prom in America" by Reader's Digest, and this year the students hope to make it even better by having Ellen DeGeneres in attendance. The students have made a video and started the Twitter hastag #EllenToPennsburyProm in hopes to gain the attention of the Emmy-winning talk-show host and comedian. They want DeGeneres to attend the prom, which will be held on Saturday, May 18 at the high school. "This year, we want our prom to be the best prom to date," the post said. "If we are able to get Ellen Degeneres attention, she will hopefully be able to bring a musical guest." In the past, the school has had musical guests such as Ryan Cabrera and John Mayer, according to the blurb …

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It's That Time of Year for Pennsbury's Sports Nite

The Black team won the two-night event for the second year in a row, outscoring Orange 24-19.

Both teams showed a lot of confidence, but there could be only one winner at Pennsbury's annual Sports Nite competition. The Black team outscored Orange, 24-19, to take home its second consecutive victory. Spectators were turned away at the door of Charles Boehm Middle School, with the gymnasium filled to capacity as the audience watched both teams compete in dances, skits and athletic events such as Tug of War and Football Relays. The theme this year was "It's That Time of Year Again," highlighting the good and the bad holidays and important dates observed each year, such as March Madness and tax season.  The 2013 Sports Nite Queen was Sara Vrancik. Sports Nite Queen Finalists included Priya Crain, Jeanie Davey, Alyssa Fusillo, and Joy …

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Pennsbury Has Strong Showing in World Language Tournament

Students from several schools across the county participated in Wednesday's competition.

William Tennent High School hosted approximately 450 students from 15 different schools across Bucks County Wednesday afternoon for the county's fourth annual World Language Competition. "It's incredible to see the future of Bucks County's world languages together, celebrating our diversity and love of languages," said organizer and WTHS Spanish Teacher Ariel Vargas.  The pop-quiz style event featured three rounds of 12 questions, and covered topics such as translation, spelling, vocabulary and culture. Teams were competing on levels from basic to advanced and were awarded ribbons based on the number of points achieved.  Blue ribbons were awarded to teams scoring more than 30 points, red ribbons were awarded to teams with a score between …

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Pennsbury Holds Career Fair on Monday

The Pennsbury High School career fair will be Monday night.

Pennsbury students, families, and community residents are welcome to attend the 17th annual Pennsbury High School Career Fair scheduled for Monday, February 25th. The event will take place from 6:30-8:30 p.m. at 705 Hood Boulevard in Fairless Hills. Guest exhibitors will showcase a full range of careers - from the arts to space science. Students K-12 are encouraged to explore a total of 130 professional exhibits and speak with nearly 300 company representatives to learn more about each field and the educational requirements necessary for success. Business, Computer, and IT Curriculum Coordinator, Frank Mayo, is organizing this year's fair with the help of many volunteers. Admission is free.

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Pennsbury Union to Propose Salary, Benefit Concessions

'The union committed to make a hypothetical proposal through the State Mediator in order to try and avoid outsourcing,' Chief Negotiator Jeffrey Sultanik said.

From the Pennsbury School District: On the evening of February 21, 2013, the Chief Negotiator for the Pennsbury School Board, Jeffrey Sultanik, met with representatives of the District’s support staff union, the Pennsbury Educational Support Professionals Association (PESPA), to continue negotiations toward reaching a settlement on a new contract. The 600+ employees in PESPA have been working under the terms of an expired contract since June, 2011. The last negotiation session held between the two parties occurred on January 30th. Prior to the latest negotiation session, Mr. Sultanik had shared the cost savings reflected in proposals submitted by outside vendors for subcontracting the services of five employee groups. These included …

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New Administrator Named for Pennsbury Schools

Dr. Elliott H. Lewis is the new assistant superintendent of administration for the Pennsbury School District.

From the Pennsbury School District: Elliott H. Lewis, Ed.D. was named Assistant Superintendent of Administration, K-12 for the Pennsbury School District by the Board of School Directors at the public meeting held on February 14th. Dr. Lewis will replace W. David Bowman, Ed.D., who resigned from Pennsbury in November 2012. As Assistant Superintendent, Dr. Lewis will report to the District Superintendent, Dr. Kevin J. McHugh, and serve as a member of the Superintendent’s Cabinet. Dr. Lewis will work collaboratively with the Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction in leading, guiding, and directing building-level administrative and instructional staff to best meet the needs of each child. The two Assistant Superintendents are …

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State Rep. Honors Pennsbury Girls’ Cross Country

State Rep. Steve Santarsiero honored the Pennsbury High School Cross Country team during a victim to Harrisburg.

While Levittown dealt with the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, the Pennsbury Cross Country team was able to rally together and win their their third-straight PIAA Class AAA title. State Rep. Steve Santarsiero presented the team with a citation from state government during the girls' visit to Harrisburg on Tuesday. “These girls, for three years now, have provided inspiration for their community and fellow runners and friends,” Santarsiero said in a statement. “I’m proud they call Bucks County home.”

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Standout Pennsbury Athletes Sign with Colleges

Three Pennsbury High School seniors recently signed their college paperwork.

Three standout Pennsbury High School athletes signed agreements to play for colleges during a ceremony aired on the school’s TV network. Cross Country player Sara Sargent was first to sign papers for University of Virginia during the morning event attended by her parents, school officials and media. The senior recounted she was not all that interested in going to University of Virginia at first. She said on her initial campus tour the school did not impress her. “I don’t know what I was thinking,” Sargent said with a giggle. “Now, I can’t see myself going anywhere else.” Soccer player Lexi Brown made her intent to play at West Chester University official surrounded by her family. Brown said she has been playing soccer since she was five …

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Pennsbury Students Play Super Duper Bowl for Good Cause

Students at Eleanor Roosevelt Elementary School in Falls took part in a flag football tournament for a good cause.

Energy filled the cold, windy field behind Pennsbury's Eleanor Roosevelt Elementary School in Falls Township on Friday as fifth-grade students played a flag football tournament for charity. The students used the tournament to raise funds for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. Acting Principal Gail Campbell said the students collected several hundred dollars. The Friday afternoon event - Super Duper Bowl III - began with a pep rally featuring signs from students in grades kindergarten to fourth. Fifth-graders have practiced on the gridiron during recess for the pass several weeks. All of the classes created their own name and mascot using the homeroom teacher’s name, district spokeswoman Ann Langtry said. Former National Football League player…

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