Vote for Sue Schor

Here is a letter of mine published in this week's Pike County Dispatch about Sue Schor.

To the editor:

Sue Schor is one of the best candidates running for Delaware Valley School Board.

Because of Sue’s qualifications, Judge Chelak chose her out of several candidates to fill a vacancy left by a Taxpayers United representative who resigned in October. She now serves as the school board’s co-curricular co-chairperson.

Sue has played an important role in our students’ education for many years as a parent volunteer. Some 15 years ago when I first stepped foot in the Shohola Elementary School for my first day of kindergarten, Sue was working with the children in our community as a member of the PTA. As a volunteer, Sue knows how to take limited resources and make the best of them for our students.

Sue not only brings her qualities of kindness and compassion to the table. Sue’s professional experience as a realtor and manager makes her even worthier of our votes.

Sue began her path as a leader in the community when her three sons started their educational journey at our school district almost 20 years ago. Since then, Sue has gained a great understanding of the needs of the students she has served and the parents and teachers she has worked with. The time and experience Sue has in our community makes her one of the candidates who is most in touch with the needs of the taxpayers.

On May 19, vote Sue Schor for DV School Board.

Respectfully,

Ryan Balton
Delaware Valley ’07
Milford, PA

Shohola book fair today and tomorrow

Recognizing the importance and pleasure of reading books, Shohola Elementary School will hold its annual Spring Scholastic Book Fair this month.

The school will be open to the public on Tuesday, April 21 and Wednesday, April 22 from 4 to 6 p.m.

Event organizers and students will be collecting loose coins and bills through the “One For Books” reading incentive program. Money collected will benefit our students’ classroom libraries. Scholastic matches the monetary donations schools generate, with a donation of up to one million books to three national non-profit organizations dedicated to helping kids and families in need.

Come out and support SES and inspire a world of adventure and the love of books to a child in your life.

Thanks for the submission, Carrieanne! Send in your announcements to Ryan@RyanBalton.com.

Meet the candidates on May 4

A Meet the Candidates event will take place May 4 at 7 p.m. at Dingman Delaware Middle School, according to an email from Delaware Valley Council of PTAs president Lisa Matarazzo.

Mark your calendars for the Monday event. 

Before the 2007 primary election, all of the candidates but the three Taxpayers United candidates were present for the PTA's Meet the Candidates night.

Co-curriclar additions: Goldsack's "45" contested

A letter written by incumbent school board candidate Bob Goldsack claims that Taxpayers United board members have "added 45 co-curricular activities" since the last election.

According to a list from the co-curricular chair Sue Schor, another incumbent board candidate, this number is exaggerated. Schor provided a list of middle and high school co-curriculars and indicated which activities were added in the past two years. The new activities add up to 25.

The number of new activities is not the only thing in question. Goldsack's letter gives sole credit to the TU board members only in the creation of co-curriculars. Schor said in an e-mail that there many activities added to the elementary schools but that the majority of those activities are executed and funded by the PTAs.

Superintendent Candis Finan said in an e-mail that Goldsack may be basing the number off of an estimate she provided.

Goldsack and other Taxpayers United board representatives have not returned an e-mail sent Tuesday.


Schor's e-mail:
⇒ VIEW THE LIST

04/01/09

* The activities in red are new Co-Curricular or Clubs that have developed within the past two years. Keep in mind some clubs have taken place of others that are no longer in place.
I do not have the elementary attached to this list. I had it as a handout at a board meeting but my scanner is not working. Whatever has been added as clubs in the elementary schools is through the dedicated PTA’S where parents and teachers, support staff and administrators that donate their time. (It is funded through the PTA not the board budget.)


Co-Curricular Activities at the High School Level

Athletics
Baseball
Basketball (Boys/Girls)
Cheerleading
Cross Country (Boys/Girls)
Field Hockey
Football
Golf
Lacrosse (**Boys/Girls)
Special Education Olympic Ski Group (Middle Schools and High School)
Soccer (Boys/Girls)
Softball
Special Education Track and Field (Boys/Girls) School District
Swimming (Boys/Girls)
Tennis (Boys/Girls)
Track
Volleyball (Boys/Girls)
Wrestling

Clubs and Activities
**Rachel’s Challenge Club is in the process of beginning. We have an awesome team of teachers that are willing to get this club off the ground. There are over 150 students interested in participating. This club will help students that are new to the school. It will also help students that feel they don’t fit in with groups get associated with the social life at DV.
**Computer Programming Club
Computer Graphics Club
**Russian Culture Club
Foreign Language Club
Creative Writing Club
**Digital Photography Club
Mu Alpha Theta
Dance Club
Drama Club
Literary Magazine (ECHO)
National Honor Society
Newspaper (DelAware)
Odyssey of the Mind
Model United Nations
PYEA
History Day
Art Club
Skills USA/VICA
FCCLA
HOSA
Foreign Film Club
Pep Band
Political Issues Club
Martial Arts
Mock Trial
SASA
Philosophy Club
Scholastic Bowl
Ski Club
**Special Education Bowling
**Special Education Weight Lifting Training
Student Council
Yearbook
Junior Historians
Science Olympiad
DV World (Web-Site)
Junior Academy of Science
Mountain Bike Club
FBLA
Ham Radio Club
Environmental Club
TATU
Broadcast Del Val
**Fencing
**Water Polo
Weight Lifting Training
Election Club
**Scrap booking Club


Middle School Dingman-Delaware Middle School and Delaware Valley Middle School
Baseball
Basketball (Boys/Girls)
Cheerleading
Cross Country
Field Hockey
Football
Soccer (Boys/Girls)
Softball
Special Education Track and Field (School District)
Special Education Olympic Ski Group (Open to Middle School and High School Students
Tennis (Boys/Girls)
Track and Field (Boys/Girls)
Volleyball (Boys/Girls)
Wrestling


Dingman-Delaware Middle School Clubs and Activities
Age Group Swimming (DV-ACE)
DDTV
Drama
Hall Monitors
Jr. SASA
Library Helpers
Pep Band
Student Ambassadors
Student Council
**Book Reading Club
Odyssey of the Mind
**Looms of Love
Magazine
Math Counts
**Movie Club
Newspaper
Science Olympiad
**Ski and Snowboard Club
Theatre Club
Yearbook
Art Club
DDWeb
**Lights and Sound


Delaware Valley Middle School Clubs and Activities
Age Group Swimming (DV-ACE)
Drama
**Art Club
Jr. SASA
Library Helpers
**Pep Band
Student Ambassadors
Student Council
**Book Reading Club
Odyssey of the Mind
National History Day
Looms of Love
**Computer Club
Math Counts
Newspaper
**Stamp & Scrap Booking Club
Science Olympiad
Ski and Snowboard Club
Literary Magazine
Principal’s Mini-Marathoners
Yearbook
Hall Monitors

DVHS December newsletter

Sorry there haven't been many posts lately. News has been slow, and I've been busy... but RB for DV will continue to link to local news sources and publish any news tips you send in. Expect more thorough coverage of meetings and continued podcasts in the coming months.

For now, here is the Delaware Valley High School "E-Newsletter" for December 2008.

---

Delaware Valley High School
E-Newsletter Edition
2008-2009

“Educating for Life’s Journey”


PENNSYLVANIA GOVERNORS SCHOOLS FOR EXCELLENCE
Pennsylvania Governors School application process is now under way. The program is open to all Juniors and in some instances to Sophomores also. The Governor’s Schools of Excellence are five week, residential summer programs for high school students. Students spend this time working with leading experts, educators and mentors in a unique learning environment. The programs take place on college campuses and provide hands-on experience in the agricultural sciences, the arts, health care, information technology, international studies, the sciences, global entrepreneurship, and teaching. Room and board, tuition, classroom materials and activities are covered by full scholarships. The student's family is responsible for transportation costs and pocket money. All graduates are eligible for special scholarships from many of Pennsylvania’s colleges and universities.
The application is competitive and students are encouraged to begin working on their applications and portfolios right away and not wait until the deadline which falls near the winter recess.
Mrs. Cavallaro is the DV coordinator for the Governor’s Schools. Parents who have general questions can email Mrs. Cavallaro at cavallaros@dvsd.org.
For in-depth information about the programs and the selection processes for each application, or to download applications, please visit: www.pgse.org


Veteran’s Day Dinner

The teachers from the Family and Consumer Sciences department served a three course meal to over 150 veterans of Pike County. This annual affair included performances by the jazz band and selected student vocalists. Senior Josh Reyes was the MC and the junior historians served the meal and were the volunteer clean up crew. The night was a tremendous success and a plan for next year’s dinner to honor our veterans is already in the works.


Music for the Holidays

Over 20 Band and Orchestra members will travel to Parkland H.S. on Saturday, December 6th to audition for the PMEA District 10 Band and Orchestra festivals, which will be held in January. Good luck DV instrumentalists!

The Concert Choir and Orchestra will have their annual Winter concerts on Saturday, Decemebr 13th at 7pm and Sunday, Decmber 14th at 3pm. The music that will be performed will include great classics, as well as some holiday music and two combined finale songs. There is no admission charge, but a donation to the groups´ scholarship & activity funds will be gladly accepted at the door. Music-related products will also be on sale before and after the concert. Happy Holidays!!


Odyssey of the Mind Teams for 2008-2009

STRUCTURE
Dustin Balton
Richard Cheng
Brittany Naundorff
Matthew Neumann
Chelsea Polack
Nicolle Herzog
Jenna Pike

CLASSICS
Becca Reitmeyer
Dayna Richter
Dustyn Hines
Michelle Buccine
Emily Neumann
Taylor Engle
Tyler McCarthy

VEHICLE
Danny Tschop
David Thatcher
Sam Daniel
Sarah Thatcher
Megan Gumpper
Jenae Shoup
Karalee Morgan

TECHNICAL
Kelly Smith
Lisa Smith
Ester Yoon
Tommy Davidson
Nick Sanborn
Emily Fox
Robert Vargas


PTSA Reflections Winners

DVHS-PTSA REFLECTIONS "Arts in Education" 2008-09 SCHOOL WINNERS
Photography- Emily Guerra, Daniel Balton, Sarah Thomas, Dustin Balton
Visual Arts- Katie Yuen, Hunter Neumann, Sharyn Beodeker
Literature- Danielle Hossann


Student Volunteers

On November 26, ten junior historians traveled with Mr. Ross to the Salvation Army in Port Jervis, NY. The students helped prepare and serve a turkey dinner for over a hundred residents of the area. The students will return for Christmas to help with the distribution of food and toys.


Skills USA District Winners

Gold Medals
Brett Buonanno Carpentry
Cody Fahey Chapter Business Procedure Team
Roger Quick Chapter Business Procedure Team
Dylan Saturno Chapter Business Procedure Team
David Stacey Chapter Business Procedure Team
Wayne Kimble Chapter Business Procedure Team
Dan Salinas Chapter Business Procedure Team
Zach Sickler Chapter Business Procedure Team
Nelson Soberal Chapter Business Procedure Team
Alisa Cawley Commercial Baking
Brandon Grimila Culinary Arts
Sean Roberts Motorcycle Service Technology

Silver Medal
William Kidd Action Skills

Bronze Medals
Mitch Haug Job Skill Demonstration
Steve Marshall Job Skill Demonstration
Andrew Salatti Power Equipment Technology

$4,000 Scholarship to Connecticut Culinary Institute
Brandon Grimila
Alisa Cawley


Guidance News

College Applications
Reminder to seniors who have not yet sent college applications – time is running out. Contact your counselor ASAP.

Acceptance Letters
Acceptance letters for seniors to their colleges are coming into guidance. Reminder to seniors to please bring your college acceptance letter in to get your name up on the board. Congratulations to all who been accepted thus far. Keep up the good work. Remember to keep working hard. Please keep the guidance office informed of any transcript requests from your colleges, as well as Mid-Year Reports which need to be sent to your colleges.

PSAT Results Are In!
PSAT/NMSQT results are back – students will be bringing them home the week of December 8th. Each PSAT/NMSQT score- critical reading, mathematics and writing skills – is based on a scale of 20 to 80. Students received their test book along with their score report. Attached to the e-mail is a “Parent Tutorial for Understanding 2008 PSAT/NMSQT Results”. Any questions please feel free to contact your son/daughter’s counselor.


Student Council’s 2nd Annual Jingle Ball

Jingle Ball is a charity dance open to all Delaware Valley High School students. Rather than attempt to make a profit from the admission and refreshment sales, student council will donate all revenue to a charitable cause (Toys for Tots / Safe Haven). Students are encouraged to bring a toy in its original packaging as the price for admission. The toys collected will be donated to the local Salvation Army. Students who have 10 days of unexcused absences or 10 days of out-of-school suspension or a combination of both are not able to attend Jingle Ball.


November Students of the Month

9th Grade Anthony Reyes
10th Grade Ashley Post
11th Grade Gregory Callaghan
12th Grade Garrett Kohinke
Achievement Award Tiare Castro
Athletes of the Month Christy Lonsky (Field Hockey)
Edwin Balcarcel (Football)
Vo-Tech Student of the Month Amanda Jaludi


Student Attendance Incentive Reminder

As we approach our second cutoff date for the student attendance incentive, Delaware Valley High School would like to remind students and parents of the segments of the incentive which can still affect students’ attendance at the semi-formal dance, prom , and graduation.

The policy reads:
Any student who has ten (10) unexcused absences or ten (10) days of out of school suspension or a combination of ten (10) days of unexcused absences and out of school suspensions by the date of the semi-formal dance may not attend the semi-formal dance. Any student who has fourteen (14) unexcused absences or fourteen (14) days of out of school suspension or a combination of fourteen (14) unexcused absences and out of school suspensions b y the time of the senior prom and/or graduation will not be allowed to attend the senior prom and/or graduation. There are NO exceptions.

Courier roundup: Response to parking fees opinion

• Quit your belly-aching (a vitriolic response to last week's parking opinions piece from a former board member)
• Cinderella’s closet (prom dress sale fundraiser)
• Flu clinic scheduled at Ding-Del Middle School (as previously announced on RB for DV)

PTA offering flu shots

The Dingman Delaware Middle School PTA is sponsoring a day to get flu shots on Oct. 25 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at DDMS for $30. 

According to a flyer by the DDMS PTA:

PTA is partnering with Flu Busters, a leading provider of on-site vaccinations, and Novartis Vaccines to provide convenient access to influenza vaccinations for students, parents, teachers and other member of the community.

Visit www.PTA.org/FluShotClinics

A donation will be made to PTA based on the level of participation in the program.

Call 866-782-3014 with questions.

STD presentation coverage, with video

WNEP has a report about last night's STD presentation and Delaware Valley High School, sponsored by the PTSA. 

Though it's a typical watered-down broadcast report, it seemed pretty decent. That is, up until the last line, when the reporter makes a remark that part of the problem is that DV is in a rural area and there's "just not enough for kids to do."

Yeah, okay.

Reminder: STD presentation Wednesday night

Don't forget: tomorrow night at 7 p.m. the high school PTSA will host a special guest expert on STDs, whose presentation will be open to all members of the public, parents and students included.

This press release appeared in the Pike County Courier:

The first meeting of the 2008-09 school year will be held on Sept. 17 at 7 p.m. The DVHS-PTSA will be hosting guest speaker John Kasenbach, from the Northeast Pennsylvania Department of Health, who has been invited to speak following the general membership meeting. He is a nurse consultant for sexually transmitted infections for northeastern Pennsylvania. He will be providing timely and accurate information and a slideshow presentation on sexually transmitted infections. This slideshow will include graphic slides and the progression of sexually transmitted infections. He will provide actual case studies and be available to answer questions from the audience. Members of the public are welcome.

Sex ed opinion hits home

A Milford resident wrote a succinct response to the Pike County Youth Coalition press release that was printed as a top headline in last week's Pike County Courier. 

Not only is it short, sweet and to the point, it's right.

Schools do share a part in the sexual/health education of students, but if these responsibilities are not shared in the home there is no hope for our kids to be educated.

Follow all of the sex ed news by viewing all labeled articles dealing with the topic. And remember to join the high school PTSA on Wednesday when it hosts a guest speaker on STDs.

PTSA guest speaker on STDs next Wednesday

Remember to mark your calendars for next Wednesday. Join the Delaware Valley High School PTSA, which will be hosting a speaker on STDs and sex education Wednesday, Sept. 17 at 7 p.m. The meeting is open to the public, so both parents and students are encouraged to attend.

From an earlier press release:

The first meeting of the 2008-09 school year will be held on Sept. 17 at 7 p.m. The DVHS-PTSA will be hosting guest speaker John Kasenbach, from the Northeast Pennsylvania Department of Health, who has been invited to speak following the general membership meeting. He is a nurse consultant for sexually transmitted infections for northeastern Pennsylvania. He will be providing timely and accurate information and a slideshow presentation on sexually transmitted infections. This slideshow will include graphic slides and the progression of sexually transmitted infections. He will provide actual case studies and be available to answer questions from the audience. Members of the public are welcome.

PTSA to host guest speaker about teen sex issues Sept. 17

The Delaware Valley High School PTSA announced its scholarship winners, Box Tops fundraiser and first meeting of the 2008-09 school year in this week's Pike County Courier.

The first meeting of the 2008-09 school year will be held on Sept. 17 at 7 p.m. The DVHS-PTSA will be hosting guest speaker John Kasenbach, from the Northeast Pennsylvania Department of Health, who has been invited to speak following the general membership meeting. He is a nurse consultant for sexually transmitted infections for northeastern Pennsylvania. He will be providing timely and accurate information and a slideshow presentation on sexually transmitted infections. This slideshow will include graphic slides and the progression of sexually transmitted infections. He will provide actual case studies and be available to answer questions from the audience. Members of the public are welcome.

Alcohol policy tightened, STD letter discussed at July safety meeting

July 17 safety meeting blow-by-blow

The court hearing to upgrade the school police officers as previously reported is scheduled for Aug. 5, according to board solicitor Mike Weinstein.

Faculty and staff will be instructed to keep their classroom doors locked at all times, in case of an armed intruder, based on safety recommendations. 

Distribution, possession, or under the influence of alcohol cases while in school, at school functions, or in between home and school will now be referred to the superintendent to be brought in front of the board for an expulsion hearing. Currently, students with alcohol are given 10 days of out-of-school suspension and referred to the police. The federally-mandated zero tolerance policy for all drugs is written in the student handbook. 

The issue was raised after students were found drunk at the semi-formal dance. Board president Bob Goldsack said this will make the punishment for alcohol consistent with the punishment for other drugs. There were nine students caught under the influence or possessing alcohol this past school year in the high school and one or two in the other school levels, according to superintendent Dr. Candis Finan. 

Expulsion can be any punishment from one additional day of out-of-school suspension to a permanent ban from Delaware Valley. The extent of the punishment is determined in a due process hearing. Students caught with alcohol or any drug at school receive a fine of up to $420 and a 90-day license suspension, according to school police officer Mark Moglia. 

The board did not vote on any changes to policy wording but may do so in the future.

District nurses chairperson Ellen Orben spoke about the STI letter. According to Orben, Maternal and Family Health Services, aka "Family Planning," contacted her a few months ago with a concern about increased pregnancies and STDs at Delaware Valley. They were interested in doing a presentation for the students. Orben spoke to 11/12 principal Joe Casmus and to Finan, who agreed since the school year was coming to a busy end the district should send a letter home to parents, Orben said. 

Orben asked MFHS for some data to include in the letter, and they called back shortly after school ended with the numbers printed in the letter, 25 to 30 pregnancies and 300 cases of STDs, Orben said. Once the media got hold of the letter, the Department of Health stepped in saying there was no way those numbers could be accurate or publicly revealed, and the CEO of MFHS called Orben to tell her there must have been a misunderstanding.

The school district is interested in setting up a meeting with MFHS to straighten the matter out, but Orben said she is glad the letter went out whether or not the numbers are exactly accurate. 

She said all of the school nurses will do a short presentation at the open houses in September to talk to parents about this issue, and a speaker from the northeast region of the Department of Health will be on hand at the Sept. 17 DV High School PTSA meeting for a slideshow and discussion. 

The board and administration will be going through the sex ed curriculum and fine tuning it for this year, but Finan said as a public school they need to be wary of not crossing the line in pushing values upon students and they will offer parents a way to opt out of curriculum they feel uncomfortable with their children learning.

There were only two or three members of the public present for the safety committee meeting, which is surprising after all the uproar from the STD letter. I hoped more people would have attended the meeting if they truly wanted to be informed from the source.