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Internship Spotlight: Madison Grider

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Madison Grider is a senior completing an internship at FXV Digital Design, a marketing agency in Wyomissing. Freddy Vasquez, owner, says he's impressed with how helpful Maddie's been to his agency--particularly with creating content for social media: "Maddie is absolutely remarkable! Since she became part of our team, she's swiftly become the go-to person for our TikTok content, enhancing our consistency--a key ingredient in our formula for success!" However, he said that he's even more impressed with Maddie's work ethic, which has given her an opportunity to return to FXV following her internship: "While it's feasible to teach someone various skills, imbuing them with genuine character and a robust work ethic is a different ball game. Maddie has integrated wonderfully with our team, building strong relationships and steadily gaining confidence in her decision-making and social interactions," he said. "We champion individuality and confidence in idea-sharing among our staff--it's what fuels a team's passion and originality. Maddie has genuinely become an integral part of the FXV Digital Design family, and we're hopeful she'll choose to continue her journey with us after her internship."

Maddie, can you tell us a bit about what your plans are for after graduation? Have you selected a college and a major?

After graduation, I will be attending Penn State University Park in the fall, studying under the College of Information Sciences and Technology. I am super excited to explore my major, which is called Human-Centered Design and Development.

Can you tell us a bit about your internship? What does a typical day look like for you?

My schedule is generally pretty relaxed. My typical work consists of tasks related to social media management and also content creation and planning. So far I’ve worked on blog posts, which require lots of research and copywriting, as well as TikTok videos, which I get to script, film, and then edit for FXV’s social media.

How did you select your internship? Did someone help you select it? Did you seek out the opportunity on your own? Were you asked to do the internship?

I selected this internship because it was extremely intriguing to me and I also just wanted to get some more work experience before stepping into the real world. Mr. Ricketts, the internship coordinator at Exeter Township Senior High School, was a big help with finding an internship that felt like a good fit. I wasn’t really sure where to start initially, but Mr. Ricketts provided me with tons of resources and we ultimately selected FXV. Soon after deciding on the internship, I met with my mentor and it felt like it was going to be a great environment. The entire team at FXV Digital Design has been so great to work with and they have made me feel so comfortable.

Do you think your internship is helping you feel more confident about your decision to go to college and pursue your major?

I would say so! Even though my major doesn’t revolve around social media management or content creation, this internship has helped me learn many real-world skills that I can use when I get to college. I have become a more confident and outspoken person since starting this internship, and this makes me convinced that I can conquer any challenges that college might throw at me.

What do you like most about your internship? 

The thing that I like most about my internship is that I get to work on a variety of assignments in a given week. I never find myself bored or without something to keep me busy. I love that I get to acquire many different skills through the diverse projects I work on.

And finally, what would be your advice to a high school student who's thinking about Exeter's internship program?

My advice to a high school student thinking about getting involved in the Exeter internship program is to do it! Even if you don’t know where you want to intern, take advantage of the opportunity. There are endless options for you to explore and you will definitely be able to find an internship that interests you. Get out of your comfort zone and try something new, you never know what might come out of it!

Senior High Students Prepare Meal for 60 Women & Children

student cooks chicken in a pan
students chop broccoli and prepare food in a classroom
students chop broccoli and prepare food in a classroom
On days when they cook for schoolwork, Senior High students in Food & Nutrition, Sports Nutrition and Life 101 classes usually eat their own culinary creations. But today, students worked with extra care and attention to prepare meals they will never taste: By the end of today, six classes will have spent the day preparing a dinner of 12 pounds of garlic parmesan pasta with chicken and vegetables; four large garden salads with homemade ranch dressing; and blueberry, cherry and apple sheet cakes to give to those who are sheltered by Safe Berks, an organization that provides emergency housing and services to women and children affected by domestic violence or sexual assault. 
When Mrs. Preston introduced the idea to her classes, she said she could feel a shift in the room where everyone was fully paying attention to the assignment. "They were really taken aback by the purpose of the organization. They understood the gravity of the assignment and the power behind a good meal for people in need." The recipes they selected are a normal part of their curriculum and something they could easily scale up and transport to feed approximately 60 people at Safe Berks--a number that shocked many of the students. "I think they were surprised that there was an organization this big in Berks County to work specifically with victims of domestic and sexual abuse," said Mrs. Preston. "I think there was a realization among the students that they don't know everyone's story."
Typically, the Food and Consumer Science Department does not have the funds to purchase the ingredients to cook a meal of this magnitude, but thanks to a local philanthropic couple's donation of the ingredients and an offer to transport the meal from the high school to the shelter, the department was able make the project work. "If we had the funds for it, our department would love the opportunity to do this once a semester," said Mrs. Anne Thomas. "It's been a rewarding experience for everyone and gives us an opportunity for our students to help those who are less fortunate than themselves."

Science Olympiad Students Earn Medals at Regional Competition

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Senior High Science Olympiad Team

2024 JH Science Olympiad team

Junior High Science Olympiad Team

students pose wearing medals from academic competition

Zander Bogust and Alex Boyer

3rd place Tower

Michael Jordan and Owen Schafer

students pose wearing medals from academic competition

Juliana Nerney and Phillip Lake

students pose wearing medals from academic competition

Hansika Kunduru and Addison McKittrick

students pose wearing medals from academic competition

Shaun Rathman and Gillian Foster

students pose wearing medals from academic competition

Meredith Batz and Katie Hoover

students pose wearing medals from academic competition

Gillian Foster and Katie Hoover

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Audrey Gierlich and Shaun Rathman

What a week for science in Exeter! This week, Senior High and Junior High students competed at the regional Science Olympiad at Kutztown University against 27 other schools from Berks, Lehigh, Northumberland, Northampton and Schuylkill counties. The Senior High team placed 6th, qualifying them for the State Tournament in Altoona in late April. Additionally, six teams earned medals, including:

  • • Juliana Nerney and Phillip Lake in the Scramble
  • • Hansika Kunduru and Addison McKittrick in Anatomy & Physiology
  • • Shaun Rathman and Gillian Foster in Fossils
  • • Meredith Batz and Katie Hoover in Wind Power
  • • Gillian Foster and Katie Hoover in Geologic Mapping
  • • Audrey Gierlich and Shaun Rathman in Astronomy

 

At the Junior High level, Alex Boyer and Zander Bogust placed 2nd in “Write It Do It” and Michael Jordan and Owen Schafer placed 3rd in the Tower Building event.

Founded in 1984, Science Olympiad is the premier team STEM competition in the nation, providing standards-based challenges to 6,000 teams at 425 tournaments in all 50 states. During tournaments, students test their knowledge in many different areas of science, including earth science, biology, chemistry, physics or engineering, such as building structures, creating design logs and data tables, and completing lab practicals or exams. The teams are advised by Mr. Will Lasky and Mrs. Amber Bollinger at the Senior High and Mrs. Tracy Powell and Mrs. Gretchen Hess at the Junior High.

Congratulations to all of our STEM students who represented Exeter in tournaments this week, and best of luck to our students who will be continuing to represent Exeter at the state level next month!

Elementary Students Solve Real-World Problems Using K’Nex

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The Exeter Elementary Engineering Elves (aka E to the 4th Power) from Jacksonwald: Yossef Flecha, Elliot Lloyd, Aria Papst, and Lillian Cocozza (not pictured)

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The Turtle Titans from Owatin Creek: Felicity Bluestone, Scarlet Jordan, Oliver Scaccia and Natalie Lamborn

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Lorane's Exeter Eliminators: Rowan Ouimet, Autumn Schlosser and Aaron Kravetz

Teams of fourth-grade students from Jacksonwald, Lorane and Owatin Creek dreamt up new innovations to solve modern-day problems using just K'Nex building pieces, teamwork, and a whole lotta brain power during the 2024 BCIU STEM Design Challenge held this week at the Berks County Intermediate Unit. The design competition challenges teams of four students from each elementary school to build a unique prototype using K'Nex building pieces. To prepare for the competition, teams spent several weeks before the competition working together to identify a modern-day problem, imagining a prototype that they could build to solve that problem, creating computer-designed blueprints and models using CAD software, and then practicing building their finalized prototype using K'Nex. Along the way, students documented the process by keeping a design notebook and writing a script for their design presentation. When the challenge day actually arrived, teams had just two hours to build their K'Nex prototype from scratch and less than two minutes to impress and wow the judges with their presentation

This year, students dreamt up designs to try to increase food production for Pennsylvania farmers. The Exeter Elementary Engineering Elves (aka E to the 4th Power) from Jacksonwald [Yossef Flecha, Elliot Lloyd, Aria Papst, and Lillian Cocozza (not pictured)] created an Elf Bot, which is a solar-powered automated tractor that digs holes, plants seeds and waters crops. The Turtle Titans from Owatin Creek (Felicity Bluestone, Scarlet Jordan, Oliver Scaccia and Natalie Lamborn) made Big Timmy the TractorBot, which features solar panels on the roof, sensors that work with GPS, pokers that make holes, a seed dispenser and a water sprinkling system. Lorane's Exeter Eliminators (Rowan Ouimet, Autumn Schlosser and Aaron Kravetz) made a drone that sends signals to roving scarecrows that can also zap weeds with an electric shock. Although Exeter didn't place in this year's competition, they had a great day of thinking, creating, presenting and competing against other Berks County schools! 

Internship Spotlight: Sydney Burke & Abigail Rathman

Copy of internship spotlight (Instagram Post)

Sydney Burke & Abigail Rathman are seniors completing an internship at Celebration Villa of Exeter. Sydney is focusing on Nursing, while Abigail is focusing on Human Resources. Heather McCool, the Executive Director of Celebration Villa, says that the district's partnership with the assisted living facility has been advantageous to both organizations. "We have been so thankful for our relationship with Exeter... Two of our interns took positions with us and we couldn’t be more proud to have them as team members on board with us! This has also given our team the ability to learn how to mentor and lead others. Our company has a “Pathway to Promotion” program, and having students start with us through their internship is the perfect way for us to see the growth of people through this program. Thank you so much to Mr. Ricketts and ETSD for your partnership!"

Can you tell us a bit about what your plans are for after graduation? Have you selected a college and a major?
Sydney: After graduating I plan on attending college to study Nursing. I have my colleges narrowed down to three and hope to make a decision soon.

Abigail: I plan to attend a four-year at Bloomsburg University, with a plan to major in Business.

Can you tell us a bit about your internship? What does a typical day look like for you?
Sydney: A typical day would be to meet with Shirley, the Director of Nursing, and discuss the plan for the day. Usually I begin with taking vitals of residents and documenting the information to give to Shirley. In addition, I work with the residents on crafts, cooking or other activities. Finally, I have the opportunity daily to interview and talk with the residents to get to know them better.

Abigail: A typical day at Celebration Villa consists of me sitting at the front desk answering and transferring phone calls while I work on sorting through resident or potential applicant files. I often call applicants for over-the-phone interviews as our team is always-expanding and growing (especially with the introduction of the upcoming memory care unit)! While I work, I also greet anyone who walks in or leaves our facility in order to help create a warm, welcoming environment.

How did you select your internship? Did someone help you select it? Did you seek out the opportunity on your own? Were you asked to do the internship?
Sydney: Once I knew I wanted to study nursing, I knew an internship in this field would benefit me in college. I spoke with Mr. Ricketts who advised me about the opportunities on internships involving nursing, and the internship at Celebration Villa felt like the best fit.

Abigail: I found my HR internship through Mr. Ricketts’s internship website. I communicated my interest to Celebration Villa and traveled there for an interview. Afterward, they told me that they would love to have me join their team! I was also offered a job as a Dietary Aide, and have worked (in that capacity) since April 2023. My internship officially started in August of 2023, and I have enjoyed it every step of the way. I am so proud to be a part of the Celebration Villa family!

Do you think your internship is helping you feel more confident about your decision to go to college and pursue your major?
Sydney: Definitely! This opportunity to begin thinking about my future in nursing, and mentoring with the nurses made me realize the decision to go into nursing was the right one for me. Each day, as I get the chance to take on new responsibilities, I get more excited to enter the field of nursing.

Abigail: I think that my internship has affirmed my decision to pursue a business major in college. I have not yet decided if I want to go for Business Management or Marketing, but I have found that I really enjoy working in an office environment. I love conducting meetings and heading projects! I am unsure if I want to continue working in HR when I graduate because the hiring process can be monotonous, but I am definitely staying within the business world.

What do you like most about your internship? What do you like least?
Sydney: The part of the internship I like the most is the residents. I enjoy talking with them, doing activities and learning about their lives. The part I like the least is the limited interaction medically that I have; I look forward to being able to learn more as the internship progresses.

Abigail: My favorite part of my internship is completing employee satisfaction projects. I had the privilege to plan and host our staff's holiday party at the end of last year, which was a huge success! Just recently, my facility celebrated Caregiver Appreciation Week to spotlight all of our incredibly hardworking employees and the amazing work they do every single day. The residents of my facility and I created ‘Caregiver Survival Kit’ cards, and I decorated the break room bulletin board to help share the love! My least favorite part of my internship is reviewing applications on our hiring software. Sometimes I review and call applicants for days straight, which can become slightly tedious.

And finally, what would be your advice to a high school student who's thinking about Exeter's internship program?
Sydney: My advice is to definitely find a place and take the opportunity. This has been an amazing and eye-opening experience, and helped me solidify my decision to become a nurse.

Abigail: If you are someone who is considering the internship program, I would 100% go for it! I have learned and experienced so much in my time with Celebration Villa, and am always excited to show up to intern each day. Being able to have the opportunity to work in a real business setting has helped me gain more professionalism, improve my communication skills, and has made me more confident that I will be able to survive in the workforce.

Exeter’s Hills are Alive with the “Sound of Music”

EXETER TOWNSHIP SCHOOL DISTRICT PRESENTS (Label) (1)

One of the most beloved musicals of all time will bring Exeter Township Senior High School's auditorium alive with the "Sound of Music" in March! Starring Alison Applegate (left) as Maria and Ryan Claudfelter as Captain Von Trapp (right), this year's Senior High School production will feature a talented cast of students from elementary through the high school to perform Rodgers & Hammerstein's inspirational true story, which earned five Tony Awards and five Oscars when it debuted on the stage and screen in the 1960s. Rounding out the multi-school ensemble are (from left, after Alison): Adam Crotty as Friedrich, Ella Mackey as Louisa, Gavin Isselmann as Kurt, Kaylen Reynolds as Brigitta, Summer Douglas as Marta and Scarlet Jordan as Gretl. (Not pictured is Zoe Banks as Liesl.)

Sure to be one of your favorite things, catch the "Sound of Music" on March 14th, 15th and 16th at 7PM and March 17th at 2PM before the cast says "So long, farewell." All tickets are $12 and can be reserved online at https://exeterhsmusical.seatyourself.biz/ or at the door before the performance.