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Junior High Spelling Bee Ends With a “Poppet”

spelling bee winners hold their certificates

The Junior High Spelling Bee ended with a “poppet” today as seventh grader Joey Peroni successfully conquered 13 rounds of spelling, winning the competition with the unusual word, which means "an endearingly sweet young girl or child" or "a small human often depicted in witchcraft or sorcery." (Although a homophone, this poppet is not the latest fidget fad that all of our elementary students love!) The competition quickly heated up in the final rounds as the five 7th and 8th graders challenged each other with their spelling prowess until Joey was left victorious.

Joey has been practicing for the competition since November with Mrs. Cheryl Larson, who advises and oversees both Reiffton's and the Junior High's Bees. When asked, he shyly admits he might have a natural knack for spelling, winning the Bee in third grade and coming in third in fourth grade at Lorane Elementary. Both of Joey's parents, Matt and Dena, agree: "He probably spells better than both of us," they said with a laugh.

Our congratulations to the other Bee participants, who include (from left to right):

  • Lena Bluestone,
  • Evey Manke
  • Joey Peroni
  • Danielle McLaughlin
  • Maya Paduret

Please help us wish the best of L-U-C-K to Joey as he goes on to compete in the 3rd Annual Diamond City Regional Spelling Bee in Wilkes-Barre in March. Our thanks, also, to all of this year's participants and our advisor, Mrs. Larson, for their time and dedication of upholding this national tradition here in Exeter!

 

Reiffton Spelling Bee Names a W-I-N-N-E-R

spelling bee winners hold their certificates
student spells words in spelling bee

Certainly no spelling SLOUCHES were on DISPLAY this afternoon at Reiffton as 5th and 6th grade CRONIES correctly spelled word after word in 27 INNINGS during this year’s Spelling Bee. After the PANDEMIC, you might think that students wouldn’t be DEVOURING spelling competitions, but these talented Reiffton students didn’t EBB their enthusiasm or JINX each other and BROACHED the Bee with WONDER and POTENTIAL as they LIMBERED through an hour of intense spelling competition.

In the end, all but one flew the COOP as he or she accidentally SWITCHEROOED a letter or made a DEVIATION in the correct spelling of his or her given word, leaving 6th grader Jonathan Torres the winner when he mentally SCRAWLED “ENAMEL” in his head and spelled it out loud correctly for the judges.

We wish all of Reiffton’s Spelling Bee participants an ENCOMPASSING congratulations! They are (from left to right):

  • Nora Larosse, runner-up
  • Chiamaka Okpokwu
  • Paden Karpew
  • Jonathan Torres, winner
  • Landon Putt
  • Drew Roth

Please also help us wish Jonathan the best as he hits the early APEX of his spelling career when he goes on to compete in the 3rd Annual Diamond City Regional Spelling Bee in Wilkes-Barre in March. 

Intern Spotlight: Sophie Johnson and the Reading Hospital

young adult stands in front of hospital

Internship Spotlight: Sophie Johnson, a senior, plans to attend a five-year college to become a physician assistant. She was looking for an internship where she had a great opportunity to become immersed in medicine and applied for a position at the Reading Hospital, which was a new opportunity for Exeter students this year. Courtney Powers, the Director of Community Engagement for the hospital, said that the internship provides experiences that allow students to take what they are learning in the classroom and observe and apply it to real-life situations in a professional healthcare setting. She also said the internship is highly competitive, accepting fewer than half of the students who apply. In addition to traditional medical roles, the hospital also offers internships for students who are interested in human resources, accounting, marketing, HVAC, law and in other non-medical careers. Ms. Powers also said that interns are also given the opportunity to participate in a number of workshops, including financial literacy, resume writing, interviewing skills and more. “Our hospital team members truly love engaging with students and providing these types of experiences for them,” she said. 

Q: Sophie, can you tell us a little bit about what you do at your internship?

A: Upon my arrival, I usually clock in using my badge and then I check in with my department supervisor to find out about my tasks for the day. Depending on whether or not she keeps me on pediatrics or sends me to R2E, which is our special care maternity floor, I complete a range of tasks from checking refrigerator temperatures, stocking supplies, answering call bells and phones, observing in patient rooms and shadowing nurses and doctors. I am currently working on a project of reorganizing our playroom, since it closed in previous years due to COVID-19. 

Q: Why did you select this as your internship?

A: I found out about my internship through my internship coordinator after applying to another medical internship a few days before. After applying to both, I ended up getting accepted into the one I am currently in. It all kind of happened at once because the internship just so happened to be a brand new opportunity for students from Exeter and other schools in the county; I am actually the first and only student from Exeter to participate in my current internship.

Q: Has this internship helped you decide your college/career goals?

A: With working alongside so many medical professionals each day, I have gotten the opportunity to talk to a variety of people, including medical students. I have received so much good advice, and after countless career conversations, I have decided that a physician assistant is the right path for me because it balances patient interaction with medical diagnoses. Being a social person, one of my favorite things is interacting with patients. A physician assistant allows me to have both that social interaction and a higher level of medical knowledge. I am soon getting the opportunity to shadow both a physician assistant and a nurse practitioner to become exposed to the tasks that each job entails. A nurse practitioner was my other career path option, so this is a perfect opportunity for me to solidify my thoughts and decisions. Also, working in pediatrics and special care maternity has helped me to decide that I love working with children as well as babies and their mothers, and that is something that I can see myself doing in the future within my medical profession.

Q: What have you liked most about your internship? What have you liked least?

A: No two days are the same at the hospital, making it part of the reason I love it so much. I am learning something new every single day. My favorite part of the internship is definitely meeting all of the different patients and shadowing the nurses and doctors during patient assessments and treatments. I have even gotten to hold babies, which has definitely been a favorite thing of mine. Everything I have done at the hospital has benefited me in some way, so I really can't think of anything that has been my "least favorite." Sure there are less exciting things such as answering phones and stocking supplies but those tasks have allowed me to gain better communication and organizational skills in which I value. I have also met so many nice people who treat me as one of their own. 

Q: Has anything surprised you about your internship? 

A: Yes, I would say the biggest surprise that came from this internship was the amount of opportunities I was presented with. Going in, I knew I was going to have opportunities, but definitely not this many. It honestly blows my mind how much I am able to do. I am doing things that I never imagined I would do at this age.

Q: Anything else you'd like to share?

A: I would like to note that I got very lucky in the aspect that my department manager happens to manage both the pediatrics and the special care maternity units. With that being said, I go back and forth between departments frequently and both teach me completely different things. So in a way, I am learning double because I have double the amount of opportunities through this advantage. 

Our deepest thanks to the Reading Hospital for offering this great opportunity to Exeter and other Berks students and for Ms. Powers and Sophie for sharing her great experience this semester! To learn more about hosting an Exeter intern or signing up for an internship in the 2023-24 school year, please reach out to Mr. Mark Ricketts at maricketts@nullexetersd.org.

District to Host Drug Awareness Workshop for Families in January

picture of assorted edibles and vapes
picture of edibles
picture of teachers crowded around a table

“This,” said Exeter Township Detective Sergeant Rocco DeCamillo as he pointed to a table filled with confiscated THC-laced gummies, brownies, cookies and treats, “was not manufactured to appeal to adults. It was manufactured to look like candy to appeal to kids.” 

As part of the district’s professional development sessions with educators and staff last month, Detective Sergeant DeCamillo spent his day walking teachers, administrators and staff through the ever-complex and constantly-changing landscape of what drugs police are seeing being sold and being used in Exeter Township by adults and minors alike. “Things have drastically changed in the last 20 years. When the majority of us were in high school, marijuana was natural and looked like pot. Now, there’s so much synthetic stuff out there that’s chemically-produced with no regulation or oversight–and much of it’s been disguised to look like candy.”

Superintendent Dr. Christy Haller and Assistant Superintendent Mrs. Dawn Harris organized the session with Detective Sergeant DeCamillo and the district’s Student Services Coordinator, Mrs. Alycia Lenart, to bring a greater awareness to teachers of what’s out there, what it looks like, and how to engage students and their families with help for substance abuse. The sessions proved to be so popular with educators that Detective Sergeant DeCamillo and Mrs. Lenart decided to offer a similar session to parents and families so that they, too, could learn what police are seeing in the local community, and how to receive support through the district when families are faced with substance abuse. The parent and family session will be held on Thursday, January 12, 2023 at 7PM in Exeter Township Senior High School’s Large Group Instruction (LGI) room. 

During his presentation to teachers, Detective Sergeant DeCamillo said navigating the “new normal” of drug use and drug accessibility is not easy. Oftentimes, he said as he pointed to all of the items on the table, local retailers don’t even know what’s legal to sell and what isn’t since laws vary from state to state. “Most of this stuff is perfectly legal in New Jersey,” he said. Mrs. Lenart added, “I think there’s also a perception that since it’s legal in certain states, it must be perfectly safe, and it’s really not,” she said, as she ticked off statistics that indicate that 90% of ER admittance for marijuana or THC overdoses are from edibles. “It takes anywhere from 30 minutes to two hours for kids to feel the effect from an edible. Since most teens don’t have great patience, they think it’s not working, so they eat more, and more and more and then wind up in the hospital. That’s why it’s so important to bring awareness to this very scary issue.”

Twenty students receive recognition for being at the top of their class in math and science

student receive awards in library

This morning, 10 juniors and 10 sophomores were recognized by Principal Tom Campbell and Exeter Community Education Foundation (ECEF)'s President Angela Cooke for their outstanding math or science achievements. The awards are given thanks to Dr. Harlan & Mrs. Carole Kutscher, longtime Exeter residents and supporters who created a $25,000 endowment for students through the ECEF, which recognizes students with a certificate and monetary award to celebrate the achievements of those who earned the highest weighted final grade in their 9th and 10th grade science and math classes.

Our sincerest thanks to the Kutscher family for establishing this incredible endowment to recognize the academic achievements of our students, the ECEF for their hard work in coordinating the second year of these awards, and our warmest congratulations to the following students who were recognized today for their outstanding academic work in math and science. They are:

Sophomores:

  • Perla Alvarado-Rueda, Science
  • Griffin Beidler, Math and Science
  • Carson Frederick, Science
  • Ridleigh Moyer, Science
  • Alexis Nonnemacher, Math
  • Sabrina Panford, Math
  • Stafan Patriak, Math
  • Kayla Schafer, Math
  • Logan Wegman, Math and Science
  • Luke Zawilla, Math and Science

Juniors:

  • Sofia Beggs, Math
  • Thomas Curry, Math
  • Charlotte Dolena, Science
  • Sophia Jones, Science
  • Abby Kravetz, Math
  • Hansika Kunduru, Science
  • Kai Loose, Math
  • Abigail Smith, Math
  • Ava Strauss, Science
  • Rachel Tschudy, Science

Intern Spotlight: Taylor Hill and Anni B Monogramming

Internship Spotlight: Taylor Hill, a junior, plans to attend a four-year college for business following graduation and hoped to intern at a business where she could learn all the different aspects of running a small business, including marketing and finances. She was lucky to find a perfect match with Anni B Monogramming, a small business owned and operated by Antje Barrett Scantzos in Wyomissing.

Q: Can you tell us a little bit about what you do at your internship?

A: I help with preparing the product for customers by adding finishing touches. I iron, fold, and package, as well as add price tags to products that she uses for shows. I also spend time creating spreadsheets and sign-ups for shows. I also have helped with taking pictures, creating captions, and posting on the Facebook and Instagram business platforms. In addition, I enter information into QuickBooks and help with making deposits. 

Q: Why did you select this business as your internship?

A:I selected my internship because the creative business had a good atmosphere and my mentor told me I would be doing different things every day. 

Q: Has this internship helped you decide your college/career goals?

A: My internship has shown me a lot about the communication it takes to work in a small business. I have learned about the importance of building relationships with each client in a business of personalization (embroidering). While I don't plan to have my own small business, the skills will make me a stronger future employee. 

Q: What have you liked most about your internship? What have you liked least?

A: I have liked entering the information into QuickBooks and using problem-solving to detect the issue if totals don't add up. I can't think of a task I haven't enjoyed in some way. 

Q: Has anything surprised you about your internship? 

A: I have been surprised about the variety of different customers she receives. My mentor receives orders from anything from sports teams, to doctors’ offices, to prison guards, to grandmothers and moms looking for cute gifts. 

Q: Anything else you'd like to share?

A: The skills I have been taught and learned through observation have helped me learn so much more about the time that gets put into a business.

We’re so grateful to Antje for agreeing to mentoring Exeter students and Taylor for sharing her great experience this semester! To learn more about hosting an Exeter intern or signing up for an internship in the 2023-24 school year, please reach out to Mr. Mark Ricketts at maricketts@nullexetersd.org.