News

Exeter Participates in this Year’s “What So Cool in Manufacturing?”

student holding perfume in front of a green screen is photographed

Behind the scenes of this year's "What So Cool about Manufacturing" video creation process

Huzzah! Voting for this year’s “What So Cool in Manufacturing?” opened this morning, and the brave knights and ladies of Exeter Junior High School prithee ask for your vote! This year, the nobles of the Audio and Video Production Club went on a quest to PhytogenX in Morgantown to create a video about their manufacturing process for beauty and personal care products. They’d be grateful for your chivalry by casting a vote–as many as you’re willing to give–to earn the holy grail–the Viewer’s Choice Award! But fare thee well: Voting is only open until April 10th at https://www.whatssocool.org/contests/berks-schuylkill

Thanks to Lords Mr. Kevin Adams and Mr. Darryl Schucker for leading the following round table of students through the video creation process: Miles Bollendorf, Aubrey Cocuzza, Yerik Flecha Cordero, Nevaeh Foran, Carter Knauer, Aleah Santiesteban and Richard Strock. 

Exeter’s Esteban Ruiz to Perform in Berks Jazz Fest

three students stand on a stage with their instruments

Members of "So What?" from left: Exeter's Esteban Ruiz, Wyomissing's Noah Gibney and Wilson's Dexter Sales.

student poses next to his bass

Esteban Ruiz

Junior Esteban Ruiz will be a featured performer in the 33rd Annual Berks Jazz Fest, which begins tonight. Esteban, who plays the bass in a jazz trio called “So What?” with percussionist Dexter Sales from Wilson High School and keyboardist/vocalist Noah Gibney from Wyomissing High School, will be performing at the DoubleTree’s Cheers American Bistro tonight at 4:30PM; Saturday at 11:30AM; Friday, April 12th at 4:30PM; and Saturday, April 13th at 11:30AM. They also will be performing this Sunday at 3PM at the Legacy Cigar Lounge in West Reading. 

The trio jammed together initially at one of Noah’s well-known open mic nights. Their chemistry was undeniable, which led to the formation of “So What?” and a chance to win the Chuck Loeb Memorial Scholarship, a scholarship jointly established by the Jazz Fest and the Reading Musical Foundation to honor the memory of Grammy-nominated guitarist Chuck Loeb, who loved teaching as much as he enjoyed making music. The trio won the scholarship last year–and again this year in 2024. 

Esteban said that the audition for the scholarship judged musicality, improvisation, balance, creativity and other criteria. The judges, in particular, look for chemistry as an ensemble. “This is not a competition where one musician can be a showoff. Entrants are especially judged on their ability to perform as a group,” he said. The winner of the scholarship enjoys a performance slot alongside other world-renowned jazz musicians during the 10-day music festival, as well as a cash prize. “Winning the scholarship means a lot to me and the other boys in ‘So What?’ because it allows us to get more recognition by other people and musicians which can further our popularity as a band and as individuals,” he said. “Simply having the opportunity to compete is an incredible honor. Competition is keen and gets stiffer every year.”

According to Berks Arts, which presents the festival, the Jazz Fest is one of the most prolific festivals of its kind, drawing nearly 30,000 visitors from all over the world right here to Berks County. Musicians from all backgrounds, locales and genres convene annually, performing dozens of concerts at venues across the region. 

In addition to larger-scale concerts, dozens of smaller, live-music events featuring local musicians, such as “So What?,” perform free concerts in area clubs and restaurants. The festival combines touring artists with unique collaborative performances while providing performance opportunities for world-renowned musicians and emerging artists alike. Visitors can enjoy a wide variety of genres including jazz, blues, R&B, funk, soul, bluegrass and more.

If you miss one of the trio’s performances, be sure to check out their YouTube channel for videos of the high schoolers jamming together: https://www.youtube.com/@SO_WHAT_BAND

Alycia Lenart Nominated for BCIU’s Annie Sullivan Award

a woman receives a certificate and poses with her husband

Mrs. Alycia Lenart, right, with her husband, Joe.

Mrs. Alycia Lenart, Exeter's K-12 Student Supports Coordinator, was Exeter's nomination for this year's BCIU's Annie Sullivan Award. This annual award recognizes people who work in educational institutions who provide outstanding advocacy and service to students with disabilities. This year’s ceremony was a historic occasion, recognizing an unprecedented 20 nominees, representing each of the 18 school districts and two career and technology centers within Berks County. Mrs. Lenart was nominated by her peers for her ability to "move mountains" for students who are struggling. Mrs. Lenart's role in the district is so broad--it's often hard to define exactly what she does since she will do anything to help any student who needs it--but if forced to define her role, Mr. Tom Campbell, high school principal, says: "She works with at-risk students who have academic, attendance or behavior issues in a much more holistic manner than a typical school counselor. Her work with kids is often about things in their lives that extend beyond the school day and beyond the school walls."

In her nomination letter, Mrs. Vickie Willier, Exeter's 5-8 Special Education Supervisor, wrote: "Our students are struggling, our resources are strained, and our programming development has shifted. In the gray areas between IEP service and medical need, there can exist a disconnect that becomes a student’s biggest barrier to school success. And while these barriers are very real and can feel impossible to displace, Exeter is able to do just that through (her) tireless work."

Anyone who works with Mrs. Lenart describes her as creatively able to bridge school and community agencies for students and families by tapping into a wide network of resources that she's built during her 20-year career in Exeter. But Mr. Campbell noted that it's also Mrs. Lenart's ability to build relationships that makes her such a valuable asset to the Exeter student community. "She has a wonderful ability and skill to develop trusting relationships with both students and families." Indeed, in her nomination, Mrs. Willier echoed Mr. Campbell's thoughts: "If you don’t know Alycia personally, you most certainly have a friend of a friend or a cousin who does, as she seems to know, have graduated with, be related to, or is somehow connected to everyone in Berks County and she will not hesitate to ask for a favor! She is well respected by clinicians, and routinely can find appointment openings, funding streams, and opportunities for students where there seemed to be none."

Mrs. Willier noted that the work that Mrs. Lenart puts in daily is rewarded when she sees students she's worked with receive their diplomas on graduation night: "If you ever need to be reminded why we each do the work we do, stand with Alycia at our high school graduation ceremony. She is easily one of the most sought after hugs from our graduates, who melt into her with gratitude and relief on the night they receive their diplomas. She is often the unilateral support that created their path to success... She is often the only one they are looking for in the crowd."

The Annie Sullivan Award is given in recognition of an individual who has worked to encourage the understanding and promotion of students with disabilities in his or her school or community. Annie Sullivan was Helen Keller’s devoted teacher and mentor who was nearly blind herself. After treatment, she regained her sight and committed herself to teaching the blind and deaf. Our warmest congratulations to Mrs. Lenart and her fellow nominees for their heart-felt and dedicated work for students throughout Berks County.

Exeter Releases Winter Data Report

During the March 19th Board of School Directors' meeting, Dr. Josh Hoyt, Director of Teaching and Learning, presented the winter results of Exeter's benchmark testing, which gives the teachers and the administration a spot check on student progress and academic growth throughout the district. Mrs. Becky Bush, Supervisor of Literacy and ESL, presented updated Acadience and Star assessment results for the elementary grades; while Dr. Joe Alcaro, Supervisor of Mathematics and Academic Enrichment, presented CDT data given at the secondary grades. In nearly all areas, Exeter students showed improvement and growth from the beginning of the year. 

While the team reminded those in attendance that these tests are only a snapshot of student abilities and are helpful in predicting early literacy skills and success on state assessments, they illustrated how valuable the tests are for teachers to make real-time strategic instructional shifts in their classrooms in response to their students’ scores. For example, they cited winter data in Lorane that showed gaps in student growth. Through a series of instructional strategies that teachers immediately implemented, students were able to drastically increase their scores just a few weeks later on follow-up Progress Monitoring tests.  

Internship Spotlight: Madison Grider

a student stands near a coffee maker

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."