News

Eric Seidel Announced as District’s Safety & Security Coordinator

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This evening, the Exeter Township Board of School Directors approved the hire of Eric Seidel as the district’s School Safety and Security Coordinator. In this administrative role, which is a newly-created, year-round and a full-time position, Seidel will oversee safety and security planning and will lead trainings for district employees. Seidel is a former captain in the Berks County Sheriff’s Department and was responsible for courtroom and judicial safety and security at the courthouse in Berks County, and more recently, for the safety and security of guests at the eight county parks and extensive trail system in Berks as the county’s Chief Park Ranger. In that role, Seidel implemented and managed an emergency response and reunification plan through physical and technological advances to help emergency responders locate visitors in distress, as well as managed the safety and security of all county park events. 

Exeter Superintendent Dr. Christy Haller was pleased to introduce Seidel during the meeting and said, “As you know, this was a very important position for us to fill with just the right person, and we were fortunate that we had a number of great candidates who applied for the position. However, after an extensive interview and presentation process in front of a panel composed of administrators and board members, Eric proved that he brought the right blend of law enforcement education and experience, as well as the implementation and administration of security and safety planning experience that we were looking for in a candidate. We are looking forward to working with Eric.”

Seidel is a lifelong Berks County resident who lives in Spring Township with his wife, who is a social worker, and two school-aged daughters. He will begin work in mid-October.

Exeter Inducts Three Into Athletic Hall of Fame

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Left to right: Michael Troutman, Kyle Yocum and Michal Menet

The Exeter Township School District will induct three athletes into their 2022 Athletic Hall of Fame tonight in a ceremony to be held in the Exeter Township Senior High’s cafeteria, followed by a presentation of the athletes in Don Thomas Stadium during halftime of the Exeter vs. West York football game. The athletes who will be inducted are: Michal Menet, a 2016 graduate; Michael Troutman, a 2002 graduate; and Kyle Yocum, a 2013 graduate. 

Menet was a four-year starter and letterman and captain of the team in 2014 and 2015. He was named to the All-Academic Team all four years. He was named Berks County All-League in 2013, 2014, and 2015. He was the Berks County Offense and Defensive Lineman of the Year in both 2014 and 2015 and was named Berks County Most Valuable Player in 2015. In 2013, 2014 and 2015, he was All State First Team Defense, Second Team Offense. He was named an Under Armour All American in 2016. He also played basketball, and was a three-year letterman. In 2013 and 2014, he was All-Conference Basketball. He went on to Penn State University where he was a three-year starter, two-time Team Captain and received All Big Ten honors in 2019 and 2020. In 2019 and 2020 he was the Dick Maginnis award winner for PSU Outstanding Offensive Lineman and was named to the Rimington Trophy Watch List for Outstanding Center. He was invited to the 2021 Senior Bowl. In 2021, he was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals in the 7th round with the 247th pick. He signed with the Green Bay Packers in December 2021 and is currently a free agent.

Troutman excelled in both football and wrestling. In his senior year, he had 1,026 rushing yards and 15 touchdowns. At the time, he held a single game rushing record of 224 yards and five touchdowns against Twin Valley. He had over 2,000 career all purpose yards and 25 total touchdowns. He was named to the All Berks 1C 1st Team as a running back in 2001. On the mat, he had a career 50 pins, with a 94-30 record. He was the 2002 Sectional Champion. He was selected in both 2000 and 2001 to the All Berks Section 1 1st Team. He went on to wrestle at Ursinus, where he had a 136-19 record and 61 career pins. He was a four-time Centennial Conference Champion, being only one of six to do it and a four-time NCAA Qualifier. He was a two-time NCAA All American, finishing 8th place in the country in 2005 and 5th place in the country in 2006. In 2006, he was named an NCAA Academic All American.

Yocum played football, baseball, basketball, and competed in track and field. He was the first freshman to start at quarterback in school history and earned the title of Exeter’s all-time leading passer with 43 starts, 3,815 yards, and 38 touchdowns in his career. He ranks in the top 20 all-time in Berks County in passing. He also rushed for 1,955 yards and 27 touchdowns for his career. He earned the Outstanding Junior Award in 2011, All-League honors in 2012 and was a four-time academic selection. He led his team to two District playoff appearances. He went on to play at Delaware as a fullback where he was selected as a Captain for the 2017 season. He played in 40 career games, recording three catches for 22 yards, four kick-off returns for 60 yards and five tackles.

9/11 Ceremony Honors Exeter Graduate and Career Firefighter

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This morning, students filled the stands of Don Thomas Stadium to pay their respects to the brave, the heroic and the fallen during the Senior High's annual 9/11 ceremony. Though no student sitting in the stands had yet been born on that fateful morning 21 years ago, they listened intently as Social Studies teacher, Brandon Ziegler, took them through his memories of the week of 9/11 during his senior year of high school, his decision to join the military, and how fighting for the freedom of people in the Middle East--and their freedom to go to school and learn--cemented his decision to become a teacher after he returned from war.
 

Exeter Township Deputy Fire Chief Chris Jordan then presented a flag to Gill Morissette, a 36-year veteran of the department. A 1982 Exeter graduate, Gill has served as firefighter, lieutenant, captain and assistant chief during his firefighting career. He was chosen for this honor by the department for his service and dedication to the Exeter community, which he humbly accepted surrounded by fellow first responders and family.

To view a slideshow of today's ceremony, please click HERE.

Teachers in the Parks (TIPs) Named National Finalist in Summer Learning

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Today, Teachers in the Parks (TIPs) was named a finalist for the National Summer Learning Association’s Award for Summer Excellence--an honor bestowed upon only seven other summer learning programs in the nation! TIPs founder, Matt Hathaway was joined by the US Department of Education's Adam Schott, the National Summer Learning Association's Christi Kobus Rokicki, the Pennsylvania Department of Education's Eli Downie, Pennsylvania State Senator Judy Schwank and Exeter's Superintendent Christy Haller, as well as dozens of Exeter and Antietam students and teachers who are participating in TIPs this summer at the Antietam Pool.
 
TIPs, which is a learning program that provides learning opportunities for elementary-aged students to retain math and literacy skills over the summer, was founded by Hathaway, an Exeter Township School District teacher and administrator. As a new elementary teacher, Hathaway founded TIPs in 2004 as he sought a fun and community-based solution to help students prevent the “summer slide,” which is the tendency for students to lose academic skills over the summer when school is not in session. Since 2004, TIPs has grown from a handful of students meeting in Hathaway’s backyard to hundreds of enrolled students meeting during the summer at community pools and playgrounds around Berks County. Throughout its growth during the past 18 years, TIPs’ mission has remained the same: Provide high-quality instruction by certified teachers in low-pressure environments where kids would normally play and hang out during the summer.
 
Our students and community are so very fortunate and proud to have Mr. Hathaway and his team as a dedicated and visionary teacher, leader and partner in education! Our warmest and deepest congratulations to Mr. Hathaway and his TIPs team for this incredible honor and deserving recognition at the national level!

Senior overcomes the odds to graduate

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Austin Wilinsky wasn’t recognized at graduation for being the brightest or the most athletic student in the Class of 2022. 

But he could have been recognized as the most determined.

While many seniors this past year were deciding where they wanted to go to college, Austin was deciding where he was going to spend the night. Homeless, Austin slept in shelters and on friends’ couches throughout his senior year, determined to finish school and graduate with his classmates–some of whom he remembers from kindergarten, or the year that his mom passed away from cancer. Since that fateful day in kindergarten, Austin’s journey throughout school was anything but predictable or traditional as his relationship with his remaining parent deteriorated as he was moved from home to home and dropped off regularly at friends and family members’ houses to sleep. 

By the time he started his senior year, Austin knew if he wanted to graduate, he had to drop into a homeless shelter to sleep or drop out of school to find a job. Austin reluctantly decided to move into the shelter: “I did it because I needed a diploma. I also want a family one day, and I need a diploma for them. That’s what kept me coming from school.”

At school, Austin says he was so grateful for the support he received from counselors, social workers and teachers, who helped him with everyday needs such as deodorant, to lifelong needs such as helping him stay on track with his schoolwork and complete the extra credits that he needed to graduate on time. “Mrs. Rinehart (the district’s social worker) heckled me to come to school,” he says with a laugh. “But she also helped me find the shelter and gave me clothes. She literally gave me everything I needed. She was there for me all of the time. I would have never gotten through school without people like her helping me. I know that for a fact. They made me see what I could do for myself.”

Austin says he’s also fortunate to be supported by close friends who are always willing to lend him a place to sleep or a ride to school–including a friend he’s had since second grade, who is now helping him find a job so that he can move into his own home. Despite his childhood experiences, he says it’s the support that he received at Exeter and from his friends that allows him to have hope about his future. “I’m glad so many people believed in me and made me see what was possible for myself.”

Students Build Sheds, Tables and Lifelong Skills

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As he pulled out a tape measure to give a student reassurance he had marked the proper cut line, Mr. Jonathan Rugg, a senior high Technology teacher, reminded his student of the age-old adage, "Measure twice, cut once." If you thought that perfecting measuring and cutting were just skills taught in kindergarten, we'd like to take a moment to introduce you to Residential Systems, a class taught by Mr. Rugg usually every spring that he says is perfect for "anyone who wants to live in a home." During the semester-long block course, Mr. Rugg's students, who he says are usually academically-focused, learn how to do common household construction and repairs, such as electrical wiring, plumbing, framing, and how to measure and cut construction materials with tools. The semester is then capped off with the ground-up construction of a shed, which brings together many of the skills they've learned--while also helping save Exeter taxpayers money. "Our sheds are around the district," he says proudly, as he explains that the grounds crews and athletic teams eagerly snap up the shed his class constructs each year to store equipment conveniently near their fields. Now that his classes have satisfied most of the district's demand for outdoor storage over the years, if all goes well, Mr. Rugg hopes that eventually he can start selling the sheds to interested teachers, staff or community members at cost.

While his projects are usually well planned out for the semester, Mr. Rugg says that the secret of his students' skills and abilities are no longer a well-kept secret, and now it's not uncommon for a construction request to come in from elsewhere in the district. This week, Lorane Principal Mrs. Karen Hodge will take delivery of six handmade picnic benches that she requested for her school to allow elementary kids to sit and eat outside for special events and for the community to use outside of school hours. "It's so special to know they were made by our students and not just bought in a store," she says.

Students seem equally appreciative of the unique opportunity provided to them through the class. Jason Rodriguez, a sophomore who eventually wants to start his own construction company, said, "As soon as I heard about this class, I wanted to get into it," he says. "It's been so much fun, and it's going to help me in the future for sure."