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Cursive Makes a Comeback at Exeter

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Jacksonwald students in Mrs. Stacia Miller’s third grade class “juggled” pencils yesterday as they wrote in a “jiffy” and “judged” the quality of their “juicy” cursive words starting with the letter “j.” Here, as well as throughout all 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th grades in Exeter, teaching cursive handwriting has returned to these classroom curriculums with fresh and modernized resources that teachers say bring more learning and teaching enjoyment for students and teachers alike. “Handwriting and an emphasis on teaching it was becoming a lost art with so many digital devices being introduced into the classroom and modern-day society,” said Superintendent Dr. Christy Haller. “But as more and more research comes out that reinforces that carefully writing things by hand rather than typing them is essential for brain development, learning and retention, we decided that this was an essential part of the curriculum and should be reintroduced to our students with a new and aligned curriculum in third through sixth grade.”

“This isn’t just about having a pretty signature,” says Mrs. Becky Bush, who helps select and oversee K-6 curriculum in Exeter. “Teaching cursive contributes to students’ overall cognitive development and helps them improve their reading, writing and spelling.” The results of that research are coming to life in Mrs. Miller’s classroom. “The connection between fine motor practice, which is heavily relied on during cursive formation, and the retention of content is awesome to see in my class,” she said. Plus, she said students just really enjoy learning it. “The students love our cursive time! It is engaging and gives them a sense of ownership over a completely new way of writing.”

As students in third-sixth grade now carefully take some time out of their day to carefully learn how to shape letters, many are doing so with enthusiasm for learning how to write carefully. “I really like how it forces me to be neat,” said sixth grader, Eden Hodges. “Me too. It’s also organized, and as an organized person, I like that,” said Lizzie Davis, also a sixth grader, both of whom are in Mrs. Gross’ homeroom at Reiffton. In Mrs. Miller’s class, Emma Greenhalgh proudly held up a notebook showing off her penmanship as she grinned and confessed that learning to write a “j” was fun, but her favorite letter to write in cursive so far was an “f”--a grade we’re sure she won’t receive based upon her neat penmanship.

Community & Learning Experience Sprouts at Elementary Schools

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Following weeks of preparation, a small section of Owatin Creek’s stage was transformed into a promising farm yesterday as students carefully transplanted little romaine and leaf lettuce seedlings into an upright, hydroponic “flex farm.” For the next month, students in Mrs. Jill Weaver’s class will visit the flex farm to watch their little seedlings grow into fully-developed heads of lettuce, which will then be harvested and given to the local food pantry. The hydroponics system, which was developed by Fork Farms along with a learning curriculum for students and support for teachers, offers schools the ability to grow up to 394 pounds of produce annually in an upright and portable system that only needs a little bit of space, water and an electrical outlet. Within a month, the farm promises students that they’ll have about 25 pounds of food with minimal maintenance and work following yesterday’s successful transplanting. 

But better yet, says Mrs. Weaver, it provides an incredible learning experience and cooperative opportunity for all of her students to learn a real-life skill. “Our classroom has worked the past few weeks on learning about hydroponics, plants and where our food comes from,” she said. “The students have been involved in the whole process from planting the seeds, watering the seedlings, watching the seedlings grow, to transplanting the seedlings. They are so excited that they should be able to harvest their lettuce by the middle of November.” 

The system was purchased through a grant obtained by the Exeter Community Education Foundation (ECEF), who provided one flex farm each to Owatin Creek, Lorane and Jacksonwald. Following training provided by Fork Farms during a half-day professional development session in September, teachers and their students set forward to germinate their lettuce seeds and grow them into seedlings hearty enough to be transplanted into the flex farm. Once planted, it will just take a month for the seedlings to grow to maturity under timed LED lights and with recycled water that continuously drips over their roots. In addition to lettuce, the system promises best results with plants such as herbs, cucumbers, strawberries, peppers and tomatoes–all of which can be grown out of the way on a small section of the stage at any time of the year. Mrs. Weaver said her class is also excited to try non-edible plants, such as flowers, which they hope to grow next.

When asked by ECEF what new learning opportunities the organization could bring to students, Dr. Christy Haller, Superintendent, said she loved the idea of a project that could provide hands-on learning experiences to students while also benefiting the community. From that, the Flex Farm idea was generated. “We are so grateful that ECEF was able to bring this vision to life to lend a hand to our local food pantry while also providing a fantastic way for students to learn. It’s definitely a win-win for our students as well as the community.”  

Exeter Again Named a Best Community for Music Education

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The Exeter Township School District was grateful and humbled to have been chosen once again as a Best Community for Music Education by the NAMM Foundation--an honor bestowed upon fewer than 800 schools throughout the nation who demonstrate outstanding efforts by teachers, administrators, parents, students and community leaders who have made music education part of a well-rounded education. This is the 12th year that Exeter's received this honor, and continues to be something that Exeter's music department is especially proud to receive.

At local, regional and state events and performances throughout this past school year, Exeter musicians won numerous accolades and ratings--proving yet again they were worthy of NAMM's award. Below, our music department is thrilled to present the following highlights of this year's accomplishments by our musicians:

Senior High

  • Band: The high school band program has had a very active and musical school year. Starting on August 11th and through to graduation on June 6th, we will have had a combined 40 performances for the marching band, concert band, and jazz band. 
    • Marching Band Highlights include: From performing for the ETSD on Opening Day, to the 9/11 Ceremony, Reading’s 275th Anniversary parade, marching down Magic Kingdom’s Main Street, and our first Cavalcade of Bands championship performance, the marching band put in a lot of hard work, dedication, and time into our community and school. Our field show focused on honoring the Armed Forces, Veteran’s, and our community with our theme, “Honor and Valor: A Hero's Journey.” We desire to continue to build an active culture of high quality performances both at home supporting our Exeter Eagle Football team and away from home on parade, in competition, and on the football field. Additionally, for the first time in many years, we debuted brand new uniforms which we thank the Exeter Township School District for purchasing. We continued the tradition of performing in Exeter Township’s Memorial Day parade & ceremony at Forest Hills Memorial, this year on May 27th. 
    • SHS Concert Band Highlights include: Several students went above and beyond learning solo repertoire for their respective instruments and earned spots in various honors ensembles. In January we once again hosted 130 students from 7 counties in Pennsylvania - 4 students qualified for the PMEA District 10 band festival; 1 band member represented Exeter in the PMEA North East Region Orchestra. Additionally, 2 band members qualified for the MEBC Senior County Band; In April, 2 students from the high school band qualified for the MEBC Junior County Band. On May 2nd, we presented our spring concert theme of dance music performing a wide variety of styles and moods, highlighting several soloists on various instruments. Most importantly, the concert band participated in its first PMEA Music Performance Assessment on Friday, May 3rd. This assessment is equivalent to a Keystone or PSSA rating - 4 adjudicators rated our performance on prepared music and sight reading. As it was our first time participating in a music performance assessment, we are excited to report that our rating reflects an Excellent-II/Advanced-A “grade.” Our rating is very close to earning a Superior-I/Outstanding-A+ “grade.” Congratulations to all of the students that collectively earned this rating - this is an excellent start for more great things to come!
    • SHS Jazz Band Highlights include: The jazz band performed in various venues from the Get JazzED show at the Berks Jazz festival to the Wells Fargo arena in Philadelphia! We performed various repertoire and featured many soloists. We have been receiving “Outstanding” ratings from our adjudicators. Our final performance was at the ECEF Food Truck festival on May 31st!
  • Orchestra: Our Senior High School Orchestra had a great 2023-2024 school year. We began the year with having 13 students qualify for Senior County Orchestra and 4 students qualify for District Orchestra. After a successful Disney Trip (December 7-11, 2023), we had our first concert of the year on December 21 that featured the 9/10, 11/12, and Chamber Orchestras in addition to our Exeter Township String Quartet. String Jam was another hit as the Orchestras performed popular pieces by Michael Jackson. Another round of successful auditions saw 10 students qualify for Junior County Orchestra, 2 students qualify for Region Orchestra, and 1 student qualify for All-State Orchestra. Unique to the 2024 school year, one of our students (Andrew Schwenk) had his composition selected as a winner for the All-State composition competition. Our Chamber Orchestra recorded this piece which was presented at the 2024 All-State conference. See video: https://youtu.be/wXqBtJDWvSk Our Spring concert was on May 21st and we enjoyed performing for our seniors at the annual Baccalaureate Service in June. Best wishes to all of our Senior Musicians!
  • Chorus & Concert Choirs: The Senior High School Choirs had a very busy and productive year. In addition to their Winter and Spring concerts, they traveled to Florida where they performed in Disney’s Epcot Candlelight Processional as well as a studio workshop where they created a soundtrack to selections from Lion King. Later in the winter, the choirs were excited to perform at two hockey games, the Reading Royals and the Philadelphia Flyers. Choir members also enjoyed singing the National Anthem at Exeter athletic and school events, such as the Homecoming Football Game and the Cavalcade of Bands Competition.
    Twelve ninth-grade students represented the Exeter Choirs at the Berks Junior County Chorus Festival, eight students participated in the Senior County Festival, seven at the District Level, two at Regions, and one at All-State Chorus in Erie, PA. Four students also participated in the Lebanon Valley College Honors Choir where they each earned $10,000 scholarships.

    • Musical: Exeter Senior High School was proud to present their musical, Rodgers’ and Hammerstein’s The Sound of Music on March 14-17, 2024. The cast, pit orchestra, stage crews, and technical crews pulled together to present a stunning production which featured top-quality singing, dancing, acting, and a gorgeous set design.
    • Eaglaires: In addition to the core Eagelaires group, which includes a balanced mix of all voice parts, two new groups were introduced which feature treble voices (soprano/alto) and bass voices (tenor/bass). This past winter, the Eagleaires performed locally at the Scottish Rite Cathedral, Schwarzwald Lutheran Church, and Glick’s Greenhouse. In the spring, they performed at the Berks County Vocal “Get Jazzed” Fest, the Spring Choral Concert, and various end-of-year commencement ceremonies.

Junior High:

  • Chorus: We had a very busy year performing at the Reading Royals, PA Renaissance Fair, and the Fightin Phils.  We competed in Hershey’s Music in the Parks where we placed 2nd and earned the rating of excellent.  We also had 9 students selected to participate in District 10 Intermediate Songfest and 11 students selected to perform with Berks County JHS County Chorus.
  • Orchestra: The Junior High School Orchestras have enjoyed a great year in their musical endeavors. We participated in three main concerts this year: Winter Concert, Spring Concert, and String Jam. Additionally, the 8th grade orchestra enjoyed performing at Hershey’s Music in the Parks. The JHS Orchestras placed 8 students in the Berks County Junior County Orchestra. We want to wish our 8th grade students all the best as they begin their time at the SHS.
  • Band: The students participating in the Junior High bands had a great year, both in terms of performance quality and knowledge gained. The bands performed at the Winter Concert and Spring Concert as well as Band Night with the High School Marching Band in October. The 8th grade band also scored an Excellent rating and a first place finish at Music in the Parks this year. The Jazz Band performed at the ECEF Food Truck festival and pregame at the Reading Phillies. The Junior High had 3 students represent our school at the Berks Junior County Band Festival.

Reiffton

  • Band: The Reiffton Band performed alongside the JHS and SHS band students at Exeter’s annual Youth Night at the Stadium in October. The bands also performed for their families at the Winter Showcase and Spring Concerts. Over a dozen sixth grade band students were selected to perform at the Berks County Band Fest this winter. Once again, the students were challenged to elevate their skills to learn and perform music beyond their current skills. A Reiffton Honors Band was created to perform at this year’s Supper Serenade.
  • Orchestra: The Reiffton Orchestra performed three concerts this year, Winter Showcase, String Jam, and Spring Concert. All three performances were of a high standard and caliber. We continue to challenge our students with repertoire that increases their skills to prepare them for JHS. Several sixth grade members were selected to perform with String Fest, a select group of students from schools across Berks County. Four sixth grade students were selected to accompany the sixth grade chorus at the Spring Concert.
  • Chorus: The Reiffton Chorus performed two concerts this year, the Winter Showcase and the Spring Concert. Both performances were of a high standard and caliber. We continue to challenge our students with repertoire that increases their skills to prepare them for JHS. This spring, the choirs enjoyed learning pieces in different languages. Reiffton choristers also performed the National Anthem at a Reading Royals Game in March. Nine sixth grade members were selected to perform with the Berks County Elementary Honors Choir, a select group of students from schools across Berks County at Wilson West Middle School.

Elementary Strings and Band 

  • 3-4 Strings/ Band: Our elementary musicians started their journey by attending the String Fair or Band Fair the first week of September to try different instruments and see what they like. After making a decision and having all of the instrument orders placed, our instrument rental companies provided over 220 instruments to our third and fourth grade musicians. We began weekly lessons in September and students worked really hard this year to perform in multiple concerts.
    Our third and fourth grade strings students got to showcase what they learned at their building’s winter and spring concerts as well as at String Jam, our district wide strings concert. Students learned classics like Jingle Bells and Frere Jacques, as well as larger works like the Orpheus in the Underworld Finale (also known as “The Can-Can”) for our grades 3-12 combined piece at String Jam. First year students went from learning how to hold their instrument to being able to play a full scale, and second year students expanded on their skills by learning new notes and techniques to prepare them for more challenging music next year.

    Our 4th grade bands also performed for their building’s winter and spring concerts and got the opportunity to attend a football game with the high school marching band. They also learned favorites like Old MacDonald and Let’s Go Band, which they energetically performed at their Spring Concerts. Almost all of our band students were first year players, and they worked so hard to go from learning how to set up their instrument in September to being able to play marching band stand tunes in May.

Elementary Music:

  • Lorane: The students at Lorane have had a wonderfully busy year with music. We hosted a Veterans Day concert featuring every grade level along with the Recorder Club. The Sing-a-Long in December showcased the instrumental students in grades 3-4. We also sang holiday classics and had a visit from Rudolph. The Spring Concert will feature the instrumentalists and the fourth grade. We have two special guests performing with the chorus: first grade teacher, Mr. Ousley and second grade teacher, Mr. Fick. They will be playing the electric bass and guitar with the ukulele song in the concert.
  • Jacksonwald:  The Jacksonwald music students finished the year strong with an upbeat and energetic spring concert featuring three ukulele songs, two choral pieces, two recorder pieces, and a fantastic performance by the 3rd and 4th grade string ensemble and 4th grade band ensemble.  In the fall, our students prepared a tribute to our Veterans for Veterans Day and enjoyed time together singing for the Holiday sing-a-long in December.  All of our 3rd and 4th grade strings students performed for the annual String Jam concert in February.  The general music classes spent the year learning how to read and write music as a language, learning how to use their singing voices to get the best sound, and playing instruments while learning new songs.
  • Owatin Creek: Owatin Creek Music students have had a busy year! We welcomed Ms. Sarah Soriano as Mrs. Mrenna’s student teacher from October - December. She was a wonderful addition to our music classes and was loved by both staff and students! In November, our entire student body sang four songs to honor our servicemen and women at our Veteran’s Day assembly. December featured our Holiday Sing-along, which included our staff performing Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer for our students.Our 3rd and 4th grade strings students were also showcased performing holiday music at that evening’s Winter Concert.
    January brought about our annual Music and Movement Unit, co-taught by Mrs. Mrenna and Mrs. Bogust. In March, we were proud to support Owatin Creek 4th-Grader, Scarlet Jordan, as she played Gretl in the Senior High School production of The Sound of Music. May started off with 27 third and fourth grade instrumental students playing solos, duets, and trios as Owatin Creek families enjoyed our annual Art Show. The end of May featured the Spring Concert, with fun and energetic performances by 3rd and 4th Grade Strings, 4th Grade Band, 3rd Grade Recorders, 4th Grade Ukuleles, and 4th Grade Vocalists. Owatin Creek will finish out the school year with our annual Year-End Sing-along on June 5, giving our entire school population the opportunity to sing together one more time before saying goodbye. 

 

Alycia Lenart Nominated for BCIU’s Annie Sullivan Award

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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. 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.