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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! 

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

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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. 

Jacksonwald Teacher and Family Help Deliver Letters to Santa

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Sadie, Parke, Max, Amy and Ryan Parsons stand by their Santa mailbox outside of their home.

In a Jacksonwald art teacher's home right here in Exeter, holiday magic happens every night between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Here, Mrs. Amy Parsons lives with her husband, Ryan, who works as an estimator for Independence Steel, and her three children, Max (6th grade), Parke (4th grade) and Sadie (2nd grade). And here, for the past four years, children from all around Exeter and beyond trek with their families to the top of Church Lane Road to the Parson's front yard at 1004 Hartman Road to mail or drop off letters to Santa in a special mailbox they had installed in their front yard during 2020. The mailbox, which is a brightly-colored vintage red and is adorned with twinkling lights and garland, was placed there by request by the big jolly man himself during the height of the COVID pandemic when social-distancing restrictions meant he wasn't able to see as many children in-person at malls, stores, Christmas tree farms and other places around town. Reaching out for help, Santa asked the Parsons if they could assist him in collecting letters, and from there, a new Exeter holiday tradition began.

During the past four years, as word has spread around the community, social media and the local news, the Parsons family has seen their collection grow from about 100 to 400 letters, some coming as far away as Florida and South Dakota. On their way to Santa, Ryan and Amy will take some time to read each one before Santa responds--a process that takes about a week depending on how many letters are received each day. "There are definitely letters that have made us cry and many that have made us laugh," said Amy, recalling letters that asked for a real dinosaur, a Christmas tree that makes snowmen come to life, or a door that would make someone invisible when they walked through it. But she also shared that some letters are difficult to read, too. "Some letters have shared how families are losing their homes and don't think there will be much of a Christmas. There have been letters that have shared that a beloved family member is very ill and asking Santa to do anything he can to help them get better. There are also letters from people who feel so sad that they can't be themselves because they are bullied and made fun of."

Thanks to some known and not-known elves, the Parsons have been able to also offer gift cards at their mailbox for those who may need one (or an encouragement to leave one if the visitor is so inclined). They've also been blessed with donations of stamps, calligraphy markers, stationery, envelopes and more to help Santa respond to each child's letter. This year, thanks to donations from friends, neighbors and a local organization called Connections Work, they're proud to also include a free library stocked full of children's holiday books that visitors may borrow and return.

Too humble to take credit for helping Santa with the letters, Ryan and Amy, who spend much of their time outside of work during the year volunteering with community youth organizations, including sports teams, Cub Scouts or the Jacksonwald APT, are quick to acknowledge the donations, support and help they receive from the community, friends, neighbors and their family--including their own children who eagerly collect the letters each day to give to their elf, "Buddy," who personally delivers them to the North Pole and brings back answered letters the following morning. "We are truly honored to be able to do this for so many families. Many kid letters are accompanied by a parent letter explaining how their child is starting to question Santa, but we are helping them get another year or two of them believing," said Amy. Continuing, she wraps up the spirit of the season by simply saying, "Our family absolutely loves doing this and has given us so much more back than we have ever imagined."

How to get your letter to Santa:
Letters to Santa can be mailed or hand delivered to the mailbox in the Parsons' front yard. Their address is 1004 Hartman Road; Reading, PA 19606.

How long will it take to receive a response from Santa?
About a week, depending on the number of letters the Parsons receive each day. Please make sure a return address is included in your original letter.

Do you need to celebrate Christmas to send a letter to Santa?
No! Santa answers letters from children, adults (and even pets) who celebrate a variety of different holidays during December.

Can I help the Parsons?
Yes! People may donate books for their library, gift cards for those in need or supplies to help Santa write his responses. Donations can be dropped off in person or mailed. The Parsons also have an Amazon Wishlist here that will magically allow your purchase to travel to the North Pole: https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/1A77EKSIVGIM9?ref_=wl_share

Jacksonwald Students Win Turkeys in Traditional Raffle

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Thanksgiving traditions in Exeter include pumpkin pie, mashed potatoes… and elementary students winning and then hoisting frozen turkeys over their heads at Jacksonwald Elementary during the school’s annual turkey raffle. The weird-yet-wonderful school tradition returned today to exuberant cheers of "Turkey! Turkey! Turkey!" from the packed cafeteria where students and teachers waited with bated breath to see who among them would win the frosty fowls. For students, being selected as a winner was so joyful that all jumped from their seats on the floor to cheers, high fives and hugs from their classmates as they rushed up to Principal Matt Hathaway to collect their frozen turkey and show off their strength by lifting (with assistance) the bird over their head to the delight and cheers of their peers.

The tradition, which was started by retired Lausch and Jacksonwald principal, Dr. Joe Schlaffer more than 15 years ago, was resurrected last year following a pause during the pandemic and leadership changes at the school. Despite the pause, the turkey hoisting tradition is still a cornerstone of the school's school-wide monthly events that reward students for their good behavior.

“The time we saw the most misbehavior was right before the holidays,” said Dr. Schlaffer, who reminisced about the origins of the raffle last year. “The whole idea was that kids could go home with a turkey, and when they get home, their parents were going to say, ‘Where did you get a turkey?’” And they’d be able to tell their parents they got the turkey at school for good behavior. I thought it was a win-win-win situation for students, their parents and goodwill in the community,” he said.

Like last year, Weis Markets in Oley found humor and heart in the school's tradition, and agreed to donate 20 turkeys to give away to one student in each classroom. "Jacksonwald is so thankful for Weis and their generosity," he said at the end of the event. "And we're thankful for our wonderful school community where we can celebrate student achievement and behavior with great traditions such as this." 

Exeter Schools & Police to Hold Parent Presentation

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Tuesday, December 12th at 6PM in the LGI in Exeter Township Senior High School
PRESENTED BY:
Mrs. Alycia Lenart, Exeter Township School District K-12 Student Support Coordinator
Sergeant Detective Rocco DeCamillo, Exeter Township Police Department

Please RSVP in ParentSquare

“Make no mistake, this is an eye-opening, worldwide problem affecting our students here in Exeter,” said Sergeant Detective Rocco DeCamillo to the faculty of the Exeter Township School District during a professional development session held at the Senior High last Tuesday. “To make things worse, we know there are a lot of cases here that are not being reported because it takes a lot of courage to go to a parent, a friend or to the police. This is why I think it’s important for you to be aware of this issue in case you have a student who considers you a role model and decides to confide in you.”

The issue is called sexting, and it can often lead to an even more serious issue called sextortion. “One can lead to the other one, but they are two very different things,” said DeCamillo, who was joined during the presentation by his colleague, Exeter Township Police Detective Anthony Pendell.

In short, DeCamillo explained that sexting is sending sexually-explicit messages, images or videos to another person. Sextortion, however, is a form of cyber blackmail where a perpetrator often demands money to refrain from publicly releasing sexually-explicit messages, images or videos of the victim. These issues, said DeCamillo, are ones that affect adults–as well as minors, too. “You might think of this as a high school problem, but we’re seeing sexting more frequently at the junior high level,” he said. “But what’s even scarier is that we’re starting to see it more frequently in preteens, too, which is scary. The victims–and their offenders–are becoming younger.”

To complicate matters, minors are very savvy with finding ways to hide explicit content and conversations from their parents–and perpetrators are just as savvy at finding their victims. Rather than using traditional texting methods, DeCamillo said that minors and offenders alike use social media, texting or gaming platforms to send or receive content, such as WhatsApp, XBox, Instagram, Playstation, Roblox and Snapchat. On these platforms, adults often pose as minors, cultivating trust and a following by requesting mutual friends. Once a relationship and trust has been established, DeCamillo said that perpetrators will often start by requesting selfies of the minor victim. “Younger kids–those who are 11 or 12–almost can’t help but send these selfies of themselves out naked. They think they’re talking to a 15 year old, but it’s really a 43 year old who is harvesting child pornography.”

Currently, the most frequently used platform is Snapchat. “Snap is the devil,” DeCamillo said as he discussed the app’s encrypted feature called “My Eyes Only,” which is a hidden vault that erases all content as soon as a user asks for a password reset. This, he said, even prevents law enforcement from finding and recovering those photos once a report’s been filed, giving kids a false sense of security about hiding–or sending–naked selfies on the platform. “Kids often don’t think of the ramifications of when they hit that send button there’s a whole lot of things that can come out of it,” he said.

Minors who send sexually-explicit photographs lack the understanding that this is a crime under PA law; however, DeCamillo stressed that the focus of Exeter PD is more on education rather than on the arrests of minors. “This is not a situation where we can arrest our way out of it. It’s not that simple, and arrest isn’t always the answer.” Instead, he said that the department works to educate minors about the pitfalls of sending sexts and how repeated or more serious offenses can get them in serious trouble. Beyond criminal or legal issues, he also warned that sexting can lead to other problems, such as, grooming, destroying a person’s reputation, sextortion or mental health problems. The latter, he said, is unfortunately common, and is something that profoundly worries him and his department. “If the messages wind up in the wrong hands, it can be so mentally damaging to an adolescent teen.” Reflecting on cases outside of Exeter, he said solemnly, “Sometimes, it’s so extreme that children have taken their lives over it,” he said. “Sometimes therapy doesn’t quite work out, their reputation is destroyed and they feel they have no other option other than suicide,” he said with a pause, “It’s heartbreaking.”

Superintendent Dr. Christy Haller and Assistant Superintendent Mrs. Dawn Harris organized the session with Detective Sergeant DeCamillo and Detective Pendell to bring a greater awareness to teachers of this issue, which is only growing, according to the figures the detectives presented. Between 2019 and 2021, the number of reports involving sextortion doubled, according to their report, wth 45% of sextortion perpetrators actually carrying out threats, and 25% of victims seeking mental health help following an incident.

Like last year’s edibles presentation, the professional development session proved to be so popular with educators that Detective Sergeant DeCamillo and Detective Pendell, along with the district’s K-12 Student Supports Coordinator, Mrs. Alycia Lenart, have decided to offer a similar session to parents and families so that they, too, could learn what police are seeing in the local community, as well as how to talk to their kids about sexting and sextortion. The parent and family session will be held on Tuesday, December 12, 2023 at 6PM in Exeter Township Senior High School’s Large Group Instruction (LGI) room.

Former NFL Player Devin Wyman Bends Bars–and Minds–at Assemblies

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Former NFL player Devin Wyman opened his assembly at Exeter Township Junior High this morning by asking students a thought-provoking question: "What size dream did you wake up with today?" And for the next 45 minutes, he showed students how small choices they make each day--with their friends, their efforts at school and their attitude--ultimately makes a huge impact on the achievement of their dreams.

Wyman is no stranger to having big dreams when he was a student and dreamt of becoming a professional football player. By high school, Division I colleges and universities came knocking on his door, offering him scholarships to play football or basketball. But he blew it all when he fell in with the wrong group of friends and decided to sell drugs, which ultimately led to his arrest before he graduated high school. "One $20 piece of cocaine cost me a quarter-million dollar scholarship," he said to the suddenly hushed group of students. "I made one wrong choice listening to the wrong voice. My mom said your friends are not your friends. What you do in the dark, will come to the light."

Wyman then held up a steel bar he brought with him and held it vertically to illustrate what it was like to live behind it as a prisoner. But he then told students the bar could also represent what it's like to be lifted to achieve your dreams when you are with friends who care just as much about your aspirations. Asking for two volunteers, eighth graders Nyla Salaam (left) and Jacinda Motley, were instructed by Wyman to grab the now-horizontal bar and hold onto as if it were their dreams. "If you let go of it, she's going to fall," he said to Nyla in reference to Jacinda. "And if you let go of it, she's going to fall," he said in reverse, illustrating how friendships can make all the difference. And with that, he lifted the girls to the stunned audience.

Continuing to use the bar as a metaphor, Wyman then further shocked the group of students by placing a towel around the center of the bar, placing it in his mouth, and then bending it--impossibly--into half. "I love football because it has two halves," he said as he traced his finger around the now u-shaped bar. "This," he said as he pointed to the curve at the bottom of the bar, "was when I was arrested. I was at my lowest point. It was the end of my first half." But he then said that each and every person has the capacity to ask for forgiveness, the power to change and the ability to latch back onto their dreams and work hard to achieve them. "This," he said as he traced his finger up the bar, "was my second half when I didn't give up on myself and I prayed for forgiveness." He then paused and told the students emphatically, "Don't you ever--ever--give up on yourself," as he told students about his release from prison and re-entry back onto the football field at a community college, eventually earning a spot on the football field at Kentucky State University. From there, Wyman was drafted in the sixth round of the 1996 NFL Draft by the New England Patriots, where he earned two Super Bowl rings.

Wyman will bring his message about effort, education and excellence to students throughout the district during assemblies on Monday and Tuesday, with a final free and open-to-the-public presentation on Tuesday, September 26th at 6PM in the auditorium at the Exeter Township Senior High school. Wyman's presentation was brought to Exeter schools thanks to a grant from the Exeter Community Education Foundation.