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Exeter Alum & Award-Winning Author Holds Workshop at Exeter

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“You can make a living in the arts. I make my own hours and make my own rules and I’m here to tell you that you can make a living making art.” 

Exeter alum Amy Sarig King ‘88, known professionally as A.S. King, author of more than a dozen young adult books, such as “Switch,” “Dig,” and “Still Life With a Tornado;” recipient of many literary awards, including the Michael L. Printz Award and the Los Angeles Times Book Prize; and champion for teenagers everywhere, returned to her former high school on Thursday and her former junior high on Friday to inspire a new generation of Eagles to make characters, to make stories, to make art–and to push through some of the most difficult–yet foundational–years of their lives. “Teenagers are going through a lot. I survived (those years) because this is where I learned to write.” 

Describing herself as a student who was “weird, with an arty brain,” King pointed out the exact assignment that perhaps was the genesis for her entire career. In 9th grade, she was assigned to write about an inanimate object; she chose a can of succotash. Her teacher, Patti Vroman, was enthusiastic about King’s results and, “made me feel like I had done something right.” From there, she says, she started to find her voice and develop her confidence as a writer. 

During two days filled with presentations, workshops and discussions, it doesn’t take long to discover that King writes for teens because she deeply appreciates these formative years and the complicated journey they go through as they discover themselves. She also says that it was her own journey here in Exeter that deeply affects and influences her writing–with some of those events finding retold homes in her books. Today, she says that both her writing and teaching work is meant to lift up the generation who she describes as not being appreciated by the general public. “They’re hurtful toward them,” she says, her voice softening. “I want to give them a place to express their feelings and give them an outlet… I want to be able to help teenagers understand that what they have to say and what they feel is actually important. I don’t think they’re given that message enough.” 

When she’s not writing novels, speeches or teaching, King holds writing workshops and lectures all over the world for little kids to big kids to Ph.D. students–and everyone in between–as Exeter students were so lucky to have found out when she delivered two full days of presentations, workshops and discussions with students at both the Junior and Senior High this week. Exeter librarians Nancy Gajewski and Kate Sowers organized the event and invited King because of her ties to Exeter–and because “I love her novels,” said Junior High Librarian, Kate Sowers. Nancy Gajewski echoed the same sentiment, and added, "Her life experiences are also amazing and her honesty with the kids was refreshing." 

Interestingly, King’s writing workshop for dozens of 9th through 12th graders on Thursday afternoon mirrored her assignment back in Exeter during the 80s as she began the workshop asking students to develop a character by writing from the point of view of a relatable inanimate object. 

“Trust me,” she said, as if she knew the success of the assignment.

Board of School Directors June Meeting Date Changes

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The Exeter Township Board of School Directors will meet on the following dates in June at the Exeter Township Administration Building. As always, these meetings are open to the public:

  • Wednesday, June 1 at 6PM – Committee of the Whole (originally scheduled for Tuesday, June 7)
  • Tuesday, June 28 at 7PM – Voting Meeting (originally scheduled for Tuesday, June 21, then Tuesday, June 14)

Thank you.

Revised: 5/13/22

Exeter Grad Shares his Tales from the Red Carpet

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"This is a full circle moment," said Mitchell Rissmiller, a producer for TODAY.com, the digital and streaming platform of the "Today Show," as he motioned to his former ETSH English teacher, Mrs. Lisa McCoy. "I took this class, and I simply wouldn't be the writer I am today without her."

Rissmiller, a 2015 grad, returned to Exeter today to inspire juniors and seniors (and field a couple of fun questions about celebrities) in Mrs. McCoy's Publications & Media class as they listened to his journey from Exeter, to college, and then to the red carpets of Hollywood as a Production Assistant for the "TODAY Show" and later as an Associate Producer for the "Drew Barrymore Show" before recently returning to NBC to produce segments for TODAY.com. Students soaked up his stories of the behind-the-scenes work that he coordinates to research celebrities and prep on-air talent and acquire the b-roll footage and graphics to accompany interviews. "Three months of work can go into a three-minute segment," he said, as he showed students a YouTube clip of a kitchen makeover he was in charge of producing on "The Drew Barrymore Show."

Although his discussion was mostly lighthearted, Rissmiller kept returning to the more serious theme of perseverance. Rejected twice by the "TODAY Show" for an internship, he finally landed with the network on his third attempt. "Rejection is going to come--and it sucks--but I use it for motivation. When you get rejected, you have to ask for feedback. Between that and a lot of hustle, it's how I got to where I am."

Exeter Publishes Draft of 2021-24 Comprehensive Plan

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During the ETSD Board of School Directors' April 19th Voting Meeting, Dr. Eric Flamm, Director of Teaching and Learning, presented the District’s updated Comprehensive Plan, which must be submitted to the state by August. The plan has undergone enhancements since it was initially presented as a draft in the fall. The plan is available for public review by clicking HERE and scrolling to the bottom row of buttons.

What’s a Comprehensive Plan?
Sometimes known as a “strategic plan,” a Comprehensive Plan lays out the District’s mission, vision, values and priorities by creating very specific steps and timelines to reach those goals. In education, these plans may include curriculum choices, benchmark and diagnostic assessment tools (e.g., testing), professional development plans, etc. A comprehensive plan looks at the District’s strengths and weaknesses as guideposts for development of the plan.

Why does it matter?
The Comprehensive Plan provides measurable goals and timelines to guide all of the District’s work with stakeholders: students, staff, administration, parents and the community. In short, decisions by the Administration and Board revolve around whether the outcome is in alignment with the Comprehensive Plan.

Can I review this plan and make comments on it?
Yes! The plan is available HERE. There are also paper copies of the plan in each building as well as at the Exeter Community Library. The public has the opportunity to review and make comments on the plan for 30 days. During the ETSD Board of School Directors Committee of the Whole meeting on June 7th at 6PM, Dr. Flamm will provide a report to the Board on public commentary before the Board votes on the approval of the plan at a later meeting.

To provide feedback, please contact Dr. Eric Flamm at epflamm@nullexetersd.org or 610-779-0700 x1030.

Every Day is Earth Day at Owatin Creek

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Tomorrow may be Earth Day, but at Owatin Creek, every day seems like a celebration of nature with the school's eco-friendly focus. Each wing is decorated in its own season; school assemblies take place on nice days in the natural outdoor amphitheater; and the school even has its own nature trail cams, outdoor classroom and walking trails. The school, which opened in 2011, also boasts an eco-conscious design with a geothermal HVAC system, energy efficient lighting and solar panels, earning it a Leadership in Environmental and Energy Design (LEED) certification in 2012.

But what you may not know is that even the gardens at Owatin Creek are thoughtfully planted, with 2nd grade teachers taking lead on this project and partnering with the Owatin Creek APT, Wolf-Run Landscapes and Ridgewood Soils to donate their materials and time to install and plant a certified native garden at the entrance to the school. Since the garden was designed, installed and planted in 2016, all OC second graders go through a rite of passage (and get a little dirty) by helping their teachers maintain and care for the garden throughout the year--with some high schoolers returning in the summer to help with maintenance to earn community service hours.

 
Second grade teacher Dani Jupina said that achieving a certified native garden takes thought with the plant selection and how it impacts the natural environment. "A native garden has plants that are native to this part of Pennsylvania. They help the pollinators, the birds--really, all of the things that are native to this area. These," she says, as she points to the garden, "are the plants they need to survive."

Rabid Animals Identified Near Exeter Schools

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St. Lawrence Borough officials along with the Animal Rescue League of Berks County have identified a number of rabid animals along Jacksonwald Avenue and the bottom of Parkview Road near the Antietam Creek. St. Lawrence will be issuing a CODE RED this afternoon warning residents to stay away from outdoor animals and to keep their indoor pets inside and to stay vigilant for rabies symptoms. Rabies is transmitted from animal to animal or animal to people through saliva from an infected animal into an open wound--most often through a bite from an infected animal. Rabies is not transmitted through feces, urine, blood, or by petting a rabid animal.

In people, rabies symptoms first begin as a tingling or prickling area around the wound or bite and then progress into typical flu-like symptoms, which may include one or more of the following symptoms: headache, tiredness, fever, dizziness and/or loss of appetite. Rabies then progresses into mental confusion, anxiety, hallucination, etc. Rabies is FATAL if not caught early and treated by a series of vaccines.

The District is recommending that all students stay away from any outdoor animals--even if they know them--particularly in the area around Antietam Creek, which is in the park known as Happy Landings (the park that runs in between the ETSD Administration Building and the Reiffton, Junior High and Senior High campuses). If any students were recently bitten by an outdoor animal or an animal that's been unsupervised outside, please do not wait for symptoms to appear. Please seek medical attention immediately.

The District has notified coaches to keep students together with other students or coaches when practicing outside. Students who are able to take bus transportation should do so, or walk with an adult or other students. The ARL is in the process of trapping animals in the area to assess the infection level and, along with St. Lawrence Borough, will stay in contact with the District so that we can determine if any further precautionary steps need to be taken before school resumes on April 18th.