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Exeter teams with local groups to help distribute 57 Thanksgiving boxes to those in need

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thanksgiving boxes group photo
Members from Reformation Lutheran Church, along with ETSD employees, Ashley Rinehart (front row, left), who is a school social worker, and Courtnay Epler (front row, right), who is the district’s food services supervisor, distributed 57 Thanksgiving boxes to needy families in our community yesterday. Each box was filled with a turkey, pumpkin pie, paper products and other food, which was collected by members of the church, local Girl and Boy Scout troops and employees of Fairlane Gardens at Reading Nursing Home.
During this week of giving thanks, Mrs. Rinehart is grateful to the members of the community who give so generously to help others in need. Each year, she works with somewhere between 150-200 homeless students in Exeter who need help with basic necessities, such as food or clothing. In the last year, many of these services--which are overseen and run by outside organizations, such as the church or the Exeter Food Pantry--were centralized at the Exeter Township Administration Building due to its COVID-safe and convenient drive-up access for families in Exeter. Centralizing these services made Mrs. Rinehart’s job easier as she helps coordinate these basic necessities for homeless students, as well as provides them with help to find shelter or housing, rent and utility assistance and other needs as they get back on their feet. Mrs. Rinehart also works closely with the Exeter Community Education Foundation to be able to provide heaters, clothing, transportation, prescriptions and more to students in need.

If you’d be interested in supporting one of these worthwhile causes to help students in need in the district, please consider making a donation to the Student Outreach fund at the Exeter Community Education Foundation. You can learn more here: https://www.facebook.com/ExeterEducationFoundation

Exeter wins BCIAA’s Sportsmanship Award

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tom legath holds BCIAA trophy photo

Athletic Director Tom Legath was presented with the Berks County Interscholastic Athletic Association’s Sportsmanship Award on Monday, which is voted on by a committee of athletic directors and coaches throughout Berks County. Superintendent Dr. Kimberly Minor made the announcement during this week's Board of School Director's meeting: “I am extremely proud of this trophy,” she said. “During a year that will likely go down in history… where the world struggled with civility and manners and courtesy, our students rose above all of that and time and again at home games and away games they demonstrated to coaches around the county and athletic directors around the county that our Exeter students are the best of the best when it comes to sportsmanship.” Congratulations to all of our coaches, athletes, parents and supporters for this distinguished honor!

Exeter inducts four into Academic Hall of Fame and 50 into National Honor Society

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academic hall of fame inductees photo

The Exeter Township School District's Alumni Association and Academic Hall of Fame Committee along with the Claude W. Dundore Chapter of the National Honor Society celebrated the academic achievements of both current and past students during a moving candlelight ceremony last weekend at the Senior High. During the ceremony, Mr. Harry Koppenberg (in the photo, right), an educator in the district for nearly 40 years; along with alumni Dr. Debra Powell '78 (left), Chief of Infectious Diseases, Medical Director for Infection Prevention, and Vice Chair of Medicine at Tower Health Reading Hospital; the Hon. Richard Adams '59 (second from left), an environmental lawyer and judge of the Connecticut Family Support Court; and his wife, Mrs. Merrill Adams '60 (third from left), a former English and drama professor at Wesleyan University and founder of the Coginchaug Valley Education Foundation in Connecticut, as well as a poet and award-winning pastelist, were all honored for their contributions to society and their impact and credit they've brought to the Exeter Township School District through their achievements, volunteerism and/or work. The Academic Hall of Fame began in 2005 as a project of the Exeter Community Education Foundation and typically sees four to six inductees who are selected each year. This year's class brings the number of honorees to 70, who are then presented with a plaque, as well as their names added to a display in the Senior High's main office.

During the second part of the ceremony, the current members of the National Honor Society presented and inducted 50 new members from the Class of 2022 and 2023 into its chapter through its candle-lighting ceremony that represents the Society's four pillars: character, leadership, scholarship and service. To be considered for membership, students must be sophomores or juniors with a weighted cumulative GPA of at least 92.000, involvement in at least one school activity or club and completion of at least five community service hours. Inductees are:

Dylann Backenstoss
McKenna Barker
Juniper Bauroth-Sherman
Melody Bauroth-Sherman
Victoria Benetz
Isabella Boston
Lena Brown
Sam Brown
Mark "Frankie" Corado
James Creamer
Sean Creamer
Hayley Dietrich
Ava Gates
Deacon Hearing
Rachel Henry
Morgan Herb
Amber Herber
Emily Holliday
Sophie Johnson
Zachary Kleinfelter
Emmet Larson
Nicholas Lountzis
Leilani Martinez
Aliye McDonough
Ryan Menet

Maya Metz
Evan Miller
Nathan Morgan
Abigael Mulhare
Johnathan Newnham
Brynn Patchell
Andrew Posey
Regina Ramirez-Sastre
Lauren Ramsey
Aashveen Randhawa
Katherine Ryan
Claire Scholl
Peyton Seamans
Blake Smith
Jeanna Sottosanti
Malayna Spiller
Kyle Stech
Joseph "JR" Strauss
Anthony Tartaglia, Jr.
Brittany Truong
Summer Turczynski
Julia Weaver
Alex Wittig
Cecelia Wright
Grady Zigner

School messages delivered YOUR way: Get ready for ParentSquare

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parentsquare

As part of Exeter's efforts to enhance communication, in the coming days you'll be receiving more information about a new communications system and app called ParentSquare, which will unify ALL of the messages you receive from your children's teachers, administrators and the district in one safe and secure place with options for you to select how and when you're notified. Parents will be able to keep track of news, activities and events from all of their children’s schools, allowing for easier communication, organization, involvement and awareness of what's happening in your kids' classrooms, clubs and activities and across the district.

With ParentSquare, parents can enjoy photos posted by teachers, fill out forms and permission slips, sign up for parent-teacher conferences and much more. School staff and parents can engage in both one-to-one and group messaging with real-time language translation. We also think that parents will enjoy the built-in calendar that allows parents to set up reminders and download events directly to their phones so that they never miss an important date or event!

With our launch set for Monday, November 15th, please stay tuned as we invite you to join us in the app or online in a few more days!

Quarantine Update for Students 5-11 Years Old

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As you are likely aware, this week the CDC granted emergency use authorization of Pfizer's COVID vaccine to children 5-11 years old, which opened vaccine availability to all children attending elementary and middle school. Should you so choose to have your child vaccinated, the PA Department of Health will no longer require us to quarantine your child if he or she has been identified as a close contact of a COVID-19 positive individual at school. To be eligible for this exemption, your child must have received both doses of the vaccine with the last dose occurring at least 2 weeks prior to exposure.

If you would like to vaccinate your child, you may find a list of vaccine providers by visiting vaccines.gov, texting your zip code to 438829, calling 800-232-0233 or calling your child's pediatrician for further information and advice. Exeter will also host a vaccine clinic at the Lausch Administration Building in the near future--please stay tuned for dates and details.

Band Night offers elementary musicians a chance to play at the stadium

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Elementary band students were very excited to participate in Band Night earlier this month during Exeter's home football game against Muhlenberg. Students who attended marched into the stadium with the high school marching band, watched the band perform their pregame show and "hung out" with the band in the stands as they played pep tunes to cheer on our winning Exeter Eagles football team.

Reiffton's band teacher Mrs. Dawn Keebler said, "This was a great exposure for our youngest band members as they were able to see the culmination of years of practice. The students had a great time and can't wait to participate in next year's event!"