Owatin Creek

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.

Notice: Admin Building Closed During Business Hours April 4-8

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The Exeter Township Administration Building will be open to the public for the Board of Directors meeting on Tuesday, April 5 at 6PM; however, the building will be closed to the public during business hours from Monday, April 4 through Friday, April 8 for HVAC work. We apologize for any inconvenience. Should you have concerns or questions, please contact the District at 610-779-0700. Thank you.

It’s An Exeter Karaoke Throw-Down!

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It’s an Exeter Karaoke throw-down! Exeter Township Junior High Principal Alex Brown and Exeter Township Senior High student Saishree Mupparaju are among local “celebrities” looking for your vote to see who will perform their chosen Karaoke song live in the 1st Annual Raise Your VOiCE Celebrity Karaoke Contest. To vote for Brown or Mupparaju (as part of a trio called the “Girl Gang”) to perform, you can donate an amount of your choosing at https://secure.givelively.org/donate/berks-county-community-foundation-inc/1st-annual-raise-your-voice-celebrity-karaoke. The top three contestants who raise the most amount of money will perform live on Friday, April 29th at the GoggleWorks (or you can view the performances live via Zoom).
Mupparaju and Brown are competing against five other local Berks County “celebrities,” including Dr. Kevin Terefenko, Dr. Denny Mauro, Stephanie Delozier, Rick Perez and Rob Flowers. All proceeds from vote donations benefit VOiCEup Berks and the Youth Volunteer Corps of Reading.

ETSD Names New Member During Special Voting Meeting

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The Exeter Township Board of School Directors unanimously selected Robert Quinter to fill the vacated seat left by Michael Jupina’s resignation during a special voting meeting held at the Exeter Township Administration Building on Tuesday, March 29, 2022. During the meeting, the Board interviewed three candidates–Brad Fox, John Scaccia and Mr. Quinter–who applied for the unpaid seat and selected one through a vote according to Board Policy #004. Mr. Quinter will serve the rest of Mr. Jupina’s term, which expires in December 2023. 

Mr. Quinter is a 1964 graduate of Exeter, a decorated and retired Marine, and has worked in medical operations and as a Realtor as a civilian. He previously served on the ETSD Board of School Directors from 2001-2017.

To view a video of the interviews and selection process, please click HERE.

Students Earn Reading Musical Foundation Scholarships

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March is Music in our Schools month; to celebrate, we hope you'll help us congratulate the following students for receiving scholarships through the Reading Music Foundation. They are (from top left, clockwise):

  • Xadiel Benejan-Rodriguez, 12th grade, alto saxophone
  • Jillian Crotty, 7th grade, French horn
  • Grace Campling, 7th grade, double bass
  • Scarlet Jordan, 2nd grade, violin
  • Michael Jordan, 6th grade, double bass
  • Colette Jordan 5th grade, cello
  • Lily Jordan, 6th grade, double bass
Congratulations to these outstanding musicians!