The Abington School District joins the nation in expressing our sadness and shock at the horrific events at the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.
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Letter to Parents/Guardians About School Safety
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Educating and Celebrating Ahead of the Big Game Across Abington
All across Abington School District on Friday, Feb. 2, 2018, students mixed education into their Super Bowl celebrations.
The Abington Senior High football players and cheerleaders teamed up to visit Overlook Elementary School to read to students in grades K-6 as part of the annual “Reading Super Bowl” event. For the past five years on the Friday before the big game, high school students read to each classroom and hand out team trading cards that feature the title of each player’s favorite children’s book. In addition, all students were invited to wear their favorite team jerseys — especially in light of this weekend’s football festivities — and were also encouraged to bring a can of soup to donate to a local food pantry to truly make it a “souper” celebration. After the reading activities, the football players and cheerleaders attended a pizza luncheon with the school’s sixth-graders.
Additionally, the excitement of the Philadelphia Eagles going to the Super Bowl reminded the McKinley Elementary School community of our national bird, the bald eagle. McKinley’s Roots and Shoots Club and Ms. Greco’s second grade class teamed up to raise awareness about protecting this beautiful species. To do this, McKinley sponsored a “Protect the National Bird Day.” Students and staff showed their support for the conservation movement by wearing apparel with an eagle on it, giving an optional donation to the American Eagle Foundation, or both. The school raised more than $150 to be donated to the American Eagle Foundation, and also sang the Eagles chant, led by school custodian, Mr. Russ Saunders. Of course, no Eagles chant is complete without learning how to spell: E-A-G-L-E-S!
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Highland Elementary School Observes Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service
For the 13th consecutive year, Highland Elementary School faculty, students and their families held a day of service in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day — this year observing the holiday on Thursday, Jan. 18, 2018, by assembling care packages and hosting a Zumba-thon.
In December, students began collecting donations for the care packages, including socks, underwear, diapers and wipes, which will benefit “On Gracie’s Wings,” a non-profit organization established to help foster children and families through donated items and a scholarship fund. After assembling the care packages, students and families participated in a Zumba-thon to raise awareness for the nonprofit.
Highland’s annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service is officially registered on the United Way’s MLK Day of Service website, focused on the holiday being a “day on, rather than just another day off.”
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Fine Art and Fun at Roslyn Elementary School
Art Goes to School went to Roslyn Elementary School on Thursday, Jan. 11, 2018, to share with second grade students the beauty and creativity behind important works of art.
The non-profit volunteer organization is dedicated to bringing art appreciation classes to elementary school children in the Delaware Valley, making fine art accessible and delivering this information in an impartial, instructive and informal presentation.
Art Goes to School, which is also traveling to second grade classrooms across the Abington School District, encourages students to “look, listen and feel art.”
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Overlook Elementary School Tells Students and Families: “Let’s Do Lunch!”
On Friday, Jan. 12, 2018, Overlook Elementary School teachers and staff opened their doors to students and their families for a special “Let’s Do Lunch!” event in the gymnasium. Parents and guardians — as well as non-Overlook siblings and other family members — were invited to come have lunch with the students so that everyone could have fun and enjoy quality time together. Students were welcome to buy lunch at the cafeteria or pack their own special treats to dine alongside their invited guests. Sign-ups for the first-time event became so popular that the school cafeteria was also open to accommodate the hundreds of attendees – estimated to total more than 250 people.
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Meet and Greet on September 13, 2018
The Board of School Directors of the Abington School District invites you to a Meet & Greet with the finalist for the position of Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Jeffrey S. Fecher.
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2018-2019 Sports/Activities Bus Routes
Routes for Abington Junior and Senior High Schools’ sports/activities trips during the 2018-2019 school year.
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Bald Eagle Helps Kick Off McKinley 2018-2019 School Year
It’s officially back to school in Abington School District, and McKinley Elementary School students, teachers and staff celebrated with a special assembly starring ‘Challenger’ – the Bald Eagle that is cared for by the American Eagle Foundation.
Challenger and the American Eagle Foundation came to McKinley as a result of the idea of one student, third-grader Camelia Florea. Last year, with the excitement of the Philadelphia Eagles heading to the Super Bowl, the McKinley community was looking for a meaningful way to celebrate, bringing to mind that the Bald Eagle is our national bird. Camelia had an idea that the school should help protect Bald Eagles, and thus an initiative was born in which students raised awareness about protecting this beautiful species and sponsored a “Protect a National Bird Day.” Students and staff showed their support for the conservation movement by wearing apparel with an eagle on it before the Super Bowl, and giving an optional donation to the American Eagle Foundation.
Challenger became the first Bald Eagle in U.S. history trained to free-fly into major sports stadiums, arenas, and ballrooms during the National Anthem – including at Lincoln Financial Field for Philadelphia Eagles games. At McKinley, Challenger’s handlers thanked the students for their awareness campaign and donation to their foundation, and provided a demonstration to teach students about protecting this beautiful species and our nation’s Bald Eagles. Challenger took a moment to spread his wings and even did some talking during the students’ applause. The following day, fresh off his visit at McKinley, Challenger had the privilege of flying into Lincoln Financial Field once again for the Philadelphia Eagles’ first home game of the season.
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Highland Elementary School Observes Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service
For the 13th consecutive year, Highland Elementary School faculty, students and their families held a day of service in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day — this year observing the holiday on Thursday, Jan. 18, 2018, by assembling care packages and hosting a Zumba-thon.
In December, students began collecting donations for the care packages, including socks, underwear, diapers and wipes, which will benefit “On Gracie’s Wings,” a non-profit organization established to help foster children and families through donated items and a scholarship fund. After assembling the care packages, students and families participated in a Zumba-thon to raise awareness for the nonprofit.
Highland’s annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service is officially registered on the United Way’s MLK Day of Service website, focused on the holiday being a “day on, rather than just another day off.”
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Abington 31st Best High School In PA, According To U.S. News
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Overlook Elementary School Tells Students and Families: “Let’s Do Lunch!”
On Friday, Jan. 12, 2018, Overlook Elementary School teachers and staff opened their doors to students and their families for a special “Let’s Do Lunch!” event in the gymnasium. Parents and guardians — as well as non-Overlook siblings and other family members — were invited to come have lunch with the students so that everyone could have fun and enjoy quality time together. Students were welcome to buy lunch at the cafeteria or pack their own special treats to dine alongside their invited guests. Sign-ups for the first-time event became so popular that the school cafeteria was also open to accommodate the hundreds of attendees – estimated to total more than 250 people.
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Abington School District appoints new superintendent
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Important Information Regarding Senior High School Teacher
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Update Regarding Senior High School Teacher
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Update Regarding Senior High School Teacher – Oct. 3, 2018
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Abington Schools Observe “Start With Hello” Week
Thanks to a grant awarded to the Abington School District from the Sandy Hook Promise ― a national non-profit organization founded and led by several family members whose loved ones were killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School in December 2012 ― last week schools across the District participated in “Start With Hello” Week, an initiative to encourage connections and advocate for more inclusive practices for our children, ultimately strengthening our schools’ climates.
The week-long program, designed for grades 2-12, enables students to make a difference with their peers in a simple, fun, and impactful way by encouraging them to take small but powerful actions to promote connectedness and inclusion, and to identify and help others who are showing signs of isolation. Start With Hello Week asks students, educators, parents/guardians, and others who interact with students to take steps in class, the lunchroom, and/or on the bus to be socially inclusive and connected to each other.
Letters were sent home to parents and guardians outlining the week’s events, which were kicked off at the elementary schools with special opening assemblies. At Overlook Elementary School, for example, not only was their mascot Oliver the Owl in attendance at the assembly, but a video was shown featuring students, their families, and staff, which promoted kindness within their school community. In addition, another video demonstrated how to use the school’s Buddy Bench to identify students that might feel lonely on the playground.
Other learning activities throughout the week, at Overlook and other schools across the District, ranged from “Hey Day” at Copper Beech, Roslyn and McKinley elementary schools ― where everyone in the school wore a name tag and each student was challenged to say hello to three new people they did not previously know using “hello, their name, and a smile.” ― to “Give a Smile Day” at Willow Hill Elementary School, when teachers handed out preprinted smiley faces or stickers and students were asked to pass their smile to someone who either made them smile or were in need of a smile.
At the secondary level, Start With Hello Week extended into early October — which is also National Bullying Prevention Month — with two assemblies at the Junior High for 7th and 8th grade students, led by school counselors and psychologists, which connected to the District’s already-established Olweus Bullying Prevention Program, aimed at strengthening the school community.
For more information on Start With Hello Week, visit https://www.sandyhookpromise.org/startwithhelloweek.
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Abington School Board Directors Appoint Dr. James A. Melchor As Assistant Superintendent
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Notice of Public Meeting of the Foundation for Abington School District – October 16, 2018
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FASD Meeting Agenda for October 16, 2018
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Anti-bullying Takes Center Stage in “The Hunchback of Notre Dame”
Everyone knows the tale of Quasimodo, the protagonist of the legendary “The Hunchback of Notre Dame,” which will be this year’s spring musical at Abington Senior High School, running March 8-10. Abington is one of the first school productions of the musical, which is an adaptation of the Disney animated film from the 1990s. Given the underlying theme of the story-line, in which Quasimodo is judged by the townspeople based on his appearance, the show’s codirectors, music teacher Mr. Myers and English teacher Ms. Caiazzo, felt this could be a good anti-bullying learning opportunity for elementary school students.
Leading up to the show’s premiere, the cast of the musical traveled around to the District’s seven elementary schools to perform a scene where the crowd bullies Quasimodo, but Esmeralda steps in to save him. After each performance, the actors talked with students about the importance of being the Esmeralda in their own lives and being the person to stop bullying from happening.
At the cast’s last performance at McKinley Elementary School on Tuesday, March 6, Senior High student Amanda Carter emphasized to the younger children that in the chosen scene, a single mean-spirited individual started the bullying, but it only took the kindness of one other person to make it stop.
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