Audrina Patridge’s new reality TV show 15 Our Letter to local The Students’ Newspaper of media 3 Issue 2 November 19, 2010 2001 Old Lincoln Highway Langhorne, Pa. 19047 Neshaminy High www.neshaminy.k12.pa.us/playwickian/ School TLC gives back to community Jammin’ For Jammies The Interact Club has started their annual pajama collection drive. “We transitioned from a toy drive to the pajama drive last year because everyone needs warm pajamas in the winter,” Interact club adviser Suzi Drake said. The pajamas will be collected until Dec. 17. The pajamas can be dropped off in the donation box in front of the English offi ce and at Penndel’s Steak & Hoagie Factory, which is located on Business Route One. The pajamas are for local families in the community and are donated to The Salvation Army. Last year the club was able to collect more than 650 pairs of pajamas. The only requirements are that the pajamas have to be new and are preferably infant to adolescent sized. For those who can not acquire a pair of TLC at Neshaminy seniors Brandon Holzer (l) and Andrew Bucci (r) make comforting blankets for cancer patients at St. Mary’s pajamas for the drive and would like to Hospital as a part of the service learning program. Photo/Joann Holland donate, you can donate gift cards from stores like Wal-Mart, Kmart or Target. By Antonella Pilaras positive impacts on the students including “The whole purpose of service Drake said that they will get to someone Staff Writer an increased sense of personal effi ciency, learning was to hook kids into school, to in need.. All donations will be greatly developing empathy for others and social begin to feel good about school again or appreciated. Service learning is having a positive skills. get into the habit of feeling good about impact on the students of the The Learning The students log in a set number school again,” Passman said. Blood Drive Center at Neshaminy. For two periods of community service hours to meet The students really seem to enjoy every week the students there participate graduation requirements. volunteering and helping others in the Blood drive on Dec. 9 from 7:30 in different charities. These charities Service learning also has an academic community. a.m. to 1:30 pm at the A Gym. Donors include Aid for Friends, Quilts for Kids, impact on the students. “For me I go play bingo with elderly must be 17 years old by Dec. 31 and Gilda’s Club, and Delaware Valley “It helps the students who are people every Friday. I always make sure weigh at least 120 lbs. Sign up in Veterans Home Visits. struggling in school; it hooks them back I am in school that day even if I’m late. homeroom with your National Honor According to TLC’s guidance into school. It also gives them a chance for It feels good to put a smile on someone’s Society members and forms are also counselor and service learning coordinator the teachers to model real life social skills face,” TLC Senior Chelsea Lalumera, available at Main Offi ce Grant Passman service learning had a big and positive behavior,” TLC Principal said. improvement in student behavior. Joann Holland said. Service learning is having some Drama Production “All the good stuff we do bleeds over The idea of having service learning is positive effects on the students, creating into our daily lives,” Passman said. to get the students to feel good about their a bond between school and community. Tonight at 7:00 p.m. in the Black Service learning provides many overall school experience. box theatre the Drama show The Children’s Hour will have its last performance. Tickets can be purchased Local park opens for skaters for $5 at the door. By Amanda Covon and Jackie Henry News Editor and Staff Writer There is now a public skate park in Newtown that was opened on Oct. 31. On the grand opening about 100 kids and teenagers showed up to skate their hearts out, according to www.buckslocalnews.com The park, costing about $60,000, has pleased the township board members saying that it was overdue. The state of the art skate park, which cost $60,000 to create, is located at the Village of Newtown Shopping Center Skating Committee funding it without taking it out of the public’s taxes, instead the park was funded by a combination of private donations, totaling around $30,000, as well as matching funds derived from developer fees within the township. The park is pretty large and is about the size of a 100 x 75 foot pad site. It has half-pipes and a variety of other skating challenges intended for both beginner and superior skaters. “I think they’ll go to the park more, but they’ll still be on the street to this day,” Neshaminy freshman Bailey Rein said. The park will be available to use free of charge to township residents. The Newtown boards of supervisors have been highly supportive of the park, though The Newtown skate park on the last day of construction. See SKATE PARK on page 2 Photo/Meaghan Breitkreutz News Special Features Sports TLC incorporates community service Candidates for Freshman elections tell Redskins take fi rst step into playoffs 12 into curriculum 2 about themselves 8-9 Entertainment Op-Ed Student Life Colbert’s rally protests, media’s infl uence Internet obsession takes over 3 School mysteries revealed 11 on politics 14 Page 2The Playwickian News November 19, 2010 Exclusive:NSB, NFT respond to student concerns The Playwickian Staff created so we can negotiate fairly and ensure our union, the NFT, has asked for a deal that Teachers voted to end Work to Contract a list of the top five questions students receive the great education they will raise their salaries an average of 35% and challenge the District and School students had regarding the contract deserve. over fi ve years. And because that includes Board to lay out education priorities in negotiations. The answers provided For 2-1/2 years, the District has kept retroactive pay for the past couple of years our district and work with us to reach a by Neshaminy School Board member teachers and members of the community they were without a contract, there would new contract. We proved our point that William O’Connor and the Neshaminy in the dark about its priorities and budget, be an immediate cost to the community of teachers and certifi ed staff are essential to Federation of Teachers President portraying teachers as greedy and not vital more than $11 million. The State has set in help students learn and succeed. Louise Boyd are published unedited to student learning, and simplifying the place a 1.4% limit on tax increases which We are ready and eager to go back to as to clarify both views of the current differences at the negotiating table around equates to around $1.6 million for next the negotiating table on Dec. 2 and work contract disputes. health care costs and length of day. year, which would mean that Neshaminy together to reach a new agreement. Our goal with the Work-to-Contract would already be in the hole for $9.4 1.) What is the main issue that has action was simply to show all of the million that would have to be covered by 5.) Since the teachers’ “Work-to- kept the teachers union and the school ways—both in the classroom and outside either tax increases or program cuts. contract” policy has been considered board from making negotiations any it—that teachers and certifi ed staff are As a compromise, the Board has offered a “working strike,” how would the sooner? essential to help students learn and the NFT an average 3% raise with no passage of Pennsylvania legislation succeed. We proved our point. retro pay. regarding a “No-strike” teachers’ Neshaminy School Board: The We now hope that the School Board The NFT still refuses to contribute policy affect both the situation for the affordability of the teachers’ contract, with come forth and prioritize, inform anything towards monthly health care students and the situation regarding specifi cally health care contributions, and collaborate with us because we costs; the Board has asked for a 17% contract negotiations as a whole? salary increases, retirement benefi ts stand ready to negotiate and reach a new contribution. And the teachers want to and perks. Our teachers are among the contract with the School Board. increase the $27,500 retirement perk Neshaminy School Board: It is our most highly compensated in the State to $30,000 while the Board wants to belief that strike-free education would of Pennsylvania, and they contribute 2.) How long are you willing to go eliminate it completely. eliminate both strikes and WTC, but that nothing towards their monthly health on without coming to some sort of remains to be seen. While the Board and care premiums while most of us pay negotiation or agreement? Neshaminy Federation of Teachers: NFT the community would hail this as a good 25% - 50% or more. teachers and certifi ed staff want a fair and thing since students would no longer be Upon retirement, Neshaminy Neshaminy School Board: If we don’t equitable contract. It is the responsibility caught in the middle, it won’t really put teachers are given a one-time payment bring our labor costs under control, taxes of the School Board to prioritize our more pressure on the NFT to settle any of $27,500 and they receive free health will skyrocket and student programs will district’s education goals and inform its sooner.