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around the DECEMBER 2016 929 lakeshore drive leesport PA 19533-8631 SCHUYLKILL VALLEY SCHOOL DISTRICT NEWSLETTER to our new teachers We welcome our new teachers! Front row, left to right: Mr. Dan Shuman , fourth grade; Miss Amy Schneider - han , fourth grade; Ms. Meghan Riley , kindergarten; Miss Charlotte Tilley , K-1st learning support; Mrs. Megan French , high school social studies; Mrs. Jen Wise , 6th grade math, long-term substitute. Back row, left to right: Mr. Mitch Gaul , 8th grade science; Mr. Jesse McBride , 11th and 12th grade English; Miss Rachel Himes , first grade; Miss Anna Berzins , second grade long-term substitute; Mr. Tony Deininger , high school music; Ms. Molly Horlacher , middle school special education, long-term substitute; Dr. Mata ; Miss Xin Li , high school Chinese. 23 4689 10 Welcome IN THIS New Director SV Board of Class of Pride of SV of Human Student Panther Faculty Directors 2016 ISSUE: Awards Resources Spotlight Paths Update Reorganization Future Plans 2 Schuylkill Valley AROUND THE VALLEY district newsletter | December 2016 SCHUYLKILL VALLEY SCHOOL DISTRICT 929 Lakeshore Drive Leesport PA 19533-8631 Pride of SV Awards 2016 ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF Warren F. Mata, Ed.D. Superintendent Mr. Michael T. Mitchell, Jr. High School Principal Mrs. Maggie E. Drake High School Assistant Principal Mr. Joshua Kuehner Middle School Principal Mr. Jeremy L. Crills Assistant Middle School Principal Mrs. Melissa Kelchner Elementary School Principal Mrs. Melissa A. Rhoads Assistant Elementary School Principal Mr. Brian F. Lacey Director, Special Education & Pupil Services Mr. Michael Billman Director, Information Technology Mrs. Wendy Boarder Business Manager Mrs. Changming Wang Assistant Business Manager Mr. Craig A. Strunk Director, Buildings & Grounds Left to right: Mr. Elias Esposito, Mr. Paul Strause accepting on behalf of his Miss Stephanie L. Deibler grandmother, the late Mrs. Stella Strause, Mr. Craig Housenick, Mr. Tim Lash, Athletic Director Mrs. Janelle (Tranquillo) Blankenship, Ms. Joan Althouse accepting on behalf of Mrs. Becky Robinson the late Miss Jessie Rowe. Director of Food Services Ms. Robin Brightbill Schuylkill Valley honored six academic scholarship to Ball State Director of Human Resources individuals with the Pride of SV University and played Division 1 Award at a luncheon at the high field hockey there. Mrs. Blankenship BOARD OF DIRECTORS school on Saturday, October 8, 2016. graduated from Ball State with a 4.0 Mr. Kevin Raudenbush, President GPA, then received a scholarship to, Dr. Jay R. Melvin, Vice President Honorees for the award are alumni who and graduated magna cum laude Mrs. Linda R. Lash, Secretary graduated at least eight years ago, from, the Notre Dame University Mr. Paul L. Bendigo achieved national, state and/or district School of Law. She is currently an Mr. Robert M. Dempsey level recognition, contributed immea - Mr. Jeffrey B. King equity partner at Faegre Baker surably to the school district, and Mr. George H. Mertz III Daniels LLP law firm. Mr. G. Dane Miller achieved high honors in academics, art, Mr. Geoffrey P. Miller athletics, music and/or the vocations. Mr. Elias Esposito – Mr. Esposito is a Kutztown University graduate with BOARD MEETINGS This year’s Hall of Fame inductees are: Committees generally meet the third Monday masters’ degrees in education from of the month at 6:30 pm. Board meetings are Mrs. Janelle (Tranquillo) Blankenship – Temple University and Miami (OH) generally held the fourth Monday of the month Mrs. Blankenship was the valedicto - University. He taught chemistry and at 7 pm. in the High School Leroy Seip Room. rian and president of the SV Class of mathematics for seventeen years at TELEPHONE NUMBERS 1994, where she was a four-year var - SVHS, while coaching the varsity Administration 610-916-0957 sity letter winner in field hockey, bas - track and cross-country teams, and High School 610-926-1706 ketball and soccer. She earned a full earned his principal’s certification Middle School 610-926-7111 Elementary School 610-926-4165 This newsletter is the official publication of the Schuylkill Valley School District. Submit news of school or community interest to [email protected] . December 2016 | Schuylkill Valley AROUND THE VALLEY district newsletter 3 from Villanova University. He Ception Therapeutics and Penske became the SVHS assistant princi - Business Media, and volunteers as a pal and principal, organized and youth soccer coach in Darien, CT. started the SV Intermediate School, Mr. Lash is currently a portfolio and served as its first principal. Mr. manager at Hutchin Hill Capital. Esposito served in the U.S. Army – Miss Rowe was during the Korean War as sergeant Miss Jessie Rowe a health and physical education and communications chief. teacher at SVHS and served as the Mr. Craig Housenick – During his first girls’ basketball coach in 1960. high school years at Schuylkill Val - During her 34-year teaching career, ley, Mr. Housenick participated in she also coached many other girls’ Panthers on Parade, volleyball, Aca - sports teams in the district. She Introducing SV’s new demic Challenge, SODAA, chorus, helped influence Berks County ad - Director of Human Resources mixed ensemble, senior county cho - ministrators to hold the first Berks This summer, the District welcomed its rus and local community theater. He Girls Basketball championship new director of human resources, graduated from Susquehanna Uni - game in 1973, and organized and Ms. Robin Brightbill . Ms. Brightbill is a versity with a degree in theatre arts coached the first Duke Delucia native of Palmyra and currently lives and enhanced his education with Girls Basketball All-Star Game. in Ephrata with her family. study abroad at Lancaster University Her coaching record was 169-42, She is a graduate of Palmyra Area High in the United Kingdom. Mr. House - with SV winning a division or School, Lebanon County Career and nick is a four-time Primetime Emmy county championship in fourteen Technology Center (LCCTC), and Nominee for The Voice and won seasons of her seventeen-year bas - Strayer University, where she earned a three Primetime Emmy Awards in ketball coaching career. Miss Rowe bachelor of business administration de - 2013, 2015 and 2016 for outstand - retired from coaching in 1997, but gree, with a concentration in human ing lighting design and direction for continued to foster the develop - resources. Ms. Brightbill also holds sen - a variety series. ment of female athletics until her ior certified professional certification death in 2009. from the Society for Human Resources Mr. Timo thy Lash – Mr. Lash was Management. Her previous employ - valedictorian of the SVclass of 1993. Mrs. Stella Strause – After having to He was also a national merit scholar, quit the Ontelaunee Grange School ment includes various roles in human student council president and mem - in 11th grade to take care of her resources at Dallastown Area SD, Cen - ber of the marching band, swim and younger siblings, in 1946, Mrs. tral Penn Management Group, Wyeth basketball teams. A Joseph Wharton Strause began working part-time for Pharmaceuticals, BAA Harrisburg, and Benjamin Franklin Scholar at the SVSD in the elementary school Inc., and as secretary at LCCTC. the University of Pennsylvania, cafeteria. Fifteen years later, she was At Schuylkill Valley, Ms. Brightbill Wharton School of Business, he appointed supervisor of food serv - plans to streamline processes, create graduated with a bachelor’s degree in ices and head cook for the high electronic employee files, digitize the economics. He has been employed school. She worked in the district’s application and new hire paperwork as an associate at Deutsche Bank food service department for 50 processes, and develop new and cre - Securities and at Third Point LLC. years, missing work for only two ative ways to foster the sense of com - He oversaw investments worth more half-days during her entire career munity between the district’s three than four billion dollars and led the and, in 1995, received an outstand - buildings. She is very happy to have company’s first one billion dollar ing achievement award from the found a perfect fit for her talents at the investment in Yahoo. Mr. Lash also Pennsylvania House of Representa - district. “I could not have asked for a spearheaded Third Point’s one tives for her years of faithful service. better fit of a district to start this next billion dollar investment in Sony, Mrs. Strause always embodied a step in my professional journey,” she which ushered in a new wave of positive outlook, dedication to her said. “I have thoroughly enjoyed my investor activism in Japan. He has job and love for children. She was first few months here at Schuylkill Val - served on the board of directors of often quoted as saying about SV, ley. My experiences so far have empha - “This is my home. This is my life.” sized what a great community this is, and I am very happy to be a part of such a great organization.” Please include your name and phone number for verification. Timely articles will be used as space allows. 4 Schuylkill Valley AROUND THE VALLEY district newsletter | December 2016 STUDENT SPOTLIGHT 2017 National Merit Scholarship Program Awards Berks County Seniors Daniel Behler Young Ag and Kylie Brown are Leader among 34,000 students nationwide Senior Lindsey who have been Zimmerman was named Commended recently highlighted Students in the as a Young Ag Leader 2017 National Merit in the Berks Country Scholarship Program. section of the Octo - Commended students ber 5 edition of the Reading Eagle . Lindsay demonstrate outstanding potential for academic success by placing serves as secretary-treasurer of the senior class, among the top five percent of more than 1.6 million students who writes for the student newspaper and literary entered the 2017 competition by taking the 2015 PSAT/ National magazine, and is a member of the LEO Club Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test.