ANNUAL REPORT WISSAHICKON SCHOOL DISTRICT and WISSAHICKON EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES FOUNDATION (WEOF)
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
ANNUAL REPORT WISSAHICKON SCHOOL DISTRICT and WISSAHICKON EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES FOUNDATION (WEOF) IMPORTANT NEWS ABOUT OUR SCHOOLS & STUDENTS 2015-2016 SCHOOL YEAR Greetings to the Wissahickon Community: The Wissahickon Administration, School Board and WEOF Board of Directors are pleased to partner this year to bring you the 2015-2016 Annual Report featuring highlights from the school district and the education foundation. This year was marked by tremendous progress as the school district and our education foundation reached higher to achieve more - in the classroom, on the field, in co-curricular activities and in the community. Our teachers and other staff, coaches, advisors and volunteers demonstrated in countless ways their commitment to providing REACHING HIGHER. our students an exceptional learning experience. In turn, our students demonstrated ACHIEVING MORE. that they are not only learning essential skills in academic 50 Years of Excellence in Education subject areas, but becoming responsible, well-rounded As we reflect on the many accomplishments of the past school year in this individuals - physically, socially Annual Report, the Wissahickon School District will be kicking off the celebration and emotionally. of another special year - the 50th anniversary of the establishment of our district. In 1966, the district was organized under Pennsylvania Act 299 - Advanced We hope you enjoy reading about Establishment - when the school districts of the Borough of Ambler and the the great things happening every Townships of Lower Gwynedd and Whitpain became the Wissahickon School day at Wissahickon! District (some individual schools are older such as Blue Bell Elementary which turns 60 this year). In recognition of 50 years of excellence in education and beyond, we will be sharing the history of our schools with the community and highlighting the amazing achievements of our alumni and staff. Check our homepage, calendar, district Facebook and Twitter to stay informed about upcoming events and other anniversary news. We also have a new Alumni Facebook page @Wissahickonalumni. Like our pages and share with your family and friends! Academic Achievements Every day in every classroom, our students are working hard to gain Eight WHS students were named 2016 National academic proficiency in the core areas of mathematics, science, Merit Scholarship Program finalists. Additionally, social studies, English, foreign languages, health, and the visual and 17 seniors were National Merit Commended performing arts. Our district prides itself on providing a rigorous Scholars who earned recognition in the 2014 curriculum aligned with the state standards while also providing PSAT/NMSQT competition. every student the tools and resources he/she needs to succeed. Each student has hundreds of small and large accomplishments each school year - whether it’s advancing their reading, math and writing abilities, mastering a new technology tool, acing a difficult test, or competing in a competition. We are proud of our students’ dedication to learning! Highlights of student awards this year included: Eighth grade student, Tucker Coccodrilli’s video, “ASN Pocono Grand Prix” took first place in the 2015 WHYY Youth Media Awards Middle School Category. Ten Blue Bell Elementary third graders entered a Four WMS students qualified for the book review contest for Scholastic Storyworks and National Finals of the History Bee. Keith Ryales’ review was published as a contest winner. The WMS MathCounts Club was recognized nationally as a Gold Six WHS students were selected to participate in Level Club for nine consecutive the prestigious Eli Lilly Summer Challenge and years – a distinction shared by tasked with designing a mini-science curriculum for no other school in Pennsylvania. educating elementary age children about specific Four 8th graders competed at the diseases and Lilly molecules under development MathCounts State Finals finishing to treat those diseases. Three of the students were in 6th place and Evan Qiang selected to attend the Stanford MedX Conference. qualified for Nationals! Evan also placed first in the state You Be the Twenty-eight middle school and high school Chemist Challenge and advanced students scored in the top eighty-fifth percentile on to the National Challenge. the National German Exam. Staff Recognized for Excellence David Miller, WHS Art Teacher, was selected to receive the 2015 Pennsylvania Art Dianne Krause, Instructional Education Association Outstanding Secondary Art Educator Award. Technology Specialist, was Lower Gwynedd Health and Physical Education Teacher Mike Jackson received the selected to be a member of the Physical Education Elementary Teacher of the Year Award. Microsoft Innovative Educator Expert Regional Lead Program Chris McDaniels, WHS Social Studies Teacher, was named a United States Presidential - one of 11 educators in the Scholars Distinguished Teacher for 2015 recognizing substantial contributions to the U.S. recognized for innovation development of our nation’s young people. and collaboration in education. She was also one of only 100 Nicole Perrine-Wilson, WHS German teacher, received the Goethe-Institute /AATG teachers invited to the White Certificate of Merit from the American Association of Teachers of German. House to be recognized as Tim Smyth, WHS Social Studies teacher, was featured on PBS Newshour for his article part of a celebration of great “How I Use Comic Books as a Learning Tool in my Social Studies Classroom.” educators from across the country. Jim Shoemaker, Social Studies teacher, was nominated for the Keystone Technology Innovators Program for his innovative work in the classroom and commitment to technology. Page 2 WHS Ranks #1 Statewide on School Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) Results Performance Profile (Mean Scores from 2015) Wissahickon High School received the highest WSD students score well above state and national averages School Performance Profile (SPP) score in the state of Pennsylvania at 101.8. All Pennsylvania schools with an WSD 11th grade received an SPP score for the 2015-2016 year. State A school’s SPP score relies heavily on state assessment Writing National scores including Keystone/PSSA, but also includes college WSD readiness tests, industry standards-based assessments, State graduation, promotion, and attendance rates, as well as Math evidence of offering rigorous courses to prepare students National for college and career. Schools also earn extra points WSD beyond the 100 point scoring system for those students State who have earned advanced scores on the state, industry, National and Advanced Placement/International Baccalaureate Critical Reading exams. WHS scored 98.49 on all academic indicators and an additional 3.3 in extra credit for advanced achievement! 2016 Advanced Placement Based on AP Exams taken in May 2016 WHS offered 18 Advanced Placement (AP) courses in the 2015-2016 school year. To support students, the school district pays for all exams. AP courses are awarded with 0.10 weight added to the cumulative GPA and students who score a 3 or More than 125 students were inducted into the higher can earn college credit for AP courses. Three additional National Honor Society (NHS) and recognized for AP courses are being offered in the 2016-2017 school year! their outstanding qualifications of Scholarship, Service, Leadership, and Character. Inductees must have an 371 Total Students Tested unweighted GPA of 3.5 or higher at the end of their sophomore or junior year, demonstrate leadership, 983 Total Exams good character and participation in school activities. 78 Percent of students who scored a 3 or higher 50 Number of AP Scholars who scored a 3 or higher on 3 or more exams Faculty Profile Doctorate 2% Number of certified Bachelor’s 370 Degree teachers 14% Our staff knows that students learn best when they are engaged and having fun with classroom activities. 13.8 Average years of The Dr. Suess Birthday Celebration and Read Across teaching experience Master’s Degree America is one of many activities that students and 84% staff across the district enjoy. Page 3 CELEBRATING the Class of 2016 Diplomas in hand and hats in the air...346 students and their families proudly celebrated graduation from Wissahickon High School during commencement on June 9, 2016. The Class of 2016 enjoyed beautiful and breezy weather as they were honored for their many achievements and provided words of advice and encouragement for their future. Congratulations were provided by Blue Bell Principal Dr. Concetta Lupo, Superintendent Dr. James A. Crisfield and WHS Principal Dr. Lynne Blair who encouraged students to "Be bold, be courageous, and be your best. I truly believe that the ones who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones that really do!" Dr. Blair said. Post Secondary Plans Two-year college/ Military trade/technical school 1% 346 16% Graduates Work or Four-year other opportunities college 1% 82% New Brand for Wissahickon and our Proud Trojan Tradition A new brand was developed as part of the district’s mission to unify our schools, teams and community and to build team spirit and pride in our schools. The new brand includes a 50th anniversary logo and athletic program logos for the Trojan mascot, a recognizable "W" and a shield representing our history of excellence, proud Trojan tradition and competitive spirit. Keep an eye out for the new brand on our uniforms, spirit wear, athletic facilities and schools. The Wissahickon School Board sporting