Administrative Offi ces 230 Flourtown Road Plymouth Meeting, PA 19462 Phone: 610-834-1670 Fax: 610-834-7535 Quick Facts School Board Schools Location ..............Plymouth Meeting, PA Susan Moore ......................... President Plymouth Whitemarsh High School Serving Conshohocken Borough, Beth Suchsland ............Vice President Principal: Dr. Jason Bacani Plymouth Township and Bernie Brady ...........................Member Assistant Principal: Maico Azcona Whitemarsh Township Mel Brodsky ............................Member Assistant Principal: Heather King District Population* ......................41,475 Assistant Principal: Steve Price White ........................................91.0% Leslie Finegold........................Member Asst Principal/Athletic Director: RJ Bretz African American .....................4.0% Gary Johnson ..........................Member Phone: 610-825-1500 Asian ...........................................3.8% Kathleen Oxberry ..................Member Hispanic .....................................1.1% Cathy Peduzzi .........................Member Colonial Middle School Other ..........................................0.1% Felix Raimondo ......................Member Principal: Robert Fahler * 2010 United States Census Bureau Assistant Principal: Phil Chang Data from American FactFinder. Administration Assistant Principal: Tara Collice Number of Employees ......................727 Dr. Michael Christian Phone: 610-275-5100 406 Teachers Superintendent of Schools 44 Administrators Karen Berk Colonial Elementary School 277 Support Staff Director of Pupil Services and Principal: Rose Rock Total Enrollment ..............................5,001 Special Education Assistant Principal: Kylene Phillips Special Education ...........................17.0% Andrew Boegly Phone: 610-941-0426 Gifted ................................................. 2.0% Director of Technology Low Income ..................................19.63% Dr. Elizabeth McKeaney Conshohocken Elementary School Average Class Size ...........................18-23 Principal: Dr. Terese Boegly Director of Curriculum, Phone: 610-828-0362 2017-18 Budget ..................$124,090,000 Instruction and Assessment Highly Qualifi ed Teachers ...........100%* TBD Plymouth Elementary School *The CSD policy requires all teachers to Business Administrator Principal: Rosemarie Gregitis hold the appropriate state certifi cation Dr. Leticia Rodríguez Phone: 610-825-8190 and nearly 92 percent of the CSD Director of Human Resources teachers have at least a master’s degree. Terry Yemm Ridge Park Elementary School Director of Operations Principal: Eileen Carr Carol Chasen Phone: 610-825-1083 Supervisor of Special Education, This publication is produced by the K-5 Whitemarsh Elementary School School Board Community Relations Eileen Spector Principal: Donna Drizin Phone: 610-828-9092 and Student Life Committee, the Supervisor of Special Education, Community Relations Offi ce, 6-12 Community Relations Coordinator Dr. Katy Giovanisci Curriculum Supervisor David M. Sherman and Assistant Denise Marks Community Relations Coordinator Curriculum Supervisor Kim Newell. Maria Wileczek Call 610-834-1670, ext. 2115, Curriculum Supervisor with comments or questions. The Colonial School District (CSD) is an equal opportunity education institution and will not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, disability and/or handicap or age in its admissions procedures, educational programs, services, activities or employment practices as required by Title VI, Title IX, Section 504 and/or any applicable federal statute. The CSD will assist students who have Limited English Profi ciency to participate in all programs, services and activities. For information regarding civil rights, admissions, grievance procedures, bilingual education and accessibility of programs, services, activities and facilities that are usable by persons with disabilities, contact the Director of Pupil Services and Special Education, Colonial School District, 230 Flourtown Road, Plymouth Meeting, Pennsylvania, 19462. On the Cover: Current Whitemarsh Elementary (WE) School third graders collaborate on a math exercise. Last spring, for the second straight year, WE third graders posted the state’s second highest percentage of student scoring profi cient or advanced on the math portion of the Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA). See story on academic achievement on page 4. Colonial SCHOOL DISTRICT Colonial School District 2016 Annual Report Features: Meet our new superintendent Dr. Michael Christian 3 Academic achievement 4 Colonial students continued to shine in 2016-2017 School profi les 6 The year’s highlights from each of our seven schools Advanced Placement Scholars 15 Plymouth Whitemarsh High School again has more than 100 AP Scholars. Renovation update 19 The main phases of the Plymouth Whitemarsh High School renovation are complete as well as additions to Plymouth and Ridge Park elementary schools. Colonial School District Education Foundation Supporting and enhancing educational programs in the 22 Colonial School District Also inside: Class of 2016 ...........................................................................................................................14 Plymouth Whitemarsh High School Senior Awards .........................................................16 Staff News ...............................................................................................................................20 2017-2018 Budget ...................................................................................................................21 2 2017 Annual Report Superintendent of Schools Dr. Michael Christian The Colonial School District in the Owen J. Roberts School District welcomed Dr. Michael Christian as in Chester County and the Garnet Valley Superintendent of Schools in August. School District in Glen Mills, Pa. He has As the District’s fi fth superintendent additional administrative experience as in the last 40 years, Dr. Christian leads an assistant superintendent and middle Colonial by encouraging a "Culture of school principal during his thirteen years Excellence," where all decision-making at Garnet Valley. Dr. Christian is a life- begins with looking at how it will impact long resident of Montgomery County. the students and the educational program. He began his educational career in the His goals for Colonial include providing a Methacton School District teaching high safe and caring environment for children, school English. encouraging student achievement that Dr. Christian holds a bachelor’s degree focuses on the "whole child" and looking from Muhlenberg College, a master’s for effi ciencies in how the District in education from Arcadia University, a manages its systems. principal certifi cation from Penn State Prior to Colonial, Dr. Christian University and a doctorate in educational Dr. Michael Christian served as the Superintendent of Schools leadership from Wilmington University. Q & A with Dr. Christian Q: What was it about Colonial that made you want to this by supporting a deep and wide curriculum as well as pursue this opportunity? improved facilities. Additionally, I have met a multitude A: Colonial School District offered me the opportunity to of dedicated parents who support our schools through work in a premiere school district in close proximity to where their volunteer efforts. I have enjoyed watching our faculty I have well established roots. Colonial had several attractive enthusiastically teach each day as I continue to visit each features including a dedicated Board of School Directors, school regularly. Lastly and most importantly, I have been strong faculty and staff, and an outstanding community. thoroughly impressed with our students. They have started the school year excelling in the academic and extra-curricular Q; How would you describe your educational arenas. philosophy? Q: What do you view as the biggest challenges facing A: We need to provide quality educational opportunities for the District in the next few years? all of our students in a safe and caring environment. Each day, I want our students to be stretched but not overwhelmed AA:: BBasedased uuponpon tthehe eenrollmentnrollment sstudytudy ccompletedompleted bbyy tthehe in the classroom. We need to provide our students with a MMontgomeryontgomery CCountyounty PPlanninglanning CCommission,ommission, tthehe sschoolchool variety of assessments so that they may demonstrate their ddistrict’sistrict’s sstudenttudent ppopulationopulation iiss aanticipatednticipated ttoo ggrowrow ooverver knowledge and understanding of our curriculum. We need to tthehe nnextext sseveraleveral yyears.ears. WWee wwillill ccontinueontinue ttoo mmonitoronitor develop critical thinking skills in a collaborative setting so that oourur enrollmentenrollment andand planplan accordinglyaccordingly forfor ourour facilities.facilities. our students can excel in an increasingly digital world. AAdditionally,dditionally, ttherehere sseemseems ttoo bbee uuncertaintyncertainty eeachach yyearear wwithith tthehe sstatetate bbudget.udget. TThishis uuncertainty,ncertainty, ccoupledoupled wwithith tthehe llegalegal Q: In the time that you’ve been here what have you rrequirementsequirements ooff AActct 11,, rrequireequire uuss ttoo llookook fforor eefffi ccienciesiencies iinn observed to be the District’s strengths? oourur managementmanagement ooff tthehe sschoolchool ddistrictistrict wwhilehile mmaintainingaintaining