May-June08 Falcon Flyer (pdf) - Pennsbury School District

Mrs. Lisa M. Becker, Curriculum Principal
Pennsbury High School West Building
608 South Olds Boulevard
Fairless Hills, PA 19030
(215) 949-6780
Falcon Flyer
Pennsbury High School’s Newsletter
A Message from the Principal June, 2007
After 35 years as an educator, William Katz, the Administrative
Principal at Pennsbury High School, will retire at the
end of this school year.
Bill has worked for the last twenty-five years at Pennsbury
High School, first as an Assistant Principal, later as the
eleventh and twelfth grade Principal and currently as the
Administrative Principal.
Bill graduated in 1967 from Pennsbury High School and
held the record for the all-time leading scorer in basketball
for many years. He scored 972 points and pulled down
588 rebounds during his high school years as a basketball
star.
Bill was instrumental in creating the unified campus, implementing
block scheduling and reinstituting the educational
opportunity period (EOP). Please join me is wishing him
the very best as he begins a new adventure in his life.
Thank you for your dedicated years of service to Pennsbury.
Mr. William Katz, Administrative Principal
Pennsbury High School East Building
705 Hood Boulevard
Fairless Hills, PA 19030
(215) 949-6700
Inside this
issue:
Graduation
Information
Guidance
Information
Course
Selection
Information
Final Exam
Information
2
3
3
3
Athletics 4

Dates and Times:
The rehearsal and graduation for the class of 2007 will be
as follows:
• Rehearsal: Friday, June 8, 2007 from 1:00 p.m. to
3:00 p.m.
• Graduation: Monday, June 11, 2007 at 6:15 p.m. at
Falcon Field.
• The Rain Date for graduation is Tuesday, June 12,
2007 (tentative) at 6:15 p.m. at Falcon Field. The
ceremony will only be moved in the event of
heavy rain, thunder and lightening.
• On the evening of commencement, students are to
report to their assembly rooms between 5:00 p.m.
and 5:15 p.m. PLEASE DO NOT BE LATE. The
ceremony will begin promptly at 6:15 p.m.
Behavior:
The graduation ceremony is a dignified and solemn event
and we need cooperation from all to continue with this
excellent tradition. We’re proud of Pennsbury and would
like to have the ceremony as positive and dignified as
possible. Please note that any student who chooses to
be disruptive at graduation will find that his/her diploma
has been withheld.
Attire:
Although participation in the commencement exercises is
voluntary, students who decide to participate will be
expected to dress properly for the occasion. Young men
should wear shirts, ties and long trousers. Young ladies
should wear a dress or a skirt or slacks with a blouse. All
should wear appropriate footwear. NO shorts or
sneakers may be worn. Students inappropriately dressed
will not be permitted to participate in the ceremony.
Caps and Gowns:
Caps and gowns will be distributed the day of rehearsal.
Rental fee of $20.00 is payable from May 29th through
June 8th in the main office of both buildings during all
lunches. National Honor Society tassels are an
additional $5.00. Please note that unpaid rentals
become an obligation.
Obligations:
Obligations should be paid as soon as possible at the
school office. An obligation list will be posted in each
room. If a senior has not paid an obligation prior to
rehearsal, he/she may do so in the school office
immediately after rehearsal. Please note that diplomas
will be withheld until all obligations are paid.
Page 2
IMPORTANT COMMENCEMENT INFORMATION
Rehearsal for Commencement:
Rehearsal will be held on June 8th from 1:00 p.m. to
3:00 p.m. regardless of weather conditions. NO
TRANSPORTATION TO REHEARSAL will be provided.
All graduates are to report to their assembly rooms by
1:00 p.m. The sooner we start, the sooner we end.
Assembly rooms will be posted on rehearsal day.
Please note that attendance at rehearsal is MANDA-
TORY for participation in the commencement.
Parking:
Parking and Traffic Patterns have been arranged to provide
for maximum efficiency. Graduates should enter
the main drive and park on the gym side of the building.
Cars dropping off graduates should enter the main drive
and use the drive in front of the building. Guests may
park in the parking lot on the gym side of the Pennsbury
High School East Building and in the Pennsbury High
School West Building and Village Park Elementary
School parking lots. Uniformed police will be on duty to
assist drivers and a number of Pennsbury Juniors will
assist the police in parking cars. Handicapped parking
will be available.
Tickets:
Tickets will be distributed at rehearsal unless a student
has unpaid obligations. Due to the increased size of the
graduating class, each student will be issued 6 tickets
only. Additional tickets may be requested in writing to
the main office. Please make sure the student’s
name is on the request. Please do not make any
excessive requests for tickets.
Special Needs:
Special consideration for tickets due to age or infirmity
will be given to those who notify Miss Flagg, in writing, at
the East Building Main Office. Please include the name
of the graduate on the request. Handicapped parking
will be available.
Photos: Pictures may be taken from the stands. Photographers
may not enter the field area.
Questions:
Any questions about commencement should be
directed to the East Building Main Office at 215-949-
6700.
Falcon Flyer

Guidance End-of-Year Information
Seniors will be required to submit a Final Transcript
Form to the Guidance Office in order to have the final
transcript sent to their selected college. Forms
will be distributed during the week of May 21,
2007.Seniors who have applied to the NCAA Clearinghouse
must also request that their Final Transcript
be sent to the Clearinghouse in order to be
In May, parents should receive a printout of students’
course selections for next year. Please review
these selections carefully. Choices for next
year should be based on careful thought and discussion
between students and parents. Students may
not change a course, even for the second semester,
after the school year begins. Seniors may not drop
a course because they have been accepted to college.
The final exams for the final semester will be scheduled
as described below.
Friday, June 8th:
7:20 a.m. to 9:08 a.m.—A period Exam
Area Bus Run for students without a B period exam
9:23 a.m. to 11:10 a.m.—B period Exam
11:10 a.m.—dismissal with regular bus runs
Monday, June 11th:
7:20 a.m. to 9:08 a.m.—C period Exam
Area Bus Run for students without a D period exam
9:23 a.m. to 11:10 a.m.—D period Exam
11:10 a.m.—dismissal with regular bus runs
Students who do not have an exam for one of the
exam periods or one of the exam days do not have
to report. There will be an area bus run in between
the two exam periods to take home students who do
not have a second exam.
If a student only has an exam during the second
exam period, he or she may report at the regular
start of school or report via personal transportation
in time for the second exam.
Falcon Flyer
Final Exam Schedule
for College Athletics. If any senior intends to participate
in Division I or Division II College Athletics,
you must apply to the Clearinghouse immediately
at www.ncaaclearinghouse.net.
Course Selection Information
Parents and students are reminded that changes
to course selection may be made until June 11,
2007. Students who wish to make a change
should fill out a form in the Guidance Office.
Please note that not all courses are open at this
time. Students should consult the list of closed
courses before requesting a change.
Final Exam Make-ups:
All students are required to report at their regularly
scheduled exam times. Students are not permitted
to take exams early. If a student is too ill to
report for his or her exam, the parent or guardian
must notify the attendance office by 8:00 a.m. the
day of the missed exam.
A note from a physician verifying the illness
will be required.
Any exception to this procedure can only be made
with prior administrative approval. Teachers and
counselors are not permitted to reschedule students’
exams.
Page 3

Pasta and “Smencils” for Patients
The community Service Group
kicked off the Pasta for Patients
program at Pennsbury
High School last month. Each
classroom was given an opportunity
to collect spare
change to donate to the Leukemia
& Lymphoma Society.
Ms. Greiner’s C period class
raised $230.16 and Ms. Kiryluk’s
C period class raised
$274.00. Both of these
classes have won a catered
lunch from the Olive Garden
for their outstanding efforts.
There was more than
$1,300.00 raised overall.
The Leukemia & Lymphoma
Society has chosen Abigail
Stanfield, as this year’s Honored
Hero.
Abigail was two years old
when she was diagnosed with
Acute Myelogenous Leukemia
(AML). Abigail endured three
Page 4
rounds of chemotherapy at Childrens’
Hospital of Philadelphia,
spinal taps, blood tests and ultimately
a bone marrow transplant
from her older sister that
happened to be a perfect
match.
The risk of relapse in the first
two years is very high, but Abigail
will be labeled “cured” on
October 28, 2010. You can
learn more about Abigail’s journey
by going to:
http://abigail.stanfield.com.
Students at Pennsbury High
School are encouraged to buy a
“Smencil” (smelly pencils).
These pencils are being sold by
the PHS Community Service
Group to raise money for a
1998 Pennsbury Alumna whose
child was recently diagnosed
with a similar blood cancer as
Abigail Stanfield. The money
raised from the “Smencils” sale
will be donated directly to this local
family, to assist them in their
journey in beating Leukemia.
On behalf of the Pennsbury Community,
we are thankful to all of
the members of the Community
Service Group and their advisors
Ms. Sarah Grimes and Mrs. Casey
Smith. Ms. Grimes reports,
“The mission and goal of the
Community Service Group is to
assist in building a strong local
community as well as raise
awareness and thanks for our extended
community family.”
Your efforts to help others are
recognized as one of the outstanding
activities that nurture
Pennsbury Spirit—The Spirit of
Giving.
2007-2008 Fall Athletic Physicals
Varsity, JV, Sophomore & Freshmen
Place: Pennsbury High School East Building
Cost: $5.00 per student-athlete
Date: Tuesday, June 5, 2007
Schedule: 5:00 p.m. - Varsity & JV, Sophomore & Freshmen Football
Date: Tuesday, June 19, 2007
Schedule: 5:00 p.m.—Field Hockey & Cheerleading
6:00 p.m.—Girls’ Cross-Country & Tennis
6:30 p.m.—Girls’ Volleyball
7:00 p.m.—Boys’ Soccer
7:30 p.m.—Golf & Boys’ Cross-Country
Falcon Flyer

Our Music Mentors Program is a
partnership between the Pennsbury
High School Music Theory Department
and our Pennsbury Elementary
and Middle School teachers.
This program gives our advanced
music theory students the opportunity
to work side by side with experienced
music teachers, observing
lessons, participating in classroom
experiences and with supervision,
teaching mini-lessons.
Co-op Program Enrollment:
Pennsbury’s Cooperative Education
Program allows high school juniors
and seniors to work for school credit.
Students attend A, B and C period
classes, then leave to work at their
Co-op jobs during D period. Students
are encouraged to work in a
job that is related to their career interest.
Whether college bound, technical
school bound or work bound, all
types of students benefit by gaining
hands-on experience in an organized
program setting.
Students currently in 10th and 11th
grades may apply now for the 2007-
2008 school year.
Applications may be picked up in the
Co-op office in the East Building or
in the Guidance Office at West anytime
between now and June 12th.
Minimum requirements exist for
grades and attendance, and space
in the program is limited, so apply
early. For questions, please contact
Tenaz Purdy, Cooperative Education
Coordinator at 215-949-6735.
Page 5
From the Music Department
In addition to working in the
Pennsbury schools, the Music
Mentors will be visiting and touring
area music businesses along with
interviewing the business owners.
Congratulations to Pennsbury’s
2006-2007 Music Mentors
Important Information
Prom Fashion Show: Our apologies
to Colleen Klock and Sherry
Kleban who were not recognized
in last month’s newsletter. We
want to send them a special thank
you for their hard work in obtaining
the donations for the Prom Fashion
Show. Colleen and Sherry
also gave many hours coordinating
the event. Without their help,
the Prom Fashion Show would not
be possible.
PHS Nursery School: PHS Nursery
School registration for the fall
semester is upon us.
Parents may register their children
and obtain more information about
the program by calling Barbara
Brunermer at 215-949-6700, ext.
70503.
Children must be Pennsbury
School District residents ready to
enter Kindergarten in the Fall of
2008. Enrollment space in the
program is extremely limited.
Congratulations to Mrs. Suzanne
Schmidt, Pennsbury’s
Music Theory teacher. Mrs.
Schmidt was recently named to
Who’s Who of American
Women, Who’s Who in America
and Who’s Who in the
World.
Reminder from the Nurse’s
office: All controlled medications
must be picked up by an
adult at the end of the school
year. All controlled medications
not picked up by June
12th will be discarded, unless
prior arrangements have been
made with the school nurse.
If you have any questions,
please call the nurse’s office
at 215-949-6792.
Summer Reading Information:
This year, all incoming ninth
through twelfth grade students
will participate in the summer
reading program. Parents
should look for information
packets to be distributed during
the last week in May.
A Book Fair event will be
scheduled at Barnes and
Nobel late in May.
Falcon Flyer

The Pennsbury Alumni Association
“The Pennsbury Alumni Association.
Bringing together the past,
present and future. Where did we
all go? The Falcon wants to know.”
On April 26th the Pennsbury
Alumni Association (PAA) held a
meeting in the library at Pennsbury
High School East Building. (This is
the old high school on Hood Boulevard).
The agenda for this meeting was to
establish :
*The purpose of the “Pennsbury
Alumni Association” (PAA).
Seventy-one students at Pennsbury
High School participated in the 58th
annual American Mathematics contest
on February 6, 2007.
The students competed for local,
regional and national student and
school awards.
Its purpose is to spur interest in
mathematics and develop a talent
*To establish a mission statement
for PAA
*To review other alumni associations
*To format committees for PAA
*Questions and Answers
Please join us on May 19th at
11:00 a.m. at the Pennsbury High
School West Building (formerly
Medill Bair) for an alumni reception.
Then from 12:00 p.m. to
3:00 p.m., enjoy a “Falcon” stroll
Students in the News
through the excitement of friendly
competition at problem solving in
a timed fashion.
Pennsbury had 3 Top scorers—
one in 12th grade, one in 10th
grade and one in 7th grade.
The PTO
A big thank you goes out to our PTO for all their hard
work and generosity in providing snacks and water
for our eleventh grade students during the reading
and math PSSA testing.
Despite the large quantity of food to be purchased,
the PTO really delivered! Their efforts improved the
testing environment for our juniors.
The PTO is always there when we need them!
Cinderella’s Closet would like to thank the following
businesses and people for their donations from April
1st through April 28, 2007. Please patronize the
businesses that have helped to make Cinderella’s
Closet a success. We have dresses from head to
toe, over a dozen girls so far this year. Special
thanks for their kindness goes to:
on the beach as you walk
through the hallways of the
East Building that will be
decorated for the senior prom.
This year’s exciting prom
theme is “Under the Boardwalk”.
The parade of the arrival
of students begins at approximately
5:30 p.m.
PAA will also hold a business
meeting on May 24th from
6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. in the
library at Pennsbury High
School East Building.
These highly performing students
were invited to and participated
in the next level of
testing, the American Institute
of Mathematics Exam on
March 28, 2007
After Image Hair Salon in Yardley for several updos
and make-up
Sisterz Salon in Newtown for several updos and
make-up
HeadStrong Salon in Yardley for a lot of beautiful
evening bags
Susan and Joe Gagliardi, Mimi and Richard
Robertson, Amy and Rich Mink, Lisa and Scott
Harrah, Ilene and Jay Quilty and Eva Samachson.
To all those people who have dropped off so
many lovely, like-new gowns—THANK YOU!
Special thanks to Kim Kliesh for running the
Closet during EOP and after school, and to Colleen
Klock for obtaining donations.
Page 6 Falcon Flyer

We are on the Web at:
Pennsbury.k12.pa.us.
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
June, 2007
June 1 Senior Breakfast, East Building
June 2 SAT’s, 7:15 a.m., East Building
June 3 Band Banquet, 5:00 p.m., King’s Caterers
June 4 PHS Marching Band Sign-Up, 7:00 p.m., East Building
June 6 9th—11th grade Academic Awards, 7:00 p.m., East Building
Auditorium
June 8 A & B Period Exams
June 11 C & D Period Exams
June 9 Children’s Play, 10:00 a.m., West Building Auditorium
June 11 Commencement, 6:15 p.m., Falcon Field
PENNSBURY SCHOOL DISTRICT
PENNSBURY HIGH SCHOOL
608 SOUTH OLDS BLVD.
FAIRLESS HILLS, PA 19030
NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION
U.S. POSTAGE PAID
LEVITTOWN, PA 19057
PERMIT NO. 145