Garnet Valley School District Community Newsletter
Voices of the Valley
Combined Issue: Spring & Summer 2015
Volume 24, Issue III
Congratulations to the Class of 2015
Annually, at Commencement, I am so proud to represent Garnet Valley School District. This
year, however, my pride rose to a new level. For me, Commencement is the penultimate ceremony
because it gives all of us an opportunity to tangibly see the product of our community’s collective
efforts on behalf of its students. And, the Class of 2015 was an unbelievable product!!!!
The breadth and scope of this class’ talents in academics, the arts, athletics, and career and
technical pursuits was reflected by our graduates’ acceptance into literally the best of the best
institutions from across the country. The Class of 2015 is quite literally nation building with its
talent!!
Penn, Princeton, Cornell, Dartmouth, Swarthmore, Haverford, California Tech, Williamson
Trade, Carnegie Mellon, Lehigh, UVA, UNC, Wake Forest, Clemson, Penn State, Syracuse,
Alabama, U Conn, Temple, Drexel, F&M, Baylor, Delaware, Cal Berkley, Boston U, Johnson and
Wales, Arizona, University of British Columbia, Taylor School of Art, and Tennessee to name a
few. So from building a bridge to brain surgery to gourmet meals to artistic expression, The Class of
2015 has us covered!
So as this class goes throughout the country we hope that they will bring with them all the
things that make Garnet Valley stand out—academic acumen shown by the $7.4 in scholarships
that they were awarded this year, multi-facetted talents that were shown by championships and
competitions that they won individually and as teams, and most importantly, the passion and
commitment for making our community better for others through their civic action.
Our graduates now have a vested interest in ensuring that this community and the community
that they will soon join reflect their legacy. So, we ask the Class of 2015 to become engaged
participants wherever their journey takes them, but also remain connected to us so that these
attributes and successes will continue to guide and perpetuate the strength of Garnet Valley. We
ask that our graduates come back to visit, then perhaps to live, but always to support us and the
future students who will take their place. The Class of 2015 is an impressive and extraordinary
group, and I could not be more proud to represent them and this school community.
Dr. Marc Bertrando, Superintendent
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VOICES OF THE VALLEY
Volume 24, Issue III
COMMUNITY, EDUCATIONAL , & TECHNICAL AWARDS
Ananya
Anny
Chandra
Zhuo
Valedictorian
Salutatorian
A. DARLINGTON & MARIE HEYBURN .............................................John Atkins, Taylor Buckley, Theresa Tran, Hailey Valerio
AHEPA SCHOLARSHI .............................................................................................................................................. Vasiliki Christou
AMERICAN LEGION POST 811 .............................................................................................. Mikayla Jordan, Matthew VanTrieste
ANDREW T. SCHLERT MEMORIAL ................................................................................................. Evan Riper, Annika Vandayar
ARMY RESERVE NATIONAL SCHOLAR ATHLETE .................................................................. M. Connor Faith, Hailey Valerio
ART HONOR SOCIETY SERVICE “ELLIE” ............................................................................................................... Alexis Fiorelli
BRANDYWINE EDITION ....................................................................... Serena Klingensmith, Zachary Nelson, Natalie Piorkowski
CHARTWELL FOOD SERVICE GOOD STUDENT ....................... Holly Aronhalt, James Arters, Macy Goldbach, Michael Miller
..................................................................................................................................Maria Nicolaides, Katelyn Reichle, Ronald Vitola
CHARTWELL FOOD SERVICE NATIONAL MERIT SCHOLARSHIP ........... Nicholas Archer, Ananya Chandra, Rachel Glenn,
....................................................................................................................................... Geoffrey Krug, Taylor Valerio, Richard Yang,
.................................................................................................................................................. Amy Zhou, Anny Zhuo, Vanessa Weir
CLASS OF 1986 SERVICE ........................................................................................................................................... Kristin Garrity
CONCORD LODGE #625 F &AM MASONIC ..............................................................................................................Brianna Plush
CONCORD TOWNSHIP .............................................................................................................................................Elise Cummings
CONCORD TOWNSHIP HISTORICAL SOCIETY ..................................................................................................... Hailey Valerio
CONCORD TOWNSHIP SENIOR CITIZENS ............................................................................................................. Brooke Brown
CONCORDVILLE/CHADDS FORD ROTARY BOOK ................................................ Sean Burke, Carlie Flanagan, Taylor Valerio
CONCORDVILLE/CHADDS FORD ROTARY STRIVE .......................................... Marissa Bruette, Kyle Kynett, Shane Stabinski
CONCORDVILLE/CHADDS FORD ROTARY VOTECH ..................................................................... Dennis Ezekiel, Julia Miller
CONGRESSMAN MEEHAN’S 7TH CONGRESSIONAL GOOD CITIZEN AWARD ............. Jacob Pessin, Medha Raghavendra
DEDICATION TO THE THEATRE AWARD .......................................................................................................... Mikaela McGraw
DR. ANTHONY V. COSTELLO SCHOLARSHIP AWARD .......................................................................................... Kevin Leong
DR. EDWARD D. MCLAUGHLIN MEMORIAL ............................................................................................................... Amy Zhou
DR. KATHIE A. ESTOCK BOOK AWARD ................................................................................................................Jessika Daniels
DR. KENNETH PERRY MEMORIAL SCIENCE .......................................................................................................... Vanessa Weir
DR. LORETTA & HON. PETER B. SCUDERI MEMORIAL .................................................................................. Amanda Buchek
FRANCES MILLER SCHOLARSHIP ............................................................................................................................... Cori Snyder
FRATERNAL ORDER OF POLICE CHESTER COUNTY LODGE #11 ....................................................................Jessika Daniels
GARNET FORD/VOLKSWAGEN .................................................................................................................................Thomas Soles
GARNET VALLEY ADMINISTRATION’S GOOD STUDENT ...................... Alison Amen, Julianna Boettger, Matthew Caldwell
......................................................................................................... Alison Elf, Benjamin Faso, Joseph Granahan, Siriluk Geytenbeek
........................................................................................................................................ Jordan Katzen, Jamie Penfil, Madison Valerio
GV ALUMNI & FRIENDS OF WEST CHESTER UNIVERSITY..................................................................................... Cori Snyder
GARNET VALLEY ATHLETIC ACHIEVEMENT .............................................................................. Skyler Berardi, Stephen Palis
GARNET VALLEY EDUCATION ASSOCIATION ............................................................................... Amanda Kodis, Cori Snyder
GARNET VALLEY EDUCATION SUPPORT PERSONNEL CITIZENSHIP ........................................ Frank Centone, Amy White
Volume 24, Issue III
VOICES OF THE VALLEY
Page 3
COMMUNITY, EDUCATIONAL , & TECHNICAL AWARDS
GVHS DRAMA CLUB SCHOLARSHIP ..................................................................................................................... Madelyn Smith
GVHS STAGE CREW SCHOLARSHIP ............................................................................................................................ Cody Smith
GVHSPAA SPIRIT SCHOLARSHIP ...........................................................................................................................Marissa Bruette
GARNET VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL KICKS CLUB SCHOLARSHIP ...................................................................... Taylor Buckley
GARNET VALLEY HOME & SCHOOL ABOVE & BEYOND ............................................................. Sean Burke, James Doherty
.................................................................................................................................................................Kiley Major, Richard Minford
GARNET VALLEY LEADERSHIP .............................................................................................................................. Kristin Garrity
GARNET VALLEY STUDENT COUNCIL MEMBER SCHOLARSHIP ................................................................ Ananya Chandra
GARNET VALLEY STUDENT COUNCIL SCHOOLWIDE SCHOLARSHIP ............................................................. Theresa Tran
GVHS TRACK BOOSTERS SCHOLARSHIP............................................................................ Skyler Berardi, Matthew Van Trieste
GREG SMITH MEMORIAL .......................................................................................................................................... Matthew Bock
GUIDANCE GOOD STUDENT .................................................................................................................................. Nicholas Archer
HENRY F. HOFMANN SERVICE ................................................................................................................................. Allison Miller
I DARE YOU AWARD, IN MEMORY OF EARL HAGERTY .........................................................Edward Bailey, Jenna Hostetler
JACKIE FRANK MEMORIAL ........................................................................................................................................ Amelia Smith
JENNY ANN PARTON MEMORIAL ........................................................................................................................... Shannon Poole
JODI DIX MEMORIAL ........................................................................................................................ Selena Garrett, Shannon Poole
JOHN CIANCARELLI MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP .................................................................... Nicholas Archer, Ronald Vitola
JOHN L. MYERS JR. MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP ..................................................................................................... Justin Lassik
JON MOFFITT MEMORIAL ........................................................................................................................................ Michael Miller
LEESA BUCCI AND JOSEPH SABATINO ART EDUCATION AWARD ............................................................ Jocelyn Maugans
LEON J. MASCARO MEMORIAL ......................................................................... Timothy Baillie, Jack Diggory, Meghan Doherty
................................................................................................................ Taylor Grajek, Ryan Hurley, Giovanna Pilla, Madelyn Smith
........................................................................................................................ Gabriella Tolotta, Hailey Valerio, Matthew Van Trieste
LORRAINE O'DONOGHUE MEMORIAL ...................................................................................Christopher Hagan, Jacqulyn Sever
MARIE J. MONTELLA EDUCATION SCHOLARSHIP .......................................................................................... Amanda Buchek
MARIO J. COSTA, SR. FRIENDS OF GV WOMEN’S SOCCER MEMORIAL ........................................................ Jacqulyn Sever
MATTHEW J. DAVIS MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP ............................................................................................... Timothy Reeves
MERIT ACHIEVEMENT ...........................................................................................................................................Payton Filippone
NATIONAL HONOR SOCIETY ................................................................................................. Elise Cummings, Isabel Hunsberger
........................................................................................................................................................... Laura Santangelo, Hailey Valerio
PAGANO FUNERAL HOME SCHOLARSHIP ................................................................................ Mikhail Kaba, Mikaela McGraw
PAT DARLING MEMORIAL ........................................................................................................................................ Taylor Grajek
PATTY KELLY MEMORIAL ......................................................................................................................................Carlie Flanagan
PRINCIPAL’S LEADERSHIP ................................................................................................................................... Julianna Boettger
QUARTER NOTE CLUB .......................................................................................................................... Alexis Fiorelli, Daniel Jaep
REACH 211 EXCELENCE IN COMMUNITY SERVICE AWARD ...............................................................................Julia Brewer
REACH 211 COMMUNITY SERVICE AWARD ........................................................................................................... Theresa Tran
RICHARD C. HAYES LEADERSHIP & SERVICE MEMORIAL ................................................................................. James Arters
ROUNDBALL BASKETBALL CLUB ..................................................................................................................... Julianna Boettger
SHARON BITZER SCHREIBER MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP .................................................................................Skyler Berardi
SOCIETY OF WOMEN ENGINEERS .........................................................................................................................Allison Midgett
STUART J. DIX MEMORIAL ..................................................................................................................................... Jaimee Marshall
STUDENT SERVICES GOOD CITIZENSHIP ................................................................................................................. Jacob Pessin
SUN EAST CREDIT UNION .......................................................................................................................................... Selena Garrett
TIMOTHY DUNLAP “MAN IN THE GLASS AWARD” ........................................................................................... Thomas Cleary
UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS DISTINGUISHED ATHLETE AWARD .................................... Jack Diggory, Rachel Glenn
UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS SCHOLASTIC EXCELLENCE AWARD ....................................... Ryan Hurley, Cori Snyder
UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS SEMPER FIDELIS AWARD .................................................... Nicholas Archer, Cori Snyder
VETERANS OF FOREIGN WARS BETHEL POST 6835 ..............................................................................................Jack Diggory
VINCENT C. DEMARRO MEMORIAL .......................................................................................................................... Robert Groer
VIRGINIA FISS ALBRIGHT MEMORIAL .................................................................................................................. Matthew Bock
WALTER J. UDOVICH HUMANITARIAN ................................................................................................................. Taylor Valerio
WILLIAM J. TATE MEMORIAL ..................................................................................................................................... Saqib Mirza
CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AWARD Collision Repair ............................................................................................. Thomas Soles
CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AWARD – Electrical .................................................................................................... Dennis Ezekiel
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VOICES OF THE VALLEY
Volume 24, Issue III
Destinations for the Class of 2015
Alvernia University
Gizzio, Sofia
The American Musical and Dramatic Academy
Peterson, Delaney
Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania
Chapman, Kayla
Quigley, Jonathon
Robbins, Allison
Seltzer, Olivia
Snyderman, Courtney
Williams, Randall Thomas
Dambro, Maryann H.
Boston University
Healy, Sennen Clark
California Institute of Technology
Zhou, Amy
California State University
Miller, Dakota
Carnegie Mellon University
Faith, Martin Connor
Cedarville University
Dunn, Lindsey
Clarion University of Pennsylvania
Geytenbeek, Siriluk
Colgate University
Berardi, Skyler
Cornell University
Krug, Geoffrey
Dartmouth College
Valerio, Hailey
Yang, Richard K
Delaware County Community College
Abrams, Aldis
Arrell, Travis
Bruette, Marissa
Cannon, Paige
Caroselli Jr, William J
Deprince, Briana
Eubanks, Brittany Nicole
Ferry, Rachel
Gable, Jessica
Gallagher, Daniel
Kershaw, Emily
Kynett, Kyle W.R.
Logue, Colin
Marconi, John N
Marshall, Jaimee
Mewha, Kyle David
Mondelli, William James
Morris, Brooke
Myers, Zachary
Palmowski, Dominick James
Pittaro, Alexander
Price, Cheyenne
Schwien, Sarah
Shelly, Sarah Rae
Sindoni, Amber
Weible, Wyatt
Delaware County Community College
Welsh, Andrew
Zanellotti, Leonardo
Delaware Technical & Community College
Murphy, Brian Edward
Delaware Valley College
Turbett, Elizabeth
Drexel University
Espina, Julian
Iacovelli, Nicholas
Leong, Kevin
Raja, Harish
Simmons, Sean
Srivastava, Richa
Tyagi, Larissa
Vantrieste, Matthew
Vitola, Ronald
Eastern University
Hodge, Evan
Koehler, Clarice
Turnbull, Faith
Emerson College
LaRue, Carolyn
Empire Beauty School
Hupchick, Taylor
Franklin and Marshall College
Granahan, Joseph
Hourican, Thomas
Rheinstadter, Melissa
Valerio, Madison
Gettysburg College
Buckley, Taylor
Goldey-Beacom College
Lee, Carla
Hartwick College
Trageser, Christine
Haverford College
Goldbach, Macy
High Point University
Collins, Hannah
Sacht, John
Hofstra University
Burba, Kathryn
Schwartz, Darren
Tunstall, Joseph
Immaculata University
Reichle, Katelyn C
Indiana University Bloomington
Bailey, Edward
Indiana University of Pennsylvania
Rudolph, Emma Murray
James Madison University
Armani, Brendan
Boettger, Julianna
Mansi, Madeline
Johnson & Wales University
Trinh, Hoang
Volume 24, Issue III
VOICES OF THE VALLEY
Page 5
Destinations for the Class of 2015
Kutztown University of Pennsylvania
Barnes, Stephanie
Bernard, Abbey
Biondy, Brendan John
Carruthers, Kathryn
Cianci, Alexandria M
Crothers, Kendal Jane
Garrett, Selena
Gondolfo, Max Giovanni
Maugans, Jocelyn Regina
Maugans, Katelyn Anna
Parent, Dana
Poole, Shannon
Witherspoon, Jordan
La Salle University
Faso, Benjamin
Gans, Andrew
Snyder, Michael Jason
Lasell College
Aronhalt, Holly
Lebanon Valley College
Brewer, Julia
Lehigh University
Shanfeldt, Jeffrey
Smith, Madelyn
Tolotta, Gabriella
Zhu, Rena
Liberty University
Atkins, John W
Marist College
Spennato, Emily
McDaniel College
Hostetler, Jenna
Mercyhurst University
Talley, Brittany
Messiah College
Carruthers, Ryan Scott
Millersville University of Pennsylvania
Flanagan, Stephen
Kuberski, Brooke
Lachman, Macenzie A
Martin, Karina
Severoni, Anthony
Touhill, Meghan
Mount Saint Mary's University
Blake, Emma
Neumann University
Berkeyheiser, Caitlyn
Collins, Andrea
Feldman, Kelsey
Kaczenski, Callie M
Hamalak, Eric Richard
New Jersey Institute of Technology
Ireland, Jordan
New York University
Hagan, Christopher
Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
Cavoto, Gillian
Pennsylvania State University
Centone, Frank Anthony
Cosenza, Gabriel
Garrity, Kristin
Pimentel-Lomeli, Rodrigo
Searing, Lily
Selverian, Mark
Mitcheli, Joseph D
Buzza, Daniel
Daskalopoulos, Gregory
Hochheim, Deryn E
Lenardon, Sadie Lynn
Meyer, Matthew
Myers, Scott Davis
Rolleston, Howard
Sisk, Matthew
Turner, Austin
Filippone, Payton
Allred, Dean
Douglass, Robert
Alberici, Amber
Alessi, John
Brayo, Teodora
Dailey, Patrick
DeTomas Medina, Pamela
Doherty, Meghan
Dorf, Caroline Allegra
Fitzgerald, William
Gwynne, Kaelyn Nicole
Hunsberger, Isabel
Jaep, Daniel James
Klingensmith, Serena Paige
Midgett, Allison Patricia
Nicolaides, Maria Nicole
Niederer, Adam
Piorkowski, Natalie V.
Riper, Evan
Santangelo, Laura Michelle
Sever, Jacqulyn
Small, Hunter
Stanilka, Michael
Tienabeso, Shawn
Molineux, Elena M
Tuohey, Taylor
Philadelphia University
Dickerson, Sarah
Sibinga, Derek
Princeton University
Archer, Nicholas F
Glenn, Rachel A
Pulse Beauty Academy
Gaudino, Giavanna
Rider University
Amen, Alison
Oruska, Gabrielle Marie
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VOICES OF THE VALLEY
Volume 24, Issue III
Destinations for the Class of 2015
The University of Alabama
Saint Joseph's University
Delea, Michael
Dunn, Victoria
Flanagan, Carlie
Hendrixson, Connor
Hurley, Ryan
Lanham, Daniel
Noone, Madison
O'Leary, Bride
Rudolph, Jillian McNitt
Sullivan, Maureen
Seton Hall University
Michalovic, Ivan
Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania
Cochrane, Lisa
Kent, Melanie
Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania
Gualtieri, Jenna
Stevenson University
McKee, William
Susquehanna University
Elf, Alison
Nelson, Zachary
Swarthmore College
Cummings, Elise
Syracuse University
Dufort-Driban, Corinne
Trowbridge, Aaron
Temple University
Arters, James
Carboni, Lauren
Cochrane, Laura
Daniels, Jessika D
Diggory, Jack
Kaba, Mikhail
Kovatch, Morgan Alexandra
Langan, Gabriella
McCann, Gabriel Francis
Minford, Richard
Mirza, Saqib Arsalan
Murphy, Emily
Patel, Kirtan
Raghavendra, Medha
Smith, Amelia
Smith, Cody
Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology
Ezekiel, Dennis
Lassik, Justin
The Art Institute of Philadelphia
Fortuna, Sarah Elizabeth
Higgins, Winfred Alvin
The Culinary Institute of America
Schultz, Brandon M
The Restaurant School at Walnut Hill College
Smith, Brian
Depietro, Olivia
Penfil, Jamie E
Sasso, Nicole
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Miller, Michael
The University of Tampa
Miller, Kyra
Sands, Natalie
The University of Texas
Katzen, Jordan
Thomas College
Stolley, Corey
Towson University
Buchek, Amanda
Tyler School of Art
Fiorelli, Alexis
Union College
Pessin, Jacob
Universal Technical Institute
Brown, Ronald
University of California
Lee, Dylan
University of California
Lee, Christian
University of Central Florida
Hagarty, Christina Brianna
University of Colorado
Goudy, Charles David
University of Colorado
Moore, Nigel F
University of Delaware
Bourque, Katherine
Brittingham, Sean
Busch, Joseph
Crist, Andrew John
Fedena, Christopher John
Hallenbeck, Michelle
Maguire, Molly
Pyrih, Nicholas
Reeves, Timothy A
Serrao, Marissa
Tease, Jacob B
Teitelbaum, Stephen
Woerth, Andrew J
Zankowsky, Gregory
University of Maryland
Bock, Matthew
Christou, Vasiliki
Desjardins, David Alexandre
Raith, Michael E
Weir, Cassandra
University of Pennsylvania
Chandra, Ananya
Valerio, Taylor Michelle
Weir, Vanessa
Zhuo, Anny
VOICES OF THE VALLEY
Volume 24, Issue III
Page 7
Destinations for the Class of 2015
University of Pittsburgh
Desjardins, Sarah
Elisio, Alexandria
Gray, John
John, Aidan
Narducci, Antonio Kenneth
Pilla, Giovanna
Strater, Felix
Wargo, Payton
Dong, Shuai
Huang, Ya
Fecondo, Kira
University of South Carolina
Williams, Brendan
University of Tennessee
Caldwell, Matthew Clayton
Miller, Allison G
University of Utah
Burns, Audrey D
University of Virginia
Bugg, Jonathan
Ursinus College
Cleary, Thomas
Ursinus College
Jordan, Mikayla
Middleman, Alexander
Palis, Stephen
Rowe, Patrick
Tourlitis, Andrew
Valparaiso University
Morandini, Griffin Robert
Villanova University
Burke, Sean
Plush, Brianna
Yee, Andrew
Virginia Commonwealth University
Tymecki, Alexa Rose
Wake Forest University
Price, Kiley
Wellesley College
Vandayar, Annika
West Chester University of Pennsylvania
Baillie, Timothy
Boemer, Alyssa Taylor
Brown, Brooke Renae
Coppertino, Lauren
Dipasquale, Johnathan
Doherty, James
Elison, David
Facciolo, Alexa
Feathers, Daniel
Gallagher, Megan
Habbart, Alexander
Jones, William
Karwoski, Megan
Kodis, Amanda
Lynch, Bryn
Major, Kiley
Panagiotidis, Efstratia
West Chester University of Pennsylvania
Paulley, Brianne
Psomas, Emma
Ristine, Sarah
Schreiber, Colby
Sipple, Riley Lauren
Snyder, Cori
Wagner, Nicole
White, Amy
McGraw, Mikaela
Doran, Mark
Haggerty, Raven
Kilcoyne, Colleen M
Zweier, Timothy P
West Virginia University
Klenotiz, Austin
Widener University
Conlin, Matthew
Widener University
Crossman, David
Grajek, Taylor
Mulholland, Ashley Elizabeth
Rushton, Leigha
Stabinski, Shane
Tran, Theresa N
Waltz, Taylor Anne
Williamson Free School of Mechanical Trades
Groer, Robert
Leopold, Travis
Simpson, Matthew
York College
Fail, Thomas
To Be Determined
Blundetto, Melina Cherie
Bonafino, Michael
Chiappetta, Joshua Eugene
Duncan, Joshua
Edwards, Julia
Eisenhower, Mark
Farrell, Colleen
Grugan, Karlee Rose
Jupin, Jacob
Kerr, Shannon
Kerry, Michael T.E
Lassik, Michael
Levis, Allison
Martorell, Alexis
Mascioli, Kyle
McKee, Tyler A
McNulty, Kristi
Miller, Julia
Mirarchi, Thomas
Soles, Thomas
Vershinski, Joshua
Widdowson, Dylan Robert
Donegan, Ryan
VOICES OF THE VALLEY
Page 8
Volume 24, Issue III
GVES - Achieve 3000 National Winner
Mrs. Alicia Ominsky's 4th grade class at Garnet
Valley Elementary was recently named an
Achieve 3000 national contest winner. They were
a winner during the Read to Succeed contest.
Achieve 3000 CEO & President, Saki Dodelson,
wrote in a letter to the principal that the contest
was "launched to provide additional motivation to
students while accelerating reading gains and improving critical college and career readiness
skills." Congratulations to Mrs. Ominsky's class!
Dr. Jason Kotch
Garnet Valley Schools
Rock Your Socks
Read All About It
On page 9
Volume 24, Issue III
VOICES OF THE VALLEY
Page 9
Rock Your Socks
On March 20th 2015 Garnet Valley School District participated in an event called “Rock Your
Socks” to celebrate World Down Syndrome Day. The actual date of World Down Syndrome Day is
March 21st (3-21) which symbolizes three copies of the 21st chromosome. Individuals with Down
syndrome are born with 47 chromosomes which is one more than individuals without Down syndrome. The reason this event is so close to my heart is because my son, Anthony Joseph, was
born with 47 chromosomes.
GVSD encouraged students and staff to wear bright, mismatched socks in school to celebrate
WDSD. The socks worked as a conversation starter to spread awareness and acceptance of individuals with Down syndrome.
The success of this event was thanks to the many people that worked behind the scenes to make
it possible. Tish Pelly, a Paraprofessional at GVHS, took the reins and contacted Kristin Pidgeon,
from the Down Syndrome Association of Delaware, to get GVDS involved in this event. GVSD ordered 4,000 pairs of socks, and sold them at each school for $1.00. The proceeds from the sock
sale would go back to the Down Syndrome Association of Delaware. There were multiple individuals that organized the sale of socks for
their school; Donna Hagerty (GVMS),
Andrea Michaels and Kevin Windsor
(GVES), Tish Pelly (GVHS), Becky Konkle (BSES), and myself (CES). My
wonderful wife Kelsey, who was recently a daily substitute at Concord Elementary School, put together a great video
to explain why World Down Syndrome
Day is celebrated. She also made an
age appropriate lesson to teach children
about Down syndrome. There were
many others that volunteered their time
to assist in this event. I would like to
thank everyone who was a part of making this day such a huge success.
Words cannot simply express the gratitude, love, and support my family and I
felt by the staff and students here at
Garnet Valley School District. It really
was amazing to see everyone rocking
their socks and spreading awareness on
that special day. It was a very memorable World Down Syndrome Day. This
event served as a reminder that all life is
valuable and differences should be celebrated in today’s society.
Mr. Joseph Mango
Volume 24, Issue III
VOICES OF THE VALLEY
Page 10
Reading Rock Stars
Three times a year, the Reading Specialists at Concord Elementary
School celebrate reading in a big way. The "Reading Rock Stars"
assembly recognizes classes and individual students who have
done a great job keeping up with their reading. One first grade class
and one second grade class is awarded a pizza party, balloons and
pencils. Individual winners are awarded a book of their choice.
"Reading Rock Stars" has grown tremendously over the last two
years and in June, the Reading Specialists collaborated with the
high school dance team to put on a fabulous show for the first and
second graders. The Reading Department rewrote the lyrics to
Taylor Swift's popular song, "Shake It Off" and created the song,
"Read It All." One by one, the Reading Specialists entered the gym singing and dancing and
much to the surprise of the students, the dance team followed. The students and teachers had so
much fun!
Katie Hancox
Volume 24, Issue III
VOICES OF THE VALLEY
Page 11
GVHS Science Olympiad
On March 4th, the GVHS Science
Olympiad Team competed in the
South Eastern Regional Science
Olympiad Competition held at
Neumann University. Garnet Valley
finished 6th overall which qualified
them for the State Competition at the
end of April. Standout performances
came from freshmen Natalia Orlovsky
and Lainey Beauchemin,
Sophomores Jae Kim and Nimesha
Meegalla, Junior Bo Kim and Seniors
Amy Zhou, Jon Bugg, and Nick
Archer. Special congratulations are
due to sister team Jae and Bo Kim for
their FIRST PLACE finish in the
Green Generation event.
Ms. Cecilia Tang
Music in Our Schools Month - CES Students Visit Maris Grove
Second grade students from Concord Elementary School
took a trip to visit with some of the residents at Maris Grove
on March 12, 2015. Ms. McCloskey's class, along with
Mrs. Lynn (Music Teacher) had several wonderful helpers
for the event. The students performed many patriotic
songs and some all time favorites. All had so much fun
that the residents joined in on the singing! The students
played instruments and taught the residents how to play
along with the songs, too. There were lots of smiles and
singing. Everyone had a nice experience to help celebrate
March as "Music in Our Schools Month".
Mrs. Tamara Lynn
Page 12
VOICES OF THE VALLEY
Volume 24, Issue III
Congratulates to GVMS Students
Please congratulate 8th grader Bethany Ho for being named a winner in the “Kick Butts Day”
Bookmark Contest. Bethany was a first place winner in her grade category and will be recognized
by Delaware County Council at the Wednesday, March 18, 2015 meeting. As first place winner
Bethany’s bookmark will be printed and distributed in the Delaware County Library System.
Ciara Trigg and
Bethany Ho
Madelynn Lederer and
Scott Lehrfeld
Noell DiClemente at the
Media Courthouse
Ciara Trigg and Bethany Ho were recognized as winners of the Young Poets of Delaware County
Contest. Both Ciara, a 7th grader in Thom Ruppert's class and Bethany, an 8th grader in Erin
Clearly's class, earned 2nd place in their respective grade categories. These students were
selected from thousands of entries countywide. Following a poetry reading on May 17th, they
received certificates and copies of the winner poem booklet.
Madelynn Lederer and Scott Lehrfeld were recognized today at an awards ceremony at Boeing for
their winning essays in the Diversity through Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math
(STEM) Essay Contest. Madelynn and Scott were among 24 finalists selected from 557 entries.
Scott was a third place winner and received a Kindle Fire and a gift certificate to Amazon. Madelynn
was a first place winner and received a laptop. Madelynn had the opportunity to read her essay at
the ceremony for students, parents, teachers, administrators, Boeing employees, and speaker
Fletcher Cox of the Philadelphia Eagles.
Congratulations also goes out to Noelle DiClemente, an 8th grader in Erin Cleary's class, on being
chosen as a finalist in the Delaware County BAR Association's Law Day essay contest. Her
essay is one of the top three in the county and her final placement will be announce tomorrow at a
ceremony at the Delaware County Court House tomorrow during the Law Day Celebration.
On Saturday, March 28th, 8th grade student Sai Mamidala competed in the Mathcounts State
Competition in Harrisburg, Pa. Sai was recognized as the highest scoring female in the
competition, and 15th overall out of 152 students.
On March 27th, 7th grader Brent Nevy competed in the Pennsylvania State Geography Bee held
in Harrisburg, PA. Over 105 students from across the state competed in the Bee. Brent made it to
the final round and ended up in 6th Place. This was a fantastic accomplishment since numerous 8th
graders were also involved in this competition.
Dr. Ken Acker
Volume 24, Issue III
VOICES OF THE VALLEY
Film Award Winners from GVHS
On April 22nd, at the Greenfield Youth Film Festival,
GVHS senior Carolyn LaRue took 1st Place, out of 55
films, in Experimental for her stop-motion film "Sweet
Dreams". Altogether, Carolyn was nominated for
Visual Composition/Cinetmatography, Animation,
Editing, Special Effects, Stop Motion and
Producer. She won $500 cash and a film set
experience at NYU.
Also Stephanie Diaconu (11) was nominated for
Producer, Director, Editing and Sound Design.
Robin Brewer
Governor’s STEM Competition
On February 6th, students from Garnet Valley
High School participated in the first ever
"Governor’s PA STEM Competition" at the DCIU
in Morton. The competition was intended to
"expose students to the diverse STEM employment opportunities that exist in their communities"
and asked them to "select a real-world problem,
conduct research, design, build, and present a
device that is capable of making the quality of life
better for citizens of Pennsylvania." The GVHS
Team was made up of seniors Matt Bock, Jon
Bugg, Dan Jaep, Jacob Pessin, and Ronald Vitola. Their project, named the DYROCS group, created a low-cost road sensor capable of gathering
data about temperature, precipitation, speed of
passing cars and overall traffic flow. This data
would be invaluable in not only making roads safer by updating road condition signs more quickly,
but would also provide data about required road
salt and traffic patterns throughout the day. The
judging panel was wowed by Garnet Valley's
working prototype - particularly that their data was
able to be sent wirelessly to a streaming receiver!
Placing first in the Delaware and Philadelphia
Counties Regional competition, GVHS moved on
to the State-level competition to be held in May at
Thaddeus Stevens College.
Cecilia Tang
Page 13
Pennsylvania
Geography Bee
Finalist from
BSES
BSES 5th grader,
Anagha Pai, was a
state finalist in the
Pennsylvania State
Geography Bee;
she finished in 7th
place in the state.
Page 14
VOICES OF THE VALLEY
Volume 24, Issue III
GVHS Student Authors
Congratulations to Tanya Li and Emily Gabos who were selected as finalists for the Boeing Diversity
STEM essay contest. These GVHS students were honored at the awards luncheon on Boeing’s
Philadelphia campus.
AP students, Kiley Price and Payto Wargo had their stories chosen as the #1 stories in science
fiction and realistic fiction, respectively on Teen Ink and Emma Blake’s winning story was chosen for
the romance genre.
Skylar Berardi and Mikaela McGraw won the district Voice of Democracy oral essay contest. Skylar
went on to states.
Jake Arters has created an online version of the Jaguar Journal High School Newspaper
http://gvhsjaguarjournal.com/
Aidan John, Elise Cummings, Madison Valerio, and Theresa Tran were part of 175 finalists out of
1913 essays submitted in the JFK Profiles in Courage Essay.
Heather Arters
Pennsylvania Mathematics League competition
According to the PAML, "Math contests give students an educationally enriching opportunity to participate in an academically-oriented activity and to gain recognition for mathematical achievement.
Each contest covers topics appropriate to the contest grade level. Our well-written questions cover
a variety of difficulty ranges and involve topics of interest to above-average students. The key is to
encourage students to enjoy a challenge and to learn from it to find problem-solving discussions
stimulating."
Below are the official results for Garnet Valley Middle School:
6th Grade: 4th place in state, 1st place in county
Eleri Phillips- 4th in the state and 1st in the county
Jashvi Desai- 3rd in the county
7th grade: 12th in the state and 2nd in the county
8th grade: 4th place in the state and 1st in the county.
Sai Mamidala- 9th in the state, 1st in the county
Dylan Tran- 3rd in the county
Daniel Zhou- 4th in the county.
Congratulations to everyone involved. We are truly on the road to AWESOME.
Ken Acker
Volume 24, Issue III
VOICES OF THE VALLEY
Page 15
Garnet Valley School District Adopts Final Budget for School Year 2015-16
On Monday, June 15, 2015, the Garnet Valley School Board approved the 2015-16 general fund
budget totaling $96,452,132, which represents a $3,380,255 (3.6%) increase in expenditures over
the current year. The budget requires a property tax millage rate of 30.3091 (Bethel: 30.6437) mills,
an increase of 1.9% over the current year. A property assessed at $100,000 in Chester Heights or
Concord would incur tax of $3,030.91, a $56.51 increase over the current year. A property assessed
at $100,000 in Bethel would incur tax of $3,064.37 which represents a $54.97 increase over the current year. The 2015-16 millage rate represents the 3rd lowest tax increase for Garnet Valley residents in over 15 years, with 2013-14 being the lowest at 1.7% followed by 2014-15 at 1.8%.
Pennsylvania’s Act 1 of 2006 requires all districts to comply with a state mandated index which is
comprised of the state SAWWS (Statewide Average Weekly Wage) index and the federal ECI
(Employment Cost) index. The unenhanced base index for 2015-16 is 1.9%. If the district had utilized PDE exceptions for special education and state retirement pension costs, the increase could
have been 2.5%. The school district’s proposed tax increase for next year is at the Act 1 limit without
the use of PDE exceptions.
On May 1, 2015 the state’s Department of Education announced that $1,467,502 of property tax relief from casino slot machine tax revenue would be available to approved homesteads in the district
in the form of a tax credit. Garnet Valley School District residents with an approved homestead will
receive a $214.96 homestead tax credit on their July 1, 2015 school tax bills.
The budget includes no increase in staff over the current year. Employee health benefit decreases
of $540,000 reflect changes in participation, district claims experience, coverage elections, fees, and
contingency reserves, offset by the annual rate increases from various benefit carriers. The budget
will fund a state retirement (PSERS) rate of 25.84% next year (21.40% current year), a 31% increase in pension expense. The district’s contribution rate will increase to a projected rate of 32.23%
in fiscal year 2019-2020. Using next year’s payroll as base (and adjusted 3% each future year), and
after recognizing the state retirement subsidy reimbursement, the net district PSERS costs are expected to be as follows:
Total Cost
Fiscal Year
Gross Rate
(Net of State reimbursement) Annual Increase
15-16
25.84%
$6,006,640
$1,224,516
16-17
29.69%
$7,156,193
$1,109,372
17-18
30.62%
$7,601,762
$ 445,569
18-19
31.56%
$8,070,181
$ 468,419
19-20
32.23%
$8,488,752
$ 418,570
The district’s cost of the PSERS retirement for next year will increase by $2,449,032 after applying
subsidy reimbursement, the net expense to taxpayers will total $1,224,516. The budget utilizes
$2,667,000 of fund balance, which was intentionally reserved in prior years to help offset the impact
of early retirement incentive payouts and anticipated PSERS increases. The District’s unreserved
fund balance remains at 6% of expenditures, the same unreserved fund balance percentage that
the District ended with in 2013-14. The total available fund balance at the end of next year is estimated to be $7,530,000. Approximately $1.7 million of the district’s total fund balance is committed
for the district’s early retirement incentive program (ERIP) future liability and future PSERS increases. While the economic environment presents a significant challenge, the district maintains its commitment to provide quality educational opportunities for all students.
The final 2015-16 budget in PDE format is available at the Garnet Valley District Administration Office, 80 Station Road, Glen Mills, PA.
This document can also be downloaded from our district website: http://www.garnetvalleyschools.com.
Page 16
VOICES OF THE VALLEY
Business Office Budget Info
Volume 24, Issue III
Volume 24, Issue III
VOICES OF THE VALLEY
Business Office Budget Info
Page 17
Page 18
VOICES OF THE VALLEY
Volume 24, Issue III
Secondary School
Transition Camps
GVMS - 6th Grade Transition Camp
will be held 8/25 & 8/26, 8:30 - 11:30
GVHS - 9th Grade Transition Camp
will be held 8/26 , 9-12:30
Parents,
Register now to obtain a Schoolwires Account & receive EAlerts for the 2015-2016 School
Year.
Also, sign up to be published in
the Home & School Directories.
(The Directories will only be
available online; users must have a Schoolwires
account to view the directories.)
Bethel Springs
Elementary School
Garnet Valley School District is Going Google!
Faculty, Staff & Students will be utilizing the same
communication platform. Effective July 1st, all email should be sent using with g-mail and our
@garnetvalley.org domain
Concord Elementary School
August
27 Sneak-A-Peek
4-6 PM
31 Sneak-A-Peek
4-6 PM
September
8 Back to School Night - Kindergarten
9 Back to School Night - First Grade
10 Back to School Night - Second Grade
August
20th- New Student Orientation
27th- Sneak A Peek 5-7 PM
31st- Sneak A Peek 5-7 PM
September
9th-Back to School Night Grades 1 & 2- 7 PM
10th-Back to School Night Grades 3 4 & 5-7 PM
GVMS
Back To School Nights
September
15th 6th Grade
16th 7th & 8th Grades
7PM
VOICES OF THE VALLEY
Volume 24, Issue III
Page 19
Save the Dates for GVES:
August 26th: Grade 3 Transition Camp 9 - 11:30AM
August 26th: New Student Luncheon and Mini Orientation 12:30 - 2:30PM
August 27th & 31st : Sneak a Peek and Book Fair 5 - 7PM
September 17th: Back to School Night for 3rd Grade
September 30th: Back to School Night for 4th Grade
October 1st: Back to School Night for 5th Grade
ol
of Scho
y
a
D
t
Firs
er 8th
b
m
e
t
Sep
No School for Students
September 14th
(Teacher In-Service Day)
&
September 23rd
High School Parents & Students - jot down these dates:
Aug 6-12
Senior Portraits (Please contact Barksdale directly.)
Aug 17
Fall Sports Kick-off Meeting
Aug 26
9th Grade Transition Camp (9-12:30)
Aug 31
New Student (10th-12th Grades) Orientation
Sept 3
Senior "Paint the Shack"
Sept 17
HSA Meeting (4:00 pm)
Sept 24
Back to School Night (7:00 pm)
VOICES OF THE VALLEY
Page 20
Volume 24, Issue III
Garnet Valley School Board
S
GVSD Board of School Directors:
Rosemary Fiumara, President
610-459-2302
Tracy A. Karwoski,, Vice President
610-485-6320
Mary Kay Beirne
610-361-0058
Bob Anderson
610-459-0783
Maria Deysher
610-299-8869
Greg Chestnut
610-283-5037
Scott Mayer
267-690-8425
Ralph Goldbach
215-908-6100
Richard Jones
610-662-8816
Seated with the Board:
Marc Bertrando, Ed.D.
Patricia Dunn
Vincent Citarelli, Ed.D.
Assistant Superintendent
Assistant Superintendent for Human
Board Solicitor
John Scully
Treasurer
Margaret F. Brown
Secretary
Nancy O. Ward
All Board members serve as unpaid elected officials.
They are expected to attend two or more evening
meetings per month. In most circumstances, members
do attend additional evening meetings while serving on
various committees.
School Board Meetings for the 2015-2016 School Year
Superintendent
Resources & Staff Effectiveness
Michael Puppio, Esq.
chool Board Members are elected for four year
terms in the November General Election as their terms
expire. Residents from Concord Township, Bethel
Township and Chester Heights Borough are eligible for
election to the Board.
Supervisor Human Resources
Tuesday, July 14th Combined Meeting
Tuesday, August 25th Combined Meeting
Monday, September 21st Work Session
Tuesday, September 29th Regular Meeting
Monday October 19th Work Session
Tuesday, October 27th Regular Meeting
Tuesday, November 17th Combined Meeting
Monday, December 7th Reorganization & Regular Meeting
Tuesday, January 19th Work Session
Tuesday, January 26th Regular Meeting
Education Committee Meetings
September 8th (GVEC)
October 13th (GVEC)
November 10th (GVHS)
December 8th (BSES)
January 12th (GVEC - Budget)
February 9th (GVEC - Budget)
Tuesday, February 16th Work Session
Tuesday, February 23rd Regular Meeting
Tuesday, March 15th Combined Meeting
Monday, April 18th Work Session
Tuesday, April 26th Regular Meeting
Tuesday, May 17th Combined Meeting
Monday, June 13th Work Session
Tuesday, June 21st Regular Meeting
March 8th (GVMS)
All Meetings begin at 7:00 PM
April 12th (GVES)
and are open to the public
May 10th (CES)
Garnet Valley Education Center
80 Station Road, Glen Mills, PA 19342