FROM OUR SUPERINTENDENT: The attached is a brief presentation made by our Superintendent, Dr. Bridget O’Connell at the virtual School Board Meeting on April 1st. Click here to read her Board Closure Update April 1, 2020
A Little Note to Bridget: A heartfelt THANK YOU from your team of administrators, staff, students, parents/guardians and our community-at-large for your outstanding leadership during this unprecedented time when leadership is the key to success! #palisdlearns
PALISADES FACILITIES:
By order of the Governor, ALL of Palisades facilities - tennis courts, playgrounds, walking paths, and the stadium - ARE CLOSED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE. We hope to have our facilities open again soon for community use, however, until the Governor lifts the restrictions on schools, please do NOT use these facilities for the sake of everyone in our community! Stay Safe!
FOOD DISTRIBUTION:
Special thanks to our cafeteria employees, our custodians and maintenance staff and all of our administrators who have been involved in breakfast and lunch distributions, Palisades has distributed more than 3000 meals for children during the past three weeks!
Starting on Monday, April 6th, we will be distributing meals to ALL children ages 4 - 18 at both locations - Palisades High School and Tinicum Elementary School. Again, your children do not need to be present to receive meals.
We will distribute breakfasts and lunches to hold families over until the next regularly scheduled distribution date. Normal distribution days at both locations are Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.
HOLIDAY MEAL SCHEDULE NEXT WEEK ONLY!
For the upcoming holiday week, the following meal distribution applies - for next week ONLY:
4/6 - Monday
4/8 - Wednesday
4/9 - Thursday - NEW DAY THIS WEEK ONLY
4/13 - Monday - regular schedule resumes
Please remember to stay in your vehicle when picking up your meals and adhering to the directions provided at the school location. Keep everyone safe!
CHROMEBOOK DISTRIBUTION:
In preparation for online learning, our terrific Tech Department, filled the 542 requests for Chromebooks that we received! Great work by our IT team!
If you are still in need of a Chromebook (PSD elementary students only), please submit this form - Elementary Chromebook Request Form
If your chromebook is in need of repair, please fill out this form - http://cbrepair.palisd.org/ - to let us know and to schedule a time to swap your damaged chromebook with a new one.
Free or Additional Internet/HotSpot Service: The following service providers are offering upgrades - please see their individual websites for details.
MORE ABOUT ONLINE LEARNING: For more information about our online learning programs, please go to Palisades Learns section on our website. Go here: Palisades Learns Throughout our district closure, we will continue to update this section of our website with information that will help your child to be more successful.
SCHOOL BOARD MEETINGS:
For the foreseeable future, School Board and Committee Meetings will be held virtually. We will post an access number on our website for each meeting so that you can join and participate. The following is a schedule of meetings for April:
April 8 - Education Programs and Services - CANCELLED
April 15 - Fiscal Committee - 6PM
April 15 - Regular School Board Meeting - 7PM
April 16 - Joint Operating Committee (Tech School) 7PM
April 22 - Facilities Committee - 6:30PM April 22 - Athletic Committee - 7:30PM
CAROLYN WILLIAMS RETIRES: At the last School Board Meeting, the Board accepted the retirement of Mrs. Carolyn Williams, Music Teacher at Palisades High School. Carolyn will retire at the end of this school year. Carolyn has directed many plays, coordinated performances by our talented students throughout our community, helped many students develop their musical and performance talents, and advocated for robust music and performing arts programs in our district during her 23 years of service at Palisades. We wish only the best for Carolyn and her family! We will miss you! Enjoy your retirement!
HERE IS HOW YOU CAN HELP:
Follow this link to make an appointment: https://go.activecalendar.com/sluhn/event/st-lukes-and-ironpigs-blood-drive-at-miller-keystone/
More on Blood Donations: If you are healthy, please consider contacting these organizations to donate: Miller Keystone Blood Center - https://www.giveapint.org/ - and the American Red Cross - www.redcross.org - are accepting donations. Please contact them directly to schedule your appointment.
Lord’s Pantry in Ottsville is in need of donations of the following items - paper products, soap, baby wipes, diapers, Chunky Soups, canned meats, fresh fruits, bagged salads, and any protein items (other than peanut butter). The pantry is open on Mondays from 2-5PM, Tuesdays 9:30-11:30AM, and Thursdays 9:30AM-1:30PM.
Palisades Community Foundation (PCF) is accepting monetary donations to help support needs for families in the district - helping to support meals for senior citizens, providing assistance to the Pantry in Ottsville, or other opportunities for our families in need throughout the district. Checks can be made payable to Palisades Community Foundation and mailed to P.O. Box 194, Kintnersville, PA 18930 or you can visit https://www.palisadescommunityfoundation.com/ - your donations are welcome in any amount and they are tax deductible.
VOTE FOR THE PHS LOGO: Click here to read the article posted on Lehigh Valley Live and VOTE FOR PHS!
https://www.lehighvalleylive.com/highschoolsports/2020/04/im-here-to-rank-your-schools-logo-youre-here-to-tell-me-im-wrong.html
FROM THE PA COUNCIL ON AGING: For residents aged 60 and over:
Due to these unprecedented and challenging times, the Pennsylvania Council on Aging has decided to conduct a statewide survey in order to assess what the immediate needs and capabilities are of older adults due to COVID-19. Our goal is to collect and share this information in order to:
- Better understand the immediate needs of older Pennsylvanians
- Determine how to best reach older adults during this time
- Assess the particular vulnerabilities of older adults during this pandemic
- Create meaningful solutions to the current challenges facing older adults
The survey will be open until Tuesday, April 7th. It is for adults aged 60 and over in Pennsylvania. Those are the only requirements to be eligible to fill out the survey.
The Pennsylvania Council on Aging is a cohort of volunteers who work on behalf of older adults across the commonwealth. Established in 1977, we are required, among other things, “to prepare and submit to the Governor, the General Assembly, the Secretary of the Department of Aging and the public reports evaluating the level and quality of services and programs provided to the aging by Commonwealth agencies together with recommendations for improved, expanded or additional programs and services for the aging”.
If you have any questions at all, please feel free to contact [email protected].
MEALS ON WHEELS FOR SENIOR CITIZENS:
Please contact Meals on Wheels at 215-345-6065 if you are a senior citizen in need of meal deliveries. Although their hot meal delivery has been suspended, 1 week’s worth of frozen meals are being delivered to residents in the Palisades area. These are well-balanced meals prepared in the kitchen of the Central Bucks Senior Center.
HOW TO APPLY FOR CHIP: For Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) - see information provided below.
An important note is that the CHIP program does not have an annual enrollment period, so enrollment can occur any month, and it can be used as stop-gap coverage between employment.
Here are links to help your residents apply for the CHIP program and learn about other state benefits –
www.ibx.com/CHIP - download a CHIP application
www.compass.state.pa.us - for additional state benefits
SHARING SOME PIRATE PRIDE!
CONGRATS TO JORDAN MOSINSKIS:
Congratulations to freshman, Jordan Mosinskis, for winning a 2020 statewide “Stop Cyberbullying” contest! Jordan was selected from among 30 entries across the state and was recognized for her outstanding essay on, “Why cyberbullying is dangerous and should not be tolerated”. Thank you Mrs. Trieu for your guidance and support!
MASTER AND GRASSHOPPER 2020 EXHIBITION: Congratulations to our students and staff who entered and were recognized in the Master and Grasshopper 2020 Exhibition!
"Einstein"
Grasshopper: Fiona Adams
Master: Brent Jones (PHS Art Teacher-2D)
"Impossible Cube"
Grasshopper: Alexsandr Leonberg
Master: Leslie Patience (PHS Art Teacher-3D)
KUDOS TO OUR EXCELLENT PHS WORLD LANGUAGE PROGRAM - The following is from Margit Neiman, French Teacher on behalf of our World Language Teachers:
At a time when we are all starving for some good news, it is with great pleasure that I share the following wonderful news with you!
The Pennsylvania Modern Language Association (PSMLA) has just announced that the Palisades High School World Language Department has earned the highest recognition it offers, the Golden Globe Award, for 2019-2021. Palisades High School will join a current group of only eleven other PA public and private high schools (and will currently be the sole HS in Bucks County) to have earned this highest honor. The recognition underscores the strong commitment the department has to meeting world language standards and providing proficiency-based instruction to students. The PSMLA Exemplary Program (PEP) Awards are given to schools with well-designed, sequential programs that enable students to attain world language standards, as demonstrated by documentation of detailed criteria described on the PSMLA PEP Rubric. For more information, read this article ACTFL Pep Article
The PHS World Language Department spent the months of September to February accumulating the necessary data in order to be considered for recognition. We would like to thank Dr. O'Connell and Dr. Donnelly for their continued support of our program and in particular, Dr. Donnelly for his suggestion that we apply for this state level recognition. In addition, we would also especially like to thank Mr. Heffernan and Ms. Losinno for their support with assembling the required data as well as Carol Harder for the legacy she left for our program to follow.
We are fortunate at Palisades to have a school board and an administration, from elementary through high school, that is supportive of world language. It is because of the support of the Palisades school board, administration, parents and students that our world language program is a flourishing one.
Thank you so much for your support!
Margit Neiman, Page Davis, Shara Schopf, Anxo Otero, Rachel Dawson, Joel Filling, Aleica Deterville
TINICUM ELEMENTARY STUDENTS MAKING A DIFFERENCE:
Tinicum Elementary students in Mrs. Kozlusky’s Class participated in St. Jude Children's Research Hospital’s Math-A-Thon before the district closure. The eleven Tinicum 3rd graders raised $1,039.50 for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
RESOURCES AVAILABLE DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC:
From The Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (OMHSAS)
The Department of Human Services (DHS) today announced the launch of a statewide Support & Referral Helpline staffed by skilled and compassionate staff who will be available 24/7 to assist Pennsylvanians struggling with anxiety and other challenging emotions due to the COVID-19 emergency and refer them to community-based resources that can further help to meet individual needs.
The toll-free, round-the-clock support line is officially operational. The number to call is 1-855-284-2494. For TTY, dial 724-631-5600.
To create and staff the support line, DHS has partnered with the Center for Community Resources (CCR), an experienced regional crisis and call center provider based in Butler County and licensed to provide crisis services.
CCR staff are trained to be accessible, culturally competent, and skilled at assisting individuals with mental illness, intellectual disabilities, co-occurring disorders and other special needs. Staff use the principles of trauma-informed care to listen, assess needs, triage calls, and provide appropriate referral to community resources to children, teens, adults and special populations.
CCR will collaborate with individuals, families, police, emergency medical teams, hospitals, schools, and human service providers on the local level to provide quality care to their community members.
Many other resources also remain available to Pennsylvanians in need of support, including:
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-TALK (8255)
Nacional de Prevención del Suicidio: 1-888-628-9454
Crisis Text Line: Text “PA” to 741-741
Veteran Crisis Line: 1-800-273-TALK (8255)
Disaster Distress Helpline: 1-800-985-5990
Get Help Now Hotline (for substance use disorders): 1-800-662-4357
Pennsylvania Sexual Assault Helpline – 1-888-772-7227
National Domestic Violence Helpline – 1-800-799-7233
Visit the PA Department of Health’s dedicated Coronavirus webpage for the most up-to-date information regarding COVID-19.
REMINDERS, FLYERS AND OTHER FUN STUFF:
MUSIC DEPARTMENT INVITES YOU TO A VIRTUAL CABARET:
You are invited to the first ever PALISADES HIGH SCHOOL AND MIDDLE SCHOOL VIRTUAL CABARET! At 7 PM on Thursday, April 16th, on the PALMS Choirs Facebook page, we will be hosting solo performances by some of the finest singers to be heard on the interwebs.
Interested PHS and PALMS students will be submitting singing videos (according to an e-mail they have received) to their choir teachers. All songs for this cabaret will be from a Broadway show.
We will be featuring five high schoolers and five 8th graders for our first cabaret. If there is more interest, we will look at having more. :-)
On April 16th, at 7 PM, tune in to the PALMS Choirs Facebook Page for postings of the selected videos, one after the other (thus, the virtual cabaret). Grab your favorite cozy beverage, wear your slippers, and sit back and enjoy the music.
Link to PALMS Choirs Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PALMSsings/
Link to event: https://www.facebook.com/events/218818582512897/
TIME CAPSULE ACTIVITY: - This flyer was sent out by our friends at Tiny Tots; a time capsule activity for kids! Covid 19 time capsule.pdf
CANCELLATIONS:
- Art Show Cancelled - Our traditional K-8 Art Show scheduled for April 30th is cancelled
- Riegelsville Public Library Egg Hunt scheduled for April 10 is cancelled