(The following submission is part of a monthly series of editorials, courtesy of our partnership with North Penn School District and the North Penn Board of School Directors.)
What a year it has been!
The 2021-2022 school year has come to a close, but that finality brings many new beginnings for our community. Students move up grades, change schools, and graduate from North Penn to begin their adult lives. Some of our staff members will change schools, positions, and in May, we said goodbye to the staff members entering retirement.
Change can be scary, but it brings along opportunities for growth and development as we look to the 2022-2023 school year.
As each year continues to be “unprecedented,” I cannot help but awe at how this community has dealt with every card thrown at them. Schools across our district raised money and supplies for refugees escaping the war in Ukraine. North Penn High School’s Mini-THON raised over $16,000 to help conquer childhood cancer. As gun violence continues to affect our communities, North Penn has strengthened both our security and our relationships, implementing Safe2Say for anonymous reporting and continuing to improve our mental health outreach programs. The NPSD Educational Foundation raised money to provide families in need with backpacks and school supplies, and the drive will run again this summer with more information to follow. The drive raised enough to provide Upper Dublin families with backpacks after a tornado destroyed their school. The bonds this community has formed are tight enough to weather any storm, so long as we remain united and North Penn Strong.
We said goodbye to the Class of 2022 this month during the commencement ceremony. Each year this ceremony is a special event for myself and my fellow directors, but this year felt a little extra special. This was the first full-class ceremony in the newly renovated Crawford Stadium, and the first time we’ve been able to celebrate as a full group in two years. The smiles felt a little wider and the hugs a little longer. To the Class of 2022- we wish you luck, wherever your journey takes you. We at North Penn have had the privilege of watching you grow from kindergarten until now, and we know that whatever your next step is, you will always remember the lessons learnt at North Penn.
Go into the world with strength, compassion, and love for all.
Superintendent Dr. Curtis Dietrich will be saying goodbye to North Penn at the end of the month, as he begins his next journey of retirement. After a long search and several interviews, the Board of Directors have decided to appoint Dr. Todd Bauer as his successor. Dr. Bauer is the current Assistant Superintendent of North Penn School District, and we are confident that he will lead North Penn with tenacity as we look to the future of this great community.
To our students, staff, and families, we hope that you take this summer to relax, recharge, and reflect. We also encourage you to get outside this summer! Our local parks and recreation departments have fantastic programs during the summer for all ages, from the Montgomery County Trail Challenge to Unplugged Week in Upper Gwynedd Township. While school may be out, some of our school libraries are still open to give families easy access to books this summer. The schedule can be found here. I hope you will take advantage of some of the wonderful public programming we have in this community this summer.
I want to end this letter with a huge thank you to the very dedicated staff of North Penn. Your commitment to public education and our students is evident every single day, in everything you do. As a parent, community member, educator, and board director- THANK YOU! To our teachers and those not with us over the summer- please enjoy your break! We will see you next school year.
Signed,
Dr. Elisha K. Gee
NPSD Board of School Directors
Term Expiration: 2023
See also:
Editorial: Closing in on A New Superintendent
Editorial: The Search for a New Superintendent
Editorial: Summer School Programs Supply Educational Enrichment
North Penn High School Seeking Local Businesses to Host Student Interns
North Penn High School Students Participating in District and Regional Bands
