Dear Community,

The first week of the 2020-2021 is complete! Traditionally, this time of year is full of excitement and expectation. Although a virtual start to the year is new to us all, and this week had both success stories and a few bumps in the road, the anticipation and familiar traditions that mark the beginning of the new school year were as familiar as ever. As a North Penn parent, the day that schedules were released I watched my children wake up earlier than usual to rush to their Chromebooks and open Canvas to see their schedules. They texted their friends and shared screenshots to determine which of their besties they would be spending their time with this fall. As the first day drew closer, they rushed to complete their summer work and on the first day I snapped their pictures to memorialize the day.

We have come to expect students will receive a high-quality education in this district, and moving to a virtual format should not change that expectation. We will use new measuring sticks for identifying what success looks like, but continue to strive for excellence nonetheless. We all have a job to do. The NPSB must continue to dialogue with the community, stay informed and make decisions that balance the needs of the community, staff, students and their families. Administrators, you need to listen and be responsive to the needs communicated to you by teachers and your support staff. Teachers, you must do the very thing you do best, continue to be lifelong learners, digging even deeper to expand your skills in a virtual classroom. Parents, you must set high expectations for both teachers and students and show excitement about the new school year and all the possibilities it holds.

These are uncertain times, but for a moment, let’s reflect on some of the successes North Penn has had in the face of this pandemic. Organizing a meaningful graduation ceremony for the NPHS Class of 2020 was of utmost importance to everyone, and thanks to the determination of the administration, teachers and support staff, North Penn planned and implemented a ceremony that will be talked about for generations.Concern for all of our families was the guiding force behind a school nutrition program that provided more than 340,000 free grab-and-go meals for anyone who needed it since the shutdown in March. Our vocabularies expanded with new words like Zoom, Nearpod, Seesaw and Flipgrid as teachers and support staff made virtual learning a reality with almost no time or planning available as the crisis began.

We are North Penn: one of the largest, most diverse and most successful districts in the state of Pennsylvania. That didn’t happen by accident. Our sense of community and commitment to one another and to our children’s education has resulted in standards of excellence demonstrated in academics, athletics and the arts year after year. We have followed the direction of our governor and our commissioners and in so doing, we have shown the rest of the country how to flatten the curve. All of this, despite some people having personal and philosophical differences about the directives our leaders have provided.

We have what it takes to get through this crisis and we can come out stronger on the other end, but only if we do so with that shared sense of commitment to one another and determination to make it work. That is a responsibility that falls on each and every one of us. As we turn the page on the summer and embark on a new school year, whether together or distanced, we must continue to be North Penn Strong. Our kids are depending on it.

Sincerely,