Health and Physical Education teacher Robert Poore has been named the 2022 District Teacher of the Year.  Congrats to Mr. Poore and to the building Teachers of the Year. They are:

Carrie Downie: Ellen Truckley

Castle Hills: Shelby Richard

New Castle: Ivana Welch

Pleasantville: Clare Carpenter

Eisenberg: Amy Napolin

Southern: Robert Poore

Wilmington Manor: Alexis Vanover

Wilbur: David Ostheimer

George Read Middle: Daniel Ramer

Gunning Bedford Middle: Lauren McCool

McCullough Middle: Natalie Ferry

William Penn High: John Sopkanich

Leach: Kathryn Rzucidlo

Wallin School: Michaela Boykin

Colonial Early Education Program (CEEP): Christina Pellegrini 

The 19th Annual District Art Show was amazing!  If you missed it, you can still view the virtual tour of artwork submitted by students of all ages.  Here’s the link:

Every spring, the Colonial School District showcases the musicianship of students at a district-wide music concert. The concert has become a valuable tradition for our community and remains one of the most well-attended events during the school year. With some students attending school virtually, the Colonial School District wanted to find a way to showcase and celebrate the commitment of the students and staff through a virtual celebration. To view the celebration, click HERE.

At Southern, students celebrated Cartoon Character Day;  it was Tie Dye Day at Wilbur and Eisenberg Elementary Schools. Spirit Days are always fun for teachers and students!

At Wilmington Manor, students in Mrs. Casson’s class worked as surgeons to dissect and explore the insides of flowers. The lesson was about pollination and inheritance during their new science unit. What a fun way to learn!

Pleasantville 5th-grader Tiana Sirmans continues racking up awards. She was one of two Delawareans to receive honors from DSEA’s (Delaware State Education Association)  Human and Civil Rights Task Force for her work in the community.  Tiana won 1st place in Digital Media submissions for children in the 5th-to 8th-grade division, and 3rd place in writing.  Colonial Nation is proud of the work Tiana does as she pursues her dreams to be a journalist!

In-person field trips were canceled this year due to COVID, but that didn’t stop William Penn from showing middle school 8th graders what the high school has to offer. Assistant Principal Arie Dinkeloo led virtual tours with Penn students giving personal testimonies about what they love about the school. He included Athletic Director Matt Sabol who encouraged would-be athletes to contact him if they are interested in fall sports because tryouts and practices will begin in the summer. Dinkeloo also talked about the variety of classes  available to rising freshmen adding, “We are very excited to tell students about all the programs we have at Penn, the extracurricular activities they will have access to starting in the summer, and encourage them to sign up for in-person tours this summer.”

Check out one of the many things 8th-graders at McCullough got to see when they viewed the Delaware Museum of Natural History virtually. Thanks, Mrs. Ferry for giving our students the opportunity!

Two Colonial teachers were named as finalists for the Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching. This is the highest recognition that K-12 STEM teachers can receive, and Colonial is proud to have science teachers Erin Motley (Gunning Bedford) and Corey Butterfield (George Read) on this list of outstanding educators. Kudos to both, and good luck at the national level! 

Thanks to relaxed COVID restrictions, seniors at William Penn and Wallin were able to attend an in-person prom. The kids showed up looking runway-ready at the Hyatt on the Riverfront. Everyone had a great time, including School Board member Leo Magee who cut the rug with Principal Lisa Brewington. Click this link to see the photo gallery captured by The News Journal.

William Penn seniors and teachers at the high school and Pleasantville received Colonial yard signs. All were happy to put them on display to celebrate a challenging but rewarding school year. 

When a 56-year old Willam Penn class ring was found in a shopping center parking lot, Principal Lisa Brewington helped reunite the keepsake with its owner. The story got plenty of coverage from three major Philadelphia TV stations and WDEL radio. Check out some of the stories by clicking the links below:


KYW

It’s been quite a while since concerts were held due to COVID restrictions, but William Penn held a Spring concert in the school parking lot.  Everyone had a great time listening to our talented musicians perform.  Click here to view.

More than 250 people ages 12 and up received COVID vaccinations thanks to an event sponsored by Life Health Center (LHC) at Eisenberg Elementary School.  LHC runs the Wellness Center at the Big E, and everyone was glad to see the big turnout!