Dear Abington School District Community,

Happy (almost) New Year! I hope you are able to spend quality time with loved ones over the coming winter recess, and that your students have an opportunity to rest and unwind.

As we usher in a new calendar year in just two weeks, I want to first take a moment to reflect on my gratitude for our strong community of families and our more than 1,100 teachers and staff members who are committed to fostering positive and supportive learning environments for all of our students in Abington School District.

Looking ahead to 2025, I am excited to continue the work that has already taken place during the first few months of the school year. In my last ASD Highlights & Happenings message, I wrote of the joint undertaking of developing Abington School District's Portrait of a Graduate, a collaborative and collective vision that provides an enriched community-wide understanding of what being a graduate of Abington Schools means.

Thank you to our 700 community members who participated in our online survey to inform the direction of this portrait, results of which were reviewed earlier this month at the latest meeting of the Superintendent's Committee. The traits that rose to the surface included:

• Emotional Intelligence and Empathy
• Critical Thinking and Problem-Solving
• Communication Skills
• Financial Literacy and Independence
• Time Management and Organization
• Adaptability and Resilience
• Cultural and Global Awareness
• Self-Motivation and Accountability
• Networking and Career Readiness
• Kindness and Respect

Thank you for your support, and my best wishes to you and your family for a happy and healthy 2025! We look forward to welcoming your students back on Thursday, January 2.

Regards,

Dr. Jeffrey S. Fecher

Superintendent of Schools

Residents in Abington Township and the Borough of Rockledge are encouraged to participate in a new online community survey about the future of Abington Middle School.

“We value the perspectives of everyone in the Abington and Rockledge community, and encourage residents to share their feedback with us,” said Dr. Jeffrey Fecher, Superintendent of Schools.

The survey will be available online through Monday, December 23, at bit.ly/4fz2kZr. All responses are anonymous. Residents may request a paper copy of the survey from cr@abington.k12.pa.us, or pick one up at either the District Administration Building or Abington Township Public Library.

The online survey is being conducted alongside a scientific telephone survey representative of the population of Abington Township and the Borough of Rockledge. The results of both surveys will be critical in shaping the District’s decisions to address the needs of Abington Middle School.

New: Tax Calculator Now Available

To help Abington and Rockledge property owners make more informed decisions when completing the survey, the District has developed a tax calculator to estimate the individual tax impact of the proposed options for Abington Middle School. You can also visit OneASDOneFuture.org/options for more information and to access the calculator.

To kick off 2025, The GIANT Company is again partnering with Abington School District to help support our students facing food insecurity. From January 1 through March 31, everyone who shops at the GIANT on Susquehanna Road in Roslyn will be invited to “round up” at the register and donate the round-up amount of their bill to support Feeding School Kids. Customers can also give by converting their CHOICE Rewards Points to donations in the GIANT app, or by purchasing a reusable bag.

At the end of March, all round-up donations will be tallied and donated to Abington School District. Donations have been used by the Student Services Department to purchase GIANT gift cards that are distributed by our social workers directly to our families in need in order to help supplement the cost of their groceries.

Following our return to school after the winter holidays, we ask our school community to help

spread the word of the Feeding School Kids initiative to ensure its success. Our goal is to

support the children in our District who need the most help accessing nutritious food.

Abington School District looks forward to partnering with The GIANT Company to fight childhood hunger, and we ask for your support in advocating for this initiative to help ensure no student in our District experiences hunger at school or at home.

Over the summer, the ASD Leadership Team engaged in reading the book, The Anxious Generation, by social psychologist, Jonathan Haidt, in which he outlines the facts about the epidemic of teen mental illness that hit many countries at the same time, beginning with the decline of “play-based childhood” in the 1980s, to the rise of the “phone-based childhood” of the early 2010s. Since then, additional members of the school district community have read the book, including parents, guardians and staff at Rydal Elementary School, who met last month to discuss their learnings and thoughts on Mr. Haidt's work.

Abington School District administration aims to communicate a closure announcement as soon as we are able, though often weather patterns in our area can shift suddenly. Closure announcements may be made the night before, but will always be announced no later than 6:00 a.m. on the day of closure. We will make every effort to make this decision the night prior to provide as much time as possible for our families and staff to make appropriate arrangements. Please understand that no forecast or weather model is 100% accurate, which may result in a closure that is not necessary.

Early Dismissals

Should weather conditions develop during the day that would make travel dangerous, we will dismiss school early. To prepare for the possibility of an unplanned early dismissal, parents/guardians should have arrangements in place for their children.

Late Arrivals

In the event that school is operating on a two-hour delayed opening, students are to report to their bus stops or schools two hours later than their usually scheduled time.

*Please note that the YMCA before- and after-school care will not operate on days when schools are closed, delayed or dismissed early.

The District makes announcements regarding inclement weather using:

• Automated voice and text messaging systems
• The District website and mobile app
• District social media accounts
• Email
• Local broadcast stations and their respective websites
• The District cable channel (Verizon Fios 34 and Comcast 968)

For a full list of communication resources and how to access them, click here. To ensure you receive alerts pertaining to any potential closures or delays, please check that your parent/guardian contact information is up-to-date in Skyward.

Watch the videos under our Student Services and Teaching and Learning Department playlists for helpful information for families.

• Friday, Dec. 20 - Early Dismissal (Senior High - 11:00 a.m.; Middle School - 11:30 a.m.; Elementary Schools - 12:20 p.m.)
• Monday, Dec. 23 - Wednesday, Jan.1 - Winter Recess
• Tuesday, Jan. 14 - Board Meeting, 7:30 p.m.
• Monday, Jan. 20 - Martin Luther King Jr. Day (Schools and Offices Closed)
• Tuesday, Jan. 21 - Foundation for Abington School District Board of Directors Meeting, 6 p.m., Board Room of the Administratoin Building
• Monday, Jan. 27 - Arts in ASD Parent Group Meeting, 7:00 p.m., Virtual
• Tuesday, Jan. 28 - Board Meeting, 7:30 p.m.
• Wednesday, Jan. 29 - Second Marking Period Ends (Secondary)
• Monday, Feb. 3 - Gifted Education Parent Advisory Council Meeting, 6:30, Library at Copper Beech Elementary School
• Wednesday, Feb. 5 - Kindergarten Registration Opens for 2025-2026 School Year
• Tuesday, Feb. 11 - Board Meeting, 7:30 p.m.
  
• Friday, Feb. 14 - Professional Development Day (No Classes)
  
• Monday, Feb. 17 - Presidents' Day (Schools and Offices Closed)
• Monday, Feb. 24 - Special Education Parent Advisory Council Meeting, 6:00 p.m., Library at Copper Beech Elementary School
• Tuesday, Feb. 25 - Board Meeting, 7:30 p.m.
• Thursday, Feb. 27 - Saturday, March 1 - ASHS Spring Musical "Anastasia" (7:00 p.m. nightly; 2:00 p.m. Saturday matinee), Auditorium at Abington Senior High School