The Senator from Pennsylvania Yields to ... Pottstown!

Sen. Pat Toomey meets with students from Pottstown High School in a Dirksen Senate Office Building committee room on April 24.

Blogger's Note: Once again, we are indebted to the tireless John Armato for the constant flood of information he provides us (and you) about Pottstown schools. 
(We added a little more to spice up the subject matter.)

During a visit to our nation's capital last month -- April 24 to be exact -- Pottstown High School students from the American government and Advance Placement U.S. Government and Politics classes met with the Commonwealth's junior senator.

U.S. Senator Pat Toomey (R) met with students from led by social studies teacher Maureen Rieger.

The students also toured the U.S. Capitol.

It's certainly a pleasure to see our youth getting a on-the-spot look at how our government works, because according to at least one national assessment, we need more of it.

The National Assessment of Educational Progress report card issued last May, reports that fourth although grade understanding of civics has risen in the last 14 years, reaching the highest level since 1998, high school seniors understand even less than they did in 2006 about how our modern democracy works.

Eighth grade scores remain largely unchanged from scores in 1998 and 2006.

The NAEP civics assessment measures the knowledge and skills critical to the responsibilities of citizenship in America’s constitutional democracy.

There are bright spots.

Although 12th-grade girls scored lower in 2010, compared to the civics assessments in 2006 and 1998, Hispanic students made gains with average scores increasing from 1998 to 2010 in all grades.

Let's remember that U.S. Census figures show that probably by the time the next Census is taken in 2020, Hispanics will no longer be a "minority" in the U.S., but the majority. It's comforting to know they understand how the country works.

(Between 2000 and 2010, the nation's Hispanic population grew by 42 percent, accounting for more than half the population growth in all the United States.)

Here is a look at what the civics assessments measured.

By the way, this is according to a release on the test results  that was posted on the National Center for Education Statistics Web site.

"The 2010 NAEP civics assessment was administered by the National Center for Education Statistics to nationally representative samples of public and private school students, which included about 7,100 fourth graders, 9,600 eighth graders, and 9,900 twelfth graders. The results are reported as average scores on a 0 to 300 scale and as percentages of students scoring at or above three achievement levels: Basic, Proficient, and Advanced" -- phrases those familiar with Pennsylvania's PSSA test will recognize.

Here are examples of what the scores mean:

•  At grade 4, students who scored at or above the Basic level (77 percent) were likely to identify a method used to select public office holders, students scoring at Proficient (27 percent) could identify a purpose of the U.S. Constitution, and students at Advanced (2 percent) could explain two ways a country could deal with a shared problem. 
• At grade 8, the 72 percent of students who performed at or above the Basic level were likely to identify a right protected by the First Amendment, the 22 percent who performed at or above the Proficient level could recognize a role performed by the Supreme Court, and the 1 percent who scored at the Advanced level could name two actions that citizens could take to encourage Congress to pass a law. 
• At grade 12, the 64 percent of students who performed at or above the Basic level were likely to interpret a political cartoon, the 24 percent scoring at or above Proficient could define “melting pot” and argue whether or not the phrase applied to the U.S., and the 4 percent scoring at Advanced could compare U.S. citizenship requirements to those of other countries.

The NAEP keeps track of other subjects too. If you would like to check out their "Nation's Report Card" click here.


As the world these students will inherit becomes more complicated; as privacy rights are debated in an age where we share an uncomfortable amount of private information on the Internet and the government's spying powers continue to expand; as issues of gun rights, as same sex marriage rights and abortion rights get debated with increasing frequency and vitriol, having a population that understands how these conflicting interests get parsed democratically becomes more important than ever.

Hopefully, our education system can meet the challenge in an age of diminished funding and diminished respect for the value of education.

A River Runs Through It

The Schuylkill River Heritage Center in Phoenixville

Have you ever wondered if you can name all the towns are located along the Schuylkill River? 

Or what tributaries flow into the Schuylkill River?    

In the Schuylkill River Heritage Center in Phoenixville, these answers are literally built into the floor.  

Tomorrow, students will be challenged to see who can identify them the quickest.

The Schuylkill River Heritage Center in the Phoenixville Foundry building at 2 North Main Street is sponsoring a children’s workshop Saturday morning, May 12, from 10 to 12 p.m.. 

Children ages 6-12 will be able to participate in a wide variety of contests and activities.

 

There will be contests, in different age groups, to see who can build the tallest structure using only mini marshmallows and toothpicks.   

The Phoenix Steel Foundry on hard times

“Now and Then” photos, will challenge children to match photos of old postcards with current photos of the same locations in Phoenixville.   

There will also be a coloring contest. 

 Cards for both the tributaries and the towns will help students match the correct names, and learn about where they live. 

The final contest will be a scavenger hunt of the foundry site.  Clues will guide participants around both the inside and the grounds of the Visitor’s Center.

Demonstrations will be conducted on how to cast a wooden mold into an iron shape.  

Plaster of paris will be substituted for the molten iron/steel used when the steel company operated.  

A miniature drag or Nowell will be used with an original gear or mold and lots of sand will be packed by participants. 

The Phoenix column, invented at Phoenix Steel, revolutionized the steel
industry and revolutionized the urbanization of America

Sketches of how the actual iron pouring takes place will be shown and connections made to the creation of the sand mold.   

Hopefully the plaster will dry enough so that by the end of the event the sand will be removed and an exact duplicate will come out of the sand. 

Many Junior Docents will be on hand with SRHC board members to assist participants with these events. Fun and learning will be mixed with a variety of prizes and rewards will be distributed.

For more information, call 610-935-2181.

When Good Writing is the Best Super Power

Franklin Elementary School's writing winners

Blogger's Note: Maybe we should just call this John Armato's blog and be done with it!

The Pottstown School District conducted its annual writing awards contest sponsored by the local McDonald’s restaurants owned and operated by Marcia and Bruce Graham.

Students from kindergarten through eighth grade competed in the annual essay contest which this year had as its theme “If I Had A Super Power.” Students not only had the opportunity to display their excellence in writing mechanics but also demonstrated reflective thinking and compassion as they explained their reasons for selecting their super powers.

From left, Matt Moyer, Mc Donald's franchise owner Marcia Graham,
School Board President Judyth Zahora and Superintendent Reed Lindley

Rupert Elementary Principal, Mr. Matt Moyer, who serves as the coordinator of the annual event, noted, “Our partnership with McDonald’s Restaurants has helped our students develop a greater understanding of writing techniques and has given them reason to do thoughtful thinking. Bruce and Marcia Graham are longtime advocates of quality public education.”

Some of the reflective thinking that is demonstrated in the students’ decisions included:

• Franklin kindergarten student Sean Deppen wrote, “I would like to have the power of super muscles. I would lift the bad guys and throw them into jail.”

•  Hannah Daniels, a first grader at Edgewood, wrote, “If I had a super power, I would like to have freeze powers. I would help freeze criminals to make the world a better place.”

Award winners from Barth Elementary School

• Feeding the hungry was the theme of Barth second grader Yangci Ou’s choice. “My super power would be the ability to feed people. I would use it to help our world by giving food to the hungry.”

• Kyle Wells, Lincoln third grader, chose the super power of strength. “I would use this power to make people happy and help others. I would use my power to help the homeless.”

• Fifth grader William Migala from Rupert asked for the super power of speed. “I could use my super power to help others. I would help them by going to the grocery store for older people.”

• Middle school eighth grade student Brittney Bosko explained her selection, “Super powers come in many shapes and forms. Flying over the tallest buildings, I found can be the equivalent of a friendly hello. Stopping a speeding bullet and stopping poverty are both super powers. Not everything worth admiration comes in huge packages. If I could have any super power, I would create rainbows in the sky.”

Lincoln Elementary School award winners

Marcia Graham noted, “We are proud to sponsor the annual writing contest and look forward to reading all of the creative and thoughtful entries.” This year’s award winners were invited to a special ceremony held at the McDonald’s restaurant on High Street where they received certificates and tee-shirts recognizing their writing achievements. Writing Award winners included:


Barth Elementary School
Kindergarten – Samuel Guardado-Sanchez
First Grade – Yameen Rahim
Second Grade – Yangci Ou
Third Grade – Jaleinda Thompson
Fourth Grade – Emily Weber
Fifth Grade – Jovaun Aponte

Edgewood Elementary School award winners

Edgewood Elementary School
Kindergarten – Shaelyne Weidner
First Grade – Hannah Daniels
Second Grade – Anthony DiCandilo
Third Grade – Cierra Mobley
Fourth Grade – Autumn Graham
Fifth Grade – Jayla Holloway

Franklin Elementary School
Kindergarten – Sean Deppen
First Grade – London Trout
Second Grade – Ivionna Reed
Third Grade – Caitlin Kanagie
Fourth Grade – Quaron Hall
Fifth Grade – Brianna Brown-Winfield


Lincoln Elementary School
Kindergarten – Nathan Tidball
First Grade – Sean O’Conner

Award winners from Rupert Elementary School.

Second Grade – Riley Willett
Third Grade – Kyle Wells
Fourth Grade – Emme Wolfel
Fifth Grade – Milani Roberson


Rupert Elementary School
Kindergarten – Isabella Rose Mulligan
First Grade – Talia Jones
Second Grade – Javon Scott
Third Grade – Emily Russo
Fourth Grade – Adriana Hayward
Fifth Grade – William Migala


Pottstown Middle School
Sixth Grade – Julian Weber
Seventh Grade – Riordon Turner
Eighth Grade – Brittney Bosko

Parks and Recreation ... No the REAL Parks and Recreation

Summer Camp in Pottstown can be fun AND inexpensive

Aficionados of modern comedy television will no doubt recognize the title "Parks and Recreation," an Amy Poehler and, Rob Lowe vehicle about the people who run a terminally dysfunctional department in the imaginary town of Pawnee, Ind.

However, in real life Pottstown, the Parks and Recreation Department is one of the best values in town, and that becomes particularly evident during the summer.

Just perusing the 2012 summer newsletter gives a glimpse into the many ways to have summer fun on the cheap, for those smart enough to take the time to look.

One good example is the Summer Camp program.

It runs for 12 weeks from June 18 to Aug. 24 for ages 5 through 13 and costs less than $100 per child per week. Try finding prices like that at any private camps. Even better, it offers numerous flexible options.

Borough residents pay $95 per child per week or only $20 per day, if you just need a few days covered. Non residents can sign up their child for $105 per week or $22 per day.

The pool at French Creek State Park is one field trip

But you also can sign up for half-day morning camp, from 7:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. for $10 a day or $45 per week; or half-day afternoon camp from 12 to 5 p.m. for $15 a day or $65 per week. And for an additional $10 per week per child, they can remain as late as 6 p.m. if that's what your schedule requires.

You pay only for the days or weeks that your child attends.

(There is a $40 registration fee for the first child and $35 for each additional child.)

The all-day program is run at Rupert Elementary School and the price includes a camp T-shirt, all Summer Adventure Field Trips, lunch as well as a morning and afternoon snack.

Dorney Park is just one place to which the Pottstown
Parks & Recreation Dept. sells discount tickets.

Those field trips include French Creek State Park, Ringing Rocks Roller Rink and the Adventure Aquarium. Afternoon activities will include swimming, the Fountain of Youth Spray Park at Memorial Park, bowling, miniature golf, roller skating and the movies.

The half-day Summer Adventure camp is coordinated with Penn State Cooperative Extension and the Pottstown School District and is run at three elementary schools, Lincoln, Rupert and Franklin.

The Parks and Recreation Department is also a great source for discount park tickets. Parks for which discount tickets are available range from: Adventure Aquarium in Camden, to Baltimore Aquarium, Busch Gardens (Virginia),Sesame Place, Sea World, Longwood Gardens, Hershey Park, Dorney Park, Six Flags/Great Adventure the Pennsylvania Renaissance Faire and Dutch Wonderland, to name a few.

Discounts range from $4 to $14. For more information, call the department at 970-6608. For a complete list, see the Summer 2012 Newsletter.

It's Teacher Appreciation Day!

One of the handy things about those "Day Minder" calendars The Mercury buys me each year (yes, I still put pen to paper ... which may be why I'm so bad at keeping appointments) is it tells you about all the many national and international day designations that we would otherwise zoom past in our busy lives.


There's Mexican Constitution Anniversary Day (Feb. 5); Administrative Professionals Day (April 25. Yup, you missed it again) and National Boss Day (Oct. 16, yes there's still time).

And then there is Teacher Appreciation Day, which is today.

Teacher's don't get much love these days, often portrayed as greedy public sector employees, glorified babysitters, people who only work 10 months a year. You've heard them all.

But without them, we would not have learned how to read, how to view the world in a framework of logic and observation and, most importantly, how to think.

All of which is why Pottsgrove Middle School Principal Bill Ziegler made sure not to let the day pass without marking its significance. (He must have a Day Minder too!)

In addition to soliciting thoughts on the subject from his students, Ziegler also took the time to issue a thank you of his own, which appears below:

Teacher Appreciation Week is an opportune time to reflect on the teachers who made a difference in my life. As the principal of Pottsgrove Middle School and an alumnus of the Pottsgrove School District, I am proud to take a moment to thank the teachers who have helped me achieve my dreams and goals. My school years started at West Pottsgrove Elementary School, this school embraced me as a child and made me believe that I could achieve anything. It was the caring teachers of West that nurtured a learning environment that I will never forget. Thank you West teachers for teaching me.

Bill Ziegler

My middle school years were blessed with more tremendous teachers that challenged me to stretch and reach beyond my own expectations. I had so many awesome teachers that helped make me who I am today. Thank You Pottsgrove Intermediate School teachers for teaching me.

Pottsgrove High School teachers challenged me to grow and develop as an adult. I wish I could thank every teacher by name. Thank You Pottsgrove High School teachers for teaching me.

Now as a principal in the district, I see how our outstanding, exemplary teaching staff invests in the lives of children. I am grateful to the Pottsgrove School District, Pottsgrove teachers, and the Pottsgrove Community for investing in my life and the lives of so many others. Pottsgrove educators are making a difference that is building a better tomorrow and changing the world, one student at a time.

Dr. Bill Ziegler 

Ziegler is also collecting notes of appreciation from his students and parents and will present them throughout the week to the teachers at his school.


Our thanks to Dr. Ziegler for sharing this.

This 5K Race Was Quite an Operation

The third Annual Operation Backpack 5K gets started in Riverfront Park

Blogger's Note: Once again, the lazy staff at The Digital Notebook is indebted to FOB John Armato for another timely submission.

On Saturday, April 14, 2012 the 3rd Annual Operation Backpack 5K took place at Pottstown’s Riverfront Park.

The event benefited Pottstown School District children in all five elementary schools, and the Pottstown Middle School, who suffer from a lack of healthy food choices at home.

During the school day these children receive free breakfast and lunch at school, but on the weekends they often go hungry. Thanks to Operation Backpack, backpacks of nutritious food are sent home with the children every Friday so that they can have food on the weekends.

Members of the team from Rupert Elementary School

This year’s event raised over $4,000 to directly support these children in the Pottstown School District.

Staff and families from Rupert Elementary and Edgewood Elementary School were happy to participate in this year’s 5K race.

Members of the Rupert Staff and their Family who participated: Principal Matthew Moyer, Cindy Bartolucci, Deb Gratzinger, Mike Gratzinger, Sherry Shank, Deb McNamara, Tess McNamara, Natalie Pileggi, Jayne Pollock, Amy Piskai, Sarah Noska, Emily Britton, and Mrs. Schlear.

Members of the Rupert PTA who participated: Tammie Scavello, Danielle Butterfield, Julia Wilson, Jim Wilson, and Kim Stilwell.

Members of the team from Edgewood Elementary School

Members of the Edgewood Staff who participated: Principal Calista Boyer, Treena Ferguson, Denise Schleicher, Deb Seidl, Darla Stoudt, Marie Anders, and Chris Poole.

In Pennsylvania, 13.8% of children live in poverty, and more than 60% of students in Pottstown qualify for free or reduced-cost lunches. Many of these students also are considered chronically hungry.

Operation Backpack provides hungry students with much needed food for the weekend. The purpose is to give the students a sense of hope and to communicate their value by addressing the tangible need of hunger.

TTLM works with individuals and organizations to gather donated food and supplies. Volunteers use these items to fill backpacks distributed to qualifying students at the end of each week.

 The backpacks protect the students’ confidentiality, and they are discretely returned on Mondays so the process can start over. Each backpack contains food for approximately seven meals: dinner for Friday night, and breakfast, lunch, and dinner for Saturday and Sunday.

Grow Local, Shop Local, Eat Local

I wish all food looked this good.

The Mercury  reported recently about a "Buy Local" campaign being conducted in Pottstown in cooperation with PDIDA and the employees of the Pottstown School District.

Which is good news. More than a one-day "cash mob," a month long effort with a large group of people is much more sustainable and will have a much larger impact.

But there is another kind of "Buy Local" effort that cannot take place in any downtown in the greater Pottstown area -- because it's on farms.

Confused? Let me explain.

Recently, Dulcie Flaharty, executive director of Montgomery County Lands Trust, made a presentation to the Pottstown Metropolitan Area Regional Planning Commission about the economic value of open space.

Her presentation was based on a report "The Economic Value of Protected Open Space," produced by the Greenspace Alliance and the Delaware County Regional Planning Commission.

(I reported about that report in The Mercury in late 2010. Click on the link if you would like to learn more on that subject.)

The Collegeville Farmer’s Market, seen here, will open Saturday.
Times Herald File Photo.

But Flaharty also brought along a brochure that I found intriguing. It was titled "Shop Local Save Land."

It is, quite simply, "a guide to farms and farm markets in Montgomery County."

(If you would like to see the full pamphlet on line, click here.)

I was pleased to discover there are nearly 60 working farms in Montgomery County and 15 large-scale farm markets, including Pottstown's at 300 E. High St.

There are also two in Collegeville, the Collegeville Farmer's Market at 460 E. Main St.; and the Longview Center for Agriculture Market, at 3215 Stump Hall Road.

And, as The Mercury reported yesterday, the Collegeville Farmer's Market opened for the season on Saturday.

Farmer's Daughter Farm Market outside Spring City

Of course, there are plenty of farm stands and farm markers in Chester and Berks counties as well.

Wilcox Farm, located at 1134 Reading Ave. outside Boyertown has hayrides, ice cream and corn mazes as well as a delectable selection of vegetables.

And Farmer's Daughter, off Route 724 (3190 Schuylkill Road) outside Spring City has been named "Best Farmer's Market" by Mercury readers in The Mercury's Reader Choice Awards a remarkable eight times. (I know from experience it also has a remarkable selection of homemade jams and jellies.)

Easements allow farms to
keep being farms

"Farming families, whether new to the business of long-standing, preserve a way of life, while working landscapes provide fresh and healthy food for today and future generations, the pamphlet observes.

But although the bursting of the housing bubble has slowed development, it remains true that much of the best local farmland continues to be under the threat of development, notes MCLT's pamphlet.

Which is why they seek to preserve those properties by purchasing the development rights, called "easements" from the owners, providing needed income and capital and preserving the farm without requiring the farmer's to actually sell the land.

But for these businesses to thrive, we need to buy their products. The plus side is, buying "ultra fresh" produce is good for you

One way that works is through something called CSA, or "Community Supported Agriculture," the idea is that you buy "shares" of a farmer's harvest ahead of time and then just come and pick up your fresh local produce every week.


The advantages for farmers are several:

• Get to spend time marketing the food early in the year, before their 16 hour days in the field begin
• Receive payment early in the season, which helps with the farm's cash flow
• Have an opportunity to get to know the people who eat the food they grow 

Your box of fresh CSA produce might look like this.

The advantages for consumers are many as well:

• Eat ultra-fresh food, with all the flavor and vitamin benefits
• Get exposed to new vegetables and new ways of cooking
• Usually get to visit the farm at least once a season
• Find that kids typically favor food from "their" farm – even veggies they've never been known to eat
• Develop a relationship with the farmer who grows their food and learn more about how food is grown

I know the part about "getting exposed to new vegetables" to be true through personal experience. Last year my mother-in-law belong to a CSA near her home in New York State and I ate turnips and brussel sprouts (out of politeness at first) that were among the most delicious things I had ever tried.

Mercury Photo by John Strickler

The ribbon gets cut at Pottstown's Community Garden Friday

As it turns out, fresh and properly cooked makes a world of difference in taste as well as nutrition.

The other advantage, if you care about such things, is that local food has a smaller carbon footprint. Strawberries from Chile have to get here somehow and most often, getting them here involves burning fossil fuels.

Although you might take your car to get to a local farm, it's doubtful you would use as much fuel as those Chilean strawberries. And, luckily, I'm sure there is a CSA near you.

If you need to find a CSA near you, you can check this site, called "Local Harvest." Just type in your zip code and find not only CSA farms, but local farm stands near you. I typed in "19464" and found more than 10 around Pottstown, from Trappe to Boyertown to East Coventry.

Of course, you can always grow your own.

Getting the plots ready at the community garden.

But if you're not of green thumb, or you're someone who eschews the solitary nature of farming, you can always lease a plot in the Mosaic Community Land Trust's community garden on Chestnut Street in Pottstown.

On Friday those folks had their official ribbon cutting for the garden, located at 423 Chestnut St., which we covered

As we reported in The Mercury Wednesday, the final day to register for a plot is Saturday, May 12 and you had better hurry as Sue Repko, the land trust's executive director, told me recently that there are only a few slots left.

You can contact her at 609-658-9043 and see if there are any left.