Pennsylvania

Prudential Spirit of Community Awards

Prudential Financial and the National Association of Secondary School Principals invite Pennsylvania students in grades five through 12 to compete for the 2021 Prudential Spirit of Community Awards. The entrants must have made have made meaningful contributions to their communities through volunteering within the past 12 months, virtually or otherwise.

The top volunteers from each state and the District of Columbia will be named State Honorees in February. They will receive $1,000 scholarships, engraved silver medallions and an invitation to the program’s national recognition events. The top 10 national youth volunteers will be honored in May 2021. They will receive additional $5,000 scholarships, gold medallions, crystal trophies for their schools or organizations, and $5,000 Prudential grants for nonprofit charitable organizations of their choice. Local-level state honorees will receive awards ranging from bronze medallions to certificates. Qualifying local honorees also receive President’s Volunteer Service Awards.

For complete details and to apply by Nov. 10, visit http://spirit.prudential.com.

Bethlehem Area School District

Salute to Diversity Awards honorees

BASD is proud to announce the Air Products Salute to Diversity in Education Award winners. The teachers are, from Liberty HS, Adam Reitz; from Nitschmann MS, Dr. Trinidad Sierra; and from William Penn, Eric Frank. The awards recognize BASD teachers who celebrate diversity, equity, and inclusion by sincerely demonstrating a commitment to create a safe and supportive community within their classroom.

Air Products and BASD representatives including BASD Superintendent Dr. Joseph J. Roy, selected the recipients. Each was surprised with the award on Oct. 2 at their school.

Each teacher honoree will receive a grant from the Air Products Foundation to use to support their classroom work in diversity and understanding.

Free Monday meals through Dec. 31

As of Sept. 21, Bethlehem Area School District has received approval to temporarily allow free meals to all students and children residing in Bethlehem ages 18 and under through Dec. 31. This applies to all meals served in-school and distributed on Mondays at select locations and restricted hours.

Paid, free and reduced eligibility will resume Jan. 1, 2021 and access to meals will be limited to only students enrolled in BASD. Apply now for free or reduced meal benefits at www.schoolcafe.com or www.compass.state.pa.us. Only one application per household is needed, even if students attend different BASD schools. If not approved as free/reduced, published lunch prices will be charged.

For more information, visit www.basdschools.org/Page/1383 and www.basdschools.org/dining (also includes touchless and cashless cafeteria transactions and apps information).

Free preschool program registration

This Tuesday-Friday preschool program offers a unique educational experience for both preschoolers and high school students. The classroom environment has high school students interact, instruct and observe the preschool students. This allows for one to one learning experiences for the preschoolers focusing on the individual child’s age and ability to stimulate social, cognitive, physical and emotional development. This program and the students, high school and preschool, are overseen by Ms. Chemidlin, the Family and Consumer Sciences teacher at Liberty HS.

Preschool registration requires students to be 3 years old by Oct. 2020, potty trained, have an up to date immunization record, and live in Bethlehem. This is a free program for the Bethlehem Community. Due to restrictions with COVID and enforcing the BASD safety plans, including mandatory mask-wearing, for the safety of all students the first semester will be a virtual experience for the preschool students. This virtual experience will include Zoom meetings, videos and more.

Contact kchemidlin@basdschools.org to register or for any questions.

LV Charter Arts

Oct. 22 Virtual Open House

Lehigh Valley Charter HS for the Arts will hold a virtual Fall Open House at 6 p.m. Oct. 22 for prospective students and their families. Participants will learn more about Charter Arts’ curriculum and admissions process and auditioning. They may attend break-out sessions with the school’s artistic directors.

Charter Arts is an audition-based, public charter high school for students who reside in Pennsylvania. Dance, instrumental music, literary arts, production arts, theatre, visual arts and vocal music majors are offered.

Open house reservations are required. Visit the school website, www.CharterArts.org; or call 610-868-2971.

Swain, Moravian Academy

Schools announce merger

In a recent announcement and after months of strategic and thoughtful planning, Moravian Academy and The Swain School are on track to sign a binding memorandum of understanding to formally merge the institutions. Through this merger, they would become the region’s leader in education, extending a shared mission to the entire Lehigh Valley.

“With a collective four centuries of experience educating students in our region, Moravian Academy and Swain School share an unwavering commitment to creating an extraordinary student experience. On our own, our schools have helped generations of students become lifelong learners and leaders,” said Dr. Armistead Webster, head of school, The Swain School. “We believe in the power of partnership, especially among like-minded schools. Partnership brings great potential for two schools already so enriching and so treasured by so many. Partnership makes us stronger; it makes the experiences for our communities more exciting and rewarding, both in and out of the classroom.”

Webster said this move would preserve and foster educational choice for more families in the Lehigh Valley. He added Moravian and Swain will continue to operate independently and provide small-school experiences.

Each school’s board of trustees voted and approved the plan to formally merge Aug. 6.