The Salisbury Township school board held a curriculum and technology meeting Jan. 24 where student representatives presented reports to the board, administrators reviewed the program of studies for the 2024-2025 school year and provided teaching and learning updates.

The meeting began with the board recognizing the Salisbury High School Sewing for Charity Club under the direction of family and consumer science teacher Holly Borthwick.

Club President Cameron Kubinsky and Vice President Alex Mumbauer thanked the board for their continued support and gave a special shout out to Assistant Superintendent Kelly Pauling who assisted the club by attaining a grant to buy a new sewing machine.

Kubinsky explained how the club started by making care bears which were then given to first responders who used them to offer comfort to children during difficult situations. The group continues to produce bears and scrunchies and raised money for Turning Point of the Lehigh Valley Shelter and the social work fund of Salisbury.

Mumbauer outlined the club’s future goal for this year - to make 60 different bears and continue selling scrunchies to benefit the SHS social work fund.

The board had high praise for the Sewing for Charity Club citing all the new skills students are learning as how they are helping the community.

Director Carol Klinger summarized the presentation by saying “extremely impressive!”

January is Board of School Directors month and student representatives expressed their thanks to board members for their dedication and support through gifts, words of thanks and a special slideshow featuring Salisbury Elementary School students created by the SES Student Lighthouse team with help from teachers Jane Brennan and Matthew Somishka.

SHS students Nolan Grejda and Soledad Lausch report the Unified Boccie team and both the varsity girls and boys basketball teams are well underway. Varsity boys basketball recently clinched a spot in districts by defeating Northern Lehigh.

In academic news, juniors and seniors taking an online dual enrollment class through Lehigh Carbon Community College began their spring semester Jan. 22 and National Honor Society has announced an induction ceremony for new members March 25.

In club news, SHS was the site of the debate team’s third debate and the theater department has been preparing for their upcoming performance of “The Spitfire Grill.” The show will run March 14-17.

Salisbury Middle School students Payton Kao and Gianna Olds report both sixth grade and eighth grade students will participate in the Blue Mountain Ski Resort Shreducation program. Eighth grade students will choose to learn how to ski or snowboard and then practice skills on the slopes. Sixth grade students will also participate in the program as they learn about friction and gravity while snow tubing.

Eighth grade students recently completed formal debates. Students dressed as if they were in a real courtroom, held a mock trial and their peers decided the outcome.

SMS will host a winter semiformal for seventh and eighth grade students Feb. 23. Proceeds for the dance will benefit Sights for Hope.

Candy grams will also be sold throughout January and February to raise money for PA Caring Hearts dog shelter.

In order to get ready for Pennsylvania System School Assessments, students in all grades are participating in a winter challenge. The first few students in each grade level who become proficient in all skills will be rewarded with a pizza party.

Salisbury Elementary School students Kalina Timofeev and Magdalena Richetti reported on the fun activities held throughout December highlighting the PTO-sponsored holiday shop, Frozen movie night, a winter concert and classroom celebrations.

SES students are also looking forward to participating in one of the 15 different PTO clubs which started Jan. 22.

SHS Principal Heather Morningstar presented the board with a review of the program of studies and highlighted changes. While some changes were minor and dealt with prerequisites for specific classes, the changes in mathematics were significant. A Foundations of Algebra course has been added in an effort to help students who have not mastered the prerequisite skills to be successful in Algebra.

The next item on the agenda was a teaching and learning update presented by district and building administrators. Each administrator shared highlights from the instructional programs at each school.

SES Principal Zach Brem began the presentation outlining the work being done to fine tune the multitiered system of supports for specific learning disabilities. He noted a recent professional development day was devoted to collaborating with consultants from Pennsylvania Training and Technical Assistance Network and the Carbon Lehigh Intermediate Unit 21 staff.

FastBridge testing and data meetings will be held in late January to determine Tier 1-3 interventions designed to meet student needs and guided observations will be conducted by Great Minds Feb. 23 which will offer feedback about what is working well and what areas may need improvement.

Assistant Superintendent Kelly Pauling apprised the board concerning a November 2023 professional development day for teachers to address the state’s Next Generation Science Standard in collaboration with the Da Vinci Science Center and a January in-service led by Dr. Peg Dawson to give secondary teachers an in-depth look at executive skills which involve planning, organizing and avoiding procrastination. Executive skills need to be in place in order to effectively work independently which has been identified as an area of student need. A virtual parent session on this topic is tentatively scheduled for March.

Pauling also informed the board a $7,500 Pennsylvania Department of Education Agriculture and Youth grant has been awarded to the district. The project entitled “Grow Your Understanding” aligns with the core reading program and will be used at the second grade level to purchase three tower gardens and offset costs for a related field trip.

SMS Principal Ken Parliman talked about the after school math tutoring program via Catapault Learning provided by three middle school staff members. There were some challenges with the program in the areas of dwindling student participation and transportation issues but it allowed time to evaluate Catapult materials. Going forward tutoring will be offered this spring utilizing district instructional resources.

At the high school level, Morningstar noted there were four Salisbury students inducted into the National Technical Honor Society at Lehigh Career & Technical Institute. These students, who maintain a 90% grade-point average, include Gabriella DeJesus, Garrett Magee, Leana Pallero and Josh Orach.

Both Pauling and Morningstar reported on the resounding success of the one year dual enrollment grant program. A total of 59 classes were taken by 120 students and 26% of those students qualified for free and reduced lunch.

The next curriculum and technology meeting will be held 7 p.m. Feb. 21. All meetings are held in the administration building, 1140 Salisbury Road, Allentown.