• WELCOME TO THE SUPERINTENDENT'S CORNER

    Welcome to the Superintendent's Corner! This platform serves as the location for Superintendent, Dr. Wagner Marseille's biweekly newsletters and regular communications updates to the community. On this page, you can browse through past letters.

    Read the latest community letter below. 

  • March 10, 2023

    Dear WSSD Community,

    I hope this communication finds you in good health and good spirits. This Sunday we Spring Forward as we turn our clocks for Daylight Savings Time. Though the weather is not cooperating at this time soon comes the promise of Spring, warmer weather, outdoor activities and soon enough, summer plans. This is also a time when we begin to transition from winter activities to events and schedules that will culminate into the end of this school year. I invite you to continue to engage and participate in the myriad of school- and district related events and opportunities. I am always appreciative of your continued support and ongoing commitment to our students, schools and community.

    Let me share with you a few highlights from the week, as well as reminders of upcoming meetings and events.

    Grease: The Musical

    Grease opened last weekend and received rave reviews. Congratulations to Mr. Shankweiler and to the cast and crew for a fantastic performance. This coming Friday and Saturday at 7:30 and Sunday at 2:00, will be the final three shows for Grease. We hope you will be able to join us for a show.

    International Night: SRS

    A night of Culture, Customs and Cuisine is what brought a lively gathering at SRS for International Night, and the truth is it surpassed all expectations. There were culinary, musical, and artistic delights inspired from different corners of the world along with informational cultural displays that spotlighted the rich diversity of our families, students and community. This was indeed a colorful event that celebrated friendship, inclusion and belonging that embodied the myriad of cultural heritage this community embodies. This experience really speaks to me personally: the notion around building community and creating the space to know our neighbors and hear their stories, understanding cultural identities, and through a lens of culture, customs, and cuisine. International Night really exemplifies who we are as a community and though the program was well attended and it was a large crowd, I wish that every community member had the chance to visit and experience the event. The sights, smells, languages, food, and enjoyable atmosphere captivated me with a learning experience at each table. I learned so much about our students and families that would have not been possible without attending the event. Though I have not had the chance to visit some of these countries, I did have the chance to taste and experience it from their perspective. 

    I would like to thank the HSA at all the elementary school buildings for their collaborative efforts in orchestrating this event. Thank you to Dr. Tuck and her staff for hosting this event. As a district, we look forward to strengthening and expanding the partnership for the next school year. 

    International Nights: Weaving Worlds Together

    The district is thrilled to announce the second opportunity this month to experience an international night -  Weaving Worlds Together: A Night of Customs, Culture and Cuisine! This will be held on March 23 at 6:00 PM at the high school, and is being planned by a group of talented students. If you are interested in hosting an informational table that is reflective of your culture and background please use this link here. The event will feature the wonderful cultures and traditions, food and customs that reflect the rich diversity of our school district community. We hope you will join us. Click here for more information.

    Policy Committee Meeting

    At the March 9th Policy committee meeting, there were first readings of Policies 206, 200, 201, 211, 219. To review the agenda, presentations, and additional information click here. To view the details of each policy, please click here. The majority of the meeting was spent on Policy # 206 -Attendance Areas and Assignment in District. Finding a long-term solution for our capacity challenges in our elementary schools has become our top priority. We can no longer continue to put bandaids on this systemic problem. The lack of classroom space coupled with the increasing enrollment of new students in our elementary schools is a concern that has risen to the top of our priority list. Committing to construction in our buildings to expand and provide space for our students is no longer simply a matter for consideration. It is a matter of when and where. On April 19, at our Facilities and Finance meeting, our consultants from Godshall Kane & O’Rourke Architects (GKO) who have been conducting a space utilization study in each of our elementary buildings will share their findings with the Board and the community. Prior to that we will create time and space for building principals to share this information with you.

    We are also in the process of writing the WSSD strategic plan for the next 10 years; A process that compels us to reimagine pedagogical and instructional practices as well as the very craft of teaching. The learning experiences we are envisioning for our students are for the opportunities of tomorrow and it is incumbent upon us to provide the space in our buildings, facilities and grounds that align to these learning experiences.

    King Field Turf Replacement

    On March 2nd, 2023, in the SHHS Cafeteria, representatives from ELA sports, Mr. Klabunde, Director of Operations,  Drs. Hilden, Matsanka, and Mr. Clancy, Director of Athletics, shared preliminary findings of the turf replacement on King Field and the district-wide grass fields assessment. The community had the opportunity to share comments and recommendations as ELA Sports worked to conclude its findings and recommendations. Our timeline for the turf replacement is anticipated for an early May start date which will be concluded in middle to late August for projected completion. 

    Additionally, the Crabtree Rohrbaugh & Associates team is continuing their study for information gathering about the desired educational model/concept for different areas of the High School. The space utilization study will include the evaluation of possible renovations and modernization of the media center / library, guidance suite, replacement of (8) modular classrooms, locker rooms, natatorium, new auxiliary gym, restroom renovations, and Special Education classrooms. 

    Feeding School Kids

    Giant Corporation awarded WSSD with a check for $6,366 from the Fill-A-Plate and Round Up for Hunger donations to better support students. Many thanks to everyone who supports our students, this partnership cares about "Feeding School Kids." This year, Feeding School Kids raised more than $1.35 million to expand public school feeding programs. The donation to our school district will support food security and food assistance initiatives. 

    Upcoming Meetings and Events

    March 17: School closed for staff in-service.

    Strategic Plan-Upcoming Meetings

    Please join us tomorrow Saturday, March 11th for the Community Input meeting from 9:00 AM-11:00 AM in the cafeteria of SHMS. To register for this meeting, please click here. The next Community Input meeting is on Thursday, March 16 from 1-3PM via Zoom. As we continue our strategic planning process, our community will continue to play a fundamental role in  forging a path that continues to elevate WSSD not only as a destination of choice for families but also as a premier K-12 institution in the country. We welcome our community’s input and invite you to be a part of our efforts. I am thankful for your involvement and commitment to our school district.

    Final Remarks

    Spring competitions begin this weekend with boys and girls lacrosse games. Congratulations to Sam Milligan and Ben Farabaugh for competing in the PIAA State Wrestling Championship at the Giant Center in Hershey, PA this weekend. Gavin Shifflett will compete in the PIAA Swimming Championship on March 16 through 18.  We wish all of our student athletes good luck!

     

    Be Safe.

    Wagner Marseille, Ed.D.

    Superintendent

      

  • March 10, 2023

  • February 24, 2023

  • February 10, 2023

  • January 27, 2023

  • January 20, 2023

  • January 13, 2023

  • January 6, 2023

  • Regarding the Lockdown Incident on 12/8/22

  • November 11, 2022

  • October 28, 2022

  • October 14, 2022

  • September 30, 2022

  • September 23, 2022

  • September 2, 2022

2021-2022

  • June 17, 2022

  • May 27, 2022

  • May 24, 2022

  • May 20, 2022

  • May 16, 2022

  • May 6, 2022

  • April 28, 2022

  • April 22, 2022

  • April 8, 2022

  • April 1, 2022

  • March 18, 2022

  • March 11, 2022

  • March 4, 2022

  • February 28, 2022

  • February 24, 2022

  • February 18, 2022

  • February 11, 2022

  • February 4, 2022

  • January 28, 2022

  • January 14, 2022

  • January 7, 2022

  • December 30, 2021

  • December 23, 2021

  • December 17, 2021

  • December 10, 2021

  • December 3, 2021

  • November 24, 2021

  • November 12, 2021

  • October 29, 2021

  • October 15, 2021

  • October 1, 2021

  • September 27, 2021

  • September 17, 2021

  • September 10, 2021

  • September 3, 2021

  • July 8, 2021

  • July 1, 2021