I received this email a short time ago with some very sad news.
Ed died this morning. I don't know much more than that it was a relief to his family as he was in a lot of pain. Pat spoke with Dr. Yonson this morning and sent her thanks to everyone who shared their support. I'll think of a proper eulogy when I can think again.
The floor is open for any comments. We've lost a real leader.
Damn...
From the district website:
SAD NEWS
It is with a very heavy heart that we must inform you that Mr. Edward Frankenfield, member of the Morrisville School Board passed away this morning (5/28/08). Ed was a great friend of education and to our school district in particular. He served our district well in the four years on the school board, from raising money for band uniforms to reading to our children at Reiter Elementary to making sure the children and staff had the resources they needed. Ed was always there. The District's condolences are extended to Ed's family.
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Comic Relief
Some of these may be new to you, but it highlights a real problem: How can Johnny learn if his parents need some assistance themselves?
This column is by Richard Lederer
A fifth-grade pupil wrote in an essay: "I have enjoyed my boyhood so much that I am looking forward to my adultery."
A young woman wrote to advice columnist Dorothy Dix: "I have been an adolescent for the past six or seven years. When will I grow up to be an adulteress?"
Eventually little boys and girls do grow up to become adults and adulteresses, at which point their writing is supposed to get better. But that is not always the case. If you wonder why Johnny and Jane can't write, take a look at some of the prose miscreated by their moms and dads. Here are some poor excuses for excuse notes that were actually received by teachers throughout our land:
Is there any excuse for the disrepair of these excuse notes?
Or are the parents just too slow to be quick?.
This column is by Richard Lederer
A fifth-grade pupil wrote in an essay: "I have enjoyed my boyhood so much that I am looking forward to my adultery."
A young woman wrote to advice columnist Dorothy Dix: "I have been an adolescent for the past six or seven years. When will I grow up to be an adulteress?"
Eventually little boys and girls do grow up to become adults and adulteresses, at which point their writing is supposed to get better. But that is not always the case. If you wonder why Johnny and Jane can't write, take a look at some of the prose miscreated by their moms and dads. Here are some poor excuses for excuse notes that were actually received by teachers throughout our land:
- Please excuse Raul from school yesterday. He had a stomach egg.
- Susan was not in school today because she had her first menopause.
- Stanley had to miss some school. He had an attack of whooping cranes in his chest.
- Gerald was out last week because his grandmother died in Kentucky again.
- Please excuse Margie for being absent Wednesday and Thursday as she was sick with a stripped throat and an absent tooth.
- Ronnie could not finish his work last night. He said his brain was too tired of spelling.
- The basement of our house got flooded where the children sleep so they had to be evaporated.
- I kept Monica home today because she was not feeling too bright.
- Please excuse my daughter. She had an abominable pain.
- Please can Jill not have Jim today? She had Jim last week and is still sore.
- Please excuse Lupe. She is having problems with her ovals.
- Ralph was absent yesterday because he had a sore trout.
- Please refuse Robert's absents last Friday. He had a sour thought.
- Please forgive Clarence for being absent from school the past few days. He was home sick from an operation. He had trouble and had to be serpent sized.
- Please excuse Redbird. Every time she coff she make whoopie.
- Jennifer was late due to our clock getting unplugged and waking up late.
- Please excuse the stink on Bill's clothes. We've been spraying the garden because it is full of abnoxous incests.
- Please excuse Jane. She had an absent tooth. Wednesday she will have an appointment with the ornithologist.
- Please excuse my daughter's absence for the past week, as she had a case of the fool.
- Please escuse my daughter's absence. She had her periodicals.
- Please excuse Connie from gym class to day, as she had difficulty breeding.
- Paulie was late because he was not too early. He is never in no hurry. He is too slow to be quick.
Is there any excuse for the disrepair of these excuse notes?
Or are the parents just too slow to be quick?.
Pennsylvania School Standards
Here's an editorial from the BCCT this morning calling for better state education standards. Our school board, and many others in the area, have passed resolutions opposing many of the proposals.
What do you think?
Empty diplomas Raising the bar
School districts shouldn’t be allowed to graduate students who can’t read, write or do math.
If you’re not familiar with the term “empty diploma,” it refers to the shameful and destructive practice of graduating kids who lack basic skills. This is a big problem in Pennsylvania.
According to the state Department of Education, more than 56,000 high school seniors graduated from Pennsylvania high schools last year even though they failed state math and reading tests. This happened because the state PSSA (Pennsylvania System of School Assessment) tests aren’t the final word on who gets diplomas and who doesn’t.
School districts have final say via so-called local graduation assessments. And so the PSSAs, which are Pennsylvania’s No Child Left Behind tests, can be and routinely are summarily dismissed as a graduation requirement.
How it helps graduates to enter the work force or go on to college while lacking basic math and language skills is a mystery to us — and a disservice to the ill equipped graduates. It’s why the Education Department, at Gov. Rendell’s urgings, has developed a battery of graduation tests in 10 core subjects. Sensibly, the tests would be administered at the completion of each course as opposed to combining the subject areas into a single comprehensive test in students’ senior year.
That would be less troubling for students. And with remediation provided along the way, it would be a more effective way to help students learn the basic skills they need to succeed in today’s world. Besides, we have to do something.
State Education officials can’t allow watered-down graduation standards to remain in place. It’s impractical if not ruinous from a national perspective; it also violates the state’s legal and moral obligation to provide students with an education.
Unfortunately, the proposal is getting panned by school districts and teacher unions. They warn against burdening already test weary students and fret that more students will drop out if standards are raised. Additionally, they claim that districts are the best judges of whether students are qualified to graduate.
Seems to us local standards are much too weak if students who can’t pass basic skills tests are getting diplomas anyway.
What’s worrisome is that lawmakers are joining the opposition. And so we encourage citizens to chime in. Public comment on the proposal to standardize graduation requirements will be accepted through June 16.
Stand up for real graduation standards and against handing out diplomas just for showing up.
What do you think?
Empty diplomas Raising the bar
School districts shouldn’t be allowed to graduate students who can’t read, write or do math.
If you’re not familiar with the term “empty diploma,” it refers to the shameful and destructive practice of graduating kids who lack basic skills. This is a big problem in Pennsylvania.
According to the state Department of Education, more than 56,000 high school seniors graduated from Pennsylvania high schools last year even though they failed state math and reading tests. This happened because the state PSSA (Pennsylvania System of School Assessment) tests aren’t the final word on who gets diplomas and who doesn’t.
School districts have final say via so-called local graduation assessments. And so the PSSAs, which are Pennsylvania’s No Child Left Behind tests, can be and routinely are summarily dismissed as a graduation requirement.
How it helps graduates to enter the work force or go on to college while lacking basic math and language skills is a mystery to us — and a disservice to the ill equipped graduates. It’s why the Education Department, at Gov. Rendell’s urgings, has developed a battery of graduation tests in 10 core subjects. Sensibly, the tests would be administered at the completion of each course as opposed to combining the subject areas into a single comprehensive test in students’ senior year.
That would be less troubling for students. And with remediation provided along the way, it would be a more effective way to help students learn the basic skills they need to succeed in today’s world. Besides, we have to do something.
State Education officials can’t allow watered-down graduation standards to remain in place. It’s impractical if not ruinous from a national perspective; it also violates the state’s legal and moral obligation to provide students with an education.
Unfortunately, the proposal is getting panned by school districts and teacher unions. They warn against burdening already test weary students and fret that more students will drop out if standards are raised. Additionally, they claim that districts are the best judges of whether students are qualified to graduate.
Seems to us local standards are much too weak if students who can’t pass basic skills tests are getting diplomas anyway.
What’s worrisome is that lawmakers are joining the opposition. And so we encourage citizens to chime in. Public comment on the proposal to standardize graduation requirements will be accepted through June 16.
Stand up for real graduation standards and against handing out diplomas just for showing up.
The Emperor Speaks!
Thanks to the tipster regarding Kate Fratti's blog.
I couldn't find the BCCT editorial and Greta's guest opinion on line to see if any comments were posted. In fact most dates from the holiday weekend are not there. I think it's a CONSPIRACY!!!
Maybe conspiracy is a little over the top. Maybe. Who knows?
And Kate--can you get the editorial and Greta's guest opinion posted to phillyburbs.com?
I’m all ears
Today, I heard from Morrisville School Board President Bill Hellmann who invited me to sit down with him soon to talk about the challenges facing Morrisville and the board majority’s efforts to deal with them. Hellmann is a man of very few words, often decling comment even at public school board meetings. I’d asked him to simply explain his rationale for calling for serious cuts to spending on special education and alternative schooling. He’s proposed not funding nearly half of the increase in costs. Says the district has to draw a line somewhere. Some argue that what he’s proposing will never pass legal muster. I’ll let you know when we’re scheduled to talk.
I couldn't find the BCCT editorial and Greta's guest opinion on line to see if any comments were posted. In fact most dates from the holiday weekend are not there. I think it's a CONSPIRACY!!!
Maybe conspiracy is a little over the top. Maybe. Who knows?
And Kate--can you get the editorial and Greta's guest opinion posted to phillyburbs.com?
I’m all ears
Today, I heard from Morrisville School Board President Bill Hellmann who invited me to sit down with him soon to talk about the challenges facing Morrisville and the board majority’s efforts to deal with them. Hellmann is a man of very few words, often decling comment even at public school board meetings. I’d asked him to simply explain his rationale for calling for serious cuts to spending on special education and alternative schooling. He’s proposed not funding nearly half of the increase in costs. Says the district has to draw a line somewhere. Some argue that what he’s proposing will never pass legal muster. I’ll let you know when we’re scheduled to talk.
School Board Business Meeting Reminder
Make sure to attend tonight's board meeting to see the Emperor's decrees regarding the budget, special education kids, and what we're going to do with three dying buildings and 950 students.
Morrisville school board: 7:30 p.m., Large Group Instruction Room of the Middle/Senior High School, 550 W. Palmer St. Agenda: Consider resignation of board treasurer and election of new one; consider going ahead with updated strategic plan; Bucks County Technical High School budget; discussion of alternate high school plan for the school district. 215-736-2681
Morrisville school board: 7:30 p.m., Large Group Instruction Room of the Middle/Senior High School, 550 W. Palmer St. Agenda: Consider resignation of board treasurer and election of new one; consider going ahead with updated strategic plan; Bucks County Technical High School budget; discussion of alternate high school plan for the school district. 215-736-2681
Sports News: 1 for 2
Congrats to the boys baseball team on their 7-3 win off of Matt Miller's grand slam in the eighth, but also condolences as the Lady Bulldog softball team closes out the season with a loss to Christopher Dock 4-1.
DISTRICT ONE CLASS A BASEBALL: MORRISVILLE 7, DELCO CHRISTIAN 3 (8 INNINGS)
Bulldogs feel grand, make final
Matt Miller’s dramatic grand slam added to the magic of Morrisville’s season.
By KEVIN COONEY
COLLEGEVILLE — There wasn’t any Carlton Fisk wave coming from Matt Miller as he sprinted down the first base line Tuesday.
But there was this prevailing thought running through his brain a million miles a minute with every step:
“Please stay fair, please stay fair, please stay fair….”
“I saw the ball tailing towards the foul pole and I was hoping that it would just stay in play,” said Miller, a senior pitcher/shortstop for the Bulldogs. “When I got near the bag, I started wondering if it had enough to get over the fence.”
The ball cleared the 320-foot sign down the left field line to give Morrisville’s incredible season another memorable moment.
Miller’s grand slam with one out in the top of the eighth inning proved to be the defining moment of the Bulldogs’ 7-3 win over Delco Christian Tuesday in the PIAA District One Class A baseball semifinals at Perkiomen Valley High School.
The Bulldogs will play either Christopher Dock or Devon Prep in the District One championship game on Thursday afternoon at a site and time to be determined. (Morrisville officials are hoping that District One will allow for an early start on Thursday so Miller can attend the 10 th annual Courier-Kiwanis Scholar Athlete Banquet Thursday night at St. Mary Medical Center.)
“I’m thrilled, because we kept battling as a team,” said Miller, who tossed five innings of shutout ball in relief of starter Andrew Fletcher. “The games that we didn’t win earlier in the year, we’re finding a way to get it done now.”
Time after time Tuesday, it looked as though the breaks that the Bulldogs received on Thursday against Bristol were going to go against them this time. Hard hit balls that should have been singles found a way into Delco gloves.
When pitcher Mike Connelly hit a wind-driven three-run homer in the third to give Delco Christian the lead, the Bulldogs appeared to be in deep trouble.
“The best part about our guys is the fact that they don’t quit,” Morrisville coach Dave Vaccaro said. “We kept telling our guys that we were only one play away from being back tied or in the lead. I didn’t want one guy to beat us.”
Connelly was strong, but Morrisville would draw even in the sixth on George Souyack’s RBI single to right. The game would drift into extra innings.
That’s where Connelly appeared to run out of steam on his fastball, unable to locate it over the plate. Three walks set the stage for Miller, who jerked a 3-2 curveball down the line and over the fence for the slam to send the Bulldogs thirdbase dugout into euphoria.
“Honestly, I didn’t know if it would stay fair or not,” second baseman Kyle Schnee said. “But when it did, I can’t tell you how excited everyone got.”
------------------------------------------------
DISTRICT ONE CLASS A SOFTBALL: CHRISTOPHER DOCK 4, MORRISVILLE 1
Hickey lifts Dock to final
By AL THOMPSON
Hickey said she had her off-speed pitches working early, plus she could feel the excitement of trying to defeat a team that dominated Dock during the regular season. The Bulldogs crushed the Pioneers, 11-1, earlier this year.
“I was very excited, I had a lot of energy,” Hickey said. “My screwball was doing good as well as my curveball. I was just keeping them in and out.”
Dock coach Wayne Benner said his team was motivated against Morrisville because of the lopsided loss that stung him personally.
“We never gave up,” Colon said. “That’s just not our style.”
Colon loses four starters to graduation and has many new solid players coming, plus he gets his ace pitcher back for another year. Kaylee White, the Constitution Division MVP, pitched well, limiting the Pioneers to four hits while striking out 11. Two of Dock’s runs were a result of a wild pitch in the third and a fielder’s choice groundout in the fifth.
“We wouldn’t have come this far without her,” Colon said of his hurler. “She played very well.”
In addition to Hickey, Dock was led by Kelby Bolton, who collected two hits, including a two-run triple. She also scored a run.
The Bulldogs ended their season with a 14-5 record overall and a division-winning Bicentennial Athletic League record of 12-1.
Coach Ivan Colon said although Hickey was dominant, his team only had itself to blame for the loss.
“The biggest thing was we left too many people on base,” Colon said. “We struck out looking a few times at the beginning, then we started battling. I like the way we battled.”
Colon was referring to the sixth and seventh innings, when Morrisville sent 11 batters to the plate but was only able to push one run across when Kristen Jopko’s single knocked in Jamie Schlosser from second. Overall, the Bulldogs left seven runners stranded.
DISTRICT ONE CLASS A BASEBALL: MORRISVILLE 7, DELCO CHRISTIAN 3 (8 INNINGS)
Bulldogs feel grand, make final
Matt Miller’s dramatic grand slam added to the magic of Morrisville’s season.
By KEVIN COONEY
COLLEGEVILLE — There wasn’t any Carlton Fisk wave coming from Matt Miller as he sprinted down the first base line Tuesday.
But there was this prevailing thought running through his brain a million miles a minute with every step:
“Please stay fair, please stay fair, please stay fair….”
“I saw the ball tailing towards the foul pole and I was hoping that it would just stay in play,” said Miller, a senior pitcher/shortstop for the Bulldogs. “When I got near the bag, I started wondering if it had enough to get over the fence.”
The ball cleared the 320-foot sign down the left field line to give Morrisville’s incredible season another memorable moment.
Miller’s grand slam with one out in the top of the eighth inning proved to be the defining moment of the Bulldogs’ 7-3 win over Delco Christian Tuesday in the PIAA District One Class A baseball semifinals at Perkiomen Valley High School.
The Bulldogs will play either Christopher Dock or Devon Prep in the District One championship game on Thursday afternoon at a site and time to be determined. (Morrisville officials are hoping that District One will allow for an early start on Thursday so Miller can attend the 10 th annual Courier-Kiwanis Scholar Athlete Banquet Thursday night at St. Mary Medical Center.)
“I’m thrilled, because we kept battling as a team,” said Miller, who tossed five innings of shutout ball in relief of starter Andrew Fletcher. “The games that we didn’t win earlier in the year, we’re finding a way to get it done now.”
Time after time Tuesday, it looked as though the breaks that the Bulldogs received on Thursday against Bristol were going to go against them this time. Hard hit balls that should have been singles found a way into Delco gloves.
When pitcher Mike Connelly hit a wind-driven three-run homer in the third to give Delco Christian the lead, the Bulldogs appeared to be in deep trouble.
“The best part about our guys is the fact that they don’t quit,” Morrisville coach Dave Vaccaro said. “We kept telling our guys that we were only one play away from being back tied or in the lead. I didn’t want one guy to beat us.”
Connelly was strong, but Morrisville would draw even in the sixth on George Souyack’s RBI single to right. The game would drift into extra innings.
That’s where Connelly appeared to run out of steam on his fastball, unable to locate it over the plate. Three walks set the stage for Miller, who jerked a 3-2 curveball down the line and over the fence for the slam to send the Bulldogs thirdbase dugout into euphoria.
“Honestly, I didn’t know if it would stay fair or not,” second baseman Kyle Schnee said. “But when it did, I can’t tell you how excited everyone got.”
------------------------------------------------
DISTRICT ONE CLASS A SOFTBALL: CHRISTOPHER DOCK 4, MORRISVILLE 1
Hickey lifts Dock to final
By AL THOMPSON
Hickey said she had her off-speed pitches working early, plus she could feel the excitement of trying to defeat a team that dominated Dock during the regular season. The Bulldogs crushed the Pioneers, 11-1, earlier this year.
“I was very excited, I had a lot of energy,” Hickey said. “My screwball was doing good as well as my curveball. I was just keeping them in and out.”
Dock coach Wayne Benner said his team was motivated against Morrisville because of the lopsided loss that stung him personally.
“We never gave up,” Colon said. “That’s just not our style.”
Colon loses four starters to graduation and has many new solid players coming, plus he gets his ace pitcher back for another year. Kaylee White, the Constitution Division MVP, pitched well, limiting the Pioneers to four hits while striking out 11. Two of Dock’s runs were a result of a wild pitch in the third and a fielder’s choice groundout in the fifth.
“We wouldn’t have come this far without her,” Colon said of his hurler. “She played very well.”
In addition to Hickey, Dock was led by Kelby Bolton, who collected two hits, including a two-run triple. She also scored a run.
The Bulldogs ended their season with a 14-5 record overall and a division-winning Bicentennial Athletic League record of 12-1.
Coach Ivan Colon said although Hickey was dominant, his team only had itself to blame for the loss.
“The biggest thing was we left too many people on base,” Colon said. “We struck out looking a few times at the beginning, then we started battling. I like the way we battled.”
Colon was referring to the sixth and seventh innings, when Morrisville sent 11 batters to the plate but was only able to push one run across when Kristen Jopko’s single knocked in Jamie Schlosser from second. Overall, the Bulldogs left seven runners stranded.
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