Superintendent's Corner: November 2022
November 8, 2022
Mother Nature’s autumn show has been incredibly vibrant this year, setting the backdrop for what’s been an exciting and busy season in the Souderton Area School District. Here’s a look at what’s been happening:
- We’ve seen record attendance at our Homecoming Football Game and Homecoming Dance, and as that energy fills our stadium and school, we are also preparing to celebrate a Souderton Area High School Football Anniversary. Our players will kick off their 100th Anniversary season next year. On November 2, 1923, Calvin Coolidge was just three months into his presidency, and a brand-new Chevy cost about $525. The Souderton High School Football Team got its only victory that year with a 50-0 win over North Wales High School. Since then, 12 different coaches have led the team onto the gridiron, with four posting overall winning records. Coaches Drew Darrah and Ed Gallagher each won more than 100 games, accounting for 54 combined seasons and nearly 75% of the victories in the school's history. This year, local legislators Senators Collette and Mensch, and Representatives Malagari and Pennycuick, joined us on the 50-yard line to celebrate this milestone and the many students who have played for our team over the last 99 years.
- We continued to honor our proud history this fall with the Souderton Area High School Hall of Fame Induction Dinner, an annual tradition begun by our Alumni Association in 1997. This year, engineer Dean Stoneback (Class of 1983) and attorney Jennifer Riley (Class of 1991) were inducted.
- Renovations are underway at Franconia Elementary School and Indian Valley Middle School as we continue to invest in our facilities, keeping our schools safe, modern, and efficient into the 21st century.
- Food Service provider Chartwells is staffed and busy serving healthy meals to students in all of our schools. In addition to a fresh new menu, they are also offering "Student Choice" days on which students taste test samples and vote on new menu additions.
- The Indian Valley Character Counts! Coalition recently hosted a Community Leadership Breakfast inviting students from each of our schools to represent their classmates. This organization works to prevent adolescent substance abuse and also promotes the 6 Pillars of Character: Trustworthiness, Respect, Responsibility, Fairness, Caring, and Citizenship.
- The Indian Valley Education Foundation (IVEF) hosted The Big Red Cornament, A fun-filled day of competition by all ages on cornhole boards created by high school Technology Education students. Residents of the Peter Becker Community assisted in the design and creation of these beautiful boards.
We are looking forward to a celebration of arts in the Souderton Area School District. The High School Fall Play opens this week and begins what will surely be a season of entertainment from our students. Please check our Web site for dates and times of all of our winter concerts.
I hope you’re able to get out to enjoy these beautiful autumn days. Souderton spirit is strong – I can feel it in the air!
Sincerely,
Frank T. Gallagher, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools