Penn Manor welcomed more than 400 teachers and support staff back for the 2022-2023 school year on August 22 as it hosted Staff Opening Day activities at Penn Manor High School.
In a morning session in the auditorium, Penn Manor superintendent Dr. Phil Gale greeted staff members, many of whom are new to the district. Penn Manor has 42 new teachers, representing nearly 10 percent of the total, along with a half dozen new administrators.
Dr. Gale emphasized that, despite the disruption caused by the COVID pandemic over the past two years, Penn Manor students did not experience significant learning loss – thanks to the extraordinary efforts of their teachers.
School board president Herk Rintz also addressed the group, praising the teaching staff for persevering in “one of the most difficult jobs in the world” in a challenging time.
Also addressing the crowd were Penn Manor’s 2021-2022 Outstanding Educators and Employee – Wendy Letavic, Jenna Fisher and Chip Froelich – and the 2022 Pennsylvania Teacher of the Year, Elizabeth Raff.
District parent Steve Fafel also spoke about the positive impact Penn Manor and its teachers have had on his four children.
Staff members then broke into small groups for conversations on a range of topics. Much of the focus was on strengthening Penn Manor’s bond with the community, providing additional support for students and building relationships within our schools and the community.
Teachers then reconvened in the auditorium in the afternoon to discuss specific suggestions.
Every staff member attending Monday’s Opening Day received a T-shirt emblazoned with “It’s a great day to be a Comet!” on the back.
It was great to see so many familiar faces and get inspired for the new school year, which begins Monday, August 29!
