Penn Manor welcomed nearly 500 teachers and support staff back for the 2023-2024 school year on August 21 for Opening Day activities at Penn Manor High School.
This year’s theme was “Remix,” as staff members were encouraged to take a fresh look at what they do in our schools and think about what tweaks they can make to better support our students when the school year begins on Monday, August 28.
Penn Manor student ambassadors greeted staff as they entered the school and helped distribute “PM Remix 2023” notebooks to all attendees.
Superintendent Dr. Phil Gale challenged staff members to fill out squares listing their possible “remixes” throughout the year and vowed to post them on his blank office walls.
Penn Manor school board president Herk Rintz addressed the group, praising the staff for their dedication and perseverance and pointing out that this was his last Opening Day, as he transitions off the school board after 20 years of service.
Also addressing the crowd were Penn Manor’s 2022-2023 Outstanding Educators and Employee – Julie Yoder, Kim Frey and Brian Wimer. The school district’s instructional facilitators, Tony Carrodo and Elizabeth Raff, talked about how they can help teachers improve their “instructional playbooks” throughout the year.
The keynote speaker was Dr. Katherine Dahlsgaard, a psychologist and cognitive behavioral therapist, who talked about how schools can raise their standards to help students overcome emotional obstacles.
Staff members enjoyed coffee and other beverages provided by the Penn Manor Education Foundation and then broke into small groups for conversations on a range of topics.
It was great to see so many familiar faces–and meet some new ones–to help get inspired for the new school year!
