Pennsbury Partners Recognized at Dinner

Provided by the Pennsbury School District:

The Pennsbury Partners Program celebrated its 15^th annual partnership recognition dinner on Tuesday, April 8th at William Penn Middle School. As in previous years, awards were presented to one outstanding business partner and one outstanding non-profit partner. One special recognition award was also added to this year’s program. The 2014 celebration, which resembled a Hollywood awards party, featured musical entertainment by members of the Pennsbury Concert Jazz Band and members of the Pennsbury High School Symphony Orchestra. As guests arrived, they were greeted by a trio of herald trumpeters from the Pennsbury High School Marching Band.

Business and non-profit partners known for enhancing academic instruction, career awareness, and community service were recognized at the event, which was organized by Dr. Christine Zervos, Coordinator of Partnerships and Grants, and Ms. Robin Peters, Partnership Program Assistant. “In addition to benefiting students, partnering with Pennsbury offers many advantages for community agencies and businesses,” said Dr. Zervos. “Partnerships enhance marketing and public relations, provide greater visibility in the community, and offer the personal satisfaction that together, we will help shape the workforce of the future. As a result, we are all winners.”

Pennsbury’s administrative and professional staff members were also recognized for their commitment, time, and the collaborative efforts they extend to their Pennsbury partners. Nearly 200 guests attended the recognition dinner.

The recipients of the outstanding partnership award statuettes for the 2013-2014 school year included:

•  Top It! Frozen Yogurt Cafe – Business Partner of the Year
  A Pennsbury Partner since 2012, Top It! has provided certificates of recognition for honor roll students at all three middle schools (approximately 3,000 this year). Top It! also donated hundreds of certificates for free yogurt or smoothies for many school activities including: DARE graduations, the Pennsbury High School Prom Fashion Show, Career Fair, Homecoming, Student of the Week recognition awards, Reading rewards, Math incentive awards, and recycling programs. In addition, Top It! hosts fundraising events organized by many school-related groups and programs.

• United Way of Bucks County- LYFT – Non-Profit Partner of the Year
  The Pennsbury LYFT Coalition was founded in 1995 as a community-prevention resource assisting students and families in the Pennsbury School District. LYFT, an acronym signifying the four unicipalities that comprise Pennsbury (Lower Makefield Township, Yardley Borough, Falls Township, and Tullytown Borough) is part of the United Way of Bucks County. The primary focus of LYFT is to reduce the incidence of substance use and abuse by youth in the community and to support healthier youth development. LYFT has an array of initiatives in progress at any given time. Highlights of the past year include participating in Prescription Drug Take Back Days, conducting Project Sticker Shock, providing an after-school program at the middle school level called Z-period, and facilitating a distracted driving prevention program at the high school.

Student involvement in the 2014 recognition ceremony included comments from four high school students who participate in LYFT activities. These were Kat Sestrick, Brianna Vest, Jon Leventry, and Samantha Lipoff. Another Pennsbury High School student, Keara Sanderson, shared her experiences in a fundraising effort she organized at Top It! Frozen Yogurt Café. Keara spoke of the generosity of this year’s Best Business Partner.

One additional Pennsbury Partner was recognized for making a unique contribution to the Pennsbury School District. The Yellow Bird Players, a group of Pennsbury bus drivers, received a Special Recognition award at this year’s dinner. The Yellow Bird players present valuable information to kindergarteners, first, and second graders on school bus safety. This information is presented in the Pennsbury elementary schools in skit form using a simulated school bus to teach the students both good and bad bus behaviors. The Yellow Bird Players received a “Governor’s Safety Award” in 1999 in the category of Safety Education.

Among this year’s dinner sponsors were Exelon – Gold sponsor; Lifetouch Photography and Metz Culinary Management – Bronze sponsors. Funds provided by the 2014 sponsors will enable the Partnership Program to provide mini-grants to Pennsbury teachers in the coming school year.

Over the last 19 years, the Pennsbury Partners Program has grown to be a highly successful, collaborative effort involving over 1,000 partners in the Pennsbury community. For information on the Pennsbury Partners Program, visit www.pennsbury.k12.pa.us/partners.