WSSD Hires First-Ever Assistant Superintendent
Mary Figura
At its Monday night meeting this week, the Wallingford-Swarthmore School Board authorized the hiring of Mary Figura as WSSD’s its first-ever assistant to the superintendent for management services. Superintendent Dr. Lisa Palmer said that compared to similar school districts, Wallingford-Swarthmore has had a “lean administrative team.” Figura is currently director of curriculum, instruction and technology in the Pine Grove (Schuylkill County) School District.
By a unanimous 9-0 vote, the Board approved the hiring of Figura, who will begin work at WSSD offices in November, 2019. She will have a wide variety of responsibilities including overseeing management services, serving as the safety and security coordinator, performing the functions of the districts compliance officer, and coordinating the student wellness program. Her annual salary will be $124,000.
Homecoming Week
This weekend’s Homecoming in the Wallingford-Swarthmore School District has a special focus on Philadelphia pride and giving. On Friday, September 27, from 4 to 6 p.m., the district will hold its Fall Festival, a family event open to the entire community, with games, activities, and food trucks sharing a theme with other Homecoming events: “A Night in the City.” The fest will also provide an opportunity for Strath Haven High School clubs to fundraise and showcase their ideas and projects to the community.
More than 600 SHHS students are expected to attend this year’s homecoming dance, which is the most popular event of the year. SHHS’s student council has decided to donate a portion of each student ticket to a Philadelphia charitable enterprise, Project HOME, providing an additional reason for students to attend.
Sleep Study
The focus topic of Monday’s meeting was the district’s continuing exploration of later start times for the high school day. Dr. Denise Citarelli Jones, WSSD’s director of secondary education, made a thorough presentation on what the district has uncovered so far. Thirteen school districts in Pennsylvania have made the decision to push back high school start times, and at least twelve others are considering the benefits of doing so. Dr. Jones’ presentation — which is online at https://www.wssd.org/domain/908 — had an emphasis on the science behind sleeping, making the point that when sleep-deprived, students’ health, safety, and performance are in danger.
Dr. Citarelli Jones introduced the various committees and subcommittees the district has initiated to guide the process of deciding whether or not start times should be pushed back. These task forces consider the opinions and criticisms of students, teachers, and parents in order to derive the best solution for this complex question. To that end, surveys will soon be circulated to students and to parents, seeking data on start time preferences and contingencies. Dr. Jones’s presentation is just one among the sleep study resources available at wssd.org. Community members looking to get involved or make a general inquiry can reach out to schoolstarttime@wssd.org, which is monitored daily to respond to questions.
Young environmentalists from Strath Haven joined the climate strike and rally in Philadelphia last Friday, including 6th grader Colin Foster, 9th grader Ava Manaker, and 8th graders Janna Murphy, and Janet Chen. Photo by Bill Foster.
Parent Voices Concern about Climate Change
Lastly, William Foster, parent of a middle school student who is passionate about environmentalism, voiced concerns about the imminent danger of climate change. In honor of United Nations climate action week, Mr. Foster asked the School Board district to recognize the connection between the decisions the district makes and the exacerbation of this problem. Mr. Foster’s comments served as a reminder to all that the dangers of climate change affect everyone and that each individual can contribute to saving the Earth.
