I remember the last day of sixth grade like it was yesterday. I went to York Avenue Elementary School, and after saying goodbye, giving lots of hugs, and walking home, I didn’t know what to do with myself. After about thirty minutes of contemplation, I ended up calling the main office to see if I could come back and help the teachers pack up their classrooms. However, I was respectfully turned down; everyone was in a meeting.

Looking back, I find it slightly hilarious that the first thing I wanted to do on my first day of summer was go back to school. However, I think this little story from elementary school serves as a perfect representation of my educational career at North Penn School District as a whole. Because today is the day that I graduate, I think it’s fitting for me to reflect on my years in the district and acknowledge those who have supported, encouraged, and taught me.

When I think of NPSD, I admit that only positive thoughts come to mind; I was fortunate enough to have one of the most unique, supportive, educational, rewarding, and unforgettable experiences in my life. The number of opportunities that I was presented with are incredible, and I’ll forever be grateful for having been a student in such an enriching district.

Over the course of thirteen years, simply put, a lot has happened, and I’ve had the privilege of building relationships with some very special people. For that reason, I’m going to break this reflection piece into several sections, so I don’t lose focus too much.

The People

I strongly believe that the NPSD is blessed with some of the most influential, supportive, encouraging, inspiring educators that a public-school district could ever be staffed with. Each and every teacher that I have been lucky enough to have has taught me some of the most important lessons that a student could learn: staying true to oneself, practicing hard work, demonstrating one’s passion, staying involved, showing respect, compassion, and empathy, etc.

However, it wasn’t only the teachers that I’ve had who have influenced me; it was the administrators, custodians, lunch ladies and gentlemen, security personnel, guidance counselors, secretaries, and numerous other district staff members.

Over the course of thirteen years, each and every NPSD staff member that I had the chance to get to know has helped me grow. During the best and hardest of times and through all of the smiles and tears, I knew that I could lean on or reach out to an endless support system of faculty.

Because I’ve had the opportunity to learn from countless amazing people, I find it extremely difficult to say farewell and express my appreciation to everyone. After building relationships with the staff, gaining their trust, and becoming so close with them, it’s truly sad to have to leave; however, I have incredible memories to bring with me and look back on.

The Opportunities

NPSD is known for providing their students with a plethora of educationally enriching opportunities inside and outside of the classroom, and I’m proud to have been involved in such experiences. No matter what I was doing at school, before, during, or after hours, I know I was benefitting from it in some way.

While the elementary and middle schools undoubtedly offer countless opportunities, I have to say that from my experience, NPHS offers so many opportunities that I often found myself having to turn things down, because there’s just not enough time in the day to everything. One of the things that I admired the most about NPHS is the fact that it barely ever sleeps; there is an event going on every single day, whether it’s a sports event, fundraiser, club meeting, or competition.

One of my fondest memories of all the excitement at NPHS was actually this school year on a Friday back in mid-November. I don’t remember why, but I got to the high school around 6:60am to do some work before the start of school. After eighth period, I ran to Wawa with my friend for coffee, and we rushed back to school to arrive by 2:30pm to help the International Friend Committee set up for their annual craft show. My friend and I helped our favorite crafters set up, and after set up was complete, the IFC kindly bought us all pizza as thanks for setting up. After reminiscing about experiences abroad, my friends and I walked on down to the concourse, where we bought tickets to attend the fall play, which was absolutely amazing. I remember getting home after 10:30pm that evening and thinking how lucky I was to attend a school where there are activities for the students to build a better community and grow in more areas that the classroom allows.

Getting back on track, I think that having been involved in various extracurricular activities at every level of schooling has not only exposed me to reality, but also helped me discover my passion. From the HABIT E3 to NJHS to the Educational Foundation to the Knight Crier to studying abroad in Spain, NPSD has supported me in pursuing my passions and becoming a better person.

The Classes and Environment

As a student in the NPSD, I’ve been exposed to a variety of classes offered at varying levels to suit my interests and skills. I loved having the opportunity to start out in my comfort zone at the start of my career in each level of schooling, only to increase the difficulty to challenge my abilities and improve my skills.

While the work certainly stacked up at times throughout the years, I appreciate the difficulty and rigor of each course that I was enrolled in. From art class to news journalism to lifeguarding to AP Spanish/English/Government, I’ve been encouraged to take classes that interest me and would better prepare me for the future.
I loved going to all of my classes to listen to and learn from my teachers and classmates, but I have to admit that taking News Journalism (or Knight Crier) was one of the best decisions that I could have ever made. Thanks to Mr. Manero making the course so rewarding and engaging, I was able to improve my communication skills and become more aware of my surroundings throughout the district. I learned to better appreciate the district and the accomplishments of my peers, which ultimately augmented my love for NPSD. 

As a member of a class of over 1,000 students and a student in a school of over 3,000 students, I have had the privilege to grow and learn in an extremely diverse, accepting environment. In a district where differences are celebrated, I always found it refreshing that teachers would encourage debates, differences in opinions, and interjections to serve as a learning opportunity.

As my educational career at NPSD comes to a close today, I want to thank each and every staff member that has supported me in some way. I couldn’t have had such a successful, memorable time over the years without the help of the staff. My senior year has been extremely special, and I couldn’t be more grateful for the education that I’ve received. While I’ll miss NPSD and all of the wonderful people, I look forward to studying Secondary English Education at Penn State Schreyer Honors College over the next four years. My ultimate goal is to return to NPSD to serve as an educator in the future and give back to the NP community.

Thank you, North Penn School District!