“I think energy has a lot to do with it. Energy, enthusiasm, and support.”

Energy, enthusiasm, and support are the three qualities that shine through Mrs. Neubert’s teaching, and keep her classroom glowing bright.

Born and raised in Lancaster County, Mrs. Cheryl Neubert grew up in a religious family, and was around children from the start of her life. Her father was a pastor, so from a young age, Neubert spent a lot of time in the church nursery. Becoming a teacher only seemed the right path for the young girl to follow.

“I think it was kind of assumed by everybody that was around me my whole life that I would teach. In my family, everyone is a teacher or preacher, that’s basically what they’ve done. We’ve just always come to teach, so I guess it’s what I’ve always wanted to do.”

Neubert followed through with her plans to become an educator, graduating from Elizabethtown College with her undergraduate, Millersville University with her Masters, and Gwynedd Mercy University with her reading degree.

Rich with experience, the reading teacher taught for five years right after graduating college. She then took a long, much deserved break for 20 years to stay at home and raise her two sons, Josh and Ben and her daughter Katie. While at home, however, she continued to stay involved with education by volunteering at Kulp Elementary School where her sons went. Neubert came back to North Penn in 2007, and has been teaching in total for 12 years.

Now at NPHS, Neubert teaches a program known as Read 180, a reading intervention program created by Scholastic Cooperation used by students in Grades 4–12 who read at least two years below grade level. To get her students excited to read and participate in class, the teacher has different ways to motivate them and get them excited to open new books.

“We have lots of incentives. If the students pass book quizzes they get homework passes. We have “Go for the Gold” where if a student gets gold score, they get a chocolate gold candy, silver is peppermint patties, bronze is Rolos. It’s just like a little motivation to do better. And I think when they see they’re going to succeed, then they’re motivated themselves, and it’s fun. It’s just fun!”

As far as her favorite types of books to read, Neubert has a wide variety of interests.

“I like a little bit of everything because you have to know a little bit about everything. I tend to read the sci-fi kind of thing. I like I am Number Four; the series is incredible because it just goes on and on. I love that kind of series, and I love series books, and I love those books for the kids that I teach too because if you can get into one book that you love, and you know that there’s another one coming, it’s just like this seamless kind of thing, and that’s what’s really fun. And it’s fun to watch the kids do that. You just see them ask, ‘What’s the next one!?’, and that’s like the best thing ever.”

Perhaps the thing Neubert is most known for is the program she started; the Reading Super Bowl. Just finishing its 11^th year, the program is a popular event throughout the North Penn elementary schools. NPHS football players go out to the elementary schools they attended, and read picture books to either certain grades, or sometimes the entire school.

“It started as a way for the boys to go out and give back in the community and do something in our community. I think we started with 6 elementary schools with 30 boys that went out the first year. Now this year, we’re sending out over 80 boys to read to about 5,600 kids in the district. We do all 13 elementary schools, and for most of the elementary schools they read to the entire school. They read k-6; every single kid gets read to. It’s awesome.”

The varsity players give out trading cards with their name number, and picture, while the junior varsity players hand out cards with shots of the whole team. The high school athletes truly appreciate spending time with the young and eager students.

“Giving out the action shots incorporates reading too because the kids all sit there and turn the card around to read that stats on the back. The boys really enjoy going out and reading to the kids. Seeing their reactions coming back into the building is cute, because they really enjoy it.”

If one thing’s for certain, it’s that Mrs. Neubert takes her job very seriously, and truly wants the best for her students and everyone around her. The reading educator is more than just a regular teacher; she’s a woman who inspires her students to go above and beyond, and always does it with a bright, glowing smile on her face.