All tagged 2020/02

New Group Promotes Diversity and Inclusion in WSSD

In the early evening of February 11, the library at the Swarthmore Rutledge School hummed with energy and ideas. Groups of parents, grandparents, teachers, and staff rotated around the room, with its bright blue rug and imagination station, brainstorming strategies to better support and teach about diversity in the Wallingford-Swarthmore School District.

Planning Commission Approves New College Building

Swarthmore Planning Commission voted to recommend approval of a land development plan from Swarthmore College for the construction of a new dining and student center. Representatives from the college and their design team presented preliminary plans for the project. They asked for waivers of four borough ordinances, answered questions, and clarified issues of concern.

Counting the Trees

This week’s Swarthmore Borough Council meeting was all about trees: a new inventory of the borough’s street and park trees, issues with PECO’s tree trimming, and more. We also excerpt a letter from the Tree Committee about the many benefits of trees.

Swarthmore College Basketball Player Builds Connection with SPNDS Kindergarten

At their home game against Franklin & Marshall College on February 8, the top-ranked and undefeated Swarthmore College men’s basketball team was surprised to see a crowd of young fans decked out in matching Swarthmore College T-shirts cheering them on. It was not a school-organized event, just the effort of one passionate kindergarten teacher, her enthusiastic students, and their parents in support of No. 40, Nate Shafer ’20. Shafer started visiting Sheri Carney’s kindergarten class at Swarthmore Presbyterian Nursery Day School during his sophomore year, as part of an Introduction to Education course. He was only supposed to be there for one semester, but Shafer found himself inspired by Carney’s skill and her excitement for teaching.

Edmund Jones Scholarship for High School Seniors

The Swarthmore Centennial Foundation is offering its annual Edmund Jones Scholarship, which gives $6,000 to an outstanding high school senior who lives in Swarthmore to support their education. The late Edmund Jones, former Swarthmore mayor and a founding member of the Centennial Foundation, created this scholarship in 1993.

Postcard from Plush Mills: In the Pub

Isn’t it interesting how some folks seem to make things run so smoothly? Here at Plush Mills, we have the good luck to have a bartender in the Pub — located right next to the dining room — who makes everyone feel welcome. Tony is your perfect “Sit down and let me take your cares away” kind of bartender. He knows just how to smile and touch your shoulder. When he introduces new residents to established ones, they often make friends.

Energy Efficiency Expert Shares Strategies for Saving Money (and Maybe the Planet)

Home energy use accounts for an estimated 20 percent of a household’s overall footprint. These days, with the dire warnings about climate change a part of our daily consciousness, many people are working on ways to substantially reduce the size of their carbon footprint. In doing so, they can reap some cost savings as well. Phil Coleman, president of aFewSteps.org, an expert at energy efficiency, sets a high bar for his neighbors. I should know, I live across the street from him.

School Board Approves Budget and New STEM Classes

At the Wallingford-Swarthmore School Board meeting on January 27, Denise Citarelli Jones presented several proposed new courses for the board’s approval. Citarelli Jones, director of secondary education, said the district hopes to better prepare students for careers in STEM, including computer science. Many future jobs in Pennsylvania will require STEM, computer science, and design thinking skills, according to statistics she presented. The district’s STEM Advisory Council, made up of teachers, administrators, and counselors, is helping determine what new courses are developed and how to incorporate STEM into more of the curriculum.

How They Met: Gary and Trish Sheff

Sometimes it’s hard to see what’s right in front of you. Trish and Gary first met in elementary school when they were seven years old. This was in Ardsley, New York, a town even smaller than Swarthmore, where Trish had lived all her life. A skinny kid from the Bronx with a giant head of hair, Gary moved to Ardsley in second grade, joining a class that already had a Larry and Barry. He and Trish quickly became friends. But it would take them 33 years to realize they were perfect for each other.