A bitterly cold air mass will settle over much of the central and eastern part of the country over the next several days. Well below normal temperatures and cold wind chills will be common, according to the National Weather Service (NWS).
The forecast for the next several days includes snow flurries and bitterly cold temperatures.
Though temperatures will be turning colder over the next two days, the worst of the frigid air will occur on Saturday and Sunday. It will be exacerbated by extremely cold wind chills, creating a threat to people, pets and property, emergency officials said.
For those who haven’t seen enough white stuff, scattered snow showers are possible for Wednesday, Feb. 10, mainly from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. with less than a half-inch accumulation expected. By Thursday, Feb. 11, the high temperature is not expected to rise above the mid-20s with a low of 12 and a west wind of 13 to 18 mph.
On Friday, a high of 27 is predicted with winds subsiding to 8 to 15 mph, a low of 16, and a 30 percent chance of snow showers after 8 p.m. The snow showers will continue into Saturday, Feb. 13, when the high temperature is expected to be 17, and the low will dip below zero.
The bitter cold intensifies on Sunday, Feb. 14, with a high of 13 and a low of 8. Monday could bring more snow. Stay tuned.
This topic should rank high for parents of high school students as the Unionville-Chadds Ford School District moves toward eliminating a longstanding practice of reporting students’ decile rankings to colleges.
The public is invited to attend an informational meeting on Wednesday, Feb. 10, from 7 to 8 p.m. in the high school LGI room. Attendees will hear about the recommendations presented by a committee that studied the issue and will be able to direct questions to members of the committee and administration.
The decile rankings, one way to categorize data, divides students into 10 categories, based on their cumulative grade point average (GPA) at the end of their junior year. That ranking is then provided to colleges during the admission process.
A committee of parents, students, teachers, administrators, alumni, and board members was assigned the task of evaluating the pros and cons of the ranking system – findings that led them to recommend discontinuing the practice, according to a school district email.
The high school’s Counseling Department surveyed 27 colleges and universities and spoke to many college representatives about decile ranking. Also, in preparation for the discussion, the administration researched and surveyed other top-performing high schools from across the nation, according to a letter from Superintendent John Sanville.
The letter outlines numerous factors that led to support to end the practice. It said decile rank is not a requirement of college applications. If provided, it will be used for context; if not, it won’t be considered. Colleges with a more holistic application policy placed even less emphasis on the decile rank than colleges with a more quantitative approach, the letter said.
In addition, the letter said other high-achieving high school stopped sharing decile rankings many years ago.
“Based on these findings, the administration is recommending that we no longer rank our students using deciles. Since Unionville High School (UHS) has a strong reputation and is ranked highly in many publications, the context of our successful students is available beyond the decile rank of an individual student,” the letter said.
The letter listed five reasons to discontinue the practice, stating that providing decile rank disadvantages UHS students when colleges use top percent in their own college ranking statistic; providing decile rank does not accurately reflect all of a student’s abilities, particularly in a high-performing school, such as UHS; and removing decile rank will help students with scholarship eligibility.
In addition, removing decile rank will eliminate unnecessary competition among students and help bring focus back to individual student learning; removing decile rank is significant since the decile cut-off changes each year. For example, in the Class of 2015, a 4.0478 landed a student in the third decile while a 4.0478 in the Class of 2016 represented the second decile, the letter said.
As the school board considers whether to follow the committee’s recommendation, input from parents and students is being sought. Those who are unable to attend the informational session can send feedback or questions to http://goo.gl/forms/2wzdjFN5vV.
The Board of the Kennett Public Library is pleased to announce the election of new executive officers. Thomas C. Swett was elected president, Jeff Yetter, vice-president, and William (Bill) McLachlan, secretary-treasurer, according to a library press release.
This marks Tom Swett’s second tour with the library board as he served on the board from 1982 to 1994 and was president from 1989 through 1992. He brings to the board a wealth of nonprofit experience and leadership with an exemplary effort in fundraising for many of the area’s organizations, such as the Po-Mar-Lin Fire Company and the Chester County Hospital System. This experience will be invaluable to the board’s current effort in planning for a new library building. Swett is a resident of East Marlborough Township, the release said.
Jeff Yetter, a resident of Kennett Township, brings to the board extensive business and marketing skills as president (retired) of the Walter E. Yetter Company, a manufacturers’ representative specializing in the home center industry. Yetter is well-known for his work within the Kennett Township and many local area nonprofit organizations.
Bill McLachlan, also a Kennett Township resident, is a retired executive from Hercules Inc. and has served on many nonprofit boards following his retirement as well as also helping Kennett Township.
Recently joining the board are (in alphabetical order) Dr. Loren Pearson (Newlin Township appointee), Dr. Brenda Williams-Mercomas (Kennett Square appointee), and Betsy Del Vecchio (Pennsbury Township appointee).
The library appreciates the continued service from board members Stan Allen, Karen Ammon, Chris Britt, Henry (Jerry) Brown and Carolyn Nicander Mohr. The library also acknowledges and appreciates the prior service from the following board members who have decided to step off of the board: Susan Mackey-Kallis (president), Joan Weber (treasurer), Rosa Quintana, Doug Thompson, and Margarita Garay-Zarco, the release said.
• Police said a 28-year-old woman is the suspect in a case of harassment that happened on Jan. 3. The incident took place at 761 Baltimore Pike in Concord Township. According to the report, the suspect and victim — a 33-year-old man — were involved in a verbal argument. The argument turned physical “with the victim sustaining a bite mark to the head.”
• An unknown black man is being sought in connection with a retail theft at the Walgreens on Route 202 in Concord Township. Police said the suspect stole approximately $200 worth of merchandise on Feb. 2 at 7:27 p.m. and fled in a yellow four-door sedan.
• A Coatesville man failed to yield the right-of-way, which resulted in a two-car accident in front of Ruby’s Diner in the Shoppes at Brinton Lake on Feb. 1, according to police. A report said Timothy J. Steen, 62, was one of two drivers traveling west in the shopping center’s parking lot, but failed to yield to another vehicle at an intersection inside the parking area and was struck by another vehicle. No injuries were reported.
• An illegal U-turn led to a three-vehicle accident on Route 202 at Oakland Road on Dec. 10. A police report said Karen L. Wolfe. 32, of Springfield, was driving south in the left hand lane on 202 at 8:14 p.m. when she made the U-turn “where properly posted signage prohibited [the turn.]” The action caused a hazard, the report said. A northbound vehicle struck Wolfe’s, then veered right and struck another northbound vehicle. Wolfe was transported via ambulance for treatment of injuries, and she also showed signs of intoxication and was arrested for DUI, police said. The other two drivers refused EMS treatment and appeared unhurt.
• State police said Jesse T. Barry, 43, reportedly of Chadds Ford, made a bad left-hand turn onto Kirk Road from Smithbridge Road in Concord Township, which led to a two-vehicle accident. Barry was cited, but no injuries were reported in the Jan. 26 accident.
• On Friday Jan. 29, at 11:59 p.m., New Garden Township Police observed a vehicle driving erratically in the 9000 block of Gap Newport Pike and conducted a traffic stop. The driver, Devon Poore, 21, of Wilmington, exhibited multiple signs of impairment, failed field sobriety tests, and was arrested for DUI, police said.
• New Garden Township Police observed another erratic driver on Sunday, Jan. 31, at 12:35 a.m. in the 800 block of Penn Green Road. After a traffic stop followed by failed field sobriety tests, Efrain Mendez-Hernandez, 26, of Landenberg, was taken into custody for drunk driving, police said.
This most romantic week of the year starts with two art opening receptions at The Chester County Art Association in West Chester this Thursday February 11, from 5-8 p.m. At CCAA, both main galleries have very interesting shows.
“In the Pink” is in the main gallery and features a room full of juried art works from a wide range of local artists who use “pink” in some way that draws attention to this unique and rather Valentine-esque color. CCAA describes the show’s theme as a “fusion of red and white can be rosy, bubble-gum, hot, pastel, pretty, putrid, Pepto-Bismol, opera or ballet. Pink is a powerful color, especially when it shows up in artwork. CCAA wants to showcase the many ways in whichthe color pink can be moving, inspiring or provoking in our exhibition.” The Brandywine River Museum of Art‘s Director, Tom Padon, juried the selection of art for the exhibit: a whole room full of pink inspired art!
Emily Manko’s Rocket Tile 16
In the adjacent Huston Gallery, ceramic artist Emily Manko fills the space with strong, sculptural works that utilize paper-thin clay, wire, rope and clay shapes that refer to objects in the everyday world. Each art piece is carefully edited and presented to draw attention to the bare essentials of the image. At the most basic level, Emily’s works are absolutely fun to look at and strikingly displayed; at a symbolic level, her recurring shapes speak to her internal artistic symbology: paper leafs and scrolls are a symbol for the blank slate or an idea that an artist starts with, the hexagons are the building blocks of the work, and the rockets and houses stand for the artistic finished product. However, her images are more playful than literal, and she says that her work really “is open-ended, to be enjoyed aesthetically. I never want to make it one note.” Emily Manko’s show is entitled “Now/Then/When” which refers to the growth of her work and the significance of her symbols as she has matured artistically and personally over the past 5 years since art school. Start this art week off at TheChester County Art Association for two compelling shows!
Encausic work by Alan Sofer
Saturday, February 13 from 1-3 p.m., Church Street Gallery in West Chester offers what will be a fascinating discussion with exhibiting artist Alan Sofer. This terrific show ends February 27th, so try to check it out before it leaves town. Alan’s work has been in shows in universities and galleries over the country, and most recently is featured in a new book Encaustics, by Schiffer Publishing.
Sofer is an encaustic artist who applies layer upon layer of encaustic wax color and oil paint to create abstract compositions of forms, color and texture. He gouges, scrapes, and scratches at the surface, sometimes all the way to the bone, or wood of the panel. Each painting is very different from the other, as he varies his layering, drips and gouges with his personal response to the making of each work.
The Alan Sofer show is the first purely abstract show for The Church Street Gallery. While every artist offers high artistic quality, the shows “move back and forth between accessibility” explains John Suplee, artist and husband of gallery owner Carol Gilpin. “I regard Alan Sofer as an established master. His images have a seriousness and richness that set them apart. You see textural surprises and microscopic detail that makes his work so fascinating” John Suplee notes. I am sure that the artist himself will be equally fascinating and that the room will be packed for this Saturday’s gallery talk!
On the lighter side, at Galer Estate Winery this Saturday from 3-6 p.m., 11 local artisans will be showing and selling their work for a pre-Valentines shopping day. The pre-Valentines show offers welded and forged steel products, recycled glass hearts, hand-made candles, herbs, scents, vintage sewn and knitted items, jewelry by Vintage Faerie and more. The event is a pleasant way to spend a Saturday afternoon, and full of very interesting artisans to talk to. Most of the wineries on The Brandywine Artisan Wine Trail are offering delicious chocolate and wine pairings and romantic treats to celebrate The Art of the Valentine. Sally Wilson, of Wilson Vineyard in Landenberg, will be holding a painting workshop to incorporate hearts in your paintings of sunflowers. Check out www.brandywineartisanwinetrail.com for details on each of the winery’s Valentine’s themed events.
If you are an installation artist who would like to exhibit in The Gallery at Franklin Common‘s next large show “Lighten Up”, in conjunction with the First Annual Phoenixville Art Show, contact Katie Naber by February 14. They are looking for cool installation projects that utilize reused products and take advantage of the large scale of the gallery space at Franklin Commons. It is a huge gallery space, full of terrific spaces for a creative imagination to explore.
Flickerwood Winery also has a shout out to artists to create artwork for a wine label for their latest Pinot Noir. If you are inspired to create an original work of art for their label, send it to julie@flickerwood.com by March 1st 5 p.m. sharp! The winner’s prize is $200 and a case of wine with their labels on the bottles. Sounds like a lot of fun!
Lele Galer is an artist who has chaired numerous art shows, taught art history and studio art, public art and has chaired, written and taught the Art in Action Art Appreciation series for the UCFD schools for the past 12 years. She worked at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and wrote for the Associated Press in Rome. She has been dedicated to Art History and art education for most of her adult life. Lele and her husband Brad own Galer Estate Winery in Kennett Square.
These fourth-graders at Pocopson Elementary are not ducking their studies; they're surveying panoramic vistas at Yosemite National Park during a preview of the Google Expeditions Pioneer Program.
Updated on Feb. 10 with Google’s failure to respond
The push of a button on the computer tablet elicited magical results as a class of Pocopson Elementary fifth-graders uttered a spontaneous, sustained chorus of aahs on the afternoon of Monday, Feb. 8.
Pocopson Elementary technology guru Dave Carter (left) shows 5th-grade teacher Dave Lichter how to transport his class to Madagascar.
Teacher Dave Lichter had inadvertently hit pause, interrupting the student’s virtual reality field trip to Madagascar. A quick adjustment by Dave Carter, a technology instructor at the school, and the students were whisked back to an exotic island in the Indian Ocean.
Unionville-Chadds Ford School District Superintendent John Sanville heard the loud, excited utterances from down the hall. He had been on his way to observe Google’s Expeditions Pioneer Program, which had a tryout at Pocopson Elementary that day, and so he quickened his pace.
At first glance, with brown cardboard rectangles held in front of their eyes, the students looked poised to watch a solar eclipse. But this lesson advanced the shoebox-with-a-pinhole procedure by light years.
A group of fourth-graders explores Yosemite National Park in the library of Pocopson Elementary School on Feb. 8.
Carter explained that the district’s technology teachers learned about the free trial some months ago and submitted a request to participate but didn’t hear back. Carter said he continued to watch Google’s schedule to see where the program was being previewed, and he submitted a second request a few weeks ago when it looked like Google teams would be the area.
“I heard back right away so we didn’t have a whole lot of time to get ready,” he said.
Teachers at each grade level agreed on a journey that fit their curriculum, selecting from about 150 choices, Carter said. So while fifth-graders enjoyed Madagascar, fourth-graders visited Yosemite, third-graders traveled to Mars, and second-graders immersed themselves in landforms.
Unionville-Chadds Ford School Superintendent John Sanville directs his gaze skyward during a preview of the Google Expeditions program.
A Google staffer, who parked a brightly-colored Expeditions mobile in the school parking lot, arrived with 60 devices – a cardboard box equipped with a cellphone – and two tablets, one for each teacher participating in two sessions that ran back-to-back all day.
From the tablet, the teacher controlled the specific destination and watched what the students were viewing while having access to supplementary information designed to augment the educational experience. And with a 360-degree view accentuated with 3D images, video, and ambient sounds, students also got plenty of exercise moving around to see the panorama.
After heavy use, batteries in the Google devices get some needed juice at an impromptu charging station set up by Dave Carter, a technology instructor at Pocopson Elementary.
“I feel like I’m going to fall,” one student remarked as he craned his neck backwards. “Wow! Did you see the rainbow?” another asked, looking skyward.
Kathryn Markloff, who teaches fourth-grade, said her students had plenty of time to get excited about the Google exercise. “We’re part of the last group so they’ve been hearing the buzz all day from other classes,” she said.
According to the Google website, more than 100,000 students have used Expeditions in their classes since the program launched in September. The Wildlife Conservation Society, PBS, the American Museum of Natural History, the Planetary Society, and the Palace of Versailles contributed to developing the various curriculums, which ranged from a trip to outer space to an exploration beneath the sea.
The viewing devices consist of a cardboard rectangle equipped with a cellphone.
“I love it,” said Annette Hug, a personal care assistant for one of the 5th-graders, as she watched the students’ reactions. “To me, this is what education is about; the ooohs and aaahs and excitement about learning.”
Carter received the same unanimous reaction when he asked each class what they thought: “It’s awesome!”
Like most lessons in technology, this one did not come bug-free. A few of the devices had on-off buttons that activated too easily, causing students to lose their panoramic perspective. And by the end of the day, batteries started to wear down from the constant use.
Undaunted, Carter set up a charging station at the back of the room so he could swap out the failing devices and keep the experience virtually intact.
A colorful Google vehicle is used to transport the Expeditions Pioneer Program from school to school for the previews.
“This is very cool,” noted Sanville after borrowing a viewer from one of the students.
Perhaps to lessen the pain of leaving virtual reality, Lichter ended the Madagascar lesson with a warning for those students so excited that they might want to hop on a plane. He pushed a button that prompted shrieks and gasps as the students suddenly found themselves surrounded by one of Madagascar’s more sinister inhabitants: sharks.
Then reality reared its head, and it was back to class for a spelling pre-test.
The Google representative said he was not authorized to speak to the press so a question about a school’s cost to continue using the program was referred to a media email address. Carter said he did not know what Google would charge – information that is not readily available on its website.
Google failed to respond, except to acknowledge receipt of one of two emails that were sent to the press address.
The Pocopson Township Board of Supervisors meeting on Monday, Feb. 8, featured a lengthy agenda, ranging from computer service to code enforcement to library usage.
Pocopson Township Supervisors Alice Balsama (from left), Elaine DiMonte, and Ricki Stumpo sign bills at the conclusion of the Monday, Feb. 8, meeting.
Following some discussion, the supervisors voted to authorize information-gathering on the possible purchase of cellphones and tablets for the supervisors so that they do not have to commingle township information with their own personal or business data.
The Pennsylvania State Association of Township Supervisors recommends such a move, citing improvements in accountability, security and efficiency, the supervisors said. However, several residents questioned the cost. “It’s not our intent to run up a big bill,” said Supervisor Alice Balsama. “We just want to take a look at it.”
Easier decisions involved a unanimous vote to approve a $14,618 bid from Sage Business Systems to upgrade the township’s server to improve its function and efficiency, and the enthusiastic appointment of Laura Lynn Yost to the Pocopson Township Historical Committee and Hal Hoffman as the township’s financial records reviewer.
The supervisors also unanimously agreed to make the contract for zoning and code-enforcement with Castle Valley Consultants, Inc. permanent through the end of the year. The supervisors all said they were pleased with the services prepared by Craig A. Kologie, particularly his detailed reports.
In response to a question from resident Lauressa McNemar, Supervisors’ Chairman Ricki Stumpo said Sheila Fleming from the Brandywine Conservancy would attend the next supervisors’ meeting on Feb. 22 to discuss efforts to obtain a trail easement on property owned by Sklar Industries on Pocopson Road.
Supervisor Elaine DiMonte reported that she had a productive meeting with Karen Marshall, Chester County’s Heritage Preservation coordinator, who has also worked on the township’s Barnard House, a project that has repeatedly sparked conflict over costs and functions. A former Underground Railroad stop, the historic residence on Wawaset Road is being renovated for possible use as the township municipal building and the home of the Kennett Underground Railroad Center.
DiMonte said Marshall recommended a historic preservation carpenter, who is willing to give the township a free hour-long assessment of the work that has been done and is needed. DiMonte said she and Balsama, who are both new to the board, are working to become familiar with the project.
“I’m looking forward to the meeting and hearing what this guy has to say,” DiMonte said.
John O’Neal, representing the Kennett Underground Railroad Center, asked the supervisors when the building could be occupied. “We’re homeless, and we sure would like to be able to move in,” he said.
Stumpo said the project has been “in limbo for a while” because efforts to reach out to Richard Jensen, the township’s former codes officer and manager for the Barnard House project, have been unsuccessful. She said lawyers might need to get involved, but that the supervisors were making progress in moving forward.
Kennett Public Library Director Donna Murray presented the supervisors with data showing that a third of the township’s 3,392 residents have library cards and that the bulk of their transactions took place at the Kennett Public Library, which serves residents in the Borough of Kennett Square and seven townships: East Marlborough, Kennett, Newlin, New Garden, Pennsbury, Pocopson, and West Marlborough.
Pocopson residents are also served by the West Chester Library, which has enjoyed better relations with the township. Tensions between Pocopson and the Kennett Public Library have been strained since May 2013 when the library’s board rejected the township’s two nominees for a seat on the library’s board and the township stopped funding it.
Previously, Pocopson had divided its library contribution between the two libraries. However, in 2015, the supervisors opted to give the West Chester Library the full amount since it had budgeted and not used the $8,000 Kennett library contribution. At the time, the supervisors noted that the increase represented a one-time occurrence.
Since then, Murray said the Kennett Public Library has made numerous positive changes to improve communication as well as representation. The supervisors delayed a vote on appointing a library representative so the position could be posted on the township’s website.
Another posting will reference the 10th anniversary of Pocopson Township Founder’s Day, which is scheduled for Sept. 25. “We’re in desperate need of volunteers,” organizer Colleen McKinney reported.
McKinney said the event might have to be canceled if people don’t step in to help. “People like that event,” Stumpo responded. “We need to get the word out.”
To improve communication, DiMonte suggested scheduling a town meeting in late spring so that residents could discuss topics of interest as well as provide the supervisors with new ideas and feedback on eliciting more volunteers. Stumpo said she wanted to schedule a meeting, perhaps in March, with all of the committee chairs, which would offer a chance to assess vacancies.
The supervisors signed three thank-you letters, expressing gratitude for recent donations totaling $10,000 – $8,500 of which was earmarked for the Locust Grove Schoolhouse. The supervisors noted that the township greatly appreciates the continuing generosity of the residents, all of whom have made previous contributions.
Every Saturday during the school year and every day for seven weeks in the summer, the Garage Community & Youth Center in Kennett Square offers free drop-in art classes, a partnership with the Chester County Art Association (CCAA).
The Garage is seeking design proposals in hopes of redoing its exterior door.
Since 2006, the classes, supported by donors, serve a population in Kennett Square and the surrounding area who, without this opportunity, would not otherwise experience these focused fine-art lessons, said a CCAA press release.
For that reason, CCAA said it was delighted to learn that The Garage is planning a community Youth Give Back Day on Saturday, April 16, and has reached out to CCAA as well as the community to help plan a new design for the welcoming mural on the organization’s exterior garage door.
Mikey Gabrielle Glass, who directs the Kennett center, said the borough needs to sign off on any change so she wants to submit proposals to borough officials by Monday, Feb. 15.
If all goes according to plan, the new door design, consistent with the organization’s focus on creative outreach, would be implemented by a team of helpers on Youth Give Back Day. At that time, more than 100 youth, staff, volunteers, mentors, alumni, and friends will fan out over the Kennett and West Grove communities to serve at 15 local charities. The goal will be to bring awareness to The Garage, give back to community, and raise funds for its programs.
The Garage Community & Youth Center was a vacant car garage until 2001, when a local business leader and youth pastor envisioned its roof sheltering something more valuable than vehicles. The renovated building now is home to services for middle and high school students, according to its website.
After 10 successful years serving students in the Kennett community, The Garage opened a second center in West Grove. Between the two centers, more than 400 students pass through its doors each week for tutoring, mentoring, community service opportunities, computer lab use, youth groups, and enrichment activities.
Glass said anyone from the community can email design ideas to her at michael.glass@garageyouthcenter.org. Any member or groups of CCAA members interested in submissions should contact CCAA Executive Director Karen Delaney at kdelaney@chestercountyarts.org. Delaney said she has already received three proposals.
Last year, high school students from Unionville High and other schools throughout Chester County began researching the effects of a later start time for high school classes.
On Feb. 8, members of the Unionville-Chadds Ford School Board were updated on the research from two of the UHS students involved in the study.
Matt Daniels and Alice Liu have been leading a countywide student forum examining school start times for secondary students. According to Daniels and Liu, high school students do better when their school day starts later.
“The benefits are pretty clear,” Liu told the board. “Later start times lead to decreased tardiness, increased academic performance, and increased attentiveness in class.”
Daniels added that their research shows car accidents among high school student drivers drop by 50 percent when teens get extra sleep. He said a delayed start time of no more than 30 minutes could make a big difference.
UHS classes currently start at 7:30 a.m., and the study is looking at a start time of 8:30 a.m., which is the start time for elementary schools in the district.
Liu added that the study is now focusing on obstacles that schools would face in order to implement the change. Those challenges include changing bus schedules and determining how a change in start time would affect after-school activities and would impact younger students and families.
“What we found is that very few extracurricular issues would come up when delaying start time because small 30- to 45-minute delays don’t impact participation,” Liu said, “and these delays are manageable by districts.”
Some districts, she said as an example, schedule athletes for a gym class for their last period and give them early dismissal for games.
The forum participants have gotten information from an outside research firm and talked with the Lower Merion School District, which has also been researching the issue.
Daniels said the student forum hopes to have a plan for implementation sometime this spring, a plan they will present to the Chester County Board of Education.
“Hopefully, by then we’ll have a plan that everyone will find suitable because we do see that it’s important to push back the school start times. However, we want to do it in a way that’s effective for students, faculty and also works for the community as a whole,” he said.
Daniels also explained that the research shows it’s not just a matter of having high school students go to bed earlier. He said it’s a matter of the students’ circadian rhythm. Their body chemistry won’t let them get to sleep earlier.
School Board Vice President Jeff Hellrung has been in favor of the change from the beginning. He said during the board’s Feb. 8 work session that physicians’ groups — including the American Association of Pediatricians — have recommended such a change and that he’s pleased with the progress the students are making in their research.
Board President Vic Dupuis asked whether the change would be to just start high school later or if the start times for high school and elementary schools would flip. That, the students said, is still to be determined.
Dupuis added that the case for starting high school classes later is compelling and that “the benefits have been validated.”
Director Steve Simonson said the challenge is not in justifying the change, but in implementing it.
Superintendent John Sanville said there would be a discussion with parents once the students’ final plan is presented.
“At that point, we would have an idea whether or not we’re going to pursue this as a lone entity, or whether we’re going to pursue this as a county … Both of those options are on the table,” he said.
(Photo: UHS students Matt Daniels and Alice Liu address the Unionville-Chadds Ford School Board on their research regarding delayed start times for high schools students. School Board Director John Murphy looks on.)
Rich Schwartzman has been reporting on events in the greater Chadds Ford area since September 2001 when he became the founding editor of The Chadds Ford Post. In April 2009 he became managing editor of ChaddsFordLive. He is also an award-winning photographer.
A former chemistry teacher at Downingtown West High School faces charges stemming from an inappropriate relationship he allegedly maintained with one of his male students.
Brandon Keith Mitchell
The Chester County District Attorney’s Office and the Downingtown Borough Police Department announced the arrest of Brandon Keith Mitchell, 30, of West Chester, for unlawful contact with a minor, child pornography, endangering the welfare of children, and corruption of minors. The allegations stemmed from numerous sexually explicit text messages exchanged by the two, said a press release from the District Attorney’s Office.
Mitchell worked at Downingtown West from Nov. 30, 2010, through April 16, 2015, when he was suspended due to the criminal investigation. He subsequently resigned from his teaching position at the high school, the release said.
“This defendant used his position of trust and authority to engage in serious misconduct with a student,” District Attorney Chief of Staff Charles Gaza said in the release. “As always in cases like this, where a teacher had access to hundreds of students over multiple years, the authorities are concerned that there may be other victims out there.”
According to the criminal complaint, Mitchell began soliciting messages, nude photos and sexually explicit videos of the alleged victim when the 16-year-old was a junior in Mitchell’s chemistry class.
A search warrant for Mitchell’s electronic devices and phone records revealed over 12,000 text messages between him and the alleged victim from May 2013 until December 2014. Police also recovered a sexually explicit video of the victim on Mitchell’s laptop computer. Mitchell told the teen to delete their conversations, the complaint said.
Hogan said the case came to light through “a tip from another matter.” He said the delay in making the arrest resulted from the time it took to review all the electronic data.
Magisterial District Judge Jeffrey J. Valocchi arraigned Mitchell on Wednesday, Feb. 3. Mitchell was released on $50,000 unsecured bail to await a preliminary hearing on Wednesday, March 9, court records said.
According to Mitchell’s Linkedin profile, he is now working in pharmaceutical product testing in Lancaster. He taught previously at Springwood High School in Kings Lynn, England, and the Farrell Area School District in Farrell, Pa.; he worked as a lab assistant at Grove City College, his profile said.
The case was investigated by the Downingtown Borough Police Department with assistance from the Chester County Detectives. Anyone with further information is asked to contact Downingtown Det. Andy Trautmann at 610-269-0263, the release said.
