On Thursday, June 4, our first graders celebrated a wonderful year of friendship and connection with their pen pals. Throughout the school year, students exchanged letters and built meaningful relationships through their correspondence.

During the celebration, students reflected on the year by writing letters to their future selves and enjoyed playing Bingo together. It was a lovely experience filled with smiles, conversation, and special memories.

We are grateful for the opportunity to foster these connections and create experiences that help our students build relationships, develop communication skills, and strengthen our school community.

A special thank you to Mrs. McLaughlin for coordinating this wonderful experience for our students and pen pals. Her time, dedication, and thoughtful planning helped make this program such a meaningful and memorable part of the school year.

Students in 5th grade wrapped up the school year by creating a 3-D dodecahedron book report. This unique project transformed a traditional book report into a work of art! 

Each face of the dodecahedron showcased a different aspect of the book, allowing students to demonstrate their understanding in a creative and engaging way. The finished projects reflected the students' hard work, imagination, and love of reading.  

The entire student body gathered in the multipurpose room at Durham Nockamixon Elementary to witness an exciting challenge: Would 155 cereal boxes, carefully lined up like dominoes, make it from start to finish?

The answer was a resounding yes (well, with one tiny hiccup...)! Even better, every box of cereal collected by students and their families will now be donated to a local food pantry, helping support members of our community in need.

A special thank you to Christina Crawford for organizing this fun and meaningful event, which combined school spirit, teamwork, and generosity in a memorable way. Bravo, Pirates! 

Rep. Shelby Labs is hosting a Summer Art Show Contest. The theme for this show is America 250/Bucks County. Fourth grade students created landscapes and learned how to draw 3D buildings using one-point perspective. Most chose to draw covered bridges.

Visitors are able to vote for their favorite piece of artwork. The winner and their family will be invited to Harrisburg to be recognized. This artwork was also on display at the America 250 event at Tinicum Park on May 16. Please join me in congratulating the following fourth grade artists:

Springfield

• Cyrus R

• Blake D

• Jaclyn M

• Taylor C

• Madeline A

Durham Nockamixon

• Nicolette R

• Dominick M

• Tucker W

• Sofia B

Tinicum

• Emmy W

• Caleb B

• Caroline B

• Tallulah M

• Allie C

Last week, our PALMS Rho Kappa Social Studies Honor Society members traveled to Philadelphia for a visit to the Federal Reserve Bank. Students had the opportunity to preview a new educational exhibit, “Money in Motion,” and provide feedback to help improve the experience for future student groups. 

We loved that our students were able to provide a meaningful service while also learning themselves. During the visit, students explored how counterfeit money is detected, how different forms of payment circulate through the economy, different forms of money over time, and participated in a hands-on simulation that gave them the experience of having a “seat at the table” to make decisions about federal interest rates. We can’t wait to return once the exhibit is fully completed!

Following up on the brief story from last week, members of the PALMS Rho Kappa recently visited Penn Community Bank to experience a powerful Memorial Day display created by local veteran Mr. Riegel. Through stories, photographs, and artifacts honoring local servicemen and women who made the ultimate sacrifice, students gained a deeper understanding of the true meaning of service, sacrifice, and remembrance. Experiences like these bring history to life, helping students build empathy, gratitude, and a personal connection to their community and country.

To top it off, several of our students were even interviewed by WFMZ-TV about the impact of the visit: https://www.wfmz.com/news/area/southeastern-pa/upper-bucks-county/if-you-dont-bring-up-the-history-its-forgotten-bucks-county-students-visit-tribute-to/article_2ebb99bb-674c-4c1d-94a1-11c9095952fe.html#tncms-source=Homepage-Top-Stories

Lillian Kalevich and Nick Showmaker squared off in the first official 8th grade Shakespeare Rap Battle! They both played to win, trading good-natured Shakespeare-style verses and taunts in front of a crowd of their peers. We were all impressed, entertained, and left with a lot of good memories.

Senator Coleman invited Bryce Snyder, along with her family, to attend an event at the Pennsylvania State Capitol honoring this year’s PA State Wrestling Champions where Bryce will be honored for her State Championship!!  The honor took place on Monday, June 1st. 

Congratulations, Bryce!

Last Friday morning, just hours before a beautiful graduation ceremony, our seniors—dressed in their caps, gowns, and celebratory bling—returned to where their educational journey began. Walking the halls of their elementary schools, they were greeted with cheers, high-fives, smiles, and warm congratulations from current students and many of the teachers who helped shape their path along the way.

This cherished tradition is one of our favorite moments of the year—a full-circle celebration of growth, achievement, and the incredible journey from eager elementary students to accomplished graduates.

Congratulations, Class of 2026! We are so proud of you and can’t wait to see where your next adventure takes you. 💜💛🎓🏴‍☠️

Check out the amazing moments captured by Dawn Smigo throughout graduation day, which she has generously made available to our Class of 2026 seniors and our community. (Click or tap on an image to stop the photo carousel. Use the arrows to go forward and back at your own pace.)

We would like to take a moment to sincerely thank Dawn on behalf of the entire Palisades community. For many years, she has volunteered countless hours across our fields, stages, auditoriums, and school buildings—always there to capture the moments that matter most for our students and families. Through her photography, she has given parents, grandparents, and loved ones the opportunity to share in milestones and memories they may have otherwise missed and has helped tell the story of our schools and our community. Time and again, she has generously shared those moments with extraordinary kindness and without expectation of recognition. Our students know her, our families appreciate her, and our staff deeply value the positivity, dedication, and care she brings wherever she goes.

Thank you, Mrs. Smigo, for preserving our memories, celebrating our students, and giving so much of yourself to the Palisades community. We are grateful beyond words. 💜💛

Come on out for a cool, tasty treat and support our Pirates! Proceeds benefit our Palisades Girls' Soccer Team.

Date: June 15, 2026

Time: 5:00 - 9:00 PM

Location: DQ, 6784 Easton Road, Pipersville, PA 18947