Friday, October 31, 2025
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A sweet howdy-BOO to YOU from our entire Pirate crew!
What fun to put out a (pumpkin) Patch on Halloween! This edition is all treats and no tricks (and zero calories or cavities...)
Have a safe and delightful Halloween!
Enjoy every bite of this week's edition of the Patch.
Following is a handful of photo highlights from recent events and activities. THANK YOU to our parent photographers and friends who share these photos for the newsletter every week. It would not be possible without you. You are appreciated! (Click or tap on an image to stop the carousel. Use the arrows to go forward and back at your own pace.)
DISTRICT DISPATCH
DISTRICT DISPATCH
Your guide to timely information in the Palisades School District.
The Palisades School District Comprehensive Planning Process For 2026-2029 is Underway: We Want Your Input (Take the Survey!)
The Palisades School District Comprehensive Planning Process For 2026-2029 is Underway: We Want Your Input (Take the Survey!)
The Palisades School District is underway with its comprehensive planning process. Every three years, the Pennsylvania Department of Education requires each school district to submit a plan that will help guide the work of the district for the next three years. A steering committee of 28 stakeholders (representing parents, community members, students, staff, teachers, and administrators) met and identified three focus areas: Academic Achievement, Operations, and Engagement.
Please click for the community/parent survey. As a valued member of our community, your input is important to us. Please consider taking some time to review and respond to this community/parent survey. We ask that you submit your survey no later than Monday, November 10. Feel free to share the link with neighbors and encourage them to share their responses with the district, as well.
Additionally, printed copies of the survey are available at the district office (39 Thomas Free Drive, Kintnersville, PA) should you prefer to respond in printed form.
If you have any questions, or need assistance, please feel free to send an email to compplan26-29@palisd.org
Dr. Michael Donnelly and Mr. Rich Heffernan
Comprehensive Plan 26-29 Co-Chairs
The Harlem Wizards are HERE on Nov. 10! Tickets are NOW AVAILABLE!
The Harlem Wizards are HERE on Nov. 10! Tickets are NOW AVAILABLE!
The world-famous Harlem Wizards will visit Palisades High School on Monday, November 10th at 7:00pm in the Purple Gym! Join us for an evening of great fun and fundraising. The Wizards will play a game against a team of Palisades School District administrators, teachers, athletes, community leaders, and community members. Proceeds will benefit the Palisades Community Foundation Initiatives programs.
The event will feature a variety of fun interactive extras to complement the Wizards' dazzling demonstration of hoops artistry: Pregame "Wiz Kids" warm-up, contests, comedy, awesome slam dunks, audience participation, merchandise giveaways, and more. The game will conclude with the Wizards' signature dance extravaganza that will have the crowd on their feet!
Doors open at 6:00pm. General admission tickets are $20.
Seating is on a first-come, first-serve basis.
Children age 3 and under are FREE and don't need a ticket.
"WizKids" who purchase jerseys in advance will get to meet the players before the game!
Food and merchandise will be available for sale.
Tickets (and FUN) are available online here!
Turn Back Your Clocks This Weekend
Turn Back Your Clocks This Weekend
Don't forget to "fall back" this weekend as Daylight Saving Time ends Sunday, 11/2/25 at 2:00am.
Set your clocks back one hour before bed and enjoy the extra sleep! It will get darker earlier in the evenings as winter approaches.
S.O.S. (Save Our Ship!)
S.O.S. (Save Our Ship!)
The Palisades Community Foundation (PCF) has begun talks about fundraising for the rebuild of our beloved pirate ship that was demolished last summer.
Following up on a big event for this event last spring, support from the community is paramount in our efforts to raise money for this important community symbol. Donations can be made directly through the PCF website here.
You can also mail your donation to:
Palisades Community Foundation, P.O. Box 194, Kintnersville, PA 18930
Please specify where you would like your donation. Thank you for your support!
SCHOOL NEWS
SCHOOL NEWS
Find out what's happening in our schools! The Palisades School District is comprised of three elementary schools (Durham Nockamixon, Springfield, and Tinicum), Palisades Middle School, and Palisades High School.
The Great Pumpkin Contest @ Durham Nox
Pumpkin perfection at Durham Nockamixon Elementary! 🎃 From silly to spooky — our elementary students showed off their Bulldog Best in this year’s AMAZING Pumpkin Decorating Contest! 👀✨
Red Ribbon Week and the SPLC @ PALMS
Red Ribbon Week and the SPLC @ PALMS
This week, several PSD administrators met at Palisades Middle School for one of our Superintendent’s Parent Liaison Committee Meetings (SPLC). The SPLC meets regularly with PTA, PTO and parent representatives from each building to discuss events and activities taking place throughout our district.
This week, Dr. Scheibenhofer, PALMS Principal, shared the activities taking place during Red Ribbon Week, when schools around the country organize a variety of activities to engage students and educate them on drug prevention. PALMS included "dressing like a teacher," team unity day and other themed events.
One of our 8th grade student council officers presented the "No Place for Hate" program. Key concepts include: kindness, understanding, being inclusive and to build a school community.
Keep up the good work, PALMS!
Trot or Treat Fun Run Was Spooktacular!
Trot or Treat Fun Run Was Spooktacular!
On Wednesday, October 29th at 5:00pm, the Palisades Cross Country team hosted a FREE Fun Run at PALMS for students in grades 4th through 8th. More than 30 students participated in this fun and fit event!
Thank you to our students and to Coach Kellman and Coach Becker.
Palisades Blanket Sale
Palisades Blanket Sale
Spread school spirit with a cozy Palisades blanket! They make great gifts.
These super-soft 60"x70" blankets are a perfect way to wrap up in comfort while supporting a great cause — all proceeds benefit the PALMS Trek program.
$32 each
Order by November 1st
Get yours today and show your Palisades pride. ORDER HERE!
Winter 2025 / 2026 Sport Sign-Ups Are Here
Winter 2025 / 2026 Sport Sign-Ups Are Here
We are happy to announce that registration for Winter sports is now available!
Winter sports begin on Friday, November 14, 2025.
Click on the link HERE to view or download the PDF with complete registration information.
2025/2026 Winter Coaches Contact Information:
Let's GOOOOOOO Pirates!
Let's GOOOOOOO Pirates!
Congratulations to our Pirate football team for making it to the quarter-final game!
The game is on Saturday, 11/1/25, at 6pm AWAY at Northern Lehigh.
All tickets will have to be purchased online through the District XI website here.
Photo credit: Lynsay Fitzgerald
Our Palisades Boys Soccer Team is Going to the Championships!
Congratulations to our Pirate Soccer Team for making it to the Championships! Last night's game was postponed due to weather and will be played TONIGHT, 12/31/25, as follows:
Palisades vs. Northwestern Lehigh
Friday, 10/31/25 at Palmerton @ 7:30pm
They have automatically qualified for the state playoffs which start on Tuesday, November 4th!
Image credit: Nikki Bowen
Unified Strength & Conditioning Team Update!
Unified Strength & Conditioning Team Update!
Unified Strength & Conditioning had their third meet this week at home on Wednesday, 10/29/25, against Pennridge and Souderton. They showed grit, teamwork and a ton of Pirate Pride — and tied for 1st place with Souderton!
Strength and Conditioning events include DeadLift, Bench Press, Cycling, Broad Jump, Jump Rope, Speed Walk, and Shuttle Run. Students compete in pairs: one partner and one athlete. Each student participates in two events.
The Palisades Pirates Unified Team also took first place at their meet on 10/21/25 last week against Pennridge and Pennsbury.
Their fourth, and final, championship meet will be held at home in the Purple Gym on 11/12/25 at 3:30pm. We had a great crowd in stands in the Purple Gym this week, so come out and join us!
Let's Go, Pirates!!!!
Thank you, Dawn Smigo, for the amazing pictures and for being the ultimate Pirate champion and cheerleader.
Congratulations on a Great Season!
Congratulations on a Great Season!
Field Hockey: The team qualified for the District XI playoffs for the first time in several years! They played in the first round and lost a hard fought game to Palmerton.
Cross Country: Our Boys and Girls teams competed in the District XI 2A Meet on Wednesday. The boys finished 10th out of 20 teams while the girls finished 12th out of 20 teams. Top Pirate finishers were Aidan Corcoran with a time of 18:23 and Logan Phillips with a time of 23:40.
Girls Soccer: Our Girls Soccer Team had an incredible season! They advanced to the PIAA District XI tournament last Tuesday night in Catasauqua. They lost a hard-fought match 0-1 in overtime against Allentown Central Catholic.
Congratulations on a FANTASTIC season!
Please click this link here for a full calendar of athletic events.
A Little Note From Your All-Sports Boosters...
A Little Note From Your All-Sports Boosters...
Dear Pirate Nation,
As we near the end of this amazing fall sports' season, we want to say CONGRATS! to all of our sports teams and the band members who have had outstanding seasons. You have all worked very hard and your Pirate community is extremely proud of you! For those of you who are not quite finished: GOOD LUCK!
We also want to express our extreme gratitude to all of you who volunteered and helped with this season's snack stands. It was a little touch-and-go at times if we were going to have enough people to open, but you heard our pleas and stepped up! Some of you did multiple nights and double duty staying a second shift when we were short or just swarmed with customers.
We had an amazing team of parents, students, Palisades' staff, and community members come together to make this one of our most profitable seasons yet!
A special shout-out to our behind-the-scenes team who showed up hours before to wrap, stock , organize and set up. You all did an amazing job!
Thank you to the football players and coaches for helping us multiple times unload and carry our endless restocking hauls, just because you saw us pull up to the gate!
Everyone [editor's note], thank you for getting our Sign-up Geniuses to reach our staffing numbers!
And a big thank you to all our custodial staff and crew who are the last to leave and keep our stadium in top shape!
So, Congratulations to all of you for helping to make the All-Sports Boosters Snack Stand a great success! We are looking forward to seeing what amazing things this community can do this winter season ... Coming Soon December 2025!
With all our gratitude,
Lynsay Fitzgerald and Amy Kapp
Don't Miss "Peter and the Starcatcher" @ PHS
Don't Miss "Peter and the Starcatcher" @ PHS
Peter and the Starcatcher is an imaginative prequel to Peter Pan. Through inventive staging and a fast-paced script, the play follows a ragtag group of orphans, a fearless Starcatcher-in-training, and a delightfully ridiculous pirate on a journey filled with mischief, mayhem, and discovery.
The story unfolds through clever narration, dynamic ensemble work, and plenty of laughs. Perfect for audiences of all ages, this Tony-winning play captures the excitement of storytelling while exploring themes of friendship, identity, and finding your place in the world.
Student Leaders: Ilaria Leblanc, Mikayla Irvine, Luke Ruvo, Nathan Clapp, William Zaleski, Ryan Metz and Olivia Bellis.
Friday, November 7, 2025 @ 7:00 PM
Saturday, November 8, 2025 @ 2:00 PM
Palisades Link Crew Shines at Regional Conference!
Palisades Link Crew Shines at Regional Conference!
This week, members of Palisades Link Crew traveled to Hershey High School for a dynamic student leadership conference.
Joined by 10 other high schools and more than 200 Link Leaders, our students spent the day sharing ideas, collaborating with peers, and strengthening the leadership skills they use to support our Freshmen.
It was an inspiring day of connection, creativity, and growth!
Way to go, Link Leaders!
SAVE THE DATE: Upper Bucks County Technical School To Host Open House
SAVE THE DATE: Upper Bucks County Technical School To Host Open House
Upper Bucks County Technical School (UBCTS) will open its doors to the public on Thursday, November 13th from 5:30-7:30pm for its annual Open House. Upper Bucks County Technical School is located in scenic Bedminster Township in Perkasie, PA and has proudly served the Pennridge, Quakertown, and Palisades communities since 1964.
The UBCTS offers excellent career and technical education in twenty-three program areas. Students earn industry-recognized certifications and college credits through articulation agreements with area colleges and learn their technical skills on the same equipment used in industry.
The UBCTS works closely with the three sending districts of Palisades, Pennridge, and Quakertown to ensure the students receive the academic coursework to prepare them for college or careers. Graduates have earned advanced degrees, owned their successful businesses, and have continued their relationship with our school to ensure we continue to offer quality education at the school.
Mark your calendars to stop by the Open House to see first hand all of the great things happening there!
FAMILY CORNER
FAMILY CORNER
Information in this section will be particularly helpful for those who have students in our schools.
Attendance Policy
Attendance Policy
Thank you for your support in making attendance a priority.
When your child is absent for illness or other reasons, a signed excuse must be returned to school within three days of the absence, or it will automatically be classified as an unexcused absence. You must call the absence line at your child’s school the morning of the absence before school starts. Excuse notes may be emailed to the building secretary. Legitimate reasons for a student’s absence include: illness, quarantine, recovery from an accident, required court attendance, death in the family, observance of a religious holiday, and family educational trips with prior approval of the principal. All other reasons for absence are considered unexcused. For additional information about our attendance policy, please see Policy 204 in BoardDocs for more information.
PSD Food Service
PSD Food Service
The Palisades School District will continue to provide a free breakfast for all students this school year. The PSD offers many great choices for lunch. A complete lunch can include: fruit, vegetables, meat or meat alternative, bread, roll or crackers, and/or a milk. To be considered as a meal, all lunches must include fruit or vegetables. All lunch menus are posted online here.
The cashless POS system speeds up the service lines by providing a debit account for student purchases, eliminating the need for students to handle cash during meal service times. You may pay by a check payable to Palisades Food Services, 20 School Drive, Kintnersville, PA 18930 or manage the account funding via the SchoolCafe app or online at www.schoolcafe.com.
PSD SCHOOL BOARD
PSD SCHOOL BOARD
Links to recordings from the most recent Regular Board and Committee Meetings can be found below. Clicking on these links will redirect you to our PSD Stream channel on YouTube. You can find a complete Board and Committee Meeting Schedule on our website.
Disclaimer: Palisades School District is not responsible for statements made by those in attendance at the meeting. Rebroadcasting/reproduction of the audio recording is strictly prohibited unless prior written permission is obtained from the Superintendent or designee.
Link to: Palisades Buildings and Grounds Committee Meeting 10/22/25
Cancelled: Palisades Extracurricular Committee Meeting 10/22/25
COMMUNITY INFORMATION
COMMUNITY INFORMATION
There is always a lot going on in our community. In this section, you can find out how to get involved this week!
Disclaimer: Flyers and information presented in this section are provided by organizations in the general community. Palisades School District is not responsible for the content or accuracy of any information included in these submissions, and shall not be responsible for any decisions made based on such information.
Veterans Day Program
Veterans Day Program
The Upper Bucks Veterans Organization will host its annual Veterans Day Program on Tuesday, November 11th, at 10:00am at Palisades High School, 35 Church Hill Road, Kintnersville.
The public is invited to attend this event to honor all who have served in our Armed Forces.
Let's Keep Our Community Warm This Winter.
Let's Keep Our Community Warm This Winter.
Donate your gently used (or new!) coats in our Winter Coat Drive.
Collection bins will be in the front office or foyer of each of our school buildings.
Coat donations can be made between October 31st and November 12th.
The Gold Gym at Palisades High School will be open to the community on Saturday, 11/15/25 from 9:00am - 12:00pm with a wide variety of coats to choose from.
Thank you to our community for your donations and a warm welcome to those who will join us on November 15th to select coats.
FreshConnect Bucks County
FreshConnect Bucks County
FreshConnect Bucks County provides FREE, fresh produce to our residents facing hunger. They deliver in the PALMS parking lot on the 1st and 3rd Thursday of every month from 11:00am to 12:00pm. Registration is required.
You can find the application and additional information here.
UBCTS, SkillsUSA and Angels Sharing Warmth to Provide Thanksgiving Dinner Support
UBCTS, SkillsUSA and Angels Sharing Warmth to Provide Thanksgiving Dinner Support
Upper Bucks County Technical Support (UBCTS) students, in partnership with SkillsUSA and Angels Sharing the Warmth, are supporting families in need in our community with meals this Thanksgiving.
If your family, or someone you know could, use a Thanksgiving meal box this year, the UBCTS would be honored to help. Each box may include a turkey, butter, milk, canned vegetables, jarred gravy, boxed stuffing or mashed potatoes, canned cranberries or yams, mini marshmallows, and disposable roasting pans.
Please fill out this Thanksgiving Support Request Form.
All information will be kept confidential. Families will be notified after November 14th with details about pickup or delivery.
See below for flyers from community organizations. (Click or tap on an image to stop the carousel. Use the arrows to go forward and back at your own pace.)
If you would like to have information covered in the Patch, please send it to patch@palisd.org by Wednesday before its publication on Friday. If you don't currently subscribe to the Patch but would like to receive it via email, please sign up here.
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