From the Superintendent's Desk

Dear Spartan Community,

We are thrilled to announce that Teresa Straffin, Autistic Support teacher at Enfield Elementary School, has been named the Grand Prize Citadel Heart of Learning Award winner for Montgomery County!  Earlier this month, Citadel Credit Union presented Teresa with this prestigious honor, recognizing her exceptional dedication to education. As part of the award, both Teresa and Enfield Elementary will each receive $5,000. The Citadel Heart of Learning Award, now in its 24th year, was created to honor and thank outstanding teachers across the Greater Philadelphia area.

Teresa was nominated by her fellow staff members, who were eager to celebrate her unwavering commitment to her students and our school community. In their nominations, colleagues praised her tireless advocacy for special education and her compassionate support of both students and families. Teresa is described as one of the most selfless and hardworking educators—known for her kindness, innovation, and positive spirit.

Beyond the classroom, Teresa continues to give back by teaching adaptive soccer on weekends, exemplifying her deep dedication to making a difference in the lives of others. Her efforts leave a lasting impact on everyone she meets.

Please join us in congratulating Teresa Straffin on this incredibly well-deserved recognition!

Sincerely,

MaryJo Yannacone, Ed.D.

Superintendent

Dear SDST Staff and Families,

Please read the attached letter regarding the recent Dear Colleague letter from the U.S. Department of Education.

Thank you,

MaryJo Yannacone, Ed.D.

Superintendent

Letter to Community 2.18.25 

Dear Springfield community,

Good morning.  As you may know, SPS Technologies in Abington is experiencing a 4-alarm fire that has compromised the air quality there.  A recommendation has been made to close all schools within a 1-mile radius of the fire.  Jenkintown and Abington area schools have been advised to close, and Cheltenham SD has chosen to close.

All Springfield schools will be open on time today.  We will continue to monitor the situation in Abington and if needed, we will restrict outdoor activities such as recess, should conditions suggest this is advisable. Our team is in communication with both our Township officials and County emergency services.  While transportation may experience minor delays as a result of local road closures, we will do our best to safely get our students to their schools today.

Thank you, and let’s keep all of the emergency workers and communities impacted by this fire in our thoughts and prayers today.

Sincerely,

MaryJo Yannacone, Ed.D.

Superintendent

Good afternoon.  As you know, there are several impending weather events anticipated over the next few days.  I have worked with our transportation and facilities department on plans to address any concerns regarding safety, and want to share advance information with all of you now.  I will be communicating to families through School Messenger today, as well, so they are fully informed.

Friday 

Today, given that the weather event is expected to be relatively mild, all after school programs and activities will occur as scheduled.  This includes KidView, clubs, music activities and athletics.  Our facilities team is salting all parking lots and sidewalks, and will maintain them throughout the afternoon and evening, as needed.

Monday

The forecast on Sunday evening and Monday currently calls for between 2"-6" of snow.  Given the timing of the snow, it is possible that we will need to close schools and offices on Monday to allow our facilities team to clear the snow from our school buses, parking lots and sidewalks.  A decision will be made and communicated via School Messenger to all staff and families on Sunday evening before 7:00 p.m. to allow everyone to make any necessary arrangements for childcare and/or work on Monday.  

Impact to Calendar

The change of requirement in PA allowing us to count either days or hours for schools has resulted in increased flexibility in the event of weather emergencies that require a close of school.  

• If we close on Monday, the day will be a true, old-fashioned snow day.  Because we have ample extra hours in our school calendars, students will not need to make up the day.  Therefore the last day of school for students will remain Wednesday, June 11th, as noted on our 2024-2025 district calendar.  
• If we close on Monday, per contractual obligations, the work day will need to be made up for 10-month teaching/counseling staff.  June 12th and 13th would now be inservice days, and June 16th would be the final exchange day.  

Please contact your building or department supervisor with any questions or concerns, and have a wonderful weekend!

MaryJo

MaryJo Yannacone, Ed.D.
Superintendent
School District of Springfield Township
1901 E. Paper Mill Road
Oreland, PA  19075
215-233-6000, 1012

Good afternoon!

I hope that you are enjoying this busy month of December, and are looking forward to the winter break just around the corner.  In this season of giving, I would like to thank the leadership board of the Springfield Township Education Foundation for their ongoing support of our students and school programs.  Most recently, STEF has been "instrumental" in assisting us in starting our orchestra program at Erdenheim Elementary, as well as our sixth grade program at STMS.  We are planning to expand our strings program next year fully at STMS and continue to seek ways to strengthen STEAM programs throughout the district with the support of STEF. 

I am pleased to share two ways to support STEF's efforts this month with you, through our Holiday Honor a Teacher/Staff Member program, and our Pickleball fundraiser in January! 

• The STEF website is ready to capture registrations and donations: STEF website
• For pickleball, registrants have the option of going through the website or using the eventbright link to take them directly there: Pickleball Fundraiser website   

I hope that you will consider supporting our students through a STEF donation this holiday season, and by registering to join us at Pickleball next month!  

Thank you, 

MaryJo Yannacone, Ed.D.

Superintendent

Dear SDST Community,

We are very close to breaking ground on our addition and renovation project at our middle school! On September 26th the administration, along with our design team at The Schrader Group, led by Dan D'Amico, and our engineering team under the leadership of Doug Taylor at CHA Engineering, Inc. presented an update to the Property Committee of the School Board on the final steps underway. A recording of the meeting may be found on our website under the View Meetings tab of the School Board page.

I invite all district families and staff with an interest in the project to join us at a public presentation of the design, timeline for all components of the project, and anticipated costs, including alternate options for the Board's consideration on Tuesday, October 15th at 5:00 p.m. in the STMS library. STMS students will attend a similar presentation earlier that day in school, and the STMS staff will meet with the administration and design and construction leads at 3:00 p.m. that day.

A brief overview of the project timeline:

• Winter/Spring 2025: Ground breaks on the new auditorium, connection to music wing and conversion of stage to fitness center and health classroom
• Summer 2025: Transition of art wing classrooms to low incidence suite and completion of cafeteria bathroom renovations
• Summer/Fall 2025: New entrance to administrative suite, main entrance, and staff lunchroom
• Winter/Spring 2026: Transition of Administrative office suite to Clinical suite
• Spring/Summer 2026: Additions and renovation of cafeteria kitchen and student bathrooms in academic wings; renovation of cafeteria
• Fall 2026: Completion of athletic fields, landscaping, and parking lots

Questions regarding the STMS Addition/Renovation Project may be directed to me at the email address below.

Thank you, and have a terrific evening!

MaryJo Yannacone, Ed.D.

Superintendent

maryjo_yannacone@sdst.org 

Dear SDST Community,

Please enjoy my Fall Newsletter.

Have a great night,

MaryJo Yannacone, Ed.D.

Superintendent

Dear SDST Community,

As you likely learned last evening, the Apalachee High School community near Atlanta, Georgia suffered a tragedy yesterday morning when a freshman male student shot and killed two teachers and two students and injured nine others before being taken into custody by the school resource officer.  We share in their grief and pray for the families of those who lost their loved ones.  

When this type of tragedy occurs, students, families and staff may question the safety of their own school community.   I want to assure you that we in Springfield are in regular and ongoing communication and consultation with local and regional safety teams and resources, including the Springfield Township Police Department, the Montgomery County Department of Public Safety, and the PA Department of Education’s Office of Safe Schools.  

Last week our school teams were briefed by Steve Chinta, Supervisor of Campus Safety, and Dr. Michelle Lutz, Director of Support Services, on procedures and expectations for supporting a healthy school climate and enforcing safety standards.  This week, every school is conducting emergency drills to ensure that our staff and students are immediately familiar with our safety protocols.  

To learn more about our safety standards, please visit our Safe Schools webpage.  The video link is from last September’s family information session on school safety and is still accurate.

For information on mental health support services, please visit our Office of Support Services webpage.

Please direct any questions to your child’s building principal, Steve Chinta (steve_chinta@sdst.org), or Michelle Lutz (michelle_lutz@sdst.org).  

Thank you for your continued support,

MaryJo Yannacone, Ed.D.

Superintendent