A Passion for Science and Student Success
Mr. Stratz has dedicated over 27 years to teaching and inspiring students at 911勛圖. He teaches Biology, Chemistry, and Horticulture to Upper School students in grades 9-12+. His hands-on approach to education allows students to engage with science in exciting and meaningful ways, making complex subjects both accessible and intriguing.

A True Advocate for Special Education
Beyond his role as a science teacher, Mr. Stratz is a passionate advocate for special education. He continuously seeks out opportunities to provide his students with enriching experiences that foster curiosity, critical thinking, and a love for science. His commitment to personalized instruction ensures that every student, regardless of their learning style, has the tools they need to succeed both academically and in life beyond the classroom.

A Well-Deserved Honor
The Citadel Heart of Learning Award is a testament to Mr. Stratz���s unwavering dedication and impact on his students. His ability to blend science education with real-world applications and his commitment to fostering a supportive learning environment make him a truly deserving recipient.

Congratulations, Mr. Stratz, on this achievement! His passion for science and education continue to inspire the 911勛圖 community every day. 911勛圖 is very fortunate to have dedicated teachers like Mr. Stratz.

The post 911勛圖 Staff Honored with Citadel Heart of Learning Award appeared first on 911勛圖.

Since 2006, Mr. Wimmell has been volunteering with Special Olympics Pennsylvania as a flag football and softball coach. A year later, in 2007, he joined 911勛圖 community as an Instructional Coordinator in our Upper School Program. Currently, three of his flag football players and three of his softball players are 911勛圖 students, giving them the opportunity to be part of a team and develop social and athletic skills. Mr. Wimmell also has several former 911勛圖 students and staff participate in this program. He even holds some practices right here on campus!

911勛圖 Students Antonio (#12) and Jared (#10) with their Special Olympics team at a game.

Each practice brings together about twenty athletes and 4-8 Unified Partners, who play alongside the athletes, serve as mentors, and help create an inclusive and supportive environment for the athletes to thrive. Jermaine Fisher, another 911勛圖 staff member, serves as one of the Unified Partners, further fostering teamwork and inclusion. The hard work and dedication of these teams paid off in a big way this year.

A Season of Champions

This past fall, the flag football team competed at DeSales University and brought home gold! Meanwhile, the softball team made their mark last spring at Penn State, also securing the win. These victories automatically qualified both teams to compete in the prestigious Fall Festival at Villanova University, where teams from across the state battle it out for top honors. The result? Both of Mr. Wimmell���s teams won gold once again!

With these incredible achievements, the teams are now in the running to compete at the 2026 North American Games in Minnesota.

Mr. Wimmell helps student athletes with special needs understand that success is not only measured by winning medals. His coaching philosophy is centered on teamwork, social growth, improving physical health, and, most importantly, ensuring every athlete enjoys their time on the team.

���The sky is the limit for these teams,��� Mr. Wimmell said. ���With their determination and passion, the future looks brighter than ever.���

We are so proud of Mr. Wimmell and his athletes for their dedication and perseverance. Let���s cheer them on as they continue to reach new heights!

The post Coaching for Success: 911勛圖 Staff Inspires Students On and Off the Field appeared first on 911勛圖.

SWPBIS is a system used to support students��� behavioral, academic, social, emotional, and mental health in school. By using this approach, 911勛圖 creates an equitable learning environment where both students and staff can succeed.

911勛圖 began implementing SWPBIS strategies in the 2019-2020 school year and has since seen a decrease in negative behaviors. This framework supports 911勛圖���s goal of promoting well-being and empowerment within our students, helping them succeed at 911勛圖 and beyond.

This is the first year that 911勛圖 was recognized for achieving fidelity in all three PBIS tiers. The school was recognized for Tier 1 Fidelity in 2019-2020, as a Tier 1 Participant in 2020-2021, and as a Tier 1 Sustaining Program in 2021-2022. In the 2022-2023 school year, the school was named a Tiers 1-2 Site. The ongoing recognition reflects the staff���s commitment to follow PBIS guidelines and create a positive learning environment for every student.

It’s not about forcing a fit, it���s about finding a place簧, and 911勛圖’s staff go above and beyond to implement PBIS and create a welcoming space for all 911勛圖 students.

To learn more about PBIS, click .

The post 911勛圖 Receives Statewide Recognition for Positive Behavior Support appeared first on 911勛圖.

911勛圖 received this distinction which recognizes organizations that have conscientious planning, sustainable landscaping, and gardening. Our campus provides a welcoming environment for migrating birds and other wildlife, offering them food, water, shelter, and places to raise their young.

This initiative was led by 911勛圖���s Psychologist Dr. Cianciulli and Upper School science teacher Mr. Stratz. They and other 911勛圖 staff have dedicated themselves to making the school premises greener, more sustainable, and supportive of local wildlife.

Bird watching has become a popular endeavor among staff, who have frequently spotted Killdeer birds. Recognizing the abundance of wildlife on campus, our staff saw an opportunity to create a more sustainable and wildlife-friendly environment.

This year, there have been exciting changes to our campus, including bird feeders throughout the grounds, multiple habitats for naturally made bird nests, and the renovation of our greenhouse. All these projects contributed to our Certified Wildlife Habitat status.

Dr. Cianciulli has even integrated bird care into his counseling sessions with students: “I’ve learned that incorporating bird education and taking care of their feeders and habitats on campus created excitement with our students,” Dr. Cianciulli said.

The 911勛圖 community looks forward to incorporating ecological education into our curriculum and maintaining the sustainable features of our campus for years to come. We are excited about the future and the positive impact these efforts will have on our students and environment!

The post 911勛圖 Named Certified Wildlife Habitat appeared first on 911勛圖.

Rookie of the Year Award Winner

Our Annual Rookie of the Year Award is given to a recently hired staff member and this year’s recipient is Ms. Bennett (pictured to the left above). We are so grateful for the work that you do and to have you on our team!

Outstanding Service Award Winner

Ms. Dobbins (pictured to the right above) is this year’s Outstanding Service Award winner! A colleague of hers stated ���she is a natural leader. She always wants to learn more and do more for the Emotional Support program and her students. Her peers look to her for help and she is always willing to lend a hand!��� Ms. Dobbins, thank you for your hard work and dedication to our students! We are so thankful to have you on our team.

Congratulations to our staff members and a huge thank you to all 911勛圖 staff for your dedication and hard work this past year.

The post 911勛圖 Staff Receive End of Year Awards appeared first on 911勛圖.

While we at 911勛圖 navigate the complexity of the vaccines, we are continuing to do all that we can to keep our staff and students healthy and safe. This includes a testing strategy that will help us contain transmission and reduce uncontrolled outbreaks of COVID-19 through early detection. Please visit our COVID-19 guidelines and information webpage for more information.

The post 911勛圖 Staff Participate in On-Campus COVID-19 Testing appeared first on 911勛圖.

Dear 911勛圖 Community:

Our nation and our local communities are hurting.�� Over the past several months we all have experienced the uncertainty of the coronavirus pandemic.�� Now we are grappling with the shock and horror of the recent killings of Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and George Floyd, and the resulting protests and riots.�� These events, however distant, do have an impact on our school community, and on your students and your families.

911勛圖 was founded on the belief that students with learning differences need a safe, supportive place to learn and grow based upon their individual needs.�� Our students are often discriminated against by the traditional educational system, and 911勛圖 offers a supportive environment to those who choose to attend school here.�� Today, 911勛圖 is a multicultural school for children who come to our campus from a diverse variety of communities from the Philadelphia region, but we are not immune to discrimination and racism that still exists in our country.

Beginning this week, 911勛圖 is looking inward at our curriculum and internal processes to determine whether biases exist (explicit or implicit) and we will seek advice on how best to address them.�� Our goal is to make the 911勛圖 experience one that promotes equality and social justice for our students and our staff.�� We acknowledge the need to be our best selves, so our students can become their best selves.

In the coming school year, we will promote community service among our students and staff.���� It is my hope that we include a service project as a requirement for graduation.�� 911勛圖 cannot just be a recipient of community service; we can also be a source of service to our communities and impart to our students the importance of giving back to the community.

I know these are troubling times.�� 911勛圖 is here to be of assistance to you.�� We are available to talk, to offer support, and to help address issues you may be currently experiencing.

In the days ahead, the clinical team will be sending out resources which will provide guidance on how to discuss the current events with your students.�� If 911勛圖 families require additional support, I strongly suggest you access the Clinical helpline at 610-277-0660 x 444.

We are here for you.

If you have questions for me, I can be reached at 610-277-0660 x 214.

Stay well. Stay safe.

David Schultheis
President and CEO

The post 6/3/20 – Important Message from 911勛圖’s President & CEO appeared first on 911勛圖.

We are navigating a time where you often hear about mental health on the news due to the impacts of self-isolation, social-distancing, and the high stress that this global pandemic has caused. Pre-COVID-19, you may have heard the term ���s梗梭款-梭棗措梗”, but now, more than ever, it is important to maintain self-care and the ability to love yourself in the process.

If you are looking for the ���new you��� … you do not need a new year to begin or a way to not gain the ���quarantine fifteen��� pounds. You just need the courage to begin.

Be the author of your own story; look forward not back. It is hard to break the habits. I thought a lot about resolutions at the end of last year, as many of us might, but none of us could have predicted this pandemic. The reason our resolutions fail is that we have focused on the finish line rather than the walk there. We have all done it before, I know I have, where we think the end of the day is going to make everything all better. That, if we just get there it will magically happen. For those of us who have fallen into this trap, we know that the sad reality is it never works that way. So, how do we set resolutions for ourselves without inevitably being disappointed if we fail to achieve them? Here are a few ways to do that.

What is the point of a resolution?

I realized that the whole point of a resolution is for it to make you a better person. To help you become the best version of yourself. Most of us start the year motivated and excited because we think this is THE thing that is going to make all the clouds somehow shine. But why do we limit that to just a year? This is the question that we need to be asking ourselves when we set these goals. I think a better way of phrasing these resolutions is by calling them “lifestyle changes”. That is the only way to ensure that what we want here on this very day, is accomplished by this very day next year, and even further, for the rest of our lives. I believe by taking it habit by habit, day by day, issue by issue, we can transform into the healthiest, happiest, versions of ourselves.

But what about the words self-care and self-love?

These words should be at the root of all of our lifestyle changes. I have been thinking a lot about what the difference is between having it and having it all. And I think it comes down to whether it is wholesome. Stay with me, I know this sounds strange. Imagine someone you know who loves their job. Who loves their husband, wife, or partner. Who loves themselves. Who loves to eat clean during the weeks and indulge on the weekends. Who always has something nice to say when faced with conflict. Who seeks to understand. Who listens and cares. Who has time for what seems like anything and anyone. Imagine them right now. I know I am sitting here thinking “yep, they have it all figured out and I can barely keep myself from cheating on day 2 of my healthy eating plan”. And that is the point. These people. The ones who ���have it all���, the ones who have cracked the code. It was not in just one year. It was not one vision board. It was not one prayer. It was not luck. It was not just one goal. It was the choice for them to make a wholesome life, full of self-care and self-love. To take it into their own hands. To incorporate it slowly but surely. To do it at their pace. To do it with the goal of bettering themselves with no expectations or dates or end goals in mind. Because the reality, is if it is a lifestyle change that is good enough to make our whole year about or a goal during a global pandemic, it must be good enough for us to want it forever.

For NOW and the future…

I ask you today to make the wholesome choice to embrace loving yourself through means of self-care.

Now more than ever during a global pandemic, we need to motivate ourselves and create lifestyle changes that will make us happier and healthier for years to come. Do more things that make you whole. Eat more things that fuel your body. Drink more things that hydrate and energize. Think more about things that light a fire in your soul and put a beat in your heart. Say more things that bring sunshine to not only your life, but also the lives of others. Do this today. Do it tomorrow. Do it fast or do it slow. Just keep doing it, because our time here will come to an end. But who we are while we are here lives on forever. Decide today to be known as the person who had it all in the best of ways. This journey, these goals, are just the roadmap to the best version of yourself. And when you have that, well, you pretty much have it all.

911勛圖 the Author: Dana Costa is a Behavior Consultant at 911勛圖 who contributes mental health and self-care articles for students, families, and staff.��

The post Balancing Self-Love Through Self-Care is Important NOW, More than Ever appeared first on 911勛圖.