Pottsville Area School District

06/03/2026

Dear Parents or Guardians,

For many kids, summertime means food, friends and fun. For families who count on school breakfast and lunch, however, the summer months can be stressful, and family food budgets must be stretched even further. Free summer meals, funded by the USDA, are available to kids and teens ages 18 and younger at summer meals sites at the Pottsville Area School District and the Pottsville Free Public Library.

Meals will begin Monday, June 15, 2026, and served Monday through Thursday until July 31, 2026, at the D.H.H. Lengel Middle. Meals may be picked up 11:00 am to 11:30 am at the D.H. Lengel Middle School cafeteria. Please enter the Middle School Cafeteria Doors. Meals will not be served on July 2, 2026, to observe the holiday.

Free Summer Meal Program Details:
• Meals are FREE for children and teens ages 18 and younger who come to a summer meal site.
• Free summer meals will help families save money and stretch their already tight food budgets.
• Food served is healthy and follows USDA nutrition guidelines.
• Summer meals sites are safe places for kids and teens to visit with friends.
• No application or proof of income needed. You can just bring your child to a summer meals site in your community.
Summer Food Service Program

Open Sites serve all children.

Find a site near you through the
national databases listed below.

Sites are input weekly, so check often!

National Hunger Hotline
1 866 3 HUNGRY (486479)

National Texting Service
Text “SUMMER” to 914.342.7744

Website
https://www.fns.usda.gov/sfsp/summer-food-service-program

Approved site locations are uploaded to these national sites each year beginning in mid-May. Throughout the summer, additional sites are added weekly as they are approved.
This institution is an equal opportunity pro

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06/02/2026

Dear Parents and Guardians,

We are excited as a district to honor our students as the final days of the 2025-2026 school year come to a close.

As we prepare to celebrate our students one final time, I wanted to send a note of thanks to our families for all you have done to prepare your graduate for this moment, as well as general
reminders that will make everyone’s experience memorable.

Our students have spent the last 13 years working towards this day, and we want to ensure every family and student has a memorable, dignified experience with their child and loved ones.

With this, resource officers will be deployed at the ceremony, as well as event staff. These individuals will be available to support guests as they enter and exit the stadium, as well as support if guests unfortunately conduct themselves in a manner not conducive for a dignified school event. Please inform our event staff if a situation requires support.

Any guest that disrupts the event for our students will be warned and/or removed from the ceremony. While we don’t expect any concerns to arise, it is important for our guests to be aware that we all must work together to not only make the event memorable for your graduate, but to ensure every graduate has a positive experience.

Lastly, please relax and enjoy a truly special day with your graduate, family, and guests. The entire staff, administration, and school board of Pottsville Area School District are excited to
welcome you and look forward to celebrating with you on what is expected to be a beautiful day for our ceremony.

As always, we thank you for your support.
G. Lowery, Ed.D
Superintendent

06/02/2026

Our seniors are ready! 🎓

After two successful days of practice, we are looking forward to celebrating the Pottsville Area High School Class of 2026 on Wednesday evening. We are hopeful for favorable weather so that commencement can be held in the stadium as planned.

If graduation is held outdoors, guests are encouraged to arrive early and be seated before the procession begins at 7:10 p.m. The east gate closest to 16th Street will close at the start of the procession to allow graduates to enter without interruption. Guests arriving during the procession will need to wait until it has concluded before being seated. The west gate closest to 18th Street will remain closed during commencement.

Please note that all handicapped parking at the stadium has been pre-reserved through the high school main office, and no additional handicapped parking spaces remain available. Only those guests with prior arrangements will be permitted to enter the rear lot at the high school. Beginning at 5:30 p.m., a shuttle bus will run from Martz Hall to the stadium entrance on Elk Avenue for guests who may find the walk challenging. Return shuttle service will be available following the ceremony.

To help make this a memorable evening for every graduate and family, we ask that guests refrain from using noisemakers, including air horns, and allow the recessional to conclude before meeting graduates for photos. These students have worked incredibly hard to reach this milestone, and we want everyone to have the opportunity to hear each graduate’s name and fully enjoy the ceremony.

Please share this information with family members and guests who plan to attend. We look forward to seeing our Crimson Tide community come together on Wednesday evening as we celebrate the achievements of the Class of 2026!

05/28/2026

Our fifth, sixth, and seventh graders turned up the fun for their end-of-year celebration! ☀️🏃🏼‍♂️ Students enjoyed an exciting obstacle course, extra games, and plenty of well-deserved free time as they wrapped up a great year together. Even teachers joined in on the races, making it a day full of laughter, energy, and unforgettable memories!

05/28/2026

Our students continued working toward their CPR certification, gaining valuable hands-on experience and life-saving skills that can make a real difference in their communities. 🚑

We are grateful to EMT instructor and paramedic Mr. Pat Moran, along with Logan Searfoss (PAHS Class of 2024), EMT, for sharing their knowledge and leading the training session. Their guidance and dedication provided students with an incredible learning opportunity!

05/28/2026

May 27, 2026

Good afternoon Parents and Guardians,
Today at John S. Clarke Elementary Center, several adult guests engaged in disorderly and disruptive
behavior that caused our Kindergarten show to be dismissed prior to the last song being performed. The
adults involved made a decision to engage in unsafe behavior which disrupted an event that should have
been a proud moment for all of our kindergarten families to enjoy.

Our teachers and students have worked hard to prepare for this event, and the conduct displayed today
by some showed no regard for our amazing students and teachers who were looking forward to ending
the year on a memorable and positive note.

Our school team including our teachers, administration, support staff, and school resource officers all
worked together to ensure that the safety of our students, our staff, our guests, and our school, was our
top priority.

We are also thankful for the quick response from the City of Pottsville Police Department for supporting
the collective efforts to ensure the adult actors did not further create unsafe conditions for our students,
staff, and families.

As a school community, we can not and will not let the actions of select individuals take away from our
students’ accomplishments, nor will we tolerate inappropriate decorum that not only creates unsafe
situations for all involved, but also takes an important moment away from our children.

Please be aware that the district will continue to enforce our expectations for all members of our school
community, and we will not tolerate conduct from our parents and guests that compromises the
fundamental belief that appropriate decorum is expected when in a school environment. Those
individuals who fail to model school-appropriate behaviors while on our campus will be warned and/or
excluded from our school buildings, grounds, and facilities, and may forfeit the ability to attend future
school events. Further, we will continue to cooperate with law enforcement and refer incidents for review
by authorities as appropriate.

As a final note, it is important to thank the vast majority of families who were supportive of the school
team as we quickly worked to bring order to the event. The strength of our school community will
continue to be defined by the overwhelming support of our families, and our school is grateful for
everyone’s support as we work to ensure our students have a great remainder of the academic year.
Thank you for your continued support.

G. Lowery, Ed.D
Superintendent

05/27/2026

Students in Mrs. Menchefsky’s and Mr. Buchman’s sixth-grade science classes recently had an awesome day at Hawk Mountain! 🪨 Students explored sedimentary rocks, examined weathered sandstone, and studied rock layers while experiencing earth science beyond the classroom walls.

One of the most exciting moments came when students spotted a vulture soaring past the north lookout. 🦅 It was a perfect real-world example of physics and nature in action. A big thank you to our wonderful chaperones and a special shout-out to Mrs. Dawson for organizing such an incredible outdoor learning experience!

05/26/2026

Our students got a taste of summer a little early, thanks to an amazing picnic-inspired lunch from our cafeteria team! ☀️ From hamburgers and corn on the cob to fresh salads and fruit, the cafeteria was filled with smiles, great food, and end-of-year excitement.

Moments like these help make school feel extra special, and we are so grateful for the staff members who work hard behind the scenes every day to create a welcoming and caring environment for our students. Thank you to our cafeteria team for bringing so much joy to our school community!

05/26/2026

Our baseball team recently stepped up to the plate in more ways than one by helping with the annual Captain David Boris Community Service Project! Their hard work and teamwork helped make a positive impact around our building, and the results are evident throughout the school. We are proud of our student-athletes for giving back to their school community!

05/25/2026

This Memorial Day, Pottsville honors and remembers the brave men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country. We are grateful for their service today and always. 🇺🇸