Wallingford Swarthmore School Board names new supt.
NETHER PROVIDENCE » After a comprehensive and competitive search process, the Wallingford Swarthmore School Board has announced that Dr. Wagner Marseille will become the district’s leader on July 1.
The new superintendent earned his EdD in educational and organizational leadership at the University of Pennsylvania in 2009. He served as an assistant principal at Lower Merion in 2007. In addition to his doctorate, he earned a Bachelor of Science in Finance from Fairleigh Dickinson University and a Masters of Arts in Educational Leadership at Rider University.
Board President David Grande stated, “Faculty, staff, parent, and community members voiced the need for a strong educational leader that can strengthen relationships across ‘the Wallingford-Swarthmore family’, carry forward the work of excellence and equity for all, and will not let the district rest on its laurels. I am confident that Dr. Marseille will be the collaborative and visionary leader who will take us to new heights.”
Colonial Plantation holds ‘Servitude and Slavery’ event
The public is invited to “Servitude and Slavery” at the Colonial Plantation in Edgmont Township on Saturday, April 24, to see how work was accomplished on a Colonial farm. This will be a day for children and adults alike to participate in hands-on activities such as candle making and planting in the garden.
Ned Hector will address slavery in the colony with his “Imaginary discussion with George Washington”. The 1 p.m. presentation is designed for grades 3 and up.
As well as a discussion on slavery, volunteers will portray indentured servants, redemptioners, cottagers and poor free laborers. The blacksmith, rumored to have been a convict in his youth, will make and repairs items for the farm. Women will spin and knit to make some extra funds for their Quaker households. The farmers will take part in demonstrating a working ox and horse. It promises to be an educational enjoyable experience.
The Plantation’s hours are 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., with the last admission at 3 p.m. Admission is $10 for adults, $6 for children ages 4 to 12. Children under age 4 are free. The Colonial Pennsylvania Plantation is an independent, non-profit 18th century living history farm museum located within Ridley Creek State Park. It is most easily reached via the park’s Route 3 entrance, just west of Newtown Square. Visit www.colonialplantation.org to learn more about this and other events.
Community YMCA of Eastern Delco offers ‘Safety Around Water’ program
Summer’s on the horizon, and children are excited to dive into the pool and splash around in the waves. Before they do, the Community YMCA of Eastern Delaware County wants to prepare them for a safe summer by offering a Safety Around Water Program to school-age children at the Lansdowne, Ridley, and Springfield branches.
“With drowning being the second leading cause of death for children in the U.S., our goal is to help our kids to become acclimated to the water, ultimately learning to float on their backs,” says Harrison Brown, aquatics director. “We also teach them things such as how to choose a life jacket, what to do when they are in need of help, as well as how to rescue their friends.”
Lastly, and most importantly, drownings don’t happen like they do in the movies. Most people drown silently. In this class, kids are taught how to be vocal while asking for help.
“Some of the kids in the program are very confident in their abilities, so we talk about ways in which they may not be safe, regardless of how confident they are. Many of these children are eager to participate and show off these skills, so we have a lot of involvement from the kids, and they have a blast with friends,” Brown explained.
In addition to the SAW classes, The Community Y also offers swim lessons. At the Y, swimming is a life skill. The swim lessons prepare kids of all ages to stay safe and have fun in the water, building strong swimmers and confident kids. Learn more at cyedc.org/ swim-lessons/.
Credit union donates much needed cleaning supplies to local organizations
TruMark Financial® Credit Union created a Concern for Community initiative this year to support local organizations during the pandemic. Each month the credit union selects different organizations to receive resources needed for their clients. In March, the credit union donated baskets of cleaning supplies which included soaps, trash bags, paper goods, and disinfectants to the following five local organizations which offer support services for individuals transitioning from difficult periods in their lives: A Woman’s Place, Doylestown; Domestic Abuse of Delaware County, Media; Home of the Sparrow, Exton; Inter-Faith Housing Alliance, Ambler; and St. Francis Inn, Philadelphia.
A driving force behind the initiative is fulfilling one of the seven cooperative principles, Concern for Community. Other examples of the way TruMark Financial gives back to the community is through its financial literacy program in which employees conduct workshops on topics such as saving, budgeting, credit, and investing at local schools and community organizations and its TruCommunity program where employees receive eight hours of paid time off to allow them to volunteer at a non-profit of their choice. For more information, visit www.trumarkonline.org or call 1-877-TRUMARK.
RSVP awarded twoyear grant from Pew Charitable Trusts
RSVP has been awarded a $30,000 two-year grant from Pew Charitable Trusts, in their ongoing support of its Volunteer Executive Consultants (VEC) program.
VEC, a program of RSVP for more than 35 years, utilizes the skills of seasoned executives who volunteer their time to assist nonprofit organizations with capacity building and operations, especially relevant during the COVID pandemic. Areas of expertise include management, technical advice, fundraising and marketing services, operations and planning.
Many nonprofit organizations operate on extremely tight budgets with funding limitations dictating growth and expansion. VEC consultants assist with board development, business planning, database management, financial and fundraising advice, market research and communications and human resources at no cost. Nonprofits in need of consultation are encouraged to reach out to vec@rsvpmc.org.
“The nonprofit agencies we assist simply do not have the resources to hire the services of outside consultants. VEC consultants first meet with in-house management and make an assessment of problem areas. Together a plan and implementation schedule is developed enabling growth in the targeted areas. Nonprofit organizations needing assistance to grow and sustain their missions can call for a free consultation.” stated VEC manager Sheri Burke.
Michele Moll, Executive Director of RSVP said the funds will be used to expand and enhance the organization’s corps of volunteer executives with expertise in the areas of financial management, information technology, marketing, board development and strategic planning.
RSVP is a multiservice nonprofit organization responding to community needs through volunteerism. RSVP’s Volunteer Impact Programs focus on the needs of vulnerable populations and by providing support to regional nonprofit organizations. RSVP is always recruiting additional volunteers to participate in outreach programs that serve the area. Visit www.rsvpmc.org for information.