Pequea Valley townlively.com
NOVEMBER 8, 2023
SERVING THE LOCAL COMMUNITIES SINCE 1954
VOL LIX • NO 46
Sustenance for students Lifeways provides food and more BY ANN MEAD ASH
On Oct. 4, Charlotte Lapp, who oversees the Lifeways Food Pack Program in Pequea Valley School District (PVSD), was directing more than 15 volunteers to pack 79 bags of food items for students at Salisbury and Paradise elementary schools. “Today we are starting with 79,
but that number will go up next week,” said Lapp, who noted that nearly 50 packs go to Paradise and more than 30 go to Salisbury. Packs are made available to any family that signs up for the program, but most are in the reduced-cost meal program. Social workers at both schools work to provide Lifeways with a list of students to receive packs. See Lifeways pg 7
Educators, business leaders, and other stakeholders take part in a meeting held by Career Ready Lancaster!
Getting kids ready for careers CRL! partners with PVSD
rik Orndorff, Pequea Valley School District (PVSD) superintendent, wants people to know that the district’s commitment to each student is real. “If we have the slogan ‘Each learner counts,’” said Orndorff, “let’s prove it.” One way that Orndorff has backed up his words is by taking part in Career Ready Lancaster! (CRL!), a partnership between businesses, educators, and other community members organized by the Lancaster County Workforce Development Board based on a grant the organization received. According to Orndorff, about a dozen business leaders and school leaders first met together at the ABC Keystone building about three years ago. Although COVID-19 restrictions slowed the group’s progress, participants continued seeking to attract job seekers for skilled work in the county, partner with businesses to fill the workforce pipeline, and partner with educators
“Every college has a career center. Why doesn’t every high school have a career center if half the kids are going right to work?” Brian Troop and Manheim Township superintendent Robin Felty. The education team turned to the Society for Human Resources Management list of soft skills and selected five behaviors employers look for in workers. Those five skills are teamwork, communication, problem solving, resilience, and integrity. “We (have created) a High Five dashboard, which is basically creating
activities for students so that they learn these five different essential skills,” said Orndorff. “We want to help businesses with kids that have (these traits).” The team is working to make the dashboard available to educators and parents. Orndorff noted that possible avenues to promote the five skills include having a way for teachers to grade students in these areas. Another proposal integrates the five qualities into a school district’s existing character program. “We said, ‘Let’s make these five skills part of the face of the Lancaster (workforce),’” Orndorff explained. The CRL! website, which may be found at https://careerready lancaster.com, includes the dashboard, along with resource information for parents and guardians, businesses, and others. CRL! is facilitated by Peter Caddick, working in cooperation with Anna Ramos, executive director of the Lancaster County Workforce Development Board. Other partners in the effort include IU13, Pennsylvania
Volunteers gather on Wednesdays at Ridgeview Mennonite Church to put together food packs for Pequea Valley School District students.
Turkey Bowl to run on Thanksgiving morning BY FRANCINE FULTON
The 32nd annual running of the 5K Turkey Bowl at Tel Hai Camp and Retreat in Honey Brook will take place on Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, Nov. 23. Also featured will be a 1-mile children’s fun run. Participating for the first time last year was Bella Byler of Gap, an eighth-grader at Pequea Valley Intermediate School. Bella is familiar with Tel Hai because her greatgrandparents were among the founders of the camp. She has also
See CRL! pg 3
attended summer camp at the location. Bella said that she competed in the 5K last year as a way to train for cross-country. “My grandparents wanted me to run because I run cross-country and it (would help) keep me in shape for next year’s season,” said Bella, noting that fall cross-country goes from August through October. “I like the long distance a lot better than (short distance) track and field.” She said that she had to power through last year’s cold temperatures. See Turkey Bowl pg 2
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to bring new skilled laborers into the workforce. Orndorff was recruited to help oversee the education pieces because of PVSD’s workforce development efforts. He works alongside Ephrata superintendent
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BY ANN MEAD ASH