Inside UP: Superintendent’s Report - Season Finale

We’re wrapping up this season of Inside UP: Superintendent’s Report with a special final episode celebrating the people and work that help make Upper Perkiomen such a special place.

In this episode, we hear from:

• Ruth Guenther, soon to be retiree, as she reflects on her years at Upper Perk, the memories she’s made, and what’s next in her journey 
• Mike Rohrbach, Director of Facilities, who shares an inside look at the exciting projects, improvements, and work happening across the district this summer 

This season finale is a celebration of dedication, service, and the continued growth of our schools and community.

🎧 Listen on Spotify, iHeartRadio, Amazon Music, YouTube, Apple Podcasts, and BuzzSprout.

Thank you for listening this season, and for staying connected with Inside UP!

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:04

With your host, Upper Perkie Oman School District Superintendent, Dr. Alan Roche.

SPEAKER_02 0:13

Welcome to our May 2026 episode of Inside Upper Perk, the Superintendent's View Podcast. It's hard to believe that we're just one week away from June, and that we have less than 10 days left in the 2025-26 school year. May is always a busy time in schools with testing, final exams, end of your traditions and celebrations, as well as the excitement for the last few days of the school year. And of course, high school graduation. We're looking forward to next week when we can celebrate and honor the Upper Perkyoman High School class of 2026. On Wednesday, June 3rd, starting at 5 p.m., our seniors will begin to process into Keeney Stadium for graduation. Congratulations early for the class of 2026, and congratulations to the parents, family, and friends of the class of 2026 as everyone is a part of the success of our students.

unknown 1:01

Mr.

SPEAKER_02 1:02

Flanagan and the High School Administration, along with the faculty and staff at the high school, provide an excellent ceremony for our graduates. This year we plan to have a few new twists to the graduation ceremony involving all of our employees from across the district to celebrate the 13-year journey many of our graduates have had from kindergarten at either Herford or Marlborough all the way up to the high school. Please join me in wishing the class of 2026 great success in their next phase. With that said, let's jump into our first guest on this month's episode. Our first guest today is one of our veteran teachers who has truly made their mark at Upper Park and will be missed next year as they plan to retire in the next two weeks. Please join me in welcoming current middle school math teacher, Mrs. Ruth Gunther, to the podcast today.

SPEAKER_00 1:47

Thank you for having me.

SPEAKER_02 1:48

Thanks for being here. For our listeners who may not know your full story, can you share a little bit about your journey in education and what first led you to become a teacher?

SPEAKER_00 1:56

Sure. Um I loved my high school math teacher, and from there I followed in his footsteps to Shippensburg University. Got a job teaching in Delaware, then I went to Pottsgrove. Then I became an athletic director at Daniel Boone. I came to Upper Park as an athletic director, and after two years I decided to jump back into the classroom as a math teacher.

SPEAKER_02 2:17

Okay. Wow. Athletic director. That's an interesting take from math and athletic directing. Maybe but some people may not connect those two.

SPEAKER_00 2:26

Well, I was coaching three sports, so I think I was in the athletic director office a bit more than I was in my classroom.

SPEAKER_02 2:31

Okay. Well that's all right. I mean that's that's those are connections you make with kids. That's an important piece.

SPEAKER_00 2:36

Yes.

SPEAKER_02 2:36

So what did you enjoy most about about say about athletic directing and what do you enjoy most now about teaching math?

SPEAKER_00 2:43

Uh I think for both of them it's being with the kids. Um in the classroom you see the academic side of the students and are able to work with them as they're, you know, looking at their future and their pathway to a job. And in athletics, um you got to see the other side where they were competitive and showed their skills on a field or you know, on a wrestling mat, and just a different kid when you see them in that atmosphere. So but you're still following them in their career paths.

SPEAKER_02 3:13

Right. And some I was always told as you coach athletics and coach other items, th those are often choices for kids. They want to participate in that. But as a teacher in the math class or as I taught science, y you have everyone that's there. And then they they have to, compulsory, right? They have to be participate in some level of that. So um and math can be intimidating for some students. Um so how do you what what's the gift that you have that connects with kids that helps them that if they're reluctant to be strong in math or they struggle in math?

SPEAKER_00 3:43

I like to show the kids where they can use those skills outside of the classroom. Um and sometimes it's a stretch. Um you know, we're not doing sign and cosine outside of the classroom. We're not gonna use this box and whisker. Correct. But I really talk about the problem solving and the collaboration that we do in the math classroom, that those skills are the ones that are gonna teach them in life when they go and get a job and have to work with others and and do a lot of problem solving. So if I can give them the basics for math, and obviously we do math every day, whether we're young or old with finances, so it's important for them to have that background information.

SPEAKER_02 4:20

Agreed. Ruth, I see you everywhere, right? You you volunteer, you help out after school, you help with tickets, all those types of things. And I know you're you're continuing with uh your work of the Ed Foundation and all of that. So what what keeps you coming back and staying involved with our park? Even though come two weeks from now, you don't have to, but I know you're you're planning on it uh to do that. So that volunteering piece, what's what drives you there?

SPEAKER_00 4:40

Uh I think it's important to have, you know, we see the kids in their different realms, and I think it's important for the kids to see us in our different realms. Um as a ticket taker, I'm meeting parents of the kids when they walk in. Um in the Ed Foundation, I'm in the community, I'm working with businesses, and I feel like that's kind of making a whole teacher that I'm not just in a classroom, I'm also, you know, being part of the school community.

SPEAKER_02 5:06

You definitely are, no doubt. It's a tough question now. So thinking back on your your ear years here at Epper Park, what are some of the moments or memory that really stands out that you're willing to share?

SPEAKER_00 5:16

So those are tough, but um a lot of them have to do with my colleagues. Um I have to do a shout out to my colleagues at the high school because they really um adopted me when I went from athletic director back into the classroom.

SPEAKER_02 5:28

You were accepted when being on the dark side back to I was, yes.

SPEAKER_00 5:32

Um a lot of those memories are getting pictures with Santa Claus at Christmas time and having oranges roll into my classroom and the kids just they react to it and it's it's funny to see because they're like, what was that? And it's just an opportunity for them to see the human side of all of the teachers. And just, you know, when I transitioned to the middle school, a lot of that continued with the colleagues there and being, you know, being accepted there and working with them. So I think a lot of my memories are not just the kids, but also all of my colleagues that I worked with.

SPEAKER_02 6:09

Great. Now when I first started, I think you were still splitting time high school and middle school. You were in a coaching role at some point?

SPEAKER_00 6:15

Yes, I was instructional coach for one year. Um you know, trying to get the math program together with intervention and enrichment programs. So um but yeah, I was splitting time, teaching a class at the high school, and then going to the middle school.

unknown 6:29

Right.

SPEAKER_02 6:30

So you're on the close to getting ready for retirement and a couple another couple of weeks.

SPEAKER_00 6:36

A couple of weeks, eight days. Is that what it is? Eight days. Okay. Yes. Well I don't know.

SPEAKER_02 6:40

I don't know if people are listening to this.

SPEAKER_00 6:41

So just clarifying.

SPEAKER_02 6:43

Okay. Eight days. But who's counting? Right. Exactly. Exactly. Um and they say it it gets uh from talking to people come the fall when it's buses are booming, that's could be kind of the weird time for people that have this is what they've been doing for so long. What do you hope that students remember most about being in your class when they reflect next year, five years, ten years from now?

SPEAKER_00 7:05

Well, I hope that they realize what I'm teaching them now will be lifelong learning for them and that they will look back on it and say, oh, this is why she did the things that she did, or this is really helping me because I remember doing this in her class. Right. So those are kind of two of the important things. Um, we have some fun times, we do some different activities, we did the career fair this year, and I'm hoping that, you know, we've done that for a couple of years. I'm hoping that sticks with the kids when they go and plan their futures. Sure.

SPEAKER_02 7:37

I'm sure it will. What are you most looking forward to in the next chapter? I know you're not going to be sitting around and relaxing because that's not who you are.

SPEAKER_00 7:44

Correct. Um I will be at the beach. I will be working at the farmers market at Tony Bologna's, um, which is a mozzarella Italian place. Um I'll probably be doing a whole lot of reading and making jigsaw puzzles.

SPEAKER_02 7:58

But no there's no plans right now for to go out and get another full-time job. You're gonna enjoy the time that you've done it.

SPEAKER_00 8:04

No full-time job.

SPEAKER_02 8:05

Okay. That's great.

SPEAKER_00 8:07

So I might go to the high school, the local high school, and see if they need a ticket seller or a basketball scorekeeper. Okay. But I would have to do that. Yeah, definitely the realm of athletics is part of me.

SPEAKER_02 8:21

Right. Well before we wrap up, is there anything that you'd like to say to the students, the families, your colleagues, community members uh that you've worked with over the years?

SPEAKER_00 8:30

Um I just want to thank everybody for I've been here for 23 years, so um, you know, I hope that I've touched a lot of lives, but I know that I have had a lot of people that have touched my life, and those memories will never be lost to me, and I will continue to hopefully see everyone when they come and visit me at the beach.

SPEAKER_02 8:49

Right. Open invitation.

SPEAKER_00 8:50

Open invitation.

SPEAKER_02 8:52

Nice. Well, on behalf of the the school district, I want to thank you for your countless hours, care, dedication that you've given to generations of students and families. You know your impact reaches far beyond the classroom and the athletic fields, and your legacy will continue to be felt for years to come here at Upper Perk. So we wish you nothing but the best, happiness, and fulfillment in retirement. So thank you for everything.

SPEAKER_00 9:12

Thank you. I appreciate it. And I will miss a lot of people around here. So thank you.

SPEAKER_02 9:17

Thank you. Our next and final guest today on the May edition of Inside Upper Perk, the Superintendent's View Podcast, is our Director of Facilities and Operations, Mr. Mike Rohrbach, to share some updates and projects that will be taking place over the summer. So stay tuned. And we're back to the podcast. Please welcome our director of facilities and operations, Mr. Mike Rohrbach, to the podcast today.

SPEAKER_01 9:44

Thank you for having me.

SPEAKER_02 9:45

Welcome. Uh tell our listeners a little bit about yourself, your background, uh, and what you were doing before you came to Overport.

SPEAKER_01 9:51

Um, yeah, so I started out my career in construction um and project management. Um the we did we renovated and um built water and wastewater treatment plants. Um after that I got into healthcare actually, where I started um my career as a director of facilities. I was in large senior living facilities um with nursing homes and memory care. And um after COVID I was looking to make a change and school districts popped up and I was very happy to um start my career at Southern Lehigh, and then that brought me here to Upper Park.

SPEAKER_02 10:27

So all along you've been in the facilities areas, just no matter what field it's been in.

SPEAKER_01 10:30

Yep.

SPEAKER_02 10:31

Wastewater sounds interesting. Yep. And then making your way through healthcare, yep, and then now to schools. Yeah, COVID was definitely interesting. I think a lot of people had an opportunity to look at examine careers and what's important. So I know many people see the results of your uh department's work every day, but they may not really understand everything that goes on behind the scenes. Coexplain the role of the director of facilities and operations.

SPEAKER_01 10:55

Um yeah, so my role is to direct the maintenance and custodial staff to ensure our schools are um safe, clean, um, any building needs are taken care of. I'm also in charge of the planning and um completing of future construction projects, uh repairs, um, and to ensure our students have a comfortable learning environment.

SPEAKER_02 11:15

And your favorite part is the use of facilities requests when the use of facilities requests as well, yes. People like to ask for uh using the facilities. Sure. How does your department help support students, teachers, staff, and the community?

SPEAKER_01 11:27

Um yeah, so we make sure all the facilities are cleaned every night. Um we make sure all um small and large repairs are completed. Um that goes from anything as small as replay replacing the light bulb to um you know making sure the roofs are safe, um, secure, and um the you know the air conditioning is running and and the heat.

SPEAKER_02 11:49

Right. So here we are in May. We're less than two weeks away from the end of the school year, and I'm sure everyone outside of education is like, oh, summer, you guys kick back and really just relax and yeah, have a pretty pretty easy summer. But we know that's one of the busiest times specifically for facilities work with any sort of project or normal cleaning and and those aspects. So what are some of the major projects that are happening across our upper upper park schools this summer?

SPEAKER_01 12:12

Um major one is the turf and track replacement. Um that um that entails replacing the turf and um re-uh coating the track. So that's the big one we have for this summer. Um we are also planning some painting, some crack ceiling um for the parking lots, um, pressure washing that's overdue. Um, and um obviously, like you said, the full cleaning of all the schools and and floor prep. Um our custodial team is getting prepared right now to hit the ground running as soon as students leave and to welcome students back in August.

SPEAKER_02 12:47

So what's your approach? Because I've seen in being in the schools for a long period of time, you see different approaches. You see the approach where everyone stays in their building and handles the facilities that are needs by team, or you have an approach where you kind of consolidate all of your summer help and some of the summer custodians and maintenance to one building, kind of do that whole piece and then move on to another one. So, how what how does that look?

SPEAKER_01 13:10

Um generally we keep all of our people in the building that they work at. Um last year we found ourselves in in a um interesting situation with the asbestos project where we had to do what you just said and move people around. This year we don't have that issue, but we have another uh constraint that we are looking to move people around throughout the summer to make sure all the schools get done. So it's not going to be as um, you know, everyone staying in their own school, um, but we will make sure all the schools get done properly.

SPEAKER_02 13:41

And one of the other items I heard you talk about was roofing. So I know roofing is a big topic along the lines of the turf and track replacement. I know we're hoping to get a grant, applied for a grant that'll help us probably next summer. Hopefully, we'll be doing a lot more roof work to make sure that those things are going on, and that was what allowed us to move towards both turfs and the track being replaced this summer.

SPEAKER_01 14:02

That's correct. Yes. Next summer we are um scheduled to do major roof replacement for sections at the high school, Hereford, and the 4.5 center.

SPEAKER_02 14:11

Okay. But I know we have some general excitement for the new turf fields and refurbish of the track. So why do you think the project's important for the district at this time?

SPEAKER_01 14:19

Um I think first and foremost it's um safety. Um the turf has run its course of its life. Um, it's right around the 15-year-old um realm. Um usually turf replacement, you start to think about it in year 10 to year 12. Um and it's just um it's compact. It's um you know, it's safe to play on right now, but it's it's getting near the the point where it would not be. End of life getting close.

SPEAKER_02 14:44

Yep. And better to be proactive than reactive. So what does the timeline look like for uh the turf and the track work this summer?

SPEAKER_01 14:52

Um so June 8th is the load up, the load-in from um Keystone Sports Construction. So literally the the Monday after our students leave on June 5th. June 8th, yep. And um they're gonna immediately start on the removal of the current turf um in both Keeney and Tribe. Um June 15th to the 26th is uh the Keeney turf install. Um June 29th to July 15th is the track install, and then July 13th to the 22nd is uh tribe um turf install.

SPEAKER_02 15:25

If I want a little piece of upper perk history, how do I get a piece of turf? I don't know, we have not discussed that. We should there may be some that that that played on that that may want a little sample or maybe there's a fundraiser that's not a bad idea auction, maybe?

SPEAKER_01 15:40

Yeah, we should uh we should think about that.

SPEAKER_02 15:41

Yeah. So what what message would you want to share with families and athletes about remaining flexible during the construction period? Because as you said, it seems to be rolling there and everything looks great on paper, but it's gonna be not a normal summer with the use of the track in that area.

SPEAKER_01 15:55

No, it's not going to be. And um basically both both stadiums will be closed from June 8th till the first week in August. Um, that gives us a little play as far as punch list related items, any weather delays. Um the athletic department has done a great job as far as um finding other fields for their for sports teams um and communicating the exact way to travel, where to park, so that um everyone remains safe. Um so yeah, it'll be closed from June 8th to the first week in August.

SPEAKER_02 16:28

Right. So a lot of moving parts, a lot of coordination. So who are some of the other people and departments that help make this work possible for the overall project?

SPEAKER_01 16:36

Um other than facilities, the athletic department has been you know huge in, like I said, coordinating, communicating to their coaches and to their teams and their players. Um Mr. Flanagan at the high school has been great as far as coordinating and making sure we have a good game plan. Um and then um, you know, the whole um selection process was the facilities committee and the board. Um, you know, I think there were a lot of people there for that, um, and then just getting it proof through the board, you know, we're very thankful.

SPEAKER_02 17:06

So as you're looking ahead to next school year beyond that project, what's what are you most excited about for the 26-27 school year?

SPEAKER_01 17:12

I think continuing our long long-range planning. Um, I think the district is in need of um you know getting you know our our five-year plans um in order, um working with our vendors for that, um, and then communicating building needs to the board um so that they can make the best decisions in the interest of the district.

SPEAKER_02 17:30

I thought you were gonna say the auction, because that there's an auction coming up right now. We're trying to get trying to sell off some of our previously owned furniture and other other items.

SPEAKER_01 17:39

Any update on that? Um Well, we we don't have a solidified date as of right now. I'm waiting on that, but that will be advertised. Um we will make sure everyone knows when that is and where to go. Coming up soon. Coming up very soon. Okay. So in the next uh two to three weeks.

SPEAKER_02 17:54

All right. Awesome. So before we wrap up, uh is there anything about facilities and operations that you wish more people knew or understood? We did have um one of our maintenance team on before talking about snow days, those type of things. Is there anything that people should know?

SPEAKER_01 18:07

I I think just the amount of work that the custodial maintenance teams do, um, it's goes mostly unseen, but it is critical to the operation of the district. Um they work very hard, they work extra hours, they do, you know, they're here on nights, they're on weekends, um, they get called in for emergencies. They even worked a holiday over winter because of snow removal. Um so I just remember a couple years ago they were here on Christmas. Yeah. Just want to recognize I just want to make sure that they're recognized for all the hard work that they do.

SPEAKER_02 18:33

Yeah, that's great. I agree 100%. They're they're fantastic. Any last thoughts to share with our listeners?

SPEAKER_01 18:39

Uh no, just thank you for allowing me to be here and being part of Upper Park. I appreciate it.

SPEAKER_02 18:43

Great. Thanks for the time today to share with our listeners, and I invite you back to an episode next school year to provide any facility updates. As you know, facilities committee will continue to meet and work on all aspects of the campuses. So thanks again. You got it.