Hatboro-Horsham Hires New Principals

The Hatboro-Horsham School District welcomed two new assistant principals Monday night. 

The board approved the hiring of Amy D. Orlando as Simmons Elementary School assistant principal; and changed Keith Valley Middle School math teacher John R. Ewerth's status to the school's assistant principal. 

Both Orlando and Ewerth will earn $91,000, pro-rated, in their new positions.

"Welcome," Board President Russ Bleiler said after Orlando and Ewerth's introduction Monday. "We’re excited to have both of you."

Orlando, who worked previously at the Hopewell Valley Regional School District in New Jersey, is replacing Kelli Sendel, who now serves as Principal of Crooked Billet Elementary School. In her time at Hopewell Valley, Orlando was a teacher for third-, fourth-, and fifth-grades; technology specialist; and was most recently Hopewell Valley’s supervisor of special projects for kindergarten through 12th-grade.

As part of her career at Hopewell Valley, Orlando was responsible for overseeing departments throughout the district, piloting new initiatives in the classrooms, and integrating technology into education across grade levels. She also completed an extensive one-year internship to achieve her assistant superintendent and principal certification, and was a member of a curriculum task force.

Ewerth, previously an eighth-grade math teacher and Mathematics Curriculum coordinator for Keith Valley, has worked within Hatboro-Horsham School District since 2001. Recently, he was honored with the position of administrative intern, a program which actively prepared him for a leadership role within the district. 

As part of his administrative internship, Ewerth focused on developing Keith Valley’s technology initiative, scheduling and course selection, and planning PSSA processes and procedures. The experience also introduced him to district-wide initiatives, specifically with the student information systems committee and the teacher leadership committee.

Ewerth served as an interim assistant principal at Keith Valley in 2012, supervising faculty and staff, coordinating high school transition activities for students, and organizing safe schools activities. He garnered experience in student discipline by supervising locker searches, and weighing in on drugs and weapons violations, expulsion hearings, and truancy.

As a teacher at Keith Valley, Ewerth has not only educated eighth-graders, but has also steered them through the district’s pilot program for the Pennsylvania Keystone Exams and Common Core Standards.