Inclusion Part 1: Anything is Possible

In this episode, Cardinal team members Kimberly Small and Lisa Fantini join Superintendent Dr. Smith to discuss the learning experiences offered through the District’s planetarium and Robbins Park Environmental Education Center. They share what makes these spaces special and how the lessons and hands-on experiences they provide extend and enrich the learning taking place in our classrooms.

Superintendent Dr. Laurie Smith is joined by elementary reading specialists Beth Michaels, Kathleen Place, and Lauren Weihenmayer to share practical tips for supporting young readers at home. This episode explores the importance of summer reading, choosing books children enjoy, building reading routines, and encouraging a lifelong love of reading.

For the next edition of our district podcast, The Cardinal Cast, Superintendent Dr. Smith hosts an episode to reflect Mental Health Awareness Month. Her guests include student leaders of the high school's Hope Squad, Kaelyn, Isabela, Sloane, and Ellie, and Bernadette Selgrath, Education Coordinator for the National Alliance for Mental Illness (NAMI). Learn more about the efforts of the Hope Squad and about the resources and services NAMI provides for schools and families throughout our county.

In this episode of The Cardinal Cast, Upper Dublin High School senior and podcast host of The Motivational Mic, Jacob, joins Superintendent Dr. Smith to share his journey of resilience, perspective, and hope. Jacob and Dr. Smith discuss all things podcasting as he reflects on how his experiences with childhood cancer inspired him to launch his podcast and how he builds meaningful connections with his guests. Learn more about Jacob and The Motivational Mic here. 

Dr. Smith interviews three teachers about Unified programs offered at Upper Dublin High School. Leah Matusow teaches Unified gym courses and Kim Nordlinger and Lori Saville are special education teachers. They share the impact of these programs and the benefits they bring to the Cardinal community.

Dr. Smith sits down with Julia Skolnik, CEO of Professional Learning Partnerships, and UDHS students Olivia and Kiarra to talk about our Portrait of a Cardinal. Ms. Skolnik shares the process behind creating this important vision and what it means for our schools, while Olivia and Kiarra, who served on our Portrait focus groups, offer their perspective on what this could mean for the peers that will follow them.

What does true inclusion look like in our schools? In this episode, Ms. Sarah Whelan, Jarrettown Elementary teacher, and Mrs. Rose Lovejoy, parent, share inspiring stories of students feeling seen, valued, and included—both in the classroom and across the community. From inclusive classroom practices to powerful parent experiences, this conversation highlights how inclusion benefits every student, every family, and every Cardinal.

For this conversation, Dr. Laurie Smith sits down with UDHS environmental science teachers Christopher Smith and Erin Loch to discuss what inspires their work in the classroom and the innovative learning experiences they design for students—including a hands-on journey down the Schuylkill River to assess water quality and a field investigation in which students studied the biodiversity of the future Jarrettown Elementary School site. It’s a great conversation about curiosity, teaching, and the power of real-world learning.

The pilot episode "Feeling Inspired at UDSD" includes a series of short interviews conducted by our host Upper Dublin School District Superintendent Dr. Laurie Smith with students Ayreslee and Kaleb as well as teachers Erica Stianchi and Ed Bush, Director of Transportation Jeff Tyler, parent Courtney Lauer, and Aurelio Arroyo from our facilities team. Music by the Sean J. Kennedy Quartet