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Featured News
Staff shoutout: Leticia Valentine, Home School Visitor
Behind every attendance number is a student, a family, and a story. At the School District of Lancaster, supporting attendance is not a checklist or a policy alone. It’s people […]
Bobcat Bank turns learning into action at Burrowes ES
On Wednesday, December 17, Burrowes Elementary School became a place where learning felt alive with purpose. The library buzzed with anticipation as fifth grade students prepared to present their ideas […]
Staying Connected
Behind every attendance number is a student, a family, and a story. At the School District of Lancaster, supporting attendance is not a checklist or a policy alone. It's people doing patient, intentional work to remove barriers and create pathways back to learning. Leticia Valentine, Home School Visitor, does that work every day with accountability and deep respect for the families she serves.
When Leticia first saw the Home School Visitor position posted, she knew immediately it was the right fit. It combined everything she had been working toward: supporting youth, partnering with families, and drawing on her background in the court system. For years, she had envisioned herself working within a school district. This role felt like a natural next step, one that aligned with both her professional experience and personal values.
After graduating from Manheim Township in 1998 and earning a degree in Business Administration from Millersville University, Leticia briefly worked in business before realizing it did not reflect who she was. She pivoted toward youth-focused work, beginning a career that included eight years in adult probation and parole and more than a decade as a family worker supporting at-risk youth. That journey led her directly to SDoL, a place where she felt her experience and heart could meet.
Outside of work, Leticia spends most of her time cheering on her children at sporting events and staying active when she can. Her guiding advice, “Be the person you needed when you were younger,” is more than a phrase. It's a reflection of how she shows up for families every day.
Through persistence, empathy, and deep understanding, Leticia Valentine plays a vital role in helping students return to school and stay engaged. Her work reminds us that attendance is not just about showing up. It's about feeling supported enough to keep coming back.
Thank you for all that you do Leticia!
Read her full story on our website, link in comments.
The holiday season has a way of opening doors to wonder and imagination. This holiday season, students from across the School District of Lancaster had the opportunity to step into that sense of magic through @fultontheatre School Day Matinee performance of The Nutcracker.
For many students, this was their first time inside a professional theater. Experiencing a live performance invites students to listen closely, feel deeply, and see what is possible when storytelling, music, and movement come together.
Fulton Theatre’s School Day program exists to entertain, educate, and inspire young audiences. Watching professional actors perform a full stage production helps students build social, cultural, and aesthetic awareness. These experiences stay with children long after the curtain closes, shaping how they see art and the world around them.
This version of The Nutcracker offered a fresh and imaginative take on a beloved story. Based on the E.T.A. Hoffmann tale made universal by Tchaikovsky’s ballet, the production followed Marie and Fritz as they received special gifts from their uncle. Fritz’s toy Mouse King and Marie’s regal Nutcracker set the stage for a dreamlike journey where toys and dolls come to life. Along the way, students met a wide cast of characters who helped weave a story filled with music and enchantment.
Moments like these remind us that learning does not only happen in classrooms. It also happens in theaters and shared community spaces where curiosity is sparked and imagination is encouraged.
We are grateful to @assuredpartners and the City Limits Foundation for making this experience possible for our students during the holiday season. Their support ensured that access to the arts remained within reach and that students could experience the joy and inspiration of live theater.
As we close out the year, we celebrate not only the magic on stage, but the partnerships that help bring these opportunities to life.
#lancasterpa #supportlocal #education #theatre
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