'Opening Week' Prepares Bucks IU Staff For New School Year Ahead

DOYLESTOWN, PA — Bucks County Intermediate Unit staff members kicked off the 2025–26 school year this week with Opening Week training activities and classroom setup sessions.

“Opening Week gives us time to intentionally focus on our mission, sharpen our skills, and start the year moving in the same direction,” said Dr. Mark Hoffman, Bucks IU Executive Director. “When we invest in starting our school year strong together, we see the return in the quality of our work and the impact we have on students and families all year.”

More than 2,000 employees and contractors serve Bucks IU students throughout the county in a variety of educational settings, reported Pamela Dinan, Bucks IU Supervisor of Education and coordinator of Opening Week activities.

In preparation for educating students, staff members began Opening Week activities on Aug. 18 at 11 sites throughout the county with introductory presentations and required safety and crisis intervention sessions. Staff also participated in training sessions specific to their respective assignments.

Bucks IU Occupational and Physical Therapists took time during their professional development training sessions for some open discussion and collaborative work.

“These trainings equip our team members with research-based tools and best practices that foster student success,” Opening Week coordinator Pamela Dinan said. “By investing in targeted, role-specific learning, we strengthen staff expertise, ensure consistency and equity in service delivery, and ultimately create safer inclusive learning environments for all students.”

During Opening Week, 115 training sessions are offered in-person, via Zoom, and through pre-recorded training modules.

“A preparation period like Opening Week is essential and allows our staff to start the year organized, aligned, and ready to deliver high-quality, compliant, and individualized services from day one,” said Dr. Gina Meissler, Bucks IU Program Director–Related Services.

Dr. Meissler’s related services division, for example, employs more than 190 Bucks IU staff members who provide students with speech, physical, and occupational therapy, as well as vision and hearing support.

Amy Francek, the supervisor of special education–related services, said the “high-quality professional learning” environment at Opening Week is one reason she joined the Bucks IU. She continued, “In order to best serve students and families, I believe it’s incumbent on Bucks IU team members to engage in ongoing learning about best practices.”

Bucks IU School-Age staff from Upper Bucks County gathered on Opening Day to kick of their week of training and new school year preparation.

The Bucks IU Transportation Team is very interactive as drivers and staff were assembled for their training, updates, and planning.

Related services team member Kelly Gibat is especially looking forward to an Opening Week professional development session on the latest updates in audiology “to remain current on the most effective tools and strategies for accessibility.”

A teacher of the deaf and hard of hearing, Gibat serves students in the Council Rock and New Hope–Solebury school districts. She also serves as an assistive technology consultant and coordinates live captioning support services throughout the county.

Given that she wears two Bucks IU hats, Gibat said she relies heavily on Opening Week to develop game plans with her colleagues. “My work is most effective when I can collaborate with teams, problem-solve before classes begin, and align our strategies with research-based best practices for students with hearing loss,” she said.

Opening Week activities are also providing veteran speech-language pathologist Zoë Hunter with a new way to approach the start of the school year. Hunter was recently hired by the IU to provide speech services to Bensalem High School students and to conduct evaluations throughout the county with the agency’s Multilingual Learner Assessment Team.

“In most of the schools where I have worked, I’ve been a solo practitioner with limited access to peers with whom I could collaborate, talk about therapy strategies, problem solve, and innovate,” Hunter said. “Now that I’m at Bucks IU, I have joined a universe of specialists across the county who are always beyond willing to share their expertise and I plan to continue to take full advantage.”

Staff members say Opening Week activities help Bucks IU programs set a positive tone for the year.

“The week offers the opportunity for staff to learn together,” said Dr. Roseanna Mitsch, Bucks IU Director of Early Childhood Programs. Janice Towner agrees. She will serve as a Preschool Early Intervention Paraeducator this school year in an inclusion class at Bucks IU at Lower Southampton Early Learning Center.

“Opening Week activities are extremely helpful because they give us the trainings that we need,” Towner said. “This week also gives us a chance to get to know our team that we are working with and to set up the classroom for the children.”

Bucks IU Opening Week is also a great way to build momentum, said Adrienna Wilbourne, a
Centennial School District–based preschool special education teacher and evaluator. “As we prepare for the year, we lean into the energy and possibilities that come with a fresh start,” Wilbourne said. “Together, we form a cohesive and committed team for our students and the parents we serve.”

Students begin the new school year in the last week of August or after Labor Day in September, depending on their assigned Bucks IU location.

“As we start the school year, I would like to wish our Bucks IU staff a successful year supporting schools and serving the students entrusted to us,” said the president of the Bucks IU Board of School Directors, John D’Angelo. “On behalf of the Bucks IU Board of School Directors, I express our appreciation for their dedication, professionalism, expertise, and positive impact across Bucks County.”