When Dennis Reardon came to Marple Newtown School District in 2003, he noticed a sign above Paxon Hollow Middle School’s front door that said: “A School that Makes A Difference.” Since then, he’s made it his mission to ensure that our schools and students truly make a difference. As he gets ready to retire from his role as principal at Russell Elementary School, he’s reflecting on his career in education and his biggest lesson: Schools really can make a difference.
A Drexel Hill native, Mr. Reardon graduated from Monsignor Bonner High School. Growing up, he played sports and especially loved baseball. When a shoulder injury sidelined him from playing ball in high school, Dennis found a way to continue his love of the game. At age 15, he began helping coach 10-12-year-olds in local Little League. “This was definitely when I discovered a love for coaching, which eventually led me to teaching,” said Mr. Reardon. “I really enjoyed working with kids.”
After high school, Mr. Reardon studied at Millersville University. He graduated with a degree in Marketing and was hired by the 76ers in their ticket office soon after. Although he enjoyed the job, he was still actively involved with coaching Little League baseball and wanted a more flexible career. It was then that he decided to pursue a Master’s in Education at Widener University.
Mr. Reardon’s first teaching job was at Beverly Hills Middle School (BHMS) in Upper Darby, where he started as a daily substitute teacher. He later became a full-time sixth-grade teacher there as well as a coach for several of the school’s sports teams. BHMS was also where he met his wife Kim, who now teaches kindergarten at Loomis Elementary in Broomall. He and Kim raised two sons, DJ and Chase, now both students at the University of Tampa.
In 2003 Mr. Reardon came to the Marple Newtown School District, and for the past 20 years, he’s served in administrative roles that allowed him to make a positive impact on our students and community. His first job here in the district was as Athletic Director (AD) at Paxon Hollow Middle School. As the AD there, one of his goals was to find an event that could not only bring students and staff together but would also make a positive impact in the community. “I thought the school really needed a jolt of school spirit,” said Mr. Reardon.
Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation at the Potter Cup
By teaming up with the AD from Haverford Middle School, they created the Potter Cup, where the two rival schools faced off in basketball and wrestling. The first Potter Cup was so successful that they added a fundraising aspect to the event the next year and chose Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation (ALSF) for childhood cancer. “Associating the Potter Cup with ALSF demonstrated the importance of working together to achieve a greater goal,” Mr. Reardon explained. Since that first Potter Cup, the event has raised over $477, 000 for ALSF and has been recognized as a Top 100 Fundraiser by ALSF.
During his time at PHMS, Mr. Reardon also spearheaded the Six Pillars of Character program. By enlisting the help of a group of students, they were able to identify six meaningful pillars of character for the school’s athletes to strive towards: respect, responsibility, citizenship, sportsmanship, integrity, and hard work. Although it started out as a program for student-athletes, it eventually became an all-school program.
A few years later, when Mr. Reardon became the AD at Marple Newtown High School (MNHS), he and the staff connected the schools by bringing the pillars program there, where they are engrained throughout the gymnasium. Then in 2015, Mr. Reardon came to Russell Elementary School to serve as principal. Once again he and he and the teachers there worked to cultivate those pillars around the message to the elementary students. “At each step along the way, we strove to reward students for being good people,” he said.
For Mr. Reardon, working with the elementary school students at Russell has been the highlight of his career in education. “The community here is awesome,” he said. “We are very lucky to have such supportive parents.” Known for his signature ties and getting a pie in the face at the annual Russell Fun Fair, he enjoys the connection he makes with students. “It’s so valuable to connect with each student and get to know their story,” he said. “Students are much more motivated when educators take a genuine interest in them.”
As a longtime educator in Marple, Mr. Reardon is also known for teaching students the value of doing things for others. Whether through its Pillars of Character program or service projects like their recent 5th-grade event with Kids Against Hunger, he always instills the message of giving back. “As parents, my wife and I would love for our children to be great athletes or musicians or students, but it is mandatory that they be good people,” he said. “I’ve always found that part of my responsibility as an educator is to help students grow all around.”
Thank you, Mr. Reardon, for making a difference to our students here in Marple Newtown. Your Marple Friends & Neighbors wish you well in your retirement!