School Story
Shoemaker Elementary School is located in the beautiful community of Macungie, PA, which is approximately 10 miles outside of Allentown and 50 miles Northwest of Philadelphia. We share a campus with Macungie Elementary School and Eyer Middle School. We are a kindergarten through 5th grade elementary school with approximately 715 students, 47 professional staff members and 45 support staff members. We have 28 classes, including 5 sections of kindergarten, 5 sections of first grade, 4 sections of second grade, 5 sections of third grade, 4 sections of fourth grade, and 5 sections of fifth grade. Additionally our school has four special education classrooms, a gifted classroom and 2 computer labs.



Shoemaker Elementary School opened its doors in 1970 and over the last 40 years has undergone several changes as the district redistricted and reconfigured. Over the years, primary students from Alburtis, Kings Highway, and Lower Macungie Schools fed into Shoemaker which primarily housed intermediate students ranging from third through sixth grade.

In 2005 renovations were made and Shoemaker reopened as a kindergarten through fifth grade school. In 2006, our kindergartens moved to the Lower Macungie Kindergarten Center and reentered the Shoemaker family in 2010. Shoemaker's unique architecture is configured to house each grade level in a pod area, with removable walls that makes it ideal for team teaching.

As the school transitioned from an intermediate building to a kindergarten through fifth grade building, it blended rich traditions from the past with new initiatives from the present which make it the unique and special school it is today. Entertaining musical productions, our Veteran's Day Program, the Mile Club, our strong Community Service Club, our Art Club, our Mustang pride and our holiday customs such as our male staff serving holiday breakfasts to the predominately female staff are traditions that have been preserved over the years. New school-wide programs such as our school themes, our bucket filling and behavior programs, monthly Mustang Meetings, Daily announcements and Friday newscasts and our school wide read-a-thons, in addition to a Year Book Club are new traditions that have built school unity.

The video below depicts just one of the special relationships created between the Shoemaker Art Club and the community. It demonstrates the value of collaboration and working together to achieve success. It illustrates the commitment of our students, families, staff, and community that we are so proud of here.



Our school themes have included a Hollywood theme where students were encouraged to "Reach for the Stars", a Go Green theme where students were reminded to "Love Our Neighbors and Love Our World“, and a TEAM theme, Together Everyone Achieves More where students and staff practices teamwork through a variety of school-wide initiatives. Shoemaker staff and students take great pride in our academic achievement. Shoemaker students have met or exceeded Pennsylvania Adequate Yearly Progress benchmarks in both reading and math. Guided by the East Penn School District curriculum, the school offers academic programs that both challenge and support all students such as Math Olympiad, spelling bees, and RtII (Response to Intervention and Instruction) which provide enrichment and support for success to our students. Teachers regularly integrate technology utilizing electronic whiteboards, internet resources and Moodle to enhance instruction. Several of our teachers will continue to be involved in a district initiative called STEM which will integrate Science, Technology, Engineering and Math using an inquiry project based approach to teaching science with some classes also incorporating the arts into the equation (STEAM).

In addition to academic excellence, Shoemaker is especially proud of our philanthropic and recycling efforts and involvement in the community organized through our Community Service Club and Angel Network. Our Shoemaker staff, students, and their families participate in monthly initiatives such as recycling books, sneakers, coats, bottles and paper to raising money for needy and sick children. Each day our Shoemaker Family demonstrates kindness and generosity by reaching out to improve our world and the lives of people in need.

Shoemaker students and staff are supported by a committed P.T.O. (Parent, Teacher, Organization) and volunteers who support a positive school climate by bringing families together for sponsored events, such as the Winter Wonderland Family Night, Roller-skating Parties, Family Bingo Night and the annual Spring Festival as well as volunteer in classrooms and with clerical work. Financial support for assemblies, fieldtrips and classroom materials is provided by the P.T.O. through a variety of fundraising activities including the sale of kidstuff books and the annual read-a-thon.

Shoemaker is a school filled with a friendly, motivated, hardworking team committed to meeting the needs of our students through a variety of current, creative, and research based educational techniques.




© 2010 East Penn School District