Skip to content

Pulling back on classroom tech | Inquirer Greater Media

Plus, your guide to local leaf peeping.

The exterior of Strath Haven Middle School in Wallingford on Aug. 19, 2025. Wallingford-Swarthmore School District has made changes to its technology policies as parents worry about screen time for their kids.
The exterior of Strath Haven Middle School in Wallingford on Aug. 19, 2025. Wallingford-Swarthmore School District has made changes to its technology policies as parents worry about screen time for their kids.Read moreMonica Herndon / Staff Photographer

Hi, Greater Media!

Wallingford-Swarthmore School District continues to adapt its technology usage in the classroom as parents push back on screen time. Here are the latest changes as the school year gets underway. Plus, part of the district was briefly locked down Monday — here’s why. Also this week, the first day of fall is on the horizon and we’ve rounded up the best local spots to view peak foliage.

Have a question about town? Submit it to Curious Greater Media and one of our reporters might track down the answer.

Inquirer logo

Inquirer Greater Media

A Weekly Newsletter

Want to get Inquirer Greater Media straight to your inbox every week? Sign up here for our guide to the news, stories, and events shaping life in Media, Swarthmore, and Wallingford.

If someone forwarded you this email, sign up for free here.

As parents push back on screen time in the classroom, a number of local school districts have made efforts to scale it back, including Wallingford-Swarthmore.

For the youngest students, that means limits for online assessments and restrictions on YouTube access.

In making decisions, the district has sought parents’ feedback, including creating a forthcoming Technology Advisory Council focused on device use in grades six to 12.

For Alex Bird Becker, a parent in the district who’s active in the statewide group PA Unplugged, setting limits gets harder in middle school, where “the device culture has become really ingrained with curriculum,” she said.

The Inquirer’s Maddie Hanna delves into what steps the district has taken so far and what it hopes to achieve.

💡 Community News

  1. Tuesday is the first day of fall. Making plans for the season? The Inquirer has rounded up can’t-miss festivals, including the Community Arts Center Fall Festival in Wallingford. If you’re looking to leaf peep, check out The Inquirer’s guide to a dozen great spots, including the nearby Brandywine Conservancy & Museum of Art.

  2. A four-month investigation by Nether Providence Township police resulted in five felony arrest warrants being issued last week related to nearly $60,000 in fraudulent withdrawals from a victim’s bank account. Among those accused in the scheme is Robin Massing, who faces unrelated forgery charges for allegedly attempting to change and deposit checks from Media Little League.

  3. One member of the cast of hit HBO show Task, which was filmed throughout the region, took home an Emmy Award Monday night. Tom Pelphrey, who played Robbie Prendergrast, won in the supporting actor in a drama series category. Task is returning for a second season, though a release date hasn’t been announced yet.

  4. Swarthmore resident and Celia Bookshop literary director Rachel Pastan’s new book came out this week. We’re So Lucky to Live Here follows a 27-year-old protagonist who moves back to her childhood home in the Philadelphia suburbs, struggling to afford it in the wake of her mother’s death. The book was inspired in part by Pastan’s work on the borough’s affordability task force. She’s hosting a book launch and discussion Saturday at 7 p.m.

  5. Expect overnight roadwork on Swarthmore Avenue between Dartmouth and Benjamin West Avenues for borough paving from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. through Saturday. And in Nether Providence Township, work on Providence Road between West Rose Valley and Chester Roads switches to overnight hours this week, taking place Mondays through Thursdays from 7 p.m. to 5 a.m. Work is expected to continue into early next year.

🏫 Schools Briefing

  1. Several Wallingford-Swarthmore schools were locked down Monday after a suspect fled a Nether Providence police traffic stop on foot. The decision to “teach in place” was “out of an abundance of caution,” Superintendent Russell Johnston said.

  2. Both Rose Tree Media and Wallingford-Swarthmore School Districts are closed Monday, which is Yom Kippur.

🍽️ On our Plate

  1. Looking for gluten-free pizza? Main Line Today rounded up nine spots, including Poseidon Pizza in Media.

🎳 Things to Do

🍁 Hayrides at Linvilla: Hayride season arrives at Linvilla this weekend, including autumn moon options and hayrides to the witch’s house. ⏰ Select days, Friday, Sept. 18-Friday, Oct. 30, times vary 💵 $8-$11 in advance, $10-$14 at the door for autumn moon hayrides; $10-$13 in advance, $12-$16 at the door for hayrides to the witch’s house 📍 Linvilla Orchards, Media

🍔 Food Truckathon: Nosh on bites from over 20 food trucks and listen to live music. ⏰ Friday, Sept. 18, 5-9 p.m. 💵 Pay as you go 📍 Swarthmore town center

🎭 Dear Evan Hansen: See the hit Broadway musical live. ⏰ Select days from Friday, Sept. 18-Saturday, Oct. 3, times vary 💵 $18.50-$30.50 📍 PCS Theater

🪕 Porchfest: Catch musicians performing on porches throughout Media. ⏰ Saturday, Sept. 19, noon-6 p.m. 💵 Free 📍 Throughout Media borough

📖 Well Red Fundraiser: This Helen Kate Furness Free Library benefit includes food, drinks, and a silent auction. ⏰ Saturday, Sept. 19, 7-10 p.m. 💵 $75 📍 Helen Kate Furness Free Library, Wallingford

🗞️ What other Greater Media residents are reading this week:

By submitting your written, visual, and/or audio contributions, you agree to The Inquirer’s Terms of Use, including the grant of rights in Section 10.

This suburban content is produced with support from the Leslie Miller and Richard Worley Foundation and The Lenfest Institute for Journalism. Editorial content is created independently of the project donors. Gifts to support The Inquirer’s high-impact journalism can be made at inquirer.com/donate. A list of Lenfest Institute donors can be found at lenfestinstitute.org/supporters.