newsletter draft 5-15 - edl...greencastle‐antrim high school. as we celebrate our successes, some...

100 West Seminary Street • Mercersburg PA • 17236 • 717.328.3127

Tuscarora News

Spring time is an exciting time in the Tuscarora School District. Baseball, Softball, Tennis and Track are in full swing and we’re all working hard to end the year on a high note academically. As educators, we’ve been busy making sure all our children in grades 3 through 8 are ready for the new PA Core aligned PSSA exams and our 8th graders and high school students are ready for the Keystone Exam. This year is a big year for the 10th grade students who are in the 2017 graduating class. Passing the three Keystone Exams, Algebra I, English Literature, and Biology, or their corresponding project is specifically required in order to graduate. The Algebra I students in the high school are using the ALEKS online Algebra I program to prepare for this year’s Keystone Exam. The Biology teachers are offering Biology Boot Camp, which went very well last year. The James Buchanan High School’s 11th grade scores last year in both English Literature and Biology lead the county with Algebra I a close second behind Greencastle‐Antrim High School. As we celebrate our successes, some students will need a little extra help to finish up this year’s school work. We are providing summer school opportunities for students in grades 6th through 12th and more details will be available through your child’s school counseling department. Other summer activities include: a collaboration with the Lincoln Intermediate Unit to provide the annual STEM Summer Camp, Mountain View Lego WeDo Camp from June 15th through 19th, and the Summer Robotics Camp 2.0 again this year. Also, Myers Manufacturing, JLG Cranes, and Manitowoc Cranes are teaming with Tuscarora and Chambersburg Area School Districts to host the first ever Welding Training Camp for graduated Seniors wishing to start a career in welding. The four week camp will be from June 15th to July 10th in the high school Agricultural Mechanics Lab. See Ms. Chris Shelley for details and an application. Finally, Coach Strawoet and Coach Lauthers will be holding summer basketball camps for the younger students to learn the basics of basketball and the TWEP Summer Arts Camp will be held at Mercersburg Elementary due to the construction of the new addition at the TWEP building currently underway. You will find more information about other great summer activities throughout this newsletter, on the district website, and Facebook pages. There is something for everyone here at the school this summer and I hope everyone gets a chance to participate. Sincerely, Dr. “P”

ADMINISTRATION Superintendent

Dr. Charles A. Prijatelj

Curriculum Director

Dr. Nadine E. Sanders

Special Education Director

Michelle Bennett

School Psychologist Brittany Thierwechter

Principal of Instructional Technology and Innovation

Richard Burkett

Business Administrator

Eric R. Holtzman

Director of Facility Operations

Stanley Morgan

Chief Information Officer

Aaron Trusky

High School Principal

Rodney Benedick

High School Assistant Principal

S. Chipman Dickey

Middle School Principal

James Carbaugh

Middle School Assistant Principal

Zachary Kump

Mercersburg Elementary School Principal Montgomery Elementary School Principal

Ryan Kaczmark

Mountain View Elementary School Principal Brett Kagarise

Saint Thomas Elementary School Principal

Andrew Kyle

SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS

Clifford A. Smith, Jr., President Larry E. Funk., Vice President Loretta A. Martin, Secretary

Chris D. Ardinger Thomas C. Black

Erich E. Hawbaker Jonathan W. Heebner

Daniel J. Myers Allen C. Piper

Angela S. Troupe

LETTER

FROM THE

SUPERINTENDENT

Dr. Charles A. Prijatelj

TUSCARORA SCHOOL DISTRICT MAY 2015


JBHS Students Present Alternative Energy Programs to Students from Around the World by William Brooks, Engineering Teacher JBHS

Mercersburg Academy hosted a week long Student Leadership Symposium from March 22nd through March 28th, 2015. The Student Leadership Symposium is a yearly event coordinated with Mercersburg Academy and a school in Oman. Mr. Willis, the event coordinator, contacted Stanley Morgan at JBHS to discuss opportunities that JBHS could provide concerning the various Alternative Energy Programs implemented at the school. Mr. Willis indicated that the symposium includes 6 students each from 9 schools from around the world (this year, we have Argentina, Belgium, China, Germany, Oman, South Africa, the UK, Mercersburg, and Texas) come together to study student leadership and social justice through the lens of whatever theme the host school chooses. The academy focused this year’s symposium on renewable energy. Several discussions between Mr. Willis, Mr. Morgan (Facilities Director TSD) and Mr. Brooks (Engineering Teacher JBHS) resulted in coordinating an effort to have the students visit JBHS for an hour on March 24th to discuss and view the energy systems. Over the course of several weeks Mr. Brooks solicited the assistance of six different JBHS Engineering Students to present the two systems we use here at the high school. These students (Alexa Jones, Shelby Carbaugh, Thatcher Stevens, Tylan Mellott, Sydni Ressler and Whitney DeShong) developed three different presentations focusing on different aspects of the systems. On March 24th at 8:45 and again at 11:15 JBHS hosted two sets of 35 students from around the world. During the two one hour long visits, JBHS separated the groups into three sections where they would cycle through about 10 minutes at each section of the renewable energy sources. One group of students started outside where Mrs. Martin (JBHS Technology Teacher), Tylen and Whitney described the physical characteristics of the

Wind Turbine and Solar Tubes. This presentation included items such as length of the turbine blades, direction and forces upon the Wind Turbine as well as a real time graph depicting the energy being produced by the turbine. They also spoke about the Solar Tubes and why they are angled and how the fluids in the tube transfer heated fluids into the building. Another group started in the basement of the school where Mr. Morgan, Thatcher and Sydni described how the fluid entered the building and what systems in the basement transferred the heat to the schools water system. Part of the description included emergency blow off of excess heat and auxiliary pumps to transfer heated fluid from outside into the building. The third group started in the classroom where Shelby and Alexa described the electrical energy obtained from the wind turbine through a graphical analysis of the energy produced and wind conditions. Alexa and Shelby also described how the Solar Tubes produced the heat and again through a graphical analysis showed the energy saved and the cyclical conditions of day (SUN) and night (NO SUN). In conclusion both the JBHS students as well as the International students gained an enormous amount of information about our Renewable Energy Sources. One highlight of the program centered around the angled position of the Solar Tubes. Discussion between the JBHS students and International students was that if they lived in South Africa (southern hemisphere) what direction would the solar tubes be pointed. (North). It was interesting to see the JBHS students interface with students who may have had a limited understanding of the English language. This was a great opportunity for both JBHS students and the International Students. Thank you for giving all of these students this opportunity.



SchoolWay™ App Available by Richard Burkett

FFA Continuing to Shine by Chip Dickey

Over the last few months, the Conococheague FFA has participated in several events. The first of these being ACES, which is a leadership conference in Harrisburg. Over 20 of our FFA members attended this conference. The FFA would like to give special thanks to JBHS Teacher Mr. Bill Brooks, Mrs. Debbie Starr and Mrs. Irene Plessinger for volunteering to chaperone and making the trip possible. The next event the FFA attended was a county public speaking competition. Congratulations to Paige Plessinger who took first in Senior Prepared, Kelsey Stewart, who took first in Junior Prepared and Jerry Vandaniker who took fourth in Creed Speaking. We would like to thank Miss Simchick for chaperoning this event. Most recently the FFA would like to congratulate Mikayla Barnhart who took first in the Vegetable Production proficiency at the state level and Paige Plessinger who was a state finalist in forage production. Seven members attended the State Legislative Leadership Conference (SLLC) in Harrisburg where attendees had the opportunity to learn legislative processes, and visit the capital. Special thanks to Mr. Bill Brooks and Mrs. Irene Plessinger who once again stepped up to chaperone the event.

Finally, we would like to welcome, Miss Brittany May, who will be serving as our Agriculture teacher for the remainder of the year. She is a graduate of Delaware Valley University and has a background in FFA. We are very happy to have her with us. Despite some challenges, our FFA chapter has flourished. They look forward to participating in several upcoming events including: Relay for Life and Arts in Action as well as hosting a blood drive.

Tuscarora School District is pleased to announce that it is offering a free app for your cell phone, tablet, or mobile device. The app will feature the ability to receive communication and alerts directly from the district or from the administrators of your respective schools. To download the free app for your cell phone, go to www.myschoolway.com and scroll to the bottom of the page where you can click the link to the Apple Store or Google (Android) Store to download the app. You can also search for SchoolWay and download it directly from app store of your choice. Once you have downloaded the app, you will be

asked to create an account and select your school district. From there, you can receive push notifications, news, and emergency alerts from the district and your school right to your phone or mobile device. You can also search other links and view important contact information and other links from within the app. We are pleased to offer this resource free to the TSD community and hope you will take advantage of this app to stay on top of the latest developments within your child’s school.



TUSCARORA SCHOOL DISTRICT SUMMER 2015 NEWS

All District Offices will be opened June 15 through August 20, Monday – Thursday – 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Offices are closed on Friday

Summer Nutrition School Program – Saint Thomas Elementary School ‐ June 15 – August 13, Monday – Thursday. Free Breakfast and Lunch for children 18 and under. Lunch is served from 11:30 to 1:00 and Breakfast is served from 8:30 to 9:00

Success‐by‐6 – Kindergarten Readiness Program by Dr. Nadine Sanders

A trio of James Buchanan student/athletes have signed letters of intent and will be heading to Division I colleges to further their educational goals and continue their athletic careers. Peter Hughey will be attending Penn State University in State College, Pennsylvania. Peter will be majoring in Communication Arts & Sciences and running Track & Field at Happy Valley for the Nittany Lion Track Team. Daniel Green will be attending Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia. Dan will be majoring in Pre‐Dietetics and running Cross Country for the Thundering Herd. Casey Glunt will be attending Bloomsburg University in Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania. Casey will be majoring in Criminal Justice or Exercise Physiology and wrestling for the Huskies Wrestling Team. All three of these individuals have had outstanding careers at James Buchanan. They have excelled in the classroom and in the athletic arenas in which they competed in at the conference, district, and state levels. We thank them for representing James Buchanan with class and dignity and wish them all the best in their future endeavors and continued success in their educational and athletic careers.

JB Student Athletes Heading to Division I by Larry Strawoet

We are excited to announce the district will once again be holding our very own six‐week Success‐by‐6 kindergarten readiness program for qualifying students, based upon the district’s kindergarten registration screening data. This Success‐by‐6 program will serve approximately 40 students who

are registered to attend one of our four elementary schools in the fall. We will provide limited transportation for students, if within an established bus route. The class will run Monday – Thursday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. with breakfast and lunch provided starting June 22 and ending July 30.



Big Decisions Looming for JBHS Seniors by Rodney Benedick

The locker above belongs to Matthew Schofield and highlights the various colleges to which Matt has been accepted. The bulletin board shows the many choices and decisions that face our soon‐to‐be graduates.

Decisions, decisions,… As April turns to May and May into June, high school seniors are faced with important but difficult decisions about their futures. What’s next? Thankfully, our college‐bound JBHS seniors have been blessed with numerous and impressive options as they near graduation. Some chose “early decision” and have known for months where they will attend school in the fall. For other seniors, the end of March is an anxious time as they await emails and envelopes from their college(s) of choice. Whether the news is good or bad, the decision must be made quickly as most schools require a deposit due by May 1st. Our JBHS seniors have been accepted to local, cost‐effective community colleges and highly selective prestigious colleges and universities. How much??? The cost of a college education can be overwhelming is usually a large consideration in the decision‐making process. Fortunately, many of our JBHS seniors will receive assistance in paying for higher‐education. For example, the class of 2015 has three Lenfest Scholars who will receive $48K each over their four years of college. We have an ROTC scholarship recipient who will receive a full scholarship. We will again award a multitude of awards and scholarships at our senior awards banquet in May, highlighted by the Glazier scholarships, which now total just under a million dollars to JBHS graduates since the scholarship’s origin. Big futures… Regardless of their post‐graduation plans, our JBHS graduates should be confident in their abilities, skills, and preparation. Each year at commencement I say, “…We love to hear how successful you have become…” We really do. Best of luck to all students in our JBHS Class of 2015! Have a big future!



During the past school year, the elementary schools have reemphasized the importance of reading outside of the school day. As we move into the summer months it is vital that students continue reading daily at home to prevent students from sliding backwards. Research states that parental involvement in literacy is directly connected to academic achievement. Students who don't read over the summer will demonstrate an academic loss and will not do as well as those students who continue to read over the summer. Substantial research on this topic shows that the students who can least afford to lose ground as readers are most likely to suffer from summer reading loss and fall far behind their peers. Summer reading loss can have a cumulative effect and cause students to lose two grade levels of reading ability by the time they reach sixth grade. In the summer it is important that our children get outside and play daily, but it is equally important for our children to read daily. Reading just 10 minutes daily for primary students or five books total in the summer for intermediate students can help prevent academic loss. The single most important thing parents can do is to have your kids read. Read with our kids. Read to our

some themed book list ideas, you can check out the Pinterest website, “There’s a Book About That”, which features over 400 book lists.

Another idea to get students reading is to get cooking with the kids. Cooking together requires reading a recipe and following directions. In addition to literacy skill development, cooking and baking also develop math and science skills. Another idea is to review spelling words, sight words, or vocabulary words. For example use sidewalk chalk or a bucket of water and a paint brush to “paint” words on the concrete or brick. Then watch them disappear. You can also engage your students digitally through a variety of free apps for different tablets. A good examples is: StoryKit for the iPad which allows students to interact with four classic children’s stories. If your student has a Kindle Fire or an Android device, you could try Kid Mode. The app takes kids through some games to help them with specific reading skills. The list of free apps is endless, so feel free to explore and utilize technology to keep kids reading!

Continued on page 7

Daily Reading Over the Summer by Drew Kyle, Brett Kagarise & Ryan Kaczmark

kids. And, have kids read independently. Do this every day! The great thing about the summer is that we can read what we are interested in reading. Generally, we don’t have required books to read over the summer. So, go to the library and explore. Find books on topics that are of interest to your kids right now. Need



Communication at the James Buchanan Middle School by Zachary Kump

Communication; a noun described in the dictionary as the imparting or exchanging of information by speaking, writing, or using some other medium. The way that our students are communicating is rapidly changing with the use of social media, but the way that the Tuscarora School District is communicating with parents and community members is changing as well. JBMS has a Facebook Page, Twitter Account,

going on at James Buchanan Middle School and needed some additional information such as a date or time of an event? These social media sites can and will provide you with useful information, giving you a sneak peek inside many classrooms at the middle school. Check us out at www.twitter.com or via the twitter app and find @JbmsYes. Social media websites such as Facebook and Twitter are not just for middle and high school students. These digital communities provide real time information about what is happening on a day to day basis. Check it out for yourself, stay informed, and see all the great things that happen at JBMS.

and a Tuscarora School District App will be coming soon. Have you ever wondered what is

Another great option would be to take advantage of the summer library program at Saint Thomas Elementary School. At various points throughout the summer, the school will be open to allow people from the community to bring their students and check out books according to their reading levels. The program was so successful last summer that the district is looking to expand to the other elementary schools as well. As parents, it is vital that we stress the importance of reading and have discussions with

our children about what they are reading. As mentioned before, read aloud to your child, even if he can read on his own. This helps build vocabulary and listening comprehension skills. Encourage your child to participate in a summer reading program at a local library. You might also consider the PBS KIDS & Parents Reading Challenges or scholastic reading which runs throughout the summer months. We appreciate all of your help and support throughout the school year and into the summer!

Daily Reading Over the Summer ‐ Continued from page 6



Tuscarora School District

100 West Seminary Street

Mercersburg, PA 17236

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newsletter draft 5-15 - edl...greencastle‐antrim high school. as we celebrate our successes, some...

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