northeastern hi-lites · northeastern hi-lites spring, 2010 message from the superintendent inside...

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Northeastern Hi-Lites www.nesd.k12.pa.us Message from the Superintendent Spring, 2010 Northeastern School District: Educating, Equipping, and Empowering through Learning Inside this Issue: Operation Help-A-Neighbor Jachy Rosario New Vaccination Laws YorkCounts School Safety Update High School News Middle School News Intermediate School News Elementary School News The Bobcat Foundation Outstanding Principal Award Northeastern Welcomes New Superintendent The end to the school year is rapidly approaching. As I men- tioned in the winter newsletter, my retirement from public educa- tion will begin effective June 30, 2010. My 15 years at Northeast- ern have convinced me that we have an outstanding group of School Board members, school administrators, teachers, classi- fied employees, parents, commu- nity members, and students! I applaud the School Board for appointing Dr. Jody Nace as Superintendent effective July 1, 2010. The transition into the role of superintendent will be seamless as Dr. Nace and I have worked hand-in-hand for a number of years. There will be no “lag-time” in regard to this district continuing to move forward with a mission focused on student success and high expectation because Dr. Nace has played a critical part in creating our vision for the future. In closing, I look forward to spending more time with family and friends and to discover ways I might be able to volun- teer my services at Northeastern in the future! At the January 18, 2010 Board of School Directors meeting, Dr. Jody Nace was named as the next superin- tendent of Northeastern School District. Her appointment was unanimous among the nine board members, and she received a standing ovation by those in attendance. Dr. Nace will begin her new responsibilities on July 1, 2010. Her contract continues through 2013. Dr. Nace is a Cumberland County native and holds a doctorate in education from Immaculata University in Philadelphia. She has served in administrative roles in both the York Suburban and Eastern York School Districts. Dr. Nace started her career in education as a sixth grade teacher at Elizabethtown Middle School. She started working for the district in 2003 as the principal of Spring Forge Intermediate School and was promoted to her current position of assistant superintendent in 2007. In her spare time, Dr. Nace enjoys spending time with her husband, three step-children, granddaughter, and her labrador retriever. They enjoy hiking, gardening, and reading. She enjoys music and plays the violin, guitar, and piano. Dr. Nace is looking forward to carrying on Dr. Tabachini’s goal of ensuring every child is successful. She plans to do this by continuing to encourage teamwork among Northeastern faculty, staff, parents, and community. Dr. Nace states that what she loves about this school district is “how we are committed to doing whatever it takes to ensure student success, one child at a time.” She says, “I am proud to be a Bobcat.” Dr. Robert J. Tabachini, Jr. Superintendent pg. 2 pg. 3 pg. 3 pg. 4 pg. 5 pg. 6-8 pg. 9 pg. 10 pg. 11-13 pg. 14-15 pg. 16

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Page 1: Northeastern Hi-Lites · Northeastern Hi-Lites Spring, 2010 Message from the Superintendent Inside this Issue: Operation Help-A-Neighbor Jachy Rosario New Vaccination Laws YorkCounts

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chool year

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ly a

ppro

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tioned in the w

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my r

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tion w

ill b

egin

effective J

une 3

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2010. M

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5 y

ears

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roup o

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mem

bers

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adm

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achers

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ssi-

fied e

mplo

yees, pare

nts

, com

mu

-

nity m

em

bers

, and s

tudents

!

I appla

ud the S

chool B

oard

for

appoin

ting D

r. J

ody N

ace a

s

Superinte

ndent effective J

uly

1, 2010. T

he tra

nsitio

n into

the r

ole

of superinte

ndent w

ill b

e s

eam

less a

s D

r. N

ace a

nd

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ork

ed h

and-in-h

and for

a n

um

ber

of years

. T

here

will

be n

o “

lag-t

ime”

in r

egard

to this

dis

tric

t continuin

g to

move forw

ard

with a

mis

sio

n focused o

n s

tudent success

and h

igh e

xpecta

tion b

ecause D

r. N

ace h

as p

layed a

critical part

in c

reating o

ur

vis

ion for

the futu

re.

In c

losin

g, I lo

ok forw

ard

to s

pendin

g m

ore

tim

e w

ith fam

ily

and friends a

nd to d

iscover

ways I m

ight be a

ble

to v

olu

n-

teer

my s

erv

ices a

t N

ort

heaste

rn in the futu

re!

At th

e J

anuary

18, 2010 B

oard

of S

chool D

irecto

rs

meeting, D

r. J

ody N

ace w

as n

am

ed a

s the n

ext superin

-

tendent of N

ort

heaste

rn S

chool D

istr

ict. H

er

appoin

tment

was u

nanim

ous a

mong the n

ine b

oard

mem

bers

, and

she r

eceiv

ed a

sta

ndin

g o

vation b

y those in a

ttendance.

Dr. N

ace w

ill b

egin

her

new

responsib

ilities o

n J

uly

1,

2010. H

er

contr

act continues thro

ugh 2

013.

Dr. N

ace is a

Cum

berland C

ounty

native a

nd h

old

s a

docto

rate

in e

ducation fro

m Im

macula

ta U

niv

ers

ity in

Phila

delp

hia

. S

he h

as s

erv

ed in a

dm

inis

trative r

ole

s in

both

the Y

ork

Suburb

an a

nd E

aste

rn Y

ork

School

Dis

tric

ts. D

r. N

ace s

tart

ed h

er

care

er

in e

ducation a

s a

six

th g

rade teacher

at E

lizabeth

tow

n M

iddle

School. S

he

sta

rted w

ork

ing for

the d

istr

ict in

2003 a

s the p

rincip

al of

Spring F

org

e Inte

rmedia

te S

chool and w

as p

rom

ote

d to

her

curr

ent positio

n o

f assis

tant superinte

ndent in

2007.

In h

er

spare

tim

e, D

r. N

ace e

njo

ys s

pendin

g tim

e w

ith h

er

husband, th

ree s

tep-c

hild

ren, gra

nddaughte

r, a

nd h

er

labra

dor

retr

iever.

They e

njo

y h

ikin

g, gard

enin

g, and

readin

g. S

he e

njo

ys m

usic

and p

lays the v

iolin

, guitar,

and p

iano.

Dr. N

ace is lookin

g forw

ard

to c

arr

yin

g o

n D

r. T

abachin

i’s

goal of ensuring e

very

child

is s

uccessfu

l. S

he p

lans to

do this

by c

ontinuin

g to e

ncoura

ge team

work

am

ong

Nort

heaste

rn faculty,

sta

ff, pare

nts

, and c

om

munity.

Dr.

Nace s

tate

s that w

hat she loves a

bout th

is s

chool dis

tric

t

is “

how

we a

re c

om

mitte

d to d

oin

g w

hate

ver

it takes to

ensure

stu

dent success, one c

hild

at a tim

e.”

She s

ays, “I

am

pro

ud to b

e a

Bobcat.”

Dr.

Ro

bert

J. T

ab

ach

ini, J

r.

Su

peri

nte

nd

en

t

pg

. 2

pg

. 3

pg

. 3

pg

. 4

pg

. 5

pg

. 6

-8

pg

. 9

pg

. 1

0

pg

. 11

-13

pg

. 1

4-1

5

pg

. 1

6

Page 2: Northeastern Hi-Lites · Northeastern Hi-Lites Spring, 2010 Message from the Superintendent Inside this Issue: Operation Help-A-Neighbor Jachy Rosario New Vaccination Laws YorkCounts

Page 2 Northeastern Hi-Lites

Facilities Upgrade Are In the Works

When a school district such as ours begins the process of building a new building, estimates are made early on regarding the

cost of the project, and funding is arranged. Generally, the funding needs to be in place by the time a project starts so

construction bills can be paid. Most times, construction funding is provided through bond issues - we sell bonds, which people

buy, and we then use that money to build what is needed.

During our most recent projects at Shallow Brook and the Middle School, we issued bonds based on our best estimates for

construction costs. However, due to the hard work of our construction manager and our architects and engineers, we were

able to bring the cost of construction in UNDER those estimates, resutling in some money which as been left over. Because

of the nature of these bonds, the use of this money is somewhat restricted to improvements in our buildings.

As part of our ongoing efforts to keep our buildings in good repair and because of the need to keep our facilities functional in

the 21st century, a number of needs were identified and prioritized. During this summer, we are working on caring for some of

these needs with the construction money not yet spent. In this way, we will not have to impact future budgets to take care of

these concerns.

The main air condintioning unit at Orendorf Elementary (the chiller) is 20 years old, extremely noisy, and not very efficient by

current standards. We have been able to secure a new machine with top noise and efficiency ratings from Johnson Controls

(York International) at a special price. It will be installed this spring and will help us to reduce our energy footprint in this

building.

The seating in the high school auditorium is original to the building (1956), with the exception of some new upholstery a

number of years ago. However, the seat frames are now breaking from age, and it is not cost effective to refurbish them

further. As a result, the seating will be replaced, and the new arrangement will actually allow for a few more seats and some

additional handicapped seating, as well as some aisle lighting for safety. In addition, the 22 year-old stage curtains (which

have rotted) will be replaced, and some of the 22 year-old sound equipment will be upgraded.

Anyone who has spent much time in the high school gymnasium knows that it can be very difficult to understand announce-

ments there due to the excessive reverberation in the room. This summer we will be installling some acoustical treatment to

control reverberation and help everyone to be able to hear more clearly.

Some 20 year-old carpet will be replaced in the York Haven and Conewago Elementary libraries. Also, each of our buildings

will receive some security upgrades to their offices. These upgrades were recommended by school safety audits which were

completed earlier this year.

Technology-related upgrades include the installation of classroom multi-media systems at Spring Forge Intermediate (which

will then allow both of our intermediate schools to have similar classroom systems), and the inclusion of wireless network

connections in each of our schools. Additionally, some small air conditioning units will be installed in our file server closets in

several buildings to accommodate the heat being generated by the computer network equipment housed there.

It will be a busy summer! We are encouraged that we will be able to use a portion of the money which has already been

dedicated for construction purposes for these projects, and, as a result, will not have to tap our already stressed normal

operating budget.

Operation Help-A Neighbor Brings Smiles to 625 Faces

Due to the generous hearts of others, 625 children in the district had smiles on

their faces Christmas morning because of the Operation Help-A-Neighbor

program. This annual program heped parents in the district provide gifts for their

children from “Santa.”

Kathy Minnich, a social worker for the district, has served as the project manager

for 10 years. Some of the largest contributors to the program included: St. Paul

Untied Methodist Church, Quigley Motor Company, Holy Infant Catholic Church,

Northeastern Women of Today, Wagman Construction, Gabriels’s Place Daycare

at Mt. Washington Church, Christ Lutheran Church, St. John Lutheran Church,

York Container, NEWVIEW, staff of Northeastern School District, AAA, Walton,

Manchester Cafe, Spring Forge Student Council and many others.

Page 3: Northeastern Hi-Lites · Northeastern Hi-Lites Spring, 2010 Message from the Superintendent Inside this Issue: Operation Help-A-Neighbor Jachy Rosario New Vaccination Laws YorkCounts
Page 4: Northeastern Hi-Lites · Northeastern Hi-Lites Spring, 2010 Message from the Superintendent Inside this Issue: Operation Help-A-Neighbor Jachy Rosario New Vaccination Laws YorkCounts

Page 4 Northeastern Hi-Lites

YorkCounts Visits NESD

Kids, Truancy, and a County at Risk

At a YorkCounts town hall meeting addressing the topic of truancy, NHS sophomore Lakyn Deitrick shared her own struggles of being a 14-year-old mother who feared being separated from her daughter. She had no one to care for her baby while she attended school, so she had no choice but to stay home with her child. Luckily, social workers at the high school and a school-based case worker intervened and helped Lakyn find childcare so that she would not have to drop out of school. They encour-aged her to reach for her goal of graduating and giving her child, Karamyah, a good life. Today, Lakyn, 16, has only missed one day of school this year. She is doing well and plans to attend college to be a pediatric nurse. She says, “I’m stable. I have faith. I feel very sure I can do this.”

YorkCounts, a nonprofit coalition that works to assess, sustain, and enhance the quality of life in York County, visited Northeastern in February for a town hall meeting called “Kids, Truancy, and a County at Risk.” Speakers focused on the United Way of York County’s Stay in School Report and Judge John Uhler’s Truancy Task Force work. Situations like Lakyn’s are not an isolated case.

Bob Woods, Executive Director of the United Way and board member of YorkCounts notes, “We learned that there are huge costs to letting these kids drop out. Obviously, the kids are hurt because a lot of times they get in trouble and end up in the court system. But the entire community suffers, too - more crime, fewer people with employ-able skills, fewer people paying taxes, higher government costs for prisons and healthcare.”

Three important findings in the Stay in School Report include: ● Over the past 11 years, every day an average of four students dropped out of a York County school. ● Students who drop out of school are more than eight times as likley to end up in prison. ● The cost to incarcerate a York County resident for a year ($23,000) is three times the cost to educate a student in the public school system for one year ($7,800).

YorkCounts Director, James Debord, noted, ”We want to use the report and the town halls to show the success these local programs have had on a small scale and help them reach more families to keep more kids in school.” Dr. Tabachini, Northeastern superintendent added, “We must never give in. We must always do whatever we can to ensure the success of all students.”

Speakers at the YorkCounts town hall meeting

included (back row, left to right) Bob Woods,

Executive Director of the United Way of York

County; Dr. Robert Tabachini, Jr., Superinten-

dent, Northeastern School District; James

Debord, Director of YorkCounts (front row, left

to right) Lakyn Deitrick, student; Kathy

Minnich, NESD Elementary School Social

Worker; Sally Reed, NHS Social Worker; and

York City Police Chief, Wes Kahley.

Page 5: Northeastern Hi-Lites · Northeastern Hi-Lites Spring, 2010 Message from the Superintendent Inside this Issue: Operation Help-A-Neighbor Jachy Rosario New Vaccination Laws YorkCounts

Page 5

School Safety Update

The district-wide Safe Schools Committee,

comprised of representatives from our

teachers, nurses, school board, administra-

tors, community emergency responders, and

parents, have been working on several goals

this year. We would like to update you on

their goal progress.

● The committee is completely revising the

district’s emergency manual in order to

reflect best practices in emergency management. A draft is in

progress.

● Building Emergency Response teams have been identified for

each school and will be trained by the end of this school year.

This team works to provide leadership in crisis prevention and

preparedness within the school. They also will work with the

building principal to respond to a school crisis or emergency.

● The committee created a consistent visitor sign-in procedure that

is used in all of our schools and ensures that we properly identify

and account for any visitor to any of our facilities.

● We are conducting Threat and Security Assessments in each of

our buildings. The assessments are conducted by York County

Emergency Management and area emergency responders. Each

assessment identifies potential areas of improvement in our

emergency practices. All assessments will be completed by early

April.

● We have entered into an agreement with a facility to act as a

Parent Reunification site in case there is a need to evacuate our

students to another location in order to be reunited with their

parents. An evacuation would occur when a crisis has occurred

that would make the school unsafe for both students and parents.

This parent reunification site will remain confidential for security

reasons, but in the event of an evacuation, parents would be

notified with instructions via our Global Connect automatic phone

calling system.

● We are working with an area contracting firm who is donating their

time and services to create detailed emergency site plans for our

schools, to be used by area emergency responders. In addition,

we are offering our facilities during non-school hours to be used

as training facilities for our police and fire personnel. This will help

them get to know our facilities which will enable them to respond

more effectively in an actual emergency.

● We are working to improve our emergency communication

systems within the district.

● We are creating a plan to have an adequate number of staff

members in each building trained in such emergency skills as first

aid, CPR, and AED.

● Our School Board is currently reviewing a draft of a policy that if

approved, will require parent volunteers to comply with obtaining

Act 34 and Act 151 background checks before volunteering to

work with our students.

The Safe Schools Committee will continue to work on goals that will

further enhance the safety and security of our buildings so that

students can be assured a safe place to learn. If you have ques-

tions regarding the work of this committee, please contact Dr. Jody

Nace, Assistant Superintendent at 266-3667, ext. 10228.

High School Students

Excel at Computer Fair

Competition

In March, students at the high school competed in the

2010 Regional Computer Fair Competition at Lincoln

Intermediate Unit 12 in New Oxford, Pennsylvania.

The regional competition, held annually, allows

students to showcase their skills in several areas of

computer use including programming, logo and

graphic design, digital media, digital video, and

animation.

Five Northeastern students participated in this year’s

event, with four of those students winning first place

awards that automatically advance them onto the

state level of competition to be held at Dickinson

College on May 25.

Michelle Helwig won first place for her entry in the

graphic design category. Michelle submitted a

brochure advertising Northeastern athletic apparel.

Briana Meile, Nick Michalak, and Alex Quinn won a

first place award for their digital video entry “Eli’s

Story,” a five-minute film about the consequences of

driving under the influence.

The students were able to take advantage of the

district’s recent investment in Adobe Creative Suite

software, which has provided the students with the

same tools used by professionals in the media

industry.

Pictured above are students, left to right: Alex Quinn,

Nick Michalak, Briana Meile, and Michelle Helwig.

Don‛t miss out..ORDER YOUR NHS YEARBOOK TODAY!!

See Ms. Brown for an order form(Room 203)

$61.00

Page 6: Northeastern Hi-Lites · Northeastern Hi-Lites Spring, 2010 Message from the Superintendent Inside this Issue: Operation Help-A-Neighbor Jachy Rosario New Vaccination Laws YorkCounts

Page 6 Northeastern Hi-Lites

Quiz Bowl Team Succeeds

This year marks the first year that Northeastern High School has had an official

competitive Quiz Bowl Team. Coached by high school social studies teacher, Mr.

Hubert Huang, and assisted by Mrs. Susan Schleig, the NHS Quiz Bowl Team has

had a busy season. The team has been practicing at least once a week after school

since September for their matches in the Lancaster-Lebanon Quiz Bowl Leagues,

WGAL’s BrainBusters, the Pennsylvania Academic Competition, and various other

tournaments throughout the year. In addition to researching different academic topics

ranging from chemistry and physics, from mathematics to world, and United States

history and geography, the Quiz Bowl Team frequently has practice matches against

high school faculty to hone their skills answering questions and increasing their

buzzer speed.

Most notably, the Quiz Bowl Team advanced to the third round of WGAL’s BrainBusters, defeating Milton Hershey and Cedar

Crest. In the third round, the team fell to last year’s champion Cumberland Valley. Of the 38 teams that began the single-

elimination tournament, Northeastern finished in the top ten.

As a recap of the Lancaster-Lebanon Quiz Bowl League, the high school varisty Quiz Bowl Team finished 7-11 in a very

tough division that included Penn Manor (#6 in the nation), Elizabethtown (#9 in the nation), Hempfield, Garden Spot, Done-

gal, and Columbia. Considering that many of the Quiz Bowlers on other teams in the league have been participating in

competitive matches since 7th grade, Northeastern’s Quiz Bowl Team did very well. On February 20, the Quiz Bowl Team

competed in the Conestoga Valley Quiz Bowl Tournament. The team placed 15th out of 48 teams, losing in the round of 16 to

eventual semi-finalists Penn Manor.

Additionally, this is the first year that Northeastern Middle School has had a Quiz Bowl Team. Also coached by Mr. Huang, the

middle school team is also competing in the Lancaster-Lebanon Middle School Quiz Bowl League and currently has a record

of 8-6 with one regular season match to go.

Congratulations to these students for their outstanding academic performance: High School Varsity/JV Teams: Matt Raffens-

berger (captain), Danielle Schleig (co-captain), Peter Snell, Devante Jones, Chelsea Proulx, Cheyanna Snyder, Derek Butler,

Ashton Brown, Obria Shaw, Olu Durojaye, Megan Perry, and Lexi Schantz; Middle School Team: Matt Beck (captain), Zach

Valentine, Laella Dickerson, Odunayo Durojaye, Omodele Durojaye, and Amy Beistline

Excellence in Music

Two Northeastern High School

students embody excellence in

music. Junior viola player, Carson

Bear (left), participated in the

Pennsylvania Music Educators

Association (PMEA) District 7

Orchestra Festival in January.

Benjamin Eisenhour, also a junior

(right), performed in the PMEA

District 7 Chorus Festival. He

auditioned for the Regional Festival

and placed third of 27 “Tenor 1”

men. Eisenhour, also a euphonium

player, participated in the Lower District 7 Band Festival in

February. Both students engaged in a very competitive

audition process to be part of the festivals. Congrats Ben

and Carson!!

8th Annual High School Faculty

Talent Show

In January, teachers and staff mem-

bers joined to share their talents in

the 8th Annual High School Faculty

Talent Show. Held during the week

before finals, the show offered comic

relief and entertainment to the

students during a stressful time.

Teachers volunteered for the program

and gave up time with their families to

rehearse and prepare for the perfor-

mance. A show was held during the

day for the students and in the

evening for the community as a

fundraiser for Northeastern Dollars for Scholars. Acts

included a baton and tap dancing routine, a rendition of

Jimmy Buffet’s “Margaritaville (performed by Mr. Jon

Eyster, pictured),” an original music creation called “The 12

Days of Finals,” and a group ensemble featuring a song

from the television show Glee.

Page 7: Northeastern Hi-Lites · Northeastern Hi-Lites Spring, 2010 Message from the Superintendent Inside this Issue: Operation Help-A-Neighbor Jachy Rosario New Vaccination Laws YorkCounts

Page 7

Hall of Nations Shows

Cultural Diversity at NHS

DeVante Jones wanted to do something special

for his senior project. He wanted to leave his

imprint on the school he loves. Therefore,

DeVante decided to showcase the diversity of

the students at the high school. He did some

research and found that students from 26

different countries attend Northeastern High

School. DeVante ordered flags from each of the

countries. Over a three-month time period, he

hung the flags in the corridor between the high

school and the old middle school. He calls the

project the “Hall of Nations.” The hallway is a

visual portrayal of the families of students who

attend the high school and displays the wide

diversity within the district. Some of the countries

represented include Cameroon, Burma, El

Salvador, France, Russia, Mexico, China,

Scotland, and Puerto Rico.

DeVante plans to pass his senior project on to

another student so his efforts to celebrate

diversity can continue. He hopes that next year a

student will expand his vision by incorporating

pictures of each family next to their respective

flags and adding a lighting system.

DeVante plans to attend college and major in

finance with a double minor in international

business and foreign language. He would like to

become fluent in seven languages. DeVante will

be interning at the U.S. Department of State in

Washington, D.C. over the summer, where he

hopes to work as an economist in the future.

NHS Participates in

Schools with Cameras

Earlier this year, the York

Jewish Community Center

(JCC) invited all York

County schools to partici-

pate in a project called

“Schools with Cameras.”

The schools were asked

to submit 10 photos that

shared a glimpse into the

life of their high school.

The goal of the project

was to celebrate diversity,

culture, and school spirit

in York County high schools and bring down stereotypes. Northeastern

High School was one of 11 participating schools.

NHS yearbook editor, Natalie Hotaling, was chosen to work with Ms.

Beth Ann Brown, English teacher and yearbook advisor, to choose the

photos. They searched through a massive amount of pictures to find

the perfect ones that epitomized the Northeastern High School experi-

ence.

Recently, Ms. Brown and Miss Hotaling, along with high school princi-

pal, Mr. Gay, and Mrs. Kim Brenner-Zirkle, Director of Marketing and

Public Relations, attended the project unveiling. Representatives from

the others schools were in attendance as well. Each school received a

DVD featuring a slide presentation of the photos that were submitted.

NHS plans to share the DVD with the student body later in the school

year. The entire “Schools with Cameras Photo Exhibit” - including

shots from all 11 districts - will travel to each participating high school

and is scheduled to be here for a week in April.

Northeastern Cut Footloose

Over 50 students took the stage

at NHS’ Sutton Auditorium in

February for the high-energy,

fast-paced production of the

popular musical, “Footloose.” Set

in the mid-western town of

Bomont, the story centered

around a local law that forbade

dancing of any kind. The musical

followed one young man’s quest

to take on Town Hall in an effort

to reinstate dancing as an

acceptable activity. Among the

students featured were Ben

Eisenhour, Dana Ambrose,

DeVante Jones, Corina Aucker,

Marquis Whitfield, Derek Butler,

Natalie Hotaling, Logan Douglass, and Erin Dubs. The Church Choir,

the Cowgirls who line dance, the boys from the junk yard, and the

Townspeople of Bomont completed the ensemble. Congratulations to

the entire cast, pit orchestra, and production staff for an outstanding

and memorable production. They deserve the standing ovations they

received!

IMPORTANT DATESGraduation:

Thursday, June 10Last Day for Students:

Friday, June 11

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Northeastern High School Winter Guard Team

Did you know that Northeastern High School has a very talented Winter Guard Team? In

case you’re not aware, winter guard is the indoor equivalent to color guard. Teams from

14 different school districts compete throughout the winter for coveted titles. Team

members perform to recorded music instead of live music, as they do during football

season with the NHS marching band. Because the competitions are held indoor,

participants are able to perform more difficult stunts and toss many more flags, rifles,

and sabers. As a result of their past success, NHS Winter Guard moved to a higher

competitive division this year. They now compete in the GOLD division for KIDA

(Keystone Indoor Drill Association). Since each routine is based on a theme, the NHS

Winter Guard’s 2010 show titled, “A Dedication,” was choreographed to honor breast

cancer survivors.

To show their commitment and dedication to their show, the winter guard participants

organized a service project. In cooperation with P.I.N.K., an organization comprised of

women who have survived breast cancer, the students collected items such as lotions,

puzzle books, magazines, socks, and nail polish to be placed in “sunshine bags.” The

items were sorted into more than 50 bags were distributed to patients receiving chemotherapy.

NHS Winter Guard further honored breast cancer survivors by inviting P.I.N.K. members to their 2nd Annual Friends and

Family Night in March. The girls presented the items collected to the P.I.N.K. members and gave them each a pink flower.

Some of the women’s voices were even featured on the winter guard performance track proudly stating, “I survived.” The

team will also be walking in the P.I.N.K. Walk for Breast Cancer on May 8.

NHS Winter Guard would like to thank the members of P.I.N.K. for being true inspirations and examples. They would also like

to thank the Northeastern community for their generous donations.

Classmates to Costa Rica

This summer, 12 high school students will travel to Costa Rica with Spanish teacher,

Mrs. Zimmerman, to see the things they’ve only read about in their textbooks and to put

their Spanish speaking, reading, writing, and listening skills to the test. The students

include Mia Arnold-Scott, Corina Aucker, Kyra Avaritt, Kathryn Deebel, Thomas

Deebel, Cara Glatfelter, Caitlyn MItchell, Andrea Prather, Nathan Vitacco, Krista Sharp,

Amanda Bowers,

and Brittney

Shirey.

While in Costa

Rica, the students

will not only have an opportunity to practice speaking

Spanish, but they get to observe and experience the

cultural and atmospheric differences between Costa Rica

and the United States. They will witness the biodiversity

and large population of flora and fauna in areas like the

INBioparque theme park and research station, view the

active Poas Volcano, touch clouds in the Monteverde

Cloud Rainforest, interact with Costa Rican students in

school, enjoy a traditional meal, listen to marimba music

and entertainment by a local dance troupe during a

folklore evening, and more. Students will also get in

touch with their adventurous sides through activities like

horseback riding along the coast, zip-lining over the

rainforest, and walking across suspension footbridges.

The students will undoubtedly return to the United States

with an increased awareness of the world in which we

live.

Back row: Lauren Straughsbaugh, Tabby

Knouse, Leah Rudy, Elizabeth Wiley: Middle

Row: Morgan Wilt, Kay Hannigan, Victoria

Glick; Front Row: Brook Dattisman, Tierra

Price, Steph Brandon

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Page 9

Kids That Care

Two Northeastern Middle School students said, “We should do something for all those people in Haiti.” That was all it took for art teacher, Gail Lenhart, to get the ball rolling. She thought all weekend about how she could teach the students to work for money rather than approaching others for donations. During each of the art classes that next morning, the students were asked to develop a product that their class could make and sell. Each class would donate 100% of the monies collected to the Red Cross for Haiti relief. “The response was overwhelming! That entire week, the students were making bookmarks, decorative pins, refrigerator magnets, bracelets, and angel ornaments, while still working on their daily lessons,” said Lenhart. When the campaign was over, the students collected $520.

But that’s not the end of the story. One student spoke privately to Mrs. Lenhart and asked if the students could give the dollars to a district family whose daughter was just diagnosed with cancer. “I said that it was not up to me, but the classes could vote,” said Lenhart. Each class voted, and it was decided that Northeastern Middle School art students would send half of the donations to the Red Cross and half to “one of their own.”

Mr. Alessandroni, principal at the middle school, says this is another example of the types of students and staff that spend their days LEARNING together and caring about other people. “The type of character lessons that students receive here are not separate and distinct lessons all the time, but rather interwoven throughout the LEARNING process and curricu-lum,” Alessandroni explained, “It is stories like this that happen often at the school that make it the magical place it has become. Our kids care deeply about one another, and our staff provide them the direction they need to tunnel this compas-sion and energy into things that matter the most. When one of ours is down,” Alessandroni said, “we get together and pick them up.”

Air Force Dad Surpises Kids with School Visit

Seventh grade student, Austin Mosel, thought he was being pulled out of class early to go to a dentist appointment with his mom and sister. He certainly didn’t expect to be taken to the middle school cafeteria, see video cameras pointed at him, and hear God Bless the USA playing over the loudspeakers. Needless to say, he was a little confused. When assistant principal, Ben Ruby, pointed to the corner of the room, Austin saw his father sitting on a couch in his U.S. Air Force uniform. His dad rose to his feet and Austin rushed over to him. “Hey pal,” he said. “Hey, Dad!” As they hugged, a look of gladness and peace shone on Austin’s face. He said, “I’m really excited. He’s my Dad...I love him!”

David Mosel, a Technical Sergeant with the 451st Air Expeditionary Wing, returned from Kandahar, Afghanistan and drove to the area to surprise Austin and his daughter, Alex, a student at Shallow Brook Intermediate School. TSgt. Mosel had been in touch with them via daily text messages or emails, but hadn’t been able to speak with them since the holidays. They knew he was coming home but didn’t expect to see him until the following week.

When Alex saw him, the fifth grader ran into his arms and cried, “Daddy! I love you!” He replied, “I love you, too,” kissing her and holding her tightly. Of surprising Austin, TSgt. Mosel said, “He doesn’t get a lot of surprises...he’s a good kid.” Austin and his dad only get to see each other every other weekend due to custody arrangements. They have a close relationship, though, and enjoy long talks during rides to and from Maryland where TSgt. Mosel lives. It’s easy to see that they enjoy spending time together.

Mr. Ruby received a call from Austin’s mother who arranged the reunion. “It was fun to be part of the moment,” he said. “This is the Northeastern Community.” TSgt. Mosel, who has

also served in Iraq, will be home for a few months before returning to action.

Students in Mrs. Lenhart’s art class work on

projects to sell to help the victims of the Haiti

disaster and to help a district family in need.

Photo by Bill Kalina, York Dispatch

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Students Experience

Bolivian Culture As part of Mt. Wolf Elementary School’s No Place for Hate initiative, students have been using classroom discussions and activities that correlate with the facts from the morning announcements. They have also been journaling about what they have learned. During “Bolivia Week,” Maria Heim, an Instructional Assistant for the school, shared information about her homeland. Heim and her family moved to the United States 11 years ago from Bolivia. Her three daughters attend Northeastern School District. The family prepared food for the students and faculty, and Heim’s oldest daughters dressed in authentic Bolivian garb. Some of the treats included empanadas, yuka roots, masaco, and cunape.

Students Share Creativity

and Celebrate Youth Art Month To celebrate Youth Art Month, Orendorf Elementary School art teacher, Mrs. Julie Schedin, planned an exciting presentation for the students at an assembly that featured not only their artwork, but that of their teachers. She showed photos of projects made by the staff mem-bers including stained glass, paintings, ceramics, draw-ings, cross stitch items, jewelry pieces, and woven projects. Some of the teachers also shared why art is important to them. The kindergarteners participated in a parade showcasing their artwork, and all the students took part in a giant cartooning activity and a drawing lesson. According to Mrs. Schedin, “Art is another way of showing how smart you really are!” She adds, “Great artists are great thinkers. American education should be all about great thinking. That’s why it is so important to celebrate art in our schools.”

Exciting Equipment Coming to

Physical Education

Classes at Orendorf Orendorf Elementary School physical education teacher, Ms. Diana Collier, attended a workshop in the fall to gain new concepts for increasing students’ fitness levels. She was inspired to bring some of the innovative ideas back to her school after hearing former Georgia State Elementary Physical Education Teacher of the Year, J.D. Hughes, speak at the conference. She purchased his books and DVD’s and was enthusiastic about incorporating his ideas into her lesson plans and games. However, there was one big problem. Collier did not have the equipment needed to offer the new ideas to her students.

Fortunately, she heard about the Highmark Healthy High 5 School Challenge, a grant program promoting nutrition, physical activity, self-esteem, and bullying prevention. Collier submitted a grant proposal, which focused on improving students’ physical activity and was awarded a $9,441.00 grant for the school. The grant money will be spent on equipment including vinyl spots numbered 1-25, high density premium fleece balls, rainbow target set, wacky noodle foam rods, Speed Stack sets, portable volleyball standards, a 36” cage ball, super bounce coated foam balls, and more. The equipment will be used to support games created by Hughes called “Crocodile Mile,” “H2O No!”, “Pacemaker,” and others. These activities support motor skills and motor development with a constant underyling theme of fitness. However, rather than asking students to jog for 10 minutes around the gym, which is boring and uneventful, these students will complete the same amount of cardiovascular endurance - unbeknownst to them - through the exciting challenges presented during physical education class. The same concepts of achieving physical fitness, while having fun doing so, will be carried out for the following fitness factors: muscular endurance, muscular strength, speed, agility, and flexibility. Collier says, “Students at Orendorf will be partaking in a whole new experience with the arrival of new equipment through the support of the Highmark Healthy High 5 Grant.”

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Page 14 Northeastern Hi-Lites

The Bobcat Foundation Funds Programs

to Benefit Students

The Bobcat Foundation is a non-profit organization that works hand-in-hand with the district toprovide for the greatest needs of the students. The goal of the foundation is to raise dollars to support academic, cultural, and athletic necessities that may fall outside the district’s operating budget. The Bobcat Foundation is dedicated to offering our students opportunities that would not otherwise be possible.

The foundation reaches out to individuals and businesses to encourage their lasting connection and involvement with the Northeastern School District. Businesses may gain exposure through placing ads in the district newsletter or calendar, hanging banners in school athletic arenas, sponsoring program needs, or investing in naming rights for district venues (also available in honor/memory of a loved one). Individual donations are accepted and may be offered to fulfill the greatest needs of the district, or allocated to enhance academic departments, support sports programs, or offer cultural opportunities for students.

The Bobcat Foundation is eligible to partner with businesss and receive funds through Pennsylvania’s Educational Improve-ment Tax Credit Program (ETIC). In addition, “The Bobcat Foundation Endowment Fund” through the York County Commu-nity Foundation (YCCF) ensures the organization’s future of sustaining and implementing important programs that benefit our students.

The Bobcat Foundation Board of Directors recently approved the following items for purchase:

● Monitors for all four elementary school sound systems, which will enhance student voices during concerts and assemblies = $6,000● An elliptical for Northeastern High School’s weight room = $3,199.25● Flip video cameras for Shallow Brook Intermediate School = $300● Document cameras for Spring Forge Intermediate School = $3,497.94● Document cameras for Northeastern High School = $2,329.40

To date, dollars have also been raised through corporate/individual support

to provide for:

● A two-week artist in residence program at Mt. Wolf Elementary School● Books and materials for the libraries at Shallow Brook Intermediate School and Mt. Wolf Elementary School to increase library collections and support the Accelerated Reader Program● Books for the Choice Reading Program (classroom collections) in the 9th Grade Academy● Visits from Loretta Claiborne and Quay Hanna, who spoke to middle school students about anti-bullying and diversity issues● New footing for the baseball field● Soccer team needs● Needs at York Haven Elementary● Playground equipment at Orendorf Elementary School● Wireless microphones for the high school dramatics department (plays/musicals) ● S.T.A.R. Awards Program needs, which recognizes middle school students’ academic and behavioral successes● Technology needs: video conferencing equipment, document cameras, and slates

If you would like to make a tax-deductible donation to benefit

students through The Bobcat Foundation, please send your

contribution to:

The Bobcat Foundation

Attn: Kim Brenner-Zirkle

41 Harding Street, Manchester, PA 17345

Gifts from generous alumni, parents, staff members, businesses,

and friends are vital and enable The Bobcat Foundation to offer

additional academic, cultural, and athletic opportunities to our

students. Your contribution can make an impact by providing

learning experiences not otherwise possible.

Recent Donors

Special thanks to The Bobcat

Foundation’s most recent donors for

their generosity and support of educa-

tion:

● Mr. John Zimmerman

● CSI Services, Inc.

● The Doctors Miller

● Mr. and Mrs. Ronald Danner

● The Sutton Family

● Mr. and Mrs. Tim Heilman

● Mr. Harold Zuber

● The Graham Foundation

● CSI Servcies, Inc.

● The Rotary Club of York-North

● Rutter’s York Container Foundation

● York Water Company

● Susquehanna Bank

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(CONTINUED FROM PAGE 14)

Page 15

The Bobcat Foundation:

The Bobcat Foundation recently received $35,000 in contributions through Pennsylvania’s Educational Improvement Tax Credit Program (EITC)! Rutter’s and the York Container Foundation both donated $15,000, and the York Water Company and Susquehanna Bank gave $2,500 each to benefit our students. We are pleased to partner with such respected businesses in the York Community.

SAVE THE DATE!

The 2nd Annual Bobcat Foundation

Car Show & Exhibition Corvette Auto Cross

in partnership with the York County Corvette ClubDOUBLE SANCTION SHOW

PLUS…The Baby Buffalo Patty Drop!

Saturday, September 18, 2010Northeastern HS/MS Complex

300 High St., Manchester9 a.m. – Noon Registration

3 p.m. Awards Presentation

Bring your Corvette, Hot Rod, American Muscle

Car, Classic Car, Motorcycle, Mustang, or Camaro!

Road Rally fundraiser, door prizes, 50/50 drawings, raffles, food vendors, performances

by the NHS Marching Band…and more!

To register your car now contact Joanne Gohn577-3133 or [email protected]

Sponsorship opportunities are available now!

Call Kim Brenner-Zirkle at 266-3667 ext.

10274

Joel Snyder, Vice-President of the York-North Rotary Club presents a $1,400 check to Kim Brenner-Zirkle. The donation will fund classroom books for the Choice Reading Program in the 9th Grade Academy.

Todd Rutter (left), President of Rutter’s Dairy and Tim Rutter (right), President of M & G Realty present a $15,000 check to Kim Brenner-Zirkle, Executive Director of The Bobcat Founda-tion. The contribution was offered through Pennsylvania’s Educational Improvement Tax Credit Program (EITC).

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NON PROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE

PAID

PERMIT NO. 11 MANCHESTER, PA

CAR-RT SORT

POSTAL CUSTOMER

Northeastern School District

Board or School Directors

Administration

Page 16 Northeastern Hi-Lites

Alessandroni Receives Oustanding Principal Award

Recently, Mr. Michael Alessandroni, Principal of Northeastern Middle School, was

nominated to receive the Dr. Eugene P. Segro Memorial Outstanding Principal

Award from the local chapter of Phi Delta Kappa International, a professional

association in education. Dr. Eugene Segro was the principal of Red Lion Junior

High School who lost his life a few years ago as a result of a tragic school shooting.

Mr. Alessandroni won the nomination and will be awarded this special designation

at a ceremony in May.

Assistant Superintendent, Dr. Jody Nace says, “Please join me in congratulating Mr.

Alessandroni on this prestigious recognition for the dedication and quality service

leadership he provides to our middle school students, parents, staff, and district

colleagues. We are proud to call him one of our our own Bobcats! Congratulations

Mr. Alessandroni!”

Mr. Alessandroni notes, “If you truly represent SERVANT-BASED LEADERSHIP,

(which I try to do) than you are keenly aware that any recognition such as this is merely a reflection of the awesome people

you SERVE who elevate you to these types of accomplishments. I have achieved what I have achieved because of the

shoulders I have stood on and the boots that people have given me.” He adds, “In other words, when I win...WE WIN and

vice versa! The middle school staff is an exceptional group of educators to SERVE. I am humbled to play a small part in our

journey and our success! It has been our PEOPLE and nothing more that have made these great strides possible. ‘The

show’ is not me but rather the relationships that exist within our school that make our school a ‘magical’ place.”

Kindergarten

Registration

Do you have a child turning five by September 1, 2010? Please call the elementary

school in your attendance area to schedule your registration appointment today.