Category: School Happenings

By Emily Thyrum

Penn Manor School District is flipping some elementary classroom experiences by reversing the order of education. Students at Pequea, Conestoga, and Letort elementary schools are part of a pilot program in conjunction with students from Millersville University to experiment with flipped classrooms.

Flipped classrooms swap the traditional order of education: students watch videos to learn a concept at home and complete practice activities in the classroom.

During the spring of 2013, Penn Manor will launch a pilot to test this new method of teaching. Two fourth-grade classrooms at Letort Elementary, two sixth-grade classes at Conestoga Elementary,  and one sixth-grade class at Pequea Elementary will participate in the program.

As part of the pilot, Millersville University education majors will create 15-20 minute videos about language arts topics for elementary school students to watch at home. The next day, the students will work with the teacher to apply the knowledge from the videos.

According to Vickie Hallock, supervisor of elementary education for Penn Manor School District, the only costs to the school district will be finding a way to lend the needed technology to those students without access, but the method of this lending has not yet been finalized.

“This (is) all being taken into consideration for the project so that all students have the access they need and no student will be at a disadvantage,” said Hallock.

According to Hallock, the program could have several benefits for the students, including improved relationships between the elementary students and their teachers because of increased class time to work together, less confusion when completing the homework because activities will be completed in class and more class time to ask questions about concepts not understood through the viewing of a video.

Flipped classrooms originated from the Khan Academy, an online library of over thousands of videos that cover topics such as: math, sciences, humanities, and economics. The idea of flipped classrooms is relatively new, and according to Dr. Jane Bray, Dean of Education and Associate Provost at Millersville University, most research shows that “this method of teaching works best with elementary or middle school students.”

A parent information night will be held early in the springtime to inform the parents about the change in their children’s education.

If the pilot proves to be a success, flipped classrooms could expand throughout the elementary schools. There are no plans currently to introduce flipped classrooms at the high school.

By Cody Straub-

Penn Manor alum and featured artist for LaPorte Jewelers for the month of May, Ben Deluca paid a visit to Penn Manor High School on May 17. Deluca visited art classes at the high school to share his personal experiences with art and show that an art career does not have to end after high school.

Deluca attended Penn Manor High School, graduating in 2003. After high school he attended Lycoming College where he balanced his passion to continue his art career and playing college lacrosse. He graduated with a Fine Art degree from Lycoming with concentrations in paintings and sculptures.

In December of this past year Deluca opened his own business, “Deluca Creations,” out of his home in Lancaster City until he can find a permanent studio to house his business.

According to the Laporte Jewelers website, when painting Deluca , “creates large scale, powerful, life-like portraits filled with meticulous detail accompanied by freely applied brush strokes.”

Deluca decided to come in to the high school to speak to art students after fromer principal Dr. Jan Mindish approached him with the idea. Penn Manor received a small grant to have professional artists come speak to students about the possibilities of art after high school. Mindish thought that Deluca would be the perfect candidate since he is a Penn Manor Alum.  Deluca came bearing not only some of his art work but plenty of advice for the students.

“It’s like anything, with every painting you get better,” Deluca explained to the class of art students who participated in the question and answer session.

Deluca illustrated how he turned his passion for art into a full time career for himself.

“I had always taken the art classes at Penn Manor,” stated Deluca, “I never stopped doing it (artwork), once you stop you are kind of done.”

Deluca brought in some of his art work to show the students including a sculpture and painting of his. He also showed students his senior project he completed while a senior at Penn Manor, which has been housed at the school since he graduated.

Deluca’s visit to the school was no doubt beneficial for students aspiring to have a art career, showing a real life example of a person who has made a career out of his passion for art.

By Alex Sorce and Alex Cummins –

Penn Manor students were selected to help design and make final touches for the new Open Campus PA online schooling logo.

Nine students – three from Hempfield, three from Township, and three from Penn Manor got together last month and spent a full day at Hempfield High school in Landisville, PA to brainstorm and start designing the new logo.  Juniors, Hannah Breidenbaugh and Trent Shaeffer, along with the help of freshman Olivia Stekervetz, made up the trio that represented Penn Manor on the first day.

The logo will be used to mark the three districts’ venture into a hybrid schooling that will launch this fall.  It will allow some students from the districts to take classes offered in another district and online.  It is the first such arrangement to occur in Pennsylvania.

The three Penn Manor students who worked on the logo design were chosen by Teri Hay, a Penn Manor art teacher.

All of the students who  went to Hempfield for the day came up with ideas for designs. One kid from Hempfield had a design that was chosen in the end. Then we had to fix it and tweak it a bit yesterday, according to Shaeffer.

After the exhausting day of work at Hempfield High school, the nine students finally came up with a draft of the final product.

“I was stuck in the same room for six hours, but it was worth the time and it felt good to get picked to help out,” said Shaeffer.

About a month after the initial design was brought to life, four students, which included Breidenbaugh and Shaeffer, met up and tweaked the initial product to create final options of the logo.

Now there are four final options that are very similar besides the small shadows and outlines creating more detail in some aspects of the design. There is a choice between three of the very similar options for the website and a very simple option that could possibly end up on t-shirts.

The students weren’t completely on their own while coming up with initial designs. The nine artists had some influence from a guest speaker, Carol Aubitz, who works with businesses with whatever needs they may have.

Aubitz has experience in various marketing and advertising positions for private companies whose products were primarily sold in the U.S., but who also had international markets.

The designs have been run by each school district’s advisers before deciding on the final drafts, said Penn Manor Principal Phil Gale.

By Blake Wales – 

With all the hard work that goes on in Penn Manor High School – preparing lesson plans, dealing with students, grading papers, handling phone calls  it would seem that school staff would get the recognition and thanks they deserve.

But unfortunately most of the time students neglect to thank the teachers and staff for all their hard work. Fortunately the school board has an award to show the teachers and staff that what a great job they are doing. This award only comes around once a year and staff members say it is a great honor to be elected as “Employee of the Year.”

The two lucky ladies who won the award at the high school had no idea it was coming until they got the news.

Diana Alston who has been a secretary at Penn Manor for 12 years was recognized this year for all her had work. But it came as a definite surprise to her and she recalled her emotional reaction.

“I am a very emotional person so when Mr.Gale told me the news I immediately began to cry,” said Alston.

To Alston,  it was a great honor to win this award because, she said,  you go through your days not thinking your hard work is being noticed and its nice to know that someone was paying attention.

There is outstanding educator and outstanding employee. Diana was chosen for outstanding employee because of her postion as secretary.

“I felt that I won really for not myself, I won for all of us secretaries because we all work so hard,”, said Alston.

Another staff member worthy of  recognition is family and consumer science teacher Mindy Rottmund. Rottmund won second place this year in a national competition for FCS projects.

She was recognized by the American Association of Family and Consumer Science for her program on diet literacy that she completed in 2011.

Rottmund was selected as the winner of the state-wide competition in Pennsylvania in 2011, which made her the state representative when she competed as the FCS teacher of Pennsylvania against a representative from every other state.

“I was pleasantly surprised that I won this award,” said Rottmund.

Mindy said her goal was to make her curriculum more dynamic by incorporating other subjects like  math, reading, and writing into her program.

By Alicia Ygarza – 

It’s an experience for all ages.

Penn manor will hold its third annual Comet Trot and everyone is welcome.

The Trot will be held at the high school track and west gym, on Tuesday, May 22, from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

According to Sallie Bookman, coordinator of the Trot, in previous years the Trot has been held on Saturday, now the planners have changed it to Tuesday because it is more convenient for people who are coming.

“We think this year is going to be good because the choice of day and weather,” said Bookman.

Cost for adults to participate in the Trot is three dollars, and the cost for a student to participate is one dollar, there is no registration or sign-up necessary.

“Our goal is to raise money for the Family Fund, and promote wellness in the process,” said Bookman.

The benefits of the Trot will go to the Penn Manor Family Fund, a program that helps families in the Penn Manor School District who are in need.

There will be special activities being held during the Trot like a track challenge for grades k to 6 starting at 6 p.m; a FitKidz Challenge, a free Family Bumba, an optional healthy eating quiz, a grip strength test, and chance to make your own trail mix.

Be sure to get there on time because there will be a free event t-shirt and a bottle of water given to the first 150 participants.

By Brianna Kelly –

When a student attempts to join a club or sports team, they are usually given a paper that requires parental consent to a drug test.

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) proclaimed this unconstitutional when this form was given to an 11-year-old girl who was attempting to play viola for her school orchestra in the Solanco School District. Her parents refused to sign the consent form and the girl, identified as M.M, was turned away from the position, according to the Intelligencer Journal/Lancaster New Era.

The Fourth Amendment of the U.S Constitution: The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.

Solanco school district is now fighting the ACLU law challenge and Penn Manor school district officials say they are keeping a close watch since they have their own voluntary drug testing program for students.

“We’re not trying to violate students’ rights,” said Phillip B. Gale, Principal of Penn Manor High School “We’re just trying to be proactive in the student’s best interests.”

As of right now, Penn Manor schools are just watching the case. If Solanco must drop their drug testing, Penn Manor will take a closer look at their policies.

No statement is available from the Solanco school district until the lawyers finish the case review, said Keith Kauffman, the Solanco school district spokesman.

By Aaron Brown –

Four students at Penn Manor got $50 for missing a day of school. What the heck?

Lake Heckaman, Anthony Cazillo, Mark Dano, and Lauren Pironis missed a day of school and won $50 for placing first at the Economics Challenge in Lititz.

Penn Manor High School economics students traveled to Lititz to compete in the Economics Pennsylvania Eastern PA Economics Challenge. The team was accompanied by their AP Economy teacher, Chris Meier.

The day involved three tests, each with 15 questions for all four students. There was one test about microeconomics, one on macroeconomics, and one on international affairs.

“The macro test was hard because we didn’t learn about it in class, but the other two were easy,” said Lake Heckaman, a junior at Penn Manor.

Penn Manor was up against more than 30 teams, but they came out on top.

“All the teams were very smart, but I guess we were just smarter,” said Heckaman.

“We won because Mr. Meier is a good teacher and there was mad talent on our team,” said Heckaman.

This competition was a very good experience for the students that participated in the Economic Challenge. It showed them how they stacked up against other schools’ top economic students.

“It was an opportunity for us to showcase our knowledge, and I think our team really seized the opportunity,” said Mark Dano, a junior at Penn Manor.

The Penn Manor High School team,  placed first in the David Ricardo division.  This team won the honor of moving to the PA State Final Competition where they placed third.

Along with the Penn Manor sport teams, there are many Penn Manor clubs and academic teams that are successful.

Congratulations Economic Team!