Superintendent's Newsletter
Fall 2017
Congratulations Mrs. Prorok and Mrs. Heasley
Inventionland: by Andrew Pallus
Invention Land is our newest class! This class focuses on brainstorming, problem solving, inventing, and marketing. Within this class, it truly gives you the experience of an inventor. So far, we have all learned how to cut different objects on the laser cutter, and we have learned how to 3D print objects. Currently, we are all in the process of making our own invention!
We all created our own project. First, we had to think of our project we wanted to invent. Then, we had to research our product to see if anyone else had already thought of our product. Now we are making our project with cardboard first, then the 3D printer. Then, we will make a promotion video on why someone should buy our products. And at the end of the course, we will have to opportunity to pitch our ideas at the Invention Land factory.
This is the greatest class Leechburg has to offer. This gives you the true idea of S.T.E.A.M (Science, Technology, Engineering Arts, and Math). This course can and will help a student find their post-school job.
Andrew Pallus
Mrs. Diani's Class is Bragging
The students in Mrs. Diani’s second grade class have been earning “Brag Tags”. These tags are given when students are caught behaving above and beyond in the classroom, halls, and with their academic work. The students enjoy collecting various “Brag Tags”. It is also a great way to help our classmates and encourage excellent behavior in school. This month Malachi Keitzer and Nina Shank Koster were the September “Brag Tag” King and Queen. All students took home their tags to share with their family. October is a new month and a chance for a new King and Queen. Good Luck Mrs. Diani’s class!!!
George Rodrigue Blue Dog
Life Skills Green Baskets
The life skills class will be making and selling “green” garbage baskets. The baskets are custom cut to fit the loops from a plastic grocery store bag, hence the green recycling of bags from Giant Eagle, Sprankle’s Market or the Dollar Store. The basket parts will be cut from plywood by the advanced shop class, then they will sand and nail them together. The life skills students will do some finish sanding and apply the paint to the baskets. The life skills students will market and sell the garbage baskets for around $10 to $15. At the conclusion of the sale, they take the profits from the sales to purchase “No Sew” blanket kits. The life skills students will cut and tie up the blankets and then distribute them around the holidays to Havin in Kittanning and the local high rise apartment residents in Leechburg.
Middle school excitement
Lemon wedge yellow and coral. Citrus lime green and amethyst purple. Sunshine yellow and ocean wave blue.
Believe it or not, we're not talking about crayons or nail polish colors; we're talking about new classroom colors! These bright, cheery shades are the new hues in our middle school classrooms. Eighth graders Kailyn Csonka and Lexi Bond state that they “make the atmosphere much more positive, festive and fun, and keep us alert through class." Kalli Grine compared the colors to "a jolly rancher," and Dane Davies stated that the new colors "make me smile!"
These paint colors are not the only aesthetic that the middle school teachers have in mind. Future plans include murals in the hallways, painted by our own Leechburg students, of course!
What's been going on inside our new(ish) middle school rooms?
Sixth grade, which recently moved to the middle school hallway, has been adjusting to middle school as expected. The biggest difficulties have been opening lockers and getting to special classes and back on time. (Funny thing, students say they love the lockers.) As far as classes are concerned, they are doing very well and seem to like the middle school “freedom” and breaks. They also love eating lunch at an earlier time and being allowed to sit where they want. They have been taking full advantage of the clubs and activities that they can go to during seminar including Student Council, Chess Club, SADD Club, Art Club, Club Mon, and Video Club.
In seventh and eighth grades, Mrs. Jaros says her English students love to be interactive with their reading. "The seventh graders had an AWESOME and very civil debate. The eighth graders are learning about empathy, as well as exploring psychology, as they read about the struggles of different characters." Over at the science department, Ms. Osborne says middle school girls have an opportunity to attend a STEM conference at Penn State New Ken in later November, where they will watch the film, "Hidden Figures," meet STEM professionals, and will participate in circuit boarding, flying a drone, and 3-D printing.
The middle school teachers cannot wait to see what awesome projects their students create as the year progresses. Stay tuned!
Sixth Grade Science
6th grade Science class has been growing mold! The scientific question was, “How can we grow mold most effectively?” The students identified the independent variable (dark room, toasted bread, sugar water) and dependent variable (mold growth). We have completed our data collection today and will begin analyzing the data, using two-coordinate graphs, tomorrow. Watch for the graphs to be hung in the 6th wing later this week.
Homecoming 2017
On Friday, September 29 at an assembly attended by friends, family, and the student body, the 2017 Homecoming Court gave speeches where they responded to this quote by the 12th-century poet Rumi: “Study me as much as you like, you will not know me, for I differ in a hundred ways from what you see me to be.” Each girl spoke of who she really is, especially on the inside. At the conclusion of the assembly, the sophomores, juniors, and seniors voted.
The 2017 Homecoming Court was comprised of Cameron Ann Davies escorted by Christian Michael Hack, Makenzie Marie Fello escorted by Trent William Foster, Mikayla Minnae Lovelace escorted by Matthew Richard McCorkle, Jasmine Victoria McCracken escorted by Devonte Lamari Commodore, Ariana Bree Scott escorted by Antonio Lee Yurjevich, and Cassidy Rose Waltz escorted by Chase Daniel Wirick
This year’s crown bearers are Tenley and Urban Kulick, the daughters of middle school/high school teacher Kris Kulick and his wife Melinda Kulick.
At halftime of that evening’s football, Jasmine McCracken. Jasmine is the daughter of Sean and Elizabeth (Liz) McCracken. She plans to attend IUP to major in theater and communications.
Congratulations to Leechburg Taiko Drum Ensemble
Leechburg Area School District
Email: tnix@leechburg.k12.pa.us
Website: www.leechburg.k12.pa.us
Location: 210 Penn Avenue, Leechburg, PA, United States
Phone: 724-845-7701