Superintendent's Newsletter
Winter Edition
District Calendar
Play-Off Bound
Guidance Mini-Grant
On December 8, 2017, we received a $1,990 Tri-County Business-Education Partnership mini-grant from the Tri-County Workforce Investment Board. This grant will be used to fund the annual 10th Grade Career Awareness Breakfast on May 9, 2018 at Leechburg Area Middle & Senior High School. We will also be taking students in grades 10-12th grade on field trips to Westmoreland County Community College (Youngwood Campus), WCCC Advanced Technology Center in Greensburg and Butler County Community College at Armstrong this coming spring. Our goal with these field trips is to expose our students to various high priority and industry occupations and other post-secondary training programs. These schools offer many high-skill and high-demand industry training programs. We are very excited about these upcoming programs for our students.
Math Is Where It's At
MATH IS WHERE IT’S AT
The students in Mrs. Diani’s class enjoy playing Math games that coincided with our Math curriculum. SOOOO, when the students finish their independent work on the skill, they pick up a bag and play. We have games for place value, 2 digit addition, 2 digit subtraction, regrouping, story problems, AND a fun set of TOOTHY games. Coming soon will be games for money, time, fractions, and solid figures. Students must complete the answer sheet in order to get the next game.
IT’S FUN! IT”S EXCITING! IT’S MATH!!!
FBI Video
Leechburg’s video club again participated in an FBI video contest to help bring awareness to the Opioid epidemic that the world is currently battling. This year we won 3rd place in the People Choice category. We won 5 tickets to the Pens Game and $1500 towards funding our Video Club. Trent Foster, Joseph Price, Alexis Price and Sophie Daugherty worked incredibly hard and they are well deserved of this accomplishment. Thank you to everyone that voted and shared our video. We couldn’t have done it without you.
If you happened to miss the video please visit the link on youtube at https://youtu.be/-ePRhTvHRX4.
Trauma Resources
Parkland FL: Trauma Response Resources Help for Parents, Teachers & the Community Our hearts go out to the people of Parkland, Florida who suffered such a horrific tragedy at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. Human-triggered disasters are particularly difficult to cope with and recover from. While everyone is disturbed by such a sudden and terrible set of events, some may feel and react to the news more intensely than others. Reactions may be exacerbated as stories emerge about the horrific attack and we learn more about the details of the violence and the personal stories of victims and their families. As memorials occur, we are exposed to the grief and raw reactions of survivors and grieving families. Events become more personal. Some of the people for whom this might trigger a heightened level of grief, stress, or anxiety include: • People who were involved in the event. Students, teachers, school staff, parents and relatives of those directly involved that would encompass those who suffered the death of a loved one in the event. Children and classmates are also of concern. • People with a direct connection to the events. This would encompass townspeople and neighbors. It could also extend to any who have some personal association with the community, such as people with friends or relatives who live there or former students of the school. • People who have been a victim of violence themselves. This might encompass people who were prior victims of violence or assault, people who were held hostage, people who have been part of random shootings, or people who lost loved ones to random violence. The events might rekindle memories, grief, loss, fear and heightened anxiety. • People who suffer from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. This might include victims of 9/11, survivors of other shootings, veterans, or many others who experienced trauma and are not able to get beyond it. The events might trigger heightened memories, fear, anxiety, anger, stress, or disruption of eating or sleeping habits, among other things. • Children and young people. Violent events are particularly frightening to children, and this event even more so because it included the specific targeting of schoolchildren. The sudden and random nature of events may threaten a child’s sense of security. Some children may be intensely fearful of their own safety or the safety of loved ones. Responding to Events • Be sensitive to others and how they experience events. People handle stress and grief differently, and we don’t always know what experiences others have had that might intensify a reaction. While some may hear such news and move on, others need time to process and react. Don’t assume everyone feels things the same way that you do – be sensitive to those around you and let them express their feelings. • Limit exposure to gruesome details in the news. The 24-hour nature of the Internet and cable news mean that we can be bombarded with nonstop news and images of a disastrous event. This continual exposure can exacerbate anxiety and fear, particularly for children. • Take positive action. When violent events occur, it can shake our faith and trust in our fellow man. Counter these feeling by spending time with family and friends. It can also help to do something to reduce the feelings of helplessness that many experience in the face of such events: Help others. Give blood. Organize or take part in a memorial activity. Write letters. Make a donation. Volunteer. • Consider counseling. If you or somebody else is having trouble coping with these events, counseling with a professional may be in order. Signs that you or a loved one may need help getting past this might include sleeplessness, heightened anxiety or phobias, and preoccupation with details of events. Dealing with Children’s Grief and Fear In addition to the children who were directly affected by events, news of this frightening tragedy will be difficult for all kids to understand. The following resources offer some guidance. Guide for Parents and Educators: Tips for Talking to Children and Youth After Traumatic Events (PDF) Explaining Death in a Child’s Terms Children’s Age-Related Reactions to a Traumatic Event (PDF) Grief Support resources for Grieving Children & Families Talking to your children about the recent spate of school shootings National Child Traumatic Stress Network Kids’ Health: Anxiety, Fears & Phobias Helping Kids Deal with the Aftermath of Difficult Events • Limit your child’s exposure to the news. Make sure that news about violent events is not playing over and over in the background on radios or TV. Watch news with your kids and discuss events and their feelings about things. • When frightening events occur, watch your own reaction when children are nearby. When adults react dramatically, emotionally or fearfully, it can be very unsettling for children, who take cues from adults. While you should be truthful in your feelings, be careful not to let your behavior shatter their sense of safety and security. • Give comfort and reassurance. Allow kids to express fear and sadness, don’t dismiss bad feelings. Encourage questions so you can understand their fears. They may be feeling vulnerable themselves, or they may fear losing parents or siblings that they depend on and love. • Emphasize safety. Let children know that while sad and bad things do indeed happen, they are rare events. Most people are good. Reassure them that you will take care of them and keep them safe, and that police and teachers will help to look out for their safety, too. Use this as a time to reinforce safety rules. • Channel things in a positive direction whenever possible. Point out good things, such as the heroism and bravery of teachers, police and doctors, and the kindness of people in the community. Use bad events as a springboard to reinforce gratitude and appreciation for life; the importance of kindness and empathy, the importance of helping others. • Take positive action. We all feel helpless in the face of terrible events, children even more so. Encourage your child to take an action, such as making a donation, writing a letter, going to a church service, or leaving flowers or mementos at a memorial. • Ensure that your communications are age appropriate. Young children don’t have a clear understanding of death, even if they say the words, so events may not affect them much; teens might suppress reaction entirely in a misguided attempt to appear cool or jaded. • Keep an eye on things to ensure that they adjust. Watch for regression, clinging, hyperactivity in young children; at any age, kids who are anxious could exhibit sleep or eating disturbances. Teens or young adults may be obsessed with details of events. Watch how your kids play, how they talk about things to peers. If signs of disturbance persist, they may need the help of a professional counselor, so they don’t stay “stuck” in anxieties or fear.
Pre-K Polar Express Transition Event
Pre-K Polar Express Transition Event
The Title I Department and kindergarten teachers hosted a Polar Express Party with Pre-K students on December 19, 2017. The purpose of the event was to invite the upcoming 2018-2019 kindergarten students and parents to our school so they could meet their future principal, teachers, and classmates. This is the first of several transition events for our pre-kindergarten students. The Polar Express themed activities that were planned for the event focused on readiness skills that will be needed for kindergarten. It was a very successful event with more than twenty future DLE students in attendance.
David Leech Elementary Polar Express Day
The Title I Department also planned a Polar Express Day for students in Pre-K through grade five. Students were invited to come to school on December 21st in their pajamas. Polar Express themed English Language Arts and Mathematics activities were provided to classroom teachers. David Leech Elementary students gathered in the auditorium for a viewing of The Polar Express. Following the movie, the PTA generously provided cookies and milk for all students to enjoy.
Leechburg Area School District
Email: tnix@leechburg.k12.pa.us
Website: www.leechburg.k12.pa.us
Location: 210 Penn Avenue, Leechburg, PA, USA
Phone: 724-845-7701