Newsletter 6-12 draft pics lighter · Ryan Kaczmark Mercersburg Elementary School Principal Lura...

118 East Seminary Street • Mercersburg PA • 17236 • 717.328.3127

Tuscarora News ADMINISTRATION

Superintendent

Dr. Rebecca E. Erb

Curriculum Director

Dr. Jane C. Johnston

Special Education Director

Michelle Bennett

School Psychologist

Jennifer Wager

Director of Instructional Technology

Cindy Etchison

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

Richard Burkett

Middle School Principal

James Carbaugh

Middle School Assistant Principal

Ryan Kaczmark

Mercersburg Elementary School Principal

Lura Hanks

Montgomery Elementary School Principal

Mountain View Elementary School Principal

Brett Kagarise

Saint Thomas Elementary School Principal

Dr. Nadine Sanders

SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS

Clifford A. Smith, Jr., President

Larry E. Funk., Vice President

Harold S. Hunsberger, Treasurer

Loretta A. Martin, Secretary

Chris D. Ardinger

Thomas C. Black

Erich E. Hawbaker

Daryl S. Hunsberger

Donald L. Piper

Daniel C. Reeder

Although it is not Thanksgiving, the conclusion of a school year is a good time for school leaders to count blessings. I am thankful because:

• Our students have demonstrated their strengths and talents in multiple ways – too many to recite in this brief article.

• Many of our teachers have been commended and recognized by parents, community, and other organizations for excellence in the teaching profession.

• Tuscarora principals and directors provide strong, collaborative, and effective leadership in their areas of expertise.

• Parents find ways to support their children and the schools they attend in ways that make a difference for kids.

• Local governance by the Tuscarora Board of Directors has resulted in schools that are appropriately funded to meet the needs of our students.

• All Tuscarora Schools completed the year with no incidents that impacted negatively on the safety and well-being of students or staff.

• Our District facilities have been upgraded to the place where all of our school buildings are in good to excellent conditions. Further, our athletic venues once again are in good condition to sponsor all competitions in which our students are involved at home events. Thank you Fix JB Sports!

• The Tuscarora Education Foundation supported $16,639.53 in grants to provide enrichment opportunities to students through our District.

As I look to the future, my hopes and dreams for our students are:

• Graduates of JBHS are equipped with 21st Century skills that

result in preparing them for a competitive job market.

• Students in our District become more resilient – they develop a mindset to ‘bounce back’ from discouraging events that we all experience from time to time in our lives.

• Students work on developing healthy lifestyles that will result in a better quality of life.

• The Tuscarora School District and surrounding communities continue to find ways to work collaboratively for the benefit of our students.

Let’s work together to find ways that will strengthen our public schools. Our kids are our future!

GREETINGS FROM

THE DESK OF THE

SUPERINTENDENT

TUSCARORA SCHOOL DISTRICT JUNE 2012


forward to more healthy happenings in 2012-13.

We strive each day and each year to bring healthy

choices to the students of the Tuscarora School

District. While not all healthy options will appeal

to students, we have learned that if an item is

offered consistently, the students eventually will try

the item. Eventually, these healthier choices

become as common as other offerings and are no

longer “strange”. There are several success stories I

would like to share from this year.

Snack Packs: These are a daily healthy alternative

to the two entrée choices featured on the menu.

They consist of a low-fat yogurt cup, string cheese,

and crackers. Students may then choose their two

fruit and veggie sides, and milk. In the beginning of

the school year, this new alternate meal got off to a

slow start, but as students began to try them, the

popularity slowly grew. We now are making up to

90 snack packs a day in some elementary schools. I

feel that this item has been a success, and is now a

“go-to” meal alternate for many students.

Side Spinach and Garden Salads: In the past, we

have occasionally offered side salads with our meals

however; this year we began offering them daily.

Just as the snack packs were slow to gain

popularity, so were side salads. As the school year

progressed and students became used to seeing

this option as a common offering, they have

definitely become more popular.

In March, we celebrated National Nutrition Month

by offering a “Green Week”. Each day of the week a

different green fruit or veggie was offered. Some of

the offerings included: honeydew, peas, green

beans, side salads, green grapes, and broccoli salad.

The first week in March was also National Breakfast

Week. To promote students eating a healthy

breakfast, we held a drawing at the end of the

month. Any student that ate a school breakfast

during the month of March, had their name

entered into a drawing to win a prize. The prizes

were chosen to promote outdoor activity. They

included mini soccer, football, and basketballs, a

included mini soccer, football, and basketballs, a

razor scooter (elementary) and a mountain bike

(middle school). The contests were held at

Montgomery and Mountain View Elementary

Schools, and JB Middle School.

Healthy Happenings from Your Food Service Department

Razor Scooter Winner

Broden Green Grant Souder and Logan

Daniels won the mini

football & basketball

Nutrition Education The students of St. Thomas

Elementary School received some nutrition

education from Metz’s nutrition educator, Freda

Aughenbaugh. Freda teaches age appropriate

nutrition topics to all students in the K-12 setting.

Her courses include: nutrition basics, My plate food

groups, comparing your diet, and healthy snacks.

Here are some St. Thomas students enjoying their

day with Freda.

Other winners: Mountain View Elementary - Isaac

Woods , Razor Scooter - Lyllian Hager and Skylar

Garlick, mini sports balls. JBMS - Mountain Bike, Devon

Norcross



great pleasure of welcoming guest historians and

reenactors as they led children through life as a Civil

War Soldier. Through various clothing items,

military accouterments, pastime activities,

photographs, music, and literature, students were

able to better appreciate what the daily life of a

Civil War soldier was like.

Students at Mercersburg Elementary School had

the pleasure of meeting Robert Trout, author of the

book Journey to Gettysburg – One Family’s Civil

War. The work of historical fiction examines the life

of the Scott Family and their reaction to the raid on

Mercersburg by General J.E.B. Stuart in 1862.

Our third, fourth and fifth grade students had the

History Comes Alive at Mercersburg Elementary School by Lura Hanks

Innovative Educator Award by Lura Hanks

Third grade students in Mrs. Hollenshead’ s class at

Mt. View held an Author’s Tea on Wednesday, June

6, 2012. The purpose of the tea was for students to

demonstrate and practice their public speaking

skills as required in the Pennsylvania Standards for

Speaking and Listening. Students were encouraged

to use appropriate volume, fluency and

demonstrate an awareness of their audience in the

reading.

During the year, students wrote and revised stories

in a variety of genres from personal narratives,

persuasive essays, fictional stories and research

articles. Students then published their final works

in a personal portfolio. All students then selected

their favorite story to read to the audience of about

forty parents, grandparents and other guests.

Author’s Tea Held by Third Grade at Mt. View Elementary by Brett Kagarise

Barb Fairchild, a teacher at Mercersburg Elementary,

recently received an Innovative Educator award by

Tech4Learning. The Tech4Learning Innovative Educator

program is designed to recognize the work that

exceptional classroom teachers, trainers, aides,

community organizations, principals, and more are doing

with Tech4Learning products. Barb’s recent efforts with

family and community projects with elementary

students exemplifies both creative and effective, engage

instruction. Some of her work has even been featured in

the Creative Educator magazine. See:

http://creativeeducator.tech4learning.com/v06/

connections/Community_Connection



As summer quickly approaches, plans are being

developed to host the Tuscarora Credit Recovery

Program, a summer school built upon the district’s

technology infrastructure. Students in grades 8-12

who have failed a course can enroll in the summer

program to repeat a course using online instruction.

If the student completes the course successfully,

the student receives credit and can remain on track

for graduation.

The Tuscarora Credit Recovery Program is yet

another means of providing students with the

opportunity to be successful. Throughout the

school year, students are supported through a

variety of instructional strategies designed to

promote student achievement. Unfortunately,

there are times when students still struggle to

complete course requirements and need another

option. The Credit Recovery Program is designed to

help students remain on track by earning credit in

courses they have previously failed. The courses in

English, Math, History, and Science are highly

concentrated, standards-based, and developed by

certified teachers to assure students are receiving

Credit Recovery by Richard Burkett

the skills and content they need to be successful

the following school year.

The summer program has proven to be a popular

option among students for several reasons. Perhaps

the most attractive feature of the Credit Recovery

Program is its flexibility. Class instruction is

delivered online, so a student with a computer and

an internet connection can access his or her classes

anytime throughout the day. Students can still

maintain summer activities while taking a class. If

they complete the class successfully, they receive

credit for the course and can move on the following

school year.

The Credit Recovery Program has attracted

students from Tuscarora School District as well as

from surrounding school districts. This year the

program will be conducted from June 18th through

July 12th. The cost to enroll is $175 per course and

registration packets are located in both the high

school and middle school offices. If you would like

more information regarding the Credit Recovery

Program, please contact Mrs. Mary Cristofano at

328-2146, extension 2206.

Montgomery Elementary Kindergarten Students Show Off Skills for

Mother’s Day by Brett Kagarise

Students in the kindergarten classes at

Montgomery Elementary demonstrated some of

their classroom skills for their mothers on Friday,

May 4, 2012. Mothers were invited to school for a

small presentation from the students in each

kindergarten class.

Always imaginative in their Mother's Day Tea, the

teachers went all out this year, presenting songs,

poems and other readings as well as a computer

generated story book created by the students.

Students shared individual drawings that they had

created using a software program called Pixie in the

computer lab. Pixie is a drawing program that can

be saved as individual pictures, or shown as a slide

show. It includes clip art, backgrounds, and stickers.

Our teachers use Pixie as a great way to introduce

and teach the use of the computer, while creating

projects that address particular grade level learning.

On this occasion, it was a drawing of their mothers.

We are always striving for more parent involvement

in school and this was a great way for our

kindergarten students to share what they have

been learning and also recognize the importance of

their mothers. Every kindergarten student had

their mother or someone else attend our program

this year. We know how important it is to moms to

be loved and we wanted to have the students share

what they have learned.

Each mom received a color drawing created in Pixie

and had the opportunity to be served tea and

snacks by their child.



Relay For Life by Erin Martin, JBHS Teacher

Public relations and marketing were a vital aspect

of Relay For Life, but only two of the skills JBHS

students practiced by coordinating the Mercersburg

event. Coordinating the Mercersburg Relay For Life

provided an opportunity for students to showcase

their skills in advertising, data entry, finance

accountability, logistics, public speaking, journalism,

and time management. The 4th annual Mercersburg

Relay For Life took place at Rocket Stadium on May

4th and 5th. The community event offered everyone

an opportunity to participate in the fight against

cancer, and provided community use of the

renovated Rocket Stadium. Everyday health and

wellness is another important feature of

Relay. Throughout the event, the track is

encompassed with signs encouraging healthy living

practices that participants read while getting the

physical and emotional benefits of exercise.

Money for the Relay For Life of Mercersburg is still

being collected, however with the teamwork

carried out by the student committee and support

of the community, the grand total has already

exceeded $21,000, the most the event has ever

raised in one year.

The committee is currently planning the 2013

Mercersburg Relay For Life for the first weekend in

May.

Students were led by co-chairs Natalie Brant, Harley

Gordon, and ceremony chair Katie Cristofano and

advised by Erin Martin.

The final weeks of a school year bring great

excitement for students. This is especially true for

James Buchanan High School seniors as they

complete the final days of their high school careers

and eagerly anticipate the next steps in their lives.

On Thursday, May 24, 2012, soon-to-be-JBHS-

graduates received special recognition for their

accomplishments. Many received financial support

to help them pay for college. At this annual event,

presenters awarded scholarships and awards that

recognized excellence in various aspects of high

school.

Local community groups and benefactors have

established many scholarships that are awarded

each year. In addition, James Buchanan students

are eligible for a variety of regional and national

scholarships, depending on where they live, their

accomplishments, and their anticipated field(s) of

study. Interested students complete a “universal”

scholarship application that allows them to be

considered for scholarship monies. Students are

then selected by matching the student’s

accomplishments and background with the stated

criteria for each award. In addition, each JBHS

department selects a senior to be the Outstanding

Student in its respective curriculum area.

This year, we were thrilled to present 159 total

awards to 54 graduating seniors. In addition to

several non-monetary awards, we presented or

acknowledged over $214,000 that will help JBHS

seniors pay for college.

The JBHS faculty and administration would like to

thank the many extremely generous individuals and

organizations that continually contribute

scholarship monies on behalf of our students.

Congratulations to all graduating seniors of the

JBHS class of 2012. Good luck! Make us proud! Go

Rockets!

JBHS Seniors Receive Awards and Scholarships by Rodney Benedick



While the news on state funding, the pension

system and the economy as a whole is not positive,

I am proud to report that the Tuscarora School

District is not in financial distress like so many

districts in Pennsylvania. It doesn’t take more than

a few minutes to perform an internet search and

find PA school districts that are either bankrupt or

in severe fiscal deficiency. So the big question is

why is Tuscarora different?

The main advantage of Tuscarora is its conservative

approach to balanced budgets and school funding.

TSD spends approximately $1,500 less per student

than the PA average; keeping our total budget

approximately $4 million lower than comparably-

sized districts!

Yet, TSD has also made significant strides at

improving facilities, technology and educational

opportunities for our students. One factor that has

assisted the district in keeping costs in line is the

latest collective bargaining agreement in which the

professional staff agreed to a zero percent increase

for 2012-13. Further, the district’s decisions to

become self-insured for medical insurance,

outsource the food services program and the

unfortunate reduction in staffing levels, have all

contributed to keeping our budget balanced and

sustainable.

So despite this good news, why does the

preliminary budget have a two mill increase? The

major issue again this year for Tuscarora, as well as

all other PA school districts, remains the pension

costs and the increased contributions as required

by state law. Officially known as PSERS, the Public

School Employee Retirement System will require an

increase in contributions by 40% for 2012-13. From

a millage perspective, that is 1.75 mills for

Tuscarora residents.

The remaining millage increase is primarily due to

two factors – one positive and one negative. On

the positive side, TSD is sending more students to

the Franklin County Career & Technology Center

(FCCTC). The FCCTC provides our students with

marketable skills that the employers in our area

need desperately. Local employers such as Atlas

Copco, D.L. Martin and Foremost all need trained

welders, carpenters and electricians, and the

FCCTC’s award-winning programs provide our

students with opportunities to merge local

education and business need.

On the negative side, Pennsylvania is holding

reimbursement for renovation projects such as the

Mercersburg Elementary School and the FCCTC.

This issue affects over 200 PA school districts who

are awaiting reimbursement for bond payments

that have already been paid. This lack of subsidy

payments by the state costs the local TSD taxpayers

an additional $80,000 per year!

In summary, Tuscarora has made significant strides

to improve facilities and technology, while

simultaneously providing our students with the

educational opportunities that they desire in a cost-

effective manner. The 2012-13 final budget will be

reviewed and approved at the June 11, 2012 board

meeting.

Preliminary Budget Update by Eric Holtzman

James Buchanan Class of 2012 Graduation



May 3, 2012 was an exciting day at JBMS. During a

morning assembly, sixty students were recognized

for their contributions as citizens within the JBMS

community. Citizenship is a vital component to

student success at the middle school. Our students

complete their career at JBMS with a firm

foundation in character: caring, respect,

trustworthiness, fairness, responsibility, and

citizenship. Citizenship embodies all of the former

elements, with the added component of acting as

productive, responsible contributors to our society.

This, however, was only the beginning of our

morning celebration. We also enjoyed some very

special presentations from the Mercersburg VFW

Post 6241. JBMS was honored to have Commander

Hetzer and Mrs. Martha Hetzer, and other

representatives from that organization on our

stage. Each Fall, JBMS participates in the Patriot

Pen Contest, and every year, our school has more

winners than any other school in the region.

Twelve 8th graders were awarded a certificate and

cash prize for their essays on American pride. The

winners were: Jalen Ayers, Quaid Bounds, Violet

Clark, Angela Daye, Kylie Gracey, Abby Heinbaugh,

Elliot Hicks, Spencer Hornbaker, Alicia Lutes,

Geneva Myers, Rachel Poffenberger, and Mallory

Sipes.

After the student awards, VFW State Commander

Larry Reese presented a surprise award to our very

own Kristin Chilcote. She received the prestigious

National Teacher Citizenship Award. Mrs. Chilcote

was given a certificate, plaque, and cash prize.

JBMS got its own certificate and plaque to

commemorate Kristin’s accomplishment, and it will

be proudly displayed in the school trophy case in

our lobby. Mrs. Hetzer nominated Mrs. Chilcote and

began the paperwork necessary to have Kristin

Citizenship at JBMS by James Carbaugh

considered on the state and national level. After

months of sifting through candidates, Kristin

Chilcote ended up at the top. When Kristin’s name

was announced, our kids rose without prompting in

a spontaneous and rousing ovation. A few adult

guests expressed surprise and wonder at this

genuine outpouring of goodwill and support. “Just

another day at JBMS,” I told them, with pride. We

never take our terrific kids for granted.

Our teachers do an excellent job, and I’m here

every day to see it. They don’t put in all their hard

work, love, and kindness for recognition. They

enjoy working with young people, and it’s reward

enough. That’s what we’re in business to do. But

as principal, I was happy to see a teacher of Mrs.

Chilcote’s caliber have a moment in the spotlight.

It’s gratifying to see our students and a member of

our staff recognized for their fine efforts. They

represent what is best about James Buchanan

Middle School. We have a special thing here at the

middle school, and that’s a credit to the entire

community: the parents, kids, teachers, staff, and

residents of the Tuscarora School District.

NEW DISTRICT WEBISTE

We are excited to announce our new Tuscarora School District website coming soon.

Please be sure to visit www.tus.k12.pa.us in the next few weeks to see for yourself.



1-1 Student Laptop Initiative: The Student’s Perspective

Ninth and tenth grade students at James Buchanan High

School were issued a laptop to support their studies and

enhance their learning. We recently polled these students

to find out about their experiences with the laptop.

• 83% used the laptop for homework and

assignments

• 88% used the computer during class

• 92% of the students felt that teachers expected

them to use their laptop to complete assignments

• 71% felt that they were adequately trained to use the laptop

• 58% had little or no technical difficulties

• 82% reported technology equipment problems to school personnel

• 20% of the parents got involved with the computer related activities

• 65% stated that the computer helped communicating with teachers

• 63% understood the importance of having filters in place at home and school

• 96% understand the importance of being a good digital citizen

This information will be discussed with stakeholders so that the program can be revised to move faculty, staff, and

students forward.



Incoming kindergarten families had the opportunity

to experience a variety of learning centers during

our most recent Preschool Night at St. Thomas

Elementary School on Friday, May 18, 2012.

Children and their parents participated in an

assortment of activities geared towards acclimating

them with the materials that they will come in

contact with in the upcoming year. The main focus

for the event was to provide families with

information about concepts concerning print.

Preschoolers discovered that they are already

readers by exploring environmental print. Each

family created their own environmental print book

to be read and added to at home during the

summer months. Thanks to Tammy Barnhart of the

Franklin County Local Education and Resource

Network (LEARN), each family was given a wealth of

resources to facilitate additional learning

opportunities at home.

Preschool Night at Saint Thomas Elementary by Dr. Nadine Sanders

Throughout the school year, JBMS students have been

involved with a number of activities that have had a

tremendous impact on the community.

In December our Student Organization held a spirit

chain competition between grade levels. This was to

raise money for families in need during the holiday

season. The students had the opportunity to purchase

one link for twenty-five cents or five links for a dollar.

This school year, the sixth grade team raised $ 521.00,

the seventh grade team raised $934.00 and the eighth

grade team raised $1410.00! The JBMS students set a

new record raising a total of $2865.00. The spirit

chains stretched from the office foyer to the 8th grade

wing of the building.

During the spring the JBMS students were very active

with their community involvement. We held “Caps for

Cancer”, where JBMS students paid $1.00 to wear a

cap for the day. JBMS students raised $192 that was

donated to the Relay for Life. JBMS also had a team

participate in the Relay for Life. The team raised an

additional $200 that was donated to the Relay for Life.

To culminate the year our students participated in an

egg carton drive for a Franklin County food pantry.

The egg cartons are used to distribute eggs that are

donated to the pantry in bulk. Kristy Hinkle and her

8th grade class organized the activity and generated

student support. JBMS students rallied together and

collected 3,117 egg cartons for Franklin County food

pantries.

JBMS students continue to show compassion and

commitment to helping out those in the community.

They reach out and assist those in need, while striving

for academic excellence. Our students continue to be

JBMS PROUD!

JBMS Shows Character by Helping by Ryan Kaczmark



District Website

www.tus.k12.pa.us

Tuscarora School District

118 East Seminary Street

Mercersburg, PA 17236

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James Buchanan High School

Teacher, Herb Hoffeditz

Congratulates

Megan Leidy

James Buchanan High School Senior Awards Program

James Buchanan High School

Teacher, Erin Martin

Congratulates

Hannah Wagaman

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