Category: Top Story

Penn Manor hires 24 professional staff for 2018-2019

by Brian Wallace

Penn Manor welcomed 17 new teachers for the 2017-2018 school year during New Teacher Orientation Day, held Aug. 7 and 8, at Manor Middle School.

In all, 20 teachers and four other professional staff members have been hired for the coming year. Some of the teachers previously served in long-term substitute or other positions at Penn Manor schools, but most of them are completely new to the school district. The new hires, pending school board approval, include:

Hambright Elementary
Melissa Mealy, assistant principal; Taylor Miller, learning support; Sarah Santos-Jagroo, grade 1; Jenna Ioannidis, academic support.

Central Manor Elementary
Matthew Kersic and Karlie Feaster, grade 6.

Penn Manor HS
Angelika Koener, French and German; Chloe Hartung, earth science; Kyle Lainhoff, special education/School to Work; Caleb Smith, art; and Christine Donahue, school psychologist.

Marticville Middle School
Ken Webster, dean of students; Rachel Oler and Danielle Croft, reading; Brittany Patterson, social studies; and Courtney Bussard, math.

Martic Elementary
Jeb Thompson, grade 4; Glenn Wolfe, grade 4; Amanda Davis, grade 1.

Pequea
Courtney Wagner, learning/life skills support, grades 4-6.

Letort/Martic
Maria Anderson, art

Letort/Conestoga/Eshleman
Ashley Zook, school nurse.

Districtwide
Jason Mattern is the district’s new athletic director, replacing Jeff Roth. Allison Mattern is the district’s new English curriculum supervisor.

To all new staff members, welcome to the Penn Manor family, and best wishes for the 2018-2019 school year!

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Volleyball team named to All-American Honor Roll 2 years straight

by Brian Wallace

For the second year in a row, the Penn Manor girls’ volleyball team has been named to the Academic All-American Honor Roll by the American Volleyball Coaches Association.

The 2017 team qualified by earning a cumulative grade-point average of 4.11, which ranks among the top 25 of girls’ high school teams in the United States.

“I’m really proud of our girls for winning this recognition two years in a row,” said head coach Tim Joyce. “This accolade is a great testament to their attitude, character and efforts.”

Eight of 13 Penn Manor varsity players earned a GPA of 4.0 or higher – seniors Emily Cummings, Ava Dunford-Groves, Tiana Ferko, Sydney Leichliter and Mikiah Sangrey, juniors Nicole Krahulik and Erica Shaub and freshman Jordan Schucker.

“Led by a strong group of seniors, the team members always put their studies first,” Joyce said. “Our athletes often were seen before matches or in between games at tournaments with textbooks out, working diligently on course work.”

Congratulations, ladies, on this terrific accomplishment!

Penn Manor girls' volleyball team
The 2017 girls’ volleyball team

 

Manor FFA members earn state honors

by Brian Wallace

Manor FFA students placed in the top 10 in several categories at the Pennsylvania FFA Convention, held June 12-14 at Penn State University, with several students earning the right to compete regionally and nationally.

The Penn Manor High School students competed in career development and leadership development events to demonstrate their skills in several areas. Here are the results:

Poultry Evaluation – The team placed first and will compete in the National FFA Convention and Expo in October.

Team members were Sarah Bleacher (3rd place gold award), Morgan Harnish (4th place gold), Renee Eshbach (5th place gold) and Jolene Fields (9th place silver). Individuals who competed were Megan Reen (1st place gold), Berklee Perry (8th place silver), Brianna McMichael (11th place silver), and Jordan Arms (14th place bronze).

Dairy Cattle Management and Evaluation – The team placed second and will compete at the Big E Eastern States Exposition in Massachusetts in September.  Team members were Austin Kolb (6th place gold), Alyssa Chalfant (8th place gold), Madeleine Denlinger (12th place silver), and Laurel Barley (43rd place).

National Chapter Award – Manor FFA placed 10th (gold) and will move on to national competition.

Employment Skills – Emily Aukamp, 5th place silver.

Horse Evaluation —The team placed sixth. Team members were Amanda Baker (14th place silver), Hannah Ile (33rd place), Darby Conrad (39th place), and Rebecca Roland (47th place).

Floriculture – Melodie Garrett, 11th place bronze.

Veterinary Science – Angela Frola (14th place silver) and Brenna McDevitt (16th place silver).

Scrapbook – The chapter scrapbook placed 14th and earned a silver medal.

Proficiency Awards – The following students received their state proficiency:  Kenny Barley (ag sales entrepreneurship), Jonathan Eshbach (specialty crop production), Clara Hess (dairy placement) and Damian Kreider (vegetable production).

State Officer Nominating Committee – Rebecca High served as a member of the committee to select state FFA officers.

State officer candidates – Kenny Barley and Samantha Garrett spent two days in the state officer selection process.

Congratulations to these students for representing Penn Manor so well!

Poultry evaluation team
Poultry Evaluation team members, from left, Berklee Perry, Jordan Arms, Sarah Bleacher, Renee Eshbach, Megan Reen, Jolene Fields, Morgan Harnish and Brianna McMichael.

 

 

PMHS teacher Mealy publishes fifth book

by Brian Wallace

 Congratulations to Penn Manor history teacher Dr. Todd Mealy on the publication of his fifth book, “Glenn Killinger, All American: Penn State’s World War I Era Sports Hero.”

    The book tells the story of Killinger, who grew up in Harrisburg and was a standout athlete in football, basketball and baseball at Penn State. He went on to serve in the military during World War I and later was a college coach and athletics director.

    Mealy uses Killinger’s story to examine how American culture during the “Great War” focused on heroism, masculinity and athletics to create national icons promoted by the military and the media.

    The book covers the implementation of college sports at military installations across the country in 1918 and the creation of the Student Army Training Corps, which made athletics a requirement for college students. After the war, businessmen capitalized on using the media to manufacture heroes in the form of celebrities to sell products.

    Mealy said the book should appeal to readers with an interest in sports, military history and American culture.

    “Glenn Killinger” is available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble and the Midtown Scholar in Harrisburg.

    Mealy’s other books include “This is the Rat Speaking”; “Legendary Locals of Harrisburg”; “Aliened American,” a biography of William Howard Day; and “Biography of an Antislavery City,” about anti-slavery advocates, Abolitionists and the Underground Railroad in Harrisburg.

Free and reduced-price meal applications now taken online

by Brian Wallace

Penn Manor School District is switching to an online application process for parents/guardians of students applying for free or reduced-price meals at district schools for 2018-2019.

Paper applications will no longer be accepted.

To apply online, parents should click here to access the application. Parents who don’t have access to a computer or the internet can visit a Penn Manor school to fill out an application beginning August 8.

Families must meet income eligibility guidelines to qualify for the program, which assists students experiencing economic difficulties. About 42 percent of Penn Manor students qualified for free or reduced-price meals last year.

For more information, contact Andrew Lavenski at (717) 872-9520, ext. 1830.

Penn Manor seniors honored with athletic awards

by Brian Wallace

More than 60 Penn Manor High School student athletes were honored May 16 during the Senior Sports Awards Social in the high school cafeteria.

The top athletic awards went to:

  • All-Around Male and Female Athletes — Alyssa Schriver and Josiah Edwards.
  • Outstanding Penn Manor Male and Female Athletes — Taraje Whitfield, Alex Sheivert and Brittany Hook.
  • Penn Manor Coaches Association Scholarships — Evann Jones, Cade Braas, Taraje Whitfield, Ben Wright, Emily Cummings, Autumn Gager, Sydney Leichliter and Nasheyla Greggs.

Here’s what their coaches had to say about the top award winners:

Alyssa Schriver scored her 1,000th career point during her senior year of basketball and was both a great offensive and defensive player, with exceptional ball-handling skills. She earned First Team All-Star recognition.

She also was a member of two state championship Penn Manor field hockey teams, played softball for a year and participated in track and field. She holds the school record for the 400-meter dash and contributed to the school record 4 x 100 relay run.

Josiah Edwards emerged as the starting quarterback his junior year and played every offensive snap for two seasons. A dual threat as a runner and a passer, he finished his football career at Penn Manor with 2,904 total yards of offense and 20 TDs.

As a track and field athlete, Josiah achieved excellence in the javelin. On the basketball court, he was one of the most productive forwards in the league and nearly averaged a double-double in points and rebounds during the last month of the season.

Taraje Whitfield was an All-State athlete in indoor and outdoor track. He won numerous L-L League, district, and state medals in the 60-meter, 110-meter, and 300-meter hurdles while setting school records in several events.

Alex Scheivert was recognized as one of the top javelin throwers in the state and nation. He has won L-L League and district championships and was second in the state his junior year. He is the school record holder in the javelin.

Brittany Hook amassed some lofty stats in softball – 70 career wins, 22 losses, 998 strikeouts, and a .406 batting average, with 14 home runs.  She also was an exemplary teammate who led by example for other players on how to be a good softball player. She also was goalie for the undefeated state championship field hockey team.

Evann Jones was a team captain and two-year varsity letter winner in football. He led the team in sacks on defense and split time at running back on offense. Evann was named LNP Player of the week and was a Section 1 first team All Star at defensive end. He was selected to play in the L-L All Star football game this spring.

Cade Braas played lacrosse for PM for the last three years, scored one goal this past spring and was a great teammate during practices who always did what was best for the team.

Ben Wright, a team captain for football, was the second leading tackler on defense and the leading rusher on offense. He was recognized as a first team L-L All-Star and recently was selected to represent Penn Manor in the league All-Star football game.

Emily Cummings was a four-year volleyball team member who played in 154 varsity sets and earned a Lancaster-Lebanon League Second Team All-Star Award. She had 274 kills and 228 digs in varsity play and was a member of the 2016 team that was recognized with All-State and All-American Academic Honors, earning a top 25 team GPA nationally.

Autumn Gager started every game as a defender on the field hockey team, which was Section I Champion, L-L League Champion, District III Champion and PIAA State Champion. Autumn was a First Team L-L League All Star and an Honorable Mention All-State Player.

Sydney Leichliter was a four-year volleyball player who was the starting setter in both her junior and senior years, amassing 893 assists, the second highest in program history. She played in 153 varsity sets and was a member of the 2016 team that was recognized with All-State and All-American Academic Honors, earning a top 25 team GPA nationally.

Nasheyla Greggs was a dedicated member of the basketball team. Her man-to-man defense was excellent, and she was always asked to guard an opposing offensive threat.

In all, more than 40 awards were presented, including Coach of the Year to Matt Soto and Assistant Coach of the Year to Scott Files.

Here is a list of all the awards: Senior athletic awards 2018

Top athletic award winners
From left, Sydney Leichliter, Alex Scheivert, Autumn Gager, Taraje Whitfield, Nasheyla Greggs, Cade Braas, Alyssa Schreiver, Josiah Edwards, Brittany Hook and Emily Cummings.

 

Students receive numerous awards at Manor FFA banquet

by Brian Wallace

Manor FFA members earned multiple awards at the chapter’s 58th annual banquet, held recently in the Penn Manor High School cafeteria.

Pennsylvania FFA State Secretary Taylor Halbleib spoke at the event, which celebrated the hard work of chapter members during the school year.

Members received the following awards:

Proficiency – Kenny Barley, agriculture sales; Arilyn Tegtmeier, agriscience research (animal systems); Kyle Bushong, dairy production; Melodie Garrett, diversified livestock production; Jonathan Eshbach, specialty crop production; and Rebecca High, swine production.

SAE Start-Up Grants – Arilyn Tegtmeier, Megan Reen, Maddy Denlinger, Cody Hurlburt and Brenna McDevitt.

SAE Expansion Grants – Arilyn Tegtmeier, Colin Smith, Marshall Ebersole, Angie Frola, Rebecca High, Alyssa Chalfant and Austin Kolb.

Scholarship Awards – Clara Hess, Ben Raifsnider, Joe Allman, Becky Barley, Abigail Reiff, Emily Aukamp, Kyle Bushong, Arilyn Tegtmeir, Rebecca High, Alyssa Chalfant, Kenny Barley and Ben Raifsnider.

Leadership Awards – Michael Brumbaugh, Emily Aukamp, Elizabeth Broderick, Kenny Barley, Melodie Garrett, Rebecca High, Jonathan Eshbach, Arilyn Tegtmeier, Austin Kolb, Becky Barley, Renee Eshbach, Sarah Bleacher, Bobbie Ditzler, Emma French and Rebecca High.

Rebecca High and Melodie Garrett were recognized for receiving Washington Leadership Conference Scholarships for a week-long conference this summer.

Katey Bleacher, Bradley Groff and Sammy Bleacher were recognized for receiving the American Degree, the highest degree in the FFA.

Star Chapter recipients – Austin Kolb (agribusiness) and Maddy Denlinger (placement).

Star Greenhand recipients – Laurel Barley (placement), Berklee Perry (production) and Jolene Fields (agrisicence).

Honorary Degree recipients were recognized for their continued support. They are Rosalind Cowan, Brian and April Eshbach, Kaleb Long, Carroll Herr, Scott Kreider, Ellis Kreider, Dave and Starla Hess, Jay and Bonni Bauman, Erin Deamer, Missy and Larry Eshbach and International Harvester Collector’s Club, Chapter 8.

This year’s Blue & Gold recipients are Ken and Nancy Witmer.

At the close of the banquet, Manor FFA officers were installed for 2018-2019. They are Rebecca High (president), Arilyn Tegtmeier and Melodie Garrett (vice presidents), Lauren Sensenich, Maddy Denlinger, Cody Hurlburt, Jolene Fields, Renee Eshbach, Alyssa Chalfant, Sarah Bleacher, Darby Conrad, Michael Brumbaugh and Laurel Barley.

Congratulations to the award recipients, and many thanks to all the banquet sponsors.

 

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Act 34 hearing to be held July 16 for high school project

by Brian Wallace

Penn Manor School District will hold an Act 34 hearing on the proposed high school renovation and construction project at 6 p.m. July 16 in the auditorium of Manor Middle School, 2950 Charlestown Road.

The public meeting will include a description of the proposed renovations and construction, along with presentations on the educational, physical, administrative, budgetary and fiscal aspects of the project. Work is scheduled to begin next summer.

Members of the public will have the opportunity to comment on the project.

The proposed improvements include upgrades to the school’s HVAC, plumbing, electrical, fire suppression, technology and security systems, along with replacement of major sections of the school.

A new athletic wing is planned, along with a 900-seat auditorium and band, chorus, orchestra and ensemble rooms.

Proposed new classroom spaces include an art suite, a three-story humanities classroom section, a two-story science, technology, engineering and math wing, and new agricultural classrooms, labs and a greenhouse.

The project is projected to cost $87 million, with the option of an alternate proposal that adds district offices. With that option included, along with construction management fees, the total project cost is estimated at $91 million.

The Penn Manor board of school directors will decide at a later date whether to pursue the district office option.

School directors will attend the Act 34 hearing, along with representatives of the district administration, architects Crabtree, Rohrbaugh & Associates, financial advisers RBC Capital Markets Corp. and district solicitor Kegel, Kelin, Almy & Lord.

This booklet explains the Act 34 meeting process and the proposed project: PMHS Act 34 booklet 6-20-18

 

Bookmobile to make stops at Penn Manor schools, communities, churches

by Brian Wallace

A Lancaster County library is coming to a neighborhood near you this summer — a library on wheels, that is.

The Lancaster County Bookmobile will make several stops at Penn Manor schools, neighbohoods and churches through the middle of August to encourage children to keep reading over the summer.

Stops will include Eshleman and Conestoga elementary schools, Pheasant Ridge, Manor Heights, Millersville Manor and Mt. Nebo and West Willow United Methodist Churches.

In preparation for the summer, more than 150 Penn Manor students received new library cards earlier this year, and the Bookmobile visited several Penn Manor schools and communities.

The full summer schedule is here

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Penn Manor junior headed for Health Career Scholars Academy

by Brian Wallace

Penn Manor High School junior Mark Smith will get to experience college life firsthand when he participates in the University of Pittsburgh Health Career Scholars Academy this summer.

Mark was one of about 100 students accepted into the program, formerly known as the Pennsylvania Governor’s School for Health Careers. It will be held from June 24 though July 21 at the University of Pittsburgh’s Oakland campus.

“I feel that this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that no one should pass up,” said Mark. “I’m planning on going into the medical field, and I’m hoping that this summer will help me narrow down my options.”

All students in the program are assigned to pursue one area of study in depth. The courses vary from year to year, and have included health care for the chronically ill, family and child health, behavioral health, geriatrics, global health and public health.

Mark is hoping to concentrate on mental/behavioral health or anatomy.

He recently completed 50 hours of job shadowing as a volunteer working at the Urgent Care medical facility on Rohrerstown Road alongside physicians’ assistants.

Congratulations, Mark, and best wishes this summer!

Mark Smith
Mark Smith

 

 

371 graduate from Penn Manor High School

by Brian Wallace

Members of the Penn Manor Class of 2018 received their diplomas Wednesday night before family and friends during a festive, upbeat graduation ceremony at Franklin & Marshall College.

In his address to the crowd, principal Dr. Phil Gale celebrated the many accomplishments of the graduates, including state and national recognition in the performing arts, agriculture, athletics, technology and academics.

He pointed out that seniors received 145 academic awards and scholarships totaling more than $150,000 and more than $3.2 million in outside scholarship money and financial aid to continue their education.

Members of the Class of 2018 completed 91 college classes while enrolled at Penn Manor and took 484 advanced-placement exams in 24 different subjects. In addition, 74 seniors graduated with honors, 60 students graduated with a grade-point average of 4.0 or higher, and 53 seniors earned a GPA of 4.0 or higher and graduated with honors.

Gale presented awards to valedictorian Nicholas Fafel, who graduated with a GPA of 4.8, and salutatorian Joshua Adams, who earned a 4.677 GPA.

During the ceremony, Taraje Whitfield was named Student of the Year, and six students — Kayla Hansen, Ryan Mowery, Breanna Yanas, Justin Hoang, Mikiah Sangry and Aidan Toomey — were recognized for near-perfect attendance.  Also honored were the 12 graduates who have enlisted in the military.

Gale also praised five retiring high school staff members, with a collective 142 years of experience at Penn Manor, for their positive impact on students — teachers Frank Dell’Estate, Donna Brady and Dave Bender, school nurse Anne Butterfield and athletic director Jeff Roth.

“Through the education you have received, you are well prepared, but it is the example of these five teachers, and their 120 colleagues, that have provided you with a firm foundation on which you can build the rest of your life,” he told the graduates.

The ceremony also honored members of the Penn Manor High School Class of 1968, many of whom were in attendance.

You can view a video of the ceremony here.

Congratulations to the 371 members of the Class of 2018, and best wishes as you embark on the next chapter of your lives!

Several photos provided by LifeTouch

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Penn Manor students place tops in PA in investing competition

by Brian Wallace

Three Penn Manor High School students have placed in the top four in the state in a stock market simulation competition that drew more than 700 participants from across Pennsylvania.

High school senior Kyle Mowery placed first, junior Jamar Gordon placed third and senior Zachary Schucker was fourth in the StockTrak “How the Market Works” competition.

Teams of students were asked to manage a hypothetical investment of $100,000 in stocks, bonds, and mutual funds over 10 weeks. They made buying and trading decisions based on the stock market and were ranked based on the amount of money their investments made.

The statewide competition was sponsored by the Pennsylvania Council on Financial Literacy.

Kyle, Jamar and Zachary learned about the stock market from Penn Manor economics teacher Chris Meier, who has been using stock market simulations in his classes for years.

“I initially spend a couple of days teaching about the stock market and investments and then occasionally check in with students at the start or end of class, but most of the trading throughout the competition is done by students on their own,” Meier said.

“My hope in running a simulation like this is for students to learn how investments work.”

From the results, it appears that Kyle, Jamar and Zachary learned quite well! Congrats, gentlemen.

Zachary Schucker, Kyle Mowery and Jamar Gordon.
From left, Zachary Schucker, Kyle Mowery and Jamar Gordon.

Class of 2018 receives $150,000 in scholarships, awards

by Brian Wallace

Penn Manor High School seniors got a boost to their post-high school plans when members of the Class of 2018 received 192 scholarships and awards totaling nearly $150,000 during the Senior Awards Ceremony on May 24.

The honors included 61 scholarships and awards administered by Penn Manor Education Foundation totaling more than $61,000. Many thanks to the individuals, organizations and businesses that contributed to all the awards. The seniors also earned outside scholarships and aid to continue their education after graduation.

The top recipients of Penn Manor academic scholarships/awards were Veronica Cazillo, with 13 awards; Nicholas Fafel, with 12; Vincent Vozzella, with six awards; and Tiana Ferko and Debora Perez, with five awards each.

Congratulations to all the seniors who earned awards, and best wishes on your future endeavors!

Here are the awards, listed by recipient. To search for an award by name, open the list and type “control F” and the name.
2018 Senior Academic Awards

The top academic award winners
From left, Veronica Cazillo, Nick Fafel, Tiana Ferko, Debora Perez and Vincent Vozzella.

 

 

Penn Manor’s Miller named Secondary STEM Teacher of Year

by Brian Wallace

Penn Manor technology education teacher Molly Miller has been named the Secondary STEM Teacher of the Year by the Lancaster County STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) Alliance.

Miller, who teaches Honors Engineering Principles, AP Computer Science, Applied Science and Exploring Tech courses at Penn Manor High School, was nominated for the award by assistant principal Jason D’Amico.

“Molly has a passion for technology education,” said D’Amico. “She is a tireless advocate for STEM initiatives, both in and out of the classroom.”

Miller leads student clubs to promote technology at both the middle and high school levels and has helped developed new classes in engineering and computer science, D’Amico said.

Award applicants submitted examples of lesson plans, videos of classroom instruction, their educational philosophy and other materials to a panel of technology industry representatives and post-secondary educators who selected the award recipients.

Candidates were evaluated on how well they are implementing an innovative, inquiry-based curriculum that includes real-world applications of technology and addresses the needs of students with diverse backgrounds and abilities.

This is the fourth year for the awards, which are sponsored by the Lancaster County STEM Alliance and the Steinman Foundation.

Congratulations to Ms. Miller, who received her award May 23 at the STEM Awards Banquet.

Molly Miller with her award
Molly Miller with her award

Three-time state champion bowlers honored at Capitol

by Brian Wallace

The Penn Manor boys’ bowling team was honored May 22 by members of the state Legislature for earning a third straight state bowling title this season.

Team members visited the Senate chambers, where they were honored for winning the state championship in March by defeating Wilson, 2-1. It was the third state title in a row for the bowlers, who beat Ephrata in the title match last year and Conrad Weiser in 2016.

No other team in Penn Manor history has won three straight state titles.

The Comets are now headed for the national bowling championship June 23-25 in Illinois.

Boys’ team members include Dan Mease, Michael Morris, Gavin Davidson, Nick Mease, Jordan Kahler, Jimmy Mahler and Mark Smith. The coaches are Chris Vital, Jordan Wakefield, Mark Smith and Alan Wakefield.

Thank you to our state representatives for honoring the team!

Bowlers with Sen. Scott Martin
Members of the Penn Manor bowling team pose with Sen. Scott Martin in the Senate chambers.