This past July, 11 Penn Manor High School World Language students were hosted by families in France for an exchange of language, ideas, food and culture. The students, 2010 graduates Sarah Frank, Katy Morgan, and Jenn Stumpf and rising seniors Taylor Breidenbaugh, Mikah Farbo, Robin Green, Samantha Hershey, Allison Herr, Kaitlyn Imel, Katie Maisel and Sophia WuShanley, were able to experience the country and culture first hand.

PMHS French Teacher, Mrs. Maureen Klingaman, tells the story:

Last October, Penn Manor hosted 30 students from La Roche sur Foron, France.  Their principal, Brigitte Siran, had contacted Maureen Klingaman, after finding Penn Manor website’s foreign language page.  Madame Siran has arranged numerous exchanges for her high school’s students with schools in the United States, and was looking for one in the Lancaster area. Those students stayed here for two weeks and traveled to Philadelphia, Hershey, Harrisburg and New York, besides visiting numerous Lancaster county sites.  From July 5-16th, eleven PM students completed the exchange.  We stayed in and near La Roche, which is in the Alps, 20 minutes from Geneva. Families took us to local points of interest such as the United Nations in Geneva, Lake Geneva, Annecy Lake, Chamonix and Mont Blanc.  We also took a two-day trip to the second largest city in France, Lyon.  There we saw many sites such as Roman ruins, cathedrals, traboules (tunnels originally built to protect silk workers; used in WWII to hide from German soldiers), ancient courtyards, etc.  The group also took a four-day trip to Paris. We visited the Louvre, Musee d’Orsay, Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe, Pere Lachaise cemetary, Sacre Coeur, and saw many other sites.  The highlight for many of the Penn Manor students was the nighttime cruise of the Seine and seeing the monuments beautifully lit. The students also learned how to navigate the Metro (subway), and use the train system (including the high-speed TGV).  The students really enjoyed staying in French homes and learning a lot about the French culture.  Especially striking was the value placed on good food, and taking time to enjoy meals.

Below is a gallery of photos from the cultural exchange:

You may also read more about the exchange at Lancaster Online: https://www.articles.lancasteronline.com/local/4/274263.

On June 9, 2010, 458 high school seniors graduated in the Penn Manor High School gymnasium. Valedictorian, Grant Elledge, Salutatorian, Jonathan Shue and Class President, Adrienne Herr led the graduates into the gym. High School principal, Phil Gale, welcomed his first graduating class and praised them for excelling academically, athletically, and artistically. 76% of the class will be furthering their education and earned $1.4 million in financial aid. A number of students will also be joining the military.

The 2010 Commencement was broadcast live on the Internet. The broadcast marked the 11th consecutive webcast of Penn Manor High School’s graduation ceremonies. An archive of the live broadcast is available.

For the past three years, art teacher, Teri Hay, and her ceramic, commercial art, and fine arts students have been working to beautify the courtyard outside of the high school auditorium. Using broken pieces of glass, the students are slowly putting together a mosaic of Vincent Van Gogh’s Starry Night. Completion of the mosaic is scheduled for the end of the 2010-2011 school year.