Author: Cindy Rhoades

Penn Manor Athletic Wall of Honor Inducts Five

by Cindy Rhoades

Five Penn Manor alumni were inducted into the Athletic Wall of Honor on Friday, January 4. The inductees included Lloyd Byers (1964) a three sport athlete competing in soccer, wrestling and baseball winning the Lancaster County League batting title in 1962; Kambria Riggins Rich (2002) a soccer standout who was part of the 2002 state championship team. She led the L-L League in 2002 with 31 goals; Amy Martin (1982) a four-time L-L League track champion in the 100-meter hurdles and a member of the league championship 4×100 relay team; Donna Bervinchak (1985) a three-time sectional and district champion in gymnastics winning the state championship on the parallel bars and placing second in the all-around; and Guenter Miller (1992) a member of Penn Manor’s first official swim team and a four-time all-state swimmer in the 100 butterfly.

Following the induction ceremony, the athletes were honored at halftime of the boys varsity basketball game. Pictured from left: Lloyd Byers, Kambria Riggins Rich, Donna Bervinchak, Amy Martin and Guenter Miller.

Pictured from left: Lloyd Byers, Kambria Riggins Rich, Donna Bervinchak, Amy Martin and Guenter Miller

District Accepting Nominations for Outstanding Educator and Employee Awards

by Cindy Rhoades

The Penn Manor School District is seeking nominations for the Outstanding Educator Awards and the Outstanding Employee Awards which will be presented later this school year.  Nominations are being solicited from parents/guardians, students, and colleagues in the Penn Manor School District. Nominations for these awards are open until February 28, 2013. The nomination forms, complete information on the intent of the awards, and a list of all past recipients are available at https://pennmanorschooldistrict.kinsta.cloud/district/outstanding-educatoremployee-information/.

The Outstanding Educator Awards should be based on the teacher’s ability to promote academic growth in his/her students and for outstanding pupil-teacher relationships.  A person may nominate one elementary teacher, one secondary teacher or both.  The nominee must presently be employed by the Penn Manor School District.

Nominations for the Outstanding Employee Awards should be based on the staff member’s ability to support the educational program and the quality of his/her relationships with staff and students.  A person may nominate one elementary staff member, one secondary staff member or both.  The nominee must presently be employed by the Penn Manor School District.

Gingerbread Creations by Pequea Kindergarten Students

by Cindy Rhoades

Mrs. JoLynn Drexel’s kindergarten students each brought a helper to school to assist in building a holiday gingerbread house. Parents, grandparents, and adult friends helped each kindergarten student build a house out of graham crackers, icing, assorted candy, cereal, marshmallows, and pretzels. The yummy creations along with some holiday music made for a festive atmosphere!

Martic Kindergarten Students Create Holiday Crafts

by Cindy Rhoades

Mrs. Mulder’s morning kindergarten students and their fifth grade buddies from Mrs. Iddings’ class at Martic Elementary worked together on some holiday craft projects. The students made pipe cleaner stars, beaded candy canes, and paper ball decorations as well as a snowman or reindeer bag to take their creations home. The afternoon kindergarten students and their buddies also partnered on the holiday crafts.

Gingerbread House Construction at Letort

by Cindy Rhoades

Mr. Berry’s kindergarten students at Letort teamed up with their 5th grade buddies in Mrs. Moyer’s and Mr. Rohm’s classes to make festive gingerbread houses. Using graham crackers for the house structure, icing as glue and pieces of candy for the decoration and landscaping, each house was unique to the team building it.

Girls on the Run® Participants Compete in 5K Run

by Cindy Rhoades

On Saturday, December 5, teams from Central Manor, Pequea, Letort, Eshleman and Hambright Elementary Schools ran in the Girls on the Run® Winter 5K at Clipper Magazine Stadium.

Girls on the Run® is a character development program for girls in 3rd through 6th grade.  The program teaches life skills using a fun, experience-based curriculum which creatively integrates running.  The program culminates with the girls being physically and emotionally prepared to complete a celebratory 5k running event. The goal of the program is to build confidence through accomplishment while establishing a lifetime appreciation of health and fitness.

The spring session of Girls on the Run® begins on March 11 ending with a 5K run at Franklin & Marshall College on May 18. Conestoga and Martic Elementary Schools will field teams for that event.
Girls on the Run teams from Central Manor, Pequea, Letort, Eshleman and Hambright Elementary Schools who ran in the Girls on the Run® Winter 5K

PMHS FCCLA Club Helps Brighten the Holidays For Others

by Cindy Rhoades

Members of the newly formed high school club, FCCLA –  Family, Career, and Community Leaders of America, are working on several community service projects this holiday season. One initiative is helping the Grace Cancer Care Ministry, a local group that supports individuals and families experiencing a cancer struggle who live in the Penn Manor community. The students with the help of club advisor, Mrs. Sheerer, researched the right foods to make for cancer patients and made Christmas cookies for 16 families in need.  The 48 members of FCCLA are also sending online holiday messages to soliders overseas through the letterstosoldiers.org website.

 

How to request electronic transcripts

by Cindy Rhoades

Penn Manor is now able to send high school transcripts electronically through XELLO. Here is a link to information about how to request transcripts.

Manor FFA Members Help with Hurricane Sandy Cleanup

by Cindy Rhoades
Over the December 8th weekend, three Manor FFA members (pictured from left senior Scott Appel, sophomore Justin Burke and freshman Austin McMellen) travelled to Union Beach, NJ with Ag teacher, Mrs. Carole Fay. They worked with over 1,000 other people to help clean up houses and the general area from the effects of Hurricane Sandy.  The Penn Manor team was assigned to a home and helped others tear down what remained of the garage and tear out the floors of the home. They also helped to cover the ground under the home with plastic and stone for a barrier against dampness.
FFA members pictured from left senior Scott Appel, sophomore Justin Burke and freshman Austin McMellen

HS Student Council Brightens the Holidays for 46 District Families

by Cindy Rhoades

The Penn Manor High School Student Council organized a Giving Tree to benefit 46 district families in need as identified by the school district social workers. Nearly 250 holiday tags were placed on the Giving Tree located in the high school library. Students and staff were invited to take a tag and grant the wish of the anonymous recipients. Due to the generosity of the students and staff, all the tag recipients will have their wishes fulfilled. Student Council members will sort and mark the gifts by family. The wish lists for the families included clothing, books, toys, linens, and necessities such as toilet paper, paper towels, and toiletries. The school district social workers will deliver the gifts prior the holidays. Pictured are (from left to right), Giving Tree Co-Chair, Katie Stringer, Student Council Vice-President, Rachel Shelley, Student Council President, Lindamarie Olson, Giving Tree Co-Chair, Haley George.

Pictured are (from left to right), Giving Tree Co-Chair, Katie Stringer, Student Council Vice-President, Rachel Shelley, Student Council President, Lindamarie Olson, Giving Tree Co-Chair, Haley George

Millersville University Students Teach Conestoga Elementary 5th Grade Students

by Cindy Rhoades

Technology education students from Millersville University visited the fifth grade classes at Conestoga Elementary to test their teaching abilities. The Millersville students wrote the lesson plans and instructed the Conestoga 5th graders on building Jamestown Lanterns (Mrs. Usciak’s class) and a Jamestown Settlement (Mrs. Falk’s class) tying their lessons to the fifth grade

social studies curriculum on Colonial America. This partnership between Millersville University and Conestoga Elementary has been in place for over 30 years.

Past and Present District Leadership Meet

by Cindy Rhoades

On Monday, December 3, 2012, the Penn Manor School Board hosted a leadership dinner. Past administrators and former board members were invited to Manor Middle School for dinner prior to the annual reorganization board meeting.  Penn Manor’s first superintendent, Dr. Elmer Berkebile, who served the district from 1967 until 1983, was present as were past board members (pictured from left to right, front row) Richard Bauder, Alice Ahlfield, Jane Barley, and Donald Funk, (back row) Peter Alecxih, Ken Greider, Perry Love, Robert Kindig, Willis Herr and Pat Kline.

Hambright Students Work to “Reach the Beach”

by Cindy Rhoades

Students and staff at Hambright Elementary are joining forces to “Reach the Beach” by December 12. The school has adopted Seaside Heights Elementary School (NJ) located in one of the areas hardest hit by Hurricane Sandy. All 300 students were displaced from their homes and school. The Hambright staff recently held a dress down day and raised $250. They challenged their students to match that amount by donating spare change. The school’s goal is $500. The proceeds will be used to help provide the affected families with necessities.  A poster above the school office tracks the Hambright school bus as it makes its way from Lancaster, PA to Seaside Heights, NJ.

A poster above the school office tracks the Hambright school bus as it makes its way from Lancaster, PA to Seaside Heights, NJ.

Pequea 6th Grade Students Study Forecasting with Joe Calhoun

by Cindy Rhoades

Students in Mr. Bower’s sixth grade class at Pequea Elementary School will be taking on a Science identity and networking with students from all over the country in MySciLife during their Science units this year. Click here to view the MySciLife website. The first unit of study was weather and the students assumed the role of a weather concept. For example,  Lenny Lightning, Helen High Pressure, Rebecca Rain, Lisa Low, etc. Mr Bower’s role was Meteorologist Max. The students had to respond to prompts and post from their concepts point-of-view.

Joe Calhoun, chief meteorologist for WGAL-TV, visited the students recently to speak with them about the science of weather forecasting. The students also got a behind-the-scenes look at how the WGAL Storm Team forecasts weather in the studio and how they use technology to broadcast the weather.

Joe Calhoun, chief meteorologist for WGAL-TV, visits the students

Martic Elementary Kindergarten Students Get Ready for Thanksgiving

by Cindy Rhoades

Kindergarten students in Mrs. Mulder’s classes are ready for Thanksgiving. Using stations, the students made their choice of a head dress – a Native American, a pilgrim or a turkey. The next station had them coloring by numbers and writing a short Thanksgiving story.  At the third station, students made a turkey centerpiece to take home to their families. The final station combined a story with a craft. The students made bead bracelets that told the story of Thanksgiving.  Each bead they put on represented something different.

Happy Thanksgiving from Mrs. Mulder’s kindergarten classes!