Education

Greater Latrobe Junior High School seventh-grade students Maddy Petruzzi, Robin Reilly and Ben Bradley captured third place at the Student Congress GOAL event on Feb. 26 at Greensburg Salem Middle School. Bradley received third place and also placed fourth in the individual competition. Students researched and wrote about 15 different bills to present arguments to the Student Congress. Read more

Greater Latrobe Senior High School students Deanna Mylant, Alek Gmuer, (back row) Nathan Lemmon, Dom Panichelle, Max Wilson, Katie Ulishney, Breanna Carini and Owen Miele recently welcomed Kennedy Barasa (back row, fourth from left), a Fulbright Swahili teaching assistant at the University of Pittsburgh, to share East African culture with Spanish, German and Global Studies classes, as well as other interested students. A native of Kenya, Kennedy offered a presentation covering myths and misconceptions about Africa, Swahili greetings, everyday life and more. Read more

Westmoreland County Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Chad Amond, Westmoreland Community Action Director Mandy Zalich, students Cydney Wierzbowski, Amber Platt, Tamra Schissler, Eli Wigand, teacher Jennifer Welty and Derry Area High School Principal Casey Long honored the four Derry Area students, who took first place at the recent Westmoreland County Census Video Competition. As part of the competition, local school districts, colleges and universities were asked to produce an inviting video stating the importance of the 2020 census within the county. Read more

Derry Area High School students Christian Burdick, Alyssa Main and Andrew Downs auditioned successfully to participate in the PMEA Region I Chorus Festival Feb. 26-28. The festival took place at Hickory High School in the Hermitage School District and was conducted by Dr. Hae-Jong Lee. Read more

DASD students take part in One Room Schoolhouse event Read more

The Greater Latrobe Junior High School Student Council recently sponsored a Random Act of Kindness School Spirit Week and held a backpack supply collection through the Westmoreland Intermediate Unit (WIU). WIU Executive Director Dr. Jason Conway (back row, left) came to pick up the donations from students Brylee Bodnar, Sarah Hoffman, Aiden Kammerer, Jaycee Bodnar, (back row) Mikena Marino, Belle Blossey, Mia Myers, Eric Bisignani, Robin Reilly, Eleri West, Chiara Mongelluzzo, Penelope Wetzel, Brianna Hoffer, Regan Reilly and Louis Amatucci. Students in grades 7 and 8 donated over 600 items that are needed for the WIU backpack drive. Julie Ferrero-Marker also had some students help with the collection for their community service project. Read more

Eleven Greater Latrobe Junior High School students participated in the Westmoreland County Music Educator Association Junior High Band Festivalon Feb. 21 at Wendover Middle School in the Hempfield Area School District, including Abigail Wolfgang, (second row) Molly Holsopple, Sarah Hoffman, Amber Taylor, (third row) Isaac Murgi, Kristen Scranton, Allyson Horner, (fourth row) Landon Shine, Katie Glasser, Abigail Vogelsang and Connor Benyo. Read more

The Greater Latrobe-Laurel Valley Chamber of Commerce has been requesting donations for the Blackburn Center, so children and families from Latrobe Kinder-Schull preschool classes collected donations and the students recently bundled up and delivered their donations to the Chamber. The donations were then transported to the Blackburn Center in Greensburg. Read more

Sixth-grade chorus students from Derry Area Middle School were selected to participate in the WCMEA Sixth-Grade County Chorus Festival on Feb. 28, including Zoe Frayvolt, Brennan Borbonus, Davin Barger, John Kerin, Hermione Lehosky, Kenzington Jones and Liberty Kuhns. The festival took place at Yough Intermediate School, and the guest conductor was Shawn Funk. Read more

During Future Farmers of America (FFA) Week at Derry Area High School, the FFA sponsored many activities including a visit from representatives of Gallikers Company, who spoke to the FFA and accounting students at the school. Taking part were Gallikers Company representatives Matt Lohr, Jim Fleck and Adriann Pocesta; (back row) vocational agriculture teachers Carly-Jean Rippole and Roy Campbell; accounting teacher Debbie Bushey, and high school principal Casey Long. Read more

Greater Latrobe Senior High School recently honored 10 students at the February Breakfast of Champions, including: John Aaron (who was honored by physical education teacher Jordan Zeunges), Cecilia Long (music teacher Cynthia Baltzer), Bionca Diggs (social studies teacher Kara Olecki-Leeper), Lindsay Hollick (family and consumer science teacher Courtney Coss), Hannah Thomas (language arts teacher Scott Marker), (back row) Daniel Miller (language arts teacher Tom Rohrbaugh), Jack Beddick (math teacher Melyssa Vinsick), Jolene Mazur (social studies teacher Dave Cook), Richard Gaia (science teacher Jackie Hoopes) and Lauren Jones (math teacher Heather Doyle). Read more

Derry Area Middle School (DAMS) recently announced its STAR Students of the Quarter, including: Talon Turnage, grade 6, who was recognized for Life Skills; (second row) Sawyer Newhouse, grade 6, Science; Katelyn Dunlap, grade 8, Math; Alexa Kahl, grade 7, Language Arts; Regan Repak, grade 7, Art; Preston Kantoris, grade 6, World Regions; (back row) Vincent Mastrorocco, grade 8, Chorus; Kendall Cymmerman, grade 8, Physical Education, and Davin Barger, grade 6, Chorus. Read more

Eastern Westmoreland Career and Technology Center (EWCTC) February Student of the Month Isabelle Kaecher accepts her certificate from Kevin Mack, chairperson of the EWCTC Joint Operating Committee (JOC). Kaecher is a Machine Tool Technology senior from Greater Latrobe Senior High School. Her instructor, Ken Pedder, said, “Isabelle is the total package. She’s got high mechanical aptitude, high math skills and a drive to succeed.” Her passion for machining led her to earn OSHA 10, Kennametal and four NIMS certifications. She won the precision machining competition for SkillsUSA districts in January and will compete at states in April. She is the 2020 class president, secretary of SkillsUSA and a member of the National Technical Honor Society. Last year, she participated in BotsIQ. She is also a major advocate for EWCTC. She acted as a teacher’s assistant for EWCTC’s Young Engineers Camp for three years and currently serves as a student ambassador. She is also a member of the Nati… Read more

Latrobe Kinder-Schull’s had the honor of State Rep. Joe Petrarca (back row, center) recently visited Latrobe Kinder-Schull’s Pre-K Counts 3 classroom, where he read the book “Not a Box” to the students, including Adonis Frempong-Manso, Gracie Grimm, Hunter Pavlik, Cree Carroll, Liam Stewart, (second row) Kodah Palmer, Bentley Grimm, Faithlynn Bluey, Luke Neighly, Morgyn Rizer, Emily Smith, (back row) Kysis Nicely, Anna Lauer, Maddie Hill and Anthony Smith. The students got the chance to talk about what they would do if they were a representative, and Petrarca also toured the school and spoke with the students. Read more

The 28th Infantry Division Band of the Pennsylvania Army National Guard recently worked with Greater Latrobe Senior High School students during their band classes. Students had the opportunity to perform alongside the band members as well as listen to selections performed by the band’s small ceremonial band and brass quintet. The 28th Infantry Division Band was founded in 1941 and lends musical support to soldiers, families and communities across Pennsylvania. Read more

Derry Area School High School student Christian Burdick was a finalist in the recent Pittsburgh Public Theater Shakespeare Monologue and Scene Contest. Honorable Mentions also were given to Derry Area School District students Kelsey Geary, Ben Fetter, Matthew Harskowitch, Nate Cox and Aspen Blystone. More than 1,000 area students from 110 schools competed in the preliminary rounds of the 26th annual contest. Over 10 days, contestants performed monologues and/or scenes they had chosen from the works of William Shakespeare. The Showcase of Finalists was held on Feb. 17. Grades 8-12 competed in the Upper Division and grades 4-7 competed in the Lower Division. Read more

Seventeen Derry Area School District students from grades 2, 3, 4, 6 and 7 participated in an Atlantic No. 40 One Room School Event on Feb. 12. Taking part were Jordan Lazek, Aloni VanAmburgh, McKenzie Rester, Kenzie Simmons, Brice Simon, (second row) Hailey Labsky, Travis Riley, Cassandra Curtis, Angelina Franco, Angela Panichelle, Colton Smail, Jacob Hauser, Timothy Miller, Tye Rause, ElleighAnn Schall, (third row) teacher Kristen Spehar-Harteis, Derry Area High School (DAHS) Future Educators of America members Anna Oshie and Aiden Yates, teacher Nadine Myers, and DAHS Future Educators of America members Cydney Wierzbowski and Eli Wigand. The students celebrated Abraham Lincoln’s birthday, learned to write with a quill and ink, practiced arithmetic, learned the history of the One Room School, celebrated Valentine’s Day with poems and activities, and created a ball-and-cup game. Read more

Getting ready for Derry Area High School’s upcoming production of “Les Misérables School Edition” are Alex Tomack (who will play Jean Valjean), Tim Miller (Gavroche), Aidan Yates (Sailor, ABC Society), (second row) Anna Oshie (Cosette), Christian Burdick (Javert) and (third row) Andrew Downs (Thenardier). It is an adaptation of the Tony Award-winning musical phenomenon. The students will present the musical at 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday, March 6-7, and 2 p.m. Sunday, March 8, in the Derry Area Middle School (DAMS) auditorium. Tickets are still available for all performances by visiting the box office in the rear lobby of DAMS or by calling 724-309-5178. The box office is open Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays from 3 to 6 p.m. “{span}Les Misérables School Edition”{/span} is a version of the classic musical by Alain Boubil and Claude-Michel Schoneberg, based on the novel by Victor Hugo. The students are playing their part in an epic piece of musical theatre history while o… Read more

Greater Latrobe School District students recently attended the Westmoreland County Gifted Coalition (WCGC) Piano and Strings competition on Feb. 13 at Trafford Middle School, where Mattea McIntyre won first place for her original song on the ukulele; Lydia Kurek placed first in the Middle School Level 1 piano group; Austin An placed first in the Middle School Level 2 piano group, and David An placed first in the High School Level piano group. Read more

Six Greater Latrobe Senior High School musicians recently participated in the Pennsylvania Music Educators Association (PMEA) District 1 Band East Festival, including Christopher Cox, Noah Schaefer, Tyler Simonovitch, Sarah Dill, Sarah Glasser and Madilyn Perleberg. This year’s festival was held at Deer Lakes High School and the guest conductor was Dr. Matthew Inkster, professor of music and director of instrument studies at York College of Pennsylvania. Cox and Dill, based on their auditions, will be participating in the Region 1 State Band Festival to be held at Bethel Park High School in March. Read more

Ben Fearer, a student in Patrick Robert’s seventh-grade science class at Greater Latrobe Junior High School, works on a bubble lab in order to demonstrate the properties of water. The class learned about cohesion (water sticks to water), adhesion (water sticks to other things) and surface tension (strength in water based on cohesive properties.) Read more