Mrs. Kindra Brelsford - Finalist for 2012 Pennsylvania Teacher of the Year

We were absolutely delighted to hear that Mrs. Kindra Brelsford, a Biology and AP Biology teacher, has officially been selected as one of twelve finalists for the 2012 PA State Teacher of the Year.  After a rigorous application and essay process, Mrs. Brelsford joins the ranks of other notable teachers from across the Commonwealth.  You can read more about this special opportunity by reading a recent Sun-Gazette article highlighting Mrs. Brelsford's accomplishments.  From this point forward, Mrs. Brelsford must prepare and submit for review a video showing a classroom-teaching episode.  The video will provide the selection committee with an opportunity to become more familiar with her as a teacher as well as how well she can communicate verbally.
The Teacher of the Year Selection Committee will meet in July 2011 to review and score the videos. Scores from both the video evaluation and the application packets will be combined to form a composite score. The names of the top scoring finalists and recommendations for final selection will be submitted to Department of Education.  The Department of Education has reserved the right to make on-site classroom and school visitations to verify, gain, or clarify additional information regarding finalists.

The Pennsylvania Department of Education will announce the 2012 Pennsylvania Teacher of the Year in a special awards ceremony in late fall or early winter 2011. All finalists, including Mrs. Brelsford, will be invited to this prestigious recognition ceremony and will be honored for their dedication and commitment to providing Pennsylvania’s young people with the highest quality education.

Congratulations to Mrs. Brelsford on this outstanding recognition!  We look forward to sharing more on Mrs. Brelsford's accomplishment in the future.

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High School OM Teams Do Well at States!

Both of our high school OM teams did very well in stiff competition on Saturday and the Pennsylvania state tournament held at Williamsport Area High School.  Not only did our students do well in front of a live audience, a couple of our students also had a chance to be interviewed on WNEP-TV 16.  Congrats to all of our OMers on a fantastic showing!

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World War II Vets Continue to Intrigue Us!

Residing within our community are many veterans who have valiantly served our country in every war as far back as WW II.  Recently, Mr. Donald Koons, a Loyalsock resident and WWI veteran with the Eighth U.S. Air Force, set up a display in the high school lobby chronicling his experiences during WW II.  Stationed out of England, Mr. Koons and crew flew 35 bombing missions over Germany, Africa, and other parts of Europe before returning home.  Mr. Koons is still very active in the community along with his wife, Roberta.  If you have a moment when visiting the high school, we encourage you to view the display.  We are proud of our heritage of people serving our country and really appreciate Mr. Koon's ability to share his memorabilia with us!

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Drugs Also Have Effects on Daphnia

As part of a very cool experiment in Mrs. Brelsford's Biology and AP Biology Courses, students analyzed the effects of alcohol on tiny pond organisms called Daphnia.  Because of their transparency, especially under high-powered microscopes, students placed a small drop of alcohol on Daphnia and then observed the effects on their systems.  Students then compared and contrasted the effects on human beings through this very interesting lab experience.  Neat stuff!

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Spring Open House a Success

March 22 marked the date of our second Open House at LTHS.  While not as heavily attended as our fall Open House, many events were held along with parents having the chance to meet with teachers.  Special thanks to Mrs. Stanzione and Mrs. McCarty for offering various career and college planning orientations in the library, and special thanks to members of our Key Club and Yearbook Media Journalism classes for being student hosts and guides for the evening!

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Mrs. Mattie's Intro to Business Class Gets Some Visitors

Students in Mrs. Mattie's Introduction to Business class have been working hard for about 4 months, writing business plans for a chosen business. In the class, there were a variety of business ideas, from lawn care services to bakeries. Through this process the students learned how important it was to write a business plan, and how difficult it was as well! At the end of this project, in order to showcase everything the students have been working on, and to create an authentic learning experience for them as well, the class hosted several business men and women from our community. During this time, the students received one-on-one interaction with real entrepreneurs and persons involved with business in a real and exciting way. They got to hear about real experiences, get instruction regarding their specific business plans, and receive some personal advice. The class guests included: Ronald Frick, from M&T Bank; Rosann Pelleschi, from the United Way; Steve, Karen, and Brad Mattie, from Transport Designs; Tom Garber, from Auntie Anne’s Pretzels and I-TEC; and Dave Percy, from Brewed Awakenings. Overall, the students had a great time explaining their project, and they enjoyed hearing the ideas and advice from our guests. It was an overall great experience for the students and one we can hopefully do again in the future!

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