EduBlog: 2013

Two Loyalsock Employees Receive Woodson Award

June 26, 2013

Ms. Kim Massetti

Mr. Bill Holmes

The Pennsylvania Association of School Retirees annually recognizes faculty and school support staff for their work and dedication to the organization (school) in which they work. The Dr. Lauretta Woodson Award is given to deserving individuals who are nominated by their peers. The purpose of the Lauretta Woodson Recognition Program is to honor one educator and one support professional for doing an outstanding job within a district or school. Chapters select the award recipients and then present them with a medallion, certificate, and PASR pin. At Loyalsock's last school board meeting, two Loyalsock employees were recognized after being chosen as this year's Woodson award recipients. Mrs. Margaret Piper, Chapter president and former Loyalsock school board president and teacher, presented awards to Mr. Bill Holmes and Ms. Kimela Massetti for their efforts with the district for the past 25 years. We are very proud to recognize Mr. Holmes and Ms. Massetti for all they do to make Loyalsock the great place that it is for our students and community alike. Congratulations to these two fine individuals and their families on this much deserved recognition!

LTHS Commencement 2013

June 25, 2013

Like previous years, this year's commencement for the Class of 2013 was pretty spectacular. While
the Class thinks they have the worst luck in the world with regard to rain (having the need to have the ceremony inside this year), from multiple accounts we understand that many enjoyed commencement inside! Thanks to our amazing maintenance and custodial staff, the evening went off pretty much without a hitch. Special thanks are also extended to our helpful music/AV folks who assisted with getting the live feed of the ceremony live on the Internet. If you choose to view the entire commencement exercise again, or simply scroll through to the part you desire, you can see the re-broadcast of commencement here. Congratulations to the Class of 2013!

Aaron Dabback - Loyalsock's June Student of the Month

Aaron Dabback, son of John and Ann Dabback, was Loyalsock's June student of the month. Nominated by the Technology Education department, he has been a consistent member of the honor and high honor roll. He especially enjoys courses in Multimedia, Woodshop, and English. Aaron has been involved in wrestling and track and field, and was also the team captain for the track team. His post-secondary plans are to attend the United State Marine Corps - Infantry. One of Aaron's community service experiences included assisting the disaster in Staten Island, NY when he participated in a Hurricane Sandy relief trip to Staten Island over Thanksgiving. In Aaron's free time, he enjoys working out, running, and spending quality time with his family and friends. Congrats to Aaron and his family on this recognition!

Taylor Daskivich - May Student of Month

Taylor Daskivich, daughter of Mark and Shelly Daskivich, was Loyalsock's May student of theschool. Nominated by the Physical Education/Health department, Taylor is a member of the National Honor Society, a consistent member of the high honor roll, and actively involved throughout high school. Her favorite subjects include math, science, and physical education. Taylor has performed well at the district and state level in varsity golf, basketball, and track and field. In addition, she is a Cross-Age teacher and a flute player in the concert band. Taylor's post-secondary plans are to attend West Chester University, pursuing her BSN in Nursing. She will also be playing on West Chester's women's golf team! Taylor has also been dedicated to serving others in the school and community. She has been a VolunTEEN at Susquehanna Health and participates actively in her youth group at St. Ann's Catholic Church. When she has time, Taylor enjoys running and working out and especially enjoys spending time with her family and friends. Congratulations to Taylor and her family on this much deserved recognition!

Jessica Kautz - April Student of the Month

June 18, 2013

Jessica Kautz, daughter of John and Michele Kautz, was recognized by LTHS's Business department as our April Student of the Month. Jessica has been a consistent member of the honor roll throughout high school, and her favorite subjects are the science and accounting. Jessica has been involved in multiple extra-curricular activities including Eco-Act, cheerleading (captain), SADD, and Key Club. After graduation Jessica's post-secondary plans are to attend the Pennsylvania College of Technology in the Physician Assistant program. Jessica enjoys teaching dance at the LKW Dance Center and working with the American Red Cross's various blood drives. A life-long dancer, Jessica performs with the LKW Competitive Dance Team. Congratulations to Jessica for being recognized as Loyalsock's April student of the month!

Student Recognition Breakfast

May 13, 2013

Each year for the past 35 years, LTHS holds its annual student breakfast where each faculty and staff members invite two students each to recognize their unique, special, and genuine efforts that make teaching a pleasure in our classrooms. Begun by former principal Alfred Knecht, the breakfast celebrates students who simply make a difference in our lives as we work with them each day in a school year. We break bread together with a wonderful buffet prepared by our phenomenal cafeteria staff, and then we sit back and enjoy a unique message and entertainment to round out the morning prior to beginning yet another school day. Special thanks to senior Dylan Rockoff and sophomore Gianna Rockoff for providing the excellent entertainment this year - what a treat in and of itself!

Prom! Sweet Serendipity

Kevin Bloom

Sam Pagana

Our prom was amazing this year. Set to the theme of "Sweet Serendipity," approximately 250 students dressed in their best and made their way to the well-decorated Holiday Inn Downtown. Congrats to Miss Leid and Ms. Carner on coordinating such a wonderful prom, and congrats to seniors Samantha Pagana and Kevin Bloom for being recognized as our prom queen and king, respectively!

LTHS Youth Leadership Lycoming Wins County Challenge!

May 12, 2013

Congratulations to Ryan Loeh, Jared Kriner, and Abby Yates, who represented Loyalsock this year in the Youth Leadership Lycoming program hosted by Penn College. Last week, the team of Ryan, Jared, and Abby won the Social Change Project, beating nine other schools! Their project involved a mentorship and anti-drug program for 7th and 8th grade students. In winning, they were issued funds necessary to fund the program all of next school year. Congrats to each of them on an excellent effort for a worthy cause!

National Honor Society Induction

In late April, the 2012-13 National Honor Society conducted its second induction ceremony. Congratulations to the following students and their families on this richly earned recognition: Mikayla Born, Allison Czap, Nicole Dougherty, Chad Fellon, Anna Hoffman, Emily Hoffman, Ryan Loeh, Alexa Martin, Leah Nason, Robert Newton, Mark Odorizzi, Alexandria Pagana, Laura Pineda-Bermudez, Margarita Shkurko, Abigail Yates.

Cinco de Mayo Festival

May 10, 2013

'Sock's Spanish Club held its first annual Cinco de Mayo celebration last week on the front lawn of the HS. Games, food, music, zumba, face painting, a Flamenco guitar player, and piñatas breaking were all available for community folks and students to experience. Special thanks to Miss Leid and her officers for putting on this fun and engaging celebration for all - and the weather was great!

COW CLub Makes Improvements to Courtyard

Last week, member of our COW (Cultures of the World) Club solicited donations and completed a large overhaul of our center court yard as a community service project. Special thanks to Mrs. Sheila Riggs, advisor, and senior Marina Seely, for coordinating this outstanding effort to make our court yard look even better! Thanks folks!

AP World & AP Art Take Trip to Big Apple

Recently, Miss Beck (AP World History teacher) and Mr. Kaplan (AP Art History teacher) took a bus load of students to the MET (Metropolitan Museum of Art) in New York City as well as a trip to the Corning Museum of Glass. Working together on a collaborative unit and project, our students were exposed to elements in both classes not able to be experienced usually in a classroom. Moreover, they used an App, Edmodo, to document and communicate about their experience as they did it. Great stuff folks!

Mr. Barrett Retiring

May 8, 2013

Mr. Robert Barrett, instrumental music teacher, recently decided to retire from Loyalsock after more than 25 years of educating Loyalsock students. During his tenure, Mr. Barrett has played a significant role in developing many young students who have aspired to music. many students have gone on to focus on music as a field of study and eventual career. From his concert bands, jazz bands, and marching bands, Mr. Barrett has devoted limitless years of time well beyond the school day to provide many wholesome, enriching experiences for kids who simply enjoy music. Mr. Barrett was recently recognized for his many years by our school board, as was the team of music educators, who for a third year in a row, were recognized by the NAMM foundation as one of the most outstanding music communities in America. Congratulations and THANK YOU to Mr. Barrett for his many years of service and dedication to the right brain of so many Loyalsock kids!

Cross Age Teaching

Each year, the Cross Age teachers from the high school work with sixth grade students in our middle school and teach them about them in a peer setting about the dangers of drugs and alcohol as well as other dangerous decision making. These students do a remarkable job as they interact with young adults; they have them occupied each time in their discussions, culminating in an end of the year picnic and field day with all involved. Special thanks is extended to Mrs. Diane Stanzione, one of our school counselors, for having advised this special initiative for over 25 years in our school district.

Senior Nate Flexer Up for Lyco CTC Award

Senior Nate Flexer recently interviewed for Lyco CTC's student of the year after being nominated by faculty at Lyco. Nate has been at Lyco for three years in their culinary arts program. He learns later this week of how he fared during Lyco's annual all school awards ceremony. Great job Nate!

Mr. Kaplan Accepted to Japan Society!

Recently, Mr. Gerry Kaplan, HS Art, learned that he was accepted into the Japan Society, earning him a place to study with 7 other educators from the U.S. to study about Japanese culture. Congrats Mr. Kaplan! You can read more about this international opportunity here.

Faculty Team Wins Lycoming County Fitness Challenge!

Loyalsock was well represented among the teams vying for the Lycoming County Fitness Challenge. It turns out that the 1^st place winners ("Mission Fitpossible") were members of our high school faculty! The team of Heather Pipech, Linda LaCoe, Vida Saylor and Mark Peterman each earned a 1-year Gym membership to the gym of choice - up to $500! Way to go team!

Envirothon Team Headed to States!

The LTHS Envirothon team of Alex Haefner, Leah Nason, Laura Pineda Bermudez, Missy Covert, and Jared Kriner placed first in a recent regional competition. Each earned a $500 scholarship! They are now on the State Envirothon competition at Juniata College on May 21-22.

Boys' Basketball and Coach Insinger Reach Milestone

March 24, 2013

In nearly 18 years, no other Lancer boys' basketball team reached as far into the PIAA playoffs as this year's team, lead by C.I. and senior center Roger Wilson. For C.I., it meant going for win number 802, which would rank him as the top winningest coach among all coaches in Pennsylvania history among boys and girls teams. While this season got him to 801, he still would have likely sacrificed any number of victories as long as his team this year kept winning. After defeating a Wellsboro in the District 4 championship game, the Lancers headed into states and nearly got themselves to a second state title game (since 1993). However, an overtime loss to perennial power Trinity ended the Lancers' awesome season and C.I.'s quest for 802. Despite losing center Roger Wilson who had an amazing year, the young Lancers will undoubtedly give Coach Insinger and his staff a sure win and reach the milestone of 802 early next year. Here is a video that chronicles the Lancer's and C.I.'s post-season quest in the PIAA playoffs. Congrats C.I. and young men on a remarkable season!

Loyalsock's Outstanding Student and Educator Recognized

The Rockoff Family with Dylan

Mr. Robert Barrett

The Williamsport/Lycoming Chamber of Commerce's 12th annual Education Celebration was recently held at the Holiday Inn downtown. Each year each school district nominates an outstanding student and educator, with the outstanding student interviewing and vying for the county's top award recipient. The dinner and ceremony was again a great evening, as Loyalsock's outstanding student, Dylan Rockoff, joined by his family, attended the dinner among all the other county high school students. Mr. Robert Barrett, high school instrumental music teacher, was Loyalsock's outstanding educator. We salute and congratulate Dylan Rockoff and Mr. Robert Barrett on their respective honors at this amazing event held each year!

LTHS's CTC Program Receives Accolades

March 23, 2013

Loyalsock Township High School's Career and Technical School, Lyco CTC, recently received some exciting student performance data from the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE). Of the ninety-seven (97) schools in Pennsylvania that are classified as Career and Technology Centers or Comprehensive High Schools, PDE collects data on many indicators but the focus is primarily on three key areas – PSSA Reading, PSSA Math and NOCTI (occupation competency evaluation) success. State-wide, performance levels of Pennsylvania’s Career and Technology students in these key indicators have been improving, but the students of LycoCTC have outpaced even the impressive statewide gains of our peers. Performance data includes

LycoCTC students ranked 15^th out of 97 schools in PSSA Reading scores.
LycoCTC students ranked 5^th out of 97 in PSSA Math scores.
LycoCTC students ranked 4^th out of 97 in NOCTI performance.

Only one technical school in the state, State College Area High School, out-performed the Lycoming Career and Technology Center in all three key areas. These results are indicative of the amazing experiences Loyalsock students are receiving through our association with Lyco CTC. We look forward to more students finding this program as worthy and definitely able to send our students out into the world college and career ready with strong academic and technical skills. We are proud of Lyco CTC's efforts and congratulate them and our own Loyalsock students for being a vital part of these amazing results!

Congrats Nate Flexer - Lyco CTC Student of the Month

March 22, 2013

Special congratulations to Nate Flexer and his parents for being recognized by Loyalsock's career and technical school, Lyco CTC, as the Culinary program's February Student of the Month! Nate is well known around our school for putting together some great spreads - case in point, all the finger food served this past spring at our 2012 Junior-Senior Prom! Congrats Nate!

Wrestling Coach Ben Hepburn Inducted to Hall of Fame

Coach Ben Hepburn has been Loyalsock's wrestling coach for more than two decades. In late February he was inducted into the District IV Wrestling Coaches Hall of Fame. A 1979 graduate of Loyalsock Township High School and a 1983 graduate of Penn State University, Ben earned his teaching certification in Agriculture Sciences. He began wrestling when he was in 8th grade and was a three-time wrestling sectional champion, a two-time northeast regional champion, and a two-time PIAA state tournament qualifier in high school. Coach Hepburn wrestled at Penn State from 1979-1983. During his senior year, he was a Heavyweight and beat a total of 5 state champions to earn a spot on the team, and Penn State finished that year ranked 7th in the NCAA's. He began coaching at Loyalsock in 1984 under Dave Kanaskie and later became head coach for the Lancers in 1985. In 28 years, he has accrued 276 wins and has coached 21 District 4 Champions, 19 Northeast regional champs, 38 PIAA state qualifiers, 29 PIAA State place winners, and 8 PIAA State champions. His teams have placed in the top 5 in States four times and in 2004 won the PIAA AA State Championship. Coach Hepburn has been a PIAA wrestling official for 29 years, and he has been employed by the Montoursville Area School District as a teacher for 29 years. We honor and congratulate Coach Hepburn on this amazing accomplishment!

LTSD Music Program Again a NAMM Award Winner

For the third year in a row, Loyalsock's music program has been recognized by the NAMM foundation as a Best Communities for Music Education in 2012. You can read more about the nomination and the program by visiting their page here: http://www.nammfoundation.org/press-room/namm-foundation-176-programs-earn-distinction-best-community-music-education. Earlier in March, the instrumental music program produced its annual all-district concert at the Community Arts Center in downtown Williamsport. All groups in grades 4-12 performed individually, culminating in a massed band performance at the conclusion with several pieces from the Beatles. Congrats to our music department and our students in making music special for so many at Loyalsock!

Congrats Samantha Duck - LTHS March Student of the Month

Senior Samantha Duck has been nominated by LTHS's Art department as Loyalsock's student of the month for March! The daughter of Mike and Cindy Duck, Samantha has consistently been on the honor roll and high honor roll throughout high school. She excels in several disciplines, but her favorite subject is Art. Specifically, she enjoys ceramics and glass, drawing and painting, advanced mix studio art, and textiles. Although she is currently undecided as to her post-secondary career options, she will undoubtedly pursue a future in visual arts. When she is not focused on her academics, Samantha enjoys hunting, fishing, four-wheeling, snowmobiling, and walking. Congrats to Samantha and her parents for being recognized as our March student of the month!

Emily Niditch - February Student of the Month

March 21, 2013

Emily Niditch, daughter of Dr. Scott and Stacy Niditch, is the February Student of the Month, nominated by LTHS's social studies department. Currently, Emily is #1 in her graduating class, and she is highly active in her school and community and has been recognized at a variety of levels for her work and dedication to others. In 2012, she was one of 19 Loyalsock students recognized by the College Board as an AP Scholar. She is a member of the National Honor Society, and was the Hugh O’ Brian Youth Leadership Representative for Loyalsock in 2011. In addition, Emily was nominated for and received the President’s Volunteer Service Award Bronze Level for Community Service, and she was the recipient of the Johns Hopkin’s Center For Talented Youth since 2005. Emily has been on the high honor roll for the past four years, and her favorite subjects are math and the social sciences. Emily plans on attending a four year university majoring in Economics, and will choose from the schools to which she has applied, including, Harvard, Princeton, Stanford, and Brown, among more. Another strength of Emily's resides with the amount of community service she has undertaken over the past several years. Emily received a Gold Award for Girl Scouts that involved creating a health and fitness program using modern technology, like the Wii, at the Hillside Assisted Living Center. She also received a Silver Award by doing a door to door Breast Cancer Awareness program and fundraiser for Kathryn Candor Lundy Breast Health Center. Emily has also coordinated relief projects for Unicef, Christmas Baskets at the Salvation Army, and a school-wide Red Cross blood drive as President of Key Club. Emily is an avid tennis player, and was just recently one of pair of players for Loyalsock who won the District IV doubles championship. We wish Emily well in her plans for the future and congratulate her and her family on this well deserved recognition!

Congrats Cameron Hornberger - Headed to PMEA State Band!

March 8, 2013

Sophomore Cameron Hornberger placed 2nd at PMEA Regional Band festival this week, earning him the right to participate in PMEA State Band to be held in Erie. Since State Band only takes one Euphonium player per region around the state, this is a significant accomplishment! In total, LTHS now has a total to six students who have made to the PMEA state level this year! Congrats to Cameron and his folks on a fantastic accomplishment!

Boys' Basketball Wins District 4 AA Championship

This past Saturday our boy' basketball team earned another District 4 class AA title, bringing Coach Ron Insinger's total win tally to 799. This was the 17th district title for the boys' program, and the 8th title in the last 11 years. The Lancers now enter PIAA state playoffs against a strong Mid Valley (Scranton area) team on Saturday at Williamsport. A win would become another milestone for our school, our team, and specifically Coach Insinger for eclipsing the 800 win mark. The state record is 802. We wish our team well as they advance as deep as possible into states!

Upcoming Dates and Initiatives

February 25, 2013

March - April, 2013 - HS student course scheduling process has already begun. 57 ninth grade students have toured Lyco CTC to determine a potential program to schedule. Dr. Reitz, Mr. Greevy, and school counselors have begun meeting with eighth graders in the MS to begin preparations for HS course scheduling. To date, Mrs. Stanzione and Mrs. McCarty have met with families of juniors to discuss post-secondary plans and course programming for their senior year. Over 50% of the junior class has met with either school counselor during day and evening meetings.

Junior Leah Nason Head to State Orchestra Again!

Similar to last year, Leah Nason continues her quest toward another PMEA experience at State Orchestra to be held later this spring in Erie, PA. Leah placed well enough recently at regional orchestra that she has earned one of the top placements on violin. Congrats to Leah and her parents on her efforts and exquisite talent!

Faculty Spotlight - Congrats Mrs. LaCoe!

Another one of our faculty members has received some huge recognition! Congratulations to Mrs. Linda LaCoe for recently being recognized with an award at the State and international level for her efforts with technology. At the annual PETE & C conference in Hershey, Mrs. LaCoe was recognized with the Making IT Happen Award, as part of ISTE, the International Society for Technology In Education. Mrs. LaCoe will travel to San Antonio, Texas over the summer to participate in an international event which brings some of the best and brightest minds together at one place to discuss and share the influence and power of technology in our schools, K-College. For a small district like Loyalsock, this is an enormous contribution by one of our teachers and a large recognition for her and our school district. We couldn't be more proud of Mrs. LaCoe, and we are very interested in following her story as she contributes more to this awesome initiative and attainment of her pink jacket later this year. You can read much more about ISTE and Mrs. LaCoe's award by checking out the site devoted to their efforts. Congratulations Mrs. LaCoe!

Congrats Senior Emily Niditch

In early February, senior Emily Niditch learned of some outstanding news in which she qualified for the President's Volunteer Service Award, sponsored by Prudential Spirit of the Community Awards! Based on her multitude of volunteer service hours in our community, Emily was awarded a certificate of recognition for her service and an official seal and signature on behalf of President Barack Obama. We are so proud of our students' volunteer service efforts and, in particular, Emily's. Congratulations to Emily and her parents on this amazing accomplishment! Truly, there is no better gift than giving back to others!

OM Teams Getting Ready!

Loyalsock OM teams are gearing up for another competitive run this spring. Our team were recently featured in a recent Sun Gazette article. Best of luck to all of our teams and adults who are spending so much time on their solutions!

Winter Athletics Update

Although our girls' basketball and wrestling teams have unfortunately ended their seasons, both teams had very successful seasons in terms of individual and team growth. Coach Hepburn and his staff grew their numbers this year and were very competitive. The top three wrestlers in the west central sectional advanced to Districts at Williamsport H.S., held two weekends ago. Congratulations to the following young men on that performance: (113) Adam Malek was runner-up; (132) Mario Henriquez placed 3rd; (138) Tyler Eubanks was runner-up; (145) Giacomo DiNicola placed 3rd; and (172) Aaron Hepburn placed 3rd. These young men moved on from districts to regionals the following weekend also held at Williamsport H.S. Although each fought tough matches, our five wrestlers did not place quite high enough to advance to States. Congrats to Coach Hepburn and his team on another solid season.

Coach Demarr Wright and our Lady Lancer Basketball team also had a good season in terms of team growth and unity. After losing several senior last year, the team had to come together and define itself. Despite a losing record and not making district playoffs, these ladies played several close contests down to the wire. Despite some season-ending injuries, the team was able to finish out its season with key wins. Congratulations to Coach Wright and his team on a successful rebuilding season. We look forward to continued growth of both our wrestling and girls basketball teams.

Our boys' basketball team is currently vying for another district championship. After winning the inaugural PHAC championship over Lewisburg, they have made their way through District 4 competition thus far and now will face Lewisburg this week. The winner will likely meet Wellsboro in the District 4 final this coming Saturday at a site to be determined.

Another fantastic milestone also awaits Coach Ron Insinger. His win tally for most wins among active Pennsylvania coaches is fast approaching 800, with the record being 802. He currently stands at 798. A win on Wednesday would be 799 and a win on Saturday would be 800. We wish C.I. the best of luck as he approaches this enormous milestone. Whether he earns it this year or early next year, we are sure his focus is on his game plan and his players moreso than any record.

Justice Ross - Loyalsock's January Student of the Month

February 4, 2013

Justice Ross, daughter of Teresa and Gerald Ross, has been recognized by Loyalsock Township High School's World Language department as our January Student of the Month. Justice has been a consistent member of the honor roll during her tenure at Loyalsock, and her favorite subject is Spanish. Justice has been very active in cheerleading throughout high school has participated in dance for 14 years. She enjoys singing and participating in ACTUP performances at the Community Arts Center. Justice has plans to attend Indiana University of Pennsylvania and major in Psychology. Congratulations to Justice and her family on this much deserved recognition!

Rameez Zaman - December Student of the Month

Rameez Zaman, son of Muhammad and Zareen Zaman, has been recognized by Loyalsock's science department as our December, 2012 Student of the Month. Rameez is a member of the National Honor Society and NHS treasurer as well as a consistent member of the high honor roll. His favorite subjects are Science and Math. During the summer, 2011, Rameez attended the University of Pittsburgh Health Career Scholars Academy (UPHCSA), sponsored by the Lancer Foundation, and he participated in Pennsylvania Free Enterprise Week (PFEW) and the Hugh O'Brien Youth Leadership (HOBY) program. In addition, Rameez is a member of S.A.D.D., a Representative of the Class of 2013, and a member of the Lancer Round Table (Student Honor Code committee). Rameez plan on attending a four-year university to study medicine and then medical school to become a pediatrician. Rameez also participates in various service projects through NHS; he tutors students in AP Biology and Chemistry; and, he is the student Relay for Life Team Captain. When he actually has free time, Rameez enjoys playing and watching basketball, photography, and travelling. Congratulations to Rameez and his family as being recognized as Loyalsock's December Student of the Month!

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