Know Your SchoolsImportant Information for the Residents of Lower Dauphin School District

Lower Dauphin School District Fall/Winter 2009-10

Inside This IssueLook for Lower Dauphin on the Web http://www.ldsd.org

LDFF plans Blue & White galapage 3

Golden Jubilee underwaypage 7

District welcomes new staffpage 4-6

Scenes from Commencementpage 11

Community involvement leads to student successAt the start of every school year, we

renew our promise to provide the best opportunities for all of the students entrusted in our care so that they can meet with success. While the definition of success is as varied as each of our 4,000 individual students, it is our district’s mission to provide each student with the chance to achieve it. One way to ensure student success is by having our faculty and staff continue their own educations to learn new skills and techniques to enhance student learning. This past summer, our staff members attended 578,906 hours of professional development activities at the more than 50 workshops offered by the school district. And that figure doesn’t take into account professional development at other locations or graduate courses taken by our staff! Part of that staff development time focused on the district’s new elementary reading series (see related story on page 2) and making sure that all of our staff was

prepared to hit the ground running this fall with this exciting new classroom resource. The district has continued its study of enrollment and building needs and will be proceeding with two construction projects in the coming school year. Of course, this means that administrators, school board members and others have been very involved in planning this work to ensure that our students continue to enjoy first-class facilities. This year will also mark the beginning of the Golden Jubilee celebration at Lower Dauphin High School. Festivities kicked-off at Homecoming this past October and will culminate next year with Homecoming 2010. This is an exciting time to be a part of the Lower Dauphin Falcon family! Lower Dauphin is a special place

because of your support of our schools and their mission. Please consider attending some school events this year – even if you don’t have students in our schools. If you already attend sporting events, consider attending a concert. If you support our arts program, be sure to check out an academic fair. Education in Lower Dauphin is a community

effort and that’s what makes this such a special place to live, work and raise a family. Please accept my thanks on behalf of our students, staff and faculty.

Sherri L. Smith, Ed.D.Superintendent

Middle School project to upgrade facilities breaks ground

Earth-moving equipment prepares the site.

Work is now underway to upgrade the facilities at our middle school

campus. At its September 14 meeting, the Lower Dauphin Board of School Directors accepted bids to begin work on upgrades which were estimated to cost $2.8 million. The project will be paid for with district reserve funds and will not increase taxes. In addition, some of the costs of the project will be off-set by donations from community organizations. The Lower Dauphin Soccer Association has pledged $150,000 over 10 years to help pay for the work. The Fuzzy Few Organization

in Hummelstown and the Lower Dauphin Lacrosse Club have each pledged to contribute another $1,500 yearly for the next 10 years. The impetus behind the work is the creation of a second access driveway into the campus which will exit onto East Main Street in the area of the Soda Jerk plaza. The need for this second driveway was identified by local emergency management officials during school safety meetings last year.

Dr. Sherri Smith

“Our emergency responders felt very strongly that our middle school campus

(Continued on page 2)

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Elementary students enjoying new reading program

Project: Construction at middle school site to be completed in spring 2010

First-graders at Londonderry Elementary enjoy the new reading series ‘Reading Street’.

for creating new athletic field spaces.The board approved covering both of these two new multi-sport fields with synthetic turf. One of the new fields will be used as a game field with a 700-seat grandstand, press box, sound system, scoreboard and lights. The other field will be used as a practice field with lights and limited seating on portable bleachers.

(Continued from page 1)needed a second driveway,” Superintendent Sherri Smith said. “This project will improve traffic flow at the school and make our campus more accessible.” The new driveway will allow for a second student drop-off area which is expected to reduce congestion in mornings and afternoons. Since the driveway will cut through existing athletic fields, plans call

The project will also provide 145 new parking spaces at the middle school. Athletic Director David Bitting was pleased with the plans. “These fields will greatly improve opportunities for our students, especially since so many of our competitors have gone to synthetic surfaces. “We’re very grateful to the board and the community for making this possible.”

Lower Dauphin students in grades K-6 began the school year with new reading

materials, providing greater avenues to student success. The “Reading Street” series provides greater consistency in the teaching of reading in Lower Dauphin. The series is also closely aligned to the district’s curriculum and to the state standards. Chosen by a committee of teachers, administrators and reading specialists, the new reading series provides a complete set of books for every classroom. There are fiction and nonfiction stories. There are classics and new literature. There are leveld books for all types of readers in the classroom – for advanced readers as well as struggling readers. “We wanted to provide our teachers with the resources to provide individualized instruction, small group instruction and guided reading to enhance our students’ chances of success,” said Robert Schultz, assistant to the superintendent: curriculum & instruction. “Reading is the foundation upon which so much of a child’s education

is based. It was critical for us to find a reading series that allows us to hit all the key areas in developing reading as a lifelong skill.” Reading specialists Amy Sell and Mary Klinger say the new reading series does that and more. The series hits all of the “big areas” – comprehension, vocabulary, fluency, phonics and phonemic awareness. But it also allows teachers to measure the progress of every student in their classroom. The program relies heavily on progress monitoring to enable teachers to design reading instruction to meet the needs of individuals and small groups of students. In addition, Reading Street prioritizes skills instruction at every grade level so teachers can be sure they are focusing on the right reading skill at the right time.

Earlier this fall the school board gave the district administration permission

to explore plans to expand Conewago Elementary School and pursue “green technology” to make the school energy efficient. The school board has agreed to build a new wing on the building and utilize the space created in 1992 (the multipurpose room and the kitchen). The classroom wing built in 1952 will be demolished. The two-story expansion will add 48,000 square feet of space to the school. It is estimated that this work will cost somewhere between $15 and $18.9 million. The project is expected to run for 18 months with construction getting underway

in June 2010. District Architect Mark Barnhart and his team from EI Associates are currently meeting with a team of teachers and administrators to receive feedback into what they would like to see in the new building’s instructional spaces. Next the architects will enter design development phase where details like work areas, cabinets and storage selected by the team of staff members are incorporated into the specific areas of the overall building. The board has also asked the architects to pursue LEED certification for this project. LEED stands for “Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design” and is a nationally recognized standard established

by the U.S. Green Building Council. Obtaining a LEED certificate will also gain the district an additional 10 percent reimbursement from the state for the cost of the project. Among “green” options being considered for the project are use of a geothermal system for heating and cooling; power generation using wind or solar panels; rainwater retention for irrigation and toilets, and even putting grass on the roof to reduce runoff. Many of these options will save the district money in utility usage in the long-term and can be paid for in part with grants and governmental programs.

Conewago Elementary expansion project enters planning phase

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Lower Dauphin High School has implemented a student recognition

program this year focusing on five areas of student behavior. The Falcon PRIDE program seeks to recognize students who demonstrate Perseverance, Respect, Integrity, Discipline, and Excellence during the school day. Every two months, staff will nominate a student for displaying that month’s character trait. “We were looking for some way to recognize our students for displaying important character attributes,” said Assistant Principal Justin Hanula. “The Falcon PRIDE program gives us a vehicle to reward positive behavior.” Mr. Hanula says the program has three goals:• To reinforce character attributes that will benefit our students in school and beyond. • To formally provide students with positive recognition from our staff.• To create a better learning environment through shared character attributes. In October, the trait was “respect” and more than 70 students were recognized. Each student was nominated by a staff member and received a pin and a certificate for being chosen. Those students who were recognized included: Kelly Koons, Alexandra Seitz, Annie Nezovich, Daniel Snyder, John Krulock, Aubrey Layton, Kayla Stouffer, Aaron Kline, Jose Melendez, Mike Joyce, Dominique Shephard, Jeremy Rupert, Katrina Duncan, Gary Yaremchak, Maggie

Falcon PRIDE program honors high school students

Parr, Stephen Batula, Derrick Bosdorf, Chris Seip, Mackenzie Robinson, Nicole Roman, Steven Wilson, Jack Cotolo, Alyssa Abern, Michael Weir, Julia Smith, Jesse Spangler, Ryan McIntyre, Jack Miller, Dylan Turns, Jeremy Wise, Jocolyn Giovino, Mark Telenda, Sherry Deibler, Hannah Palm, Mike Nelligan, Monique Vernouski, Lizzie Turner, Damon Witmer, Aaron Burgit, Albert German, Lindsey Jenakovich, Jamison Hankins, Joe Schuster, Josette Espenshade, Shelby Werner, Mitchell Gutgold, Allison Cribari, Gary Yaremchak, Caitlyn Lloyd, Meme Eichner, Zach Pauley, Tim Groh, Syed Kaleem,

Samantha Hockley, Jack Rudy, Ryan Grubb, Rhi Miller, Gianni Cruz, Danielle Olson, Alyssa Hoffman, Sean Maguire, Brett Finley, Ryan Beistline, Holly Bettinger, Joe Schuster, Mallory Pell, Zach Leister, Christian Aquino, Bryan Moyer, Trevor Ripley, Kaitlyn Smith, Nicholas Carvell, Kevin Taylor, Jon Germany, Cody Eckels, Trent Petrovich, and John Drop. “Congratulations to all of our first winners for being recognized for their efforts,” Mr. Hanula said. “These students’ demonstration of the respect character trait is an example to the entire school community.”

Falcon Foundation plans second annual Blue & White GalaThe Lower Dauphin Falcon Foundation

will host its second annual Blue and White Gala on Saturday, January 30, 2010 at the Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course. Last year’s event and silent auction raised $16,000 for the foundation. This year’s theme will be “Dancing Through the Decades” to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Lower Dauphin High School. Tickets for the event are $100 each and are still available. For information please contact foundation@ldsd.org or get in touch with any foundation board member. The guest chairman for the gala will be Steve Orsini, a member of the Class of 1974. Orsini is the director of athletics at Southern Methodist University. A graduate of the University of Notre Dame, serving as

one of four team captains on the Fighting Irish’s 1977 national championship football team. He has worked for the Dallas

Cowboys, the U.S. Naval Academy, George Tech, and the University

of Central Florida. Funds raised by the

LDFF support the arts, athletics and special

classroom projects to enhance the educational opportunities of Lower Dauphin students. Last school year the Falcon Foundation donated more than $9,000 to support district programs. Some of the funding supported:• A summer math program for fourth- and fifth-grade students at East Hanover to help students retain their math skills over the summer vacation;• The purchase of a teleprompter

for students to broadcast the daily announcements and news at the middle school;• The high school’s after-prom and after-graduation parties which provide a safe environment for students. “The Lower Dauphin Falcon Foundation provides our students with opportunities which they might not otherwise be able to enjoy,” said Dr. Sherri Smith, superintendent and foundation board member. “The foundation also enhances opportunities for our students to get the most out of their educational experience here in Lower Dauphin.” For more information or to get involved with the foundation, please visit their Web site at www.ldsd.org/LDFF or contact a board member by e-mail at foundation@ldsd.org.

These students were among those who were nominated by faculty and staff at the high school for demonstrating the characteristic of Respect.

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Lower Dauphin welcomes new staff members

Cassandra Berry

Grade 4Londonderry

Mrs. Berry will work full-time this year as a fourth-grade teacher at Londonderry Elementary School. Last year she served as a long-term substitute at East Hanover Elementary School. She earned a bachelor’s degree from Albright College in 2004 in child and family studies and received her teaching certificate from Millersville University in 2008. She says she wants “to educate students as a whole person – not just as a sponge of knowledge.”

John Butler

Social StudiesHigh School

Mr. Butler comes to the high school as a social studies teacher and cross country coach. He holds a master’s degree from Syracuse University and a bachelor’s degree from LaSalle University. He says he hopes to “help educate our students and motivate them to reach their highest potential and achieve whatever goals they may have.”

Katherine DeBias

Learning SupportHigh School

Miss DeBias earned a bachelor’s degree in special education from Wilkes University in 2009. Prior to coming to Lower Dauphin she served as a student teacher in the Wilkes-Barre School District, teaching third grade and sixth-grade special education. She says she hopes “to apply the knowledge, skills and techniques to make a positive impact on the development of students.”

Clint Fackler

Social StudiesHigh School

Mr. Fackler joins the high school faculty full-time after serving as a long-term substitute in the social studies department last year. A graduate of Lower Dauphin High School, he holds a bachelor’s degree from Penn State University. He says his students “will develop and refine essential skills needed for life through learning in class in conjunction with the social studies curriculum.”

Amy Falk

Learning SupportHigh School

Mrs. Falk comes to Lower Dauphin from Susquehanna Township High School. She earned a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree from Shippensburg University. She and her husband, Brian, live in South Hanover Township and have two children. She said she is looking forward to having a long and productive career in Lower Dauphin.

Lori Fischer

ScienceMiddle School

Mrs. Fischer returns to Lower Dauphin after a few years as the assistant director of children’s ministries at the Lebanon Area Evangelical Free Church. A graduate of Juniata College, she previously taught biology at the high school from 1991-2003. She says she would “love for my students to realize that learning is fun and to gain a greater understanding and appreciation for the world around them.”

Julie Grierson

Grade 4South Hanover

Miss Grierson is a December 2008 graduate of Millersville University with a degree in elementary/early childhood education. She served as a long-term substitute for Lower Dauphin and also performed day-to-day substitute duties for several local school districts. She says she hopes “to meet the needs of all students and see them suc-ceed.”

Lisa Hahnlen

Speech-LanguageDistrict-wide

Mrs. Hahnlen earned her bachelor’s degree in speech and hearing sciences and her master’s degree in speech-language therapy from the University of Washington. Prior to coming to Lower Dauphin, she was in private practice and contracted with schools in Dauphin and Lebanon counties. “As communication skills play a foundational role in education,” she said she hopes to “contribute to student learning by identifying and addressing these needs.”

Lindsey Hill

LibrarianNye & Conewago

Ms. Hill comes to Lower Dauphin after serving as librarian at Susquehanna Township Middle School for two years. She holds a bachelor’s degree in English literature from Penn State and a master’s of library science degree from Kutztown University. She says she hopes “to instill a love of reading in my students and to create a warm, welcoming library for everyone in the school.”

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Ivan Hrabric

Grade 4Nye Elementary

Mr. Hrabric is a 2009 graduate of Penn State University’s Capital Campus where he earned a bachelor’s degree in elementary education. He also studied Croatian language and history at the University of Zagreb in Croatia. A graduate of Red Land High School, he worked abroad as a translator. He says he “hopes to be a positive influence on his students.”

David Johnson

MathHigh School

Mr. Johnson comes to Lower Dauphin after serving as a math teacher at Lee County High School in Sanford, North Carolina. He earned his bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Penn State University in 2008. He says he hopes “to prepare students as best I can for whatever they plan to do in the future.”

Amanda Martin

Grade 3Nye Elementary

Mrs. Martin is a 2009 graduate of Millersville University where she received a bachelor’s degree in elementary education with a certification in English as a Second Language. Prior to coming to Lower Dauphin she served as a substitute teacher in area schools. She says she hopes to “make a positive impact on the students and foster a love for learning.”

Gary Messinger

PrincipalEast Hanover

Mr. Messinger comes to Lower Dauphin from the Cornwall-Lebanon School District’s South Lebanon Elementary School where he was a fifth-grade classroom teacher and also served as head teacher. He said he is “looking forward to this opportunity to assume a leadership role at East Hanover Elementary School to enhance students’ performances, and to serve as a positive social and moral role model.”

Emily Miller

ArtLondonderry

Miss Miller is a 2006 graduate of Messiah College with a bachelor’s degree in studio art. She earned her art education teaching certification in 2008 from Millersville Uni-versity. She had been employed by Lower Dauphin at the high school as a learning support aide. She says she wants to “help students use their senses to gain a better appreciation for life.”

Dana Naugle

ArtHigh School

Ms. Naugle is a 2000 graduate of Kutztown University with a bachelor’s of fine arts degree. She received her teaching certificate from Kutztown in 2008 and is currently finishing her master’s in art education at Kutztown. She says she hopes to “continue to foster our students’ love and excitement for art to allow them to explore their personal relationship with various media and encourage them to find a deeper meaning in their work.”

Michelle O’Donnell

Grade 5Conewago

Miss O’Donnell has been hired full-time after serving as a long-term substitute last year at Conewago Elementary School. She is a Lower Dauphin graduate and earned her bachelor’s degree from Penn State’s Harrisburg campus in 2008. She says she hopes “to teach students the skills they need to be responsible productive citizens of our community.”

Beth Potts

Family & Consumer ScienceMiddle School

Miss Potts comes to Lower Dauphin after having taught for five years at Central Dauphin East High School. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Indiana University of Pennsylvania and is currently working towards a master’s in education through Wilkes University. She says she is looking forward to “teaching my students skills that can be applied to their lives immediately.”

Abby Rehkamp

Learning SupportSouth Hanover

Ms. Rehkamp comes to Lower Dauphin after serving as an emotional support teacher in Lincoln Intermediate Unit 12. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Juniata College in 2003 and her master’s in education from Temple University in 2007. She says she wants to “create a learning environment for my students that allows them to grow socially, emotionally and intellectually.”

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Nora Rodriguez

SpanishHigh School

Mrs. Rodriguez earned her teaching certificate from Kutztown University in 1998 and a bachelor of arts degree from Shippensburg University in 1991. Prior to coming to Lower Dauphin, she was self-employed teaching Spanish. She says she hopes to “better equip my students with useful skills which will allow them to effectively interact and communicate with Spanish speakers.”

Melissa Waverka

Grade 2South Hanover

Mrs. Waverka earned an associate’s degree from Wesley College, a bachelor’s degree from Penn State University and her teaching certificate from Wilson College in 1993. Prior to coming to Lower Dauphin she was employed by Hershey Foods and worked as a fourth-grade teacher at St. Joan of Arc School in Hershey. She says she hopes to “develop self-confidence in my students.”

Mark Yocum

Social StudiesHigh School

Mr. Yocum comes to Lower Dauphin with over 10 years of experience in education as a teacher, coach and athletic director. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Millersville University in 1997 and he is working on his master’s degree in sports administration. He says he hopes to “provide a positive and enjoyable educational experience for his students.”

In October, Lower Dauphin Assistant to the Superintendent: Curriculum and

Instruction Rob Schultz provided the school board with an overview of the district’s re-sults on the Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA) tests given last school year. Based on the results of student PSSA testing in grades 3-8 and 11, school districts and individual schools are judged whether or not they made “Adequate Yearly Progress” as defined by the federal No Child Left Behind Act. In addition to overall performances, schools and districts are held accountable for the performance of any subgroup of 40 or more students in which multiple years may be combined to achieve the 40-student benchmark. Subgroups can be based on race, gender or special circumstances like students with Individualized Education Plans (IEPs) or Economic Deprivation. Schultz told the board that all of the district’s schools achieved Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) for the third year in a row. “We are very pleased to report that all of our schools, and the district as a whole, made Adequate Yearly Progress for the third year in a row,” said Schultz. “This is the result of a lot of hard work on the part of our teachers, administrators and of course, our students.” In addition to talking to the board about Adequate Yearly Progress, Schultz highlighted the performance of the district and of each school building using single-year results from last year’s PSSA testing. On the whole, Lower Dauphin students out-performed their counterparts in each grade level when compared with the

statewide average performance levels for proficiency on the PSSA. In math:• LD third-graders scored 88 percent advanced and proficient compared with the statewide average of 81 percent.• LD fourth-graders scored 92 percent advanced and proficient compared with the statewide average of 81percent.• LD fifth-graders scored 81 percent advanced and proficient compared with the statewide average of 73.• LD sixth-graders scored 86 percent advanced and proficient compared with the statewide average of 75.• LD seventh-graders scored 84 percent advanced and proficient compared with the statewide average of 75.• LD eighth-graders scored 81 percent advanced and proficient compared with the statewide average of 71.• LD 11th-graders scored 68 percent advanced and proficient compared with the statewide average of 55. In reading:• LD third-graders scored 82 percent advanced and proficient compared with the statewide average of 76 percent.• LD fourth-graders scored 82 percent advanced and proficient compared with the statewide average of 72 percent.• LD fifth-graders scored 75 percent advanced and proficient compared with the statewide average of 65.• LD sixth-graders scored 82 percent advanced and proficient compared with the statewide average of 67.• LD seventh-graders scored 84 percent advanced and proficient compared with the statewide average of 71.

• LD eighth-graders scored 87 percent advanced and proficient compared with the statewide average of 80.• LD 11th-graders scored 76 percent advanced and proficient compared with the statewide average of 65. In addition to calculating Adequate Yearly Progress, the district uses PSSA results to identify areas of concern within a school building or grade level. “Over the past seven years, each of our schools has developed building-level goals to address the building-specific deficits detected through our testing data,” Superintendent Sherri Smith explained. “These goals lead to the development of instructional targets for the year which can be applied in a particular grade level or across the building to emphasize the needed content or skills.” For example, last year Londonderry Elementary School identified reading as an instructional target. Each grade level team used student data which allowed them to plan lessons based upon student needs. As a result, 75.7 percent of Londonderry’s students were found to be proficient or advanced in reading. “These reading scores are the highest number of proficient and advanced students we have ever had at Londonderry!”said Principal Mike Lausch. Dr. Smith said that these building-level action plans are an important in ensuring sutdent success. “We’re using our PSSA results as well as other district-based assessments to drive our instruction to areas where our students might need additional focus to meet the state’s standards,” she said.

District schools all earn passing grades on state PSSA test

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Three Mile Island makes $25,000 donation to LD CTCLD Communities That Care reviews past year’s efforts to help our community’s children

Officials at Three Mile Island presented a check to Lower Dauphin

Communities That Care to support its programs last summer. The $25,000 donation will be used to sponsor the LD CTC bookmobile that serves youngsters in Londonderry, Conewago, East Hanover and South Hanover Townships and Hummelstown Borough. The donation will also be used to provide books to children ages 1-4 on their birthdays and to sponsor the annual Do The Right Thing banquet. Three Mile Island has been the single largest private contributor to Communities that Care over the past three years. “Our partnership with Lower Dauphin Communities that Care is very special. One of the greatest gifts you can give a young person is the joy of reading,” said William Noll, TMI Site Vice President. “Encouraging children to read at an early age is critical to high educational achievement.” “We are very fortunate to have a local facility like Three Mile Island make such a generous gift to Lower Dauphin Communities that Care.” said Jim Hazen, LD CTC’s executive director. “The bookmobile and other programs supported by the gift will provide educational opportunities to our youth that might otherwise not be available.” Lower Dauphin Communities That Care is a non-profit organization that provides programs to promote the positive development of children in our community. The group’s preschool literacy outreach

mailed 858 books to children ages 1-4 on their birthdays. The bookmobile makes 24 stops three days a week in the five communities it serves. Last year the bookmobile traveled 4,000 miles and lent 6,332 books. In addition to the bookmobile and preschool literacy programs, the organization provides many other programs for our community’s youth. For example, LD CTC’s partnership with Big Brothers/Big Sisters of the Capital Region made 11 matches between community members and students in grades 2, 3 and 4 and 24 matches with students in grades 6-8. Last year, the Do the Right Thing program recognized 44 students in grades K-12 for

making good choices. The group also offers several programs using Dr. Cheryl Dellasaga’s peer relationship model for girls. For 10 weeks last school year, seven High School girls served as mentors to 29 girls in grades 6-8 in the middle school’s Club Ophelia program to help girls improve their relationships with other girls by providing alternatives to bullying. The Elementary Club Ophelia operated for six weeks last year, when 13 High School girls served as mentors to 52 girls in grades 4-5. The Camp Ophelia program brought together seven high school girls to serve as mentors to 27 girls in grades 6-7 at a week-long day camp in June.

Representatives from Lower Dauphin Communities That Care accept a $25,000 check from Three Mile Island to support its programs.

An unremitting rain could not dampen the spirit as alumni gathered to

celebrate the opening of Lower Dauphin High School’s Golden Jubilee on October 16. The evening began with a welcome by Dr. Judith T. Witmer of the Alumni Association and Dr. Sherri L. Smith, superintendent of Lower Dauphin School District. Greeted by rousing applause, Co-Captain Ken Epler introduced each team member of the Championship Football Team. The Falcons’ football squad was undefeated in the new Capitol Area Conference, earning a championship in the school’s first year.

Linda McGarvey Rutt, captain, introduced each member of the 1960 cheerleading squad and Dr. Witmer introduced the first Falcon Mascots, Harold Snyder and Susan Petrina. The program concluded with remarks from Russel Cassel, President of LDAA since 1994, who recalled that it was raining the first day of school when LDHS opened in the fall of 1960. Cassel announced the special events planned throughout 2010 and the All-Class Celebration next fall. The LD Alumni Golden Jubilee Culminating Event will be held October 1 and 2, 2010 during halftime of the football game at Hersheypark Stadium.

Halftime events include honoring past Falcon football teams and cheerleading squads. Former Homecoming Queens, Falcon mascots and band members will also be recognized and the time capsule will be dedicated. Then on Saturday, October 2, the Holiday Inn – Harrisburg East will host the all-class celebration with a dinner event featuring Pentagon and a special performance by Ricco and the Ravens. More details will be announced soon. If you have questions or would like to help with the celebration, please write to Dr. Witmer at jtwitmer@aol.com.

Golden Jubilee celebration underway, culminating in 2010

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About 30 middle school aged students from the Lower Dauphin School

District learned that it is possible to “get high on life” during the annual Youth Enjoying Summer Adventure Week sponsored by High on Kids. High on Kids’ Adventure Week is designed to deter children from drug and alcohol use by engaging them in physically challenging adventure-based activities. While at Adventure Week, students participate in a number of activities like rock climbing and rappelling on a high-rope course. From Monday through Wednesday, the students took part in “Adventure-Based Education” exercises at Lower Dauphin Middle School on the school’s climbing towers. The children worked on the low elements on Monday and Tuesday and then advanced to the high elements like the 40-foot high climbing wall on Wednesday. On Thursday, the program moved to Memorial Lake State Park where the students learned about water safety. Friday the activities culminated with a canoe trip down the Susquehanna River where they

celebrated their week of activities and what they have learned. “This is a very special week for us,” said Patti Krow, High on Kids president. “These kids really get a lot out of this program and we’re very pleased to be able to provide them this opportunity.” High on Kids is comprised of Lower Dauphin School District parents, educators, clergy, medical professionals, law enforcement officers, and business people. The group’s goal is to give Lower Dauphin students support in choosing healthy, drug-free lifestyles by becoming active in neighborhoods, educating parents and citizens about the dangers of drug and alcohol abuse, and creating drug-free activities for families and children.For more information about High on Kids, please contact Mrs. Krow at 566-0451.

High on Kids hosts another successful Youth Enjoying Summer Camp

Courtney Keefer, left, gives a helping hand to another YES Camp student this summer.

The Lower Dauphin Board of School Directors October 19 appointed

high school junior Kyle Stauffer to serve as Associate Student School Board Representative. He will serve beside high school senior Delia Marks, who returns for a second year as student school board representative. Stauffer is the son of Eric and Kathy Stauffer. He is a member of the wrestling team and the track & field team. He is also a member of the National Honor Society, the Science National Honor Society, the Chess Club and the Science Club. In the community, he volunteers at the Penn State Hershey Medical Center. “I’m interested in the inner workings of a functioning political system, such as the school board,” Stauffer said. “I feel that the knowledge gained from serving on the board will benefit me for years to come.” Marks is the daughter of John and Teresa Marks. She is active in girls’ tennis and girls’ lacrosse. She is also a member of National Honor Society, Spanish National Honor Society, Science National Honor Society, English National Honor Society, and Young Republicans. She is also active

in the community as a volunteer with FFO and as a member of Seven Sorrows’ youth group.

Kyle Stauffer joins school board as student representative

Kyle Stauffer takes the oath of office as Associate Student School Board repre-sentative at the board’s October 19 meeting.

Her future plans include attending a four-year college and majoring in biology with the goal of attending dentistry school.

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The Lady Falcons defeated Hempfield 4-0 last year to capture the high school’s first PIAA Class AAA Girls’ Soccer Championship. The team was led by co-captains Sarah Black, Carrie Diamond and Ellen Legro. Photos from the field hockey team’s PIAA championship performance will be in the next edition of Know Your Schools.

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The Combined Elementary Band, Middle School Marching Band and High

School Band took the field on October 2 at Hersheypark Stadium to perform dur-ing halftime of the football game against Bishop McDevitt. The Massed Band Night is an annual celebration of music performed at halftime of a home football game in which the Elementary Massed Band, the Middle School Marching Band and the High School Marching Band all take the field for performances. The performance began with the Elementary Marching Band which is made up of fifth-graders from Lower Dauphin’s five elementary schools. The elementary band was under the direction of Mr. James Neidinger. They played “Slip Slide” which featured the trombone section. This selection was composed by Jim Neidinger. The band was prepared for this event by Mrs. Debra Avery, Ms. Lisa Meyer, Mrs. Melissa Sheaffer, Mrs. Charity Judson, and Mr. James Neidinger. Next on the field was the Lower Dauphin Middle School Band under the direction of Mr. Greg Hutchison. The band performed Coldplay’s recent hit, “Viva la Vida”. It won the award for “Song of the Year” at the 2009 Grammy Awards. The 2009-10 edition of the Middle School Band has 170 members from all three grades. The Lower Dauphin High School Marching Band presented selections from its 2009 show, “A Cinema Spectacular”. This year’s show features music by John Williams and arranged by Jay Bocook. The performance featured themes from Star Wars, E.T., Empire of the Sun, Far & Away, and Raiders of the Lost Ark. Student leaders in the high school band are Arielle Book, Mary Houtz, Becca Nissley, Alex Sontag, Kaysey Davis, Kyle Wiltraut, Ben Welkie, Alex Miller, Luke Forshey, and Ronnie Myers. This year the Marching Falcons were led onto the field by Drum Major Will Thompson. The high school band program is under the direction

Annual Lower Dauphin band night entertains crowd

of Jonathan Pinkerton, assisted by Greg Hutchison. The band’s dedicated designers and instructors include Eric Kitchenson, Bob Yarnall, J.L. Labe, Sally Marsh, Jami

Mills, Michael Hope, Krissy McMullen, Mike McMullen, Krysti Miranda, Anthony Miranda, Ethan Ganse, and Kyle Bennett.

Above, the elementary band’s trombone section plays ‘Slip Slide’ during their performance at Massed Band Night. At right, the Big Blue Band from Falconland plays selections from its 2009 show ‘A Cinema Spectacular’ which featured the music of film composer John Williams.

www.ldsd.orgYour first source for school closings and school news

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The 320-plus members of Lower Dauphin’s Class of 2009 matriculated on June 4 at the Giant Center. The high school’s 49th graduating class was led by Valedictorian Catherine Meador and Salutatorian Allen Welkie.

Know Your Schools is published four times a year for the residents of Lower Dauphin School District.

District Office 566-5300High School 566-5330Middle School 566-5310Conewago Elementary School 533-5361East Hanover Elementary School 469-2686Londonderry Elementary School 944-9462Nye Elementary School 566-0300South Hanover Elementary 566-2564Informaline: 566-5320 or 944-1668

Board of School DirectorsRenae Paladino, PresidentTodd Kreiser, Vice PresidentDana BarryRebecca KlineMarcela MyersJeffrey NeelyRodney NissleyKeith OelligLaurie ReichertSherri Smith, Superintendent

Edited by: Jim Hazen, Coordinator of CommunicationsDesigned by: Linda McPhillips, Secretary to the Coordinator of Communications

Nondiscrimination Policy:

The Lower Dauphin School District, an equal opportunity employer, does not discriminate in employment, educational programs or activities based on gender, race, religion, national origin, color or handicap. This policy of nondiscrimination extends to all other legally protected classifications. Publication of this policy in this document is in accordance with state and federal laws, including Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Educational Amendments Act of 1973, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Lower Dauphin School District291 East Main StreetHummelstown, PA 17036http://www.ldsd.org

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APRIL

Lower Dauphin School DistrictCalendar of Upcoming Events

1 Holiday – Schools & Offices Closed

15 ½ Day for Secondary Only

18 Inservice Day

26 End of 2nd Marking Period

11 ½ Day for Elementary Only

12 Inservice Day *Seniors Attend

15 Schools Closed

12 Schools Closed – 1st Snow Make-up

1 Schools Closed – 2nd Snow Make-up2 Schools Closed5 Schools Closed – 3rd Snow Make-up

7 End of 3rd Marking Period

23 ½ Day for Students