Catherine Foreman, kindergarten teacher at Ben Chambers recently issued a challenge to her students, "If you raise $20.00 to 'help the puppies,' I will run the Animal Shelter's 5k and you can come and watch."

"We are up to $74.34.  Last week, I sent home a letter inviting parents and students to come out and watch on Friday, May 1, while I ran and handed over their hard-earned donation," Catherine said.

"The students are very excited.  A 5K is kind of a tricky concept for my six- year olds, so we even practiced running as long as we could at recess so that they knew how far I would be running!" she said.

To learn more about the Animal Shelter's Fourth Annual 5K - 9 Race and one mile Whisker walk, click here. 

Over 3,000 trees were planted in Adams and Franklin counties on Saturday, April 25, as part of the Franklin Tree Planting Project and students in the NJROTC program planted more than 1,000 of them.

"The cadets specifically helped in planting trees at Greene Township Park and the Scotland Campus.  They were a very influential part of the event and it honestly couldn't have been completed without them," Sheena Snyder, Field Representative for Senator Richard Alloway II, said.

The Franklin Tree Planting project coincides with the Great American Cleanup of Pennsylvania which encourages individuals and community service organizations to take part in efforts to improve the quality of life for state residents by promoting a cleaner environment, according to a press release issued by the Senator's office. 

Students at Andrew Buchanan Elementary School have been on a journey this school year.  The students are not riding in cars, trains, or planes for this journey.  They are reading books!

"All students in grades K - 5 are encouraged to complete a monthly at-home reading log.  Each class sets a reading goal that they want to attain.   When the classes meet their reading goals, the whole school "travels" on the hallway bulletin board to a different U. S. city.  Each time the students read enough to make it to a new city, the whole school receives a reward connected to that city," said Mrs. Kelly Hurley, Title I teacher. 

For example, earlier in the school year students traveled to Austin, Texas. In conjunction with this destination, Mrs. Hoffman, the physical education teacher, used a Wii dance game console to teach the students how to dance to the country song, "Cotton Eye Joe".  Teachers wore cowboy garb and challenged students to a "Cotton Eye Joe" Wii dance competition, explained Mrs. Hurley.

They also visited Las Vegas, NV, which is the home of Karaoke Battle USA, a reality singing competition which first aired in 2011.  Students and faculty enjoyed karaoke singing in the multipurpose room at the end of the day.

In April the students visited Speedway, IN, home of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway where the Indianapolis 500 takes place.   The Buchanan PTA hosted a Family Fun Night for the students that included a race car for them to explore.

At the end of the year, in conjunction with our Reading Incentive Program, each student in the school will get to choose a new book.  These books are purchased every year by the PTA, explained Mrs. Hurley. 

Two student members of the Chambersburg Area Senior High School's (CASHS) Technology Student Association (TSA) placed among the top ten winners at the annual Pennsylvania Technology Student Association State conference and competition which was held at the Seven Spring Conference Center in Champion, PA.

Junior Zoe Philipou took third place in the Promotional Graphics category and won a $500 scholarship to Johnson and Wales University.  Junior Harrison Lavery also placed in the top ten in the Transportation Modeling competition.                                                                                              

A team of six students and two advisors from CASHS recently attended and participated in the state TSA conference.  In the Technology Problem Solving competition, the CASHS student team took third place.  CASHS TSA officers also participated as delegates in the General Assembly of PA TSA.

"TSA activities and competitive events are linked to state and national standards and TSA is a nationally recognized Career and Technical Student Organization with a presence in 47 states, said Mark Scanzello, TSA advisor and Technology Education teacher at CASHS.  "TSA also is the premier Science, Technology, Engineering and Math organization for all PA students." 

Students from the CAMS' North Multicultural Club taught some of the Menno Haven residents how to make Japanese cherry blossom trees.  They also taught the residents about the annual Hindu spring festival called Holi, or the 'Festival of Colors'.

Domanique Kemp isn't ready to say her mother is right about everything, but she does agree that her mom's financial advice was "actually true".

Dominique, a senior, was one of the students who attended a Financial Reality Fair at CASHS on April 19 for juniors and seniors who take business classes.  She chose a career path as a physician's assistant and then received a sample salary and attempted to pay bills for monthly housing, insurance, credit card, car and other items.  She learned to budget for the basics first.

 The event was sponsored by the Pennsylvania Credit Union Association and Patriot Federal Credit Union.  One of the main goals of the fair was to provide an opportunity for students to learn about some of the financial realities they will face after school, explained Ken Ditzler, Director of Marketing at Patriot Federal Credit Union. 

Volunteers from area businesses were on hand to help students make affordable choices for such things as housing, insurance, phone, cable, and more. Students had to document their income.

"I would recommend that every senior experience this fair.  It really did help me understand the responsibilities that will come my way once I graduate"  said senior Keana Adams.

"We're already planning on doing it next year because we had such good feedback from students, teachers and business people here," said Mr. Ditzler.

Students of the Month, April 2015

Commencement Plans for Chambersburg Area Senior High School Approved

The Chambersburg School Board approved Commencement plans that were recommended by the 2015 Senior Class at its meeting on Wednesday, April 22. 

Commencement services for 2015 will be held in the Trojan Stadium on Friday, June 5, 2015 at 6:30 PM.  If the ceremony is cancelled due to inclement weather, Commencement will be held on Saturday, June 6, at 3:00 PM, weather permitting. If it is still raining on Saturday, Commencement will then be held on Sunday, June 7, at 2:00 PM, according to Buddy Chapel, CASHS Principal.

"Each graduate will receive eight tickets and no other passes will be permitted," said Mr. Chapel.  "The Commencement plans were communicated to the graduating class during a class meeting in April."

Two Reverse Tax Assessments Approved at School Board Meeting

Chambersburg Area School Board approved two settlements on reverse tax assessment appeals at its meeting on Wednesday, April 22.   A reverse tax assessment seeks to make the property tax environment more equitable for all property values, according to Steve Dart, Business Manager for the district.

The first settlement is with the Liberty Property Limited for its Ulta/DDS distribution center.  This property was reassessed for the 2013-2014 and the 2014-2015 school years.  The second settlement, which is for the same time period, is with Cabot III PA2B01, UP, which is a distribution center acquired recently by Liberty.   The settlements address tax assessments and subsequent underpayments for 2013-2014, 2014-2015 and payments in 2015-2016 and beyond.

The district contracted with New Jersey based keystone Reality Advisors to identify district property that is under assessed.  The District anticipates an additional four million dollars in revenue over the next 10 years.

"In Pennsylvania the courts have held that school districts have a right to dispute what they consider an underassessment on anyone's property.  We believe it is only fair that older properties are assessed at fair market value," said Mr. Dart, "and that similar properties in the same area don't have different assessment values."   

Thank You to the Following Donors

"I want to recognize the hard work that these athletes have put into their careers so far.  Very few high school athletes go on to play at the next level.  This is an impressive accomplishment," said Jeremy Flores, CASHS Athletic Director.

Here is a complete list of student athletes who were recognized:

On Friday, April 24, the NJROTC was subject to its first ever annual Area Manager's Inspection.  "Our NJROTC performed magnificently and was lauded for its superior level of discipline, drill performance, and appearance.  The inspecting officer, Captain James Kitzmiller, U.S. Navy Service representative, Carlisle Barracks, was nothing short of impressed with our students," said Louis Montney CASHS Master Sergeant / USMC (retired), Naval Science Instructor.

The inspection is a Department of Defense requirement for all NJROTC units and it evaluates the progress, performance, community involvement, discipline, and academic achievements of the JROTC program, Sergeant Montney explained.   

"The inspection not only reflected great credit upon the CASHS NJROTC, but the entire Chambersburg Area School District as a whole," Sergeant Montney said.

On Saturday, April 25, the NJROTC Drill Platoon competed in its first ever drill competition, Area 4 Regional Drill Competition in Seaford, DE.  Thirteen total schools from the region competed and all service branches' NJROTC programs were represented.

"With the CASHS Drill Team being in its first year of existence, our cadets worked diligently the entire year in preparation for this event.  While our cadets were prepared to put forth their best effort, the odds of a brand new drill team leaving with recognition is slim," Sergeant Montney said. "To the surprise of our opponents, the Chambersburg NJROTC Drill team placed:    Inspection Team:  3rd place overall,; Squad Drill:  2nd place overall;  and  Color Guard: 2nd place overall."

Additionally, all cadets were afforded the opportunity to enter the "Knockout" Drill Competition.  Over 200 JROTC cadets participated.  Skyler Souders, grade 9, of the Chambersburg NJROTC finished 4th place overall in this event, noted Sergeant Montney.

The North Naturals, which is a select girls' chorus from CAMS NORTH with a membership of 6th, 7th, and 8th graders chosen by audition, performed at the local Holocaust service.

"The girls were told by many in attendance that their musicality was superb; they brought tears to several attending the service," said Mrs. Traci Cormany, a co-director of the The North Naturals. "Rebecca Martz, who also is a co-director, and I had a chance to talk about the service with the girls at a following rehearsal.  The girls were moved by the stories shared by a Holocaust survivor who spoke about her experiences in Nazi, Germany." 

The North Naturals also have performed in the Messiah College Choral night on April 29, at Messiah College.  "It is a great honor to be able to sing with the Messiah Women's Ensemble.  The North Naturals sang their North concert songs.  We have spent several months preparing the music for this trip and we were very excited to participate in this unique adventure," said Mrs. Cormany.

The girls rehearsed, had dinner with members of the Messiah Women's Ensemble and performed in Parmer Hall (the new auditorium at Messiah college). 

The Steel Trojans Robotics Team at the Career Magnet School held their first annual Sponsors' Reception.   Representatives from Vacon, Inc., JLG Industries, Manitowoc Crane, Denis E. Black Engineering, Newcomer Associates, L.B. Water Service, BWise Manufacturing, Penn State Mont Alto Campus, and Brechbill & Helman Construction Company attended.

The sponsors had the opportunity to ask questions, visit classrooms where they were able to see the CAD and 3D makers used for prototyping and see the shop where the robot was fabricated and built. 

The sponsors also watched team members demonstrate the robot in the gymnasium and they had the opportunity to operate the robot as well. Refreshments were served and every sponsor received a Thank You packet and this year's team t-shirt.

"We appreciate every sponsor who helped our team have a successful season," said Lonnie Doyle, President of the CMS Robotics Team Booster Club.

This summer from June 15th to July 10th the Chambersburg and Tuscarora School Districts will offer a welding camp at James Buchanan High School from 7:00 AM to 3:00 PM (5 days a week). 

"The Franklin County/Cumberland Valley is home to many manufacturers and fabricators who require highly skilled and trained welders and fitters. These companies are the backbone of our local economy and give Franklin County a strong presence in the international market place," Bradley Ocker, Associate Principal at CASHS said.

"But, the pipeline of qualified welders and fitters is an ever shrinking group of highly skilled laborers, which puts the ability of our county to compete internationally in jeopardy. To start the process to fill this need the school districts are teaming up to create a summer welding camp to train 12 graduating seniors in MIG welding, blueprint reading, introductory fabricating skills, and general employment expectations of the welding/fabricating profession,"  Mr. Ocker explained.

To learn more about this opportunity, click here.