For February, we give you an artful selection of stories -- the K-12 Art Show, MLK Day poster making and a profile of Park Forest Middle School art teacher Molly Gazda. We also have an account of this year's Career and Technical Center tours and regular features such as the State High Project update, the monthly Straight Talk session, and our faculty/staff wellness initiative. If you're yearning for spring, SCASD is also hosting a gardening workshop for faculty, staff and volunteers.

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'Art is just me:'

PFMS 8th-grade teacher Molly Gazda paints a beautiful picture of art for her students

When you walk into Molly Gazda's classroom at Park Forest Middle School, you're immediately treated to a show for the senses.

As befitting an art room, a riot of color and designs leaves few bare spots on the walls. Behind her desk hangs a giant display of student-made origami cranes, pinwheels and birds, and Keith Haring-style figures dance along another wall. On the Wall of Pride, there's an abundance of student artwork while elsewhere a Henri Matisse quote states "Creativity takes courage" and another sign queries, "Is your brain exploding with creative ideas? Good."

Read more and view slideshow...

Each school level has a different approach

to anti-bullying

Being kind to others is a frequent topic of discussion among elementary school students.

"When I see someone alone, or sad, or with his hood over his face or eyes, I ask him what's wrong," Gray's Woods fourth grader Aidan Bradbury said.

While children are held accountable for their actions, they are also given tools to handle situations when a peer hurts their feelings or is behaving inappropriately. Read more and view slideshow...

Creativity Shines At SCASD K-12 Art Show

The show, a tradition dating back to the 1990s, assembles artwork from all of the district schools. Each of the district's 17 art teachers can select up to 10 works of art with one main guideline.

"They shouldn't have more than five works of art from one unit of study in order to show as much of a cross-section of our curriculum as possible," said Danielle Crowe, State High art teacher and K-12 art curriculum coordinator. Read more and view slideshow..

Faculty/Staff Wellness

This month: Nutrition Habit Challenge

Visit the faculty/staff wellness page on the district website today and get started toward a healthier future.

School Garden Workshop

February 18, 2016 4-6 p.m.

Panorama Village, 240 Villa Crest Dr.

Join us for tips for starting, managing,
and improving your school garden.

All SCASD teachers, staff, parents, and volunteers are welcome!

For details, see the Facebook event at

https://www.facebook.com/events/1555920751390876/

King-sized Lesson

Penn State students, CEEL participants combine for
MLK, Jr. Day lesson and poster tributes

Class drawing of Martin Luther King_ Jr.

Students in Ms. McAleer's 4th grade class created this amazing visual, while discussing the impact of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Despite Monday, January 18 being a holiday for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Troy Baldinucci still came to school and went home wiser.

The Easterly Parkway Elementary School kindergartener was among 28 children who learned about King while spending the morning in the Community Education Extended Learning program at the school. A similar program took place at the CEEL site at Mount Nittany Elementary School. Read more...

State High Project Updates

Taking advantage of mild weather, workers began removing trees around the driver's education course next to the North Building on Feb. 1. Trees in the area with blue ribbons will remain. Most of the existing trees on the school campus will be removed to facilitate construction, but plans call for eventually planting 260 new trees on the site.
After the end of the day Feb. 12, the driver's education course no longer will connect Plaza Drive with the North Building parking lot. The course will become a construction zone on Feb. 15 with no admittance to the public.
Last month, the South Building front parking lot was closed to traffic and pedestrians, and is now a construction zone. The North Building lot now accommodates student parking exclusively.
Demolition on a boarded-up South Building wing is scheduled to begin Feb. 4.

Sign up for project updates via e-mail or text:

Updates include timely news and features about project progress, parking and traffic, construction phasing,

project milestones and more.

Project website: www.scasd.org/statehighfuture

Weather-related Closings and Delays

Winter's start draws near, and that means the possibility of weather-related school delays and closings.

To find out how delays and closings are decided, review the notification procedures and check your contact information for the district's rapid notification system, please visit the transportation department's weather guidelines page on the district website.

8th-grade tours State High's

Career and Technology Center

Teacher with students in constructional technology class.

Chris Warren gives 8th-grade students a tour in exploring building construction technology.

The annual orientations, this year on Jan. 5-6, brought about 275 8th-graders from Park Forest and Mount Nittany middle schools, Delta Middle Level and local private and charter schools to learn about the CTC, its offerings and high school in general. Read more and view slideshow...

Straight Talk Presentation

Teen Dating Violence

Tuesday, February 16, 7-8:30 p.m.

Location: Mount Nittany Middle School

Presenter: Sara Kern, Centre County Women's Resource Center