March 24 - No School -Records Day and K-5 Parent Conferences
March 25 - No School
March 28 - No School
April 6 - End of third marking period for Secondary students
April 14, 15, 16 & 17 - Fiddler on the Roof, HS Thespians Spring musical

For a listing of upcoming events, please see our calendar:
www.scasd.org/events

For March, we give you a varied selection of stories -- the Teacher Feature's Sabrina Upcraft, kindergarten registration schedule, several awards, and much more.

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'I love figuring out how a kiddo's brain works:'

MNME kindergarten teacher Sabrina Upcraft thinks it's exciting when lightbulbs go off.

Sabrina Upcraft works with a student.

Sabrina Upcraft teaches kindergarten at Mount Nittany Elementary School, her 22nd year with the district and her sixth spent introducing children to reading and arithmetic fundamentals, classroom behavior and school life. She also has taught first and second grades, but kindergarten remains dear to her heart.

"I think just because it's really when the kids are building all the foundations of learning, and the lightbulbs are going off constantly, and you can see when all of a sudden they get something," she said. "To me, that's exciting and enjoyable to watch."

"I love figuring out how a kiddo's brain works, working with that child and getting to know how they think about things and how they approach things so that I can figure out the best way to teach that child," Upcraft said. "I kind of like that puzzle part; every kid is a little different, and every group is a little different."

She belongs to a dedicated corps of teachers who, each fall, embrace another round of newbies learning to be students.

Read more and view slideshow...

National STEM Award Winners

The Park Forest Middle School Integrative STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) team consisting of Bill Hughes, Jeff Seamans, Greg Wilson, Karianne Smith, Lynn Mona, Mike Bierly, Heath Stout, Steve McAninch, and Bryan Brightbill are the 2016 recipients of the national Gerhard Salinger Award For Enhancing STEM Education Through Technological/Engineering Design-Based Instruction. Read more

State High senior garners
President's Volunteer Service Award

State High senior Dina Kim recently received the national President's Volunteer Service Award for about 300 hours of community service teaching English to refugee children and translating letters for South Korean children. She translates letters from Korean to English and vice versa for an international nonprofit child advocacy organization.

Faculty/Staff Wellness

This month: Focus on Sleep

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

Kindergarten Registration

Three options available!

1. Register online - New!

Click here for the link and instructions.

2. Register during March & April at any of these elementary schools
9 a.m.-2 p.m. and 4-8 p.m. regardless of where your child will attend. You also may register new students in other grades.

March 22 - Lemont, Todd Dishong, Principal (814) 231-5034

March 30 - Park Forest, Donnan Stoicovy, Principal (814) 231-5010

April 1 - Gray's Woods, Kristen Dewitt, Principal (814) 235-6100

April 5 - Ferguson Township, Charlotte Zmyslo, Principal (814) 231-4119

April 7 - Easterly Parkway, Michael Maclay, Principal (814) 231-1170

April 12 - Mount Nittany, Debra Latta, Principal (814) 272-5970

April 18 - Corl Street, Scott Mato, Principal (814) 231-1185

April 26 - Radio Park, Zachary Wynkoop, Principal (814) 231-4115

3. Starting May 2, register at the Student Registration Office, Room 101, Administrative Building, 131 W. Nittany Ave., 8 a.m.-4 p.m.

Call schools for tours any day!

Check out our after-school program now with
reduced tuition rates.

Delta Program promotes exploration
with first STEM Day


Delta's first STEM Day on Feb. 23 with several community presenters leading sessions exploring science, technology, engineering and math topics.

Organized by a STEM Day committee of teachers, the day was divided into three morning sessions and afternoon field trips. Middle and high school students chose sessions from an array of intriguing options -- converting human waste into fuel in Rwanda, combating bed bug infestations, preserving national parks, applying nuclear energy, managing stormwater runoff, preventing cancer through diet, restoring stream ecosystems, strengthening vision through eye coordination, living as a marine microbiologist in the Arctic and Antarctica, working as a veterinarian and other subjects. Read more

Houserville students grow plants for pollinators


Houserville students add growing medium to their greenhouse jug.

Centre County Master Gardener Program members came to Houserville Elementary School on Feb. 5 to teach about pollination and show fourth- and fifth-graders how to plant native pollinator seeds in milk jug "greenhouse" containers for winter germination. This spring, the students will transplant the plants near a playground drainage area to make a rain pollinator garden for use with science lessons.

Easterly Parkway class raises funds for Rwanda water tank during Helping Hands Fair

Third-grade teacher Deana Washell's students set up a fundraising table at the Feb. 3 fair for their "A Drop in the Bucket" project to provide a water tank for the Urukundo Home for Children and Learning Center school in central Rwanda. Read more

Leadership Workshop for
State High Student Leaders

Author and speaker Lee Rubin, a Fortune 500 human resources professional and a former Penn State football player, held a leadership workshop for State High student leaders last month in the North Building library. In a lively 90-minute session, Rubin spoke about how the students can use their influence to create cultures of respect, break down social walls and prevent harassment, intimidation and bullying among their peers.

State High Project Updates

The traffic flow in the North Building parking lot along Westerly Parkway has been reversed, with the lot entrance now by the gym.
The former driver education course is now a fenced construction zone closed to pedestrian traffic. A large trailer complex on the site will house contractor offices and serve as the construction headquarters during the project.
Taking advantage of spring break earlier this month, workers installed pipes and manholes on the South Building site, and drilled holes for pouring concrete-like grout material to reinforce soil for foundations.
Workers continue to excavate foundations for South Building classroom towers and do other preparatory work on the site. Large rocks are being broken up and hauled away. Removed topsoil is being stored near the track.
A South Building wing has been demolished, and some of the front sidewalk canopy has been dismantled.
Sign up for project updates via e-mail and/or SMS text to stay informed. Updates will include timely news and features about project progress, parking and traffic, construction phasing, project milestones, and more. Project website

Straight Talk Presentation

Body Image

Tuesday, April 19, 7-8:30 p.m.

Location: Mount Nittany Middle School

Presenter: Melanie Lynch, State College Health Teacher