April 30 - Freshman/Sophomore Spring Dance, 7:00 p.m.
May 2-6 - Teacher Appreciation Week
May 7 - State High Senior Prom, 7:30 p.m.
May 8 - High School All Night Party
May 13 - 40th Anniversary of State College HS Jazz Festival
May 14 - State High Junior Prom, 7:30 p.m.
May 16 - Author Visit by Paul Zelinsky, Caldecott Medal Winner
May 24 - Underclassmen Awards, 4:30 p.m.
May 25 - Delta Program Graduation Project Exhibition, 6 pm.
May 26 - First Grade Tree Planting, 4:15 p.m.
May 27 - School is in session - Snow make up day
May 28 - Thespian Cabaret and Silent Auction. 7 p.m.
May 30 - No School, Memorial Day
May 31 - 18th Annual Maroon and Gray Concert, 7:30 p.m.

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

For April, we give you a varied selection of stories -- the Staff Spotlight, lots of upcoming events, several special awards, students who go above and beyond, and much more.

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Staff Spotlight

Gray's Woods "superhero" teaches close-knit club


Rosemary Schwoerer-Parry and students knit beautiful things together.

For more than a decade, Rosemary Schwoerer-Parry, a 5th-grade paraprofessional in Ellen Cannizzaro's room, has been spending her lunches teaching Gray's Woods 5th-graders knitting and crocheting - and building a beloved school tradition, stitch by stitch.

"It's a lot of work but the intrinsic rewards are great," she said. "I just love working with the knitters and I have a high tolerance for organized chaos."

Some days, as many as 20 to 30 students - including plenty of boys - show up with lunches, ready to resume working with yarn bought by families, the PTO and Schwoerer-Parry herself. During the school year, more than half the 5th-grade participates, with students coming and going in addition to a core group of regulars, she said.

Under her direction, the club also devotes its talents annually to a community service project. A few years ago, members made afghans to raise money for a school in Ghana, and they continue to knit classroom security door curtains for Secure In Place Drills, with four more this year to their credit. Read more and see more photos

Park Forest Elementary School selected as
2016 U.S. Department of Education
Green Ribbon School


PFE students cheer when they get the big news.

The award acknowledges Park Forest Elementary school's commitment to sustainable practices. PFE's grounds boast vegetable, herb, pollinator, butterfly, and rain gardens.

The school participates in the Earth Force service action program, whereby students identify a problem and work collaboratively to address it. Students designed and built a butterfly citizenship garden and participate in Monarch Watch. They study water conservation and quality in addition to myriad other environmental topics, in a hands-on, authentic manner.

Other efforts have included a nature trail, the construction of two raised-bed gardens, the building of a cold frame, the construction of honeybee hives, installation of rain gardens and wetlands, installation of bluebird and bat boxes, construction of an animal observation area and more. The building itself was constructed to save energy. Twenty-five percent of the food served in the cafeteria is locally grown.

The award ceremony will be held in July in Washington, D.C. Read More

Homecoming: Former SCASD students
return to district as PDS interns

They're no longer State College Area School District students, but the district continues to educate them.

This year, Penn State students Amanda Allen, Rachael Cochrane, Jamie Glass and Bria Truxon - all of whom grew up locally and graduated from State High - returned to the district as Professional Development School interns learning to be teachers.

The PDS program, a long-running partnership between the Penn State College of Education and the district, pairs selected Penn State seniors aspiring to education careers with mentor teachers in elementary and secondary English classrooms. Interns and mentors teach together for the whole school year and share their inquiry projects with colleagues and peers at the annual PDS Inquiry Conference. The 2016 conference took place April 23 at Mount Nittany Middle School. Read more

Senior battling cancer gives back to track teammates through Make A Wish Foundation

Battling cancer, senior Isaac Messner wished from the Make a Wish Foundation for new uniforms for the boy's track and field team. On March 23, he presented them to the team. Read more in the Centre Daily Times

State High German teacher displays
rye sensibility with bread lesson


German 4 students bake rye bread

As he has done annually for 10 years, Eric Smith, State High German teacher, devoted part of a class to teaching his students how to bake bread, specifically his special "Herr Smith's Rye Bread" recipe. The catch: All the lesson was in German.

For about 45 minutes, students took turns mixing the zutaten (ingredients) into teig (dough) at a table up front, then rolling and kneading a loaf. Clad in a blue apron, Smith all the while instructed them and provided a running commentary for the rest of the class. "Falten, dr�cken, drehen," he said at one point, reminding his bakers to "fold, push and rotate" the flour-dusted dough. Read more

State High is "Top Global Learning School"

State High is one of 74 schools from across the country to receive the 2016 "Top Global Learning School" award from AFS-USA and the National Society of High School Scholars. "State College Area High School is committed to fostering internationally-minded students," AFS-USA said on its website. "They have worked together with Rotary International to both host and send students. The school offers students many different language opportunities, especially through the StarTalk Programs at Pennsylvania State University." Read more

Faculty/Staff Wellness

May: Focus on Kindness

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

500 Miles in 5 Days Challenge

Lewis Yeaple is an avid cyclist, and having been diagnosed with type one juvenile diabetes at the age of 4, he wanted to show others that the disease doesn't need to hinder having an active lifestyle and pursuing activities they enjoy.

So Yeaple, a State College Area High School senior, got on his bike Thursday, March 24, and spent the rest of the weekend into Monday riding 515 miles, all while raising money for the American Diabetes Association. Along the way he was joined by local cyclists who wanted to show support. Read more via StateCollege.com

State High Teacher Recognized Nationally

Melanie Lynch, State High health teacher, was named Health Education Teacher of the Year by the national Society of Physical and Health Educators (SHAPE America). Lynch is recognized for designing and implementing "high energy, student-centered lesson plans that are aligned with the National Health Education Standards," the Society said.