The following students at Blue Ridge Elementary made Student Standout for the month of February, 2014.

Pictured (l-r) are: back row - Makayla Shidagis, Dawson Stone, Cassidy Parker, John Barry; fourth row - Breana Paterno, James Minton, Wyatt Bross, Griffin Whitehead; third row - Kyle Baker, Max Madura, Alex Sanchez-Salinas, Emily McCarthy, John Fiore; second row - Calim Percario, Micah Findley, Carson Gallagher, Alex Rudock; front row - Ireland Rudock, Johnathan Pue, Hailey Wooster, Jaylee Miller, Abigail Bednarchik. Absent from photo - Kara Wdowiak, Cameron Nabinger, Jameson Mock, McKenna Zick.

The Elk Lake Forensics Team started off its 2014 qualifying season successfully at the Pa. High School Speech League District 8 Speech and Debate Championships on February 22 by capturing the District Championship in Lincoln-Douglas Debate.

EL junior Haley Skinner, who won a district title last year as part of a Parliamentary Debate Team, captured her first ever individual championship in LD Debate this year.

EL LD Debater Haley Skinner – PHSSL District 8 Champion in LD Debate

Skinner edged out Southern Lehigh’s Eric Kinyon for the District Championship.

Teammate Keeley Carney narrowly missed qualifying by placing 4th.

 “We are very proud of Haley (Skinner).  She has come a long way this year and now she will get a chance to compete against the best LD Debaters in the state,” commented EL Forensics Director Keith Brosious.

Elk Lake has won the District 8 title in LD Debate for 20 out of the past 22 seasons.

Skinner has earned the right to compete against the top 25 debaters at the PHSSL State Championship Tournament at Susquehanna University on March 28-29.

The EL Forensics Team will wrap up their qualifying season on March 1 at the Scranton Catholic Forensics League National Qualifying Tournament at Shikellamy HS. The top five competitors in each event will qualify to the NCFL National Championship Tournament in Chicago, IL over Memorial Day Weekend.

The following students were selected for Mountain View High School Student Of The Month, January, 2014. 

Pictured (l-r) are Robert Presley (Principal), Jacob Heller, Stephanie Ostir, Makenzie Bell, Donna Porter (School Counselor).

And for February 2014 ...

Pictured are Rob Presley (principal), Ryan Martin, Kassandra Lamberson, Keegan Mack, & Donna Porter (counselor).

After a season that saw more than its fair share of tournament cancellations, the Elk Lake Forensics Team entered the Scranton Catholic Forensics League’s National Qualifying Tournament at Shikellamy HS on March 1 with a lot of questions about what would happen at this important competition.

Pictured is EL Forensics Team’s NCFL National Qualifiers (pictured with Chief Shikellamy): Dr. Kurt Liebegott – EL Assistant Forensics Director; Keeley Carney – NCFL National Qualifier; Haley Skinner – NCFL National Qualifier; Keith Brosious – EL Forensics Director.

However, the results of this tournament, for Elk Lake, were excellent as the team qualified two Lincoln-Douglas Debaters to the National Catholic Forensics League’s Grand National Tournament in Chicago, IL over Memorial Day Weekend.

EL junior Keeley Carney, in her first national qualifying tournament ever, compiled a 3 win and 1 loss record during the preliminary rounds by defeating debaters from Danville and Meyers HS.  Her only loss came to fellow national qualifier Emma Ross from Abington Heights HS.

Carney’s record allowed her not to compete in a run-off debate.  Consequently, she earned an automatic qualification to nationals.

Junior Haley Skinner, a returning NCFL National qualifier in LD, compiled a preliminary record of 2 wins and 2 losses by defeating debaters from Danville and Abington Heights HS.

Due to her record, she did not earn an automatic slot to nationals.  She was scheduled for an elimination debate. 

Unfortunately, due to the bracket, Skinner was paired against teammate Mika Smith.  Because Skinner was the higher seeded debater she earned the slot to NCFL Nationals.

EL sophomore Kenneth Brittingham missed qualifying to nationals by one point in Student Congress.

Carney and Skinner will travel to Chicago, IL to compete against the top 250 debaters at the NCFL Grand National Tournament over Memorial Day Weekend.  Last year at this tournament EL debater Austin Cohen won the National Championship in LD Debate.

 “This is a great accomplishment for our debaters.  We were unsure of how this tournament would turn out.  But, they both put a lot of work in over the past few weeks and really earned this trip to Nationals,” commented EL Forensics Director Keith Brosious.

 “Even though Mika (Smith) and Kenny (Brittingham) did not qualify, I am extremely proud of their work effort for this tournament and for the entire season.  They came a long way and narrowly missed qualifying as sophomores,” continued Brosious.

The team will travel to Susquehanna University on March 28-29 to compete at the Pa High School Speech League’s State Championship Tournament.

Dr. Kenneth Cuomo, Elementary Principal at the Elk Lake Elementary School, is pleased to announce the February, 2014 Student of the Month Award winners.

Students in fifth and sixth were selected by their homeroom teachers.  Students may be selected as student of the month from four different areas.  Those four areas are academic achievement, attendance, citizenship and most improved.

Pictured are: front row - Annalease Franklin, Lanie Sirmons, Molly Smith, Kaleigh Mayer, Ethan Brown; back row - Dr. Kenneth Cuomo, Elementary Principal, Megan Bosscher, Brandon Way, Carl Norton,  Jesus Lopez, Brandon McMicken  Absent Amelia Comly.

Elk Lake Elementary is proud of their students and congratulates them for their accomplishments.

Blue Ridge Art Club Students use their art to help people.

Blue Ridge Fifth Grade Art Club members raised $1,332.23 to donate to Susquehanna County Interfaith for their fuel assistance program. This is the fourth year that art teacher, Sarrah Dibble-Camburn's after school art club has completed this project, totaling over $2,800 in aid for families over the last few winters.

Susquehanna County Interfaith currently has helped 191 households this cold season, with more calls coming in daily. Donations such as the art club's help many senior citizens, children, and families to stay warm and healthy during the difficult northeast Pennsylvania winters. For those who are facing financial challenges, whether due to job loss, medical difficulties, or other issues, it can be especially hard to make an already tight budget stretch even further to cover heating costs. The students' creativity, enthusiasm and community service are giving hope and heat to many neighbors in need.

Pictured (l-r) are: top row - Ryan Glatzel, Lydia Andusko, Peyton Gelinger, Jenna McCarthy, Brea Conrad, Marissa Derrick, Hannah Kline, Brandon Findley, Alexia Stone, Brooke Upright, Makena Slater, Olivia Colwell, Katie White, Noah Shankman, Carson Kohler, Michael Palmer, Dylan Dorunda, Aaron Beesley; middle row - Kaylyn Lewis, Samantha Kupst, Destiny Posaski, Angelina Mirra, Danni-Lee Brown, Jay Grover, Joshua Hall,  Clay Repella, Olivia Herbert, Marissa Sharer; bottom row - Olivia Hessey, Lauren Hegedus, Sierra Bross, Cooper Rolison, Caiden George, Kelly Bowles.

The students' complete this project as part of The Hexagon Project where students from around the globe illustrate in 3-D or 2-D what interdependence means.  Blue Ridge Fifth Grade Art Club defined that as helping our neighbors by keeping them warm.  One student, Hannah Kline, collected $312.65 with her donation container at the Pump N Pantry in New Milford.  Their projects will be a part of The Hexagon Project art show in the fall of 2014.

Visit http://hexagonproject.wordpress.com/ for additional information.

The Art Club wanted to thank the community for their donations and the businesses for their participation.  The amount we raised says something wonderful about the people in area we live.

Dr. Alice M. Davis,  Administrative Director of the Susquehanna County Career and Technology Center (SCCTC), is proud to announce the SCCTC’s “Students of the Month” for December, 2013: Searra Warfle, Josh Taylor, Patrick Sekely, Josh Santomauro, Alyssa Sickler, Alex Bonavita, Rodger Creamer, Emily Poirier, Ashley Linaberry, Alyssa Daily, Steve Wiseman, Randi Fenton, Julia Doyle, Jordan Knapp, Mike Fizzano, Destiny Herne, Garrett Mowry, Hannah Squier.

Pictured (l-r) are: Hannah Squier, Danielle Callas, Shian Fassett, Alyssa Sickler, Alyssa Daily, Emily Poirier, Julia Doyle, Destiny Herne, Alex Bonavita, Patrick Sekely, Rodger Creamer, Dr. Davis and Jordan Knapp.

And for January 2014:

Dr. Alice M. Davis,  Administrative Director of the Susquehanna County Career and Technology Center (SCCTC), is proud to announce the SCCTC’s “Students of the Month” for January, 2014: Ryan Tingley, Cole House, TJ Tyler, Tyler Brewer, Chris Nikolaidis, Zach Moon, Michael Prusack, Jasmine Hollister, Dakotah Gulick, Renay Faux, Victoria Trynoski, Chastity Carvin, Alicia Hunter, Brittany Wallace, Zack Hallisey, Dennis Hall, Tyler Davis, Megan Cook, Brandon Traver, Leigh Ann Jennings.

Pictured (l-r) are: Dakota Gulick, Brittany Wallace, Tyler Brewer, Alicia Hunter, Michael Prusack, Renay Faux, Brandon Traver, Jasmine Hollister, Zach Moon, Victoria Trynoski, Chris Nikolaidis, Austin Davis, Chastity Carvin, Zack Hallisy, Megan Cook, Ryan Tingley, TJ Tyler, Dr. Alice M. Davis and Dennis Hall.

Susquehanna Community School District held their annual National Honor Society Dinner and Induction Ceremony on Wednesday, March 5, 2014. There were a total of 31 students involved in this year’s ceremony. Students in grades 10 must have a cumulative grade point average of 93% or higher. Students in grades 11 and 12 must have a cumulative grade point average of 90% or higher.

Pictured (l-r) are: back row - Jonathan Felter, Micaela Rhone, Alyssa Jacobs, Amber Dubanowitz, Ariana Hagopian, Emily Staros, Felicia Hines, Sarah Serfilippi, Emily Stark, Alexis Roe, Rachel Hubal, Brianna Burlingame, Ashley Miller, Mashawna Hargett,  Ivy Christianson, Olivia Rockwell, John (Jack) DeLaPlaine; middle row - Dale Reid, Daniel Braun, Keith Hubal, Austin Felter, Alyssa Hubal, Cori Glidden,  Clayton Hansen, Willard Cobb, Justin Stanford, William Reddon; front row -Miranda Rhone, Kaitlyn Gow.

Students who actively participated in the ceremony were: John (Jack) DeLaPlaine, Jonathan Felter, Sarah Serfilippi, Amber Dubanowitz, Emily Staros, Rachel Hubal, Micaela Rhone, Mashawna Hargett and Ashley Miller. Music was performed by Clayton Hansen.

The guest speaker for the evening was Thomas J. Kelly, a former graduate of Susquehanna Community and the valedictorian of the class of 2010.  He spoke about challenging themselves, taking dual enrollment classes and making the most out of their high school career.   Prior to the ceremony dinner was catered by Gances Catering. A total of 125 guests were present for the dinner and ceremony.