Pictured (l-r) are: Karen Voigt, Acting Superintendent Mountain View School District, Glenn Mackey - Technology Teacher, Peter Quigg - President The Community Foundation, Robert Welch - Senior VP & Market Manager NBT Bank, Michelle Feduchak - Lenox Assistant Branch Manager NBT Bank, Matt Donnelly - Technology Teacher, Robert Presley - High School Principal. 

NBT Bank recently provided a $25,000 grant to Mountain View School District in support of the Science and Engineering program Project Lead The Way.  This grant is provided by the bank’s donation to the Pennsylvania Education Improvement Tax Credit Program administered by The Community Foundation of the Endless Mountains.  Project Lead the Way is a national curriculum that provides a comprehensive approach to Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics courses; all of which are vital to today’s workforce.

Project Lead the Way trains teachers to empower their students to learn this important STEM material in a collaborative setting where teamwork and problem solving are valuable components of the classroom.  The Community Foundation of the Endless Mountains has also administered Project Lead the Way in the Susquehanna Community School District since 2009 and NBT Bank, previously in the form of Pennstar Bank, has provided substantial funding for that program as well.

Despite freezing temperatures and many delays, students connected to Mountain View Elementary F.O.C.U.S. finally had the opportunity to experience snowshoeing for the first time.  The recipient of the 2014 Teacher Enrichment Grant from the Susquehanna Chapter of the Pennsylvania Association of School Retirees (PARS), Mrs. Diana Slick, a school counselor, had applied for the special project to facilitate the experience.

Students at the Mountain View Elementary School enjoyed the opportunity to experience snowshoeing as a result of the 2014 Teacher Enrichment Grant.

Fresh Outcomes for Children requiring an Unconventional learning Space (FOCUS) addresses students’ needs using both educational and therapeutic interventions that promote academic, social, emotional, and behavioral growth. Classroom activities are closely aligned to Mountain View School District learning standards, grade level benchmarks, and practices. The “meshing” of the educational and therapeutic services allow for the students’ emotional stability and learning. A multi-modal process of intervention is practiced.  The program is staffed with an emotional support teacher, Rebecca Giordano, and a school counselor, Diana Slick.   Two instructional/ behavioral aides assist the students while they are learning within the Mt. View inclusive classrooms, Denise Skurnowicz and Sue Penedos.

As an introduction to snowshoeing, Nancy Wottrich, an interpretive naturalist, visited the classroom to give the students some information on the history of snowshoeing which began for very practical purposes.  Over 6,000 years ago, in central Asia, snowshoeing was a form of transportation.  It has become a popular aerobic activity which can be enjoyed by people of any age and requires no special skills or special places to go to do it.   One only needs at least six inches of snow and a pair of snowshoes.

As a part of her presentation, Mrs. Wottrich brought two sets of snowshoes which were over one-hundred years old and are known as bear claw snowshoes.  She talked about the parts of the snowshoe, different types of snowshoes, how to put them on, and what to wear.

Finally, after being postponed three times, the ten students and seven adults ventured out for their new experience with Angela Lambert, Environmental Education Specialist from Lackawanna State Park who provided the snowshoes to promote the “Get Outdoors PA” initiative.  The entire group navigated the Nature Trail at the elementary school for over an hour.

“Why snowshoeing?” one might ask.  Mrs. Slick, who snowshoes herself believed that it focuses on a healthy, fun, aerobic activity during a time of year when options are sometimes few and far between.  For these students, the activity enhanced camaraderie, trust, respect and new learning.  The adults noted that the students helped each other and no one complained during the entire time.  Once back inside they all enjoyed a lovely lunch ordered and prepared through the school cafeteria.

As a follow-up the students will be writing thank you letters and hopefully encouraging their families to experience snowshoeing as well.  Undoubtedly, this was an excellent opportunity for these students thanks to Mrs. Slick’s planning and desire to provide a new, enjoyable activity for them.  She is hoping to find a way of purchasing a quantity of snowshoes to have available for use at the school.

Elk Lake High School Principal Brain Mallery has announced the January 2015 Students of the Month for grades seven through twelve.

Pictured (L-R) are: front – Makayla Ryce, Joey Malandri, Kelsey Day, Hunter Bomboy, Nate Preston, Felicia Bedford, Kaylee Eckert, Emily Stevens, Madison Sickler, Sadie Bosscher; back – Brian Webb, Abelardo Lopez, Makenzie Jones, Eliza Bosscher, Chris Kinder, Cody Oswald, Zach Boatman, Holden Cole, Jack Waldenberger, Rose Warner, Kyler DeGrote, Caleb Tunilo, Francisco Lopez-Jimenez, High School Principal Mr. Brian Mallery. Absent from photo: Brad Askew and Kelly Severcool.

The Mountain View High School Drama Club will present the musical “Hairspray” on Thursday, March 5, Friday, March 6, and Saturday, March 7. All performances will take place in the Norman J. Maza Auditorium of the high school. Curtain time is 7pm each evening. Tickets are available at the door.

The cast features 30 students from grades 7-12 and 9 faculty and administration cast members.

Juniata College has named 398 students to the dean's list for the 2014 fall semester. Each student must have at least a 3.6 grade average out of a possible 4.0.

Ashlynn Nicole Cobb of Montrose, daughter of Brian E. Cobb and Kristine M. Cobb and a 2013 graduate of Montrose Area Senior HS, was named to the 2014 fall dean's list.

Kaitlyn Williams, a Nursing major and resident of Freindsville, PA, was among more than 690 students from Saint Francis University who were named to the Fall 2014, Dean's List.

To achieve Dean's List at Saint Francis University, students must have full-time status and must attain a quality point average of at least 3.5 for the given semester.

Local residents were among more than 1,425 students named to The University of Scranton Dean's List, which recognizes students for academic excellence during the 2014 fall semester. A student must have a grade point average of 3.5 or better with a minimum number of credit hours to make the Dean's List.

Caleigh Wildenstein of Forest City (18421) is a freshman English major in the University's College of Arts and Sciences.

Benjamin Terry of Richmondale (18421) is a sophomore political science major in the University's College of Arts and Sciences.

Amy Black of Hop Bottom (18824) is a junior theatre major in the University's College of Arts and Sciences.

Dominick Sparks of Clifford Township (18421) is a senior computer engineering major in the University's College of Arts and Sciences.

Gregory Stonier of New Milford (18834) is a senior biology major in the University's College of Arts and Sciences.

Elizabeth Walko of Clifford Township (18421) is a senior early and primary teacher education major in the University's Panuska College of Professional Studies.

Christopher Fitzsimmons of Forest City (18421) is a freshman finance major in the University's Kania School of Management.

The following local residents made the Dean's List for Fall, 2014-2015 semester at Rochester Institute of Technology.

Benjamin Maitland of Lenoxville, is a third-year student in the computer science program in RIT's B. Thomas Golisano College of Computing and Information Sciences.

Brandon Deakin of Susquehanna, is a fourth-year student in the mechanical engineering technology program in RIT's College of Applied Science and Technology.

Degree-seeking undergraduate students are eligible for Dean's List if their term GPA is greater than or equal to 3.400, they do not have any grades of "Incomplete", "D" or "F"; and they have registered for, and completed, at least 12 credit hours.