Blue Ridge Elementary celebrated Read Across America on Monday, March 2nd. This national event is sponsored by National Education Association (NEA) and takes place every year on or near March 2nd, the birthday of Dr. Seuss. Dr. Seuss’s popular book, Oh, the Places You’ll Go, was showcased this year due to its 25th Anniversary.

Kindergarten teacher, Mrs. April Rhone shares a Dr. Seuss moment with students Brooklyn Cook and Liam Templeton. Mrs. Rhone and Brooklyn wore their “Thing 1” t-shirts, while Liam wore his Grinch t-shirt to celebrate Dr. Seuss’ birthday.

Mrs. April Caruso’s Kindergarten Class with Librarian, Mrs. Janelle Tench, dressed as YOU, the main character of Oh, the Places You’ll Go. Left to right are:
1st Row - Kaylee Evans, Brianna O’Dell, Logan Barber, Kayden Connolly, Christopher Rice, Ayden White. 
2nd Row – Daniel Martel, Colton Croop, Gage Morris, Peyton Shaw, Colton Thomas, Mckenna Zick. 3rd Row – Rose Birtch, Savannah Sanborn, Hospicio Martinez-Garcia, Braelyn Palmer, Ryan Colwell, Tyler Stratton, Mrs. Janelle Tench.

Students across all grade levels participated in Oh the Places You’ll Go activities, listened to the story, and took “The Readers’ Oath”. “The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.” –Dr. Seuss

Engineering students from Susquehanna Community School District were given the opportunity to explore Natural Gas gathering, and Building Construction. Last Wednesday, February 18, Susquehanna teacher Michael Matis and Will Szili took 20 students to see first-hand how Susquehanna Gathering, a subsidiary of DTE Energy, transfers natural gas from local well pads and conditions it to supply some of the major pipelines that are close to the area. Several employees of Bluestone Gathering, including Mr. Mike Armiak, discussed the processes, daily challenges and showed the students different components of the operation including the compressor stations, Programmable Logic Controlling of the site and dehydration units. The students were very receptive of the tour.

Also during the trip the students were able to stop by a structure being constructed by Blue Ridge Better Builders. General Contractor Tim Welch gave a nice presentation and showed the students many of the aspects of framing a house.  The students that are in Mr. Matis’ Civil Engineering and Architecture class found this experience to be very useful.

The trip’s purpose was to show different forms of engineering related careers that are here in Susquehanna County. The trip was funded and made possible by the O’Neil foundation. The O’Neil foundation provides scholarship opportunities to Susquehanna Community seniors, including one which will fund a senior attending the Lackawanna College of Petroleum and Natural Gas located in New Milford, PA. 

The Susquehanna Community School District would like to thank everyone who took the time and effort to make the opportunity available including: John Kukowski- PLTW community committee member; Mike Armiak-Director of PR, Bluestone Gathering; Tim Welch, General Contractor, Owner of Blue Ridge Better Builders; and Steve Voytek, Assistant Director of Lackawanna College School of Petroleum and Natural Gas.

This picture was taken at Bluestone Gathering Compressor station in New Milford, PA and includes the staff of Bluestone gathering and Susquehanna Community Students and Faculty.

The Susquehanna Community School District would like to thank Mr. Ken Goody and the John and Marie Zimmerman Foundation for their recent donation to the Susquehanna Community Project Lead The Way (PLTW) Program. Ken Goody, a twenty five year weekender, first learned about the needs of the SCSD through The O’Neil Foundation. He is just another example of someone who does not live locally, yet continues to encourage others who have access to resources to inspire others to support education and the arts.

Susquehanna Community has implemented PLTW Engineering and students have even built a hydrogen operated model car.  Students have also completed excellent projects in bridge design and robotics through the Engineering program at Susquehanna. VEX Robotics partnership with Project Lead the Way gives current and future PLTW schools new, exciting, and cutting-edge opportunities both inside and outside the classroom. The VEX Robotics Design System is the exclusive robotics platform offered to PLTW schools, bringing exciting opportunities for students including the chance to take PLTW’s courses that have been updated with rigorous hands-on, project based robotics lessons.

Our Technology Education Department will use the donated equipment in creating and making Mechanisms and Robotic technologies. Some of the activities our students will design and build include automated technologies such as toll booths, traffic lights, draw bridges, robotic arms, clawbots, drive systems and marble sorters. Vex equipment is used in a few Technology classes including 8th Grade Tech, Intro to Engineering Design, and Principles of Engineering.

From all of us here at Susquehanna Community, we would like to thank Mr. Ken Goody and the John and Marie Zimmerman Foundation for their gracious contribution to our PLTW program.

Following is a list of Mountain View Elementary students who qualified for the Second Marking Period Academic Excellence Award during the 2014-15 school year.

FOURTH GRADE

Wesley Anderson, Carter Bain, Nicole Baker, Charlize Barhite, Gavin Bewley, Briana Boswell, Zayvion Bradford, Ariel Brodeur, Lauren Clancy, Destanee Colwell, Emily Cosklo, Ryan Drake, Leah Evans, Alyson Frederici, Amber George, Alexander Karp, Jack Kowalewski, Hunter Kozloski, Genevieve Larkin, Nicholas Lemoncelli, Jessie Noldy, Tanner Stout, Joseph Swetter, Jonathon Symuleski, Adia Tompkins, Alexis Turner, Jordyn Walker.

FIFTH GRADE

Skyler Ball, Gregory Barlow, James Bernosky, Travis Bridgeman, Katelyn Bryant, Benjamin Burman, Casey Congdon, Lauren Dick, Vy Doty, Avery Fortuner, Emma Frisbie, Rachel Gerfin, Caylee Gregory, Lillian Harvey, Ryan Henke, Deanna Holbert, Delaney Hollenbeck, Ciara Hundley, Kristian Jaimes, Macie Kelley, Kathryn Long, Makenzie Lowrie, Dominic MacDonald, Emma Master, Andrew McHenry, Gavin Natterer, Stephanie Nichols, Kevin Noldy, Nathan Ofalt, Victoria Pellew, Isaac Penny, Robert Pissott, Ragan Poplawski, Ava Presley, Savannah Robinson, Collin Saam, Maressa Salansky, Nicholas Schmidt, Emily Streich, Maura Strickland, Sophia Striefsky, Shannon Toolan, Wyatt Yachymiak, Keila Zick, Megan Zipprich.

SIXTH GRADE

Sydney Barhite, Morgan Belcher, Emory Bewley, Emily Biesecker, Benjamin DeMark, Michael DeWolfe, Alan Fortuner, Holly Galvin, Hannah Geron, Morgan Hammond, Ashlynd Harvey, Maris Ostir, Peyton Phillips, Zachary Polovitch, Chase Poplawski, Caleb Seamans, Katelyn Supancik, Avery Tompkins, Riley Weida, Nathan Wells, Meredith Zrowka.

Angela J. Cosner, of Springville, received a Master of Business Administration Degree from Clarkson University on December 31, 2014.