A NEWSLETTER FOR PENN MANOR SCHOOL DIST R I C T, MILLERSVILLE, PA 17 5 51

MISSION STATEMENTThe Penn Manor School District shall strive for academic and personalexcellence by fostering a democratic environment which motivatesstudents, teachers, administrators, and parents to work collaborative-ly to improve the instructional program.

Inside This Issue:Superintendent’s Message 2

Senior Citizens’ C o r n e r 3

Giving Back/They’re Tops 4-5

A l u m n i / P M E F N e w s 6

2009-2010 School Calendar 7

Board of School DirectorsC. Willis Herr II, P r e s i d e n tRichard L. Frerichs, E d . D ., Vice PresidentJoseph P. DeLucaJohnna M. FriedmanFranklin C. HokeJ. Kenneth LongCarlton L. RintzKirk D. SchlotzhauerDonna J. We r t

Ex Officio Members:Christopher L. Johnston, Tr e a s u r e rPaula E. Howard, S e c r e t a r y

A d m i n i s t r a t i o nDonald F. Stewart S u p e r i n t e n d e n tEllen P. PollockAssistant Superintendent for Curriculum and I n s t r u c t i o nChristopher L. JohnstonBusiness ManagerStephen B. SkrockiChief Financial OfficerMichael G. Leichliter, Ed.D.Assistant Superintendent for Personnel and P l a n n i n gCindy L. RhoadesE d i t o r, Community Relations Coordinator

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www.pennmanor.netSpring2009Issue

Students in the Penn Manor SchoolDistrict learn many lessons duringtheir years in school. One of thelife lessons teachers want studentsto retain is the importance of giv-ing back to their community. Thisphilanthropic spirit can be found inevery school building in the PennManor School District.

At the high school, Student Counciland Twilight School students

worked together to provide Christmas gifts forPenn Manor students and families in need. HighSchool Textile Arts students used their sewingskills in class to create dresses out of pillowcasesfor orphans in Mexico. Hambright Elementarysixth grade stu-dents as wellas ManorMiddle Schoollearning sup-port studentshelp deliver

Meals on Wheels to area senior citizenseach week. The Goodness Gorillas at

PequeaElementarySchool haveraised over $2,000 so far this school year forarea charities through a variety of events. Allschools help collect food for Holiday FoodBaskets for Penn Manor families as well assponsor mitten trees to collect donations ofwinter hats, mittens and scraves for area chil-dren and adults.

Read on for more examples of Penn Manorstudents giving back!

P M Students Give Back

How does one define a communi-ty? To me a community is a placewhere all the members are work-ing hard to make life better foreveryone.

Recently I heard a story about thePenn Manor community. One ofour families had just had a newheat pump installed. While thenew heating system meant moreefficient heating for the family,the change left them with 300gallons of unused heating oil intheir tank. The old oil representedan ecological threat and had to beremoved. The family had just paidfor an expensive new heating sys-tem and now they were facing asignificant expense simply to havethat unused oil pumped from theirtank. Knowing that some otherPenn Manor family might benefitfrom the oil, this family contactedone of Penn Manor SchoolDistrict’s family social workers.

A few phone calls later, the PennManor social worker was able tofind a generous local oil contractorwho volunteered to pump theunused oil from the tank and thento deliver it free of charge toanother Penn Manor family, onethat could make good use of freeheating oil.

One neighbor finding a way toreach out and help another neigh-bor, that’s what communitymeans. During the current eco-nomic slow down many of ourPenn Manor community neighborswill face challenges. And so often,as in the story of the 300 gallonsof heating oil, an easy solutioncan be found when the communi-ty members work in partnership.

In Penn Manor we naturally wantall of our students to reach their

full potential. We want them to dotheir best in the classroom, to dotheir best on the athletic field andto make the best possible deci-sions as they grow into youngadults. While schools are oftenmeasured by test scores andscore boards, we haven’t doneour full job as a community untilwe have taught our children thevalue of service to others, theimportance of caring about thosein need.

In this edition of the “Above andBeyond” we take time to highlightjust a small portion of the com-munity service efforts of PennManor students. You will learn ofour students’ efforts to contributeto the Penn Manor community in awide array of charitable and serv-ice capacities. Our children at theelementary, the middle school andthe high school levels have foundways to make the Penn Manorcommunity a better place for usall. If you know these students orif you have benefited from theirservice, please take the time tosay thanks and to show yourappreciation. We are buildinghabits in our children that wehope will last their whole liveslong.

This is my last “Above andBeyond” letter to you. In June Iwill retire after 36 years in educa-tion and 24 years in service to thePenn Manor School District.Additonally, Penn Manor HighSchool Principal and formerPennsylvania State Principal of theYear, Dr. Jan Mindish, will retire atthe end of this school year. Dr.Mindish will be stepping asideafter 12 years as principal and atotal of 37 years as a Penn Manoreducator.

In preparation for these changes,the Penn Manor School Board hasthoughtfully prepared for asmooth transition to new leader-ship. In an era when many schooldistricts are struggling to replacetheir leaders, Penn Manor haspromoted AssistantSuperintendent, Dr. MichaelLeichliter, to assume the role ofSuperintendent. Associate HighSchool Principal, Mr. Phil Gale, willassume the role of Penn ManorHigh School Principal. Both ofthese individuals have alreadydemonstrated their leadershipcapabilities. Both of these leadershave already demonstrated theirloyalty and devotion to the PennManor community.

Penn Manor’s future is lookingvery bright. A school district thatis staffed by committed educatorsand supported by a communitythat cares about its children willachieve great things.

Donald F. StewartSuperintendent of Schools

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Superintendent’s Message:How Does One Define A

C o m m u n i t y ?From the Desk of Mr. Donald Stewart

Spelling BeeResults

Congratulations to this year’sspelling bee champions!

Grade 3: 1 s t Xavier Roman, Central Manor2nd Alex Schuman, Martic

Grade 4: 1st Rachel Divet, Eshleman2nd Alex Krahulik, Central Manor

Grade 5:1st Evan Phelan, Conestoga2 n d Kassie Laukhuff, C e n t ral Manor

Grade 6:1st Allie Ames, Hambright2nd Alan Dang, Central Manor

Middle School:Manor - Allen Markes (8th)Marticville - Nick Stoltzfus (7th),Ben Moore (7th), KelseyFulton(8th)

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Visit Penn Manor online at www.pennmanor.net

Senior Citizens’ CornerDid you get your Comet Classic Card yet?

The Penn Manor School District offers a Comet Classic card to district residents who are age 60 and older.Comet Classic cardholders may use their cards to enter regular season home athletic events, concerts, com-puter technology evening classes, and other school-sponsored events at no charge. Cardholders receive twonewsletters each year outlining events of interest. One popular event is Dinner and a Show held inNovember. Comet Classic Cardholders are treated to a free light buffet prior to the fall play preview. Don’tmiss out! Be sure to get your Comet Classic card today.

To apply for your Comet Classic card, visit the district administration office located adjacent to Manor MiddleSchool. You will need to show proof of age and address (driver’s license, medical identification, passport,etc.) Please call Cindy Rhoades at 872-9500 ext. 2241 with any questions.

Senior Citizens’ Tax RebateOn February 2, 2009, the Penn Manor Board of School Directors voted to continuethe extended senior tax rebate program for the 2008 tax year. Senior citizens whoare homeowners and make less than $15,000 per year are once again eligible for a tax rebate from theschool district up to a maximum of $650. Homeowners need to have filed for the PA Property Tax Rebate (usebooklet PA-1000) to qualify. The district rebate is calculated on the amount of the 2008 (bills issued July 1,2008) school real estate taxes paid. The deadline to file for the 2008 district rebate is June 30, 2010.

More information is available at www.pennmanor.net/business/tax/rebate or by calling the Penn Manor taxoffice at 717-872-9500 ext. 2243.

School Board Meetings:Tu e s d a y, April 14 at 7 PMM o n d a y, May 4 at 7 PMM o n d a y, May 11 at 7 PMM o n d a y, June 1 at 7 PMM o n d a y, June 8 at 7 PM

Meetings are held in the board room at Manor Middle School and are open to the public.

Dates of Interest:T h u r s d a y, April 9 - No School or Snow Make-Up DayF r i d a y, April 10 - No School - Va c a t i o nM o n d a y, April 13 - No School or Snow Make-Up DayF r i d a y, April 17 - 4th grade Math Bowl at Hambright E.S. 1:15 PMTu e s d a y, April 21 - Elementary Chorus & Beginner String Twilight Concert at PMHS 5:30T h u r s d a y, April 23 - All Elementary Band & Orchestra Concert at PMHS 7:00 PMF r i d a y, April 24 - 5th grade Math Bowl at Letort E.S. 1:15 PMS a t u r d a y, April 25 - Entertainment PM at PMHS Auditorium 7:00 PMF r i d a y, May 1 - Festival of Learning at HS Central Complex 7-9 PMTu e s d a y, May 5 - Manor Middle School Spring Concert at Manor MS 7:30 PMT h u r s d a y, May 7 - Marticville Middle School Spring Concert at Marticville MS 7:30 P MF r i d a y, May 8 - No School or Snow Make-Up DayWe d n e s d a y, May 13 - HS Ensemble Concert at PMHS Auditorium 7:30 PMF r i d a y, May 15 - District Early Dismissal (No A M K i n d e r g a r t e n )We d n e s d a y, May 20 - HS Spring Band and Chorus Concert at PMHS 7:30 PMM o n d a y, May 25 - No School - Va c a t i o nF r i d a y, June 5 - Students’ Last Day of School

Upcoming Events or Dates of InterestCalendarCoupons

The Penn Manor School District isfortunate to have the ClipperMagazine produce the school calen-dar. Because of the enormous cost-savings to the school district eachdistrict resident has received a copyof the school calendar in his/hermailbox each year.

In order to keep the cost of the cal-endar low, the Clipper Magazine sellsad space to local businesses in thecalendar. Some local businesses alsoinclude money-saving coupons in thecalendar. Using the coupons will keepbusinesses interested in buyingadvertising space in the future.Please check your calendar for thesemoney-saving coupons.

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Penn Manor students are eager to help the community, charita-ble organizations and veterans.

At the elementary level, students used the Super Bowl as afundraising event. The Super Bowl penny war at HambrightElemetary was a hit this winter. Students put pennies into thejar of their favorite football team. Hambright’s proceeds went tothe Four Diamonds Fund. Letort Elementary held a ‘Super Bowlfor Supper Bowls’ where food donations were brought in to sup-port the students favorite football teams. The food items weredonated to the Columbia Food Bank. Local food banks also bene-fited from the ‘Trick or Treat so Kids can Eat’ food drive run bythe high school theater groups and ‘The Giving Tree’ atEshleman Elementary which encouraged students to bring infood items to be packed for district families in need of assis-tance. Susan Baldrige’s English 11 students picked over 100 lbs.of apples for local food banks; Central Manor Elementary deco-rated a tree at Interiors 2000 where canned food was collectedand sent to local food banks. Conestoga Elementary’s ‘AngelFood’ program provides food boxes monthly to several familiesin need.

Veterans were remembered in a variety of ways. LetortElementary made Valentine’s for Veterans, Penn Manor HighSchool’s Foods and Nutrition classes made cookies for veteransas part of Christmas Care Packages. Eighth grade Manor MiddleSchool students are ‘Soldier Angels’ this year, writing letters andsending cards every 6 weeks to soldiers stationed overseas. Thestudents also sent a holiday gift box to each of their soldiers.

A penny war at Central Manor Elementary netted funds for theWashington Boro Fire Company. Manor Middle School PeerHelpers collected clothing, toys and household items for an areafamily recovering from a house fire. Penn Manor High School’sYouth Peace Council collected hair care products for a localdomestic violence shelter. Marticville Middle School held a schooldance to benefit the American Cancer Society.

Jump Rope for Heart is popular in all elementary schools. MarticElementary raised over $3,000 this year. Proceeds go to theAmerican Heart Association.

The staff at Penn Manor does a great deal to give back to thecommunity. Several times a year, staff members are permittedto wear blue jeans to school for a $5.00 donation which goes todifferent charities. Staff members have provided families withbrighter holidays by purchasing Christmas gifts for many fami-lies. Adult size clothing was collected from staff for distributionas needed.

This is just a small sampling of the many ways in which PennManor students and staff give back. We are Penn Manor Proud!

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Penn Manor students and stafffind creative ways to help

‘Super Bowl for Supper Bowls’ at LetortElementary benefited the food bank

‘The Giving Tree’ at Eshleman Elementaryprovided food for area families

Penn Manor High School students makingcookies for veterans

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Visit Penn Manor online at www.pennmanor.net

Senior Julia Griffith was selected torepresent Pennsylvania in the 2009Music Educators National Conference(MENC) All-Eastern Conference heldfrom March 12-15 in Providence, RhodeIsland. Julia performed on flute/piccolowith a select group of high school stu-dents made up of the best musiciansfrom the All State bands and orchestrason the East Coast. Being selected forAll-Eastern is the highest honor a highschool musician can receive.

LeTort & Pequea Elementary Schoolswere among the distinguished elemen-tary schools in the Lancaster-LebanonIU 13 to be recognized for scoring in thetop quintile in Pennsylvania for PSSAtesting. Letort was recognized forScience (grade 4) and Writing (grade 5);Pequea for Math (grade 5).

The Rotary District 7390, in partnershipwith WGAL-TV, sponsored the TeacherImpact Awards. The goal is to honorthose teachers who have had significantimpact on their students, who go far andabove the ordinary. Wendy Letavic,high school English as a SecondLanguage teacher, was one of fivePennsylvania teachers chosen toreceive this honor.

Sophomore Ben Clark scored a perfectscore of 150 on the American MathCompetition 10 test answering all 25questions correctly. He is the first PennManor student to earn a perfect scoreon one of the high school exams. Benwill join senior John Myers and juniorGrant Elledge who took the AMC 12test in advancing to the next round oftesting.

Junior Megan Harris was awarded firstplace in the senior individual exhibit cat-egory at the Regional History DayCompetition. Junior Hannah Tuckerwas awarded first place in the seniorindividual performance category withjunior Serena Bolinger coming in sec-ond. Freshman Claire Collison placedthird for senior web sites. All willadvance to the state competition.

They’re Tops!Penn Manor’s Quiz Bowl TeamWins the Lancaster-Lebanon

League CrownWith the end of the match in sight, Penn Manor’s Quiz Bowl teamwas down by 70 points. No worries! Captain Grant Elledge withteammates Ben Novak, Brendan Stoeckl, and Jeff Zikmund stagedan incredible comeback and defeated the heavily favoredElizabethtown H.S. team by a score of 170-135 to win Penn Manor’sfirst ever Lancaster-Lebanon Quiz Bowl League Championship. Theteam advances to the PA State Academic Competition in the statecapitol building in Harrisburg on April 24. The team also continuesto compete in the Brainbusters Tournament. The team is picturedbelow (from left) Grant Elledge (captain), Brendan Stoeckl, LarsAnderson (alternate), Jeff Zikmund, and Ben Novak.

Elementary Science Fair WinnersThe elementary science fair was held on February 24 with 151entries. Congratulations to all students who participated.

Grade 4: 1st - Erin Daniels - Martic Elementary“What is the Best Method for Removing Chewing Gum from Hair”2nd - Tyler Hertzog - Conestoga, 3rd - Dominique Fulk -Conestoga

Grade 5: 1st - Claire Molitoris - Central Manor“Step lightly: What is my carbon footprint”2nd - Collin Rineer - Letort, 3rd - MadisonWarfel - Letort

Grade 6: 1st - Keagan Gamber - Letort“Which bridge can hold the most weight”2nd - Haley Stott - Conestoga, 3rd - CarolynSloss - Martic

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Visit Penn Manor online at www.pennmanor.net

Don’t Miss the 94th Alumni BanquetSaturday, April 18, 2009

The 94th Penn Manor Alumni Banquet returns to the high school this year with a newinduction class of distinguished alumni and many surprises! Come see your class-

mates, past faculty and staff, and connect with old friends. Information is available onthe website at www.pennmanor.net/alumni/ or by contacting Alumni President Frank

Geist (‘63) at 717-872-4304 or by email at fgeist@aol.com

Calling All Penn Manor Alumni Military VeteransThe Penn Manor Alumni Association is proud to announce a special tribute to all Penn Manor Alumniveterans at this year’s annual alumni banquet. This year’s banquet is returning to the high school onSaturday, April 18th. If you are a veteran and an alum and are able to attend, please contact FrankGeist at fgeist@aol.com or 872-4304 for details and a formal invitation.

PMAA salutes all Penn Manor veterans for their personal service, sacrifice, and patriotism!

B.R.E.A.K.(Brain Riveting Enrichment Activities for Kids)

Penn Manor’s Summer Break program will be heldat Manor Middle School for one week only June 15to June 19 from 9 AM until 12:35 PM. Free shuttleservice is available from Marticville Middle Schooland Pequea Elementary schools. Registrationpackets will be available at all elementary schoolsthe week of April 27 as well as online at www.penn-manor.net/summer. Registration will run from April30 until May 15. Summer Break is open to all stu-dents currently in grades 1 to 7. A special programfor students currently in kindergarten is also offeredon a space limited basis.

For more information, please contact CindyRhoades at 872-9500 ext. 2241.

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Penn Manor Alumni News

PMEF awards another $17,109 in

teacher grants Supporting education in thePenn Manor School District isone of the goals of the PennManor Education Foundation(PMEF). Each year in Octoberand again in February, theFoundation funds venture grantrequests submitted by teachers

for projects in their classroom or school.

In February, the Foundation was able to fund 23venture grant projects totaling $17,019.85. Forthe 2008-09 school year, the Foundation provided$52,293.57 to teachers. Since the program’sinception in September 2000, PMEF has providednearly $400,000 in funds to support innovativeteacher grants which help to enhance the educa-tional opportunities for students in the PennManor School District.

Visit the website for more information atwww.pennmanor.net/foundation or call 872-9500ext. 2332.

Visit Penn Manor online at www.pennmanor.net

2009-2010 School Calendar At A Glance

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P.O. Box 1001Millersville, PA 1 7 5 5 1 - 0 3 0 1An Equal Opportunity Employer

Postal Customer

No n p r o fit Org .

U.S. Postage

PA I DMillersville, PA

17 5 51

Permit #12

The Penn Manor School District is an equal opportunity institute , and it will not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, or handicap in its activities, programs, or employment practices as required by Title VI, Title IX, and Section504. For more information regarding civil rights and grievance procedures, contact Ellen Pollock, Title IX c o o r d i n a t o r, Penn Manor School District, Millersville, PA 17 5 51, (717) 872-9500.

High School Turf Fieldready for the spring

The new turf field at Penn Manor High School has been com-pleted and is ready for the busy spring season. PhysicalEducation classes use the field each day during the year(weather permitting) from 7:30 until 2:30 followed by theboys’ lacrosse team and the track and field team in thespring. In the fall, the high school football team will use thefield for daily practice while the junior varsity team will usethe field to play their home games. The Penn ManorMarching Unit will practice on the field in the evenings dur-ing the fall as they prepare for band competitions.

In addition to the synthetic turf, the track surrounding thefield was repaired and resealed. The discus and javelinareas were relocated for safety reasons. The long jump pit,pole vault pit and shot put area were relocated as well. Newbleachers and new fencing complete the face lift.

Penn Manor toImplement SummerTen Hour/Four DayWork Week Pilot

By Steve Skrocki, Chief Financial Officer

Under a pilot program school districtemployees will work 10 hour shiftsMonday through Thursday from June22nd to July 31st. Penn Manor HighSchool, Manor Middle School,Marticville Middle School, and theDistrict Administrative and Tax Officeswill be open from 7 AM to 5 PMMonday through Thursday. Buildingswill be closed on Fridays.

Penn Manor School District’s pilot pro-gram is an effort to reduce energycosts, save money for taxpayers,reduce fuel consumption for employ-ees, and lessen the district’s carbonfootprint on the planet. The six weekpilot will involve every district buildingand employee with the exception ofEshleman Elementary School, whichhas a long-standing contract for ayouth summer daycare program.

The project is part of the district’s con-tinuing efforts to decrease expenses,including electricity costs. Penn Manoris taking a leadership role in findinginnovative solutions to improve effi-ciency and conserve energy andresources. The pilot program willmeasure the benefits in terms ofenhanced cus-tomer serviceand reducedenergy con-sumption priorto determiningif the four dayweek programwill continue infuture years.

Spring Issue 2009