THE BOLT PRIDE

2020 Goals and Surveys 2

Capital Projects 3

Opening Day & New Staff 4

Outstanding Staff Winners 5-8

MAP FAQ’s 8-9

Standards Based Report Card 10

Child Study Team at ACES 10

Student Safety 11

Student Healthcare 11

LHS Goals 12-13

MAMS Flight Plan 14

Curriculum & Innovation 15

Food Service News 16

Fall Sports 17

Mental Health & Well-Being 18

Food for Thought 19

LHS Musical 19

FBLA News 20

FBLA National Conference 20-21

FFA Service Garden 22

FFA Annual Fruit Sale 23

2019-2020 Calendar 24

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I N S I D E T H I S I S S U E :

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room may look very different from when you were in school. When you connect the easily accessi-ble content to the balance of facilita-tion and lecture, we begin to see stu-dents develop skills that become transferable to the world they will live in. Being able to collaborate, make sense of the greater world around them, problem solve, and learn at the

edge of the research are no longer optional skill sets. We, in Littlestown, are working diligently to transition our teaching and learning in new ways as we prepare students for their future and not our past. We will always honor our rich traditions along with enhancing our ability to improve how people learn. Thank you for going with us on the journey where the learner will inherit the world. Never stop learning some-thing new.

A Publication of the Littlestown Area School District 162 Newark Street Littlestown, PA 17340

Phone: 717-359-4146 www.lasd.k12.pa.us

T here are three ideas that come to mind which may help you as a family make

sense of the current educational sys-tem. 1. Access to content via technology

in addition to textbooks. 2. Facilitation of learning in addition

to lecture. 3. The knowledge, skills and abilities

needed to navigate the rapidly changing world.

Technology certainly has acceler-ated the educational process. While not all technology is a pos-itive influence, it is necessary to navigate the world we live in and the future world ahead of us. When I say technology there are two key ingredients. The first is how to consume information and knowledge from the use of technolo-gy and the second is how to program technology to harness its potential. Teachers and students now must be able to ascertain if the information they are consuming is accurate, cur-rent, and relevant to their learning. In addition, understand how to navi-gate their devices, utilize the infor-mation and then convert that infor-mation into knowledge. Learning is a continuous story only the learner can retell as he or she comes to new un-derstandings. This means the class-

What does it mean to be a teacher and a learner in this century?

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Community Survey Trends

Community Ranks the Top 4 Priorities for LASD 1. Safe learning environments. 2. Meeting academic and social needs of all learners. 3. Expand access to Career and Technical Education programs. 4. Enhance the physical facilities of the middle school and high school.

Question 2015 2017 2019

What % of the community gives LASD a grade of A or B? 66% 72% 75%

Do you believe the district spends tax dollars wisely? 59% 70% 68%

What % of the community believes our teachers care about students?

84% 90% 91%

What % of the community believes we have high standards? 71% 80% 75%

What % of the community would recommend LASD to some-one considering a move?

72% 80% 80%

What % of the people believe we seek input monthly or yearly about the school or district?

34% 59% 58%

Currently 68% 20% Community College According to National Clearn-inghouse Data and 34.8% Industry Based Certificate according to Future Ready Index

91% Graduation Rate 68% of Students report trying their best in school daily

1 to 1 Technology Access grades 6 through 12 with ratings above the state average ac-cording to Brightbytes Data

33% According to National Clearing-house Data

LHS – Yes MAMS- No ACES- No

Top 3 reasons the community give LASD schools an A or B? Caring Staff

STEAM Program Variety of Course Offerings.

2020 Goals

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A t Littlestown Area School District, the annual capital project process is essential to ensure the District has a strong infrastructure that is

sustainable. Some of our Capital Projects this past summer include:

High School band room carpet Plans for High School greenhouse repairs MAMS camera system Replace window balances and pivot blocks

at LHS Re-caulk around windows at ACES Annual roof maintenance District-wide

Additionally, the transportation department built into their budget the purchase of two new vans. The vans replace two 18-year old vans.

Fiscal year 2019-2020 represents the beginning of the next major capital project for Littlestown. With the 2019-2020 budget, the Board of Directors have decided to start saving for a middle school/high school project in 4 to 6 years.

The strategy to save includes an incremental millage of .1194, from a tax increase, will be set aside for a future project. The purpose is not only to save dol-lars for the future project, but also to have the millage in place (millage phase-in) to help fund the new bond payment needed. The strategy also comes with the expectation that the District will not exceed the adjusted Act 1 index for the duration of the plan.

With setting aside millage each year and not exceeding the adjusted index, this will put pressure on the an-nual operational budget. The additional millage will not be available to offset costs such as increase pricing for supplies and equipment and annual contractual requirements. The operational budget will continue to have to find ways to cut back and/or run more efficiently to ensure the dollars can be saved for the new project.

Capital Projects

Do you know … Donations to the Thunderbolt Foundation during the Giving Spree

are matched by the Adams County Community Foundation? Stop by the Gettysburg Area Middle School

on November 7, 2019 from 4pm to 7pm and visit us!

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T he Opening Day for employees was Au-gust 19th in the LHS Auditorium. The day started with breakfast for all em-

ployees provided by Wellspan followed by a wel-come message by Mrs. Nester, School Board President. The Opening Day Ceremony included ignite presentations by Dr. Stollar on “What is your Moonshot?”, Dr. Fiascki on “Making Con-nections”, and Dr. Fissel on “Building a Founda-tion”. Mrs. Beth Becker spoke to employees on giving to the Thunderbolt Foundation and the benefits of the Adams County Giving Spree. New employees, years of service employees, retirees, and outstanding staff winners were recognized. A few staff members even created an education-al version of “Who’s Line Is It Anyway” skit! Lunch was provided by Lincoln Financial, and in the afternoon professional development was held in each building for staff. A great kick-off to the school year!

Opening Day - 2019-2020

Welcome New Staff!

Middle and High School Staff L - R: Spencer Pechart, English Teacher; Sarah Jansen, Social Studies Teacher; Hannah Yonker, Spanish Teacher; Joseph Kuhns, Tech Ed Teacher; Carrie Mummert, Guidance Secretary; Heather Yunkin, Sec-ondary Guidance Counselor; Ed Gnall, Secondary Assistant Principal; and Nicole Negley, Extended Math Substitute Teacher

L - R: Nichole McDonald, Payroll Assistant; Cathy McKenrick, Food Service; Linda Conrad, Food Service

Elementary School Staff L - R: Emily Hemler, Substitute Teacher for Mrs. Witmer; Amy Wildasin, Math Specialist; Alexandria Gormley, Kindergarten Teacher; Elaine Sheely, Reading Specialist; Emily Glassick, Learning Support Teacher

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T his is our sixth year of the Outstanding Staff Recognition Program at LASD. The program has been a success in getting the community and the employees involved in nominating staff and recognizing the outstanding employ-ees we have at Littlestown Area School District. We are proud to recognize these winners with you!

Ms. Allen graduated from North Carroll High School and went to HACC and earned her Elementary Education, Shippensburg/Elementary Education K-6, and Edinboro University/Reading Masters and Reading Specialist Certification.

First Job: Waitressing Year Started at LASD and Various Positions: I was hired in 2011. I substituted from 2011 until 2014. During the 2013-2014 school year, I long-term substi-tuted the entire year for three different teachers in Kindergarten, fourth grade, and third grade. It was the year of early babies. I was hired for full time employment in July of 2014 and have been teaching 5th grade reading, writing, and social studies since then. Extra Assignments at LASD: I was a faculty advisor for our Student Advisory Committee and did Kid Writing for several years as a volunteer in Kindergar-ten. Hobbies: I love to travel, read, cook, garden, and give back to the communi-ty where I can. Favorite Part of your Job: Getting to know the students and building relationships with them. Your Hero: This is always a hard question for me to answer. I would say that my heroes are those who are able to overcome obstacles to become the best that they can be and then inspire others to do the same. Pet Peeves: Chewing gum...ugh! Piece of advice you live by: It's more of a quote from Charles Dickens that I saw in high school that I try to live by. “No one is useless in this world who lightens the burdens of another.” Favorite Spot on Earth: Colorado or the Alps Bad Habits: Overthinking and second guessing myself What skill or lesson would you like to learn: Boxing and fencing Trait inherited from parents: Perseverance Your first memory: My earliest memories are of preschool. We had nap time and my nap area was under the staircase, near their storage area. I would get into trouble for playing with their Christmas ornaments in-stead of napping. Five minutes with: My relatives that left us too early. I would love to show them my family and get one more hug. Favorite Reading/Author: I have so many but one that stands out is Richard George Adams. What would people find surprising about you: I lived in Germany and I once had a motorcycle license. The Thunderbolt Foundation is giving each winner $100 to use for any job-related item. Please indicate what you will use this money for: I will use the money to buy more flexible seating items for my classroom. Any other comments you’d like to share: I have truly been blessed to have the privilege of working with so many wonderful mentors, guides, students, and families. This recognition has been inspirational, humbling, emotional, and so very rewarding. Thank you very much!

Outstanding Staff Winners for the 2018-2019 School Year

Getting to Know Sheri-Lynn Allen 5th Grade Teacher, Elementary Level Award

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10 Years of Service

20 Years of Service

25 Years of Service

5 Years of Service

15 Years of Service

20 Years of Service

30 Years of Service

Getting to Know Micaela Floess Social Studies/Foreign Language Teacher, High School Level Award

Cont’d on Page 7

Madame Floess graduated from Bishop Montgomery High School in Tor-rance, California. She furthered her education at Santa Clara University ma-joring in History & French/Francophone Studies and earned her Masters in Applied History at Shippensburg University. First Job: When I was 14, I started out as a pool aid at my local community pool. Year Started at LASD and Various Positions: I was hired as a high school So-cial Studies teacher for the 2009-2010 school year, then I transitioned to teaching both Social Studies and French in 2012. Extra Assignments at LASD: Coached junior high volleyball & volunteered with high school volleyball; Class Advisor to Classes of 2015, 2019 & 2023; Co-Advisor to Social Studies Club; Co-Advisor to Model United Nations Hobbies: Traveling, reading, playing volleyball, canoeing, gardening, playing with my kids ;) Favorite Part of your Job: I love that every day is different! Your Hero: My great-aunts, Auntie Kathleen & Auntie Lucia, who worked with the poor and underserved for over 70 years in the Tenderloin district of San Francisco.

Mr. Baumgardner graduated from New Oxford High School and attended Kutztown University (BS: Elem. Ed.) and Wilkes University (Masters: 21st Century Teaching and Learning). First Job: In high school and college I worked in the meat department at Giant Food Stores. Year Started at LASD and Various Positions: 2007-2008 was my first year. I taught 5th grade for five years and I've been teaching 6th grade at MAMS ever since. Extra Assignments at LASD: Coached baseball for 7 years Hobbies: Playing baseball, coaching, playing outside with my two sons Favorite Part of your Job: Getting to know each student in my class person-ally and watching them grow and learn from August to June. Your Hero: "Benny the Jet" Rodriguez

Piece of advice you live by: Do. Reflect. Do Better. Favorite Spot on Earth: Sitting by a campfire Trait inherited from parents: red hair and blue eyes Your first memory: Putting quarters (not sure why I didn't use pennies) on the train tracks beside the house where I grew up. Five minutes with: Michael Scott Favorite Reading/Author: John Green What would people find surprising about you: I don't like going to the beach The Thunderbolt Foundation is giving each winner $100 to use for any job-related item. Please indicate what you will use this money for: Maybe buying a few stools for my classroom.

Getting to Know Larry Baumgardner 6th Grade Teacher, Middle Level Award

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Piece of advice you live by: Before you judge someone, walk a mile in their shoes. Favorite Spot on Earth: My front porch Bad Habits: Sugar. Or chocolate. Or coffee that tastes like candy. What skill or lesson would you like to learn: Ballet! Trait inherited from parents: My brothers and I all learned that we have to work hard for the things we want. I feel like my parents are still modeling that for us! Your first memory: I was three years old, and I went to Disneyland with my older brother and my dad. My mom stayed home with my newborn baby twin brothers! Five minutes with: I would love to meet my father-in-law, who died when my husband was in college. What would people find surprising about you: As a senior in high school, my volleyball team won the Califor-nia State Volleyball Championship. The Thunderbolt Foundation is giving each winner $100 to use for any job-related item. Please indicate what you will use this money for: Box fans for my classroom! Any other comments you’d like to share: Thank you to those who submitted my nomination for this award, I am so lucky to work and teach in the Littlestown community!

Getting to Know Lisa Kraus Administrative Assistant at LHS, Support Staff Award

Mrs. Kraus graduated from Francis Scott Key High School in Carroll County, Maryland. First Job: Cashier for Southern States Year Started at LASD and Various Positions: I started at LASD in 2001 as a PCA for 14 years and have been the HS Secretary for 4 years.

Extra Assignments at LASD: I have Coached Field Hockey for about 13 years. I coached Softball for 4 years, now I keep the score book. I keep the clock for basketball games. Hobbies: Spending time with my grandchildren, and I love to help with the sports programs Favorite Part of your Job: My co-workers and working with the students Your Hero: My grandfather Pet Peeves: Chewing with your mouth open! Piece of advice you live by: Live each day as if it was your last Favorite Spot on Earth: Field Hockey Bad Habits: Biting my Nails What skill or lesson would you like to learn: How to not let things bother me so much! Trait inherited from parents: Shortness Your first memory: Going to Disney and my dad getting an orange from a tree along the road. Five minutes with: My grandfather that passed away when I was very young. What would people find surprising about you: That I turned down a 4 year scholarship to Ohio State for Field Hockey. The Thunderbolt Foundation is giving each winner $100 to use for any job-related item. Please indicate what you will use this money for: Things to help me organize my desk.

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10 Years of Service

20 Years of Service

25 Years of Service

5 Years of Service

Getting to Know Amy Costello Paraprofessional, Support Staff Award

Mrs. Costello graduated from Princess Anne High School and attended Kee Business College to be a Medical Assistant. First Job: Selling shoes at a Famous Footwear. Year Started at LASD and Various Positions: I started working at LASD in 2007 as a personal assistant in Araby Collins’ room. The following six years I worked as a personal assistant for a student in their 3rd to beginning of 9th grade classes. For the last 4 years I

have been a Teachers Assistant in the NI classroom. Extra Assignments at LASD: I was the MAMS PAC advisor for 4 years and helped coach JH Field Hockey for 3 years Hobbies: Baking, reading, paddle boarding and hanging out with my family Favorite Part of your Job: watching students have a light bulb moment Pet Peeves: People not doing their jobs Piece of advice you live by: Never be afraid to ask for help Favorite Spot on Earth: Any warm sunny beach Bad Habits: Procrastinating Trait inherited from parents: Strong work ethic Your first memory: My first trip to Florida with my parents and listening to the Mamas and Papas on an 8 track Five minutes with: Ben Franklin Favorite Reading/Author: Janet Evanovich-hilarious and mindless What would people find surprising about you: I get anxiety being in front of people The Thunderbolt Foundation is giving each winner $100 to use for any job-related item. Please indicate what you will use this money for: iPad keyboards for our class Any other comments you’d like to share: Thank you to all who have welcomed me into your classrooms over the last 11 years. I have been blessed to have worked with passionate and dedicated educators.

A ces staff just finished our first MAP assessment for the year. Teachers will be working with students to set goals to work toward before our next assessment in January.

Frequently Asked Questions About the MAP assessment: 1. What is MAP (Measure of Academic Progress)? MAP® is a computer adaptive test created by NWEA™ that stu-dents take three times per school year. The results provide teach-ers with information to help them deliver appropriate content for each student and determine each student’s academic growth over time.

2. What does it mean to be computer adaptive? Computer adaptive tests adjust to each student’s learning level, providing a unique set of test questions based on their responses to previous questions. As the student responds to questions, the test responds to the student, adjusting up or down in difficulty.

FAQ’s on MAP

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3. What does MAP measure? MAP is used to measure a student’s performance level at different times of the school year and their academic growth. 4. What is a RIT score? After each MAP test, results are delivered in the form of a RIT score that reflects the student’s academic knowledge, skills, and abilities. Think of this score like marking height on a growth chart. You can tell how tall your child is at various points in time and how much they have grown between one stage and another. The RIT (Rasch Unit) scale is a stable, equal-interval scale. Equal-interval means that a change of 10 RIT points indicates the same thing regardless of wheth-er a student is at the top, bottom, or middle of the scale, and a RIT score has the same meaning regardless of grade level or age of the student. You can compare scores over time to tell how much growth a student has made. 5. How do schools and teachers use MAP scores? MAP helps schools and teachers know what your child is ready to learn at any point in time. Teachers can see the pro-gress of individual students and of their class as a whole. Principals and administrators can see the progress of a grade level, school, or the entire district. Since students with similar MAP scores are generally ready for instruction in similar skills and topics, it makes it easier for teachers to plan instruction. MAP also provides typical growth data for students who are in the same grade, subject, and have the same starting performance level. This data is often used to help stu-dents set goals and understand what they need to learn to achieve their goals. Please note that MAP scores are just one data point that teachers use to determine how a student is performing. Please discuss any questions that you have about your child’s performance with your child’s teacher. 6. What subjects are available with MAP? There are MAP tests for grades 2 – 12 in reading, language usage, math, and science. There are also primary grades tests for grades K – 2, referred to as MAP for Primary Grades (MPG), in reading and math. With these child-friendly tests for young learners, students wear headphones, since many questions include audio to assist those who are still learning to read. (At LASD, MAP is given to students K-8 in math and reading). 7. How long is a MAP test? Tests are not timed, and students may take as much time as they need to complete them (this eliminates some of the pressure and anxiety students may feel about taking tests). Most students take less than an hour to complete a MAP test. MPG tests are typically shorter. 8. Is MAP a standardized test? How is it different from “highstakes” or state tests? MAP tests are interim assessments, which means they may be giv-en periodically during the year. MAP is based on the same standards as the summative (“high-stakes” or state) tests, so they measure similar content. Teachers receive immediate results with MAP that show what students know and what they are ready to learn. The results can be used to help personalize lessons at the appro-priate level for the students. Most state or high-stakes tests measure what students already know—based on what is expected at their grade level—and are typically given at the end of the school year as a way to measure grade-level proficiency. *Kindergarten students do not take the fall MAP assessment. They will be taking the assess-ment in January.

FAQ’s on MAP - Cont’d

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W hat are standards-based report cards and why do we use them? On a traditional report card, like the ones you probably had growing up, students received one

grade for each subject, reading, math, science, etc. A standards-based report card lists all of the most im-portant skills that a student should have at a grade level. These skills are then reported on by the teacher for where the child is with that skill at each reporting period during the school year. The difference between a traditional report card and a standards-based report card is that on the standards-based report card, the grade is not an average of the child’s scores for the term, but rather where the child is with each skill by the time the reporting period ends. We use this type of report card because it focuses in on the specific skills that the child knows and those that they need to work on. It gives you a clear understanding and perspective of your child’s strengths and weak-nesses. The skills listed on the report card are skills that the child is working toward mastering by the end of the year. When you think about the report card skills, think these skills make up a subject like ingredients make up a recipe. If you are not proficient in a skill, the subject for that year is not complete, much like missing an ingre-dient in a recipe makes the food item not turn out right. Our standards-based report card is designed to show you all the standards your child should master by the end of the year. Throughout the year, at each trimester, it provides you with a snapshot of where they are toward that mastery.

Once a month, the ACES Child Study Team meets in order to provide

our students with the resources they need - academically, socially,

and behaviorally. Classroom teachers set up a meeting time to talk

about the resources available for specific students in their class. This

team has allowed us to make the right connections and provide the

right resources to students for the last three years. We are looking

forward to our first meeting next week!

at ACES

Child Study Team at ACES!

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L ittlestown Area School District is dedicated to providing a safe and secure environment for stu-dents, faculty, staff and visitors on our campus. In

order to support that commitment, we have a comprehensive emergency operations plan that addresses emergency preparedness and response, as well as procedures relevant to natural and human-caused disasters. As part of the plan, each building practices drills related to fire, and safety drills including evacuation, reverse evacuation, exterior lock-down, full lockdown, and bad weather drills throughout the year. The safety drills allow our district admin team to be sure that faculty/staff and students know the correct procedures in the event of an emergency.

Safe 2 Say is a youth violence prevention program run by the PA Office of the Attorney General. The program teaches students and adults how to recognize warning signs, especially within social media, from individuals who may be a threat to themselves or others and to “say something” BEFORE it is too late. Safe 2 Say is a confidential reporting system for participants to report safety concerns

and help prevent violence and tragedies.

Students, parents, and community members can submit tips via three methods: 1) A free mobile application available for Apple and Android devices

2) By visiting www.safe2saypa.org 3) By calling 1-844-SAF2SAY (1-844-723-2729)

Keeping Our Kids Safe

FLU Immunization: If you are interested in your child receiving a flu vaccination on November 20th, please return the flu permis-sion form to your child’s school. This is a voluntary program and the consent form only needs to be returned by November 15th if you are having your child vaccinated. Permission forms can be downloaded from the district web site under the health services department and health and wellness information.

Tdap Immunization Update: The PA Department of Health has updated the guidelines for the required Tdap dose to be given at 11-12 year of age. If the Tdap was given prior to this age, another dose will need to be given before the 2020-21 school year for your child to risk exclusion from school. Please check with your health care provider to make sure the Tdap was administered at 11-12 years of age. Mobile Dentist: The mobile dentist will visit our school district the week of January 20, 2020. Watch for permission forms that will be sent home with the students before the holiday break.

Student Healthcare Information

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W hen we wrote the LHS 2020 goals in 2015, we divided our focus into four strands. Strand 1: Technology for

Learning, Strand 2: Teacher / Student Advisory, Strand 3: Career & Technology Outreach, and Strand 4: Certification Programs. In this article, I will describe our progress in Strand 1: Technolo-gy for Learning. In subsequent articles, I will dis-cuss the other strands.

Strand 1: Technology for Learning was devel-oped to support a district wide focus on the 4Cs (communication, collaboration, critical thinking, & creativity) and the goal of 90% of students re-porting engagement in school. We believed our vision would be realized if teachers had con-structed learning experiences that seamlessly integrate digital skills, media literacy, and global competency and we are firmly established as a school whose graduates possess the digital skills, media skills, and global competency necessary for active and productive participation in our so-ciety. Do we have evidence to suggest we have realized this goal?

In 2016-2017, we embarked on wide scale pro-fessional learning. Teachers learned about the 4Cs, the Framework for Global Competency, and how to leverage technology for learning (not just technology for the sake of technology). The school board showed their support of the initia-tive by pledging funds to provide every student with a device. By 2017-2018, all teachers had received iPads and MacBooks and 9th grade stu-dents also received device. 9th grade teachers rolled out new learning units and teachers sup-ported each other in the transition to digital learning. By 2018-2019, all students had devices and all teachers were fully engaged in instruc-tional practices to support the transition. This included classroom visits, lesson sharing, feed-back sessions, and further professional develop-ment. Where does this leave us today?

The end result is that the student classroom experience in 2019-2020 is very different from that of 2015. We have managed to keepares our graduates for the world beyond high school. We have made some missteps and we have made adjustments; for example, tter in the learning process. There is still plenty of work to do - we know that we need to evaluate and implement our 7th througthat we are preparing graduates who possess the digital skills, media skills, and global competency necessary for active and

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2020 is very different from that of 2015. We have managed to keep our focus on high academic outcomes while creating a more engaging learning experience that pre-pares our graduates for the world beyond high school. We have made some missteps and we have made adjustments; for example, this year we extended the 4Cs to 6Cs to more explicitly recognize the value of Citizenship and Charac-

we know that we need to evaluate and implement our 7th through 12th Grade academic programming. But all said, we are proud of our achievements and we are confident that we are preparing graduates who possess the digital skills, media skills, and global competency necessary for active and productive participation in our society.

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H ave you ever wondered about the goals that Maple Avenue sets to promote growth in ALL stu-dents? Each year, we design a Flight Plan that articulates our building goals, and strategies that we will implement as a faculty in order to be the best we can be to help our students learn and grow.

Here is our Flight Plan for this year...The motto: "Gaining Altitude." As you review our Flight Plan, you will no-tice that we ask the same from our students as we expect from ourselves: collaboration, creativity, critical thinking, communication, and EXCELLENCE!

Maple Avenue’s “Flight Plan”

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Happy Fall Littlestown Families The Food Service Department would like to

share a few items of interest with you. The price of ice cream has changed

from .65 to .75 this year. In addition to ice cream, students may

purchase a wide variety of extra snack items as long as they have money in their meal account to cover the cost. Please speak with your student concerning extra purchases.

Ask your students what they are eating at lunch time. Encourage them to fill their tray with as many choices as they like that are offered as part of a meal.

New Breakfast Items

The High School and Maple Avenue Middle School have new hot menu items on their breakfast menu. Skip the drive thru or convenience store and sleep in. Then, head straight to the cafeteria when you arrive at school and check out our breakfast choices. You will see a variety of options and get more for your money. Plus it's a wonderful service for students who are eligible for free or reduced priced meals. New items include: French Toast Sticks, Maple Turkey Pancake Nuggets, Egg and Cheese Wraps, and Pancake Sausage Sandwiches.

Check out myschoolbucks today!

Attention Parents/Guardians: Your student may be eligible for Free or Reduced Priced Meals.

Go to LASD website/ Departments/Food Service/Lunch Applications and click the schoolcafe link

to fill out an application today! Don’t hesitate to find out if your family could benefit from this

wonderful service.

Susie Baranauskas FSD Email: baranauskass@lasd.k12.pa.us

Food Service News

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F all Sports season is in full swing. Our varsity teams’ records as of 9/24/2019 are as follows:

Field Hockey: 7-3 Football: 2-3

Boys Soccer: 1-9-1 Girls Soccer: 8-3 Girls Tennis: 3-9 Volleyball: 3-3

Bradin Peart has qualified for the YAIAA Individual Golf Tournament on September 26th.

The Thunderbolt Stadium is open and in full swing! We have received a ton of compliments from both our players and fans as well as opposing teams. If you have not been able to come check out a game this year, we encourage you to come out. It is a great experience!!!

Custom Bricks are still available for purchase for the main entrance to the new stadium! Please contact the Athletic Office at 717-359-4146 x2288 for more information!

Winter Sports meeting will be on November 6, 2019 in the HS Auditorium at 6:00pm. Anyone interested in playing a Winter sport should plan to attend. Dynamite Sports will presenting a College recruiting seminar in the High School Auditorium on November 12th

at 6:00pm. Any athlete that is interested in playing sports beyond High School is encouraged to attend! Infor-mation will be provided on scholarships, NCAA eligibility requirements as well as sports scholarship opportu-nities beyond NCAA schools. Come check it out on November 12th in the HS Auditorium!!! FOLLOW US ON TWITTER @LtownAthletics

Fall Sports

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W e believe in educating the whole child. This means focusing on both academics and social-emotional well-being. National children's mental health statistics are alarming! According to the Center for Disease and Control Prevention:

9.4% of children aged 2-17 years (approximately 6.1 million) have received an ADHD diagnosis.

7.4% of children aged 3-17 years (approximately 4.5 million) have a diagnosed behavior problem.

7.1% of children aged 3-17 years (approximately 4.4 million) have diagnosed anxiety.

3.2% of children aged 3-17 years (approximately 1.9 million) have diagnosed depression.

Mental disorders among children are described as serious changes in the way children typically learn, be-have, or handle their emotions, causing distress and problems getting through the day.

We, as a district, are just getting our feet wet in understanding the impact of mental health and how it affects our students. Last year we added a mental health counselor to our staff. The mental health counselor provides services to students in addition to the services provided by our school counselors. This year, our services for students continues to grow. A process is being implemented to assess individual student needs and then, matching need, to level of support services. An example of the services provided include:

Supportive intervention with school counselor Wellness group counseling for a specific need provided by mental health counselor Behavioral specialist interventions Referral to True North Wellness Services or other outside agency

By addressing the student mental and emotional needs, greater gains in academic learning can be realized.

Mental Health and Well-Being

Homecoming Is this

Friday, October 4th!

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Food for Thought

“The Universe added one more day in your life today, not necessarily because you need it, but because someone else might need you.”

“Nobody cares how much you know, until they know how much you care.” Theodore Roosevelt

“Teachers that connect meaningfully to students can make the biggest difference in their lives”

"Relationships are built on small, consistent deposits of time. You can't cram for what's most important. If you want to connect with your students, you've got to be available consistently not randomly."

LITTLESTOWN SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL presents

Almost, Maine in

Maple Avenue Middle School Auditorium

on the following dates and times:

December 5, 6, & 7, 2019 at 7:30 PM

December 7, 2019 at 2:00 PM

Tickets Available at the Door!

Cast List

Almost, Maine Nick Albright Will Merkel Ryan Anderson Jennifer O’Connor Trent Boritz Derek Reed Ella Bradner Alice Roche Kaelonnah Darlich Chloe Sentz Brock Erwin Annika Sijens Jaime Hamilton Tyler Wertz Christian Keller Campbell Wooton Keira Lee Chase Wooton Madison MacCall

L I T T L E S T O W N A R E A S C H O O L D I S T R I C T P A G E 2 0

By Maxm Akins, Chapter Reporter

O ur Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) officer team and members are excited for another great year. Over the summer, our team met several times to outline strategies, goals, plans, and much more for the com-ing year.

Our 2019-20 goals include: increasing membership while retaining our upperclassmen, building a larger sense of team within our meetings, developing a mentorship program, increasing community service to over 800 hours and lowering conference and workshop cost through fundraisers and business partnerships. We have several events coming up as well, including the Regional Leadership Workshop on October 15 at Maize Quest in New Park, PA. This will be an opportunity for our region chapters to meet each others and network while building team-work and leadership skills. The State Leadership Workshop will again be held at the Kalahari Resort from November 2nd to the 4th. This state-wide workshop allows our chapter officer team to participate in informational workshops which build leadership and chapter management skills. Twelve officers and members will be participating in the workshop which is the most we have ever sent to this workshop. Our members are already planning for the Regional Leadership Conference in December. The conference is where our members will compete in their individual and team events to earn a spot at the State Leadership Conference in Hershey next April. Our ultimate goal is to attend this year’s National Leadership Conference in Salt Lake City along with 13,000 other FBLA members from around the country. We had two members travel to San Antonio, Texas this summer to attend the national conference. Our officer team and members are excited and up to the challenge of continuing the success and participation levels from past years.

FBLA News Update

By Sydni Geiman

“It was a great time, and a wonderful learning experience. It was also a lot of fun.” -Madison Becker

T his year, the FBLA National Leadership Conference (NLC) was held in San Anto-nio, Texas. Our 2018-2019 Chapter Vice President, who also served as our Pennsylvania State Reporter, Madison Becker, earned a spot to compete in

the Future Business Event. I was incredibly thrilled when I heard the news that I would get to attend as a voting dele-gate at Nationals, and spend a week with the best high school students in the country. I knew the NLC would be a trip to remember for the rest of my life.

On June 27, I woke up at 2:00 AM to meet Mr. Scott Staub, Mrs. Cindy Staub, and Maddie at the Gettysburg Outlets to board the bus that would take us to BWI. This was the first time I had ever been on an airplane so I was super anxious. At about 6:00 AM, we were finally leaving the ground and on our way to the 7th largest city in the country! When we landed, we were given the warm Texas welcome we had expected when we saw so many people dressed in their coun-try boots and cowboy hats.

Our very first adventure of the trip was heading to Schlitterbahn Water Park in New Braunfels, Texas. We heard how amazing this park was and we were all excited to try it out for ourselves. However; not long into our day, a storm came

San Antonio, TX...A Trip to Remember

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upon the park! Maddie and I were waiting in line for the waterslide when the wind and rain really picked up and they shut down the rides. They say that things are bigger in Texas and that must include their storms too. I had never seen anything like it. The wind was crazy and the raindrops were so cold. We were rescued by one of the Pennsylvania

group buses and returned to our hotel. Later that night, we had a state meeting with the 500+ PA FBLA members attending the conference. On day 2 of our trip, we enjoyed San Antonio’s famous River Walk via a river-boat cruise. Everything was so beautiful and we got to see so many inter-esting sights, including the conference center where our events would be held. Fortunately, our cruise was in the morning because it was getting very hot. That night, we went to the Don Strange Ranch for dinner, dancing, and a rodeo. We fed the longhorns and received lessons on square dancing. The Texas cuisine was delicious! The rodeo was such an interesting experience especially because it was just for the Pennsylvania delegation. However; it

was cut a little short because of another big storm on the horizon. As soon as we got back on the buses, it started to rain. This was my favorite day of the whole trip and I definitely plan on visiting the ranch again someday!

Day 3 was the first day of our conference. Maddie and I spent the after-noon with friends from Maryland and Pennsylvania. We went swimming at the hotel pool. This day was extremely hot! That night we had our opening ceremony with over 14,000 members and advisers! We had a very inspira-tional speech from Coach Sherry Winn, a national championship basketball coach. Coach’s WIN philosophy was very motivational and the best speaker that I heard at the conference.

Day 4, we visited the campaign booths of national and regional officer candidates. Later, we had dinner at La Villita His-toric Arts Village. Here, we experienced authentic Mexican food and a live mariachi band. We mingled with other PA friends and took lots of pictures. We went on a beautiful night stroll on the River Walk and enjoyed the city lights.

The next day, we did a little shopping before attending conference workshops. In the evening, we had dinner at the famous Buckhorn Saloon where we were able to show off our new cowboy hats. Line dancing and the spectacular wild-life exhibits made this a memorable evening developing friendships within our group. On our walk back to the hotel, we stopped for some ice cream and visited the Alamo.

On our final day, we attended the Eastern Region meeting where we complet-ed our voting delegate duties and were able to relax until the awards ceremo-ny later in the evening. The Awards of Excellence program was full of energy and excitement with over 14,000 people in attendance. The program was also live streamed across the country. The PA FBLA delegation made us all “PA Proud” as our state competitors took home 53 top 10 finishes in over 100 com-petitive events. Drew Lojewski from Pennsylvania was elected as the new East-ern Region Vice President.

All in all, Nationals is an experience that I don’t think anyone would forget. It should be every FBLA member’s goal to get to the National Leadership Conference. I met so many new people and got to know our state officer team while I was there. You will not forget an experience like this! Next year, the NLC will be held in Salt Lake City, Utah for the first time ever! Make history! Make friends! Make new contacts! And better yet, have fun! I hope to see many people make it there this year.

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The 2019 FFA Community Service Garden

T he Littlestown FFA continued their com-munity service garden for the 3rd year. This year, the FFA wanted to continue past

projects such as donating to the area food banks and sweet corn day within the schools, as well as impacting the Littlestown Community and schools in more ways.

The planting of the project began in late May. In early June, four Kindergarten classes visited the sweet corn field when it was being planted. Stu-dents learned how corn was put into the planter, as well as how the planter worked.

Corn harvest began in mid-August and corn was donated to LASD to be used for the staff cook out on August 14th. Also this year, several National Honor Soci-ety members participated in the first harvest of the sweet corn.

The corn project continued the week of Aug. 14th when FFA Members, Billy Brown and Colby Snyder, deco-rated a FFA float with corn for the Good Ole Days parade. On this float, students announced the first Com-munity Sweet corn day would be held on Aug. 30th. For this event, anyone who lives in Littlestown School District could receive a free dozen of sweet corn over Labor Day weekend. On Aug. 30th, six of the Agricul-ture classes participated in the harvest of 588 dozen of sweet corn. Over 150 families participated in the Community Corn Day event and all of the corn was given away within 24 hours.

The Sweet Corn Day theme within the school buildings this year was continued. FFA members harvested 90 dozen of corn to be cooked for all students within all three school buildings. Four elementary classes assisted with the husking. The Family and Consumer Science classes cooked and froze 12 dozen of sweet corn to be used in dishes throughout the school year. New this year, three groups of Advanced Horticulture students

visited the ACES Elementary to teach lessons on the growth cycle of corn, corn biology, and corn products. Seventeen different classes were visit-ed between the three groups impacting hundreds of students. Sweet corn not used for school projects was do-nated to the South Central Community Action Plan (SCCAP) or better known as the Gleaning pro-ject, as well as to New Hope Ministries. In total, the 2019 sweet corn field yielded 2,004.5 dozen of sweet corn setting an all-time record for the project. This is over one thousand dozen more than was harvested over the previous record set the first year. Also, over 70 students participated in the harvesting of corn this year.

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Littlestown FFA Annual Fruit Sale

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SEPTEMBER 2019

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NOVEMBER 2019

162 Newark Street, Littlestown, PA 17340 Phone: 717-359-4146 / Fax: 717-359-9617

HOME OF THE THUNDERBOLTS

ITTLESTOWN AREA SCHOOL DISTRICT

S M T W T F S

01 02 03 04 05

06 07 08 09 10 11 12

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OCTOBER 2019

S M T W T F S

01 02 03

04 05 06 07 08 09 10

11 12 13 14 15 16 17

18 19 20 21 22 23 24

25 26 27 28 29 30 31

AUGUST 2019

19,20 In-service, Act 80 Day 21 First Day for Students

02 Labor Day Holiday, No School 16 In-Service, Act 80 Day 23 Mid Marking Period

11 Student/Staff Fall Break 14 In-Service, Act 80 Day 28 End of Marking Period

25,26 1/2 Act 80 Day, Early Dismissal 27 In-Service, Act 80 Day 28,29 Thanksgiving, No School

S M T W T F S

01 02* 03* 04* 05* 06* 07

08 09* 10* 11* 12* 13* 14

15 16 17 18 19 20 21

22 23 24 25 26 27 28

29 30 31

DECEMBER 2019

02 Thanksgiving, No School 03 Mid Marking Period 23-31 Christmas, No School

JANUARY 2020

S M T W T F S

01 02 03 04

05 06* 07* 08* 09* 10* 11

12 13* 14* 15* 16* 17* 18

19 20 21 22 23 24 25

26 27 28 29 30 31

S M T W T F S

01* 02* 03* 04

05 06 07 08 09 10 11

12 13 14 15 16 17 18

19 20* 21* 22* 23* 24* 25

26 27* 28* 29* 30*

APRIL 2020

08 Weather Make Up Day #4 09 Weather Make Up Day #5 10-13 Easter, No School 14 Weather Make Up Day 6

PSSA/KEYSTONE EXAM SCHEDULE *December 2-13 Keystone Exams, Algebra I, Biology, Literature *January 6-17 Keystone Exams, Algebra I, Biology, Literature *March 30-April 3 PSSA Grades 3-8 English Language Arts *April 20-24 PSSA Grades 3-8 Mathematics *April 27-May 1 PSSA Grades 4 and 8 Science *May 4-8 PSSA Make-Up *May 11-22 Keystone Exams, Algebra I, Biology, Literature *July 27-31 Keystone Exams, Algebra I, Biology, Literature

FEBRUARY 2020

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01

02 03 04 05 06 07 08

09 10 11 12 13 14 15

16 17 18 19 20 21 22

23 24 25 26 27 28 29

S M T W T F S

01* 02

03 04* 05* 06* 07* 08* 09

10 11* 12* 13* 14* 15* 16

17 18* 19* 20* 21* 22* 23

24 25 26 27 28 29 30

31

MAY 2020

01 New Year’s Day, No School 15 End of Marking Period 17 In-Service, Act 80 Day 20 Flex Act 80 Day, No School,

04 Mid Marking Period 22, 25 Memorial Day, No School

MARCH 2020

19 Weather Make Up Day #1 20 Weather Make-Up Day #2 23 Weather Make Up Day #3 27 End of Marking Period

KEY

S M T W T F S

01 02 03 04 05 06

07 08 09 10 11 12 13

14 15 16 17 18 19 20

21 22 23 24 25 26 27

28 29 30

JUNE 2020

14 In-Service, Act 80 Day 17 Presidents Day, No School 20 Mid Marking Period

05 1/2 Act 80 Day, Last Day of School

First Day for Students

In-Service, Act 80 Day, Students off

Flex Day, Act 80 Day, Students off

Student/Staff Vacation, No School

End of Marking Period

Mid Marking Period

Snow Make-Up Days

Parent Teacher Conferences, 1/2 Act 80 Day, Early Dismissal

Last Day of School, 1/2 day In-Service, Act 80 Day

Student Days Staff Days August 08 10 September 19 20 October 21 22 November 18 19 December 14 14 January 20 22 February 18 19 March 19 19 April 17 17 May 19 19 June 05 05 Total Days 178 186

BOARD APPROVED 12-11-17

2019-2020 Academic Calendar

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08 09 10 11 12 13 14

15 16 17 18 19 20 21

22 23 24 25 26 27 28

29 30* 31*

REVISED MAY 2019