Forest Hills
Ranger Review
Vol. XL
No 3
Summer 2019-2020
FOREST HILLS HIGH SCHOOL CLASS OF 2020
EXPERIENCES UNIQUE GRADUATION EVENTS
The 2019-2020 school year was certainly unprecedented in the history of the Forest Hills School
District. The COVID-19 pandemic forced schools to close March 13, 2020. Adjustments needed to be
made in many areas and graduation was no exception. In order to give our graduates the recognition and
fanfare they deserved, the District provided three unique events. First, teachers and administrators deliv-
ered senior yard signs, Ranger subs, and caps and gowns to the homes of our graduates. Next, each sen-
ior was invited into the Junior-Senior High School over a five day period to participate in their senior gradu-
ation walk. Each senior, in the presence of their friends and family, had their name called by Mr. Kostan or
Mr. Alexander as they walked across the auditorium stage, picked up their diploma cover, moved their tas-
sel and did the ceremonial cap toss. Finally, the Forest Hills IT Department produced a memorable gradua-
tion video complete with all the components of a typical graduation – speeches, songs, and the senior
graduation walks. The seniors were given the opportunity to view this production as it “premiered” at the
Silver Drive-In on Scalp Avenue in Richland on June 2, 2020. On a beautiful Tuesday evening, one hundred
twenty two Seniors were recognized as the 54th graduating class of Forest Hills.
Speeches were given by: Thomas Hockensmith, President of the Class of
2020, Abigail Seese, Valedictorian, and the Salutatorian of the class, Natayla
Teno; all of which did an amazing job captur-
ing the uniqueness of this particular graduat-
ing class and ceremony. Others offering re-
marks and words of advice and appreciation
to the Class of 2020 were Dr. David Lehman,
Superintendent, and Mr. Curt Vasas, Junior-
Senior High School Academic Principal. Con-
gratulations to the Class of 2020! We know
you’ll be successful in whatever you choose
to do!
Valedictorian Salutatorian
Abigail Seese Natayla Teno
~ SUPERINTENDENT’S MESSAGE ~
Over the past few weeks and months, I have found myself wondering when all of “R” lives
will get back to normal. There are so many ordinary things that I have taken for granted
that I now realize were gifts which exposed the real meaning of life. Life has a funny way
of placing each of us in complex situations with few navigation tools except for hope and
the prospect of a better tomorrow. However, I have been impressed with the Ranger
community and how attentive we have been to the needs and concerns of others.
Throughout this COVID-19 experience, the Ranger nation has come together to elevate
“R” school and “R” community. I am proud to be a Ranger and to be involved in the
Ranger community. Thank you for your dedication and passion for “R” students!
I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate the class of 2020. During the commencement speech, I
spoke about Christmas and how each of you had a feeling of wonder, anticipation, and surprise with the pre-
sents which were left neatly under the tree. I cannot wait to see how you unwrap your personal gifts and
grow into productive adults. As I attempt to place my feet in your shoes, I have learned the value of one
word: family. As we worked together to close the school year, I observed you and your desire to act as a
family through this most difficult time. The need to connect and share time and life experiences with family,
friends, staff, and others was very apparent as we neared the end of the school year. I was happy we were
able to spend time together as graduation neared. I sincerely apologize that your vision of a perfect gradua-
tion sequence did not occur. We are all appreciative of the sacrifices that you have made and the resolve
you displayed. We watched you grow and mature with each passing day. You should be proud of your ac-
complishments and the prospect of an incredibly bright future. In fact, the class of 2020 reported being
awarded over $1.2 million in scholarships from outside sources. Fifteen students committed to attending a
two-year school, while forty-nine students have committed to attending a four-year university. Seven stu-
dents will serve “R” country in the armed services. Congratulations on the life decisions to which you have
already committed. I am certain your humble Ranger upbringing will serve you well as you pursue your pur-
pose, passion, and dreams. As you pursue these life moments, remember the following quote offered by
Winston Churchill, “There comes a special moment in everyone’s life, a moment for which that person was
born. That special opportunity when he seizes it, will fulfill his mission - a mission for which he is uniquely
qualified. In that moment, he finds greatness. It is his finest hour.” Class of 2020, we are certain you will
find your life moment and take advantage of the opportunity. Best wishes as you reach for your goals and
dreams and become the men and women you are destined to be.
Just as the graduating class’s departure marks a signature life-changing event, the closing of the 2019-
2020 school year marks a significant event for staff members who have announced their retirements. I
would like to recognize the retiring staff members for their collective dedication and commitment to excel-
lence. These staff members worked hard to pour their life experiences and subject knowledge into their
students. This sacrifice will leave a lasting legacy that will be displayed by all of the students who were
touched in their collective careers. Thank you for your dedication and service to the Forest Hills School Dis-
trict. Thank you for giving your best for “R” students.
Even though these are extremely challenging times for all of us, it is an exciting time to be a Ranger. Over
the past few months, the Ranger TEAM has been working hard in preparation for the 2020-2021 school year.
With the goal of becoming a regional thought leader and providing all learners with an efficient, effective,
and attractive learning environment, the District has made several far-reaching investments designed to
have a sustained impact for all learners while providing a rigorous learning experience for all students. The
District has committed to a one-to-one Chromebook initiative. The Chromebook initiative will dramatically
improve daily instruction while providing staff and students with the availability of providing remote instruc-
tion when needed. The Canvas Learning Management Platform was purchased to provide students with a
time-tested online learning platform to be utilized on a daily basis and to assist students with their course
work while at school or from a remote setting. Additionally, the Forest Hills School District has procured
equipment and supplies to provide advanced cleaning, sanitizing, and disinfecting of all learning areas and
facilities.
Here’s to a safe, healthy, and productive 2020-2021 school year. Thank you for your support of the Forest
Hills School District and the Ranger community. Go Rangers!!!!
2
District Retirements
The Forest Hills School District proudly recognizes seven staff members who retired during the 2019-2020
school year. These staff members together accumulated over 197 years of service in the Forest Hills School
District. The Board of School Directors, administrators, staff, and students thank each for taking the time to
make a difference in the lives of our young people.
Virginia Box Michael Branas Stacey Lewis Brian Madison Barbara Muhollen
Custodian Teacher Custodian
30 Years of Service 30 Years of Service Teacher Teacher 30 Years of Service
32 Years of Service 26 Years of Service
Eva Seftic Robin Selepack
Teacher Paraprofessional
24 Years of Service 25 Years of Service
Meal Distribution During the COVID-19 School Closure
The District would like to take this opportunity to thank the many people who made the Forest Hills School
District Meal Distribution Program during the COVID-19 school closure possible. It is such a gratifying
feeling to be part of a community that is so willing to help in situations like
this.
There are so many people to thank. First, the cafeteria staff who stayed
throughout the closure to assemble the meals that were sent out to our stu-
dents. The cafeteria workers, led by Food Services Director Jesslyn
Anslinger and head cook Theresa Mayes, went above and beyond this year,
and cannot possibly be thanked enough for all they
have done for the meal distribution program.
Next, thank you to all of the Forest Hills staff and com-
munity members that helped to load the food onto the
busses and those who helped at the distribution sites
to hand the meals out to our students. Also, thank
you to all of our community members who made and
donated masks for the staff.
Above all, thank you to our students who participated
in this bagged meal program. The District has re-
ceived many wonderful Thank-You cards from several
of our students. The District is so happy to see that
we made such a positive impact on the community with these meals.
From March 18 through June 12, 2020, we made and distributed over 60,000 meals to the children within
Forest Hills School District. Thank you to all who have helped to make this program a success!
3
~ SENIOR AWARDS AND SCHOLARSHIPS ~
William Ayers - President’s Education Award; Kaitlyn Cameron – Challenge Program Attendance Award, Na-
tional Technical Honor Society Member; John Capatch - Pittsburgh Technical College STEM Scholarship;
McKenna Chesnutwood - Senior Cheerleader Award, National Technical Honor Society Member; Haylee
Christ - Senior Media Award, Alicia Lynn Richardson Memorial Scholarship, Forest Hills Education Endow-
ment Scholarship, Heather Alt Reininger Scholarship; Lillie Conkle - Saint Francis University Dorothy Day
Scholarship; Garet Connor - Senior Scholarship Award, President’s Education Award, Senior Boys Track
Award, Senior Wrestling Award, Gannon University Merit Scholarship, National Honor Society Member;
Jacob Delic - Senior Scholarship Award, President’s Education Award, Seton Hill Aloysia Lowe Scholarship;
Rosalie DiPaola - School Directors Award, President’s Education Award, Senior Forensics Award, Rotary
Club Academic Excellence Award, Claudia Mehall Memorial Scholarship, Forest Hills Education Endowment
Scholarship, Beaverdale American Legion Auxiliary Essay 1st place, Cambria County American Legion Auxil-
iary Essay 1st place Seton Hill Aloysia Lowe Scholarship, Seton Hill Visual Performing Arts Scholarship, Na-
tional Honor Society Member, Spanish Honor Society Member; Luke Docherty - School Directors Award,
President’s Education Award, Senior Engineering Robotics Award, Senior Mathematics Award, Senior Phys-
ics Award, Rotary Club Academic Excellence Award, Rotary Club Service Above Self Award, Dunlo American
Legion Auxiliary Essay 2nd place, UPJ Merit Scholarship, Forest Hills Alumni Association Scholarship, Nation-
al Honor Society Member, Spanish Honor Society Member; Julie Douglas - Senior Girls Band Award, PMEA
District 6 Scholarship; Grace Edsall - Senior Scholarship Award, Slippery Rock University Academic Scholar-
ship; Dara Edwards - Thiel Leadership Scholarship, Thiel Merit Award, Thiel Band and Choral Scholarship,
Thiel Theater Award; Shannan Elgin - National Technical Honor Society Member; Donovan Faith - School Di-
rectors Award, President’s Education Award, Senior Rifle Award, Rotary Club Academic Excellence Award,
Challenge Program Academic Excellence Award, Dunlo American Legion Auxiliary Essay 3rd place, National
Honor Society Member; Baylee Frampton - Senior Scholarship Award, President’s Education Award, Arthur
Gatty Scholarship, Cape & Garanich Sapphire Scholarship, Carl & Anna Sherbine Scholarship, IUP Sutton
Scholarship, IUP Music Scholarship; Richard Golden - School Directors Award, President’s Education Award,
South Fork American Legion Auxiliary Essay 1st place, Cambria County American Legion Auxiliary Essay 3rd
place National Honor Society Member; Madison Gorzelsky – Challenge Program Academic Improvement, Na-
tional Technical Honor Society Member; Lacey Greathouse - School Directors Award, President’s Education
Award, Senior Girls Physical Education Award, Senior Girls Cross Country Award, Senior Girls Track Award,
Rotary Club Academic Excellence Award, South Fork American Legion Auxiliary Essay 3rd place, National
Honor Society Member, Spanish Honor Society Member; Livia Hamara - National Technical Honor Society
Member; Paige Handel - Senior Scholarship Award, President’s Education Award, Penny Matlin Memorial
Scholarship; Corrine Hill - Slippery Rock University Academic Scholarship; Thomas Hockensmith - School
Directors Award, President’s Education Award, Saint Francis University Founders Scholarship, National
Honor Society Member, Spanish Honor Society Member; Autumn Holdsworth – Rangers Becoming Rangers
Scholarship, Juniata College Elizabeth Baker Scholarship, Juniata College Presidential Award, Juniata Col-
lege Community Scholarship; Gary Hostetler - National Technical Honor Society Member; Skyler Hostetler -
School Directors Award, President’s Education Award, Forest Hills Education Endowment Scholarship, Se-
ton Hill University Aloysia Lowe Academic Scholarship, Seton Hill University Visual & Performing Arts Dance
Scholarship, Dance Masters of Pennsylvania, Chapter #10 Scholarship, National Honor Society Member;
Luke Hribar - School Directors Award, President’s Education Award, Senior Boys Physical Education Award;
Gage Jones - School Directors Award, St. Michael American Legion Auxiliary Essay 3rd place; Kelsey Joseph-
son - School Directors Award, President’s Education Award, Senior Social Studies Award, Rotary Club Aca-
demic Excellence Award, Rotary Club Service Above Self Award, Dunlo American Legion Auxiliary Essay 1st
place, UPJ Presidential Scholarship, Girl Scout Gold Award, National Honor Society Member; Elias Kline -
IUP Sutton Scholarship; Briana Lohr - Senior Mock Trial Award, Senior Yearbook Award, Point Park Vice
Presidential Merit Scholarship; Laura Lundberg - Senior Computer Applications Award, Senior Family & Con-
sumer Science Award, S & T Bank Scholarship; Jonathan McCall - President’s Education Award, Senior Boys
Golf Award, Saint Francis Assisi Scholarship; Sydney McCormick - School Directors Award, President’s Edu-
cation Award, Senior Softball Award, Barbara Ann Peters Memorial Award, National Honor Society Member;
Aidan Neeson - School Directors Award, President’s Education Award, Allegheny College Trustee Scholar-
ship, Allegheny College Regional Excellence Award, Spanish Honor Society Member; Ashley Pauley - School
Directors Award, President’s Education Award, Rotary Club Academic Excellence Award, American Associa-
tion of University Women Scholarship, Paul Keeney Scholarship, St. Michael American Legion Auxiliary Essay
1st place, Cambria County American Legion Auxiliary Essay 2nd place, National Honor Society Member, Span-
ish Honor Society Member; Brycen Rearick - Senior Baseball Award, Mansfield Achievement Award;
Johnathan Rhinier - Senior Manufacturing Award; Seth Richardson – Challenge Program Community Service
Award, Superintendent’s Award; (Continued on page 5)
4
~ SENIOR AWARDS AND SCHOLARSHIPS (continued) ~
Jacob Rok - School Directors Award, President’s Education Award, Senior Accounting Award, Senior
Boys Basketball Award, Forest Hills Education Endowment Scholarship, Donald & Ronald Bailey memorial
Award, UPJ Real World Scholarship, Arthur Burkett Memorial Scholarship, National Honor Society Mem-
ber; Hadan Romanow - School Directors Award, President’s Education Award, Senior Boys Band Award,
Rotary Club Academic Excellence Award, Rotary Club Service Above Self Award, Shippensburg University
Raider Success Scholarship, National Honor Society Member, Spanish Honor Society Member; Kaitlyn
Rusnak - IUP Sutton Scholarship; Megan Rusnak - Senior Art Award, Erin Bosworth Art Scholarship,
Southern Alleghenies Museum of Art Certificate of Recognition, IUP Sutton Scholarship, National Honor
Society Member; Logan Sarlouis - National Technical Honor Society Member; Christian Sawko - Senior
Scholarship Award, President’s Education Award; Benjamin Schrader - Senior Video Producer Award,
Elks Legacy Scholarship; Kaitlyn Scislowicz - Senior Color Guard Award, Senior Computerized Reading
Award; Abigail Seese - School Directors Award, President’s Education Award, Senior Chemistry Award,
Senior Girls Chorus Award, Senior English Award, Senior Spanish Award, Senior Girls Tennis Award, Ro-
tary Club Academic Excellence Award, Rotary Club Service Above Self Award, Eastern Michigan Universi-
ty Emerald Scholarship, Helene & Robert Krantzler Scholarship, National Honor Society Member, Spanish
Honor Society Member; Shannon Shaffer - School Directors Award, Spanish Honor Society Member; Kylie
Shaw - Senior Scholarship Award, President’s Education Award; Damian Shrift - Southern Alleghenies Mu-
seum of Art Certificate of Recognition; Baylee Snedden - School Directors Award, President’s Education
Award, Senior Girls Volleyball Award, District 6 Dean Rossi Memorial Scholarship Award for Sportsman-
ship, Forest Hills Education Endowment Scholarship, IUP Sutton Scholarship, National Honor Society
Member; Caleb Sorchilla - Senior Boys Cross Country Award; Hadon Staller - Senior Hockey Award;
Alyssa Stropko - Senior Scholarship Award, President’s Education Award, Senior Majorette Award, Span-
ish Honor Society Member; Natalya Teno - School Directors Award, President’s Education Award, Senior
Biology/Life Sciences Award, Rotary Club Academic Excellence Award, Rotary Club Service Above Self
Award, Forest Hills Alumni Association Scholarship, 2014 Distinguished Alumni Scholarship, National Hon-
or Society Member, Spanish Honor Society Member; Toni Tkach - President’s Education Award; Hayle Van
Male - National Technical Honor Society Member; Michael Vasbinder - School Directors Award, Senior
Boys Volleyball Award, District 6 Dean Rossi Memorial Scholarship Award for Sportsmanship, National
Honor Society Member; Daniel Velasquez - Senior Boys Chorus Award; Zachary Vitko - School Directors
Award, President’s Education Award, Senior Football Award, Don & Diane Bailey Scholarship, Saint Fran-
cis University Presidential Scholarship, Saint Francis University Franciscan Scholarship, Saint Francis
University Legacy Scholarship; Destiny Wallace - Senior Scholarship Award; Noah Webb – Challenge Pro-
gram STEM Award; Rebecca Williamson - School Directors Award, President’s Education Award, Rotary
Club Academic Excellence Award, Rotary Club Service Above Self Award, Erin Hostetler Memorial Schol-
arship, UPJ Presidential Scholarship, Cambria County Outstanding Young Woman 2nd Runner-up Scholar-
ship, Superintendent’s Award, National Honor Society Member, Spanish Honor Society Member; Elisabeth
Zajdel - Senior Girls Basketball Award, Senior Girls Golf Award, Jaycees/Jayceettes Service Award, Saint
Francis Dorothy Day Scholarship, Saint Francis Golf Scholarship; Ariel Zevorich - Beaverdale American
Legion Auxiliary Essay 2nd place.
5
~ SENIOR AWARDS AND SCHOLARSHIPS ~
William Kaitlyn John McKenna Haylee Garet
Ayers Cameron Capatch Connor
Chestnutwood Christ
Jacob Rosalie Luke Julie Grace Dara
Delic DiPaola Docherty Douglas Edsall Edwards
Shannan Donovan Baylee Richard Lacey Livia
Elgin Faith Frampton Golden Greathouse Hamara
Paige Corrine Thomas Autumn Skyler Luke
Handel Hill Hockensmith Holdsworth Hostetler Hribar
Gage Kelsey Elias Briana Laura Jonathan
Jones Josephson Kline Lohr Lundberg McCall
6
~ SENIOR AWARDS AND SCHOLARSHIPS (continued) ~
Sydney Aidan Ashley Brycen Seth Jacob
McCormick Neeson Pauley Rearick Richardson Rok
Hadan Kaitlyn Megan Logan Christian Benjamin
Romanow Rusnak Rusnak Sarlouis Sawko Schrader
Kaitlyn Abigail Shannon Kylie Damian Baylee
Scislowicz Seese Shaffer Shaw Shrift Snedden
Caleb Hadon Alyssa Natalya Toni Hayle
Sorchilla Staller Stropko Teno Tkach Van Male
Michael Daniel Zachary Destiny Noah Rebecca
Vasbinder Velasquez Vitko Wallace Webb Williamson
7
~ SENIOR AWARDS AND SCHOLARSHIPS (continued) ~
Not Pictured:
Madison Gorzelsky
Gary Hostetler
Johnathan Rhinier
Elisabeth Ariel
Zajdel Zevorich
Principal’s Corner ~ Mr. Curt Vasas
Hello! I hope everyone is enjoying their summer vacation. The last few months have certainly been chal-
lenging, and exciting, for all of us. As we wrapped up the 2019-2020 school year, we already had our atten-
tion turned towards the 2020-2021 start of school. Just like March, April and May had presented us with
challenges—so does June, July, and August. The changing landscape gave us a chance to reflect and look
at education through a different lens. The 2020-2021 school year will be bringing changes with it – a one to
one computer initiative, a new student-centered leadership curriculum, and a new instructional delivery
system that better fits our current needs and provides flexibility while reducing class workload. The Junior-
Senior High School Administration will be working diligently to create a safe, welcoming environment.
Devoting some time to college and career planning would be beneficial for your child. Students should con-
sider summer employment, job shadowing, or college visits. These may look different in a post-COVID
world, but they are still important. These options can help students decide where their interests lie and
assist them in scheduling classes throughout their high school careers.
As always, we encourage you to contact us if you have any questions or concerns. We continue to strive to
provide a quality education so our students develop into life-long learners and understand their importance
in a democratic society. Thank you for continued support and assistance towards this end.
Principal’s Corner ~ Mr. Edward Alexander
Happy Summer! First, I would like to congratulate the graduating class of 2020! This was certainly not the
way we had hoped or planned your final few months at Forest Hills, but you persevered and made the most
out of a challenging situation. Secondly, I would like to thank all teachers, students, and families for your
flexibility and resilience since March 13, 2020. Our Ranger community adapted to change as only we can—
together as a TEAM!
As we prepare for the upcoming school year, the district made the decision to provide our students and
staff with the tools to succeed in a changing landscape of educational delivery. All FH students will be re-
ceiving a Chromebook as we kick off a 1:1 initiative. This provides an excellent opportunity to enhance op-
portunities and curriculum changes in Forest Hills. We are working tirelessly to develop next year’s master
schedule, as we strive to maximize learning opportunities for all students.
We have also been very busy collecting Chromebooks that were distributed in April, as well as collecting
textbooks, returning personal items to students, and closing down the 2019-2020 school year. State guide-
lines have restricted these operations, but we have been successful in these tasks. We appreciate your
patience throughout the month of June. Our secretaries, AmeriCorps employees, and technology staff
have been nothing short of awesome during this time!
We wish you a healthy, relaxing summer. Please stay safe and enjoy all you can, as the state slowly at-
tempts to return to “normal.” We welcome your interest and involvement at Forest Hills! As always, if you
have any questions, please contact me at 814-487-7613. Thank you.
8
A Letter from the School Nurses
Schools across the nation closed earlier this year due to a newly identified coronavirus, named COVID-
19. Doctors and scientists are still learning about this virus. The illness spreads from person to person in
close contact with one another through respiratory droplets when an infected person coughs, sneezes,
or talks. The droplets can land on the face of another person and enter through the eyes, nose or mouth,
or be inhaled into the lungs causing the other person to become infected with the virus. People who are
not showing any symptoms of illness may spread COVID-19. You may also be able to get the virus by
touching a source or object that has the virus on it and then by touching your mouth, nose, or eyes.
Currently, there is no vaccine to protect against COVID-19 or a definite medication to treat it. The best
thing to do is protect yourself from exposure to the virus by:
Washing your hands frequently with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or use an alcohol
based hand sanitizer.
Covering your cough or sneeze with a tissue or use the inside of your elbow then immediate-
ly wash your hands.
Practicing social distancing if you need to go to public places. Avoid close contact with oth-
ers, at least 6 feet.
Wearing a cloth face covering that covers your nose and mouth in public settings. The cover-
ing protects other people in case you are infected.
Cleaning and disinfecting surfaces frequently.
If you are exposed to the virus and become sick, stay home except to get medical care. Symptoms can
range from mild to severe illness and appear 2-14 days after exposure to COVID-19. Symptoms in-
clude:
Fever or chills
Cough
Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
Fatigue
Muscle or body aches
Headache
New loss of taste or smell
Sore throat
Congestion or runny nose
Nausea or vomiting
Diarrhea
Seek medical care right away if you have trouble breathing, persistent pain or pressure in the chest, new
confusion, inability to wake or stay awake, or bluish lips or face. The list may not include all possible signs
and symptoms. Consult with your medical provider if questions arise. Follow the care as directed by your
doctor and the local Department of Health.
As stay-at-home orders are lifted and school resumes, it will be important for the public to follow all the
guidelines issued by national, state, and local agencies to prevent the spread of the virus. Once school
reopens, keep students home if they are sick, especially with a temperature of 100 degrees or greater,
and/or the symptoms noted above. If someone is diagnosed with the virus or has been exposed to some-
one with the virus, when they can be around others depends on different factors for different situations.
This will be determined by the medical provider and/or the health department. The district provides up-
dates on COVID-19 on the website as new information becomes available.
In addition, make sure your child’s immunizations and required medical and dental exams are up to date.
Provide the school nurse the required documentation for necessary treatments for medical conditions
such as asthma, food allergies, bee stings, seizures, and if medication is needed during school hours.
Your child’s health and well-being is very important to us! (Information regarding COVID-19 taken from CDC website)
9
Senior High Forensics
The 2019-2020 Senior High Forensics Team had a very successful season. In total, the team was com-
posed of twenty-two strong student speakers. From the underclassmen who stepped up to the podium, to
the seniors who carried the team for the last few years, Forest Hills captured at least one individual first-
place ribbon at every competition this season. As a team, Forest Hills ranked second at the District 5
Tournament and third in the Regional Tournament.
The COVID-19 Pandemic halted the team’s participation in the State and National tournaments, but Forest
Hills had several qualifiers for the 2019-2020 season. The State qualifiers from the District 5 Forensics
Tournament include district runner-up Rosalie DiPaola, senior, Persuasive Speaking; district champion B.
Joseph Schrader, senior, Commentary; district-runner up Karlie Ondrejik, sophomore, Informative
Speaking; and district runner-up Eva Spangler, sophomore, Dramatic Interpretation.
Additional competitors who placed at the district level include Makayla Miller, senior, sixth place Oral In-
terpretation of Prose; Damian Shrift, senior, sixth place Informative Speaking; Rebecca Williamson, sen-
ior, sixth place Humorous Drama; Abigail Seese and Shannon Shaffer, seniors, third place Duo Drama;
district runner-up Jessie Shaulis, sophomore, Declamation; and district champion, Faith Greene, Decla-
mation.
At the Regional tournament, Forest Hills had five qualifiers for the National Catholic Forensic League
Grand National Tournament originally slated for May 22-23 in Chicago, Illinois. National qualifiers include
regional runner-up Rebecca Williamson, senior, Humorous Drama; Abigail Seese and Shannon Shaffer,
seniors, sixth place Duo Interpretation; regional champion Jessie Shaulis, sophomore, Declamation; and
Faith Greene, sophomore, fifth place Declamation.
Other competitors who placed at Regionals, but did not advance to Nationals, include semi-finalists Rosa-
lie DiPaola, senior, Persuasive Speaking; Alec Fields, junior, Extemporaneous Speaking; Damian Shrift,
senior, Informative Speaking; and Madison Stombaugh, senior, Oral Interpretation of poetry. Finalists in-
clude Briana Lohr and Joy Frankum, senior and sophomore, sixth place Public Forum Debate; B. Joseph
Schrader, senior, fifth place Commentary; and Karlie Ondrejik, sophomore, third place Informative
Speaking.
Forensics is both an individual and team effort. The contributions of all members, especially the class of
2020, ensured the team’s continued success over the past few seasons. Senior team members include
Rosalie DiPaola, Kirstin Emerick, Ashlyn Hamara, Livia Hamara, Briana Lohr, Makayla Miller, B. Joseph
Schrader, Damian Shrift, Abigail Seese, Shannon Shaffer, Kylie Shaw, Madison Stombaugh, and Rebecca
Williamson. Thank you for carrying the team and good luck in your future endeavors. We will miss you!
The 2019-20 Forest Hills Senior High Forensics team poses
at the District 5 Tournament. Members include (back row)
Joy Frankum, Kirstin Emerick, Livia Hamara, Jessie
Shaulis, Makayla Miller, Abigail Seese, Shannon Shaffer,
Damian Shrift, Rebecca Williamson, Samantha Zatek,
B. Joseph Schrader, (front row) Ashlyn Hamara, Briana
Lohr, Faith Greene, Karlie Ondrejik, Eva Spangler and
Rosalie DiPaola.
Forest Hills Senior High Forensics team members
who placed at the District 5 Tournament include
(back row) Jessie Shaulis, Makayla Miller, Eva
Spangler, Damian Shrift, Rebecca Williamson,
(front row) Faith Greene, Abigail Seese, Shannon
Shaffer, B. Joseph Schrader, Rosalie DiPaola and
Karlie Ondrejik.
10
Junior-Senior High School Music
Choruses Make Virtual Ensembles
Since rehearsing and performing live have not been an option recently, the Forest Hills Choruses have
put together virtual performances, recording themselves individually to then be assembled into one
sound and one video for each song recorded. In addition, the graduating seniors put together their sen-
ior song in the same way for the graduation ceremony. The song they chose was “Older” by Ben Platt.
The music students in all grades of the district were also able to collaborate by submitting music to be
played during the virtual art show this year. The music faculty contributed their own piece of music in a
video containing an original piece of music composed by Mr. Kearney entitled “Enter Corona.”
Senior High 8/9th
Chorus sings Grade
“Superstition” Chorus
sings
by Stevie “And So
Wonder It Goes”
by Billy
Joel
Chorus
Class of
2020 sings
“Older” by
Ben Platt
7th Grade Combined Choruses sing the Alma Mater
Chorus
sings “A
Million
Dreams”
by Lee
Ann
Womack
A Cappella Ensemble sings “I Hope
You Dance”
by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul
Music faculty plays “Enter Corona” written
by Jake Kearney
11
Musical cast gets All Shook Up
This February the Senior High
Performing Arts troupe pre-
sented All Shook Up, the hit
Broadway musical that tells
the story of Shakespeare’s
Twelfth Night through the mu-
sic of Elvis. Forest Hills new-
comer Alec Fields played the
Elvis-inspired character, Chad,
a roustabout with a song in his
soul and a love for the ladies.
The show opens with the clas-
sic Elvis anthem, “Jailhouse
Rock,” a high energy dance number that set the tone for the
show. Fresh out of jail, Chad arrives in a small town where
Mayor Matilda Hyde, played by Katie Rusnak, has outlawed
any immoral behavior, including dancing, singing, and inter-
action between the social classes. She is appalled by Chad
singing “C’mon Everybody” and encouraging the town to
snap their fingers and clap their hands and generally express
themselves.
She is further
agitated
when her
high-class military academy son, played by Colten Danel,
falls for a girl from the wrong side of the tracks, portrayed
by senior Rebecca Williamson, daughter of the town’s tav-
ern owner, Sylvia, played by Makayla Miller. Much to both
mothers’ dismay, the roustabout encourages this romance
and immediately becomes the focus of the mayor’s ire, but
the mayor can’t stop Chad’s quest for “Burning Love.”
The first lady to fall for the guitar-playing roustabout is the
town mechanic, Natalie, played by Megan Rusnak, but true
to its Shakespearean counterpart, Chad falls for someone else, the sultry and sophisticated Miss Sandra,
who has recently moved to town to run the museum. Portrayed by Skyler Hostetler, Miss Sandra loves art
and culture and cannot stand the Neanderthal who pursues her. Meanwhile Chad takes on a nerdy side-
kick, Natalie’s best friend, Dennis, played by Daniel Velasquez, who helps him woo Sandra. When Natalie
sees how being one of the guys could get her closer to Chad, she dons a hat, rubs on a grease beard, and
becomes “Ed,” another roustabout searchin’ for love. She immediately replaces Dennis as Chad’s sidekick
and seeks to his undermine his attempts at romancing Sandra and show him how perfect Natalie would be
for him. She must also avoid her father Jim, played by Matthew Rozum, who has also fallen for Miss
Sandra, even though Sylvia has fallen for him, for in true Shakespearean fashion, everyone in town is in
love with the wrong person. The first act concluded with an amazing rendition of “Can’t Help Falling in
Love” with every character expressing their desire for their true love and their true love longing for some-
one else. But in true musical fashion, it all works out in the end as the town comes together, and both rich
and poor dance in their blue suede shoes. Even the uptight Matilda finds love in the end when the previous-
ly quiet Sheriff Earl, played by Damian Shrift, declares his love for her. Obviously a triple wedding ensues
in the final scene and several other couples proclaim their love. (Continued on page 13)
12
Musical cast gets All Shook Up (Continued from page 12)
Unlike many schools, the cast feels very blessed to
have been able to perform their musical. Even still,
the weather wreaked havoc for the cast and crew for
the second year in a row. During last year’s run of
Mamma Mia! poor weather canceled all three dress
rehearsals, and the cast met the orchestra for the
first time on opening day. This year, after an amazing
opening night, the cast was saddened to learn that
freezing temperatures canceled school and their Fri-
day night production. The directing team quickly
went to the phones and social media to announce and
organize tickets for an added matinee on Saturday.
With shows already scheduled for Saturday night and
Sunday evening, the cast performed 3 shows in a 36
hour period! Thank you to the three-year veterans
whose leadership and experience made this possible. These seniors, along with junior Samantha Zatek,
have been a part of the musical theatre program since Sister Act in 2018, and their talents and dedication
will be missed; their “leadership and legacy” will pave the way for the program to continue to flourish.
Thanks seniors Rosalie DiPaola, Makayla Miller, Alexis Noon, Kaitlyn Rusnak, Megan Rusnak, Abigail Seese,
Shannon Shaffer, Kylie Shaw, Damian Shrift, Natalya Teno, Daniel Velasquez, and Rebecca Williamson.
``````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````
Spring Play
Like many spring activities and sports, the drama club was disappointed to lose the opportunity to present
their play, Game of Tiaras. The Don Zolidis comedy merged Game of Thrones, Disney, and Shakespeare
(yes, you read that correctly) to create a script that was both funny and challenging and that the actors
looked forward to presenting. The performance loss is especially difficult for the seniors, but it is also a
loss for the underclassmen, many of whom were acting in their first role, and who will also not be able to
portray these same roles in the future.
Members of the cast include: Nora Cabala, Alexis Detwiler, Rosalie DiPaola, Elizabeth Dobbins, Alec
Fields, Grace Leventry, Cayce McCall, Matthew Rozum, Kaitlyn Rusnak, Megan Rusnak, Christian Sawko,
Joe Schrader, Abby Seese, Shannon Shaffer, Jessie Shaulis, Damian Shrift, Somer Silvis, Natalya Teno,
Daniel Velasquez, Rebecca Williamson, Erin Wright, and Samantha Zatek.
Stage managers include: Kylie Shaw, assisted by Grace Leventry, Sofie Poborski, Alexia Steele, and Erin
Wright.
Though many of these students were also involved in the musical, the play and musical are two distinct
activities and require different skill sets, and those who shine more as actors than singers are especially
saddened. The seniors missed their last oppor-
tunity to Savor the Moment, but they leave be-
hind them a lengthy list of stage credits that has
created a foundation for future casts and crews.
And many of them are pursuing aspects of thea-
tre at the collegiate level. We wish them the
best!
The Cast poses at one of the
last rehearsals before
school is canceled.
13
~ ELEMENTARY SCHOOL ~
Principal’s Corner ~ Mrs. Rebecca Roberts
Wow! What a year! Although this was not the way any of us planned to end the 2019-2020 school year, I
believe it was a success! Thank you for the time and effort each parent, student, teacher, and support
staff put into enabling learning to continue from home. Our teachers were quickly trained on Google
classroom and I know some of you at home were too! Thank you for the effort and PATIENCE you provided
to continue instruction.
Please take time to read the numerous articles provided by our teachers regarding the learning that took
place in so many of our classrooms. I think you will see that, even remotely, our teachers and students did
an outstanding job! Stay healthy this summer!
PTO News
The Elementary PTO has been trying to “make lemonade
out of lemons” during the time out of school. Spring is
usually a bustling time for field trips, the Ranger, and the
Carnival, so the PTO had to think outside the box to pro-
vide some fun for the students while they are at home.
First, each student in the elementary school received a
postcard from the PTO. The goal was for each student to
feel special by receiving mail addressed specifically to
him/her, as well as to express how very much each stu-
dent was missed!
Later, every elementary student was also mailed a cou-
pon for a free ice cream cone from the Ranger. Students
generally walk over to the Ranger from the school for ice cream each spring, so this way the students
could still get a treat, individually and safely.
To provide some excitement after the missed field trips, the students received
Ranger miniature golf coupons. With this, the PTO hopes that families were
able to enjoy an outing together in a way that maintains social distance but still
provides some fun!
The 6th grade class was still able to vote on and receive t-shirts, as they do
each year. They also got certificates for pizza from Fox’s and ice cream from
the Buckhorn, as well as a small gift with inspirational words.
The Elementary PTO is committed to helping our students in whatever ways
we can. Thank you for the continued community support as we have all weath-
ered this worldwide storm together!
14
Pre-K News
Mrs. Summits' Pre-K classes zoomed
our way to the end of the year. During
our Zoom meetings, we had show and
tell, read alouds, directed drawings
and even a scavenger hunt. The final
Zoom meeting was a read aloud of the
story Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the
Bus by Mo Willems, followed by a di-
rected drawing of the main charac-
ter. The students had a fun time draw-
ing the pictures and sharing them with
their classmates. The drawings turned out great!
Mrs. Stiffler would like to thank the students and parents in
the Pre-K class for participating in distance learning dur-
ing the past months. Many activities were uploaded on
Google Class-
room. Students
had videos of
book readings to
watch, hands on
learning activities to complete, and a variety of enrichment ac-
tivities to enjoy.
We had zoom meetings so we could see our friends again. We
talked about what everyone is doing and how they are keeping
busy at home.
Thank you again for showing Forest Hills students and parents are the best!
Kindergarten Transitions To Google Classroom
If you have ever spent any amount of time in a kindergarten classroom,
you know that it is a busy, active, flexible learning environment. When our
district transitioned to online learning this spring, the kindergarten faculty
and staff quickly embraced this new learning format, and as a team devel-
oped a curriculum that mirrored our at-school lessons. Each teacher was
responsible for the instruction of one subject. Initially, the teachers spent
a significant amount of time becoming familiar with the resources of
Google Classroom and the capabilities of Zoom for videotaping lessons
Jack Zeigler Zooms In. and conducting live class meetings. After repurposing a room at home as
a classroom, each teacher then began taping lessons for instruction. Each teacher put their own unique
touches into lessons - from pets, puppets, keywords, searches around the house, printing words, experi-
ments, and song and dance videos - to provide that something special for the students. Morning an-
nouncements/songs were included to provide an added element of routine for the students. Student
birthdays were also posted for the spring and summer months! Brain Break songs, dances, and action
activities were also part of the curriculum for an added element of fun! Paraprofessionals assisted small
groups of students with reinforcement activities during live Zoom sessions and each teacher conducted
weekly live Zooms with his/her class! Those Zooms were not as good as being together but provided a
wonderful opportunity for the students and teachers to interact! The transition to Google Classroom has
been a challenge for students, families, and teachers. Together, we met the challenge and continued to
provide excellent educational opportunities for “R” kids while gaining a new appreciation of how flexible
we can be!
15
First Grade
Even though school is the heart of learning, the first grade teachers did all they could do to ensure that the
first graders still felt connected to school while working from their home. The first grade teachers were busy
reaching out to students and families, perfecting their curriculum, creating fun and engaging lessons for
their students, and helping students make unforgettable memories during an unforgettable year.
At the beginning of the school closure, the first grade teachers spent hours having meetings to discuss the
best way to deliver instruction to first grade families. When the district’s Google Classrooms launched, they
listened to feedback from parents and took families’ concerns to heart. The first grade teachers held a meet-
ing and decided to do a total overhaul of their Google Classroom page to better meet their students’ needs.
This overhaul was well received by families and made remote learning easier to navigate and less stressful.
Additionally, many teachers called each and every family to ensure they had the support necessary to suc-
cessfully manage their child’s new online learning platform.
The first grade teachers were sure to include all aspects of the first grade curriculum into their Google
Classroom and even added some fun activities. Lessons included phonics, reading, math, and the Heggerty
and ECRI phonics instruction programs. First graders also had some fun with science, social studies, and
writing. Several grade level videos were created to showcase our students' online work submissions.
Teachers in first grade were also busy compiling the hundreds of photographs they took throughout the year
to create slideshow videos for their students. These movies serve as keepsakes to help first graders remem-
ber the fun they had learning new things, the friends they made, and lasting memories that were created dur-
ing an unforgettable and unconventional year.
To help with the closure of first grade and as a send off to second grade, teachers made special “driveway
stops” to deliver end of the year gifts and give one last hug to their students.
Although the 2020 school year did not finish the way we expected, we did our best to ensure that these little
minds were given the best start to a bright school career.
Second Grade Distance Learning Highlights
We cannot thank the second grade families enough for their support and kind words
during distance learning. No one could have anticipated that our time together
would be cut short in the classroom for the 2019-2020 school year. Without your
family’s help, we would not have been able to create the positive, virtual climate that
transpired from mid-March to the end of May in second grade. Simply…thank you!
Our virtual classroom highlights in second grade included everything from a virtual
field trip of Fort Ligonier to classroom Zoom meetings via tablets, computers,
chrome books, etc. We included hands-on assignments for the students such
as making elephant toothpaste in Science, continuing our newly implemented
ECRI program (Enhanced Core Reading Instruction), continuing our Go Math
and Language Arts lessons with personal videos from the teachers, and of
course spring and Mother’s Day projects for fun. Emotionally, we provided a
daily inspirational message for the kids to let them know we all need to laugh in
times that are confusing or sad. It was our goal to be there for all students in
the most normal way possible.
While academics were our immediate focus, we focused long term on making
this a positive experience for the children and their families in a time of uncer-
tainty. We wish your families good health and relaxation for the Summer of
2020!
Pictured is 2nd grader Aubree Henson
making her elephant toothpaste!
16
Third Graders Do Tremendous Work in Their Google Classroom
Where might you find students hard at work learning a variety of topics ranging from the im-
portance of earthworms to why fractions are needed in our everyday lives? If you were able
to visit Forest Hill’s Third Grade’s Google Classroom, you would see it firsthand!
Students were welcomed back to school with an opportunity to create a “Missing Teacher/
Wanted Poster” of their teacher, which then were posted for the entire
“Classroom” to view. Many students created artistic renditions of their
teachers (some quite humorous), explaining what they missed most
about being in their physical school classroom.
Children went on adventures in reading. They learned about the importance of the
rainforest and why we need to conserve Earth’s resources. (The Lorax made an ap-
pearance and motivated many students to create posters outlining how they plan to
help keep our planet healthy). They learned a life lesson about choices and conse-
quences in the tale, “Two Bad Ants.” Students also were taken on journeys through
non-fiction text to experience how and why animals use their amazing adaptations to migrate extensive dis-
tances. In the virtual math classroom, learners completed lessons diving deep into the important life skills
of using and comparing fractions while also learning how to calculate area and perimeter. Students re-
viewed “parts of speech” and demonstrated their knowledge of adjectives to create and describe an alien
of their choice. In social studies, the children gained an understanding of how enormous our planet is
while studying the continents, and also stayed informed with the latest current events using Scholastic
News articles. Young scientists were encouraged to create their own volcano after learning about the lay-
ers of the Earth and what forces are at work underneath our very feet. Over twenty-five children stepped
up to the challenge and created their own volcano at home. Videos of their exploding masterpieces were
then posted to Third Grade’s Google Classroom page, for all classmates and teachers to enjoy. In science,
students learned about how a tiny invertebrate, the bee, is likely our planet’s most valuable living thing,
through their investigation of pollination, flowers, and seeds.
Third graders learned in a variety of ways in this virtual world, from teacher-made video recordings of les-
sons, YouTube, and uploaded reading and math materials. Many of their favorite times
were when they attended live Zoom meetings, where they could see each other’s smiles,
hear each other’s comments, jokes, and questions, and be reassured by their teachers.
Third grade teachers are very proud of their students and all their hard work, but truly
also missed seeing the daily “face-to-face” smiles, “light-bulbs going off,” and high-fives
that everyone so very much took for granted before this period of time. Excellent job third
grade in your Google Classroom!
Positive Notes From Parents
Thank you for the time and energy that you put into my child’s education, especially this last quarter.
~ Susan Roberts
You teachers deserve all the thanks for everything you do all year, and especially in this unfore-
seen time. ~ Theresa Selapack
All of the teachers have been doing amazing. This has not been easy on any one. But all of you have
been great. Thank you! ~ Shanna Vivian
I have to say, I give all of you so much credit on getting all of this together so quickly for so many stu-
dents. Thank you for everything. ~ Nicole Vivian
17
Fourth Grade Adventures With Flat Miss Matthews and Flat Mrs. Markum
What a crazy year for our students and teachers this year! Although we ended the year no longer in our
school and classrooms, our students shared many adventures with Flat Miss Matthews and Flat Mrs.
Markum.
We did fun things and our academic classes via virtual learning and projects. Parker
Turgeon sent us on an adventure with his dad in an Army helicopter ride! Mrs. Markum’s
social studies class made log cabins. Students also learned about toys pioneer children
played with and then showed us how they made and played with their
own.
We were able to watch and read all of the news at home, but without
seeing our students we asked them to create a newspaper of their
week! Kinleigh shows us her Kinleigh Gazette that showed the weath-
er, what she was playing, working on, and her chores.
We are so sad we were unable to have an in-person goodbye, but we were able to have
a final zoom meeting with all of the students able to participate. We may not have been
all together in the same room, but this was a nice way to end the year!
Parent’s sent us some messages about their experiences this year….
Mrs. Custer, “It was nice that everything was released at once so we could work at her pace.”
Ms. Given, “Krystiana has had such amazing teachers since Pre-K, thank you for being one of them. Espe-
cially during these difficult times.”
Mrs. Zeigler, “Thank you for all of your help.”
Mrs. Markum, Miss Matthews, and Mr. Pcola are so proud of the hard work from their students and families
during this transition.
One last message from Flat Mrs. Markum and Flat Miss Matthews….
Michael Savannah Brayden showing us his
shows us all is shown new whirligig.
on his com- proudly
puter during showing
our final off her
meeting. project!
Mr. Cordek’s and Mrs. McCall’s Fourth Grade Online Learning Classroom 2020
Simply put, online school has been a challenge for us all, but we as
Rangers were able to overcome this challenge just like all the other
challenges we faced together throughout the year.
We found many new things to do—things we could not do offline. We
went on field trips to the Galapagos Islands, a dairy farm, and the
Great Wall of China. We read the novel “Matilda” daily, and the stu-
dents listened to us read. We had daily Zoom meetings to talk about
the novels story elements, vocabulary words, and open ended ques-
tions. We showed worksheets online and completed them together
throughout the novel and the students took turns reading questions
and answering them. They all loved to see each other and listen to their answers. The best part for them
was comparing and contrasting the novel to the movie.
It was a challenge, but one we faced and overcame as “Rangers.” Thank you for all the hard work each
and every one of you put forth during this challenging time. Everything you have done is greatly appreci-
ated. Have a great summer and hopefully we will see you soon.
18
Fifth Grade
“The Show Must Go On”
English historian Thomas Fuller said, “All things are difficult before they are easy.” Change has certainly
ruled the day for all of us, but our students adapted extremely well. While the structure of Mr. Lashinsky’s
5th grade ELA classes may have changed during virtual learning, the focus did
not. First, students gained the skills to successfully navigate and utilize Google Class-
room which was difficult...before it became easy. Students studied various reading
elements and expanded vocabulary through the study of literature. A large group novel
study was done on The Wish Giver as the students were able to follow along on a PDF
file and respond to the text in Google Forms and Documents. Figurative language was
reviewed during the teacher read-aloud, Where the Red Fern Grows. Many of the stu-
dents commented on how emotional the book was to them mostly due to the presenta-
tion. Grammar and writing skills were reviewed through written responses to literature
with the help of sites such as NoRedInk and Newsela. While nothing compares to being face-to-face with
students, we all came together and made this difficult change as easy as possible.
Mrs. McGough's fifth grade math class continued with recorded Zoom lessons posted in the students’
Google Classroom. The main topics covered during the pandemic were American Conversions and the
Metric System. For capacity, the students learned how to use 'Gallon Guy', which former students and
parents have commented on how helpful this was throughout their schooling! The students did an excel-
lent job with their online lessons, quizzes, and tests -- we are SO proud of them!
Mrs. Wehner’s classes are typically those that require the students to learn through a hands-on approach
by “doing” projects. They are engaged with content in order to solve problems. Throughout this unique
time of online learning, Mrs. Wehner still taught with these beliefs. Students gathered night crawlers and
conducted hands-on activities utilizing them, studied embryology while watching chickens being incubat-
ed and candled throughout the time in the egg until birth, and performed other activities with vertebrates
and invertebrates. “Science Demo Day” was the final project where stu-
dents shared an experiment with the class via a LIVE ZOOM meet-
ing. Here is Jayden Womer showing a “magic plastic bag” experiment
that demonstrates how a Ziploc bag is made of polymers and the pencil
slides in between the chain of molecules that make up the polymer.
Sadly, the fifth-grade trip to the Johnstown Flood Memorial was not to be
in the cards this year. Therefore, many facts including pictures of the
area and information about the Johnstown Flood were brought to life during Social Studies lessons while
reading The Day It Rained Forever.
Overall, the teachers and students continued to learn throughout these difficult times. Zoom Meetings
helped to keep the relationships growing and all will be missed.
Elementary STEAM Initiative
The 2019-2020 school year was our first year of the Elementary STEAM initiative. The students did an
amazing job embracing this new offering and made some amazing things happen in the classroom. Our
student Rangers laid the groundwork for possible careers in engineering, design, coding, math, comput-
ers, multiple fields of Science, and more. To say that our district was pleased with the students' ac-
ceptance and effort with the STEAM program would be an understatement. Not only did they thrive in a
new educational initiative, but they also did so during the interruption of the pandemic. Although our
school and classrooms were closed, our students and their families kept learning and growing through
this unprecedented time. From home, students kept designing, engineering, creating, coding, and most
importantly, learning. This is a direct reflection of the wonderful community of Forest Hills students, par-
ents, family, and friends. Thank you for making this year such an amazing one, despite these challenges
we faced.
19
Sixth Grade
Remote Learning
As we were suddenly required to turn our everyday classroom discussions into online lessons and activi-
ties, the Sixth Grade Google Classroom was up and running quickly. While remotely learning the sixth
graders had a chance to explore the math concepts. The students not only learned from teaching videos
created by Ms. Ohler and Mr. Brezovec, but also were able to use Think Central and Get More Math. In
ELA, the students were able to complete their last year of Spelling work along with practicing the skills of
analyzing text and responding to questions.
Mrs. Mayes and Mrs. Bolvin met with the kids weekly to discuss the topics
and help. In Science, the sixth graders had an opportunity to remotely col-
laborate with their peers to create a presentation about endangered ani-
mals. During remote learning the sixth graders also read a novel based on
Ancient China. Students had the option to read the novel on their own at
home with their family, listen to it on YouTube, or join in a class reading
and discussion of the novel. While reading, students practiced their
Collins Writing Type 1 with daily exit cards based on the novel. They also
had the opportunity to explore what the Census is all about and how their
family plays an important part in the allocation of resources. Congratulations to the sixth graders for suc-
cessfully completing Quarter 4 in their last year of elementary school remotely. We will miss all of you.
FHOSS Continues
When Forest Hills switched to digital learning, members of the FHOSS team continued to provide extra
instruction on both phonological skills using the Heggerty curriculum and phonics instruction using the
95% Group curriculum. “FHOSS never ended,” explained Reading Specialist, Mrs. Jani. “We all continued
to provide Heggerty lessons just like the students were sitting right in front of us. We encouraged the stu-
dents to follow along and answer with us like they did during a normal FHOSS class.”
Kindergarten lessons were taught by Mrs. Hupkovich and her friend
Moose. “I incorporated Moose into my lessons to encourage interest.
The students enjoyed seeing Moose pop in and help me teach my les-
sons.” Mrs. Hupkovich focused her 95% lessons on words with short
vowel sounds, skills that all kindergarteners need to master.
First grade lessons were taught by Mrs. Nadonely, who focus on initial
2-letter and 3-letter blends, as well as final blends. “Once students are
introduced to blending, they become able to mentally join speech
sounds together to make words. This helps students to decode unfa-
miliar words using letter-sound patterns when reading. I didn’t want them to miss out on these important
lessons in FHOSS.”
Second grade lessons were taught by Mr. Brilhart. He reviewed blends that many students struggle with,
as well as teaching vowel pairs. “I feel that it was important for the students to continue seeing us teach
the FHOSS lessons on the video. It provided them comfort to see us and gave them a sense of normalcy,”
explained Mr. Brilhart.
Third grade lessons were taught by Mrs. Jani. She reviewed the six syllable types and provided lessons on
both single syllable and multisyllabic words. “By third grade, students are taught so many phonics skills,
including reading multisyllabic words. I made sure my lesson included multisyllabic words for those who
were ready to conquer those, while also including instruction of single syllable words for those who still
needed to have a little extra support on those skills.”
20
Elementary Music
This has been quite the whirlwind end to a school year! Thankfully, our community came together to help
ensure that our students’ and children’s education continued (albeit, in a different way). While music has
been a new, creative endeavor, everyone did a great job completing assignments and learning through a
different platform. Families even did some learning of their own by helping their children through singing,
playing music games, making instruments, writing songs, composing, learning the history of modern mu-
sic, reading and practicing rhythms, experimenting with sound, and many other lessons - all online! Many
of our Pre-K and Kindergarten students were even featured in The
Tribune-Democrat for Mother’s Day. More elementary students were
featured with their musical talents in Forest Hills’ online art show
through recordings that were submitted.
While this is not our preferred way of teaching and interacting with
our students and your children, we are thankful
that their participation in music was able to con-
tinue without too much pause. Not every school
district is fortunate enough to have such a supportive community for the arts, so we
thank you for your cooperation, patience, and enthusiasm in our online music edu-
cation efforts! We have received many thanks, fantastic participation, and positive
feedback from students and parents alike. Music will not continue to look like this
forever, but we certainly have some takeaways that can be incorporated into future
music classes. We hope everyone has a fantastic summer. Let’s rejuvenate before
we see what new adventures await us in the fall!
Elementary Physical Education Goes Digital
Along with the other elementary school “special areas” the elementary physical
education department developed a Google classroom to deliver instruction dur-
ing the school closure. There are approximately 40 different activities (arranged
by topic) that your students can access throughout the summer if they are look-
ing for ways to stay active, get fit, or improve their sport skills. The classroom
code is 2ng3mkt. Activities in the classroom range from CrossFit, Zumba, to HIT
Workouts – juggling, jump rope, to cup stacking challenges – and skill building
activities in basketball, volleyball, and soccer. These resources will remain avail-
able throughout the summer months.
Elementary Art
The elementary art students faced many new challenges and experiences during the 2019-2020 school
year. For the first time one art teacher provided instruction for the entire elementary student population
and the students received instruction in art for two marking periods. The students learned about famous
artists, art styles and art from different cultures. The sixth grade students created tessellations and stud-
ied the work of Dutch artist, M. C. Esher. They also constructed modular origami sculptures. Many sixth
graders utilized their recess time to explore this project and challenged themselves by creating the
sculpture in smaller and larger versions. They also worked with various types of paper. The fifth grade
students experimented with the Japanese folk art of kirigami. Kirigami is the art of designing and cutting
paper into a desired shape. The students used translucent origami paper to create their designs and al-
so used color theory and overlapping to create additional colors in their final projects. The fourth and
third graders painted with paper using bleeding art tissue paper. The students explored the warm and
cool colors for this activity. They made a drawing using warm or cool colors of crayon. They then ar-
ranged pieces of bleeding art tissue in the opposite group of colors and sprayed the tissue paper with
water to create the paint. The completed artwork looked similar to tie dye. (Continued on page 22)
21
Elementary Art (Continued from page 21)
The second grade students were introduced to the art, culture, animals and environments of Australia by
studying the art of the Australian Aborigines. They created a painting in the Aboriginal style using dots
and patterned lines to paint an animal found in Australia. The first graders used shapes and colors to
make teddy bears and cats. They used a version of the watercolor resist technique to cre-
ate these projects. The students in kindergarten studied the life and many different art
styles of one of the greatest artists of the 20th century - Pablo
Picasso. They created a drawing of a leaf referencing Picasso’s Cubist
style. The PreK students learned about lines, shapes, colors, and tex-
tures in their art classes.
During the month of October, the sixth grade class went on a field trip to
the Westmoreland Museum of American Art in Greensburg. The students
participated in different activities while learning more about styles of art,
different art genres and the history of central western Pennsylvania.
The artwork of Hailey Wogan, Aubrey Smiach, Carrie Pringle, Dennilynn Heming, Caleb Hockensmith,
Aaliyah Charles, and Brayden Hoffman represented The Forest Hills Elementary School in the Artists of
the 21st Century Student Art Exhibition at the Southern Alleghenies Museum of Art in Loretto. The exhibit
is a yearly event at the museum to celebrate Youth Art Month.
The Altoona Mirror has a daily feature on the second page of the newspaper called “Weather by
Kids.” This year several of the art classes made drawings of weather during the different seasons. So
far this school year 45 students had their drawings published as part of this newspaper feature. It is an
incredible achievement for an artist to have his/her artwork shown at an accredited art museum or to
have it published in a newspaper. What an awesome experience for these young artists to have achieved
one of these goals while still in elementary school!
On March 13, 2020, we faced an unprecedented moment in American education history. The closing of
schools as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Shortly after the closing, the school district began pre-
paring to teach the students online. It was a challenge to transform a hands on, application course like
art into a cyber class for over five hundred students in grades PreK through Grade 6. Through research
and creativity, art lessons were provided to the elementary students using materials that most families
would have available at home. Recycling was prominent in many of the lessons. The students used toilet
paper rolls, cereal box cardboard, lids from bottles, cardboard egg cartons and plastic bottles to make
cars, space shuttles, fire trucks, wind spinners, and their own recycled art. Cross curricular activities
involving geometry, chemistry, mathematics, history, engineering, robotics, creative thinking skills, as
well as the elements and principles of design, were included in the art lessons. All the students made
their own sidewalk chalk. The prek and kindergarten students made drawings with geometric shapes,
were introduced to using a ruler to draw straight lines, created paper sculptures, and experienced the
chemical reaction of vinegar and baking soda making fizzy bubble paper. The students in grades 1 and 2
made sculptures using recycled items, worked with circles and ellipses and created a cut paper dandeli-
on. The third and fourth grade students used line repetition to make designs, folded a paper origami talk-
ing dog, constructed a figure sculpture using aluminum foil in the style of Swiss sculptor Alberto
Giacometti, and used a cardboard egg carton to make a fire truck. The students in grades 5 and 6 creat-
ed a suburban landscape drawing using foreground, middle ground, and
background. They learned the history of Celtic Knots and drew a basic
Celtic knot design, used a decagram, polygons, and a ruler to make a ten
pointed star design, created a fanta “sea” drawing based on the artwork
of Yellena James, and explored the world of robotics with the simple and
inventive art/engineering project - DIY robot hand. A Google Classroom
Elementary Art Show was created to celebrate the artistic creativity of
the students.
22
~ JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS ~
Junior High Wrestling
The 2019-2020 Forest Hills Junior
High season was a very successful
one. The team came into the season
with some really high expectations
and were able to deliver. The team
was coached by first year head
coach, Bill Bassett ,and his assis-
tant Tim Colosimo. The Rangers fin-
ished the season the #1 ranked JH
team in the entire state of Pennsyl-
vania. They had a dual meet record
of 15-0 and captured the Laurel
Highlands championship. The team won the Quakertown Duals, Trojans Wars, Joey Stoy Memorial Tourna-
ment, and Mountain Conference. At the Trojan Wars, Forest Hills captured the team title and set a new point
total record (318 points) beating everyone by 100 plus points. The champions were Mason Gibson, Bo
Bassett, Owen McMullen, Devon Magro, and Jackson Butler. During the Joey Stoy Memorial Tournament,
the Rangers captured that title as well. The champions include Mason Gibson, Bo Bassett, Jackson Butler,
Jordan Butler, and Mason Papinchak. The grand finale was the Mountain Conference Tournament. The
Rangers were able to rack up close to 300 total team points and came away with the team championship.
The Champions were Josh Spontak, Bo Bassett, Jackson Butler, Devon Magro, Owen McMullen and Mason
Gibson. Coach Bassett was the Mountain Conference Coach of the Year, and Mason Gibson was named
Most Outstanding Wrestler.
There were three undefeated wrestlers on the season, Mason Gibson 25-0, Bo Bassett 25-0, and Jackson
Butler 21-0. The Rangers qualified 8 wrestlers to the Pennsylvania Junior High State Tournament. Those
wrestlers included: Mason Gibson, Bo Bassett, Devon Magro, Kory Marsalko, Jordan Butler, Isaiah
Shilcosky, Josh Spontak and Hunter Forcellini. Mason and Bo were both able to capture state champion-
ships. This was Bo’s 6th and Mason’s 4th State championships. Devon Magro made the finals but lost a
tough match. The team is already working hard and excited for repeat success next season.
Junior High Boys’ Basketball
The Junior High 9th grade basketball team had a successful season finishing with an 14-8 record for the
2019-2020 season under Coach Alan Myers. The team placed emphasis on improving, while learning what it
means to be a team player and to display
sportsmanship. Hard work, tough de-
fense, and unselfish play were the trade-
marks of this team. Si McGough led the
team with 174 points, followed by Devin
Kreger with 158 points. Coach Calvin
Coleman assisted.
The 7th and 8th grade team also enjoyed
a great season. Under Coach Marc My-
ers, the team’s consistent play was evi-
dent as the team finished with a 16-5
record. Brayden Myers lead the team in scoring with 117 points, followed by Chase Williamson with 89
points. Players learned to appreciate the hard work that makes a successful basketball team while focusing
on the fundamentals of the game. These traits will help these young men succeed at the next level.
23
Junior High Girls’ Basketball
The 2019-2020 Junior High Lady Basketball season was a very successful, on and off the court, as we were
young, yet studious of the game. The girls worked hard all year on and off season which paid off in a Laurel
Highlands Championship. The
leadership from the top lead
the team in a positive direction
as they showed respect in all
levels of the game. The girls
learned in life, success comes
as a team and compromise.
~ VARSITY SPORTS ~
Forest Hills Rifle
The Forest Hills Varsity Rifle Team continues to advance in ranking for another consecutive year with 8
wins and 5 losses, topping last season’s record of 6-7. In addition, the team proudly placed 6th at the In-
terscholastic 3-P Championships meet. This year’s varsity team was led by three senior shooters includ-
ing captain Donovan Faith, co-captain Thomas Hockensmith, and Luke Docherty. Juniors Mitchell
Costlow, Bryce Conner, Carlie McGough, and Abbey Miller were among the team’s top shooters. 3-P
Championships qualifiers Donovan Faith, Thomas Hockensmith, Mitchell Costlow, Carlie McGough, and
Abbey Miller brought home the team’s 6th place ranking. Along with the team’s success, shooters
Donovan Faith and Mitchell Costlow earned the highest classification of “Distinguished Expert.” Carlie
McGough and Abbey Miller stood out as first-time varsity shooters who took the team by surprise with
their top shooting abilities. Both Carlie and Abbey earned an almost unheard-of classification of “Expert”
in their first year of varsity competition.
The Junior Varsity ended their season with a spectacular 12-1 record, which far surpassed last year’s 7-5
record. Leading the top solid JV shoot-
ers were sophomores Luke Dierling,
Gabe Nginyo, Jacob Miller, and Connor
Wysocki. New freshmen shooters Nate
Croyle, Alek Hupkovich, and Matthew
Rickley consistently scored within the
top 3 JV. Shooters Luke Dierling, Kelly
Miller, Nate Croyle, and Alek Hupkovich
stood out as beginning varsity shooters,
earning varsity letters.
The outlook or the team’s upcoming sea-
son is promising with the performance
of this year’s team. A great appreciation
goes towards the seniors, as their dedi-
cation and influence created a winning
attitude that continues to support and
strengthen the team.
24
Varsity Wrestling
After being so close the last few years, the Forest Hills wrestling team finally broke through and was
crowned District 6 Team Champions. This marks the 5th time the Forest Hills wrestling team has captured a
district title, and they did it this year by knocking off the same team that has denied them the crown the last
two seasons - beating Westmont 36-30 in the finals. The team was led by seniors Garet Connor, Michael
Vasbinder, Bryce Rearick, and Luke Hribar. The entire team worked extremely hard all season long. The
hard work paid off, earning them a trip to Hershey for the PIAA Team State Championships for the first time
in a decade. The Rangers gave a valiant effort and came away as one of the top 12 Dual meet teams in the
state, capping off a great dual meet season.
The individual season was another successful one for the Rangers. Six individuals placed at the District 6
tournament and advanced to the PIAA Southwest Regional tournament. Those wrestlers were Easton Toth
– 1nd place, Jackson Arrington – 1st place, Noah Teeter – 3rd place, Dustin Flinn – 6th place, Erik Gibson – 1st
place (named Outstanding Wrestler) and Ryan Weyandt - 3rd place. All of these wrestlers fought hard at the
Southwest Regional Tournament, which consists of 56 schools from Districts 5, 6, and 7. All 6 Rangers
competed hard and 5 of them earned a trip to the PIAA Individual State Championships also in Hershey.
Easton Toth was able to battle to a 4th place finish. Jackson Arrington had an impressive tournament earn-
ing his first Regional Championship. Erik Gibson was able to breeze his way into the finals before suffering
a tough loss to the eventual state champion giving him a 2nd place finish. Lastly, Ryan Weyandt punched his
first ticket to Hershey securing a 5th place finish.
The Rangers represented the school very well at the state tournament bringing home 4 state medals.
Easton Toth gave his best effort and was one match away from placing and earning a medal. Noah Teeter
improved on last year’s state appearance, where he went 0-2, bringing home some hardware with a 7th
place finish this year. Erik Gibson earned his second state medal with a 6th place finish. Ryan Weyandt had
a tournament to remember placing 5th. Jackson Arrington was able to bounce back after a tough semi-final
loss and claimed 3rd place. Overall, these Rangers brought home 4 state medals, which is a first in school
history. As a team, these 5 Rangers wrestled to a top 10 finish placing 9th out of 116 teams that were repre-
sented at the state tournament. Truly, this was a successful season and we are looking forward to next
year.
The varsity wrestling team would also like to thank all of our wonderful fans and local businesses who sup-
ported our program during this
season!
25
Lady Rangers Cut Short In Unprecedented Season
The 2019-2020 team did not
boast height, they did not
boast extreme speed, both
attributes which make bas-
ketball teams exceptional.
On the contrary, this team
looks very average.
Until you see them play
TOGETHER!
We always host an incredible
tip-off tournament with the
top schools in the area and
this year was no different.
Central Cambria came off a
deep-run into the PIAA tour-
nament, Juniata Valley was
two years out from a state
championship and Penns Val-
ley was also a PIAA playoff
team and finished second in
D6. The Lady Rangers opened the tournament with Penns Valley, then held off the Lady Hornets in the
championship game to start the season off 2-0.
Now the Laurel Highlands is always an everyday battle. But battle they did, as the Lady Rangers went un-
defeated for the first time ever in school history, to capture an undefeated regular season record, finish-
ing 22-0.
The Lady Rangers did lose to eventual LHAC tournament champs, Bishop Guilfoyle.
After that loss, the pressure receded and the girls bounced back by defeating Bedford in the D6 semi-
finals, then went on to defeat Huntingdon 83 – 44 to win their 6th consecutive District 6 AAAA Title.
The state tournament was a difficult path for the D6 #1 seed as they went up against Quaker Valley and
Corrinne Washington in the beginning of March. Through a tough first half, the team finally exploded in
the fourth quarter to claim the first-round win, 47 – 28.
The second round became a quite familiar foe, Villa Maria from Erie and District 10. Last year the Lady
Rangers lost to them by 12. This team did as they always did all season… they won TOGETHER. After be-
ing down 13-3 and in foul trouble, the girls increased their defense and took a 3 point lead at halftime. Af-
ter the third quarter the score was tied. The fourth quarter saw the Lady Rangers get a cold spell from
the foul line but outscored their opponents by 7 and won an exciting game at Clarion University.
Unfortunately the story stops here… you finish the story. We all have finished the story ourselves and un-
less anyone proves us wrong… we kept winning.
26
Varsity Boys’ Basketball 2019-2020
This year’s Varsity Boys’ Basketball team be-
gan the year with only one returning letterman
and despite this lack of experience, were able
to compete on the basketball court this sea-
son. Learning was the goal throughout the
season and each practice and game taught
the team a new lesson. The hard work that
the team put into the season could be seen in
many competitive games, even though the fi-
nal record of 3-19 is not what the team had
hoped for.
The players on the team complemented each
other both on and off of the court. This year’s
team was able to score in a variety of ways.
Post-ups, drives, kick-outs, and hustle plays
were common place and there were times that
the Rangers made the spectacular look routine. Not only did the team grow in skills, they also grew as a
team. Defense and tenacity accompanied the Rangers on the court all season and allowed the Rangers
to keep games close against formidable opponents.
This year’s team was captained by two seniors, Jake Rok and Eli Kline, who lead by example in practice
and during games. The seniors will truly be missed, but they have left a great foundation for the under-
classmen to build on. The Rangers will return six lettermen and a ton of experience to the court next sea-
son. Next year’s Rangers are ready to build on the lessons learned this season.
Varsity Cheerleading
The Forest Hills Varsity Cheerleaders started their competition season in October. The team competed
locally at Bishop McCort High School, United High School, The University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown,
and Indiana University of Pennsylvania. The cheerleaders also hosted the Battle in the Hills competition
at the Junior-Senior High School in November that saw over forty teams from the surrounding Johnstown
and Pittsburgh areas.
In December, the team competed in the District VI Championships at the Altoona Fieldhouse. For the
second year in a row since becoming recognized as a PIAA sport, the team qualified for the PIAA State
Cheerleading Championship. The team traveled to Hershey in January and competed at the Giant Center
in the Small Varsity Division. The girls fell just shy of making the semifinals.
The team and coaches would like to thank the Forest Hills student body and Administration for their sup-
port and amazing send off to States.
27
Non-Profit
Organization
U.S. Postage Paid
Permit #5
Johnstown, PA
Board of School Directors District Administration
Galen George, President David Lehman, Superintendent
Richard Knavel, 1st Vice-President Lucas Jacobs, Director of Education
Deborah Petrunak, 2nd Vice-President Donna Murphy-Carosi, School Psychologist
Erica LaMantia, Special Education Supervisor
Keith Rager, Secretary Edward Alexander, Jr-Sr High School Principal
Timothy Ondrejik, Treasurer Curt Vasas , Jr-Sr High School Principal
Brian Kostan, Jr-Sr High Assistant Principal
Edward Hudak, Member Rebecca Roberts, Elementary School Principal
Corina Long, Member Robert Dill, Elementary Assistant Principal
Daniel Russell, Member Chris Reighard, Business Manager
Jesslyn Anslinger, Food Service Director
Colleen Wolfhope, Member
Ronald Repak, Solicitor
“The mission of the Forest Hills School District is to
provide the best student-centered education so all
students acquire and apply the knowledge and skills to
succeed in an ever-changing world.”
Published by the Office of the Superintendent of the Forest Hills School District
28
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