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Published by Forest Hills School District, 2020-11-16 23:08:01

Fall Newsletter 2020

Fall Newsletter 2020

Forest Hills

Ranger Review

Vol. XLI
No 1

Fall 2020-2021

~ SUPERINTENDENT’S MESSAGE ~

Fall is an interesting time of year at the Lehman house. We get excited in the
spring to plant a garden and experience the feeling of new growth. Summer brings
work, watering, and weeding. Fall is harvest time. My favorite harvest activity is
canning spaghetti sauce. There is significant effort placed in the process, but the
product is the reward. The most critical step in the procedure is the final part -
sealing the lid. The cumulative work of the spring, summer, and fall will be fruit-
less if the lid does not seal and protect the harvest. However, when the process
works, the lid protects the work of the season, resulting in a terrific spaghetti din-
ner in the cold bite of winter. The current national and state situation presents us
with many potential limiting lids. If we work together, we can overcome the stressors that impact our
lives. Are you willing to become a lid lifter and search for the opportunities that present themselves?
With your help, we can provide “R” students with a rigorous, world-class learning experience. Help us
lift lids and achieve this most rewarding goal of focusing on the growth and development of “R” stu-
dents.

Even though we are faced with many challenges, I would like to take this opportunity to discuss several
exciting initiatives that are occurring in the District. The drive to be regional thought leaders who mod-
el excellence is a driving force in “R” quest to be efficient, effective, and attractive. Please review the
following District investments:

LEADER IN ME - The Forest Hills School District is the first school district in the region to imple-
ment the Leader In Me curriculum that is based on Stephen Covey’s 7 Habits of Highly Effective
People. The goal of the program is to develop student leaders and maximize the leadership ca-
pacity of the school district.

ONE-TO-ONE INITIATIVE - It is evident that technology has an impact on all of our lives. In an effort
to prepare “R” students for this reality, all students now have access to a device. Devices are
not intended to replace the instructor. Instead, technology will be creatively weaved into daily
instruction. These devices also afford the District an opportunity to pivot to various instruction-
al models based on community need.

CANVAS - The District invested in the Canvas Learning Management System. This system is de-
signed to not only enhance daily instruction and learning experiences, but also to transform
education through synchronous and asynchronous learning.

SPRING MATH - The Spring Math program has been expanded from the Junior-Senior High School
to the Elementary School. Spring Math is a mathematical-based program that enhances the stu-
dents’ arithmetic skills set. Data indicates that students are making significant learning gains.

(Continued on page 2)

~ SUPERINTENDENT’S MESSAGE ~ (Continued from page 1)

CODING INITIATIVE - The District was fortunate to be awarded a PA SMART Grant. The grant monies
were utilized to focus on coding in grades 4 through 6 Science classes. The staff and students
have responded well to this relevant, real-world programming.

STEAM - The District’s STEAM program at the Elementary School has produced amazing student
products and sustained interest in the sciences and arts. This program works as a bridge and has
supplemented the fine arts and technology programming that occurs at the Junior-Senior High
School.

ECRI - The District has been a regional thought leader in the ECRI program by hosting several profes-
sional development offerings that included the founding members of the program. Students in
grades 2 through 6 are participating in the Enhancing Core Reading Instruction program. Sys-
temic benchmark testing is occurring. The results of this testing will be used to provide targeted
instruction and interventions.

The District was fortunate enough to capitalize on an opportunity to refinance a bond issue. The bond
refinancing provided significant savings for the District. Significant savings will be realized annually over
the length of the bond issue. We are grateful to have this opportunity to be fiscally responsible and dili-
gent with district resources. Furthermore, the maintenance, custodial, and cleaning staff remain diligent
protecting the District’s assets while providing a clean and sanitized learning environment.

I want to thank the Ranger Community for your dedication and support to the District. As we navigate
these challenging waters, the District has placed the students and staff in a place to be successful. We
are appreciative that the community and various organizations have assisted us with the task of maintain-
ing a healthy and safe learning environment for all Rangers. We are extremely happy with the perfor-
mance of the students and staff. Their collective resolve and perseverance are inspiring. The ground-
work has occurred to ensure the District is ready to pivot to different instructional models if needed. We
are also making strides to improve “R” instructional programming while building capacity. Once again,
these results were only accomplished with the efforts of many people. Thank you, Rangers!!! Thank you
for your leadership and commitment to excellence. Stay healthy and safe Forest Hills.

Dr. David Lehman
Superintendent of Schools

Forest Hills School District Welcomes a New Special Education Supervisor

Forest Hills School District welcomes Mrs. Elissa Boyd. Mrs. Boyd has
worked in education for sixteen years. Her experiences in the classroom,
and directly working with special education students, have afforded her
many opportunities to interact and educate diverse learners. She has
taught in multiple settings including middle/high school learning support,
elementary emotional support, and regular education mathematics.
Mrs. Boyd is married and has two children, Ayden and Maddox. Outside
of public education, she works as a part-time Emergency Medical Techni-
cian, is a certified EMS Instructor, a Pennsylvania Department of Health
EMS Instructional Trainer, and an American Heart Association Instructor
for CPR and First Aid. She enjoys playing soccer and is a PIAA referee at
both the junior high and varsity level .

Welcome Mrs. Boyd!

2

DISTRICT RECEIVES GRANT MONIES

Over the past calendar year, the Forest Hills School District has been fortunate to be able to apply for
several competitive and noncompetitive grants. As a result of diligent research and hard work, the grant
team has been able to secure several grants. The grant monies have been used to assist the District with
a number of COVID-related purchases, to provide students with supportive technologies, to enhance in-
frastructure, and to provide state-of-the-art programming for staff and students. Clearly, the grant mon-
ies have assisted the District in providing an effective, efficient, and attractive learning environment for
students, while ensuring measures have been taken to ensure students also are healthy and safe. A
basic breakdown of the secured grants are as follows:

Grant Amount Summary
Cares Act $390,000
Provided for technology improvements, temper-
PCCD $243,000 ature scanners, PPE gear, cleaning supplies,
Job Training $50,000 and protective measures.

Continuity of Education $35,000 Afforded opportunities to purchase devices and
PCCD $35,000 supportive technologies for students and staff.
$14,000
Special Education $15,000 Provided funding for Leader In Me and Growth
REA Grant $35,000 Mindset programming and technology-based
PA SMART equipment.

Provided technology support, infrastructure,
and devices for students.

Provided for outdoor security measures.

Provided resources to allow the district to pivot
to alternative instructional models.

In concert with private donations, supplied fund-
ing for SMALLab at the Elementary School.

Provided extensive professional development
for staff and coding programming for students
at the Elementary School.

The Forest Hills School District has benefited tremendously from these grants. The students and staff
are benefitting from the technology and opportunities the programs have afforded them. We are thank-
ful to be awarded these grants and to be able to have a substantial impact on the budget. These invest-
ments in children and education will have a lasting impact on the Forest Hills community.

3

Parent Compact for Title I

The Forest Hills School District’s Strategic Plan establishes the mission of the Forest Hills School District
regarding its educational program for all children, including Title I eligible children. Additionally, the For-
est Hills School District Title I Program has a primary mission to improve the educational opportunities for
Title I eligible children so these students are “equally likely” to achieve advanced skills, including those
established by Pennsylvania’s content and performance standards in reading, language arts, and mathe-
matics. It is within this framework that Title I students are provided with a highly supportive and congruent
learning environment specifically designed to provide appropriate developmental and/or intervention ac-
tivities to enhance their capacity to learn. Teachers are committed to sharing this responsibility with you
and your child by performing the following practices:

Teacher’s Pledge: I will
 Establish a safe, positive, and secure learning environment that promotes student learning.
 Build a relationship with the families through clear communication methods.
 Keep families informed of their children’s progress and needs in each subject.
 Help students learn through differentiated instruction.
 Send home learning materials to reinforce skills and concepts.
 Explain my approach to teaching, expectations, and grading to students and their families.
 Continue professional development to enhance best teaching practices.
 Strive to address the individual needs of each student.
 Communicate to students and or parents to help them understand assignments and their goals.
 Strive to gain appropriate participation of parents in the education decisions of their children.

Parents must also share the responsibility of providing children with appropriate learning experiences.
The African proverb states, “It takes a village to raise a child,” indicating that education is the responsibil-
ity of all of us. Parents and teachers must work together as partners to provide children with a supportive
learning environment. Consequently, as parents, we ask that you share this responsibility by committing
yourself to the following practices:

Parent’s Pledge: I will
 Send my child to school regularly and well rested.
 Participate in educational decisions related to my child.
 Review daily / weekly school communications.
 Monitor my child’s progress and assist in homework completion.
 Use educational materials the school sends home throughout the school year.
 Attend parent / teacher conferences and school functions .

Students must also take responsibility for their own learning. We ask students to commit themselves to
the following practices:

Student’s Pledge: I will
 Ask for help from my teacher and family if I am having trouble understanding my school work.
 Attend school every day on time.
 Follow my teacher’s directions and instructions throughout the school year.
 Work on my math and reading skills at home, using the materials my teacher sends home.
 Write down assignments, do my homework every day, and turn it in when it’s due.

Communication is the essence of a good relationship. The Forest Hills School District’s Title I Program
has always and is continuing to commit itself to improving the communication between home and school.
Implementation of the “PARENT PARTICIPATION PLAN,” as adopted by the Board of School Directors in
conjunction with this compact, is a major step in the communication linkage. The Title I Newsletter, which
we will continue to publish twice a year, is yet another forum for the sharing of ideas and practices to help
keep the lines of communication open. There will also continue to be telephone conferences and requests
for face-to-face meetings to enhance communication.

4

Student Health Exams, Privacy, and Surveys

The Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment (PPRA) affords parents and students who are 18 years old or
emancipated minors (i.e., “eligible students”) certain rights regarding the conduct of surveys, collection,
and use of information for marketing purposes and certain physical exams. These include the right to:
Consent before students are required to submit to a survey that concerns one or more of the following
protected areas (i.e., “protected information survey”) if the survey is funded in whole or in part by a pro-
gram of the U.S. Department of Education (USDoE)...

1. Political affiliations or beliefs of the student or student’s parents;
2. Mental or psychological problems of the student or student’s family;
3. Sexual behavior or attitudes;
4. Illegal, anti-social, self-incriminating, or demeaning behavior;
5. Critical appraisals of others with whom respondents have close family relationships;
6. Legally recognized privileged relationships, such as with lawyers, doctors, or ministers;
7. Religious practices, affiliations, or beliefs of the student or student’s parents;
8. Income, other than as required by law to determine program eligibility.
Receive notice and an opportunity to opt a student out of...
1. Any other protected information survey, regardless of funding;
2. Any non-emergency, invasive physical exam or screening as a required condition of attend-

ance, administered by the school or its agent, and not necessary to protect the immediate
health and safety of a student, except for hearing, vision, or scoliosis screenings, or any physi-
cal exam or screening permitted or required under state law; and
3. Activities involving collection, disclosure, or use of personal information obtained from stu-
dents for marketing or to sell or otherwise distribute the information to others.
Inspect, upon request and before administration and use...
1. Protected information surveys of students;
2. Instruments used to collect personal information from students for any of the above market-
ing, sales, or other distribution purposes; and
3. Instructional material used as part of the educational curriculum.
The Forest Hills School District will develop and adopt policies, in consultation with parents, regarding
these rights, as well as make arrangements to protect student privacy in the administration of protected
surveys and the collection, disclosure, or use of personal information for marketing, sales, or other distri-
bution purposes. The Forest Hills School District will directly notify parents and eligible students of these
policies at least annually at the start of each school year and after any substantive changes. The school
district will also directly notify parents and eligible students at least annually at the start of each school
year of the specific or approximate dates of the following activities and provide an opportunity to opt a stu-
dent out of participating in:

 Collection, disclosure, or use of personal information for marketing, sales, or other distribu-
tion.

 Administration of any protected information survey not funded in whole or in part by the
USDoE.

 Any non-emergency, invasive physical exam or screening described above.
Parents and/or eligible students who believe their rights have been violated may file a complaint with the:
Family Policy Compliance Office, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW, Washington,
DC 20202-4605.

5

ESEA Title I Home Language is other than English, the
Parent Participation Plan Survey Cover Letter District will provide an
instructional program ap-
It is the goal of the Forest Hills School District’s The Civil Rights Law of propriate to your child’s
Title I program to develop partnerships with the 1964, Title VI requires developmental and in-
home. Parents and teachers working as partners that school districts/ structional level.
increase student achievement and promote posi- charter schools identify
tive attitudes about school. It is the intent of the Limited English Proficient If the answer to any of the
following plan to encourage and promote such a (LEP) students. Pennsyl- questions on the Home
relationship. vania has selected to use Language Survey is “yes,”
the Home Language Sur- your child will be given an
In accordance with the U.S. Education De- vey for identification of initial assessment to de-
partment’s regulations for ESEA Title I and the students who are English termine if an ESL program
District’s Title I Parent and Family Engage- language learners. is appropriate. ESL is a
ment Policy (#918), the following guidelines basic curricular area, and
concerning “Consultation with Parents and The Forest Hills School would take the place of
Teachers” shall be effective: District has the responsi- your child’s regular Eng-
bility under federal law to lish class if the initial as-
1. Conferences, including telephone confer- serve students who are sessment revealed that
ences, shall be established between individ- limited English proficient such a program was
ual parents and teachers. Parents shall also and need English instruc- needed. If this is the case,
be invited to attend, at the Forest Hills School tional services. Given this an in-depth assessment
District’s Title I program expense, state and responsibility, the school will be administered to
regional conferences designed to increase district has the right to your child, and the results
their knowledge regarding relevant Title I ask for the information it would be used to plan a
issues. needs to identify English suitable program of in-
Learners (ELs). As part of struction.
2. Timely information shall be provided con- the responsibility to lo-
cerning the Title I program, including pro- cate and identify ELs, the The Forest Hills School
gram plans and evaluation through a mini- District may conduct District will monitor your
mum of at least one annual meeting. Addi- screenings or ask for re- child’s academic and so-
tional meetings, as needed, may be request- lated information about cial progress throughout
ed by parents. students who are already his/her participation in the
enrolled in the District, as ESL program. Even after
3. Parents’ suggestions shall be solicited regard- well as from students who your child exits from the
ing the planning, development, and operation of enroll in the District in the ESL program, he/she will
the Title I program. future. be monitored for a period
of two years after reclas-
4. Consultation shall be conducted with parents The Home Language Sur- sification and reporting
about cooperation in achieving the program’s vey is used to determine if former Els to the state for
objectives. your child’s primary lan- an additional two years
guage is a language other (total of four years of mon-
5. An annual evaluation shall be conducted to de- than English. If your itoring status).
termine the effectiveness of the Title I Program. child’s primary language

Parental Concern/Complaints Step 1: Meet with the teacher. If the concern/
complaint is not resolved,
The Forest Hills School District is dedicated to Step 2: Meet with the Principal/Assistant Principal. If
meeting the educational needs of our students and the concern/complaint is not resolved,
is constantly working to ensure that your child re- Step 3: Meet with the Director of Education. If the
ceives the best possible education. To ensure that concern/complaint is not resolved,
the educational needs of students are being met, a Step 4: Meet with the Superintendent. If the concern/
strong educational program and communication complaint is not resolved, the parent/guardian may
between school and home must be maintained for then choose to address the Board of School Direc-
every student. tors regarding the concern/complaint.

In the event that a concern or complaint arises, par-
ents/guardians should follow the chain of command
listed to have the concern/complaint addressed:

6

Notice of Homeless Education Programs

Each year, more than 800,000 school-age children in the United States experience homelessness. The
federal McKinney-Vento Act includes a provision to make sure that homelessness does not cause these
children to be left behind in school. Homeless children should have access to the education and other
services that they need to meet the same challenging state academic achievement standards to which all
students are held.
The Forest Hills School District is required to provide activities for, and services to, homeless children,
including preschool-age homeless children and youths, enabling them to enroll in, attend, and succeed in
school or preschool programs.
The law requires all school districts to inform parents or guardians of their rights under this federal act.
Specifically, it states that, pending resolution of a dispute about school placement, a school district must
immediately enroll a homeless student in the student’s school of origin or other school selected on the
basis of the child’s best interest and provide a written explanation of the rights of appeal to the parent/
guardian.

Parental Involvement Meeting Notification
Title I – Part A – Homeless Education – ESL
Title I requires the Forest Hills School District to develop and distribute to parents a written parent in-
volvement policy that establishes the District’s expectations for parent involvement for Title I – Part A,
Homeless Education, and English as a Second Language (ESL). Specifically, schools must hold a yearly
meeting, at a convenient time, to which all parents of participating children must be invited and encour-
aged to attend. At this meeting, the District will provide you with information about the school district’s
programs, a description and explanation of the curriculum in use at the school, the kinds of tests the
school district uses to measure student learning, and the proficiency levels students are expected to
meet. Administrators will also review the District’s parental concern/ complaint procedure at this meet-
ing.
Due to COVID-19 implications, this year’s meeting will be held virtually on December 16, 2020 at 10:00
a.m. All individuals that are interested in participating in the meeting MUST REGISTER for the Zoom
meeting. Please follow the directions below for your participation in the meeting.

You are invited to a Zoom meeting.
When: December 16, 2020 10:00 AM Eastern Time (US and Canada)

Register in advance for this meeting:
https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJ0sdu6vrD0tEtGKxmkUnVc_kEGjoduygvZz

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
We look forward to your participation at this meeting.

7

Parent Right to Know Information as Required by
Elementary and Secondary Education Assistance (ESEA) [Section 1112(e)(1)(A)]

Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) [Section 1112(e)(1)(A)]

Forest Hills Elementary School receives Federal Title I funds to assist students in meeting state achieve-
ment standards. Throughout the school year, we will be providing you with important information about
this law and your child’s education. This letter lets you know about your right to request information
about the qualifications of the classroom staff working with your child.

As a Title I school, we must meet federal regulations related to teacher qualifications as defined in ESEA.
These regulations allow you to learn more about your child’s teachers’ training and credentials. We are
happy to provide this information to you.

At any time, you may ask:

 Whether the teacher met state qualifications and certification requirements for the grade lev-
el and subject he/she is teaching.

 Whether the teacher received an emergency or conditional certificate through which state
qualifications were waived, and

 What undergraduate or graduate degrees the teacher holds, including graduate certificates
and additional degrees, and major(s) or area(s) of concentration.

 You may also ask whether your child receives help from a paraprofessional. If your child re-
ceives this assistance, we can provide you with information about the paraprofessional’s
qualifications.

 The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) which was signed into law in December 2015 and
reauthorizes the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1956 (ESEA) includes

 Information on policies regarding student participation in assessments

 Information on required assessments that include: subject matter tested, purpose of the test,
source of the requirement (if applicable), amount of time it takes students to complete the
test, and time and format of disseminating results.

The Forest Hills School District is dedicated to meeting the educational needs of our students and is
working to ensure that your child receives the best possible education. The district is fully committed to
the success of your child. We appreciate your partnership in our efforts.

~ JUNIOR-SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL ~

Junior-Senior High School Long-Term Substitute Teacher

Richard Shook is the newest teacher to the Forest Hills family and is currently teaching US History 1 and
US History 2 as the long-term substitute teacher for Mr. Satka. Although he is new to the school, Mr.
Shook is very familiar with the Forest Hills community, having spent a significant amount of time living
with his grandparents in Salix while growing up. He is a 2007 graduate of Greater Johnstown High
School and a 2012 graduate of Indiana University of Pennsylvania, majoring in social studies education,
minoring in educational psychology, and completing an internship with the IUP Eng-
lish department. For the past seven years, Mr. Shook has been substitute teaching at
Greater Johnstown High School, working primarily with the Summit Learning Cyber
Academy, as well as fulfilling duties as a National History Day competition assistant,
for which he is a former regional judge. When he is not spending his days teaching,
Mr. Shook is spending time performing as a trumpet player for St. John’s Gualbert Ca-
thedral in downtown Johnstown, watching baseball whenever possible, and occasion-
ally playing video games terribly. He is ecstatic to be working in an excellent school
district and cannot wait to demonstrate his abilities as a teacher.

8

~ JUNIOR-SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL ~

Principal’s Corner ~ Dr. Curt Vasas, Academic Principal

Welcome back everyone!!

This message certainly looks different than a year ago. The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted almost eve-
ry aspect of our lives and our educational system. Students are facing challenges we could not even im-
agine a year ago. Not only are students asked to adjust to changes in their everyday lives (they are now
working with a Learning Management System (Canvas), have their own Chromebook), and are navigating
the challenges of online, hybrid, and in-person learning.

Now, more than ever, self-management and leadership skills are necessary. Last year at this time, the
Junior-Senior High School administration, with the support of District Office and our Board of School Di-
rectors, began to explore a new leadership development process. The Leader in Me process formulated
by FranklinCovey was the direction we felt would be most beneficial for our students and community. We
are honored and excited to be the FIRST high school in Pennsylvania to implement this model of continu-
ous improvement specifically created for high school students and staff to “unleash the greatness” within
our Forest Hills community!

Leader in Me is a whole-school transformation model - developed in partnership with educators - that em-
powers students with the leadership and life skills they need to thrive in the 21st century. Leader in Me
helps students learn how to become self-reliant, take initiative, plan ahead, set and track goals, do their
homework, prioritize their time, manage their emotions, be considerate of others, express their viewpoint
persuasively, resolve conflicts, find creative solutions, value differences, and live a balanced life. We be-
lieve this will help develop a well-rounded student who can positively influence their own lives and our
community.

To learn more about Leader in Me, please visit www.leaderinme.org. All stu-
dents and staff have access to the app “Living the 7 Habits” which you may
download as well, using the password: “habits89.”

As always, we encourage you to contact us if you have any questions or concerns. Please also visit our
website for valuable information including the link for the “High School Years” newsletter which will be
found under the Administration link within the Our School tab of the current High School homepage. We
continue to strive to provide a quality education so our students develop into life-long learners and under-
stand their importance in a democratic and global society. Thank you for your continued support and as-
sistance towards making our schools the best in the area.

Principal’s Corner ~ Mr. Ed Alexander, Operational Principal

Welcome back! As we have finally begun the 2020-2021 school year, we are excited and prepared for a
challenging year. The first few weeks have allowed us to implement new technology and better prepare
our students for potential school interruptions. Forest Hills is now a 1:1 Chromebook district. Every stu-
dent has been given a Chromebook to use in and out of school as we now utilize the Canvas Learning Man-
agement System. Canvas allows us to fully implement the Forest Hills curriculum in a digital format, in-
crease communication among students, parents, and staff, and to provide synchronous and asynchronous
learning opportunities. Canvas is also synced with Power School, so parents can continue to monitor the
progress of their children. The reality this year is that we need to be ready for face-to-face learning, hybrid
learning, and remote learning.

Among the many changes for this year are changes to the building’s master schedule has been changed to
accommodate longer cleaning times between all lunch periods, increased time between class periods to
reduce hallway traffic, and staggered dismissals to reduce exiting traffic. There is an Activity Period every
day this year to provide time for students to work in Canvas and continue to be a part of our many clubs
and activities. Our GJCTC students are able to drive to the Johnstown campus this year, as well as ride
with a driver. Proper permission must be on file. If you should have any questions, please don’t hesitate to
contact me at: [email protected], or you can reach me at the Junior-Senior High School.

9

Where Would We Bee?

Art students had the opportunity to participate in the annual Cambria County Conservation District post-
er contest. The students completed their posters via hybrid learning, and submitted them to the school
in the drop-off boxes. They were then submitted to the County, and once again, Forest Hills represented
our school district very well despite the school closings and pandemic. Forest Hills student winners
were as follows:

 Grades 10 – 12 First Place—Madeline Cecere, Grade 11

 Grades 7 – 9 Second Place—Emmie Johns, Grade 8

Third Place—Arissa Britt, Grade 8

This year’s theme was “Where Would We Be Without Pollinators?”

The top winner in each category won a monetary gift while the other places won certificates.

CORE Continues for Lady Ranger Hoops

The off-season training is important to all programs because it allows time to dedicate resources to learn-
ing to move properly, to build muscle, and to work on mobility and power training. All of this will help stu-
dents become better overall athletes. This is the groundwork for improving performance and excelling at a
sport once the competition season returns.
The Lady Ranger basketball team uses fundraising monies to attend CORE sessions during their off-
season. This is certified sports clinical specialist and performance training by an exercise physiologist
and sports biomechanics for athletes looking to enhance their performance. The Lady Rangers are trained
twice a week for approximately 1.5 hours by our own beloved trainer, Tyke Steiner. This is a yearly event
that usually is held all summer but, due to the pandemic, was adjusted. The team was excited to have the
opportunity this summer, no matter the length.
Tyke came to Forest Hills during the month of July and the beginning of August when the Phase II began
during the pandemic recovery period. The team did lifting, stretching, aerobic activities, endurance, and

high level performance activities that were diffi-
cult yet satisfying. The end results were out-
standing.

10

Forest Hills Junior-Senior High School Welcomes Student Teachers

Hello! My name is Mr. Smith and I am a student teacher from Pitt-Johnstown. I
have earned my Bachelor’s degree in Political Science, History, and Sociology,
and am pursuing my PA certification to teach high school social studies. I am
from the Johnstown area and am loving my time as a Ranger! After I graduate in
December, I hope to teach in the region and continue my education.

Hello. My name is Mr. Sclesky and I am currently student teaching in Mrs.
McCloskey’s classroom! I am a student at the University of Pittsburgh at
Johnstown majoring in biology and the secondary education of biology. So far
I have taken responsibility for her Anatomy and Physiology, Medical Terminol-
ogy, and Integrated Science I classes. I am pursuing my certification in chem-
istry as well. At the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown, I was engaged in
many different professors’ scientific research projects that we presented at
the Symposium for the Promotion of Academic and Creative Enquiry (SPACE).
I look forward to sharing my experience with real world scientific research,
and love for science in general, with all of my students. Out of school, I spend
as much of my time as I can out in nature, either hiking or fishing out on my
boat. I am an avid hockey fan and spent most of my early years playing roller
and ice hockey.

Mr. Darr is a student teacher in the Health and Physical Education Department.
He was born and raised in Somerset and graduated from Somerset Area High
School in 2012. Nick attended Penn State for his undergraduate degree in Kine-
siology and graduated in 2016. He holds a strength and conditioning certifica-
tion and has spent time in the fitness and sports performance industry in Pitts-
burgh and Philadelphia. He is currently completing his Master’s in Health and
Physical Education and intends to teach and coach full time upon graduation in
December 2020. In his spare time, he coaches Junior High football and works
with fitness clients in virtual training sessions.

Miss Olivia Coll is a student teacher preparing for a career in middle school English
or special education. She will spend the first half of her student teaching at Forest
Hills in Mrs. Shaw’s Language Arts 7 classes and the other half of her student
teaching experience in 6th grade special education at Central Cambria. So far this
year, in addition to learning about literature and writing, the students have enjoyed
hearing about Miss Coll’s love of hiking and the time she spent living in France for a
semester. Not only will she be getting married in December, but Miss Coll will also
graduate with her dual certifications from Saint Francis University!

11

~ ELEMENTARY SCHOOL ~

Principal’s Corner ~ Mrs. Rebecca Roberts

What a unique start to the 2020-2021 school year! I am always ready for the students to return to school
at the end of summer and this year was no different -- I might have been more excited after they were off
for 3 months last year!
Our halls were busy the first week of school, but this year, it was a different kind of busy. Our orienta-
tion days included teaching the students the numerous procedures and protocols put into place due to
the coronavirus pandemic! The students learned, and are still learning, how to navigate our learning
management platform, Canvas. Students were oriented on the proper way to wear a mask, hand wash-
ing procedures, social distancing, and new hall and lunch procedures. These students are real troop-
ers as they have adjusted very well to these necessary changes.
In mid-September, the District purchased and distributed to all our students a Chromebook as another
instructional resource. Chromebooks will be utilized for both in-class and out-of-class instruction, in-
cluding homework. Although many of the students have brought home their Chromebooks already, our
littlest Rangers are working hard to learn how to log into their Chromebooks and use Canvas. They
practice daily in school.
On September 28, we returned to school full-time and the students got to meet the remainder of their
classmates. It was so fun to walk into the kindergarten and first grade classrooms and hear, "I have
new friends," "My class is really big now," or " I didn't know he was in my class." Teachers and staff
again took the time to review the safety procedures, which the kids have now become accustomed to,
and updated them on the necessary changes in the building due to our full-time return.
I need to thank you, our families, for your patience and understanding during this challenging time. I ap-
preciate your efforts in following the necessary pre-screening procedures before your child comes to
school, being sure they have a mask daily, and providing them with the parental support to be success-
ful in school. Your efforts do not go unnoticed.
I also want to thank our elementary teachers, paraprofessionals, cafeteria, and maintenance staff for
your time and efforts. Change can be difficult, but you have adjusted and learned so much in a short
amount of time.
If you ever need anything or just have a question, please call 814-487-7613.

Forest Hills Elementary School Welcomes New Teachers

Name: Hannah Conklin
Hometown: Somerset
High School: Somerset Area High School
College: University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown
Current Position: 1st and 2nd Grade Learning Support Teacher
Likes: Running, Reading, and spending time with family

Name: Autumn Jones
Hometown: Windber
High School: Windber Area School District
College:Lock Haven University
Current Position: 2nd, 3rd, and 4th grade special education
Likes: Crafts, Shopping, and going to yard sales

12

It is time again for the annual Ranger-thon fundraiser to benefit the Forest Hills Elementary students!
This is the one and only Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) sponsored fundraiser for the 2020-2021
school year. The goal was to raise $40,000. This averages to be approximately $40 per student. Col-
lections were tallied and, though we fell a bit short of our goal, we are very thankful for everyone in our
ranger community for their support. Money raised from the Ranger-thon fundraiser is used to fund
field trips for all the elementary grades and provide a Ranger t-shirt and yearbook for each student.
The PTO sponsors other events throughout the school year including the extremely popular end of the
year carnival and sixth grade dance.

Elementary students from Pre-K through sixth grade are challenged to reach the $40 goal level. Par-
ents can contribute the total amount or students can collect donations from family, friends, neighbors,
and local businesses. Any amount collected above goal helps other Ranger students that are unable to
fundraise. A donation-based fundraiser has proven to be more successful than selling food or material
items.

The 2020 Ranger-thon kickoff was held on September 15 & 17, 2020. Elementary students viewed a
prize video where the PTO explained how the fundraiser works. Prizes are used to motivate the stu-
dents to participate. All students received the participation prize, a color changing ruler, that week.
Students have an opportunity to earn additional prizes and be entered in drawings based on different
dollar levels achieved. Grand Prizes are awarded to the top two students. Grand prize for top in
school was a choice between Nintendo Switch Lite or $150 gift card of their choice. Runner up re-
ceived their choice of JBL Flip 4 Bluetooth speaker or $100 gift card of their choice.

The Ranger-thon celebration was held on October 1 and October 7. All students got a chance to go
outside and participate in fun presentations and activities as a thank you for participating. The Ranger
-thon celebration theme changes each year. The theme for this year is careers, and the students got
an opportunity to learn about some interesting careers in our local community.

The PTO is a 100% volunteer organization managed by the parents of elementary school students. Ac-
tivities and events that are sponsored by the PTO are an integral part of the Forest Hills elementary
year. These activities would not be possible without the support from the generous members of our
Forest Hills community. On behalf of the 2020-2021 PTO executive board, we would like to thank eve-
ryone who has made this fundraiser possible. We greatly appreciate the generosity from all donors
along with the participation from students, guardians, teachers, district staff, and the Forest Hills com-
munity. We could not do it without you!

A Chemist, making a rocket Environmentalist, bugs in Farmer, animals and their
our streams feed

13

Congratulations to our American Legion Essay Winners
for the 2019-2020 School Year!

St. Michael Post 551
Grades 3 & 4
1st place – Danika Faith (4)
Grades 5 & 6
1st place -- Morgan Gdula (6)
2nd place – Morgan Miller (6)

Beaverdale Post 460
Grades 3 & 4
1st place – Natalie Stohon (4) – 1st PLACE CAMBRIA COUNTY
WINNER!
2nd place – Karlee Beyer
Grades 5 & 6
1st place – McKenzie Josephson (5)
2nd place – Caidyn Moss (6)

Dunlo Post 573
Grades 3 & 4
1st place -- Liam Sullivan (4)
2nd place – Keegan Bassett (4)
Grades 5 & 6
1st place – Joslyn Valko

South Fork Post 653
Grades 3 & 4
1st place -- Michael Rickley (4) – 2nd PLACE CAMBRIA COUNTY
WINNER!
2nd Place –Jocelyn Fresch (4)
Grades 5 & 6
1st place – Luke Biter (6)

14

Forest Hills School District| 2020-2021 REVISED CALENDAR

12-13 Pre-K Camp AUGUST 2020 FEBRUARY 2021 15 Teacher In-Service (Act 80)
17 Pre-K Orientation
18 Kindergarten Orientation S M T W Th F S S M T W Th F S
24 Teacher In-Service Day 2 3 4 5 6 7 1/8 123456
25 Teacher In-Service Day 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
26 First Student Day 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 7 8 9 10 11 12 13
23 24 25 26 27 28 29 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
30 31 21 22 23 24 25 26 27
28

4 Labor Day Break (schools closed SEPTEMBER 2020 MARCH 2021 25 Early Dismissal Teacher In-Service
& offices open) (end of 3rd quarter)
S M T W Th F S S M T W Th F S
7 Labor Day (schools & offices 12345 123456 26 FIRST DAY OF QUARTER 4 and
closed)
6 7 8 9 10 11 12 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Teacher In-Service (Act 80)
18 Early Dismissal Teacher In- 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
Service (Act 80) 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 31 Early Dismissal
27 28 29 30 28 29 30 31

19 Teacher In-Service OCTOBER 2020 APRIL 2021 1 Snow make-up day #1
2 Easter Break (schools &
S M T W Th F S S M T W Th F S offices closed)
123 123 5 Easter Break (schools &
offices closed)
4 5 6 7 8 9 10 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 19-23 English/Language Arts
11 12 13 14 15 16 17 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 PSSA
18 19 20 21 22 23 24 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 26-30 Math/Science PSSA
25 26 27 28 29 30 31 25 26 27 28 29 30

10 Early Dismissal Teacher In- NOVEMBER 2020 MAY 2021 10 Teacher In-Service Day (Act 80)
Service (End of 1st quarter) 17-28 Keystone Exam Testing
S M T W Th F S S M T W Th F S 28 Early Dismissal
11 Veterans Day (schools & offices 1234567 2 3 4 5 6 7 1/8 31 Memorial Day (schools & offic-
closed) FIRST DAY OF QUAR- 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 es closed)
15 16 17 18 19 20 21 16 17 18 19 20 21 22
TER 2 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 23 24 25 26 27 28 29
25 Early Dismissal 29 30 30 31
26-30 Thanksgiving Break (schools &

offices closed)

1 Parent-Teacher Conferences (Act DECEMBER 2020 JUNE 2021 2 Early Dismissal
80) ES: 12 – 8 (break 4:00 – 5:00 3 Tentative Last Day 2020-2021
or 3:00 – 4:00) S M T W Th F S S M T W Th F S School Year
Jr-Sr HS: 10 – 6 (break 2:00-3:00) 12345 12345 4 Snow Make-up Day #2
7 Snow Make-up Day #3
2 Parent-Teacher Conferences 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 8 Snow Make-up Day #4
8:00 – 4:00 (break 12:00–1:00) 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 9 Snow Make-up Day #5
(Act 80) 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 20 21 22 23 24 25 26
27 28 29 30 31 27 28 29 30
3-15 Keystone Exam Testing
23 Early Dismissal
24-31 Christmas Break (schools &

offices closed)

1 Schools & Offices Closed January 2021
4 – 15 Keystone Exam Testing
18 Schools Closed S M T W Th F S
12
Offices Opened
22 Early Dismissal End of Semes- 3456789
10 11 12 13 14 15 16
ter 1 17 18 19 20 21 22 23
25 FIRST DAY OF QUARTER 3 24/31 25 26 27 28 29 30

15

Non-Profit
Organization
U.S. Postage Paid
Permit #5
Johnstown, PA

“BTohaerdmoifsSsciohnooolfDtihreecFtoorrsest HilDlsisStrcihctoAodl mDiisntisrtircattiiosnto

BporaorvdidofeSthcheoboel Dstirsetcutdoresnt-cenDtiestrreicdt eAddumcinaitsiotrnatsioonall
Fred Russell, President Edwin Bowser, Superintendent
David Lehman, Superintendent
Vanessa Sral, Director of Education
Galen George, President

students acquire and apply the knowledge and skills toGTarlaecnyGHeeolsrgele,,11ssttVVicicee-P-Prreessidideenntt
Lucas Jacobs, Director of Education
Claudia Mehall, School Psychologist
Richard Knavel, 1st Vice-President

succeed in an ever-changing world.”Deborah Petrunak, 2nd Vice-President
Deborah Petrunak, 2nd Vice-President Donna Murphy-Carosi, School Psychologist
John Bopp, SecrePtuabrliyshed by the Office of the SupCeruinrteVndaesnatso,f HthiegFhoSrecsht HooilllsPSrcihnocoilpDaisltrict
Elissa Boyd, Special Education Supervisor
Keith Rager, Secretary
Robert MacTavish, Treasurer Brian Kostan, HS Assistant Principal
Curt Vasas, Jr-Sr High School Principal
Timothy Ondrejik, Treasurer
Rick DanielTsr,aAcsysHisetalsnetlS, Mecermetbaerry/Treasurer Edward Alexander, Middle School Principal
Ed Alexander, Jr-Sr High School Principal
Edward Hudak, Member
JRaicrehdarCdrKonnaauverl,, MMeemmbbeerr Laura Miller, Dean of Students
Brian Kostan, Jr-Sr High Assistant Principal
Corina Long, Member
GCaolerinnaGeLorngge, ,MMeemmbbeerr Lucas Jacobs, Elementary School Principal
Rebecca Roberts, Elementary School Principal
Daniel Russell, Member
Timothy Ondrejik, Member Larry Celmer, ES Assistant Principal
Robert Dill, Elementary Assistant Principal
Colleen Wolfhope, Member
GilCbeartl BE.eCaradr,oSffo, lSicoiltiocritor Chris Reighard, Business Manager
Chris Reighard, Business Manager
Ronald Repak, Solicitor
Marian Boyer, Food Service Director
Jesslyn Anslinger, Food Service Director

“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

16


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