Winter Newsletter 2020

Forest Hills
Ranger Review

Vol. XL
No 2

Winter 2019-2020

~ SUPERINTENDENT’S MESSAGE ~

The other day I misplaced my lifeline, otherwise known as the cell phone. As a creature of
habit, I generally place my keys and phone in the same place when I enter my home. For
some reason, this creature of habit changed his daily routine. The result….. a lost cell
phone. Luckily, after frantically searching my vehicle and home, I found the phone in only
a few short minutes. I was able to breath and my blood pressure returned to normal.

Have you ever been lost? I mean really lost with no idea how to proceed to your desired
destination. Rumor has it I may have been lost a time or two in route to a travel destina-
tion, social event, or family outing. I deny that claim whole heartedly. However, I suppose if I were to be-
come lost, I would swallow some pride and ask for assistance. Hard as it may be, asking for assistance is
usually a viable option. I find it amazing how many times in travel, or in life, a simple solution - asking for
advice, opinion, help, or assistance - is a sure fire remedy to an otherwise dire situation. All one has to do
is have the courage to ask. Always a simple concept; however, often extremely difficult to execute.

The Forest Hills School District is on the cusp of a great adventure. One which will both challenge us and
our way of thinking, yet help us to meet the needs of every learner and reach our full potential. As we work
as a dedicated learning community to establish goals and to develop strategies to achieve those goals, we
need to cultivate and nurture trust and work together as a unified TEAM with a common goal. The prima-
ry goals of the Forest Hills School District are grounded on concepts of leading and learning. We need
your help in determining the learning path the Forest Hills School District needs to take to reach this goal -
being a regional leader with a clearly defined focus on excellence in learning. I wish the task was as sim-
ple as placing the desired coordinates in a Forest Hills GPS system. However, instead of the computer-
ized voice telling us which turns to make and what exits to take, we are asking you to share your voice.
Are you willing to help us become a regional thought leader focused to maximize or surpass “R” learners’
true potential?

During the month of February, the Forest Hills School District, under the guidance of the School Climate
Leadership Initiative, will be conducting online surveys. Students, staff, parents, and community mem-
bers will be afforded an opportunity to share thoughts on how the District is performing and possible di-
rections the District should consider taking. Your voice matters! Are you willing to share your thoughts
and insights to help our school reach its goal of becoming a regional leader focused on excellence in
learning?

To learn more about this opportunity, please visit the Forest Hills School District web page at https://
www.fhrangers.org/. Select the link “Community Help Needed,” view the descriptive video, select the ap-
propriate survey, enter the appropriate invite code, and complete the survey. To assist you, the invite
codes are as follows:

Parents/Guardians/Family Members 26P2EC

Community Members A7AT81

(Continued on page 2)

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

Additionally, Penn-
sylvania School Cli-
mate Survey fliers,
equipped with user
friendly QR codes,
will be distributed
throughout the dis-
trict.

The Forest Hills
School District has
also established a
School Climate
TEAM which con-
sists of a random
sampling of com-
munity members,
parents, teachers,
and administrators.
The goal of this
TEAM is to examine
the data collected
from the surveys,
identify potential
projects, develop a
plan to rectify the
identified issue, and
finally implement
the plan. The Cli-
mate TEAM will
meet regularly and
report progress on
the established
goals.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank you in advance

for your attention and participation in this most worthwhile
endeavor. Thank you for your dedication and support of the

Forest Hills School District. We are Forest Hills. We Lead.
Go Rangers!!!!!!

Dr. David Lehman
Superintendent of Schools

2

The Forest Hills School Directors held the annu-
al School Board Reorganization Meeting on
December 5, 2019. The current members of the
School Board are : Mr. Galen George, Board
President, Dr. Richard Knavel, Board 1st Vice
President , Mrs. Deborah Petrunak, Board 2nd
Vice President, Dr. Timothy Ondrejik, Board
Treasurer, Mr. Keith Rager, Board Secretary, Mr. Robert Beyer, Mr. Edward Hudak, Mrs. Corina Long,
and Mrs. Colleen Wolfhope.

Say Thanks to Our School Board Members!

Public education is more than just learning basic math, science, English, and history; it’s a platform for stu-
dents to reach their potential. It inspires hope for a new generation and a successful future. This institu-
tion exists in part because individuals volunteer their time to make informed decisions about the issues fac-
ing public schools. Every January we celebrate these everyday heroes—the nine elected school board
members who serve our students and educational system.

School directors volunteer, on average, twenty hours a month to help run the schools in our community.
The school board makes difficult decisions for the betterment of our students. They vote on multi-million
dollar budgets, hire staff, select textbooks, and review bus schedules and curriculum, to name a few.
These dedicated volunteers reside in our community. They are our friends, neighbors, community leaders,
parents at our school, and engaged senior citizens.

We ask you, the school directors’ fellow community members, to show your appreciation for their service.
Please show your gratitude in some way for their time, effort, and dedication to public education’s ad-
vancement. Thank them for advocating on behalf of our collective interests and making the difficult deci-
sions. Most importantly, thank them for being everyday heroes and making our students’ success their
priority.

Elementary STEAM Update

With the first half of the year completed, STEAM classes have covered a wide variety of topics and con-
cepts. Some of those are highlighted below.

Pre-K worked on sorting and classifying by shapes and col-
ors. We looked at 2D and 3D shapes and used both geoboards
and magformers to create them. Students participated in a
sink or float lab and charted results. They studied building
structures, and we looked closely at arches. Afterward, they
recreated some local stone arch bridges.

Kindergarten completed a variety of engineering and design
challenges to build with different materials. This group has
also looked at the properties of solids and liquids. A unit on
symmetry was taught, and we started to talk about the basics of computer programming and how comput-
ers carry out instructions with a mini-coding lesson.

First graders covered primary colors, mixing colors, design challenges, and more. This group of students
put their coding skills to the test with some robotics programming. They used directional arrows to code a
robot mouse through floor mazes.

Second grade used Legos to build marble mazes for each other to test. They used cipher wheels to en-
code and decode messages. We then used this lesson to introduce them to computer programming and
how the computer uses digital code to carry out tasks and functions. The kids used an introductory pro-
gram to begin coding with CodeSpark Academy. (Continued on page 10)

3

~ JUNIOR-SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL ~

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

Happy New Year! As we enter the second semester of the 2019-2020 school year, I would like to thank
and congratulate our staff and student body for another outstanding start to a new school year! The
Forest Hills School District is undertaking a school culture improvement initiative. With a team com-
prised of administrators, teachers, and community members, this TEAM will be assessing our current
culture, as well as implementing strategies to improve the overall culture of the district. Some of the
things we are doing at the Junior-Senior High School are: pep rallies, recognition assemblies, school-
wide send-offs for state qualifying teams and individuals, increased promotion of students and classes
through social media, restorative discipline practices, and attendance and behavior incentive programs.
An important factor contributing to positive school culture remains a strong school-home connection.
One thing is certain: junior high students do not yearn for parental involvement in school. But involve-
ment is critical at the secondary level, and there are many ways to be involved. Make it a priority to at-
tend school events such as extra-curricular activities and parent/teacher conferences. Communicate
regularly with your child’s teachers, frequently monitor your child’s academic progress, and stay in the
loop with what’s happening at school. Our website, app, and social media presence provides everything
from important announcements to links from our teachers’ Google Classroom pages.
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.

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

Hello! It is once again time to think about scheduling classes for next school year. As we do every year,
we continue to look at ways to enhance the curriculum and make the learning experience meaningful for
every student. This past year the 7th and 8th grade curriculum was modified to include exploratory clas-
ses in several elective content areas. The 2020-2021 school year will also bring changes and modifica-
tions to the delivery of content. Course selection is one of the most important events for a student. As
students begin to form ideas about future endeavors and aspirations, the classes they take can help
pave the way for future success. Many options exist for our students from electives - including vocation-
al programming - to core content. Students should take advantage of these options and explore areas
of interest or take a chance on something new and different.
The scheduling process will begin with our guidance counselors meeting with groups of students in the
classroom setting. Course selection sheets, along with a course description booklet, will be distributed
to each student. Please review this information with your children. It takes input from a variety of peo-
ple to properly guide our students towards a pathway to success. The final step occurs as counselors
review course selections with students individually and send home verification sheets.
Scheduling is a very important aspect of our students’ academic career. If you, as a parent or guardian,
have any questions please do not hesitate to contact your child’s guidance counselor or the Junior-
Senior High School administration. The scheduling process requires input from all parties involved so
our students can be in the best position for future success. Thank you.

4

High School Drama Club to present:

Come see the show that puts a new twist on old stories and music.
This winter the Senior High Performing Arts troupe will follow their smash performance of Mamma Mia! by
presenting All Shook Up, the hit Broadway musical. The show ran on Broadway in 2005 and takes Elvis clas-
sics to tell a story based on Shakespearean comedies. Stephen Oremus, best known for musical arrange-
ments in Wicked and Frozen, gave a modern feel to some Elvis classics for this show.
Over 50 high school students are currently preparing for opening night. Some are practicing vocals and
dance routines, while others are constructing and painting the set. A wide array of students comprise the
musical cast this year and they are excited to present this fun show to their audiences.
The cast features 5 female and 5 male leads. Megan Rusnak and Alec Fields head the cast with Megan play-
ing Natalie, a small town girl who feels stuck where she is and Alec playing the rebel, Chad who steals her
heart. Unfortunately for Natalie, Chad doesn’t feel the same way as he falls for the sophisticated Miss
Sandra, played by Skyler Hostetler. She too doesn’t return his feelings because everyone in town is in love
with the wrong person. But don’t worry, in true musical fashion, it all works out in the end. Rebecca
Williamson and Colton Danel play star-crossed lovers, much
to the dismay of their mothers, the ultra-conservative mayor,
Matilda, played by Kaitlyn Rusnak, and the honky-tonk own-
er, Sylvia, played by Makayla Miller. Daniel Velasquez plays
Natalie’s best friend Dennis, Matthew Rozum plays her fa-
ther, and Damian Shrift plays the sheriff. Other featured roles
are played by Rosalie DiPaola, Cayce McCall, Abigail Seese,
Natalya Teno, and Samantha Zatek.
Shows will be performed the evenings of February 6th, 7th,
and 8th at 7:30 pm and on Sunday, February 9th at 4:30 pm.
Tickets cost $8.00 for adults/college students and $6.00 for
high school student/children. Ticket information is available
on the school website or by calling 487-7613 x2303.
All Shook Up
Is presented through special arrangement with Theatrical
Rights Worldwide
All authorized performance materials are also supplied by
TRW.
www.theatricalrights.com

5

~ JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL ~

Gettysburg National Battlefield Field Trip

On October 29, 2019, Mr. David Satka, Junior High Social Studies teacher, concluded the Civil War
unit of instruction with a field trip to Gettysburg National Battlefield. One hundred and nine freshman
students gained an appreciation for the incredible sacrifices made by Union and Confederate sol-
diers in what would be the turning point in the war. Students expanded their knowledge of the battle
through an IMAX movie, a Cyclorama exhibit, the museum, and a tour of the battlefield itself by a li-
censed professional guide. Student essays noted a better understanding for the size of the battle-
field and the amazing bravery soldiers possessed, particularly when students stood at the starting
point for “Pickett’s Charge” and at the summit of Little Round Top. Thanks to faculty chaperones, Mr.
Gary Miller, Mr. Jim Bowser, Mr. Chris Evans, Mr. Ben Grove, Mr. Matt Gramling, and Mrs. Claudine
Yuhas. A special thanks to Mrs. Shannon Curry for her help coordinating the trip.

Freshman at General Lee’s Monument

National Junior Honor Society Induction

On Wednesday, November 13, 2019, twenty-seven freshmen were inducted into the Ranger Chapter of
the National Junior Honor Society. These students met the requirements of knowledge, scholarship,
leadership, service, citizenship, and character. Following the induction ceremony a reception was held
in their honor. Approximately 120
guests attended.
Inducted members are: Anna Arrington,
Grace Beyer, Ryley Bier, Jeremy Burda,
Nolan Cabala (Treasurer), Matthew
Danel, Claire Daubert, Ciera
Deffenbaugh, Madelyn Dibble, Zachary
Fisher (Secretary), David Gates,
Madison Gramling, Rylee Griffin, Hailey
Hampton, Makenna Konchan, Devin
Kreger, Michael May, Kelly Miller,
Audrey Peretin, Melody Plows (Vice-
President), Ashlyn Reighard, Matthew
Rickley, Brody Roberts, Abigail
Wellwood, Brook Williamson (Historian),
Anna Wirfel (President), and Leah Wirfel.
These members will serve until the
selection of 2020-2021 members.

6

Art Department Visit

Careers and futures in the creative studies is part of the art classes at the Junior-Senior High School.
These are introduced in a variety of ways so students can learn about creativity in different fields of educa-
tion as well as in their choice of a career.
A few new events this year to enable some students interested in an art education field, and possibly an art
career, were introduced and were very beneficial.
Art students Carlie McGough, Samantha Heilman, Taryn Varner, and Megan Rusnak traveled to West Vir-
ginia University on December 3rd with Mrs. Cecere. The day was arranged for the students to tour WVU
and the Creative Arts Center, and to have their portfolios judged by a panel of three art professors. The
students have been creating their portfolios over the past few months and years, and compiled approxi-
mately 15 in a digital file. The whole day was a wonderful experience for the girls as they experienced col-
lege for a day while touring and eating at the school cafeteria.
Their portfolios were well received and their tours were invaluable as they continue on their journey to
making future choices and decisions.
Added to the day was a tour of the Art Museum at WVU and a stop at Cooper’s Rock State Park.

7

Its Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas…Thanks to the Art Department

After the Halloween windows were such a huge suc-
cess, our reputation at making art on windows
seems to have spread to the community.
Art students volunteered to paint windows at Laurel
View Village in Davidsville to create some winter
scenes for the residents and visitors.
The day was warm and the windows were beautifully
designed by ten talented students.
We received rave reviews at the artwork and were
treated to a delicious lunch! Thanks to Mrs. Christ
who invited us and gave us this opportunity.

8

Galliker’s Dairy and Forest Hills Team Up for a Collaborative Project

Galliker’s Dairy contacted the Forest Hills technology/wood department about creating the Galliker’s
sponsored building for the Christmas display in Central Park in downtown Johnstown.

The display was a social event for so many people in the community and was extremely well attended,
with the center of the park showcasing the musical light display of the Christmas tree. The park was
filled with a miniature village sponsored by many different companies. The houses varied in type and col-

or, but all are lighted and interesting in design.

When Galliker’s chose the Forest Hills Wood
classes to create their building they requested
a barn design. The end result was an exuber-
ant display capturing a red barn trimmed in
white, with moveable barn doors and win-
dows. There was also an outdoor area with a
fence and barn lights to enhance the entire
piece. The project was a collaborative project
with many students in Mr. Beyer’s and Mr.
Lang’s classes building and painting, measur-
ing and above all…learning.

When you looked inside the barn, the featured character was a cow. The cow was painted by sophomore
artist Samantha Heilman. A variety of other animals adorn the bottom fray of the barn: ducks, chickens
and pigs, all painted by many art students in Mrs. Cecere’s classes. An added bonus was the snowman
and cow on the outside where people could take their pictures with the display.

On a cold November 14th day, students set up and decorated the display in Central Park. After lunch the
students were treated to a tour of Galliker’s. The students were captivated by the art, science, and tech-
nology used to create, ship, and enjoy milk, iced tea, and ice cream.

The collaborative project was a success from the beginning to the final project and field trip.

~ ELEMENTARY SCHOOL ~

Principal’s Corner ~ Mrs. Rebecca Roberts What a great start to the school year and to think we

are halfway through already! It is a pleasure to be
here at Forest Hills, and Dr. Dill and I thank you for entrusting your children to us. The teachers work very
hard to be sure our children reach their fullest potential. I hope they are sharing with you the new and ex-
citing things they can do at home! The following is an update on our initiatives this school year:

SPRING MATH - Spring Math was put into place this year at the upper elementary grades and we are in full
swing! The students are showing gains in their fact fluency and basic math skills, and they are building bet-
ter relationships with each other. This program facilitates instruction and allows students to work
with their peers daily.

ECRI - Enhanced Core Reading Instruction - Students in grades K-2 are using the ECRI program in their
reading classes. On January 10, 2020, Mrs. Carol Dissen, co-author of the program, visited Forest Hills and
worked at each grade level observing and teaching lessons to our teachers and students. She was quite
impressed with how well our students and teachers are doing. This is also evident in our Winter bench-
marking data! We will continue to move forward with the program implementing vocabulary and compre-
hension.

LINK IT - Students in grades 2-6 have completed two LINK IT assessments this school year. The data from
these assessments allow teachers to look at not only the content being taught, but also their instructional
practices and make changes based on the needs of the students. Teachers have regular data meetings
and have been provided professional development from both LINK IT and IU08 personnel on how to use this
data to make change. We continue to prove professional development to ensure children continue to show
academic growth. Thank you for your continued support and assistance of our children and schools!

9

Elementary STEAM Update (Continued from page 3)

Third grade students worked collaboratively on many design chal-
lenges to build and create as a team. They also completed a unit on
the forces of flight, which helped guide their paper airplane chal-
lenge. This group used Scratch Jr. to begin block coding. They cre-
ated many digital pieces to showcase their learning. Recently, the
students investigated surface tension by completing a lab using pen-
nies and water droppers.

Fourth grade studied area and perimeter by building to a set of pa-
rameters. This group also created and programmed Play-Doh controllers by using Makey Makey exten-
sions with the Chromebooks. They worked in groups to complete digital escape room activities through
Breakout EDU. These activities had them solve puzzles, use logic, and discover clues to escape as a
team. Another unit was using Scratch to dive into block coding while using the Chromebooks. Students
worked on basic skills that allowed them to build upon and add to their repertoire.

Fifth grade researched, designed, and built catapults from a variety of materials. They tested them and
used knowledge of force, potential and kinetic energy, and angles to dial in for accuracy and distance.
Students used block coding tutorials and training cards to create ani-
mations, storyboards, and games on Scratch.

Sixth grade competed in Breakout EDU escape challenges, engineering
and design builds, and computer programming. Sixth graders re-
searched how boats float. They used this knowledge to compete in a
classroom competition to create foil boats that would hold the most
weight. The winning group held nearly 500 pennies! The sixth graders
also created games and cartoons using Scratch to code.

The students of our elementary have been amazing with this new STEAM initiative. They come to class
excited and ready to learn each day. As we continue with the second semester, we are anxious to see
what they can accomplish.

KINDERGARTEN REGISTRATION FOR 2020-2021

March 23, 2020 9:00—11:00 a.m. and 1:00—3:00 p.m. and March 24, 2020 9:00—11:00 a.m.

AND

PRE-K REGISTRATION FOR 2020-2021

March 24, 2020 1:00-3:00 p.m. and March 25, 2020 9:00-11:00 a.m. and 1:00-3:00 p.m.

Pre-K and Kindergarten registration will be conducted at the Forest Hills Elementary
School for children enrolling for the 2020-2021 school year. Registrations will be pro-
cessed in the Multi-Purpose Room at the Elementary School for Kindergarten on March
23, 2020 9:00—11:00 a.m. and 1:00—3:00 p.m. and March 24, 2020 9:00—11:00 a.m.
and Pre-K on March 24, 2020 1:00—3:00 p.m. and March 25, 2020 9:00—11:00 a.m. and 1:00—3:00 p.m. In
order to qualify for Pre-K placement, a child must be four (4) years old on or before September 1, 2020, and
for Kindergarten placement, a child must be five (5) years old on or before September 1, 2020. Early admis-
sion tests are not administered for enrollment. Parents/Guardians must bring an original state birth certifi-
cate, immunization record, driver’s license, proof of residency and any applicable court documents to the
registration. All students registering for Kindergarten (including those who have pre-registered) must still
attend one of the registration dates listed above.

Parents/Guardians are encouraged to pre-register their child for Pre-K or Kindergarten. Enrollment packets
are available at the school. Please contact the Forest Hills Elementary School at (814) 487-7613, extension
3603 with any questions.

10

Thanking Our Veterans

Mrs. Markum’s fourth grade class participated in making cards for a veteran. Students were given a short les-
son on what Veterans Day is and why it is celebrated. Students were then introduced to a particular veteran.
Sargent Alan Graziano from Maryland served in the United States Army for seven years. He served in
Germany and Iraq, and was a part of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Sargent Graziano ended his career with an
Army Commendation Medal. We thank you Sargent Graziano and all of our veterans that have served to keep
our country safe.

~~~~~~~~~~Elementary Music Department ~~~~~~~~~~

The elementary music department had a lot going on while
everyone relaxed and enjoyed the holidays through Decem-
ber, and we certainly had fun doing it! Our elementary stu-
dents had many singing and musical opportunities where
they performed for their peers, teachers, and members of
the community. The fifth and sixth grade choruses, along
with the sixth grade band, put on a splendid Christmas con-
cert in December for family and friends, then performed
again for their peers before Christmas break. Many of our
elementary teachers also performed their own rendition of
The 12 Days of Christmas and did a hysterically wonderful
job! To top it off, Santa came and wished all of our students
a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! The Forest Hills Elementary tradition of singing around the Christ-
mas tree returned with Mrs. Tully and her music classes leading in caroling with all of the classes in the
school. Our sixth grade chorus and band students also performed for their annual trips to the area personal
care homes.
Upcoming will be students’ participation in Band Fest, Song Fest, and preparation for their spring concert
on Thursday, May 14; mark your calendars! It is sure to be a wonderful night filled with some great music by
our elementary students! Third grade is continuing to learn new music and recorders, and then they will
start preparing for their own spring performance and band tryouts starting in March. More details regard-
ing tryouts will be coming before students try the instruments. We are looking forward to the second half of
the year and the music our talented students will be creating over the next several months!

11

~ JUNIOR HIGH ATHLETICS ~

Junior High Girls’ Soccer

The 2019 Junior High Girls Soccer team was
faced with the challenge of over half of the
girls never having played soccer before. Af-
ter working hard over the summer and at
practices, every player improved and had
the opportunity to show their newly learned
skills on the field. Samantha Danel and
Avery Smiach shared the responsibility of
goalkeeper, while also helping the team by
scoring goals as well.
Captains Arissa Britt
and Nina Martyak con-
tributed to the team by
scoring goals and
keeping everyone
positive throughout
the games. The team will have a large group of seventh graders returning next sea-
son and will continue to work hard to advance their skills.

Junior High Cross Country

The 2019 Junior High Cross
Country team was one of the
biggest and most energetic
to date! With a full girls’ and
full boys’ team, this crew
pushed each other to
achieve many successes
throughout the season. The
girls’ team finished with a
record of 10-2, placing first
at Big Valley and Uniontown
Invitationals, and placing
third at Altoona Invitational
and Laurel Highlands
Meets. Laura Montag earned individual honors at every big meet this year. Aimee Smith and Mylee Gdula
also earned individual honors in at least one big meet this year. The boys’ team finished with a record of 8-
2, placing first at Big Valley and Uniontown Invitationals, and placing second at the Altoona Invitational

and Laurel Highlands Meet. Josh Morrison and Josh Weinzierl earned individual
honors in at least one big meet this year. The student-athletes learned a lot about
themselves, achieving new personal bests and team titles they did not think were
possible! We are proud of this team’s discipline, dedication, enthusiasm, and
teamwork. Those qualities will lead them to continued success in Cross Country
and we cannot wait to be a part of it!

12

Junior High Boys’ Soccer 2019

Forest Hills Boys’ Junior High
Soccer finished the season
with a 5-7-1 record after a
winless (0-7) 2018 season.
Eighth grade captains Cody
Secriskey & Toby Wilt provid-
ed strong leadership. Hunter
Adams & Toby Wilt led the
team in scoring. Seventh
grade keeper, Mason Brewer,
made a major impact on the
team with tremendous play as
goalie throughout the season.
The junior high team will have
a strong core of 7th graders
returning next year and will
build on the success that the
young men on this year’s
team provided.

Junior High Football

The 2019 Junior High Football season was one that will be remembered for years to come. The team con-
sisted of twenty-two 8th graders and five 7th graders. This group of young men scored 264 points and gave
up only 66. This averaged out to scoring 33 points a game, while giving up only 8 per contest. The team had
a special chemistry and continued to improve each day throughout the season. The turning point of the
season came at Richland when the team was 10 points down, but refused to quit and ended up winning the
game 42-34. The last game of the year on our new turf field under the lights was very special. We were
down 8-0 early, but once again the resilience of the group was evident in the 22-14 victory in front of the
large crowd. This group of Rangers gives hope for the future of Forest Hills football and exemplifies the
Excellence is the Tradition mantra used at Forest Hills.

13

~ VARSITY ATHLETICS ~

Cross Country Runners Extend Streak

Cross country runners Lacey and Paige Greathouse continued a streak of Forest Hills cross country
runners qualifying and competing in the PIAA State Cross Country Championship Meet. For the past 21
consecutive years (1999 – 2019), 22 individuals and 6 teams have represented Forest Hills at the PIAA
State Meet. Paige placed 43rd and Lacey 73rd out of 207 finishers at the state meet in Hershey on
November 3rd.
Lacey and Paige helped the Lady Rangers cross country team to 12 wins and 1 loss. They were the
“AA” champions at the Big Valley Invitational, the over-all champions at the Altoona Invitational and the
Uniontown Invitational. The girl’s team finished 2nd in the Laurel Highlands Athletic Conference stand-
ings and were runner-up at the District 6 Meet. Seven varsity girls (Lacey Greathouse, Paige
Greathouse, Danielle Dumm, Delaney Dumm, Katie Beyer, Payton McGough, and Jordyn Smith) won 26
individual awards at major meets. Six junior varsity runners earned 14 individual awards. Four girls
were named to the Central Western All Area Team - Paige Greathouse, 1st team, Lacey Greathouse, 2nd
Team, and Danielle Dumm and Delaney Dumm, Honorable Mention.
The varsity boys’ cross country team finished with 9 wins and 4 losses. They placed 5th in the Laurel
Highlands Athletic Conference and 10th at the District 6 Meet. The team was led by junior Jude Martyak
and sophomore Dylan Wechtenhiser. Jude was the team’s number 1 runner, was named to the Central
Western All Area 2nd Team, and was also chosen as their Most Improved Runner. Dylan was the
team’s number 2 runner and earned the team’s most improved runner award. Other top 5 runners for
the boy’s team were Caleb Sorchilla, Tyler Stohon, and John Moyer.
Both teams return the majority of their runners for the 2020 season and expectations are high for an-

other successful season.

14

Varsity Boys’ Soccer

The Forest Hills Varsity Boys’ Soccer team finished the 2019 season with a record of 2-16. The team
was young and did not have any seniors this year, but the undergraduates played hard and are look-
ing forward to improving next year.

There were 5 juniors on this year’s team including Carson Berkhimer, Adam Cann, Jacob Flynn-Long,
Cayce McCall, and Isaac Webb. There were 5 sophomores on the team including Addison Cann, Ian
Dobbins, Mikel Gray, Jacob Miller, Nick Singer, and Austin Valko. The team also featured 3 new fresh-
men players including David
Gates, Gavin Ickes, and
Michael Singer. The defense
of David Gates, Carson
Berkhimer, Adam Cann,
Jacob Miller and Isaac Webb
worked together and steadily
improved all year. The mid-
field support of Nick Singer,
Mikel Gray, Addison Cann,
Cayce McCall, Jacob Flynn-
Long, Gavin Ickes, Ian
Dobbins, and Michael Singer
provided the team with de-
fensive help, an improving
offense throughout the season, and speed. The team had two goaltenders this season that included
Nick Singer and Austin Valko. Nick was a returning goalkeeper from last year, but provided the team
with much needed help on the field about halfway through the season. Stepping in to play goalie for
Nick was sophomore Austin Valko. Austin quickly became a fantastic goalie and continued to im-
prove throughout the season. He will look to continue his success in net next season. The whole team
will hopefully be returning for next year’s 2020 season to continue to improve and have a successful
season. After a long and disappointing season this year, the team will look to bounce back next year.
The coaches are very proud of the team’s attitude, determination, and hard work that they put into
this season, and will be looking to play in the offseason to continue to improve and prepare for next
year’s 2020 season.

Girls’ Varsity Tennis

Our 2019 Girls’ Varsity Tennis
Campaign was a huge suc-
cess.

These amazing girls boasted
12 strong as they practiced
all summer for a difficult
schedule in the Laurel High-
lands Athletic Conference.

We met our goal of finishing
the season at .500 which in-
cluded a win over the eventu-
al District 6 Team Champion.

Nine of these truly outstand-
ing girls will return for next season and their commitment and work ethic, as well as love of this lifetime
sport, will lead to greater success at our school as well as in their future!

15

Varsity Girls’ Soccer

The 2019 Lady Rangers soccer team returns with eight starters coming off of the 2018 season. We ended
last season with a loss in the first round of playoffs to #1 seed Bedford, who eventually went on to win the
PIAA State Championship. During our off-season, we focused on the fundamental skills of the game,
making each player stronger and more versatile on the field. This year, we had 9 returning letter winners
and a squad of 19 players, the largest roster in 6 years.
Returning to the team were Juniors Alyssa Caddy, Olivia Guillarmod, Briane Ickes, Brooke Martinage,
Alexus McLucas, Lydia Roman, Julia Shima, and Josi Wehner. Joining the junior class in her first year of
playing soccer is Taryn Varner. The coach cannot speak highly enough of the effort put in by all nine jun-
iors. They quickly stepped into starting roles on the field filling positions that they had never before
played. These girls showed great potential in future seasons with their speed, strength, and willingness
to learn new positions on the field. Josi Wehner returned in goal this season, with 123 saves and 4 shut-
out wins. The Lady Rangers scored 95 goals this season with Lydia Roman leading the team with 51 and
Olivia Guillarmod with 23. Roman was able to score her 100th career goal during our match with Bishop
Carroll.
Returning for a second year were Sophomores Eva Spangler and Haley Myers. Eva showed great poten-
tial with her dedication to the team and continuous improvement on the field. Unfortunately, Haley suf-
fered an injury last season and underwent surgery. She took on the role as team manager this season
until she is able to return to the field.
New to the team this year is a large freshman class. Grace Beyer, Hailey Hampton, Claire Daubert,
Melanie McDannell, Audrey Peretin, Ashlyn Mayes, Brianna Burkett, and Anna Wirfel added depth to our
roster for the first time in years. All eight freshmen were ready and willing to play at any position needed
which provided our team with the right puzzle pieces in our formation. With fielding a team of younger
players, our team was new to our formation and the quickness of varsity play. We were able to move
players around during the beginning of the season, trying to fit the puzzle pieces together just right.
Once we were able to find the strengths of our starters, we were able to place them in the most benefi-
cial position on the field. It all came together about a third of the way through the season and they were
able to continue developing as the season progressed. The Lady Rangers ended our season with a Quar-
terfinal loss to #3 seeded Somerset and an overall season record of 13-6.
We are looking forward to strengthening our skills during the off season, while
also playing in a few indoor tournaments and leagues. We hope to continue to
develop as a team, perfecting our game for the future seasons.

16

Varsity Girls’ Volleyball Fall 2019

The Lady Rangers finished the regular season with a record of 11-7 which entered them into the District
IV AA Playoffs as the eighth seed and an overall season record of 12-8. The team saw Huntingdon in the
first round of playoffs defeating them in three straight sets. They then faced first seed Bald Eagle the
following evening. The Lady Rangers fell short ending their season losing the contest in three sets. This
group of athletes competed closely in a very tough Laurel Highland Athletic Conference.

The junior varsity squad finished
the season with a record of 8-10.
They competed in two tourna-
ments during the season, both of
which they did very well in.

Next year’s squad will be losing
one senior, Baylee Snedden.
Baylee was a tremendous asset to
the squad this year, both as a lead-
er and an athlete, and will be
greatly missed. Baylee has played
volleyball for Forest Hills for five
seasons. Her love of the game has
transpired onto the younger ath-
letes.

Letter winners this season were
Baylee Snedden, Taylor Burda,
Madeline Cecere, Kenzie Colosimo, Anna Wingard, Madison Gdula, Lexington Koeck, and Mackenzie
Hoover.

This season, Madeline Cecere achieved the milestone of 1,000 career digs and counting! To date, she
is the first Forest Hills volleyball player to achieve this! Also this season, Kenzie Colosimo surpassed
1,000 career assists. Congratulations to both athletes on their commitment to this program!

The future looks bright! Next season we will be returning many experienced and talented athletes. The
squad is already working hard in the off-season in preparation for another successful season in 2020!

Lady Rangers Basketball Claim Tournament Championship

For the first time since 2016, the Lady Rangers claimed their own Tip-Off Tournament. Each year the tour-
nament sets a competitive tone bringing in strong area teams to start the season with a bang!

This year was very similar…Penns Valley was the District 6 runner-up in the competitive AAA division,
Central Cambria finished in the top 8 of the state tournament in the AAA division, Juniata Valley was state
champions two years ago and was League and D6 champions in the AA division, while our own Lady
Rangers ended their season as the top regular season team in the LHAC, D6 AAAA champs, and made it to
the state top eight.

Opening night, the Juniata Valley and Central Cambria team kept it close with the JV Lady Hornets coming
out of a nail biter with a three point win. The Lady Rangers ran the floor in the first quarter to a win over
Penns Valley.

In the second night of the tournament, the Central Cambria Red Devils captured the consolation trophy by
defeating the Penns Valley team. The championship game couldn’t get any more exciting as it went into
overtime. The final score had the Rangers up 63 – 58.

The tournament was also extended to a round-robin style tournament for the junior high girls basketball
teams. All four of the same schools came to participate in that event as well. Each team played two games.
The Forest Hills Junior High Girls won both of their games.

17

Forest Hills Golf Team end of the competition, she was tied with two other

The 2019 Forest Hills Golf Team enjoyed another girls with scores of 88, so they had to go to a
good season and play concluded with a strong fin- playoff hole. She was able to continue to work hard
ish from the team and individuals. Even though the and won on the first playoff hole with the score of
team did not have a winning record at 4-6, they par. Winning this moved her forward to state com-
were invigorated by the play of the seniors and the petition level. At the state level, she went to
potential of several new players. Heritage Hills in York, PA and finished 11th. This is
the highest spot in Forest Hills School District histo-
Two players led the team on the scoreboard. They ry for a member of the girls’ team. A huge congrat-
were seniors, Liz Zajdel and Jonathan McCall. ulations to Liz on this accomplishment. The team
While the other senior, Donovan Faith, led the golf will lose senior, Liz Zajdel, who was also chosen
team with his positive attitude and love for the for the LHAC 2019 All- Conference Team this year.
game. He showed this is a fun sport and to get bet- Liz plans on playing golf at St. Francis University.
ter you have to relax and enjoy the game. These We all wish her success at the next level.
three seniors will be missed a great deal during the
next season. We all wish them the best of luck at Senior Jonathan McCall finished 30th at the PIAA
the next level. Hopefully, through the determination District 6 AA Golf Sectionals at Windber Country
that these three players portrayed throughout the Club. Next up for him was the District Champion-
year, the younger players will thrive to have a more ship, which was held at Scotch Valley Country Club
successful season. The team enjoyed the enthusi- in Hollidaysburg, PA. He played his best but, unfor-
asm and praises of their peers. They all had a great tunately, did not make the cut. The team will lose
time during the year and kept working hard, while senior Jonathan McCall, who was also chosen for
improving tremendously and finishing as a team 4th the LHAC 2019 All-Conference Team this year. Jon
in districts. This shows how much they improved will be attending St. Francis University and attend-
throughout the year. ing their physical therapy program.

Senior, Liz Zajdel, finished third at the PIAA District Members of the golf teams include Liz Zajdel,
6 AA Golf Districts at Windber Country Club. The Jonathan McCall, Donovan Faith, Justin Chilcot,

top four girls out of 36 went to the next level of com- Griffin Christ, Mitchell Costlow, Isaac Webb, Mikel
petition. Next up for her was regional competition, Gray, Connor Wysocki, Darren Shrift, Chris
which was held at Tom’s Run. Here she put on a Ramirez, and Nolan Cabala.

strong performance and she finished 11th . At the The golf team is looking for new boys and girls in
grades 9-12 to join the team.

The coach is hoping the re-

turning players, along with

some new members coming

on board next season, will

have a more successful sea-

son in 2020 with all the hard

work they plan on doing in

spring and summer of 2020.

18

Varsity Football

The 2019 Forest Hills Rangers entered the season with lofty expectations. Unfortunately, youth and inex-
perience were too much to overcome. The Rangers finished with a 1-9 record, but there were many
bright spots along the way. Seniors Seth Richardson and Jake Delic led the team in receptions and
Seniors Zach Vitko and Luke Hribar were solid on the offensive line. Sophomore Gaven Blough and
Senior Brycen Rearick had solid years on the defensive side of the ball.

With their efforts this season, Seth Richardson and Zach Vitko earned LHAC All-Conference honors on
offense, while Luke Hribar and Gaven Blough earned LHAC All-Conference honors on defense. For out-
standing play and leadership, Seth Richardson and Jake Delic have earned the Southern Alleghenies
Football Coaches Association offensive and defensive MVP’s for the 2019 season. For his academic and
athletic excellence, senior Zach Vitko has earned the Western PA Football Conference award.

The Rangers will certainly miss this year’s graduating seniors. During their time with the Varsity Football
program, these individuals have shown great leadership and have been a part of many successes here at

Forest Hills. They have been
part of a District 6 AA champi-
onship in 2017 and a District 6
AAA runner-up team in 2018.
Seth Richardson, Eli Kline,
Colton McCombie, Jake Delic,
Brycen Rearick, Corey
Culbert, Zach Vitko, Luke
Hribar, Jake Russell, and
Christian Sawko have all left
their mark on the Rangers
program.

Many underclassmen contrib-
uted to this team and have
gained a great deal of experi-
ence for next year. Junior Zach Myers threw for over 1,600 yards and Sophomore Damon Crawley ran
for over 700 yards. Wide receivers Brad Madigan (JR) and Jeremy Burda (FR) had great seasons and will
bring great experience to the team next year. The offensive line featured Gaven Blough (SO), Devon
Brezovec (FR), and William Douglass (SO). On the Defensive side of the ball, Easton Toth (SO), Tyson
Snyder (SO), and Kirk Bearjar (SO) were mainstays and showed great improvement throughout the sea-
son. The Rangers return 17 letter winners next season.

Statistically on offense, senior receiver Seth Richardson, with 42 receptions for 560 yards and 2 touch-
downs, led the Rangers. Jake Delic followed with 29 receptions for 464 yards and 4 touchdowns. Zach
Myers topped the Rangers through the air completing 119 passes for 1,633 yards and 10 touchdowns.
On the ground, Damon Crawley ran through the defenses for 702 yards and 8 touchdowns.

On the defensive side, Seth Richardson led the Rangers with 88 tackles. Luke Hribar and Jake Delic fol-
lowed with 75 and 56 tackles, respectively. Brad Madigan, Seth Richardson, Damon Crawley, Jake Delic,
Jeremy Burda, and Brycen Rearick each had 1 interception for the Rangers. Eli Kline was able to accu-
mulate 3 fumble recoveries.

On special teams, Lucas Smay was the primary kicker for both kickoffs and extra-points. Lucas was 8 of
12 on extra-point attempts. Brad Madigan was the punter and averaged 31.0 yards on 21 punts. Seth
Richardson had 21 kickoff returns for a 24.8 yard average with 1 TD. Damon Crawley had 19 kickoff re-
turns for a 19.0 yard average with 1 TD.

The future is bright at Forest Hills. As mentioned above, next season’s squad will feature many returning
letter winners. Joining the returning Rangers in 2020 will be a group of current 8th graders who led the
Junior High team to an undefeated season this past fall. Their 8-0 mark earned them the LHAC
Championship, which is certainly something we hope to achieve at the Varsity level in the coming years.

19

20

21

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Organization
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Permit #5
Johnstown, PA

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succeed in an ever-changing world.”Deborah Petrunak, 2nd Vice-President

Keith Rager, SecrPeutbalrisyhed by the Office oEfrtihceaSLupaCeMruianrntetVniadae,snSatpso,ef HtchiieagFlhoESrdecushtcHoaoiltlilsoPSnrciShnoucopilpeDarislvtirsicotr

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Robert Beyer, Member EdwEadrwdaArldexAalenxdaenr,dJerr-,SMriHddigleh SScchhooooll PPrriinncciippaall

Edward Hudak, Member Brian KosLtaanu,rJarM-SilrleHri,gDheSacnhoofoSl tAusdsetnPtrsincipal

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“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

22