The following students were chosen by the sixth-grade staff at Southern Columbia Middle School as March's SoCo Stars of the Month. These students were chosen because they have displayed self-control, tolerance, academic integrity, and resilience within the school setting. Congratulations to each student and their families!
April 2022: Lily Thomas, Isabella Hoffman, Dallas Swartzlander, Nyah Johnson
Fifth grade science students in Mrs. Lupold's classes calculated their Carbon Footprints during Earth Week. Students then identified actions they could take now and, in the future, to help reduce their carbon footprints. Each student also received a Silky Dogwood tree to plant at home.
Lola Cecco (L) and Sadie Boucher (R) are constructing robots made out of Legos in Mr. Williams' 8th Grade STEM class. After students complete the building phase, they will then write code to control their robot in a number of different environments and situations. Students are using problem-solving skills learned during class to refine how their robots interact with their local environment.
On Earth Day, 7th grade science and geography students took part in a campus cleanup. Students learned about the devastating effects of pollution and their civic duty to take action!
On April 21 and 22, after a nearly eight-week learning process, 8th graders in Mr. Kelchner’s science classes presented their sustainable building design projects to a panel of engineers. The winning group was selected by a guest engineer who played the role of the building owner, and it included Joanna Chen, Braylon Feese, Jackson Shaeffer, and Michaela Williams. These students presented their design with knowledge and professionalism. Their building had a unique cantilevered design that required careful calculations of overall square footage. They included a vast array of thoughtfully chosen energy-saving features and state-of-the-art amenities, while still managing to come in just under their allotted budget of $20 million. Their “design firm” was able to win the contract by efficiently and enthusiastically demonstrating how their systems reduced the operating cost through lowered electricity and water bills, using their calculated reductions to justify their design choices. In addition to planning a striking and environmentally friendly building, the group even specified the use of sustainable materials for the interior finishes, helping them to clinch the victory. Among other prizes, they will have their names engraved on the classroom trophy that features all past winners of the competition.
A big thank you to the guest judges who generously gave of their time to be with us for two days. These included Eric Fedder, 2005 SCA valedictorian, architectural engineer, and senior project manager for Project Management Advisors Inc. of San Diego, California; John Kelchner, electrical engineer and President & CEO of Citizen’s Electric Power Company in Lewisburg, PA; and Noah Blusius, SCA alumnus, architectural engineer, and current engineering graduate student at Penn State University.
Congratulations to all 8th grade students for your outstanding effort and successful collaboration on a very challenging real-world project!
Last Friday, April 22, 7th grade ELA celebrated Earth Day through outdoor poetry activities. Students started with a POE-to op using wings created while reading Edgar Allen Poe's poem, "The Raven." Students then participated in a poetry walk where they wrote some of their own poems with sidewalk chalk on the sidewalks by the middle school and read work from their peers. Finally, they observed nature down at the nature trail and turned their observations into a poem to finish their book of poems
On Monday, 6th grade held an assembly in the old gym. The theme was "Go for the Gold." The purpose was to motivate students for PSSA's that start on Tuesday.
The 7th and 8th chorus is getting ready for their concert. The concert is on May 4th. They are ready to sing their hearts out!! Credit: Makenzi Pfirman, Middle School Journalism Student
Mr. Roth’s 7th grade science classes are working on posters for Earth Day on Friday, April 22. The students can also receive a prize of 10 ears of corn for just submitting their posters to a community Earth Day Poster contest.
Contributor: Stephanie Campbell, High School Journalism Student
7th grade science students created and presented projects to display their knowledge following a unit on cells.
Congratulations to Middle School students Ben Gearhart, Cayden Noblit, Isabelle Honabach, Lily Lynch and Hailey Gallup for their performance with the Columbia County Middle School Band held at Central Columbia.
Congratulations to High School students Saira Sodergren, Sarah Eyer, Evelyn Staugaitis, Ethan Rush, Kendyl Keefer, Sophia Boucher, Eliza Fenstermacher, Ashlynn Kuijpers, Emily Myers, Annabelle Reck, Bryce Turner, Ashley Whyne, Kiya Thomas, Olivia Long, Kylee Reeder, Olivia Thompson, and Alex Eby for their performance with the Columbia County High School Band held at Central Columbia.
Congratulations to Alex Eby, Kylee Reeder, Ashley Whyne, and Olivia Long for being awarded scholarship money through the Columbia County Band Association.
Attention Middle School Girls: Registration is now open for STEMpower Camp this summer (June 13-17) at the CSIU. The cost is $125 and includes a field trip to Knoebels. Camp hours are 9am-3pm. Interested girls currently in grades 4th - 7th can register online- https://forms.gle/H8mGhaAU5BCnU9Tp6 . Registration closes May 31st
Mrs. Zysset’s Family and Consumer Science class explored baking recipes this week. Seventh graders worked together to make festive cookies in celebration of the holiday break. The cookie lab was a two day project that allowed students to be rewarded in a sweet way!
Contributor: Evelyn Cook, High School Journalism Student
The following students were chosen by fifth grade staff at Southern Columbia Middle School as March SoCo Stars of the Month. These students were chosen because they have displayed self-control, tolerance, academic integrity, and resilience within the school setting. Congratulations to each student and their families!
March 2022: Arya Welch, Stella Adams, Graer Christian, and Rozalynn Moser
Students in 8th Grade S.T.E.M. Class are using problem-solving skills in order to "trial & error" the successful writing of code to instruct their robot to do specific tasks.
Middle school enrichment students (Gifted) are working on their mock trial project. In this project, the students are getting a role in the “trial process”; then, they will present it as an actual trial leaving them to gain knowledge in the court of law. The students seen in the picture and their roles are Emrie Bloom (sitting) as a juror and Mya Daubert (crouching) as a witness.
Contributor: Delana Dunkelberger, 8th Grader
Students in Mrs. Nestico's 7th grade ELA class recently read the novel Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry and watched Remember the Titans. They compared the progress made in America over the two time periods and discussed characters that stood up for others and made a difference. Students were then asked to write about 10 ways in which they could make a difference in the world today.
The sixth-grade students gathered in the hallway for a celebration announcing the students of the month. They listened to music and gave a drum roll for their fellow classmates. Congratulations to the four winners: Morgan Laughlin, Karley McHale, Yanqiu Chen, and Noah Wydra!
8th Grade students within Mr. Williams' afternoon S.T.E.M. classes learned firsthand the effects of Gravity, Inertia, and Weight while welcoming in the season of Spring. Students were tasked with creating a contraption that to protect their Spring Chicken (an egg) from three, increasingly taller launch points. Led and organized by student teacher Mr. Lepovetsky, students used the scientific method of research and higher-level engineering strategies to design and build protections devices that could withstand the impact created by gravity and safely protect their Spring Chicken until they have made their safe landing. While braving the weather elements and testing their devices in front of the middle school and off the football stadium bleachers, students successfully “cracked” the code on the effects of gravity and safely grounded their Spring Chickens without any scrambled results.
Dear Parents,
Please review the attached images for information and guidelines for our upcoming PSSA Testing.
