Reports: Republicans, Democrats disagree on how to keep Stafford loan interest rates from doubling

Posted on May 7, 2012 by Angie Mason

The Washington Post reports that neither Republicans nor Democrats want the interest rates on federal subsidized Stafford student loans to double on July 1 as scheduled, but they’re still fighting over how to pay for plans to freeze the interest rate where it is.

The Senate will vote Tuesday on a plan to freeze the rate and pay for it by collecting more Social Security and Medicare payroll taxes from some “high-earning owners of some privately held corporations,” the Post story says. While Republicans would finance a plan by eliminating a preventive health program started by President Barack Obama.

Read this AP story to figure out if you’re among the 7.4 million borrowers who would be affected by the potential doubling of interest rates.  The rate is set to hop from 3.4 percent to 6.8 percent July 1.

Are you concerned about the potential for the interest rate to double? How would that affect your payments?

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Parachute fun at South Eastern Middle School-West

Posted on May 4, 2012 by Angie Mason

Today I spent most of my morning at South Eastern Middle School-West for transition day, where students visit the new school they’ll be attending next fall to learn the ropes.

I wrote a story about the goals for the day and how students are feeling about the change. I had no idea lockers make kids so nervous!

Fourth graders did team-building activities with a parachute.

Throughout the day, the fourth graders broke into groups and rotated through various activities. A fun station was the gym, where they did team-building activities with a parachute. They had to work together to hoist the parachute up in the air, and then they’d add other fun things – run beneath the parachute if your birthday’s in January, or move it up and down to make waves.

For the last exercise, students hoisted the chute into the air, ducked underneath and then sat on the chute. Watch the fun in the video I posted on Twitter!

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Senate approves bill to limit superintendent buyouts

Posted on May 1, 2012 by Angie Mason

A bill that would limit contract buyouts for superintendents and make other changes related to superintendent contracts has been approved by the state Senate and will now be referred to the House of Representatives, according to a news release from state Sen. Jeffrey Piccola‘s office.

Senate bill 1296 would limit the amount of severance a superintendent could receive if the superintendent’s contract is ended early. Continue reading →

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Penn State student participating in EcoCAR2, a competition to create environmentally friendly cars

Posted on April 27, 2012 by Angie Mason

A Penn State freshman from Spring Grove could have a hand in the future of environmentally friendly cars.

Matt Thompson, 19, a graduate of York Country Day School, joined the Penn State Vehicle Technology Team’s mechanical group and is involved in EcoCAR2: Plugging into the Future.

The three-year competition “challenges 15 universities across North America to reduce the environmental impact of a Chevrolet Malibu without compromising performance, safety and consumer acceptability,” according to its website. Continue reading →

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Hersheypark to host Education Days, starting May 4

Posted on April 27, 2012 by Angie Mason

Anybody want to combine chocolate and learning?

Hersheypark will host Education Days starting May 4. Here’s a look at the schedule, from a news release:

  • May 4: Math Day – Students apply real-life situations to math concepts by doing activities such as timing a roller coaster train and calculating its speed.
  • May 10: Physics Day – Students will learn how physics concepts relate to motion of rides using self-guided manuals and instruments. Millersville University physics staff will host programs in the Hersheypark Amphitheatre
  • May 18: Ed-ZOO-Cation Day – ZooAmerica North American Wildlife Park naturalists will explain how various species support entire ecosystems in North America
  • May 23: Entertainment Day – Students get a behind-the-scenes look at producing a park show. They’ll meet the sea lions!
  • May 24: Marketing Day – Marketing experts will talk to students.

Any local schools planning trips? The news release doesn’t say, but I figure chocolate has to be involved in this somehow, right?

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See a demo of New Hope’s Trenches program

Posted on April 26, 2012 by Angie Mason

New Hope Academy Charter School hosted state Sen. Joe Scarnati and Rep. Eugene DePasquale for a tour on Tuesday.

They visited a computer lab and a classroom, and they met with students, staff and faculty, according to a news release.

They also got a demonstration of the school’s Trenches program – a morning program that includes reciting the New Hope pledge and doing some light exercises, according to the release.  Here’s some video from the demo, posted on YouTube:

 

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Spring Grove educator’s peer mentoring program gets national attention

Posted on April 26, 2012 by Angie Mason

A Spring Grove Area High School administrator’s efforts to help at-risk freshman move successfully on in high school have received national attention lately.

Nate Frank (Photo courtsey of www.ascd.org)

Nate Frank, assistant principal, began looking at the “freshman failure phenomenon” when he moved into his role at the high school. There were some freshmen who just couldn’t move on to the next grade.

Here’s how he described it at the start of an article published in Educational Leadership, the ASCD magazine: Continue reading →

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Update on Washington Township efforts to leave Dover district

Posted on April 25, 2012 by Angie Mason

Remember the folks who want to move Washington Township from the Dover Area School District?

For months, the Washington Township Education Coalition‘s website urged residents to sign its petition, which you might remember is the one of the first steps towards seceding from a school district.

But recently I noticed that the site had changed – it now says thank you. Continue reading →

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Three York Suburban students to perform at state music festivals

Posted on April 19, 2012 by Angie Mason

Three York Suburban High School musicians were selected to play in the Pennsylvania All-State Festivals, according to a news release.
They are:

  • Junior Rosemary Crosset, violin, All-State Orchestra.  She is the daughter of Robert and Lisa Crosset.
  • Sophomore Nathan Krebs, trombone, All-State Concert Band. He is the son of Martin and Melinda Krebs.
  • Sophomore Hayden Orleth-Diener, tenor saxophone, All-State Jazz Band. He is the son of Tim Diener and Rauthild Orleth-Diener.

(Submitted photo)

 

 

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Spring Grove Rocket Scientists head to national level of Team America Rocketry Challenge

Posted on April 19, 2012 by Angie Mason

Three teams of Spring Grove “Rocket Scientists” will advance to the national level of the Team America Rocketry Challenge, according to the district.

Five teams from Spring Grove competed. The teams moving on are:

  • Tobie Sneeringer – captain/Colton Crockett, Kiara Dunne, Brett Elgin, Mason Jacoby, Tom Sattman,Sarah Strausbaugh
  • Veer Pandya – captain/Katelyn Miller, Tyler Sattman,Matt Sheehan, Luke Walko, Chad Zirkle
  •  Laura Ohl – captain/Hannah Lovegren, Lindsey Ohl, Albert Taglieri, David Williams

It’s the district’s best showing, according to the district’s e-newsletter. Additionally, another team will be an alternate. That team is made up of : Jon Pirkey – captain/ Andy Klenk, Jacob Lovegren, Jordan Stine, Todd Thoman

The top ten teams at the National Fly-Off (May 11-13) will split more than $60,000 in prizes, according to the district.

When I spent some time with the Rocket Scientists, teacher Brian Hastings noted that big aerospace companies attend the national event, looking to get more students to enter that field.

Do you think schools do enough to get kids interested in science careers?

Here’s the video from when I last hung out with the Rocket Scientists.

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