Lower Dauphin School District Autumn 2011 Know Your Schools Important Information for the Residents of Lower Dauphin School District
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Lower Dauphin School District Autumn 2011 Know Your Schools Important Information for the Residents of Lower Dauphin School District Despite challenges, focus remains on student learning ith all that has transpired in the first • The construction at I hope you share my Wmarking period of this school year, Conewago Elementary pride in their successes. my message is simple – keep looking School must continue Without the entire Lower forward. forward to provide a Dauphin community, we It would be easy to allow oneself to new educational home would never be able to become fixated on what we’ve already for our students. provide our students with so endured this year. Epic flooding, damages • And we still have our many opportunities to shine. to school facilities and the subsequent primary mission of On behalf of all of our calendar alterations to make up those days providing an appropriate students and staff, please missed are individually major tasks. Taken education for each of accept my heart-felt thanks together, they can seem overwhelming. the 4,000 students who for your continued support But we’ve overcome that hurdle and attend our schools. and know that we will we’re moving forward. We have much to All of those tasks force Dr. Sherri Smith continue to “keep our eyes accomplish this school year. us to keep looking ahead. But none is as on the prize” no matter the • Because of the presidential elections important as the last one on my list. challenges that lay before us. in 2012 the Pennsylvania Primary Our students are a tonic to me. Their Election is earlier than usual, which achievements in academics, athletics requires the district to develop a school and the arts are a source of inspiration to budget on an expedited timetable. myself and our staff. • Lower Dauphin is required by the state In this edition of the Know Your Department of Education to develop a Schools newsletter, you will find stories Sherri L. Smith, Ed.D. three-year comprehensive plan to chart about some of our students’ many Superintendent the path of our educational programs. achievements. Students, staff eager to move into new classrooms tudents will be moving into their new elementary schools across the Sclassrooms at Conewago Elementary district. School by the end of December. After When completed, the starting the school year in the old classroom project will create 70,000 wing, students are looking forward to their square feet of new space and new digs. renovate 11,400 square feet “Everyone is very excited,” said of the existing building. The Principal Ed Gnall. “They’ve watched the classroom wing built in the new building going up and they’re ready to 1950s will be demolished. move in and make it their new home.” As part of the project, Project manager Rick Martz points out construction The cafeteria, library and school the district is making details this past summer offices won’t be ready until spring 2012, improvements to the so in the short term, students will continue intersection of Schoolhouse Road and install turning lanes. This work should be to eat lunches in classrooms. Major school Route 743. With the help of a $144,000 completed next spring. events like the annual Thanksgiving Feast grant from Dauphin County, the district will The design will also feature systems and the winter concert will be held in other add a traffic signal at the intersection and (Continued on page 2) Falcon Foundation names gala chair District welcomes new staff Inside This Issue page 3 page 4-7 Look for Lower Dauphin on the LD meets test targets for 5th year Congratulations to Class of 2011 Web http://www.ldsd.org page 9 page 11 Know Your Schools Conewago construction update (Continued from page 1) This gray water system is one of the in its layout, use of natural lighting and to conserve water and energy. Among the many “green” features of the project. These alternative energy sources. green features are 68 geothermal wells green features are expected to garner the The school board took a tour of the which will help heat and cool the building project “silver certification” in the U.S. construction site this summer and plans and a “gray water” storage system which Green Building Council’s Leadership in to take another this month to monitor the will collect rain runoff from the roof to Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) progress of the work and ask questions of be used to flush toilets and water plants program. The LEED certification seeks to project manager Rick Martz. outside. make the building more energy efficient LD community still recovering from September floods looding from the remnants of Tropical FStorm Lee will have an impact on the Lower Dauphin community for years to come. However, much work has already been done. As of this writing, workers have repaired a large sinkhole under the artificial turf on the main game field in the new athletic complex at the middle school. Several smaller flood-related holes on the middle school campus were filled in at the same time. Lower Dauphin Middle School also saw some minor damage to its floor in the gymnasium, but several staff members prevented major damage by keeping water off the floor during the height of the flooding. Repairs continue in the gymnasium at Nye Elementary School. Floodwaters there South Hanover Elementary staff pitch in to help in the Village of Union Deposit caused the concrete floor to heave in several after the September floods. places. At its worst, close to four feet of water was on the floor and also spilled into will have class on Tuesday, November 22, are receiving gift cards and donated items the elevator mechanical room, causing and on Monday, January 2. (See related collected in all Lower Dauphin schools. damage there as well. story for more information) About $5,700 has been distributed so far. Workers have removed the damaged In addition to getting its own house in “It has been a real team effort as the floor and are in the process of replacing the order, the school district has been reaching district recovers from the floods,” said floor and tiles. out to the Lower Dauphin community to Superintendent Sherri Smith. “I’m happy The flooding obviously had an impact lend a hand. to report that much of the damages will on the district calendar as well. The District staff and students have be covered by our insurance and we’re district’s request for a waiver for the missed participated in clean-up days in also hopeful that we’ll qualify for federal days was rejected by the state Department Hummelstown and South Hanover disaster relief funding.” of Education so Lower Dauphin students Township. Students who suffered losses School board approves calendar changes due to flooding s you are aware, the aftermath of the This means that the district will need snow make-up days which are built into the Aflooding caused by the remnants of to make the following adjustments to its calendar in case of a harsh winter season. Tropical Storm Lee forced Lower Dauphin calendar: These changes were approved by the to remain closed for three days in early • Tuesday, November 22, will now be a school board at its meeting on Monday, September. student day. October 17. Given the unexpected nature of the • Monday, January 2, will now be a “We apologize for any inconvenience event, the district petitioned the state student day. the calendar changes may cause you and Department of Education for relief from • Students will not make-up the third your family,” said Superintendent Sherri the 180-day requirement for students. On day which will be used as a teacher in- Smith. “As always, if you have any Monday, October 3, the district received service day on Friday, June 8. questions or concerns, please contact your word that its petition was denied. The district plans to retain the four school office.” 2 Dr. Camasta named honorary chair of LDFF Gala r. Craig A. Camasta whom he has an 18-month-old son, Camasta with the dual mission of providing Dof Marietta, Georgia, Dominic. lower extremity surgery and educating has been selected as the Dr. Camasta specializes in surgeons around the world. His devotion Honorary Chair of the pediatric and adult reconstructive foot to under-served pediatric patients has Lower Dauphin Falcon and ankle surgery, and pioneering taken him to Vietnam and Nepal for annual Foundation’s “2012 Blue numerous surgical procedures; medical missions. and White Gala,” the he is particularly well-known for The popular Lower Dauphin Falcon fourth annual foundation treating difficult bone and soft Foundation Gala begins with a reception fund-raiser to be held the tissue tumors and infections, and and silent auction which continues evening of January 28, specializes in revision surgery. He is throughout a served dinner. Entertainment 2012 at the Hollywood a widely sought after international this year is a dinner theatre mystery, “The Casino in Grantville. lecturer and teacher in countries Disappearing Falcon,” to which anyone Craig, an alumnus including Canada, Australia, Spain, connected with Lower Dauphin will relate of Lower Dauphin Germany, Vietnam, and Nepal. As and all are invited to dig out their sleuthing High School, Class of 1982, completed a surgical consultant for Helios Hospital hat and sharpen their memories to solve his undergraduate work at Millersville Group in Germany, Dr. Camasta teaches “who done it!” University where he recently was honored reconstructive foot and ankle surgery to Tickets for the Gala are priced at $100, in Millersville’s 150th Year Anniversary orthopedic, trauma, and general surgeons.