A Christmas Skype

On December 19th, the Jackson Elementary chorus skyped with a class in Ontario, Canada.  The chorus sang three Christmas songs for the Canadian class.  The Canadian students taught the chorus students two versions of the 12 days of Canadian Christmas, read a book and even taught them some French!  The pictures below are of the students in the music room during the Skype, as well as some students who asked the Canadian students questions about their Christmas traditions.

JE Breakfast with Santa Day 2

JE Students and families from grades kindergarten through 2nd grade enjoyed breakfast with Santa on Friday, December 19th. A special thanks to all our JES PTO volunteers and the Middle School Student Council members who came and volunteered their time. Merry Christmas from everyone at Jackson Elementary.

Breakfast with Santa Day 2

CE Sing-a-long

The children at Cambria Elementary had fun at their yearly Christmas sing-a-long. The students sang songs like Frosty the Snowman, Silent Night, and Up on the Rooftop. The sugar plums were flying throughout the building. Merry Christmas to everyone!

JE Students visit with Santa

Jackson Elemenatry students from Mr. Strittmatter and Mrs. Lucas's rooms celebrated with Santa today. The students received a special gift and sang songs with Santa. We would like to thank the Jackson Elementary PTO for all their help to make this special day possible.

JE Students visit with Santa

JE Breakfast with Santa

Jackson Elementary's PTO hosted a Breakfast with Santa with the help of the CCHS Interact Club. PTO volunteers and students from the high school participated in helping elementary students and their families enjoy a breakfast of homemade cinnamon rolls, provided by the Nutrition group, with Santa. The CCHS Interact students then went class to class singing carols as part of an annual tradition of the Jackson Elementary Sing-along. Thank you to everyone who participated!

Breakfast with Santa

CE Second Grade Snowmen

Our 2nd grade classes have been working on a Changes Module (Chemical and Physical Changes). They incorporated the 3 States of Matter with The Life Cycle of a Snowman. The students observed the snowman throughout the day and recorded the changes. They also measured the amount of water at each observation using an inch ruler.

ROCK Program

On December 15 (12/15/14), students from the St. Francis “ROCK” program came to work with and present their program to Mr. Wagner’s Chemistry classes.  “ROCK” stands for Rural Outreach Chemistry for Kids and is an excellent program to get high school students interested in science oriented college programs and careers.  In fact, two of Mr. Wagner’s former Chemistry students, Christopher Evans and Sabrina Blake, came back to Central Cambria to help present the program.  The St. Francis students instructed a hands-on activity entitled “Super Soakers” with the students that involved sodium polyacrylate. The chemical was collected from baby diapers to help demonstrate its ability to absorb water and urine.  A sample of yellow dyed salt water was used to simulate urine so it could be compared to how the sodium polyacrylate absorbs urine versus water.  The students absolutely loved the program and took a real interest in the hands on chemistry that was being presented.  Mr. Wagner and his students would also like to thank Mrs. McDermott and Mr. Paronish for allowing the St. Francis students to come in and present the “ROCK” program. 

Marine Visit at CE

This year first grade students brought a children’s book, instead of participating in a gift exchange. They were very excited to have a visit from retired Master Gunnery Sergeant Bob Bono and his son, Corporal Bob Bono. They accepted the story books that the children collected for the Toys for Tots Program.

CE Band and Chorus Concert

The Cambria Elementary School band and chorus concert was amazing once again this holiday season. As you can see they had a great time. Congratulations to the children for a fantastic performance! Thank you to everyone for their flexibility and attending Sunday instead of Thursday.

You can check out more about our music program at https://sites.google.com/site/cambriaelementarymusic2/home 

Happy Holidays!

Kindergarten Reindeer T-shirts

The Kindergarten made their reindeer t-shirts today. The children had a lot of fun painting with their feet and hands. We would like to thank everyone who came in to help out. As you can see, the t-shirts turned out very cute!

Christmas Crafts at JE

Jackson Elementary students participated in the annual PTO Christmas Craft on December 12th. Each student was able to make two fun crafts provided by the Jackson PTO. Thank you to all the PTO members and families that volunteered their time!

JE Christmas Crafts

Student Insect Reports at JE

Mrs. Minor's 2nd grade class researched various insects and presented the information found using an app on the iPads called "Chatterpix".

21st Annual Science Day at Saint Francis University

On Tuesday, November 25, 2014, Mrs. Hoover and 30 Advanced Physics students attended the 21^st Annual Science Day at Saint Francis University.  The trip was funded through a grant from the Central Cambria Education Foundation.  Science Day hosted 47 different concurrent presentations which were held all over Saint Francis University’s campus.  The students were able to attend 3 different presentations during the course of the day.  Additionally, Central Cambria took a team to compete in the Science Bowl competition. 

We had students participate in activities such as SCUBA diving, rocket building, hypnotherapy, and college selection Jeopardy.  Students had the opportunity to work with human cadavers while studying the chest cavity.  Some students had the chance to work with liquid nitrogen as part of the chemistry department’s R.O.CK. program.   The events covered a wide variety of cutting edge topics, research, and technology. 

Saint Francis hosted a delicious lunch for the students and provided them with free t-shirts for their participation.  The students and Mrs. Hoover had a lot of fun while experiencing some pretty incredible things.  It was a perfect opportunity for the group to share their interest and enthusiasm for science.  

STEM

On Thursday, December 4^th, the Exploring Concepts of STEM class from the high school spent the afternoon visiting several departments at Admiral Peary Vo-Tech.  The students spent time in Computer Aided Drafting (CAD), Engineering Technology, and Electrical Technology.  This was a great opportunity for the kids to see STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) in action.  The students and teachers on the trip were very impressed with the great technology and high quality programs available at Admiral Peary.  Thank you to the staff at Admiral Peary for hosting our students and teachers!

Mike Hall Visits Central Cambria High School and Middle School Students

Mike Hall visited Central Cambria High School and Middle School students on Tuesday, October 28th. He was sending a very important message of hard work and dedication. He portrayed this message in a story about a man who used a hammer and a chisel to chisel his way through a mountain, just so there was a road to his village. The story explained the idea that if you want something, there is always a way to work hard and achieve your goal. Hall has visited Central Cambria  two times before this, each time sharing stories that showed his hard working and anti-bullying mentality. He has been extremely popular with the Students, many saying that his presentations were the most moving and motivating programs they have seen in their high school and middle school careers. Senior Adam Farabaugh said “It was really awesome getting some insight from someone who I could relate to.” Another student, Kerry Kirsch, junior, said, “He was inspiring and motivational… I feel like he gives a positive vibe and can connect to everyone in the school.”   It wasn't just the students that enjoyed the presentation; a lot of the teachers loved his programs as well. Mr. Seymour, the music director at Central Cambria, had this to say about the program, “It was truly amazing how he took such an important message and made it so relevant to young people” I believe it has made an impact on a lot of students’ approach on things, whether it’s how hard they decide to work at practice that day, study for a test, or even help somebody out in the hallway they don't talk to very much.  Mike’s message was a real eye opener for a lot of students.  Hopefully, his message will make this school year a great one for everybody. Mike Hall himself said, “The actual thing that sets you free to live the life you’ve always wanted to live, is truth. It seems so simple but that’s it. The truth. The truth about your past. The truth about your parents. The truth about your worth. The truth about your beauty. The truth about happiness. I don't change anyone with my words. The truth changes them.”

What Does NHS Mean To You?

Cambria County Prevention Coalition (CCPC)

Central Cambria students who participated in the Communities That Care Youth Summit were:

Juniors: Mikayla Fox and Ian Ostrowski

Sophomores:   Jessica Balough and Michael Walwro

 Freshmem: Mary Beth Woods and Moses Ritchey

        Central Cambria School District has been working with the newly formed Cambria County Prevention Coalition (CCPC) to engage students in the process of improving their school and their community. The district agreed to host a series of student summits where kids from Blacklick, Forest Hills, Cambria Heights, Bishop Carroll, Admiral Perry Vo-Tech and Central Cambria came together to talk about drugs, alcohol, family life and the stresses of being a teen-ager.

“This session was a follow-up to the first one done in May,” says Marlene Singer who coordinates this student project as part of Conemaugh Health System’s participation in CCPC. “The kids were so open and honest and really wanted us to see things from their point of view. We felt we had to come back and continue the conversation. They feel a lot of the pressures that adults do and need to talk about it.  They have parental expectations along with financial and academic worries about if they’ll be able to go to college and how to afford it if they do. Unfortunately some kids also worry about home finances and if there will be enough food for the week. Their world changes at rapid speed with technology, social media, the availability of drugs and alcohol being a part of their everyday life. It doesn’t matter what school they go to, their issues are all the same.”

      In addition to the student summits, Central Cambria has reviewed its Pennsylvania Youth Survey (PAYS) with Singer.  Students see our school and the staff in it as a strong positive influence in their lives,” says Kim McDermott, high school principal.  “A presentation was done for our administration about the risk factors out there and also the protective factors that are in place to help our students succeed. It’s helpful for our guidance counselors and teachers to know what the kids are doing, thinking and what behaviors they engage in.”

One of the behaviors that all Cambria County students engage in is texting while driving. As a result, Central Cambria recently did a distracted driving program where all students were able to drive the golf cart around the campus while texting or with goggles that impaired their reflexes like they had been drinking.  Since 78% of students admit to texting while driving, programs like this help them see just how dangerous it can be, says Randy Wilson, Central Cambria guidance counselor.

“This is an example of how the Prevention Coalition can work”, says Singer.  “Once information is shared then steps can be taken to improve a particular area or behavior. It’s a one step at a time process and we need all the help we can get.” The next community meeting of the Cambria County Prevention Coalition will be held at Central Cambria High School on Tuesday February 10^th from 8am to 10am.  If you would like to attend to see how you can help RSVP to secretary@cambriahealthandwelfare.org.

CCHS Red Devils Win PIAA Class A State Cross Country Championships

On Saturday November 1, 2014, the Lady Red Devils Cross Country Team won the PIAA Class A State Cross Country Championships in Hershey, PA. On a beautiful day for running, the Red Devils outpaced their nearest opponents, Elk Lake HS by 12 points and last year’s champions Holy Cross by 21 points. This is the Lady Red Devil Cross Country Team’s fourth State Championship.  Sophomore Sydney Gilkey was the top finisher in 5^th place and was followed by sophomore Samantha Koss in 18^th, freshman Carly Kaschalk in 31^st, sophomore Emma Wess in 34^th, sophomore Sydney Croft in 41^st,  senior Jordan Hayward in 92^nd   and sophomore Kaitlyn McKeel 122^nd. Congratulations to our Lady Red Devil Runners.