January

2020

Volume 1,
	
Issue 4

STEELER Nation News

January: School Board Appreciation Month, SNN writer, Jordyne
Scott interviews FASD Board President, Mr. Terry Harrison

“January is a great time to celebrate your hard-working school board members and educate the public about the important role that a school board plays in our com-munities and schools. Although showing appreciation should be a year-round process, taking advantage of the designated School Board Recognition Month as-sures that these important people receive some of the thanks they deserve.”

Mr. Terry Harrison is our school board president. He has been the president of the school board for ten years and a member for fifteen years. He became the president in 2009. The board mem-bers elected him to the ofice of President. In 2005, he was voted to become a member and he wanted to help build a strong program to establish equality in the school district.
The board’s roles and responsibilities are to set policy and conduct interviews for the district. All school board meetings are open to the pub-lic/community. The meetings are held on the 2nd
Monday of every month. The school board members NHS President, Camryn Gipson, and Secretary, should work closely with the superintendent of the	Faith Zagoti show “thank you” video and distribute
school district. The vision for education in the com-	gifts to board members during January meeting. HARRISON continued on Page 2

FHS represents at MC Band Fest

Band members: (back row) Lavar Hightower, Jada Wil-liams, Jacara Green, Tyleigh Stinedurf, Maria Haynes and (front row) Demario Norris, LaShawn Williams, McKenzie Ulan, Chyna Butler and Steph-anie Montgomery, ready to perform at Mercer County Band at Grove City College. Article on page 3.

Volume 1, Issue 4

Inside this issue:

Students of the Month / Student Spotlights
	2
	
Teacher Spotlight / Golden Girls
	3
	
MLK Day / NY 2020
	4
	
Cheerleading / Seniors
	5
	
Basketball / Scholarship / Alt School
	6
	
Connections
	7
	
Farrell photos
	8

Mark your calendars:

Feb. 14—Valentine’s Day / Act 80—No School for students Feb. 17—President’s Day—No School
Feb. 16-17—Random Acts of Kindness Day

Page 1

Aunesty Myers sworn in - US Navy

Winners receive a cash reward of $100 funded by Mr. Ted Pedas. Mr. Pedas has been generously funding this award to Farrell Students for the past 15 years.

December Students of the Month are, from left to right, Ryan Stewart 8, Andrea Walters-7, Brian Hilton-12, Julian Scarborough 10, Makyah Burns-11, Tajmere Gibson-9

"If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader." -- John Quincy Adams

Senior, Aunesty Myers, swore in to the US Navy on Friday, December 12, 2019. Aunesty’s decision to join this branch was encouraged and supported by her parents. She is the first female in her family to join the military; however, she follows in the footsteps of several uncles that served before her. Aunesty is excited about geting to swim in the ocean although expresses that she is a bit nervous about basic train-ing. Best of luck Aunesty and thank you for choosing to serve!

HARRISON contd.

school.
The school board had
come to the conclusion to renovate
munity is for all students to go to post secondary schools such as college, trade school, and life skills programs. The
cause the community votes for the
very positive. The S.T.E.A.M lab
brings students up to date on tech-
board represents the community be-	the school to save money in the long members. Thus, the relationship be-	term. The school renovation was tween district/board, community, par-
Mr. Harrison defines a su
cessfu board meeting as one where
Mr. Harrison’s proudest
third renovation, students going to
post secondary education, and of
ents, and families should be good. c-	nology in order to be competitive. voices lcome together to form a consen-	accomplishment is being part of this sus and the superintendent carries out
being a 1979 FHS Alumnus. There
are no specific goals to speak of at
this point, just having a group of kids
moving on. Mr. Harrison’s hobbies
the ideas and opportunities to the dis-trict. The reason school boards are nec-essary is because they govern oversight and give directions. There are not many
ing and design talent! Great work Camryn!
challenges, such as when the state puts
a freeze on the monies given to the
Senior, Camryn Gipson, designed this new logo for	challenges but the state level can create	outside of school are pastoring and PENDOT snow plows this past summer. Way to                                                                                       serving on five additional boards. show Farrell Steeler pride and impressive engineer- School Board Recognition Month 2020. (n.d.). Retrieved from
https://www.tasb.org/services/communications-and-pr/recognition-programs/school-board-recognition-month.aspx

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By MELONN WELLS

Mr. McCann, proud FHS Alumnus, current Band Teacher

Golden Girls dazzle Do you have what it takes?

Contributed by: KATHLEEN DEAN

“Learning to play a musical instrument has so many benefits – whether it is build-ing your confidence, enhancing your memory or widening your social circle…”

elementary and high school, he played the trumpet in Marching and Concert Band. Mr. McCann also played the bass guitar in Jazz Band here at Farrell. After graduating from Farrell High School, Mr. McCann went to Youngstown State Uni-versity. His major in college was Music Education. He is also currently pursuing a master’s degree in trumpet performance at YSU.
While interviewing Mr. McCann, he described his teaching and learning philosophy as the following, “Learning how music works is key.” In other words, he means learning the process from push-ing buttons all the way to using our emo-
Mr.	tions contribute to making music. McCann                                         One of his biggest chal-
joined us here at Farrell as the Band	lenges was that it took a while to adjust Teacher in 2017. Previously, he	to teaching young elementary students. worked as a Title Instructional Aide	Some things that can be improved with for 4 years. He is an alumnus of FHS	the band are the accessibility and sched-and graduated in 2008. He was also	uling, which make it dificult to recruit involved in band in high school. He	and rehearse with a consistent ensemble. loves teaching here at Farrell. He	Overall Mr. McCann is happy to be here. says “it is home.”	He is happy to give his time and patience
When Mr. McCann was in	to the students here at Farrell.

Golden Girls, also referred to as Dance-line, was founded in the mid 1900’s. A part of the band, Golden Girls includes ten members includ-ing two captains. Tryouts are held in the begin-ning of May. Prospective members must perform two “stand dances,” which are cheers that are performed during football games.

Oficial practice for Golden Girls begins in early June. From the months of June to August the coach, captains, and members have three months to construct and learn four different per-formances: the flag, kick line, dance, and parade march.

The Golden Girls perform alongside the Marching Band during the seven-minute halftime show of the football games. In addition to the football games, the Marching Band and Golden Girls perform in Mercer County Band Night, Ken-nywood Founders Day, Labor Day, Veterans Day, and Light up Night Parades. If you are interested in becoming a part of the Marching Band or Gold-en Girls team contact Mr. McCann or Ms. Malory Lee to find out more!

Roberts, M. S. (2018, January 5). 10 reasons you should take up a musical instrument. Retrieved from https://www.classicfm.com/discover-music/reasons-to-play-a-musical-instrument/

Mercer County Band Fest

Contributed by: LASHAWN WILLIAMS
Mercer County Band Festival took place on January 8 and 9, 2020, at Grove City College. Mercer County Band is an opportunity for all of the bands from Mercer county come together to put on a concert for the pub-lic.

Only a certain number of band students are selected from each school to represent their school at the production. This year, ten high school band students and one middle school band member represented Farrell. Representatives practiced for two days with music and with the full ensembles. There were two band directors, Dr. R. Tad Grieg for the high school, and for the middle school, Mr. Eric Shrader. The music is provided by Sharon High School.

The first day of the festival is an entire school day, on the second day, students arrive there by 3 pm because the concert is in the evening. In lieu of marching band uniforms, concert dress code is formal dress in black and white. When asked about the concert, Junior Maria Haynes stated, “It was a great opportunity to meet band students from other schools, even if the performance itself was really demanding and intense.”

Volume 1, Issue 4

Junior, Samya Moore practic-ing pre-game with team-mates and Golden Girls dressed in ant-lers for the holidays take a break to pose for a photo op.

Page 3

MLK Jr. Day of Service 2020

“Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, What are you doing for others?”

~Martin Luther King Jr.

By OMAR STEWART

MLK Day is a day to appreciate Martin Luther King Jr., a man who had a famous speech and stood up for what he thought was right. Even though he went through tough times, he still did not give up on what he believed. MLK is observed as an off day for most people but day of work and service for others. In this way, MLK Day is not just about Mar-tin Luther King Jr., but about what everyone can do to serve others.
Mr. Burda our African Ameri-can History Teacher spoke to me about his thoughts on MLK Day. Mr. Burda explained that MLK day is im-portant because it is commemorating a man who gave his life to pursue equal rights for so many people who did not have them. Mr. Burda ex-plained Martin Luther King played a big part in the world and history. He has inspired people many people from many different backgrounds to

work together.
In his class at Farrell, Mr. Burda initiates discussions about MLK’s meth-od of nonviolent, direct action. They also discuss the types of protests that he would organize. African American History plays an important part in American History. Mr. Burda explained that, oftentimes, African American History is left out of books and has been overlooked for a long time. Mr. Burda and students at Farrell honor African American History month by researching and presenting influential African Americans in our own commu-nity here in Farrell.
Mr. Burda named several other African Americans as extremely influ-ential in our history, such as former President Obama and Maya Angelou. One influential African American that Mr. Burda listed that most people do not know about is William Still. Mr. William Still was a conductor on the

©artofwords.com
Art I and II students studied micrography, in-cluding this portrait of MLK Jr., by artist, Dan-iel Duffy, and discussed the power of words. Students then produced their own artwork that included text.

Underground Railroad in Philadelphia, and helped many slaves to freedom. Everyone knows about Harriet Tubman but very few know about William Still.

New Year, New YOU?

2020 Resolution Survey Results are in!

By JORDYNE SCOTT

New Year’s Eve and Day are spe-cial days for people as it marks the begin-ning of the New Year and they welcome the upcoming year in their own special ways.
After the Christmas celebration, people wait for the night of the 31st with anticipation. This is the day when we bring up all the good and bad memories of the whole year and say goodbye to this past year. This year’s overall mood of FASD par-ticipants surveyed was excitement although some also expressed hopefulness for what is to come.
The Steeler Nation News Staff sur-veyed the students and staff to find out about their traditions and New Year’s Reso-lutions.

Most participants surveyed marked that their New Year’s resolution is to get fit and healthy. People tend to think that they are not in shape and need to start changing their diet and/or eating habits. So get out there and renew those gym memberships or maybe try a new diet app to help you meet your goals!
New Years is a time for everyone to stay up late to watch the ball drop and start planning his or her resolutions, New Year, New Me! That is exactly what most of us did, although a couple surveyed par-ticipants actually fell asleep. Maybe that was the teachers!
For New Year’s, 31% of staff and students want to change about them-

selves for the year 2020 is to improve their focus. A couple of suggestions to help accomplish this might be to regulate your screen time, pop out the earbuds and mark up your daily agendas with your "To do" list. Good luck everyone!
The worst New Year’s Eve nightmare is to have to work. Most peo-ple say that working on New Year’s Eve is the worst because everyone wants to be home with their families or enjoying the night at a party.
Happy NEW DECADE everyone and thanks for your participation!

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FHS Cheerleading: hard work and dedication

Contributed by: MARIONNA DIETZ

High School Cheerleading is where all the fun begins. There are games, pep rallies, and other exciting events. Not only are the simple features of High School Cheerleading exciting, but you also experience what it is like to cheer at games full of screaming fans. You hold a very important job as a high school cheerleader and you become a role model to those around you. I am going to take you through a life of a High School Cheerleader.
First are tryouts. Tryouts are a very exciting way to start a new cheer season. Cheer tryouts are scheduled anytime from late winter to early spring, and it usu-ally lasts an entire week. This tryout week begins with learning a cheer, a dance, stunt, and jumps. On the day of tryouts, it is important to be well rested and energized. Participants are to be neatly dressed with all jewelry removed. There is a group of about 3 judges who will score each participant on criteria such as enthusiasm, eye contact, sharpness, and ability level.

Scores are then called out letting everyone know who made the team or not.
In most cases, practice is after school, four times a week. Practice usually lasts a couple hours and can consist of stunt, dance, and cheer practice. The season lasts from summer, all the way through the end of basketball season, making it extremely time intensive.
Cheering at games is what high school cheerleading is all about. Many alumni and fans attend our games to support the Cheerleaders. Cheering at games is all about school spirit. No matter how little or big a school is, or the number of athletes, the spirit should always be top-notch. There will be pep rallies that not only students attend but teachers and even parents. It is the job as a Farrell
High Cheerleader to provide good Farrell High spirit and get everyone excited to come out to our games to give support and have fun.

Seniors look towards final months at FHS: SP due dates, class trip plans and more...

Contributed by: Senora Torres Senior Project Due Date: Thursday, March 12, 2020. Location & evaluators TBA.

Senior Picks 2020:

Class Song - "Started from the bottom" Drake
Class Colors - Navy Blue, White, Silver
Class Flower - Morning Glo-
Class Motto - "Hold the vi-
sion; trust the process."
ry	 FHS Class of 2018 poses in front of the Washington Monu-ment during epic Senior Class Trip. Students cited trip as one of most memorable experiences in high school.

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Get your Insta Stories Ready…

This year’s Senior Class travels on Saturday, May 2. Trip high-lights include a tour of the National Mall and Ford Thea-tre, as well as photo stops at the Capitol and White House. Students will also visit the National Museum of African American History and Culture, Jefferson Memorial and Ar-lington National Cemetery prior to a visit and dinner at the Pentagon City Mall.

Page 5

required).
new lessons and are able to com-
gram, you will have fees to pay
agement skills and learn well au-
©CAMFILMZ
Coach Stewart weighs in on the 19-20 Boys’ Basketball Season

By DASHAWN RICHARDSON

Winter sports are upon us and with that, we reached out to Mr. Robert aka Bobby) Stewart. Coach Stewart is the head coach of the Varsity Boys’ Basketball team. He describes his coaching style as positive and aims to sur-round his program with expert, quality staff. Coach Stewart cited his goal for his team this year as winning D10 region and the state championship.
He says the most re-

warding part of coaching is, “seeing our young boys becoming young men.”
He also stated that coach-ing is not only about coaching on the court but off the court is the key. He gets the boys active during the off-season by having them work in lawn care services to keep them active. They also put in work at the gym, for example, cardio drills, and going over fundamen-tals.
I asked him about the bond he creates with his players. He says that he has a bond and that trust develops over time.
We talked about one of his proudest moments as a coach. He said that the 2015 state runner-up season was significant to him because it allowed him to look back at when he went to the states in high school. Stewart has been coaching for 25 years and he would like to continue for five more years.

Senior, Eric Hopson, becomes the 15th Boys Basketball player from Farrell High School to mark 1,000 points this January 2020. Congratulations Eric!

David Elias Memorial Scholarship

The Guidance Ofice has information about a scholar-ship being offered by Mrs. Kladitis and her family. This scholar-ship is to honor a family member who has passed away.

The David Elias Memorial Scholarship Fund is an essay scholarship. The deadline for entry is Friday, March 13, 2020. This scholarship is open to Farrell Area School District Seniors only. Applications may be obtained from the Guidance Ofice, Mr. Dye or Mrs. Smith.

In conjunction with the scholarship, anyone can par-ticipate in the David Challenge. He would always wear a rubber band on his wrist and would snap it if he was about to say something unkind about someone. Commemorative bands can be purchased for $1.00, with all proceeds going directly to this scholarship fund.

Alternative schooling: tough choices, tough consequences

By DASHAWN RICHARDSON

reflecting on your progress
having some problems, or that you
school placement. A couple of
sign in everyday and obviously an
At this halfway point	draw you from your current through the school year, are you	resources that you will need to throughout the past two quarters? start this program are a laptop to Perhaps you feel that you are	internet connection. You will be are not working to your potential.	required to watch videos to learn

Some students have questioned
students have been placed in an-
to teachers if you are having a
program. At the end of the pro-
whether or not alternative school-     municate through video or email ing might be right for them. Other	hard time with the lesson. Many other institution on an involuntary     different people use this online basis (the latter pertains to cases
where disciplinary action has been     even if you withdraw.
One voluntary form of
must have excellent time man-
A student that wants to alternative schooling is online	be successful in Cyber School schooling, also called Cyber School.
you must be of school age and
cult than they had anticipat-
In order to qualify for this option,	tonomously. Students often find have a parent or guardian with-	this option to be much more difi-

ed.
A second option is Crossroads School, located right here in Farrell, PA. There are several different ways to enroll or be assigned to this school. One way is to be sent there in the juvenile department, as assigned by the court. A youth agency can make the decision that this place-ment is in a student’s best inter-est. Finally, a parent can volun-tary send a child to Crossroads if and when it is agreed upon by the district..
Crossroads students must be between the ages of 10 to 18 years of age. This program is great for kids who find it difi-cult to work or learn in a tradi-tional classroom with many stu-dents. During the first week, a student is required to attend an

entire day program from 8 am until 8 pm. This school is bro-ken up into two different build-ings, one for boys and the oth-er one for girls. This means that during a school day the genders are never mixed.
Keystone serves stu-dents from all different com-munities. This school, located in Greenville, PA, can be for kids who live there on their own or that are incarcerated there. Personally, I found Key-stone to be the more rigid and severe of the two behavioral reassignment options. They have different buses that pick you up from your district and drop you off. Additionally, you can be any age to attend this school.

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Schoolwide & Community Connections

Annual Shop with a Cop: December 2019

Students, Marissa Wise and Stephanie Mont-gomery, pose with Mr. Riley Smoot and Farrell Police Oficers during and after annual event. Local Police force raises funds to sponsor this generous program that brightens the holiday season with a shopping spree for several local students.

Tim Wild, Lavar Hightower, Cole Summers (back), Jada Williams, LaShawn Williams, Chyna Butler (front), play for Elementary School.

Students, (left to right) Ryan Stewart—Grade 8, Charles Ander-son—Grade 8, and Seth Koren—Grade 12, organize merchandise at the Sharon Salvation Army. Students learn on the job skills and contribute in a meaningful way.

HS World Language students extend culture to elementary with 2nd annual caroling event.

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Marcus Green, Mariah Hopson, Gary Satterwhite, Kalia Knight, Ronald LaCamera and Saniyeh Thomas lend a helping hand during Santa’s annual visit to the Elementary School.

Page 7

Fun Farrell Happenings

Mrs. Latzoo’s Sophomore Yeast Fermentation Lab

Sophomores, Diamond Lewis, Jaimen Holden, Jere Edwards, and Jaylie Green, explore the science behind pizza making during Fermentation Laboratory.

French Club Tableau and Tasting Holiday Event

French Club students dabble in impressionistic painting, led by Ms. Munnal, while sampling over a dozen international foods from all over Europe and North Africa.

FHS bids adieu to the decade...

Senior, Skylar Cordray, shows off a crafted tree ornament during HS holiday party.

Mrs. Armour’s beach themed scene wins 1st place in the 3rd annual Door Decorating Contest hosted by FHS Cheerleaders under the direction of Mrs. Retone.

Jaylie Green, Alannah Talbert, and Hailie Switz busy making cookies in Family Consumer Sci-ence Lab (Above).

Senior, Chardell Stewart, Grouch or Grinch?

Page 8

Students splash into break with a dip in the high school pool during afternoon holiday party (right).

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