Community Connection

It is hard to believe that we are already more than halfway through the first marking period! The start of the 2023-24 school year has been a great one here at IASD. Here are some highlights and reminders as we move from September to October...

As you all know, we have had several emergency situations that could have resulted in tragedy if not for the quick action of students reporting the danger. It is an important reminder to remind everyone that if you see something, say something!

If your students feel the need to report something to the school and/or police, but want to do so anonymously, they can use Safe2Say. Safe2Say is a youth violence prevention program run by the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General. The program teaches youth and adults how to recognize warning signs and signals, especially within social media, from individuals who may be a threat to themselves or others and to “say something” BEFORE it is too late. With Safe2Say Something, it’s easy and confidential to report safety concerns to help prevent violence and tragedies.

There are 3 easy ways to anonymously report a potentially dangerous situation; download the app, Call the hotline, or visit the website above.

Watch the video below to learn more.

Students across the district had their School Wide Positive Behavior Kickoffs this month. This initiative explicitly teaches the behavioral expectations for students in a variety of settings to ensure that everyone knows. Then the staff reinforce these behaviors positively by acknowledging students who are modeling the behavior and reminding students about the expectations if they exhibit behavior that is not consistent with the expectations. This educational approach to behavior management develops a culture that is safer and more conducive to learning.

This Indiana County READY workforce initiative recognizes one student from each of our county school districts every month during the school year. The school districts (teachers, administrators, guidance counselors) will nominate the students based on agreed upon criteria.

At the end of the academic year, a panel of judges outside Indiana County will select the Excellence in Education award winner from the anonymous nominations. The winner will be announced at an awards ceremony and drive away in a car generously sponsored by CJ Spadafora and Colonial Motor Mart.

The program, will see a senior student nominated each month from each school district, with all of those nominees being invited to the awards banquet in the spring with a chance to win the car.

In addition to the students, one teacher in each school district, grades Kindergarten through Grade 12, will be chosen as that district’s Teacher of the Year and will be invited to the banquet with an opportunity to win a vehicle of their own. This effort to recognize the hard work, caring, grit, and determination to persevere and succeed is truly appreciated!

A community group has partnered with the teachers at East Pike Elementary to help raise the money required to install an inclusive playground at that school. The playground would enable all children, regardless of their special needs or required adaptive equipment, to enjoy the playground activities with their classmates. The group has been hard at work raising funds to help with the $130,000.00 cost. The parent-leader of the group, Ms. Bailey Adams reported to the Buildings and Grounds committee that the team had raised over $60,000, and that the group also received an incredibly generous donation of $50,000 from the Hall-Haliburton Foundation! They still have many more fundraisers scheduled like the one above to get the project across the finish line. We hope you can come out and show your support! Thank you to these incredible parents, teachers and community members for going above and beyond to help our students and schools!

IASD once again partnered with the Department of Veteran Affairs to recognize members of the Armed Forces and Emergency Responders for the safety and security they provide. Before the September 5th football game veterans, active members of the military, Firefighters, Police, and EMS personnel were asked to stand to be recognized.

This event serves not only as a small recognition of and appreciation for the service provided by these brave men and women, but also as an educational opportunity for our students. A Blackhawk helicopter and a WWII era U.S. Army Jeep were on display to recognize and educate students on both current and past military service.

Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD) Executive Director Mike Pennington visited Indiana Area School District to highlight their work with School Mental Health, Safety, and Security funding provided through PCCD’s School Safety and Security Committee, and to encourage schools to participate in the 2023-24 Pennsylvania Youth Survey (PAYS).

“Keeping Pennsylvania youth safe and healthy is a top priority of the Shapiro Administration,” Pennington stated. “Our kids can’t learn if they don’t feel safe within the walls of their school. It was great to hear first-hand from staff and students at Indiana Area School District about the great work being done to support students and make learning environments safer now and the future.”

Per Act 55 of 2022, $190 million is set aside for school mental health, safety, and security funding. Of this total funding, $95 million is dedicated to mental health initiatives and $95 million dedicated to physical security enhancements. School entities including school districts, area career and technical schools, intermediate units, charter schools, regional charter schools and cyber charter schools were eligible to apply for these formula-based funds last year to address mental health initiatives and physical security enhancements within their buildings.

In 2022-23, Indiana Area School District was awarded approximately $282,600 in funding. With this funding, we have supported costs associated with contracting a full-time school police support from the Indiana Borough Police Department, safety and security reviews and trainings, Youth Mental Health First Aid training for teachers and high school students, and a full-time school psychologist to work at the district’s high school and junior high. "IASD is really doing a tremendous job adding layers of proactive security measures in an effort to make the schools as safe as possible." said Mr. Pennington.

Students Emma Masengale and Kate Lehman talked about the difference the measures have made and discussed how the students, themselves, are taking ownership of safety in the district. The students have made efforts to ensure that all other students feel welcome and have started programs like the "Green Bandana" program, which identifies students who are trained resources for any other student who might be struggling with mental health. The students displaying the green bandanas are trained to connect those in need with adult resources and to keep the concerns confidential.

"Safety is everyone's job." said Superintendent Rob Heinrich. "These students having the maturity to recognize that and to take ownership is really impressive."

The Indiana Junior High School Vocal Ensemble was honored to be invited to perform the National Anthem at an Altoona Curve Game in September. The students did a tremendous job honoring our nation's flag, and made us all Indiana proud! Thank you to the Altoona Curve, and to Dr. Jason Rummel for leading the ensemble, providing such an incredible experience for our students!

We are proud to share an exciting opportunity for your family. The ARIN IU28 has been awarded a 21st Century grant to facilitate after school programming for students in the Indiana Area School District. This program will be administered by the ARIN IU28 and hosted by the Indiana Area School District.

Because of this incredible partnership, we will be able to offer after school programming for interested students in Kindergarten through 8th Grade four days/week (Monday - Thursday) from Mid-September- May. This program will provide after school care, complete with a snack, homework help, crafts, and fun physical activities.

If you have any questions please contact Sam Nichols at: snichols@iu28.org

The United Way of Indiana County had its 2023-24 Campaign Kickoff on September 22nd at Mack Park. The Indiana High School baseball team was present to help set up the hot-air balloon, which was the main attraction of the event. The United Way raises hundreds of thousands of dollars each year that is immediately reinvested in our community. IASD is fortunate to receive funding to support our PATHS program in Grades K-5. This program helps students become more responsible, self-sufficient, and active citizens. Follow this link to learn more about how you can support this and other initiatives through the United Way.

Congratulations to Campaign Co-Chairs Joyce Sharman and Jimmy Rickard and the entire United Way Administration and Board of Directors on launching this year's campaign with such a unique and successful event!

Members of the Indiana Area Senior High Girls' Volleyball Team volunteered at the Miracle League of Indiana County in September. The IASD student-athletes assisted in the operations aspect of the contest ensuring all of the amazing individuals had a great experience. The Miracle League, in collaboration with the YMCA, is an organized baseball league for persons with disabilities.To learn more about the program please visit: https://icymca.org/programs-and-activities/adaptive-programming/miracle-league/

As we move into October, I'd like to point out that October is National Bullying Prevention Month. Obviously, this is very important to us in our schools. We want to create an environment in which each and every student feels like they belong. Wednesday October 18 is Unity Day this year. This is the signature event of National Bullying Prevention Month. The key message of this month, and this day, is to unite for kindness, courage, and inclusion, to prevent students from being bullied. All of our schools will be taking part in the celebration this month, because Indiana is better together!

Website: www.iasd.cc
Location: 501 East Pike Road, Indiana, PA, USA
Phone: (724) 463-8713
Facebook: facebook.com/IndianaAreaSchoolDistrict
X: @IndianaAreaSD