Superintendent's Report

The Indiana Area Senior High School was recently awarded an international Program Excellence Award. Sponsored by the International Technology and Engineering Educators Association (ITEEA) and Paxton/Patterson, the Program Excellence Award recognizes superior K-12 technology and engineering education programs from around the world and is one of the highest honors that can be given to such programs. The award acknowledges outstanding contributions to both students and the profession and is given to one program from each category at the elementary, middle, and high school levels from every state (within the USA and its territories) as well as internationally based on ITEEA International Center Agreements. In the fall, the program was recognized with a Program Excellence Award by the Technology & Engineering Education Association of Pennsylvania (TEEAP). Last school year, the Indiana Area Junior High program was similarly recognized.

Mr. Mark Rend and Mr. Keaton Stants are the Technology Education teachers at the Indiana Area Senior High School who have facilitated this high-quality, award-winning learning environment. They serve as models for their colleagues and proponents of advancing technological literacy for all.

Indiana High Head Football Coach Brandon Overdorff recently resigned after leading the program for four years. Coach Overdorff broke the news to his team in a meeting Tuesday afternoon at the school.

I want to thank Coach for all of his efforts and dedication to the program. It is our understanding that he is planning on moving out West and we wish him all the best.

Thank you for your tireless efforts in guiding the program and best luck in your future endeavors.

IHS, under the leadership of Mr. McElheny and Mr. Johnson, was asked to present at the Pennsylvania Department of Education's annual Standards Aligned (SAS) Conference. Mr. McElheny, Ms. Juart, and Mr. Brocious presented at Harrisburg on the exceptional work being done at IHS. This is not the first time though. IHS also presented at a CASEL network meeting with several other states in attendance illustrating their career readiness efforts as a best practice for other states to follow.

Great job by all involved!

You know what they say: "You can't retire from being great." This is the time of year when our great teaching professionals announce their intentions to retire. So far, the Indiana Area School District will be accepting retirements from six long-tenured teachers: Mrs. Susan Brown, Mrs. Beth Mauk, and Mrs. Erin Snyder from East Pike; Ms. Jill Kaszubowski from Ben Franklin; Mrs. Melissa Bender from Eisenhower; and Mr. Bill Waryck from the Senior High. These retirees represent a combined 153 years of service with the Indiana Area School District. Teachers have until mid-January to announce their retirement for the following year, so we may still have a few more "goodbyes" for which to prepare.

Congrats to the Boys and Girls Swim team. The Boys finished 1st and Girls 3rd at the West Allegheny Christmas Invite last month.

Congrats, to Hope Cook for surpassing 1,000 points in her high school career!

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