Tassels and caps go airborne as members of the Class of 2013 are officially declared graduates of the Governor Mifflin School District. The 60th Annual Commencement Ceremony took place June 6 at the Sovereign Center.

IN THE NEWS

Onward!

Despite the dreary weather outside the Sovereign Center, inside, the futures looked bright for the 344 members of the Governor Mifflin Class of 2013. Dressed in maroon and gold caps and gowns, the graduates were led into the arena by class officers Katherine Mahoney, Alexis Anderson, Gabrielle Brown and Marisa Lombardo.

Lombardo and Brown presented the class gift to School Board Vice-President Jeffrey Haggerty. This year's gift, an eight-foot-tall aluminum statue in the shape of a bucking mustang, was manufactured by Bartush Signs and will be displayed at the high school.

The seniors with the highest scholastic ranking, Amanda Barton, Ian A. Moyer and Mary Szurgot delivered the evening's keynote address entitled, "Lessons Learned from the Journey."

Superintendent Dr. Daniel Bulinski recognized students who will be entering the Armed Forces. As those graduates stood, the audience left their seats as well to offer a standing ovation.

Now that the diplomas have been distributed and the well wishes bestowed upon the Class of 2013, here's a look at what's next for the newest Governor Mifflin alumni:

• 274 members (79 percent) of the Governor Mifflin Class of 2013 will continue their education at a trade school, two-year or four-year college or university.

• 18 graduates (five percent) will serve our country in the United States Army, Navy, Marines and National Guard.

• Members of the Class of 2013 will represent Governor Mifflin at 94 different colleges, universities and trade schools nationwide.

• 131 different majors and programs will be studied by the graduates, among those who have chosen a course of study. That includes everything from Accounting to Zoology.

Student's Project Takes Flight

When Vaughn Golden attended Cumru Elementary School, he was only at the very beginning of his Scouting career. Now, the Governor Mifflin High School freshman is working toward the title of Eagle Scout and to earn that honor, he returned to his old stomping grounds.

Throughout the spring months, Vaughn and a team of student volunteers buzzed around the courtyard at Cumru Elementary, clearing, planting, landscaping and primping a butterfly waystation. Before the first shovel hit the ground, Vaughn spent months researching butterfly-friendly plants and materials to help make a welcoming habitat for monarch butterflies in the midst of migration. Once the design was finalized, Vaughn pounded the pavement and worked the phones, gathering donated items to make his garden complete. Under Vaughn's careful guidance, volunteers spent several afternoons and evenings bringing the garden to life.

A serendipitous meeting helped secure the finishing touch for the garden. During the planting process, Vaughn happened to meet a former scout leader who oversaw a similar project for which signage was ordered, but never installed. The scout leader, happy to rid his basement of the waystation signs, offered them to Vaughn, who added them to the Cumru courtyard and enhanced the educational element of the waystation.

On June 4, during a celebration for retiring Cumru Elementary Principal James Watts, Vaughn dedicated the garden to Mr. Watts as a lasting tribute to the principal's 40-year career with Governor Mifflin School District.

Sprint to Spring Heats Up

It may be called Sprint to Spring, but it felt more like mid-summer when students at Brecknock, Cumru and Mifflin Park Elementary Schools took part in their annual walk-a-thons on May 31. Students at all three schools sought sponsorship donations in the months leading up to the outdoor extravaganzas, which included the walk-a-thon, carnival games, relay races and outdoor art projects.

All funds raised will go back to the schools to help purchase supplies and provide activities for the students throughout the school year.

Each school's PTO organized the Sprint to Spring activities and would like to thank all who donated and volunteered their time to make the event a success!

Nurse Honored for "Walking the Walk"

Around Governor Mifflin Middle School, School Nurse Karen Fischer, RN is known for going above and beyond for students and their families. On May 15, her reputation for excellence became more widespread when she was presented with the Jasper G. Chen See, MD Health Care Professional Award during Caron's 17th Annual Community Service Awards Breakfast. Karen was presented with a glass trophy and a certificate of congratulations signed by Pennsylvania Senator Judith A. Schwank.

Karen's accomplishments were outlined during the awards ceremony. The following is an exerpt from the awards program:

Karen is a superior source of emotional and medical support for students, staff and parents. She provides group facilitation for Middle School students who are using tobacco, and mentors a group of female students as well. She is a member of the student assistance team and has shown unbelievable compassion and support for students struggling with emotional issues as well as drug or alcohol concerns.
Karen's door is always open for any student who needs a safe adult to lean on. She is making a difference in the lives of her students...Karen is a true example of walking the walk.

Other 2013 Community Service Awards honorees included Vicar Tom Scornavacchi of Atonement Lutheran Church & Common Ground Ministries and Berks County District Attorney John Adams.

Money-Minded Students See Stock Market Success

Wall Street may soon be calling on a group of investment savvy Governor Mifflin High School students. For more than two months, students in Mrs. Katie Broskey's Money and Banking classes participated in an online, stock market simulation. Students made mock investments and competed directly against other teams in Pennsylvania, regionally and statewide. There were 3,088 teams in the state and 121 in the region, which included Fleetwood, Muhlenberg, Tulpehocken, Spring Grove and Manheim Township School Districts.

Four Governor Mifflin teams placed among the top 50 in the region. Those teams included Andrew Przyjemski and Anthony Lucca, both in grade 10, who placed fifth out of 121 teams regionally. They also finished 50th out of 3,088 in the state, the highest of any Governor Mifflin student who has participated in the simulation. Senior Derrick Baver ranked 15th out of 121 teams. Senior Marisa Lombardo placed 34th, while junior Brian Beyer ranked 50th in the region.

Students Have Winning Recipe for "Throwdown"

Look out, celebrity chef Bobby Flay! Governor Mifflin High School students took this year's cooking challenge seriously and smoked both administrators and faculty in a head-to-head competition of culinary skills. Mrs. Jan Jack organized the annual Throwdown, which pitted students against high school staff in a recipe versus recipe competition.

Several original recipes graced the judges' table, including Mr. John Althouse's "Principals Parm," which couldn't get past senior Marisa Lombardo's dish. Business teacher, Mrs. Kathy Sherry's "Money in the Bank Pancakes" bolstered the teacher's score some, but dishes, like a successful chocolate souffle' by senior Rachel Derr and an unbeatable lasagne cupcake by senior Ayodele Olaewe helped the students prevail.

After several days of competition, the final scoreboard looked like this:
Students - 8
Teachers - 4
Tie - 1

Hot Dogs and Harmonies

Several Middle School students and teachers found a home in the limelight during this year's "Mifflin's Got Talent" show. Students opted to showcase their musical chops, which varied from an electric guitar solo to old school rap. Teachers, on the other hand, took a unique approach to the competition with a hot dog eating contest. After students left the stage, several teachers bellied up to a table to see who could finish a plate of hot dogs first.

Mr. Jeremy Crills devoured his dogs first earning bragging rights among his peers.

The following students were also recognized for their performance:

Group Performance
First Runner-Up - Jonathan Spotts and Daniel Frederick
First Place - Seth Musser and Maxwell Nelson

Solo Performance:
First Runner-Up - Joshua Dragan
First Place - Harrison Warley

Instrumental Performance:
First Runner-Up: Middle School Jazz Band
First Place: Amber Kline

Immunization Clinics Offered Over the Summer

The Pennsylvania Department of Health will hold vaccination clinics for those who are uninsured or underinsured. Essential vaccinations at reduced or no cost will be available to those who qualify. The clinics will be held at the St. Paul's United Church of Christ, 47 S. Oak Street, Kutztown, on the third Friday of every month from 9:00-11:00 a.m. The dates are as follows:

June 21, 2013
July 19, 2013
August 16, 2013
September 20, 2013
October 18, 2013
November 15, 2013
December 20, 2013

Parents in need of vaccinations for their children for the upcoming school year and who qualifiy, should contact the Berks County State Health Center at 610-378-4377 with questions or to schedule an appointment.

GM Congratulates...

• The cast and crew of "Aida" for 15 nominations and nine awards at the 9th Annual YNOT Awards:
  Most Memorable Overall Production: Governor Mifflin, "Aida"
  Most Memorable Lead Actor: Riley Pearson
  Most Memorable Supporting Actor (tie): Quinn Corcoran
  Most Memorable Female Solo Vocal (tie): Cecilia Cooper, Candace Ebersole
  Most Memorable Small Group Performance: Governor Mifflin, "Aida"
  Most Memorable Duet Performance: Candace Ebersole, Riley Pearson
  Most Memorable Chorus: Governor Mifflin, "Aida"
  Most Memorable Production Number: Governor Mifflin, "Aida"
  Most Memorable Featured Male Vocal: Quinn Corcoran

• Keleigh Ray, a second grader at Cumru Elementary, who won first place for her poem entitled, "Bright Stars" in the 2013 Reading Public Library Young Poets contest.
  
  
• Governor Mifflin's winning students in the 2013 Berks County Earth Day Art Show:
  Emily Zillhardt - 1st Place (Grades 3-5)
  Khadean Champagnie - 2nd Place (Grades 3-5)
  Nadia Penaranda - 3rd Place (Grades 3-5)

SCHOOL BOARD UPDATE

Vote Scheduled for 2013-2014 Budget

The Governor Mifflin Board of School Directors will vote on the final budget for the 2013-2014 fiscal year during their meeting on June 17. In April, the Board approved a tentative $64,668,189 budget by a vote of 7-1. The tentative proposal includes a 1.186 increase to the property tax millage rate (approximately five percent). The plan also includes cost-cutting measures, such as reducing the number of staff through attrition and the elimination of one teaching position. Since the initial vote, the Board anticipates a lesser tax increase will be included in the final vote.

Board Approves Technology Plan

Technology throughout the district will start to get a makeover during the summer months following the approval of a $2.1 million technology plan that will span the next two years. Technology Director Brian Patton presented the plan to the Board during the May work meeting. Patton explained that more than half of the district's 2,100 computers are seven years old or older. The plan to replace the aging technology includes replacing and repurposing computers at the high school and middle school, while moving newer models of computers to the elementary and intermediate schools.

Tablet technology will also play a larger role in the classroom as teachers in grades K-6 will each be assigned an iPad, while iPad carts are distributed to the middle and high school. Professional development will be stressed to provide teachers training on the tablets and available apps to enhance curriculum.

The plan does not impact the budget as the funding will come from the budget surplus and be repaid over time by the annual budget allotment for technology.

IMPORTANT DATES

For a complete listing of upcoming events and details, please click here.

6/17-6/21 - Field Hockey Camp (Girls, Grades 2-8)

6/17-6/21 - Camp Invention (Grades 1-6)

6/24-6/28 - Soccer Camp (Grades 3-6)

8/26 - First Day of School

Have a great summer!
See you in August!