Mr. Nebz's Blog

French Students Write Children's Stories and Visit Elementary School

2012-02-14T11:07:00.002-05:00

Background

Mrs. Castrogiovanni's French III-IV students had recently written and illustrated storybooks with a lesson or moral for their midterm project. The students did a terrific job and wanted to share the stories with the Elementary children. Yesterday the seniors read their stories in French and English to second grade and kindergarten students. Everyone enjoyed the experience very much, and we hope to return to the elementary school to teach the students some French words and phrases. Thanks to Mrs. Tench for her support of this endeavor.

Teach me how to Study!

2012-02-14T10:42:00.002-05:00

This gave me a good laugh today...

Scholastic team to Compete Saturday "on the Air"

2012-02-09T16:10:00.000-05:00

Scholastic Bowl LIVE Radio Competition This Saturday

This Saturday, our high school Scholastic Bowl team will participate in a live radio competition at WAVR in Sayre, PA. You can listen live at www.choice102.com.

source

The competition starts at 12 noon. We have a by, so we'll be playing whoever wins the first game. Listen and cheer us on!

Check out Counseling Department Newsletter

2012-02-08T17:01:00.000-05:00

Check out the latest edition of the BRSD Counseling Department newsletter.

School Board Extends Official Congratulations to Fall Athletes

2012-02-08T16:29:00.000-05:00

On Monday night the Blue Ridge School Board honored fall athletes who demonstrated exceptional achievement by issuing official congratulatory resolutions.

Representative Major Visits Blue Ridge

2012-01-31T10:50:00.000-05:00

State Representative Sandra Major visited Blue Ridge last night to meet with the BRSD school board, administration, faculty, students and community members. She was gracious in listening to our concerns and shared some insights into the potential future of school funding. She also addressed the impact of Marcellus drilling on local school districts and municipalities. As a former Social Studies teacher I appreciated the learning opportunity for our students. Several members of Ms. Ross' Government class attended and asked some pointed questions. A great way to experience government in action!

Blue Ridge Students Qualify for Regional Chorus

2012-01-30T10:23:00.001-05:00

Congratulations to our Choral students for qualifying for Regional Chorus in March. You can see below that we competed extremely well with the larger schools and have the second highest number of qualifiers in the region.

Madison Button - 1st on Soprano 2
Tama Edgar -3rd on Tenor 2
Warren Armondi - 3rd on Tenor 2
Samuel brush - 5th on Tenor 1
Maggie Darrow - 8th on Alto 2
Destiny Edgar - 10th on Soprano 1
Michael Gathany - 10th on Bass 2

School	# of Students going to Regionals
Valley View	10
Blue Ridge	7
Wallenpaupack	7
GAR	5
Honesdale	5
Abington Heights	4
Holy Redeemer	4
Lackawanna Trail	4
Tunkhannock	4
Crestwood	3
Montrose	3
Mountain View	3
Northwest	3
Dallas	2
Dunmore	2
Hazleton	2
Holy Cross	2
Mid Valley	2
Elk Lake	1
Forest City	1
Lake Lehman	1
North Pocono	1
Scranton	1
Western Wayne	1
Wyoming Sem	1
Wyoming Valley West	1
Carbondale	0
EL Meyers	0
Greater Nanticoke	0
Hanover	0
Lakeland	0
MMI Prep	0
Old Forge	0
Pittston	0
Riverside	0
Susquehanna	0
Wayne Highlands	0
Wyoming Area	0

Blue Ridge Geo-Raiders Club Receives $500 Grant from Liberty Petroleum

2012-01-27T09:29:00.000-05:00

Blue Ridge Geo-Raiders Club Receives $500 Grant from Liberty Petroleum

Liberty Petroleum Distributors in New Milford has selected the Blue Ridge MS/HS Geo-Caching Club as the 2011-2012 recipient of the Exxon Mobil Educational Alliance Grant. The geo-caching club plans to purchase three state of the art Magellan Explorist GC GPS units with premium account memberships to Geocaching.Com. Students who participate in geo-caching use the GPS units to locate hidden “caches” in a variety of local and regional locations. The activity promotes an appreciation for the outdoors and an understanding of high tech electronic tracking utilizing global positioning satellites. Club trips include visits to area state parks and include hiking and environmental seminars. In addition the club also conducts “trash-outs” as a community service while they explore. The club along with teacher advisors Ben Orner and Nancy Burkett wish to thank Liberty Petroleum for their support and providing a great opportunity to have the latest in GPS technology.

Wrestling Senior Night

2012-01-26T18:21:00.001-05:00

Congratulations to Blue Ridge Senior Wrestlers for 2012
Dalton Church
Sam Phillips
Nick Schell
Shannon O'Neill (Manager)

Click on the video to see Sam Phillips in action with a nice take-down.

Mrs. Burkett's Science Class Visit

2012-01-26T18:02:00.000-05:00

Visited Mrs. Burkett's 7th grade science class today. Students were busy designing experiments using Madacascan Hissing Cockroaches. Students are responsible to develop an experiment from scratch and conducting all of the observation and data collection. Great to see our future scientists hard at work and engaged in their coursework!

Rebecca DeJesse Scholar of the Year Radio Interview

2012-01-18T14:02:00.005-05:00

Congratulations to Rebecca DeJesse our NEIU Scholar of the year!

Click below to hear her interview broadcast on WSUR Radio.

Thanks Mike Ferra for our newly Refurbished Conference Table!

2012-01-12T11:01:00.000-05:00

Thanks to Mike Ferra for an excellent job refinishing our conference room table. With the guidance of Mr. Allen, Mike took the old table, that had been damaged over the years and made it look new again. I am always impressed by the willingness of our students to help make their school a better place.

Basket ball Cheerleaders and my Daughter

2012-01-12T10:35:00.000-05:00

Special thanks to our Varsity Basketball Cheerleaders. They have made my daughter feel very special as they taught her some cheers and how to help the team with "spirit fingers". Its not hard to get her to come to a game with me anymore!

Welcome Back!

2012-01-03T08:06:00.000-05:00

I hope everyone had an enjoyable Holiday break. It finally feels like winter today with a forecast high of 17! Exciting news for our Art teacher Sarrah Dibble and her students as they were mentioned in the scholarly article below...
The International Interdependence Hexagon Project: Youth making a difference globally
By Beth Burkhauser

Introduction
In 2003, Sondra Myers, a Senior Fellow for International Civic and Cultural Projects, University of Scranton, USA and Benjamin Barber, Walt Whitman Professor of Political Science Emeritus, Rutgers University, USA, started the Interdependence Movement in Philadelphia, in response to the continuing global injustice and acts of terrorism in several parts of the world. The movement is a network of citizens without borders, including artists, educators, civic leaders, activists and so on, who recognize the interdependent nature of our world and advocate for new forms of constructive civic interdependence to solve the multiple challenges that confront us. As a colleague of Sondra Myers, I was invited to participate and join this movement on its yearly celebration in 2006 and the International Interdependence Hexagon Project was thus born out of this movement.
Being an art educator with over thirty-five years of experience, I believe that education’s ultimate goal is to contribute towards an informed, creative, reflective and a democratic citizenry. By fostering an attitude of open-mindedness and tolerance in thought and behavior, we can bring about social change. The arts in education are a powerful medium and participation in the arts can develop and foster such skills and attitudes for social change. The Interdependence Hexagon Project thus aims to use the visual arts for facilitating interconnectedness amongst youth globally, which can contribute towards a global civil society.

The Hexagon project
The concept of a ‘hexagon’ in this project was chosen as a metaphor for interconnectedness. The hexagon is seen as a composition of complex relationships, and interdependent lines, which, whilst maintaining its own presence as a shape, is destined to be part of a whole, i.e. a honeycomb. A honeycomb is such a structure, that when it multiplies through numerous attachments, it provides strength and becomes a network, like a bond of human connections. This metaphoric idea of the hexagon was thus intended to challenge, inspire and contain visual expressions and illustrations about interdependence on a variety of themes pertaining to social justice. With this focus in mind, a hexagonal template was developed, which was made accessible to all interested in participating in the project through the Hexagon Project website.
Within schools, the project aimed to engage junior and senior high school students aged 9 to 18 years. It is our belief that the project offers an invitation as well as a concrete method for teachers and students to become involved with social justice issues in a way that is practically viable within schools as well as accessible with support materials readily available on the project website. Since the inception of this idea, several art teachers from the US as well as other countries have incorporated this project into their school curriculum. A school in Ontario, Canada, for example, integrated the project into their curriculum because it reflected the school mission, which was “to seek to educate students to be involved citizens in the broader global community and to establish themselves as leaders in this capacity”. Different schools and educators have adapted the Hexagon project in diverse ways to fit their school curriculum and educational needs. Although we provide some basic guidelines for making the Hexagon artworks, there are no set formulae or pre-conceived expectations or a particular look for making these hexagon artworks. Instead, we encourage students to use a wide variety of art and media and make the hexagons in whichever way they envision. There are also no limitations to the number of hexagons used by a particular student or within a certain project. The limits only pertain to the boundaries of imagination and limitations of the mind.

Hexagons illustrating social issues
Some of the most interesting examples of Hexagon artworks come from teachers, who give their students freedom to choose and research a particular theme, find creative ways of visually illustrating it, take ownership of the issue and make a personal statement on it. One such interesting example is the Hexagon Sculptures, which are artworks produced by 6th grade students of elementary art teacher Sarrah Dibble, in New Milford, Pennsylvania. The students made hexagon artworks on the theme of endangered species, which were then utilized as donation canisters placed in shops in their local community to collect money for low-income heating assistance. This was an elegant solution which integrated the hexagonal metaphor with community social action. In another example, an art teacher at the Pennsylvania State School for the Deaf challenged her students’ definition of ‘interdependence’ against a commonly held belief of deaf children about their ‘dependence’ on society. Drawing on inspiration from Alexander Calder's mobile sculptures, her students made mobile Hexagons that visibly challenged the world ‘to meet them half way’. Both these examples demonstrate how the hexagon project was able to initiate and augment social change in their own respective ways. There are however, many such examples of the Hexagon project both nationally as well as internationally.

Mobile Hexagons and Hexagon canister
Interconnectedness through the Hexagon project
Since the start of this project in 2006, students from different countries including Canada, Haiti, Great Britain, Australia, Africa and Nepal, have produced over 2000 hexagon artworks. Each year, we organize an annual exhibition of these artworks in a gallery space in Scranton. The exhibit makes a powerful unified visual statement on the gallery walls with strong social messages on a variety of themes. Many schools in the United States hold their own exhibitions of these artworks for the parents, school administrators and the community, before sending them for the annual exhibition in Scranton.

Hexagons on socio-political issues
After the Haiti earthquake in 2010, we forged the ‘Hexagons of the Heart’ Project, an offshoot of the Interdependence Hexagon Project that seeks to foster empathy for the affected children in Haiti and impact change in ways that are not possible by the United Nations and other relief organizations. Often, these organizations work for the relief of masses and are unable to provide the one-to-one support that often children need for recovering from a disaster. Often children under such circumstances are so traumatized that they are unable to express their emotions verbally. We engaged Haitian children with the Hexagon project in an effort to help them emotionally recover from the loss by allowing them to express their grief and problems and visually illustrate these through the Hexagon artworks.
In May 2011, art education students from the Keystone College, Pennsylvania, went to Haiti and worked with Haitian children and exchanged Hexagon artworks from children in Haiti with elementary school children in Scranton. By involving these art education students in the project, they have been given an opportunity to redefine themselves as art educators and experience the value of addressing social justice issues through art education. Our effort to work with the Haitian children continues and we seek collaborations with other art educators both nationally as well as internationally to come to Haiti with us and help more children there. We also initiated this project in five schools in Butwal, Nepal and they have been participating in this project for the last 4 years. We were able to raise funds to gift a need-based school with two laptops and an LCD projector.
Each year we also confer a Community Partnership Award to a project that manifests ‘Art into Action’, which not only recognizes Hexagon art projects but also other social projects. One year we conferred the award to a New York based interior designer, for her hand-tied rug designs made in Nepal using child-labor-free facilities (GoodWeave). Another year, we recognized a visual artist-educator who used the Hexagon project as an effective medium for communication with prisoners in her local community. In the year 2012, we have a special emphasis on the theme of collaboration and seek to use the Hexagon project to foster collaborations both nationally as well as internationally. It is our hope that through the Hexagon project, we will forge greater collaborations and connections throughout the world and use the arts to foster interconnectedness in a global civil society.

About the author
Beth Burkhauser is the Chair of the International Interdependence Hexagon Project. She is an adjunct and supervises Student Teachers in the Art Education Department, Keystone College, Pennsylvania, USA. She has been an art educator for 35 years teaching Pre-K – grade 12 students with a focus on integrating the arts in the schools curriculum. She manages the Hexagon Project with Co-chair George Barbolish, art teacher at Mt. View School District, Kingsley, Pennsylvania, and adjunct at the Keystone College. Other volunteers in the project include Sarrah Dibble, art teacher at Blue Ridge Elementary School, New Milford, Pennsylvania, and Annette Palutis, retired English and drama teacher and past President of the Pennsylvania State Education Association. For more information please contact Beth Burkhauser or visit the Hexagon project site >>

Happy Holidays from the Nebzydoski's

2011-12-23T09:02:00.005-05:00

Spirit of the Holidays fills the Hallways at BR

2011-12-22T10:24:00.000-05:00

From charitable giving to community service and holiday concerts our students and staff have made the past couple of week both educational and special for our school community. Below are some pictures from some of our recent events.

Ginger bread houses decorated by our foods classes

The Blue Ridge Select Choir sang Sunday night (December 18^th) for the 2^nd annual Holiday Music Department Feast. Students also Christmas caroled at the Great Bend Senior Center, and the Kime and Emerson Apartments on Monday, December 19^th

Classroom Visits week of 12-12-11

2011-12-16T10:39:00.000-05:00

During the week I visited several classrooms and enjoyed seeing our students hard at work learning everything from Science to AutoCad to Archery. I included some pictures below...

New Raider Jr. MS Newpaper

2011-12-13T13:41:00.000-05:00

Click here to check out the latest edition of the Raider Jr. Lot's of great pictures from Fall 2011 classes and special events.

Leo Club Vounteers at the Great Bend Fire Hall

2011-12-13T13:39:00.000-05:00

Leo’s volunteering at the Sr. Dinner this past Sunday. They helped serve 220 Christmas dinners at the Great Bend Fire hall!

Boys win Sayre Tip-off Tourney

2011-12-13T07:40:00.000-05:00

Congratulations to our Blue Ridge Raiders on earning the Sayre Tip-Off Tournament Trophy!

The Raiders made it to the title game following a 52-42 win over Sayre on Friday. During Saturday's title game, they outscored a tough Waverly team 22-12 in the fourth quarter to claim a 56-51 victory and the tournament trophy.

Sawyer Dearborn was named Most Outstanding Player for Blue Ridge following his efforts of 22 points, 8 rebounds on Friday and 18 points, 10 rebounds on Saturday.

Our JV boys team competed in two tough battles this weekend. They fell to Sayre 28-23 on Friday and to Waverly 38-24 on Saturday.
Keep up with all of the action on the Raiders Basketball homepage here http://brbasketball.blogspot.com/2011/12/sayre-tip-off-tournament-champions.html

HS Chorus Concert 12-8-11

2011-12-09T09:50:00.003-05:00

Congratulations to our HS Chorus and their Director Ms. Zakarauskas on an excellent performance last night. Click below for some samples.

HS Students of the Month November 2011

2011-12-06T11:44:00.001-05:00

Students of the Month

2011-12-05T17:03:00.000-05:00

Congratulations to the BRMS Students of the Month for November

MS/HS Band Concert

2011-12-02T15:31:00.000-05:00

Thanks to our MS and HS bands for an excellent concert last night.

Students of the Month

2011-12-01T14:03:00.002-05:00

Blue Ridge Middle School would like to announce our Students of the Month. Special Thanks to the Montrose Theater for their continued support of the program. The Montrose Theater provides each Student of the Month with a movie pass for them and a parent to attend a movie together.

6^th	Kelsey Gentile	Travis Hickling
7^th	Megan Houlihan	Logan Burdick
8^th	Abby Roe	Nick Swaha

We would also like to recognize 8^th grader David Austin for being selected as our Armetta’s Pizzeria Character award winner for November. Students are nominated for the award by a teacher who witnesses them committing “A Random act of Kindness” toward another student. Nominees receive a pizza night out for their family at Armetta’s in Gibson.

2011-2012 Scholastic Team

2011-11-30T08:51:00.000-05:00

NEIU 19 Scholastic Bowl

On November 18, three of our high school seniors participated in NEIU 19's Scholastic Bowl. As described on NEIU's website, "The Scholastic Bowl program is an academic competition for high school seniors. Teams participate in two competitions to determine who will move on to the semi-finals. The top three teams compete in a final competition and are honored at the annual Scholar of the Year banquet."

Maggie, Faith, and Kevin waiting to begin the first game

Though our team did not make it to the semi-finals, they played two great games and represented Blue Ridge extremely well throughout the day. Thank you to the kids for participating, Blue Ridge for supporting them, NEIU for running the competition, and the Radisson in Scranton for hosting. It was a great experience!

New Counseling Department Newsletter

2011-11-23T12:44:00.000-05:00

Click here to view the latest edition of the Blue Ridge MS/HS Counseling Department Newsletter.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-23T12:40:00.000-05:00

I would like to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving and commend the Blue Ridge students and staff for all of their charitable and community service efforts this month. In the past several weeks the Leo Club hosted a Veteran's Day breakfast, collected food for the annual Feed a Friend Project and conducted a coat drive for those in need. In addition, Student Council assisted with Friend a Friend, NHS sponsored a Red Cross blood drive and today our Badminton tournament benefited the caring cafe. Thanks to all who worked hard to make these events a success!

Feed a Friend

2011-11-17T16:26:00.001-05:00

Thanks to all who contributed to make the annual Feed a Friend collection a success. Both Middle School and High School students pitched in by donating non-perishable food items to be distributed to local families for Thanksgiving. Thanks to the Leo Club and advisor Kristen Hinkley for their continued good works.

Students from the winning Homeroom that collected the most food items for Feed a Friend

3rd annual Veteran's Breakfast

2011-11-11T13:02:00.003-05:00

Special thanks to all who contributed to this morning's very special Veteran's Day breakfast. The annual event is quickly becoming a community tradition with the turnout growing each year. I am extremely proud of our Leo Club and their advisor Mrs. Kristen Hinkley. They cooked and served a delicious breakfast. Attendees were also treated to a series of patriotic selections performed by the BRHS Chorus led by Miss Zakarauskas. I attached some pictures below. Click on the chorus picture to listen to their performance.

Tama Galu-Edgar All State Soccer/Goalie of The Year for Pennsylvania

2011-11-11T11:12:00.000-05:00

Congratulations to Tama Galu-Edgar on being named an All State Soccer Team member. He was also the Lackawanna League MVP and PA Goalie of the Year. Other team members recognized regionally were All Stars Levi Schmidt and Wes Ward.

Veteran's day Events at Blue Ridge MS/HS

2011-11-09T08:19:00.002-05:00

Last Thoughts of Gino Merli
This week we are commemorating Veteran's Day with two special events. On Tuesday all MS/HS students attended "The Last Thoughts of Gino Merli" a production chronicling the WWII experiences of Congressional Medal of Honor Winner Gino Merli of Peckville. The lead role was played by Tom Flannery and it was produced by Bob Schlesinger. Thanks to Cabot Oil for their generous support of the program. For more information on Gino Merli click here.

Veteran's Day Breakfast
On Friday 11/11/11 we are hosting the Leo Club's annual Veteran's appreciation Breakfast. All local Veteran's are invited to enjoy breakfast served by our students along with a performance by the BRHS chorus. Afterward the Elementary will present their Veteran's Day program.
Who was Gino Merli?

Gino Merli Remembered

Gino Merli didn't embrace fame or his role of war hero. Yet he accepted them as he lived his life, with a sense of duty. So the man who rarely talked about the event that earned him the Medal of Honor responded to every letter praising him for his heroic deeds.

Mr. Merli died Tuesday at his Peckville home. He was 78.

On the night of September 4, 1944, Army Private First Class Merli was manning a machine gun when German forces attacked near Sars la Bruyere, Belgium. The outnumbered U. S. forces began their retreat, but PFC Merli held his position, providing cover fire. Under attack with his fellow soldiers dying around him, he played possum.

When the Germans turned their attention to the retreating men, PFC Merli rose from the ground and fired, repeating the ploy again and again.

When he returned from World War II, his duty became serving other veterans. For 34 years, he was an adjudication officer at the VA Medical Center in Plains Township.

When veterans, unaware of Mr. Merli's record, talked about their war experiences, he never mentioned his own.

"He never put himself or his experiences against anyone else's," explained friend and Marine veteran Ike Refice. "You never saw him point to himself or say 'Look at me. I have this medal.'"

Not much changed in the time since he received a hero's welcome in Scranton in 1945 or walked the beaches of Normandy with Tom Brokaw in 1984.

In 1945, he told a cheering crowd of 500 people at the Hotel Casey that he'd "rather be on the battlefield any day than make a speech."

Yet, in a letter he sent to admirers, he wrote that he may have been motivated by "my dead buddies or my hatred of war."

NBC News anchor and author Tom Brokaw remembers Mr. Merli always talking of other soldiers, rather than himself.

"He was a reluctant warrior, full of modesty and humility," Mr. Brokaw said. "The fact that he went to a church and prayed for men he had killed through the night was typical of him."

Mr. Merli was an inspiration for Mr. Brokaw's book "The Greatest Generation." The two met often. When Mr. Brokaw began writing his book about ordinary people doing extraordinary things, he said he was thinking about Gino Merli.

"I came to love him," Mr. Brokaw said.

Mr. Merli helped change how local people defined "American."

During World War II, Italy's alignment with Axis countries stoked anti-Italian and anti-immigrant sentiments. Italian Americans often found their patriotism questioned.

Gino Merli's heroics helped many in Lackawanna County see beyond ethnicity, said his son, Gino Merli Jr.

"When people saw my father come home and heard what he did, it changed their perception about what it means to be American," he said. "People saw the first and second generation immigrants sacrificing life and limb for the United States and for freedom."

In 1994, Mr. Refice and Mr. Merli visited Europe to retrace their steps through Europe. Oddly, the rural area where Mr. Merli held back Nazi troops was unchanged.

They met a Belgian man who, at the age of 16, watched Mr. Merli confound the Nazis again and again. During their visit, the town put a monument in the village common thanking Mr. Merli.

In his final days, he still shied away from speeches. But he did like to stand before a crowd for one purpose, Mr. Refice said. He enjoyed leading a crowd in the Pledge of Allegiance.

Lately, Parkinson's disease and a heart ailment held him back.

As a final encore last Saturday, the History Channel showed Roger Mudd's special on the Big Red One, the first infantry division, which featured Mr. Merli.

In letter he sent to admirers, Mr. Merli wrote:

"Not everyone can be a Medal of Honor recipient. But everyone can take pride in himself, have pride in his heritage. We must always keep trying to better ourselves and our surrounding and we must never quit. Always remember America is you and me."
http://www.homeofheroes.com/news/archives/2002_0611_merli.html

Man of my word...

2011-11-09T08:07:00.000-05:00

I attended the MS Halloween dance with my daughter (Hannah) and promised some students that I would post the picture after they sang some Hannah Montana songs at the Pep Rally..."Billy Ray"

Geo-caching club receives $500 from Liberty Exxon

2011-11-09T07:45:00.000-05:00

Special thanks to Liberty Petroleum of Gibson for their donation of $500 to the Blue Ridge MS/HS Geo-caching club. The funds will be used to purchase several new GPS units for the club. Our geo-caching club is led by Mrs. Nancy Burkett and Mr. Ben Orner. Club activities include field trips to local and regional state parks to seek out "caches" using the GPS devices. In addition to hiking and taking in the natural features of the parks, the club also conducts "trash-outs" when the visit helping to maintain the park's beauty.

Members of the the geo-caching club accepting the donation from Liberty Petrloeum

Cross Country off to the State Meet

2011-11-04T10:51:00.000-04:00

Best of luck to our runners tomorrow at the state meet in Hershey. The Boys Varsity team of Jake Hinkley, Mike Robbs, Ethan Mansfield, Chris Carlson, TJ Loomis, Pat Cramer and alternate Eddie Gorick will compete as a team. Casey Purdum qualified individually for the girls meet. The students, band and staff provided a "Raider Pride" send off this morning.

Speed, Distance, Acceleration...FOSS Science

2011-11-02T16:11:00.000-04:00

Mrs. Burkett's 8th Grade students are currently studying the relationship between speed, distance and time. During this lab from the Force and Motion FOSS Science unit our students get the opportunity to learn from experimentation and real hands-on scientific experience.

GeoGebra...We've come a long way since graph paper!

2011-10-28T12:55:00.001-04:00

On a recent visit to Mr. Mackrell's Geometry class I was able to sit in while he led students through a geometric proof using an interactive geometry and algebra graphing tool. GeoGebra is a free download that allows the creation and manipulation of graphs, helping the material to come alive. Using classroom laptops Mr. Mackrell was able to demonstrate the process while each student built and examined the graph for themselves. If you are interested in the program for your classroom click here for more info.

Cross Country Headed to States!

2011-10-27T10:26:00.001-04:00

Congratulations to our entire Cross-Country team and their coaches Sam Folk and Carolyn Clark. Yesterday the Boys Varsity team of Jake Hinkley, Mike Robbs, Ethan Mansfield, Chris Carlson, TJ Loomis, Patrick Cramer and George Ward ran their hearts out finishing 2nd at Districts. The win qualified them for the state meet November 5th in Hershey. Freshman Casey Purdum also turned in a personal best, qualifying as an individual for states.

Blue Ridge Chorus Students Heading to Districts!

2011-10-20T11:24:00.000-04:00

Congratulations to our HS choral students under the direction of Ms. Zakarauskas who qualified for districts this week. We ranked 4th/35 local High Schools for the number of qualifying students!

School	Students	Ranking

Abington Heights	15	1
Valley View	13	2
Wallenpaupack	11	3
Blue Ridge	10	4
Tunkhannock	9	5
GAR	9	6
Wyoming Valley West	8	7
Holy Redeemer	8	8

Senior Nights Held for Volleyball and Cross Country

2011-10-19T07:26:00.000-04:00

This week we honored the senior members of the Volleyball and Cross-Country teams. Congratulations to students and parents for their commitment to representing our school in athletics.

Senior Ethan Mansfield and Junior Chris Carlson work to catch the runners ahead!

2011 Senior Volleyball Players and their parents 11/17/11

Jake Hinkley leads EL runners up the hill 11/18/11

Opportunity for Talented Students

2011-10-18T10:05:00.000-04:00

Former Governor's Schools Return

The University of Pittsburgh Health Career Scholars Academy (UPHCSA) and the Pennsylvania School for Global Entrepreneurship (PSGE) at Lehigh University, former Governor’s School programs, are accepting applications for the 2012 summer programs. Current high school sophomores and juniors are encouraged to apply. Application due date is February 15, 2012, but all are encouraged to apply early. Limited partial scholarships are available for students of need.

The applications and course overviews for the Global Entrepreneurship (PSGE) program and the Health Career Scholars Academy are attached to this message. Please do share this information with guidance counselors, gifted teachers, principals, high school students and/or their parents who you believe may be interested in this opportunity. If possible, please post this information to your website; add to your IU newsletter or EdLine.net.

Applications and further information on the Global Entrepreneurship program can be found at
http://www.iacocca-lehigh.org/govschool/overview1.html For specific questions, please contact Trisha Alexy, Director, at tsa2@lehigh.edu.

For applications and further information on the Health Career Scholars Academy, visit the website at http://www.hcsa.pitt.edu. For more specific information, please contact Karen Narkevic, Director, at narkevickd@upmc.edu.

Both programs continue to successfully meet the need for high-achieving students in the state of Pennsylvania, despite the state’s budget cuts. The enrichment programs are second to none in providing the experience and skill set needed for students who will be applying to college and are looking for the edge towards their future careers. Both programs have maintained the same curriculum and selectivity as the former Governor’s Schools.

Paul Sieben Attends National Youth Leadership Conference on Security

2011-10-14T11:05:00.000-04:00

I received some updates from Paul's proud mom Tina Sieben about Paul's experience in Washington DC this week.

The National Youth Leadership Forum on National Security (NYLF/NS): Exploring American Diplomacy, Intelligence and Defense provides an intense and stimulating exploration of the field of government service for high school students. This six-day program introduces students to challenging careers in defense, intelligence, the diplomatic corps and more.

Students participate in thought-provoking question and answer sessions with highly respected, internationally recognized civilian policy makers and senior military officers, who provide rich insights into current issues and discuss the strategies that helped them succeed. The government's leading academic institutions also open their doors to our students, where they are educated in diplomacy, international affairs and military strategy.

During the course of the Forum, students take part in a national security strategy exercise that draws on their program experiences and teamwork. They employ a crisis decision-making process similar to that employed by the nation's top policy makers, giving them an opportunity to use critical thinking, leadership and public speaking skills to tackle the complexity of national decision-making.

Soccer Wins on Senior Night

2011-10-14T08:13:00.001-04:00

The Soccer team won 3-2 in an exciting overtime game last night on Senior night. Goals were scored by Joey Zawiski, Steve Jesse and the winning OT goal by Senior Kevin McCarey.

It's Apple Crisp Time

2011-10-06T15:12:00.000-04:00

Mrs. Hinkley's foods class creating a classic fall dish today.

Gertrude Hawk CEO David Hawk talks with Entrepreneurship Class

2011-10-06T15:08:00.000-04:00

David Hawk President/CEO of Gertrude Hawk Chocolates took time out from his busy schedule today to meet with our FBLA members/Entrepreneurship class. Students received a tour of the manufacturing facility (with plenty of samples along the way) and spent time discussing the companies history and growth with Mr. Hawk. He encouraged them to explore business ideas and persevere to achieve a dream. He explained how Gertrude Hawk went from his Grandmother's kitchen to becoming a major regional brand. He also shared company secrets such as the fact that Gertrude Hawk makes all of the mini "moostracks" peanut butter cups in most brands of ice cream and all the chocolate for Ben and Jerry's products! Fortunately for us the production lines were running and we were able to assist with quality control...

Jared Campbell Brings Positive Message to BR

2011-10-03T07:25:00.001-04:00

On Friday singer/songwriter Jared Campbell brought his "Blue Project" student Assembly to Blue Ridge. Described on his website, "His main focus is allowing his music to impact the lives of his listeners by experiencing joy, finding comfort through pain, and looking past obstacles towards living a better life. His songs are said to be uplifting, thought provoking and emotionally heartfelt. He writes about life in general and things we all go through including pursuing your passion, appreciating loving relationships, dealing with loss and just overall LOVING LIFE!" See one of his videos here Jared Campbell "Life is Good" Video

Jared with our SADD officers officers after the assembly

Club Fair 2011

2011-09-26T19:12:00.000-04:00

On Friday we held our annual club fair to introduce HS students to the available opportunities to get involved in school organizations. SADD (Students Against Destructive Decisions) had an outstanding sign-up this year with 100 interested students! It may be their big plans to provide the best after prom party ever. Stay tuned!

Cross Country Camaraderie

2011-09-19T09:32:00.000-04:00

This past Saturday I had the opportunity to attend the Lackawanna County Commissioner's Cross Country Invitational. Our team had an excellent day. The Boy's Varsity won the overall team title and every team member boys and girls posted a personal best time. As you can imagine our team has become a very close group of friends that support each another at every practice and meet. However, on Saturday I was even more impressed by the level of camaraderie and support displayed toward members of other teams. Our runners gave it everything they had during the race, but afterward celebrated with both teammates and friends from surrounding schools. It makes me very proud as their Principal that our student athletes represent us so well in competition and as individuals.

9-16-11 Updates from Mr. Nebz

2011-09-16T08:34:00.000-04:00

Good Morning!
It was a great first week of school here at Blue Ridge. Classes are in full swing and both Jr High and Varsity sports represented us well in competition.

Some Highlights:

Mr. LoRusso our new Band Director began offering a guitar class.
Volleyball defeated Elk Lake in three games Wednesday night.
Boy's Cross Country is currently undefeated and the team to watch in the Lackawanna League. Next week we run against rival Elk Lake.
Jr. High Soccer continued to win beating Old Forge and Forest City

Welcome Back!

2011-09-14T10:07:00.000-04:00

I would like to welcome everyone back for the 2011-2012 School year! Thanks to all of the faculty and staff, maintenance department and cafeteria for making the first day of school excellent! Check back here for regular updates on MS/HS happenings. New today, the BR Counseling Department Newsletter for 11th and 12th graders. (See attached) It contains helpful information for parents of upperclassmen, including SAT/PSAT info and upcoming college rep visit dates.

BR Counseling Newsletter September 2011

Congratulations Hexagon Project Winners!

2011-08-24T08:55:00.000-04:00

CONGRATULATIONS !!

Blue Ridge Middle School

Recipients of

THE 2011 OUTSTANDING COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP AWARD

For their

ART INTO ACTION Project:

Hexagon Houses into Donation Containers

Sixth Graders created sculptural structures, each with an environmental theme of their choice, and transformed them into donation containers. They were placed in local businesses in the community. Money raised was donated to the Susquehanna County Interfaith Fuel Program for heating assistance in Winter, 2011.

Special thanks to Miss Dibble Elementary Art Teacher for her outstanding leadership and encouragement of our students in this effort!

Fall Sports are Underway! Classes are not far behind...

2011-08-23T08:15:00.000-04:00

Good Morning! During the past week our fall athletes have started practicing for the upcoming season. Having students back on campus is getting everyone here excited about the start of the school year. If you would like to join a team and haven't done it yet, it's not too late. Call Mrs. Hoffman in the athletics office for more information.

Getting Ready for Back to School New Handbook

2011-07-25T08:32:00.000-04:00

Good Morning! As you begin to prepare for the upcoming school year, please review the attached MS/HS student handbook. There are some updates that students and parents should be aware of before back to school shopping. Read the student dress expectations together to ensure that they are clear for the first day. Also be aware that the electronic devices policy will be strictly enforced this year. Enjoy the rest of the summer break!

NEW STUDENT HANDBOOK CLICK HERE

Graduation Ceremony 2011

2011-06-15T09:10:00.000-04:00

Blue Ridge School District capped off its 2010-2011 school year with graduation on June 11th. Congratulations to all seniors and their families. Best of luck in the future!

Seniors Travel to Virginia Beach and Complete Service Project Before Graduation

2011-06-07T14:01:00.000-04:00

Graduation is quickly approaching for the class of 2011. During the past week they completed their last HS final exams, a service project to beautify the entrance to the school and traveled to Virginia Beach. It has been my privilege to work with them over the past year and I wish them well in all future endeavors. Honors night is set for Friday 6-10-11 and Graduation is at 12:00 PM Saturday Afternoon.

Allison Hall sets new school record at states!

2011-06-01T07:55:00.000-04:00

Allison Hall brought home a fourth place state medal in the 800, with a new school record time of 2:16.56.
Congratulation Allison on a great Cross Country and Track Career. Best of luck at Cal U next year!

Senior Day

2011-05-27T09:12:00.000-04:00

With graduation fast approaching our Seniors had a day of fun and class bonding. Seniors started the day with some traditional fun and followed with working on their service project, a Senior BBQ and class games. Next week includes final exams and their Senior class trip to VA. Graduation Day will be here before we know it!

Wishing the track team success at States!

Middle School Inducts New Honor Society Members

2011-05-25T07:59:00.000-04:00

Congratulations to our new NJHS inductees!

8^th Grade

Hillard, Trey

Stanley, Craig

7^th Grade

Bronson, Taylor

Button, Alexandra

Conrad, Zachary

Derrick, Ashlee

Hartman, Connor

Hausser, Nolan

Konsur, Kaitlyn

Layton, Viktoria

Oakley, Janelle

Parsons, Harrison

Roe, Abigail

Tyler, Audrey

Chorusfest

2011-05-20T15:12:00.000-04:00

Middle School Students participating in the recent "Chorusfest"

Track Team Shines at Districts!

2011-05-17T18:18:00.000-04:00

Congratulations to state our 2011 state qualifiers. They will head to the state championship meet at Shippensburg!

Zach Kruger first place in the 300 hurdles
Allison Hall first place in the 800 meters
Katie Drake second place in the pole vault
Eric Onyon second place in the Discus
Second place in the 4x100 relay Jake James, Sean Stanley, Zach Kruger and Dan Kempa.

Updates from the District Track Meet 4-16-11

The girls 4x100 relay team of Brittany Chaffee, Megan Hinkley, Allison Hall and Kailey Ragard broke their record for the fourth time this year, with a time of 52.01 seconds and taking a third place medal.
The boys 4x800 team of Greg Stonier, Jake Hinkley, Mike Robbs and Ethan Mansfield ran a season best time of 8:41.40 and took a fourth place medal.
Dan Kempa took a third place medal in the Javelin and the 100 meter dash.
Zach Kruger took a third place medal in the 110 meter hurdles.
Eric Onyon took a third place medal for the shot put.
The boys 4x400 relay team of Jake James, Chris Carlsen, Dan Kempa and Zach Kruger took a fifth place medal.
Zach Edwards placed seventh in pole vault
Jake Hinkley placed seventh in the 3200 meter run
Kailey Ragard placed seventh in the 200 meters and Holly Holbrook placed eighth in the Discus

Prom 2011

2011-05-16T09:30:00.000-04:00

Congratulations to Krissy Hall our 2011 Prom Queen! Click on the link to see the video/attached are some pictures from the big night. Everyone had a great time and danced right up to the last minute. Thanks to all of the advisors, chaperones and prom committee members for organizing a fabulous event.

Track Team Outstanding at Spagna Invitational

2011-05-11T10:00:00.000-04:00

Our HS Track Team continues to break records!

Katie Drake Set a new school record in the pole vault at 10' and the girls 4x100 relay team of Brittany Chaffee, Megan Hinkley, Allison Hall and Kailey Ragard broke their record again with a time of 52.17 seconds. Other notables Zach Kruger took first in the 300 meter hurdles and second in the 110 meter hurdles, Dan Kempa took second in the 100 meter dash and the boys 4x100 relay team of Jake James, Sean Stanley, Zach Kruger and Dan Kempa took second. The boys placed second as a team. Congratulations also goes out to all senior members of the team who were honored at last week's senior night.

Envirothon Team Places at County Competition

2011-05-05T17:05:00.000-04:00

Blue Ridge fielded 3 teams in the County Envirothon competition yesterday (May 3). Congratulations to our teams who finished in 2^nd, 3^rd and 11^th.

More Recent Event Pictures Phantom/Baseball Seniors

2011-05-03T08:37:00.002-04:00

Rebekah Harris named NEIU Regional Scholar

2011-05-02T09:41:00.001-04:00

Rebekah Harris has been named an NEIU 19 Outstanding Regional Scholar of the Year for 2011. She was honored along with nominees at the annual scholars banquet last week. She was also featured in an article in Friday morning's Scranton Times.

Congratulations Cast and Crew of Phantom of the Opera

2011-05-02T09:29:00.000-04:00

Congratulations to all members of the cast and crew of this weekend's spectacular performance of Phantom of the Opera. They received well deserved standing ovations after each show!

Eric Onyon sets new Shot put Record!

2011-04-27T10:05:00.000-04:00

Congratulations to Eric Onyon and the boys track team. Eric shattered the school shot put record yesterday by nearly a foot. His throw of of 53' 5" set the new mark previously held by his brother. The boys continue to be successful going undefeated so far this season!

Thanks to the Student Council Post PSSA Fun Day 2011

2011-04-21T15:57:00.000-04:00

Special thanks to the HS and MS student councils and their Advisers Mary Button and Megan Less for planning a successful "fun day" to celebrate the end of the PSSA testing session for 2011. The students and their teachers worked very hard to prepare for the exams and today was our opportunity to recognize that effort. I would also like to congratulate all talent show participants on an outstanding job!

Student Schedules and Spring Sports

2011-04-19T10:15:00.000-04:00

Student schedules for 11-12 have been mailed home with report cards to all students in grades 6-11. Please review your child's schedule with them and let us know if you have any questions or concerns, the counselors or I will be happy to assist.

Spring sports are well underway (finally, the weather has cooperated somewhat...thanks for your understanding while we postponed and rescheduled events) All of our team have been doing a great job representing us on the field, track and court. The game schedule is posted here on the blog, come out and help us support the teams!

FBLA Success at States!

2011-04-07T16:06:00.001-04:00

Congratulations to our FBLA team and Mr. Conigliaro! They represented us extremely well at the state competition in Hershey this week. Maggie Darrow placed 2nd in the state in "Help Desk" a competition in which students are asked to assist callers in solving their computer tech problems over the phone. She qualified for the state team and to compete at Nationals! Megan Merritt also deserves to be commended for a top five performance in customer service.

7th Grade Day of Difference

2011-04-05T09:42:00.000-04:00

Special thanks to the 7th grade teachers, HS Diversity Club and Charlotte Sherwood and Charlene Kempa for an excellent job with last Wednesday's "Day of Difference" anti-bullying program. The all day event helped 7th graders learn how to identify bullying behavior and help each other overcome it. Students and staff agreed that the program was a fantastic experience. With students and staff now trained we plan to expand it out to other grades. great Job to all involved!

Week of 4-4-11 Chorus Concert

2011-04-05T09:36:00.000-04:00

Collected some videos at the HS chorus concert last week. Excellent performance of Fores Requiem.

High Cost of Dropping Out

2011-03-30T14:13:00.001-04:00

Here at BRHS we are preparing to create a drop-out prevention task force. An invitation will be going out to staff, parents and community members to help us reduce the number of students who do not make it to graduation. The facts below should motivate us all.

Brought to you by Teacher Certification Map and MAT@USC | Master’s of Arts in Teaching

Archery Team on Fox TV

2011-03-27T18:36:00.002-04:00

Check out this clip of the archery team competing at states!

FYI for Parents

2011-03-22T16:39:00.000-04:00

Dear Parents,
Scheduling Update:
The HS counselors are meeting this week with students to finalize their schedules for next year. We are planning to send them out with the 3rd MP report cards or shortly afterward for your review. If you have any questions about your student's schedule after they have met with their counselor, please feel free to contact either the counselors or me. We will be glad to assist.

Mr. Nebz

Busy Week at Blue Ridge

2011-03-17T16:00:00.000-04:00

We were very busy this week...Check out the pictures below!

Mary Mangel was 2nd best MS archer in PA!
Students in grades 3-8 and 11 took their Math and Reading PSSA's (They worked very hard and deserve to be commended)
Student scheduling for next year is well underway. Parents can expect schedule information with the third MP report cards.
In the HS we inducted 27 new members of the National Honor Society (largest group of new members ever)
After it was all over the 6th graders tried out their new kites, designed and built by them!

Note from Coach Woodruff...Thanks to all who participated!

2011-03-14T11:26:00.000-04:00

Thank you to everyone who helped make Team vs. Teachers a huge success!

Whether you played, cheered, donated, or just came to watch…

We appreciate your support!

Great job Teachers on gutting out the 64-63 double overtime win! The boys are sure to seek revenge next year!

We were able to raise $1,077 for our Booster Club! This money is used to help our team attend camp and compete in leagues in the off-season. It also helps us supply our teams with items such as team bags, shirts, and gifts for seniors.

Sincerely,

Brian

Brian Woodruff

Second Grade Teacher

Boys' Varsity Basketball Coach

Blue Ridge School District

woodruffb@brsd.org

(570) 465-3141

5058 School Road

New Milford, PA 18834

Faculty Student Basketball Game Friday

2011-03-08T13:47:00.002-05:00

Winning Student Public Service Announcements

2011-03-03T17:16:00.000-05:00

Click on the Anti-Bullying sign to view the winning Public Service Announcements created by our students:

Anti-Bullying PSA's

Raider Pride Performance

2011-02-28T09:50:00.001-05:00

Follow this link to view the debut performance of Raider Pride! Original composition by Mr. Thorton, performed by the 5th-12th grade band.

Raider Pride Performance link Click Here!

Boys Basketball wins big over Forest City

2011-02-16T07:22:00.000-05:00

Thanks to a great night of shooting from Senior Matt Principe and the rest of the team, the boys routed Forest City Tuesday night 76-45. Get ready for the playoffs!

Semi-Formal

2011-02-15T17:02:00.000-05:00

A great time was had by all who attended the annual semi-formal Saturday night.

Study Skills for Future Success

2011-02-10T12:03:00.000-05:00

Mrs. Graham’s Alg III students learned a valuable skill today that they can take with them to college. They participated in a review activity that they can replicate. Mrs. Graham wrote questions from each section on index cards and color coded them. The answers to each color set are on the back of the next color set of questions. As the students rotate through the groups they can check their answers and then continue on to new set of problems. One revision that the students came up with for studying on their own would be to put the answers on the back that has the question on it so they could check as they go or for reference when they get stuck!

Instrument Petting Zoo

2011-01-31T10:07:00.000-05:00

Miss Elizabeth Gaughan, gifted teacher, let me know about the following experience put together by her students for our Pre-K...

"On Friday, a group of my gifted students performed a service project by doing an "Instrument Petting Zoo" with the PM PreK classes. The students brought their band instruments, played them for the little ones, told them a little about the instruments, and then let the kids try it out (with some help from the big kids!). Attached are a few pictures. Everyone had a great time and I was very proud of Sarah, Maddi, and Theresa for organizing it!"

6th Grade Hexagon Project

2011-01-26T12:40:00.000-05:00

Before Christmas you may have seen hexagon shaped donation containers in local businesses. They were made in Miss Sarrah Dibble's art class by sixth graders from Blue Ridge who were hoping to collect money to donate to Susquehanna County Interfaith. The sixth graders were Brandy Baker, Devin Donnelly, Grace Perera, Brooke Marvin, Lindsay Reinhart, John Calla, Bailey Shaw, Alex Degraw, Daniel Beesley, Nick Folk, Dulce Tobon-Montiel, Zack Visakay, Callie Wyatt, Mikhala Griemsmann, Allison Hewitt, Megan Houlihan, Autumn Brown, Logan Conrad, and Jordan Mann. The coins and bills collected are to be donated to aid in paying for heat for families in need in our community. All of the containers have been collected and the money counted. Thanks to the generous people and businesses in our area they raised $455.49! On behalf of Blue Ridge Sixth Grade art class we thank all of those who donated and the following businesses that participated: Burger King, Dob's Country Kitchen, Green Gables, New Milford Hardware, Pump N Pantry, Lindsey's Hardware, People's National Bank, New Milford Market, First Glance, Stone's Trustworthy Hardware, and Armetta's in Gibson.

Playing with Heart and Class

2011-01-25T09:00:00.000-05:00

Last night our Varsity Boys Basketball team played Lackawanna Trail for the first half league title. While we didn't get the win we hoped for I would like to commend the team for an outstanding effort. All BR players, the starters and help from the bench gave 110% right up to the last second. As the game heated up in the 4th quarter, some members of the other team began displaying attitude toward the officials and a lack of self-control. Our team conducted themselves with class, demonstrated poise and good sportsmanship. As their Principal I was very proud of them. They competed to the best of their ability and kept their heads high. True sportsman know how to win and lose with class. I can't wait for the second half of the season to begin...I know we have many exciting nights ahead!

Mid-Terms, Weather Delays and Championship Basketball

2011-01-24T13:31:00.000-05:00

The last week has been challenging...mid-terms, classes and sports have all been postponed, canceled or delayed due to the wild winter weather. Thanks to everyone for hanging in there and remaining focused through all of the schedule changes. With mid-terms complete, we can focus for the night on our Boys Basketball team. Tonight they take on Lackawanna Trail @ Mt. View HS for the 1st half league championship at 7PM. I hope to see you all at the game cheering our Raiders to victory!

Great Night of Blue Ridge Sports

2011-01-14T08:56:00.001-05:00

http://brbasketball.blogspot.com/

Last night was a great night to be a BR sports fan. We hosted JH Boys games against Susquehanna (7th and 8th grade both recorded wins!) JH Girls took on Montrose and continue to improve. JH Wrestling added another team win, Varsity wrestlers Louis Esposito and Dalton Church posted pins against Trail...and if that's not enough, Varsity Boys Basketball takes on rival Mt. View tonight at home. Hope to see you there! BTW for all things BR Boys Basketball check out their website:
http://brbasketball.blogspot.com/

Ever wonder what motivates a hissing cockroach?

2011-01-10T07:31:00.000-05:00

Mrs Burkett's 7th grade science class is continuing their FOSS Diversity of Life unit. When I visited they were observing Madagascan Hissing Cockroaches and determining what motivates them. So far they had determined males/females, sensitivity to various stimuli and even created some short videos to document their work. Awesome work for young scientists!

Ski Club Hits the Slopes for 2011

2011-01-06T16:48:00.001-05:00

Ski Club members hit the slopes at Elk Mountain Wednesday night. Members enjoyed some of the best early season conditions in several years.

Boy's Basketball Team winsHoliday Tournament!

2011-01-03T17:51:00.001-05:00

Congratulations to the Boy's Varsity Basketball team for winning the Susquehanna Community Foundation Basketball Tournament. Sawyer Dearborn was selected all tournament team and Alex Cardoza tournament MVP. Can't Hide Raider Pride!

Happy Holidays!

2010-12-23T14:53:00.000-05:00

I would like to wish all staff, students and their families a joyous holiday season! Congratulations to the boys basketball team and the JH Wrestling team on exciting wins last night. The wrestlers won with two key pins in the late matches. Our Varsity boys beat Elk Lake with a buzzer beater by Sawyer Dearborn in overtime. Come out and support our teams in the Holiday Tournament next week in Montrose. The dates and times of all games can be found here http://www.highschoolsports.net/school/Blue-Ridge-High-School-New-Milford-PA/

Congratulations to the MS Drama Club on a Great Performance!

2010-12-20T15:08:00.000-05:00

Thanks for an excellent run of performances by Mr. Hutchins and the MS Drama club. They presented the holiday classic "It's a Wonderful Life" over the past weekend. Great job to all involved!

Rachel's Challenge Impacts Blue Ridge

2010-12-16T16:41:00.001-05:00

What a day! The Rachel's Challenge assembly today was excellent. Our student's made us extremely proud with their kind words and incredible enthusiasm for continuing the positive chain reaction that Rachel challenged all of us to create. I can't wait to see what will result from today's event.

Thanks for your support!

2010-12-14T11:19:00.000-05:00

I would like to thank everyone for their support and best wishes as I begin my new position as Middle School and High School Principal. I am very excited to be able to share in the High School experiences of the students I have known since they were 6th graders. In addition I am looking forward to continuing to work with the MS and HS staff members to continue to improve the great educational program we are known for at Blue Ridge.

Chorus Concert 12-10-10

2010-12-10T12:55:00.000-05:00

Great job Miss Zakarauskas and the MS Chorus. The holiday concert last night was excellent.

6th Grade Science Visit

2010-12-08T15:23:00.000-05:00

One of the best features of the FOSS Science program is the way that it encourages students to think and solve problems. Today, students were given a list of available supplies and asked to prove the hypothesis that air has water in it. To do so they would need to understand that temperature differences would create condensation and devise an experiment to make it happen. During my class visit I watched several groups of students all find the answer in different ways. Their creativity and thought process was amazing to watch!

Rachel's Challenge Coming to Blue Ridge

2010-12-02T16:30:00.000-05:00

Rachel's Challenge Anti-Bullying Program will be presented at Blue Ridge on December 16th at 8AM in the Blue Ridge Auditorium. A special community presentation will also be held on December 15th at 7PM in the Mt. View HS School Auditorium. Parents who wish to attend our in-school session are asked to RSVP by calling the Middle or HS office. More information is available at www.rachelschallenge.org

Welcome Back!

2010-11-30T08:22:00.000-05:00

I hope that everyone enjoyed the time off for Thanksgiving with their families. Attention ski club members, Elk has started making snow! During the break I traveled to Vermont for a glimpse of things to come...

Happy Thanksgiving!

2010-11-24T12:06:00.000-05:00

Our students made us proud again today with their Thanksgiving spirit and generosity. The annual hat day, badminton tournament and pie in the face donation netted $350 for the great bend caring cafe. Great job to all students and staff involved!