in
the
LOOP
BOWER HILL
ELEMENTARY KEEPS IT
HEALTHY!
Students at Peters Township’s Bower
Hill Elementary School got up from their
classroom seats for activities that helped teach
them the importance of staying healthy and
active. The Highmark Foundation awarded
the school with a 2015-2016 “Creating a
Healthy School Environment” grant. Bower
Hill was one of only 54 schools to receive
the grant from schools located in central PA,
western PA and WV.
cooking class called "Snack Scene Live" and
exercise equipment for a new afterschool
exercise and run club that took place from
January to April.
The exercise and run club prepared the kids
who took part in the Kids of Steel program
of the Pittsburgh Marathon by encouraging
them to complete one to two miles each
week for their Kids of Steel tracking log on
Facebook, a tool that aims to reach more
people outside of the school environment.
In addition, all classrooms had exercise
cards for ideas that included instructions,
connections to curriculum and state
standards, and some classrooms even
logged miles each week to track a marathon
completion by the end of the year.
“We have done our best to incorporate
wellness initiatives into our current
curriculum in a way that we are not adding
one more thing to the teachers’ plates, but
instead are supplementing what we already
do and teach so it is easy to implement the
ideas that are beneficial to the students,” says
Myers. –Heather Holtschlag
SUMMER ADVENTURES
WITH CAMP INVENTION
The school
received a
grant of more
than $2,000.
According
to Meghan
Myers, second
grade teacher
and Wellness
Committee
leader, the money went toward a cooking
show called “Snack Scene TV” and other
schoolwide wellness efforts.
The weekly television show was available
on the district server and then uploaded to
YouTube for sharing, and also featured on
the Peters Township cable news channel
on a rotating schedule. “Snack Scene TV”
featured four kids in each episode. The kids
made recipes from the previous year’s “Top
Chef ” competition submissions, as well as
some special holiday recipes. The group
even produced on-location shows, some of
which had been previously filmed at Five
Generations Bakery and Running OM Green.
The school also used part of the money to
pay for food and supplies for an afterschool
38 724.942.0940 TO ADVERTISE | Peters Township
Camp Invention, the nation’s premier
summer enrichment day camp program,
supported by the United States Patent and
Trademark Office (USPTO) and a product of
the National Inventors Hall of Fame (NIHF),
is coming to Bower Hill Elementary the week
of July 18-22.
For students entering grades one through
six, Camp Invention is a week-long adventure
that will turn the summer from ordinary to
extraordinary through hands-on problem
solving using science, technology, engineering
and mathematics (STEM). Camp Invention
provides an opportunity for inventive young
minds to exercise their creativity and use their
imagination in ways they don’t normally get
to in the classroom. Program participants do
not realize they are learning and developing
new skills as they build prototypes, take
things apart, explore different types of
technology and so much more.
For additional information or to find
the nearest location for registration, visit
campinvention.org.
SETON LASALLE
STUDENT ACCEPTED TO
BOTH NAVAL ACADEMY
AND WEST POINT
Years of hard work have paid off for Joe
Farnan, earning the recognition of his
classmates and even U.S. Rep. Tim Murphy.
“It was a very humbling experience; I was
expecting some recognition but not that,”
Farnan says.
The “that” he is referring to was a visit
from Rep. Murphy and an assembly in front
of his classmates.
“I was surprised, and everyone seemed
really happy for me,” Farnan says.
He has received a letter of appointment
from the Naval Academy and a letter of
encouragement from West Point, a rare feat
that has been
years in the
making.
“I’ve always
wanted to be
in the military,”
Farnan says.
“It’s a very
noble job and
requires a lot
of sacrifice.”
He credits his
brother, Michael
Farnan, also a
Seton LaSalle alumnus and an officer in the
Marine Corps, for inspiring him to join the
military.
“By being an officer in the Marines,
he showed me that I could do it too,”
Farnan says.
However, achieving his goal was not
easy. The process for applying to the service
academies is much different than the
traditional college route.
Taking almost a full year to complete
the application, candidates must apply to
the service academy of their choice then
separately apply to members of Congress
for the nomination. After going through the
initial application process, Farnan was invited
to both the Naval Academy and West Point.
After his visit to the Naval Academy,
he was sent a “Letter of Assurance” stating
that, assuming he completed all other
requirements, he was accepted.
He then applied to Senator Pat Toomey
and Rep. Murphy.
Farnan was given nominations from both
after interviewing with each.
It took some time to decide, but Farnan
chose the Naval Academy, where he will
study nuclear engineering. After graduation,
he plans to stay in the Navy going forward.
“I’ve always wanted to serve the country
and I’m happy to have this opportunity,”
Farnan says. ■