Buses equipped with First Responder Network Authority
September 19, 2019
Just a few weeks ago, a General McLane School District bus broke down on its way to a contest in Slippery Rock.
With a push of a button, the driver was instantly connected to both General McLane’s Transportation Manager and Head Mechanic to come up with a solution.
This immediate and reliable communication is thanks to new technology within General McLane School District busses — General McLane is now the first district in Northwestern Pennsylvania to get a major boost in its busses’ wireless communications with an upgrade to First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet).
This independent authority within the U.S. Department of Commerce will provide immediate and reliable communication from busses to our Transportation Director and Head Mechanic. It is also immediately connected to school resource officer Jose Montes and the Erie County Sheriff’s Office for emergency situations.
Previously, the District had analog radios that often didn’t work as well within the more rural parts around the region. Now, the new technology uses cellphones that are kept in a lock box and attached to a speaker, allowing it to be an easy, push-to-talk system.
GPS is also in all of the vehicles and will be implemented soon. It will allow the District to check speeds, locations, arrival times at stops, the length of time spent at the stop and additional pieces of information.
Recognizing the Heroes of 9/11
September 17, 2019
In remembrance of the anniversary, Edinboro Elementary School third graders learned about 9/11/01 by recognizing the heroes from that day.
After listening to different books about the historic event, students wrote about their heroes from 9/11, their everyday heroes and their reasons why. Students had the opportunity to share their projects with the class following the activity.
Glow Run comes to GM
September 16, 2019
The first ever Glow Run is coming to General McLane High School grounds on October 4.
Hosted by McKean Elementary Parent-Teacher Association (PTA), this is a fundraising event for McKean Elementary School. The event takes place from 7 p.m. until 8 p.m.
Participants will earn a glow bracelet for each lap they complete. There will also be the opportunity for students to race against McKean Elementary principal Michael Getz.
“We were talking last year about some ways to provide our families with unique experiences that bring excitement,” said McKean Elementary PTA president Emily Jonas. “Thanks to Mrs. Roberts, we are a very health-conscience school family, and this is a way for us to have some active fun in the fall, as well.”
McKean Elementary School has both a Winter Run Club and the Spring Recess Laps program that started as part of McKean Elementary’s 2013 grant from the ING Run for Something Better School Awards Program. Health and Physical Education teacher Lisa Roberts started the program to help students increase their physical activity.
Registration for the Glow Run is encouraged by September 27 to ensure enough supplies ahead of the race. Registration will also be available the night of the event. Registration is $5 for each participant. A special race shirt is available for $12. The GM Band Boosters will have concessions available to purchase.
Register by mailing in a form in with cash or a check to McKean Elementary School. Online registration is also available: https://mckeanpta.memberhub.store/
Each May, McKean PTA teams up with Edinboro Elementary PTO to host a Community Fun Run. This past summer, theLittle Lancers Cross Country team was created and, between the two elementary schools, there are 70 runners K-4.
General McLane launches Drone Program for high school students
September 13, 2019
Drone technology is steering its way into General McLane High School, offering students new opportunities to pursue pathways in computer science.
“It’s easy to attract students to flying drones. But, we want to prepare General McLane students to use the tool for careers beyond our doors,” said General McLane High School principal Daniel Mennow. “This is a multi-billion dollar industry, and now, General McLane students can gain familiarity with the drone industry right within our doors.”
Starting this fall, General McLane High School students now have access to new coding classes and opportunities to utilize 30 new drones purchased through Apple’s PASmart Targeted Grant.
“The idea is to elevate our computer science programming to the next level while preparing students for non-traditional pathways utilizing drone technology,” said General McLane technology director and consultant on the project Jeremy Dylewski. “If we want General McLane students to be able to leverage their skills in a high-tech world beyond high school, we need to provide them with the tools and training to work in some of these emerging fields.”
This new curriculum also includes partnerships with both Edinboro University and North Coast Flight School. Starting in the spring, General McLane High School students will be able to take Edinboro University’s “An Introduction to Unmanned Vehicles” through adual-enrollment program. This course, which will be co-taught by Bryan Loomis at North Coast Flight School, will provide students with anintroduction to drones, FAA regulations, operations, weather, safety and airspace. By the end of the course, students will be able to earn a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Part 107 Commercial Drone Pilot’s License.
“At the completion of this program, students will leave with a background in computer science and programming that can be utilized right away for immediate work or higher education,” Dylewski said. “There are a wide range of applications for programming and coding, so this new program will uniquely position our students to have a significant advantage beyond high school – not only for jobs that exist now, but for those that will exist in the future.”
Planning for the new program began in the 2018-2019 School Year as part of a district-wide initiative to create a cross-curricular STEAM project using coding or drone technology.
The drones will currently be utilized among students enrolled in Coding II, but there is also the opportunity to use the drones across curriculums within any of the current high school offerings, including Robotics, Astrophysics, Engineering Design, Graphic Design, Photography, Intro to Business, Computer Animation, Digital Literacy and Icehouse. Coding I is also offered to eighth graders at James W. Parker Middle School.
As the program advances, Mennow and Dylewski are hopeful that General McLane will form partnerships with local organizations and companies to further identify real-world application of drones in careers such as insurance, utility, construction, real estate, engineering and police and security.
With the partnerships, General McLane High School is also currently working on expanding its offerings for future school years to include courses in Geography, Cartography /GPS, Drone I, Drone II and Edgenuity Course Work: Financial Math, Introduction to Entrepreneurship.
The drones will also add to our student clubs and activities. General McLane High School currently offers Robobots, where students design, build and battle with remote-controlled robots. Now, the school will add a Drone Racingclub, introducing students to the world of FPV quadcopter racing.
General McLane School District offers a variety of programs and classes to empower students with 21stcentury skills for today. The Academyof Medical Arts and Engineering and Manufacturing Academy are individualized program tailored to meet student needs and joins our many STEM-focus programming. Ourrobust offerings, including entrepreneurship offerings, provide students opportunities to utilize our STEM Lab, which includes 3-D printers, CNC machines and CAD software.
Edinboro Elementary adds Lego Wall
September 13, 2019
There’s a bit of excitement over some new green at Edinboro Elementary School.
Edinboro Elementary School’s Library is making Lego part of its new Makerspace initiative.
Edinboro Elementary librarian Michelle Androstic, along with General McLane Service Center’s John Walsh, created a new Lego Wall from a portion of countertop and framed it in place to hang Lego baseplates. The Lego wall is now made up of 42 10”x10” green Lego baseplates, and is a place where students can build and create during Makerspace time in the library.
This is a new trend in libraries all over the country. Since its opening, Edinboro Elementary students have been building and creating like crazy, says Androstic.
A makerspace is a sharing space where students gather to create, invent, discover — and most importantly, try something new through various tools and materials. Students use errors and failures to achieve success in the activities. Depending on the space, time and resources available, each makerspace varies and is unique to the school.
General McLane now has a maker space McKean Elementary, Edinboro Elementary and James W. Parker Middle School.
New this 19-20 School Year
September 13, 2019
General McLane School District officially kicked off the 2019-2020 School Year on Monday. This year, the District welcomed 143 new students and 141 members of the class of 2032.
As children are back in the classrooms, students and parents alike will notice some new things around the District.
Buses equipped with First Responder Network Authority: General McLane School District is the first district in Northwestern Pennsylvania to get a major boost in its busses’ wireless communications with an upgrade to First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet). This independent authority within the U.S. Department of Commerce will provide immediate and reliable communication from busses to District Transportation Director and Head Mechanic, and will also be immediately connected to school resource officer Jose Montes and the Erie County Sheriff’s Office for emergency situations.
Drone Technology enters schools: General McLane High School students will now have exposures to the use of drone technology for career pathways in computer science. Thanks to the PAsmart Targeted Grant, General McLane High School purchased 30 drones, which will be used in Coding II course this school year, as well as new drone courses that will be available to high school students in 2020-2021 school year. The second component of this new curriculum includes partnerships with both Edinboro University and North Coast Flight School. General McLane High School students will be able to take Edinboro University’s “An Introduction to Unmanned Vehicles” through a dual-enrollment program.
Certificate in Quality Assurance Dual Enrollment Program: Thanks to a partnership with Edinboro University and a grant the University received from the PA Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED), public high school students can earn a Certificate in Quality Assurance and 15 college credits free of charge once they complete the required on-line courses and an internship during their junior and senior years of high school. Six General McLane students are currently enrolled in their first pilot of the program this Fall.
Protein To-Go Cart: General McLane High School has a new “protein to go” cart stationed in the gym lobby every morning, thanks to a grant. As students come in from the bus, they can use their four-digit code to get hard boiled eggs, yogurt and fruit parfaits, meat and cheese breakfast sandwiches or quality protein bars, as well as fruit. The District was awarded $4,660 through part of Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf’s school breakfast initiative and is meant to provide students with alternative breakfast methods to fuel better academic performance.
There will be new curriculum for Technology Education, High School Math and Eighth Grade Language Arts. Healthy Living is also a new elective being taught at James W. Parker Middle School.
In a week or so, the District will be rolling out “Not Here”, a district-wide program to encourage students to make their school a place free from bias and unkind acts to others.
Outside of welcoming nine teachers, the District also welcome a handful of new instructional staff, including:
- Laura Brown, Administrative Assistant, James W. Parker Middle School
- Mitch Skladanowski, Maintenance
- Heather Bochert, Administrative Specialist-Human Resources & Business Office
- Amy Skladanowski, Food Services Manager
- Kristina Sonney, Receptionist, James W. Parker Middle School
- Taylor Paulus, Food Services
GMHS students visit University of Pittsburgh
September 11, 2019
General McLane High School students in the school’s Academy of Medical Arts and Engineering attended the University of Pittsburgh’s School of Engineering.
The day began with an overview of Pitt’s programs presented by Lauren Byland, Associate Director, First Year Engineering and Beth Scott, Campus Visit and Recruitment Coordinator. A panel of six current engineering students led a Q & A on the first-year experience; research; co-op opportunities; studying abroad; the EXCEL engineering program for women and minorities; and “Why I chose Pitt”. The presentation included student-made videos of current research, international experiences, and professional STEM organizations. After a tour of the school, GM students participated in a lab in the Design and Create Maker-Space Lab. Using the Makey-Makey kit, they created electrical circuits from Twinkies, PlayDough, bananas, gummy bears, and marshmallows. Using the circuits and themselves as an interface to a computer, they controlled classic video games on a computer.
After lunch, four GM Academy grads led a Q&A about college life and took us on a walking tour to the Cathedral of Learning.
GM recognized as Outstanding Visual Arts Community
September 9, 2019
The Pennsylvania Art Education Association (PAEA) is recognizing General McLane School District for our outstanding commitment to visual arts education with the endorsement Outstanding Visual Arts Community 2019.
Districts receiving this endorsement demonstrate the importance of their visual arts programs with:
- Rigorous and Inclusive Programs: Arts programs demonstrate rigor using standards-based curriculum taught at every level by highly qualified and certified arts educators.
- Highly Accessible Programs: Art programs are offered to all students at every level of education with a sustainable budget for the visual arts.
- Highly Visible Programs: Schools and districts identify their programmatic accomplishments, curriculum for all levels, art staff, mission statements, and arts events using their school websites and social media.
General McLane School District is dedicated to making the arts an integral component of the District’s curricular and co-curricular programs, which has made General McLane home to one of the most competitive arts programs in Erie, PA. Art shows, the Creative Arts Expo musicals and dramas, as well as the Broadway Dinner and choral and instrumental concerts are all part of the McLane Advantage, which is available to tuition students outside of the District.
Superintendent joins Governor for charter school reform
September 5, 2019
General McLane Superintendent Richard Scaletta joined Governor Tom Wolf, area school district superintendents and education stakeholders last week in Erie County to discuss how Wolf’s three-part plan will ensure charter schools better serve students and taxpayers.
Superintendent Scaletta addresses more of the issue on charter schools in his most recent Lancer Letter.
For more information on Wolf’s plan, read here.
Introducing BNI’s Kayla Windsor!
August 27, 2019
General McLane School District welcomes nine new instructional staff to the District this year. Throughout the next few days, we will be introducing you to each of them!
Kayla Windsor is an Autistic Support teacher, provided through the Barber National Institute (BNI).
Windsor was teaching at the Elizabeth Lee Black School at BNI before she was transferred to General McLane. Windsor graduated Cun Laude from Edinboro University with a dual major in Early Education/Special Education with a STEM Endorsement. She has volunteered as a reading tutor at McKean Elementary and as a volunteer for STEM Day. The General McLane graduate has a daughter, who is one and a half years old.
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