An Oklahoma teacher is seeking help from teachers in Jim Thorpe to compete in the Kids Creating Community Content contest.

“This year, one of our chosen topics is Oklahoma Native American Jim Thorpe,” said Tammy Parks, a multimedia/broadcast journalism teacher at Howe Public School in Howe, Oklahoma. “We are looking for collaborators specifically from Lawrence, Kansas; Carlisle, Pennsylvania; and Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania.

“For the past three years, my students have created virtual field trips as part of the Kids Creating Community Content Contest sponsored by the Center for Interactive Learning,” she said. Her school received third and fourth places in 2009, and first and second places in 2010.

Read the full story here >>.

Orientation for students in kindergarten through eighth grade in the Jim Thorpe Area School District will be as follows:

L.B. Morris students

Orientation for seventh- and eighth-grade students planning to attend L.B. Morris will be held at the high school on Tuesday, Aug. 17 at 9:30 a.m.

Orientation for elementary students enrolling at L.B. Morris will be held at L.B. Morris on Wednesday, Aug. 18 at 9 a.m. for kindergarten; and at 1 p.m. for grades one through six.

Penn Kidder Campus students

Orientation for students enrolling at Penn Kidder Campus will be held on Wednesday, Aug. 18 at 10 a.m. for kindergarten; and at 1 p.m. for grades one through eight.

Here’s the article about it from the Times-News:

For the 14th year, students in grades 2 through 6 who reside in the Jim Thorpe Area School District will be able to enjoy a summer day camp at Memorial Park in Jim Thorpe.

The program runs from June 14 through Aug. 6 with a morning session running from 9 a.m. to noon and an afternoon session from 12:30 until 3:30 p.m. There will be no program July 2 and July 5. The program is free.

Read the full story here >>.

Jim Thorpe High School Class of 2010

Jim Thorpe High School held graduation ceremonies June 4.

Christian Anthony Ferko was the valedictorian and Oliver John Schultz was the salutatorian.

Graduates are:

Matthew Jay Allem, Douglas Anthony Allen, Daquan Daniel Anderson, Emily Nannette Andrews, Jill Kristie Andrews, Laura Marie Attewell, Sharlene Banks-Borgella, David Barrientos, Brooke Lauren Berger, Brittany Alicia Bicchetti, James Russell Bittenbender, Sean Michael Beckwith Boyd, Kyle Christopher Bradley, Meredith Catherine Brisbane, Maegi Glennette Brong, Tyra Lyn Brown, Anthony Michael Brown, Kelsey Nicole Butler, Monica Antoinette Camacho, John Laird Campbell, Marissa Diane Cantelmi, Michael Ian Carpenter, Ashley Noel Carr , Jerry Joseph Catalano Jr., Joseph Nicholas Chinnici, Issac Choi , John Patrick Ciavarella III, Corey Raymond Cinicola, Paul Michael Conte, Nikole Christine Conte, Casey Charles Cordick, Sebastian Bryant Cruz, Preston Cullen.

Jessica Marie Dawson, Danielle Marie DeAngelis, Lauren Maree DeLeon, Nicole Marie Dennis, Jessica Kristin Detweiler, Tara Lynn DeVincenzo, Anthony Edward Ferguson, Christian Anthony Ferko, Amber Lynn Fiducia, Shawna M. Fink , Talon Charles Fogal, Katlin Nicole Frohnheiser, Robert Alexis Garcia, Alysa Marie Gavornik, Ernesto L. Gonzalez, Brandon Michael Grammes, Ian Quinton Ree Grant, Michael Gregorios, Melanie Gregorios, Symone Satira Gunter, Desiree Lynn Harcar, Domenic Joseph Harding, Christian James Hauze, Kaitlyn Amanda Hill, Kurtis Steven Hodgins, Chase Charles Hoffman, Matthew Horan , Brittany Lynn Hurley.

Patrick Joseph Janecki, Justin James Jordan, Amanda Kathleen Kattner, Kniechelle Marie Kauffman, Tiffany Marie Kellar, Jordan Daniel Keller, Donna Kiernan, Rebecka Jean Kirk , Ashley Lynn Klotz , Zachary James Knox , Kristian David Koehler, Lauren Marie Koput, Robert Leon Krick III, Tomas Ferreira Lafeta, Zachary Jonathan Ligenza, Eric Christopher Litke, Clark Cody Livengood, Samuel Richard Lux, David Charles Mangual, Thomas Jay Marsden IV, Nicole Maria Martin, Brittany E. Martinelle, William Benjamine Maurer, Krystle Chantel Mauro, Jonathan Beniamino Mazzella, Caitlin Marie McArdle, Matthew David McCauley, Molly Patricia McFadden, Daniel Stark Meader, Robert Arthur Mefford, Yesilin Mendez , Avery Kathryn Mertz, River Decker Merz, Amanda Marie Meyer, Kimberly Caren Miller, Corinne Marie Miller, Rhiannon Christine Milliard, Michael John Mitteager, Joshua Wesley Mohn, Andrew Lee Moll, Emily Sarah Moore, Danae Mullen, Walter JohnnyBoy Mulligan, Nicole Michele Murlo.

April Marie Naimon, Erin Marie Nanovic, Victoria Wargo Nichols, Catherine Rebecca Nonnemacher, Patrick Joseph O’Toole, Travis Bruce Otero, Kenneth Francis Outwater, Ja Ashia DeAndra Page, Maria Belen Palacios, Marissa Katherine Pasquince, Diamilett Perez, Brandon Peterson, Brittany Logan Pettis, Derrick Pettus, Summer Ariel Pico, Daniel Matthew Plavin, Nicole Brooke Plavin, Patrick John Popovitz, Jennifer Lee Quevedo, Roy Moses Rainbow III, Hilary Jordon Reis, Jaquan Kareem Richardson, Brooke Alexandra Riffert, Angelo Michael Romanelli, Mark Kevin Roseman, Christina Adell Rosick, John Joseph Rusbarsky, Daniel Robert Russo.

Members of the Carbon Career and Technical Institute’s Joint Operating Committee voted during their normal monthly meeting on Thursday to approve 16 members of the school’s Local Advisory (Participatory Planning) Committee for the 2010-2011 school year.

The members are Franklin Andreas, Philip Binder, Ron Blisard, John Drury, Dawn Ferrante, Ron Fritz, Michael Heer, Alan Katz, Diane Luicana, Candy Madera, Todd Mason, Jaime Mendes, Jeannie Miller, Bill Richards, Joseph Sebelin and Garry Wentz.

Also at the meeting, the council, on the recommendation of the Administrative Director, granted the administration permission to notify CCTI employees, including substitutes, who do not work thorugh or do not receive pay for the summer months, that there is a “reasonable assurance” that their positions would be available to them again when school re-opens in August 2010.

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And these are the dugouts at Jim Thorpe Area High School. Rumor has it an Eagle Scout volunteered to build the dugouts but the school board decided to pay someone to do it. Well? Money well spent?

Smith went 4-0 in the round-robin event to win the 145-pound title. In addition, he was named the tournament’s Outstanding Wrestler. In the process, he became Jim Thorpe’s all-time leading wins leader with 117. He passed Michael Wernett, who had 114.

A state qualifier last season, Smith was coming off a second-place finish at the Penn Cambria Tournament.

At Jim Thorpe, Lehighton won the team title with 135 points, followed by Allentown Central Catholic (72) and Pottsville (69).

The Crimson Tide had three champions in Bailey Roos (103), Jimmy Harris (112) and Shawn Cicero (160). Cicero finished 5-0 in his bracket.

For Williams Valley, Tim Murray (135) and Brandon Wagner (215) earned gold.

Lehighton won six championships; ACC had two champs.

Click here for photos on jimthorpesports.com.

L.B. Morris School which two years ago was expanded to accommodate the growing population.

In a surprise decision, the Jim Thorpe Area School Board decided at its Monday, Nov. 9 meeting to move ahead with the construction of a 6-8 grade middle school at a yet-to-be-determined location.

Read the TIMES-NEWS front-page article here.

Summary: No public input before the decision was voted on.  Director Strubinger tried to delay the vote to allow for public opinion but his recommendation was not seconded.

Here’s how we got here: A committee was established and met behind closed doors for a day and a half reviewing research. Based on that day and a half meeting, the committee decided for the 6-8 middle school because:

1. k-8 schools are not popular anymore (In 1988, there were 5,552 such schools across the country. By 2001, there were only 3,170 still in use.);
2. the in-town school is different in population from the mountain school;
3. a middle school would improve scheduling and allow for common planning time among teachers;
4. bring district populations together at an earlier age;
5. make academic and athletic clubs easier to build and manage;
6. allow for age-appropriate emotional supports;
7. and provide a variety of teaching styles in the same building to meet the different learning needs of different students.

Please read the entire article and decide for yourself and let your school directors know how you feel.

Steven R. Serfass is the next judge of common pleas beating Carole Wildoner with close to 60% of the votes.

Here are the results for JT School Director, four- and two-year terms:

And the results for Jim Thorpe Borough Council:

Click here for the story from the day after the election on TIMES-NEWS.