{"id":66748,"date":"2025-12-21T11:53:08","date_gmt":"2025-12-21T11:53:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/66748\/"},"modified":"2025-12-21T11:53:08","modified_gmt":"2025-12-21T11:53:08","slug":"school-notes-december-21-2025-scranton-times-tribune","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/66748\/","title":{"rendered":"School Notes, December 21, 2025 \u2013 Scranton Times-Tribune"},"content":{"rendered":"

Abington Heights<\/p>\n

Eighth grader Melody Baldassari participates in karate and competes in national-level tournaments in South Carolina, demonstrating strong discipline and athletic skill, according to school officials. This year, she earned first place in form and second place in sparring and board breaking, reflecting consistent training and high-level performance.<\/p>\n

Melody trains at Summit Martial Arts in Blakely, where she continues to refine her technique and commitment to the sport. She shared that she enjoys karate because it builds self-defense skills and supports joint health across the lifespan. Melody also values tournament participation because it provides meaningful feedback that helps her improve and set goals for continued growth.<\/p>\n

\u201cKarate is now a very important part of my life,\u201d she said. \u201cIt has caused me to look at certain things differently and taught me the importance of taking care of my body. It makes me feel good to place in something in the tournaments and to get feedback from others.\u201d<\/p>\n

Melody, who has also been a member of the marching band for two years,\u00a0is already thinking about going to college and plans to take general classes until she decides exactly what she would like to do.<\/p>\n

Blue Ridge<\/p>\n

Freshman Sophia Farrell was recently recognized for her musical talent while performing in the Junior Wind Band Celebration at Marywood University, where she received the Conductor\u2019s Award.<\/p>\n

She has played trumpet for five years and continues to distinguish herself through her dedication and skill. Sophia has participated in numerous regional music events, including four Susquehanna County Band performances, three Pennsylvania Music Educators Association District 9 Band Festivals and one PMEA District 9 Jazz Festival.<\/p>\n

On what got her into music, she stated, \u201cI wasn\u2019t into singing so I tried band and got into it. My grandfather on Mom\u2019s side is also really into music.\u201d<\/p>\n

When asked what she likes about playing at festivals and with ensembles, Sophia said, \u201cI enjoy meeting new people, making friends and getting closer with people in my band.\u201d<\/p>\n

She is also involved with athletics and school activities. Sophia is a member of the girls soccer and track and field teams, and plays indoor soccer at 434 SportsPlex. Prior to focusing on soccer, she ran cross country. Sophia is also president of the National Junior Honor Society, and active in Students Against Destructive Decisions, Leo Club and student council, where she is freshman class treasurer.<\/p>\n

Following high school, she would like to pursue a career in either sports therapy or crime scene investigation and attend Liberty University.<\/p>\n

Carbondale Area<\/p>\n

Freshman Alexis Hoffman sang two verses of \u201cSilent Night\u201d as a solo at the holiday chorus concert as a member of the advanced chorus class.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was nervous, but it\u2019s OK to be nervous. It went very well,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Alexis is a member of the National Honor Society, art club, drill team, Lynette\u2019s Twirlerettes, drama club and bell choir.<\/p>\n

After graduation, she plans on attending college to become an actress.<\/p>\n

Career Technology Center of Lackawanna County<\/p>\n

School officials are recognizing John Napolitano, a senior at Dunmore High School in the cybersecurity program, for his accomplishments and excellent work in his trigonometry\/pre-calculus and cybersecurity classes at the center.<\/p>\n

CTC math instructor Kristen Smith says he is an exceptional, dedicated and intelligent student who excels in math. In regards to his work in the cybersecurity program, cybersecurity instructor Tom Czachor states that John is always working, either on assignments or repairs\/projects in the lab. He tackles his work and researches and solves problems with minimal assistance, school officials said. John is currently working toward attaining his CompTIA SecurityPro certification.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m thankful that you picked me,\u201d John said.<\/p>\n

In addition to school, he works at McDonald\u2019s, and his hobbies include fixing computers and his car, as well as playing games on the computer. After high school, John\u00a0plans to attend Penn State to study cybersecurity.<\/p>\n

Delaware Valley<\/p>\n

Senior Dominick Agron was chosen as math peer tutor of the year in 10th grade, junior math student of the year in 11th grade, recipient of the Rensselaer Medal in 11th grade and an AP Scholar with Distinction in 11th grade as well.<\/p>\n

He said this \u201ckeeps me busy and diversifies my interests and time so that I\u2019m not spending every waking hour on the same thing. Specifically, with tutoring, it helps me better understand material that I learned long ago and helps develop my patience; it also is gratifying to help others understand these subjects,\u201d<\/p>\n

Dominick\u2019s activities include math and physics peer tutoring, school orchestra, school string quartet, DVHS pit band, DDMS pit band, SWHS pit band, rifle club, scholastic bowl, model UN and four academic honor societies.<\/p>\n

He plans on furthering his education in college.<\/p>\n

Dunmore<\/p>\n

Five senior art students participated in PennDOT\u2019s Paint the Plow competition: Madilyn Keating, Mia Catanzaro, Abby Itterly, Brooke Schlesser and Alayna Miller. Paint the Plow is a PennDOT outreach program aimed at promoting winter driving safety and fostering appreciation for high school art programs and student creativity.<\/p>\n

Participating high school students design and create original artwork on a snowplow that showcases the 2025 Paint the Plow theme: Don\u2019t race. Allow some space.<\/p>\n

Elk Lake<\/p>\n

Trinity Raub, a hardworking seventh grader, makes time in her busy schedule \u2014 filled with dedicated gymnastics training \u2014 to attend school guitar lessons. A responsible and prepared student, she always arrives on time and with her practice completed. Though early in her guitar journey, Trinity already shows strong potential, approaching each new concept with patience, focus and a long-term mindset. Her commitment to balancing multiple disciplines is impressive, and she is to be recognized for her enthusiasm and willingness to learn, school officials said.<\/p>\n

Trinity said a quote she lives by is, \u201cThe more you try, the better you will succeed.\u201d<\/p>\n

Her activities include cross country, band and guitar.<\/p>\n

Although not completely certain of her postgraduation plans, she\u2019d like to go to college and get a bachelor\u2019s degree to later become a forensic pathologist.<\/p>\n

\u202fForest City Regional<\/p>\n

Senior Xavier Ferrera worked service hours at the recycling center in Forest City. He took bins out and separated materials for recycling.<\/p>\n

\u201cI liked the interaction with others and talking to them at the center,\u201d Xavier said.<\/p>\n

He is also active in baseball and he worked for three years in a part-time job.<\/p>\n

Xavier joined the Army and will serve full time, with a job working as an aircraft mechanic as his career path.<\/p>\n

Mid Valley<\/p>\n

The school\u2019s Aevidum club is putting on a Mental Health Matters basketball game dedicated to spreading awareness about mental health issues in students. As president of the club, junior Emerson Shimkus has been deeply involved in planning the event.<\/p>\n

\u201cI love helping people, and it\u2019s always great to spread mental health awareness. I love this club and know that it will help me in my future goals. I\u2019m really hoping that this game can be something that opens up awareness in both students and adults that anyone can struggle, but there are lots of ways to find help,\u201d Emerson said.<\/p>\n

In addition to Aevidum, her activities include drama club (Underwood Players), chorus\/select choir, PMEA, Leo club, random acts of kindness club, National Honor Society, French club, history club and pride squad.<\/p>\n

Emerson plans to go to college and eventually earn her doctorate in a psychological field, working in mental health.<\/p>\n

North Pocono<\/p>\n

Catherine Sheruda is taking a full course load her senior year with challenging classes like chemistry, physics II, research, calculus, literature and composition, and psychology.<\/p>\n

Throughout her high school career, she has achieved high honors every quarter, and is currently ranked ninth in her class. Catherine began taking AP courses her sophomore year and will have completed 13 AP classes by graduation. Catherine is a member of the women\u2019s golf and track and field teams. She also is a member of mini-thon, Red Cross, finance and friends of animals clubs.<\/p>\n

Outside of school, Catherine plays the piano, and is an active member of her church community by altar serving at St. Catherine of Siena Church.<\/p>\n

After graduation, she will be attending college to dual major in aerospace engineering and business.<\/p>\n

Old Forge<\/p>\n

Fourth grader Jurnee Johnson was awarded the kindness ambassador award for November. The kindness award is presented to students who represent kindness, empathy and positivity in their daily interactions with others.<\/p>\n

\u201cI felt excited and honored. I was being kind to my teachers and my classmates. I work in school and at home and I try to help out my teachers and my mother,\u201d Jurnee said. She added, \u201cWork hard and study and get good grades.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jurnee likes to draw and color.<\/p>\n

Riverside
\n\"HenryHenry O\u2019Pecko, Riverside (SUBMITTED)<\/p>\n

The Viking Voices under the direction of Melissa Lingle, music teacher, went around the Riverside community caroling at local restaurants. While at the restaurants, they entertained dining guests as an annual tradition.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy favorite song to sing was \u2018Santa,\u2019\u2009\u201d fifth grader Henry O\u2019Pecko said.<\/p>\n

The students were offered treats at each stop. \u201cI liked all the treats, and it was neat seeing my mother having lunch at the Taylor Deli,\u201d Henry added.<\/p>\n

Scranton
\n\"SebastianSebastian Santos, Scranton (Submitted)<\/p>\n

McNichols Education Plaza kindergartner Sebastian Santos has been saving money to donate to the Children\u2019s Hospital of Philadelphia for the past two years.<\/p>\n

During the second week of December, he donated the $24 he saved to CHOP. Sebastian also made a card to send with his donation.<\/p>\n

Valley View
\n\"ZoieZoie Krupovich, Valley View (SUBMITTED)<\/p>\n

Senior Zoie Krupovich has been selected as senior of the month in computer science.<\/p>\n

\u201cThrough computer science, I\u2019ve learned that progress comes from trial, error and not giving up,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Zoie is a varsity softball starter, and will serve as team captain for the second consecutive season. Last year, she helped lead her team to a state championship and is excited to pursue another title this year. In addition to softball, Zoie is an active member of the history club and the National Honor Society. In her free time, she enjoys visiting Starbucks, shopping, and spending quality time with friends and family.<\/p>\n

Zoie will be attending Bryant University in Rhode Island to study international business with a minor in psychology in the College of Business, where she will also compete as a Division I softball student-athlete. Her long-term goal is to work for the FBI.<\/p>\n

Wayne Highlands
\n\"MaggieMaggie Carlile, Wayne Highlands (Submitted)<\/p>\n

Sixth grader Maggie Carlile recently won first place in the 2025 Patriot\u2019s Pen contest, sponsored by the local VFW Post 531. This year\u2019s theme was \u201cHow Are You Showing Patriotism and Support for Our Country?\u201d<\/p>\n

In her essay, she focused on the history of the United States and its national holidays, drawing inspiration from her great-uncles and uncle, who are veterans. Maggie received a $200 prize and read her winning essay aloud at the middle school\u2019s Veterans Day assembly. Her essay has advanced to the next level, and she will attend a celebration hosted by the VFW.<\/p>\n

Maggie expressed her surprise at winning, stating, \u201cI enjoy writing, but I was surprised I won. I was honored to have the opportunity to share my words with the local veterans and the student body at the assembly. I look forward to next year\u2019s writing contest.\u201d<\/p>\n

A high honor roll student, she participates in the sixth grade chorus, and is a cheerleader and a gymnast. In the future, Maggie hopes to be a neurologist or medical research scientist.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Abington Heights Eighth grader Melody Baldassari participates in karate and competes in national-level tournaments in South Carolina, demonstrating…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":54196,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[15],"tags":[227,139,178,180,179],"class_list":{"0":"post-66748","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-scranton","8":"tag-education","9":"tag-news","10":"tag-scranton","11":"tag-scranton-headlines","12":"tag-scranton-news"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/66748","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=66748"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/66748\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/54196"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=66748"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=66748"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=66748"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}