District News

Double Dare Extra Treat

April 18, 2019

During March, Warren Street principal Mrs. Lent challenged every student in the building to read at least one Accelerated Reader book and take tests. They embraced the challenge and EVERY SINGLE KID read at least one book before the start of Spring Break. This earned the top three readers the opportunity to throw pies at the principal on April 18! Staff members were so proud of the students that a bunch of them volunteered to serve as pie targets too!

In addition to the pie throwing event, students also enjoyed Double Dare challenges that included art work with whipped cream, feeding a friend with no hands, and finding the gummy worms! Keep reading everyone, May challenges will be here soon!

April 18, 2019

On Tuesday, May 21, residents of the Greater Johnstown School District will vote on a proposed $38,695,480 budget for the 2019-20 school year. The Johnstown Board of Education adopted the budget proposal during its regular meeting on Wednesday, April 17.

The proposed budget represents an 8.5% spending increase and a tax levy increase of 35%, which is above the district’s calculated tax levy “cap.” A supermajority of voters (60%) is required for budget approval. Most of the proposed spending increase (6.9%) is for capital project expenditures, much of which will be reimbursed by the state. The proposed budget also reflects $500,000 in spending reductions.

Two-year plan would put GJSD back on solid financial footing

The proposed budget is part of a two-year plan the board has outlined that is designed to end Johnstown’s reliance on its reserves (savings) to fund core programs. During a series of forums held in March, members of the community indicated support for a tax levy increase to preserve programs.

“Our board members recognize the need for a 50% tax levy increase to make the district financially stable again,” said Superintendent of Schools Dr. Patricia Kilburn. “But they also recognize that achieving such a significant tax levy increase in one year would present a financial hardship for some of our residents. By spreading out the increase over two years, we can avoid cuts to key non-mandated programs, such as athletics, while easing the transition to a more sustainable tax levy.”

Kilburn said that if residents approve the 2019-20 budget proposal on May 21, board members plan to develop a 2020-21 budget that calls for a 15% tax levy increase, thus achieving the 50% tax levy increase over two years. Starting with the 2021-22 budget, the district would look to propose budgets with tax levy increases that stay within the district’s tax levy “cap.”

The district will host a budget forum at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 24 at St. John’s Episcopal Church on North Market Street. Assistant Superintendent Ruthie Cook will lead a line-by-line review of the proposed budget at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, April 30, in the JHS library.

Qualified residents of the Greater Johnstown School District will vote on the proposed budget Tuesday, May 21, 2019. Polls will be open 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. in the high school gymnasium. Additional information about voting is available on the district website, www.johnstownschools.org. Residents are invited to learn more and ask questions about the budget proposal at a public budget hearing starting at 6 p.m. Tuesday, May 14 in the lecture hall at Johnstown High School. Detailed information about the budget proposal and other ballot propositions will be posted on the district website in the coming weeks. An informational brochure will be mailed to all households in early May.

April 17, 2019

HIGH HONOR ROLL

Freshmen

Carter Ackerbauer, Shawn Ammann, Dylan Barter, Roslyn Chapin, Arianna Christiano, Cecelia D’Amore, Kalena Eaton, Natalie Flint, Emma Frank, William Gerlach, Madison Handy, Logan Harvey, Colin Kowalski, Benjamin Krempa, Bentley Lane, Isabella Lewis, Konner Mancini, Jesse Norris, Robin Pearce, Ethan Petrie, Hailey Preston, Hannah Richardson, Larkin Sardella, Luke Solby, Jared Stewart, Jaden Wilson

Sophomores

Bradey Brownell, Sarah Connaway, Grace Giarizzo, Aiden Greene, Nicholas Hadcock, Landon Hale, Morgan Hotaling, Hannah Kosiba, Anna Lee, Colleen Long, Jacob Martelle, Molly Memrick, Samantha Moller-Lopez, Meghan Mraz, Alexandria Petrelia, Cameron Polidore, Sarah Pratt, Taryn Ringer, Sebastian Russo, Kyle Salamack, Dawson Sanges, Kanako Sasaki, Riley Savoie, Sarah Smith, Alison Stegel, Sydney Swedick, Thomas Truckenmiller, Abbygail Vandewalker, Ariana Vuskalns, Damien Waight, Haylee Webb, Kyle Wood

Juniors

Morgan Biechy, Anna Crouse, Mallory Dence, Calyer Fagan, Alexxander Fountain, Emily Frank, Gina Franko, Jacob Frenyea, Charles Gagliardo, Matthew Heroth II, Bailey King, Emily Long, Noah Massey, Julia Norris, Grace Osborne, Gabrielle Palmer, Kiersten Pelosi, Abigail Rizzo, Jonathan Ruehle, Joshua Ruele, Chelsea Savage, Alex Shepherd, Samantha Simon, Jacob Stewart, Katrina Trueworthy, Julianna Wager, Jake Wesley

Seniors

Kacie Adams, Zoe Bartholomew, Alyssa Bevington, Benjamin Blackford, Noah Bowne, Allyson Brandow, Charles Brown, Mark Cwiakala, Augustus D’Amore, Sydney Darling, Grace Fitzgerald, Sophia Frenyea, Abigail Gottung, Brooke Grace, Alexis Houser, Alexander Jennings, Emma Kilmer, Tyler Kortz, Molly Lake, Rachel Lee, Joseph Matthews, Liillian Nevins, Megan O’Connell, Victor Orsell, Zoe Petrie, Savannah Shaut, Kulvir Singh, Jenna Thompson, Dalton Town, Bracie Vose, Taylor Vose, Ethan Wager, Seth Ward, Olivia Weiderman, Emily Wheelis, Evan White, Lindsay Yesse

Honor Roll

Freshman

Parker Abrams, Maryann Austin, Garrett Barnett, Natalie Baxter, Loryn Blake, Kelsey Bombard, Abigail Brownell, Emma Brown, Jaycee Buck, Patrick Clemence, Kedrick Dolder, Conner Edel, Lena Fonda, Madison King, Connor Lago, Braeton Lawton, Kaymen Lewis-Matthews, William Ovitt, Damien Roth, Terrance Stumbrice, Lorena Trumble, Zachary VanAernam, Steven VanNostrand

Sophomores

Sadie Blowers, Collin Bolebruch, Hope Buboltz, Anika Byrnes, Bella Collar, Emily Fleming, Janeyli Gonzalez, Molly Hotaling, Morgan Lane, Cody Massey, Cassidy McKeon, Jack Preston, Brianna Subik, Hailee Waddle, Emily Wilson, Haley Wilson, Mia Yeackel

Juniors

Tyler Dickinson, Allison Duesler Hannah Gage, Ann Marie Hauser, Robert Henry, Abigail Hollister, Spencer Kotwasinski, Malachi Mathews, Brianna Moore, Jasmine Moser, Abbie Mullins, Ryan O’Connor, Alexandra Queeney, Justin Sanders, Sarah Sheldon, Lillian Sloat, Jack Stramezzi, Brandon Walton, Jenna Weaver

Seniors

Caroline Beck, Christopher Best, Henry Bobbette, Moriah Boyd, William Cook, Conner Diviyak, Janay Douglas, Madison Etherton, Emma Fiore, Nolan Hayes, Blaine Insogna, Cameron Kelly, Lukas Marino, Julian Martes, Cameron Miller, Joshua Morton, Marcus Nellis, Christopher O’Connor, Julian Ottalagano, Jenna Parslow, Alan Peck Talia Peconie, William Phillips, Abigail Rodecker, Altreyvious Stover, Brady VanAernam, Zachary Vosburgh, Maggiejean Waddle

April 17, 2019

Third Quarter High Honor Roll 90 & Above

Seventh Grade

Ava Barker
Jena Barker
Jocelyn Bush
Carter Cheney
Abigail Chest
Jaelyn Christman
Colin Cotter
Antonio DeMarco
Lilly Dittmer
Shea Donohue
Samantha Dorn
Landon Fosmire-DeRocker
Anna Giarrizzo
Chelsea Johnson
Parker Klingbeil
Mollie Kortz
Caroline Krempa
Cole Krempa
Abbigail Lewis
Lucy LoDestro
Aaron Lopez
Liam O’Kelley
Mohammed Patel
Mason Rathbun
Jake Ringer
Jisela Rodriguez
Kyra Rodriguez
Caleb Sanjurjo
Sarah Shibley
Emma Smith
Samuel Stearns
Ayden Swedick
Tara Sweeney
Lucas Tate-Pettit
Zoie Tesi
Marlee Trajlinek
Ashlynn Weaver
Brooke Weaver
Matthew Wheelis
Kurstin Wilson
Marcus Wilson
PeterYetto Jr.
HunterZelich

Eighth Grade

Claire Anderson
Talia Anderson
Cameron Arminio
Isabella Bermas
Ethan Blood
Shyanne Brownell
Jaidyn Chest
Madelyn Connelie
Alex DeMagistris
Tyler Downing
Vincent Ecker
Jayden Elston
Augustus Fagan
Lillian Fudger
Roger Gordon IV
Amia Hall
Emilia Haverly
Brooklynn Heroth
Braden Jones
Olivia Kilmer
Autumn Kurtz
Donald Long
Alexander Lopez
Mercedes Milby
Trey Naselli
Justin Nawrot
Ally Salamack
Ayaka Sasaki
Nicole Simon
Alexis Smith
Kyle Stegel
Molly Sweeney
Adam Sweet
Nicole Wendolski
Alyssa Whitbeck
Lilia White
Reegan Wilcox
Anthony Zajaczkowski

Third Quarter Honor Roll 85-85.99

Seventh Grade

Anastasia Abete
Skyler Aguilera
Makayla Atwood
Michael Crisafulli Jr
John Freese
Alexis Giuliano
Arden Hammond
Ryan Hoyt
Viktorija Izzo
Dylan Jackson
Jacob King
Maya LaCoppola
Andrew Lake
Trey Loucks
Jack Miller
Collin Myers
D’metrius Negron
Maddox Pedrick
Cole Preston
Kyle Pyristy
Gianna Rizzo
Isabell Ropeter
Holden Rose
Connor Sitts
Ethan Smith
Riley Sweet
Jordyn Tarbox
KelseyWalker
Radcliff Williams

Eighth Grade

Aislinn Ambrosino
Hailey Anderson
Bryant Bargy
Emily Blood
Andrew Cruz
Keegan Elston
Jordan Fox
Julieanna Hisert
Tyler Hutchison
Kelsey Jackson
Robin Kruggel
Hannah Maxson
Sara Parent
Emily Pertell
Vincent Rizzo
Johnathan Sammons
Alera Sarr
Madison Simonds
Makiya Smith
Zachary Tallon
Emily Wood

April 17, 2019

Barring any unforeseen emergency situation that necessitates closing school in the interim, the one (1) remaining snow/emergency day for the 2018-2019 school year will be “given back” on Friday, May 24. On that day, the District will be closed.

Evening for Education May 21

April 16, 2019

Evening for Education
Sponsored by JTA

Join us!

May 21st 5-7 PM
JHS Lobby and Media Center

Presenting:

Samples of students’ work from all grades

Science Fair Projects Presented by NGSS PLC

Free ice cream cones! Scooped by your teachers!

A chance to win gift baskets and gift certificates!

Music for the Mind 2019

April 12, 2019

Music For The Mind

2019

Help Cure the Stigma

Chicken BBQ- May 3rd @ Whitey’s

Event and Concert- May 9th 2-4 PM and 5-6:30 @

Johnstown High School, 1 Sir Bills Circle

Informational Booths, Performances, Basket Raffle

Proceeds go to support the Hope For Depression Research Foundation

We hope to see you there!

Molly Lake Named News Channel 13 Vent Fitness Athlete of the Week

April 10, 2019

Congratulations to JHS senior Molly Lake, recognized by WNYT News Channel 13 as their Vent Fitness Athlete of the Week! See the video story on the WNYT website

April 9, 2019

Developing Creativity… Shaping Independent Thinkers… Encouraging Problem Solving… Building Teamwork…

Supporting Johnstown Odyssey of the Mind

What: Spaghetti Dinner Fundraiser
When: Monday, May 13th @ 4:30-6pm
Where: Pino’s Restaurant, 326 West Clinton Street, Johnstown
Details: Tickets $9 each, take-out only, Includes spaghetti, meatballs, sauce, salad, bread, and dessert!
How: Tickets may be purchased at any Johnstown school, now through May 8th. Please return the bottom portion of this form with EXACT CHANGE or a CHECK made out to the Greater Johnstown School District. Tickets will then be sent home with your child. Questions can be directed to Kristin Meashaw at Warren Street School (kmeashaw@johnstownschools.org)

Since 2015, the Johnstown Odyssey program has continued to grow by leaps and bounds (check out our stats below)!! This fundraiser will help us continue to provide enrichment programing to students from Glebe up through JHS, register Odyssey teams for competition, and send qualifying teams to World Finals.

2015-16
- 45 students
- 7 teams (from W & K)
- 2 advanced to States
2016-17
- 61 students
- 9 teams (from W & K)
- 3 advanced to States
2017-18
- 93 students
- 14 teams (from G, W, K)
- 5 to States, 1 to Worlds
2018-19
- 107 students
- 15 teams (from G, W, K)
- 5 to States, 1 to Worlds

Thank you in advance for your continued support!

Lab Day Collaboration

April 2, 2019

On Friday, March 29, several of Mr. Litz’s high school science students visited Pleasant Avenue to help kindergarten and first grade students to make oobleck, ice cream and play dough.

The children were excited to engage in a hands-on activity that allowed them to see how sugar, vanilla and milk reacted with ice and hardened to make ice cream. Of course they always love making oobleck and play dough!

Funding for lab day was donated by Ted and Judy Meher, Becky Polidore, and the science department. Many thanks to these individuals, and to Mr. Litz and the science students!