The Envirothon Competition was held at Chapman State Park on Tuesday, April 15. All county schools were represented. JV and Varsity teams rotated through 5 stations answering questions about soils, wildlife, forestry, aquatics, and current issues. The Warren County Conservation District organized training and the competition with assistance from DCNR (Department of Conservation and Natural Resources), NRCS (Natural Resources Conservation Service), PA Fish and Boat Commission, and the PA Game Commission. We would like to thank all organizations, including Chapman State Park, for their continued positive support of students.
1st place JV: EMHS The Primary Marsupial: Shawnee Alcorn, Madison Rutkowski, Fiona Cook, Alianna Eckstrom
2nd place JV: YMHS Silly Squirrels: YMHS Silly Squirrels: Sophia Scott, Allison Hackman, student, Mackenzie Hodak
2nd place Varsity: YMHS Scat Scarfers: Michael Carnahan, Kale Jespersen, Tydus Chase, Carsyn Branstrom
3rd place Varsity: WAHS Warren Woodcocks: Jacob Retterer, Zane Carlson, Lucille Harrison, Alivia Hallas, Christopher Orth
3rd place JV: YMHS Sunny Sunflowers: Ava Young, Adelyn McDonald, Ashlyn Zimmerman, Kaden Moore
4th place Varsity: YMHS Purple Platypi: Paige Stover, Gabby Hodak, Caitlyn Pikna, Riley Lauger
4th place JV: YMHS Sassy Sasquatches: Jacob Battko, Collin Havers, Wyatt Walters, Johnathan Sullivan, Mikah Benton
Best in Forestry: WAHS Warren Woodcocks: Jacob Retterer, Zane Carlson, Lucille Harrison, Alivia Hallas, Christopher Orth
Just a reminder: There is No School for students on Thursday, April 17th - Monday, April 21st.
🎯 Getting Ready for State Testing: How You Can Help!
Over the next week, we’ll be sharing quick tips to help your child feel confident, focused, and ready for state assessments. These small, simple habits—like a good night’s sleep or a healthy breakfast—can make a big difference!
Each post will include a practical tip you can use at home to support your child before, during, and after testing days.
Let’s work together to make this a positive experience for all students! 💪📚
💬 Testing Tip #5: Encourage, Don’t Pressure
A simple “You’ve got this!” can go a long way. Reassure your child that effort matters more than perfection. 💪💬
Say things like “I’m proud of your hard work” or “Just do your best.” Avoid placing too much importance on the score. Emphasize effort, persistence, and progress over perfection.
🕰️ Testing Tip #4: Arrive on Time
Punctuality helps students start the day grounded and prepared.
Being late can create stress or cause your child to miss important directions. Try leaving 10 minutes earlier than usual during testing weeks to give yourself a buffer for unexpected delays.⏰🚸
📅 Testing Tip #3: Keep Routines Calm
A smooth morning can set the tone for the whole day.
Lay out clothes, pack bags, and prep lunch or snacks the night before. Keep the atmosphere calm—turn on music, give extra time for getting ready, and keep things positive. Avoid conflict or rushing, which can raise anxiety levels.
🌞🧘 Less chaos = more confidence.
🥣 State Testing Tip #2: Fuel Up!
A healthy breakfast = a strong start.
All WCSD students can receive a free breakfast. Encourage your child to eat breakfast each morning to help them stay full and focused during testing. 🥚🍎🥣
Why: Whole grains, fruit, and protein help kids stay focused during long testing sessions.
🥚🍌🥣 A well-fed brain is a powerful one!
📚 State Testing Tip #1: Rest is Best!
Encourage a full night of sleep—ideally 8–10 hours—for at least a week before testing.
A well-rested brain is more focused, less anxious, and better able to retain information. Start winding down earlier in the evenings by limiting screens, using calming routines like reading or quiet music, and keeping bedtimes consistent—even on weekends.
Why: A steady sleep schedule helps your child feel alert and ready to learn—not just on test day, but every day!
Dear Parents and Guardians,
Please click the link to see the upcoming dates for PSSAs and Keystones. Please note which test(s) your child will be taking based on their grade level and current course load. https://core-docs.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/documents/asset/uploaded_file/2985/WCSD/3540991/Overview_of_Assessment_Calendar_2024.2025.pdf
Congratulations to all the Warren County School District students who participated in the Regional K'nex STEM Design Competition on Tuesday and Wednesday this week at the Northwest Tri-County Intermediate Unit #5!
In the 4th/5th grade division, a team from Warren Area Elementary team earned the Most Creative Design award, a team from Eisenhower Elementary team took 3rd place, a team from Warren Area Elementary School took 2nd place, and a team from Sheffield Area Elementary School took 1st place and will also be competing at the State level in Harrisburg in May! The winning team designed a filtration system that could float on a city's water treatment system and remove microplastics so that the drinking water wasn't contaminated. Congratulations to Madilynn Leitchenberger, Jaxon Wotorson, Elliot Blymiller and Kaydi Markey!
Competing in the 6th-8th grade division, a team from Beaty-Warren Middle School earned the Most Creative Design award, a team from Youngsville Middle/High School took 3rd place, a team from Eisenhower Middle/High School took 2nd place, and a team from Beaty-Warren Middle School took 1st place and will also be competing at the State level in Harrisburg! The winning team designed a machine that starts the cleaning process by pulling air via the fan. The molecules in the air then go into the machine that causes the molecules to spin and shake rapidly. The molecules then break apart leaving the separate atoms allowing them to go through a series of filters and then into the heating room. Since water is formed rapidly with heat, the Hydrogen and Oxygen molecules bond together instantly creating water. Congratulations Delaney Moore, Carly Olsen, Lillian Wellner and Nina Woldt!
🌧️ April Showers Bring Extra JiJi Hours! 🐧
Rainy days are perfect for cozy learning time at home! This April, take advantage of the extra indoor time by spending just 30 extra minutes a week with JiJi and ST Math.
That small investment of time can make a big impact on your child’s math growth and confidence!
✔ Strengthens problem-solving skills ✔ Builds perseverance ✔ Supports classroom learning
So, while the rain falls outside, help the learning bloom inside—with JiJi by your side! ☔📈
Weekly Math Fun: Backyard Geometry Adventure! 🌿📏
When the weather warms up, take learning outdoors with a Backyard Geometry Adventure! Exploring math in nature helps children see how shapes, measurements, and patterns exist all around them.
Math in Nature:
🔹 Shapes & Patterns – Recognizing geometric shapes in leaves, flowers, and tree rings helps kids develop spatial awareness.
📏 Measurement & Comparison – Using rulers or measuring tapes strengthens real-world math skills like estimating length and height.
📐 Perimeter & Area – Measuring outdoor spaces makes abstract concepts more concrete and hands-on.
🔺 Angles & Symmetry – Observing angles in tree branches, spider webs, or fences builds geometry understanding in a fun way.
This activity connects math and science, sparking curiosity while reinforcing key math skills.
Stay tuned for more creative ways to bring math into everyday experiences! 🌞📊
Weekly Math Fun: Math + Art = Creativity at Home! 🎨➕📐
This week, combine math and creativity with fun, low-prep art activities!
Exploring math through art helps kids develop spatial awareness, pattern recognition, and measurement skills while expressing themselves creatively.
Math Concepts in Art:
🖼 Symmetry & Reflections – Folding, painting, and cutting help children recognize mirror images and balance.
🔺 Geometric Shapes & Patterns – Drawing, cutting, and arranging shapes reinforce patterning, tessellations, and sequencing.
📏 Measurement & Fractions – Comparing lengths and dividing paper into equal parts strengthens real-world math understanding.
📦 3D Geometry – Creating cubes, cones, and pyramids introduces concepts of volume and spatial reasoning.
Encourage kids to explore math through hands-on creativity and discover how numbers and patterns appear in art.
Stay tuned for next week’s activity, where we’ll bring more math into everyday fun! 🎭📊✨
Weekly Math Fun: Roll the Dice for Math Practice! 🎲✨
This week, turn a simple pair of dice into a fun, hands-on way to build math skills! Dice games strengthen number sense, fact fluency, and mental math while keeping learning exciting.
Math Skills in Action:
🔢 Addition & Subtraction – Race to reach or subtract from 50 by rolling and calculating sums or differences. ✖️ Multiplication Practice – Roll two dice and multiply to reinforce math facts. Try setting a timer for speed challenges! 📊 Comparisons & Number Sense – Compare sums or products to determine greater or lesser values. 🧠 Mental Math Challenges – Find missing numbers to make 10 or sort sums as odd or even.
For Older Students:
🎲 Try games like Yahtzee! Rolling five dice helps kids practice strategic thinking, probability, and multi-step addition. They’ll sharpen their math skills while having competitive fun!
Extend the learning by tracking scores, creating custom challenges, or using different-sided dice for a variety of number ranges.
Stay tuned for next week's post, where we’ll introduce another exciting way to practice math at home! 🎲📏✨
Warren/Forest Chapter of the Pennsylvania Association of School Retirees Lauretta Woodson Award:
Each year PASR supports our employees in the schools by recognizing a certificated and support staff member with the Lauretta Woodson Award. This can be completed by students, peers, parents, supervisors, etc. One award in each category is given each year between the two districts.
If you would like to nominate an outstanding educator or support professional, please send the attached form to the address indicated on the form by April 16, 2025.
Nomination Form: https://5il.co/3ba5f
Congratualions to Taylor Tuttle, YMHS senior, for her nomination as C.L.A.S.S. Act Emerging Leader for Warren County School District for the month of March 2025. Taylor Tuttle is a Senior at Youngsville Middle High School who demonstrates the qualities of being an emerging leader. Taylor is a kind and intelligent young lady who is also very academically inclined.
At Youngsville Middle High School, Taylor has challenged herself with College Preparatory, Honors, and Advanced Placement courses, while making exemplary grades in each of them. She has also taken various CHS courses through Pitt-Bradford at her home school. Taylor currently sits at the top of her class with a class rank of 2/43 and GPA of 95.05 and maintained this designation during both her freshman and sophomore years.
In school Taylor involved herself in activities including the National Honor Society, Student Council, Yearbook, Varsity Cheerleading where she lettered, and several Class Offices including President, Vice-President, and Treasurer. Taylor has also displayed her creative and artistic side helping with banners and bulletin boards throughout the halls of YMHS and her written expression being the recipient of the Annual Legion Essay Contest.
In the community Taylor has helped with the local Haunted Hayride and the Veteran's Honor Flight Ceremony. She also maintains employment at the Galley in Youngsville. Upon graduation Taylor has been accepted to Penn State Main Campus for Information Sciences and Technology with a minor in Artificial Intelligence. She hopes to one day be a part of the Intelligence Community in the military.
She also plans to join the Air Force ROTC while at Penn State and is in the application process to be enlisted. It is with great honor that Youngsville Middle Senior High School is proud to nominate Taylor Tuttle as the Northwest PA C.L.A.S.S. Act Emerging Leader for the month of March 2025.
Learn about Online Gaming and discover expert answers to the questions that matter most to parents. Read https://wcsdpa.onlinesafetyhub.io/parent/articles/online-gaming-faqs and learn how to: Address your concerns about excessive gaming
Navigate and control in-game spending
Implement practical strategies to help protect your child's online safety
📢 We Need Your Input! 📢
Title I schools are required to update two important documents each year:
📌 Parent & Family Engagement (PFE) Policy – This outlines how schools and families will work together to support student success.
📌 School-Parent Compact – This defines how parents, schools, and students share responsibility for academic achievement.
Your feedback is essential in shaping these documents for the 2025-2026 school year! Please take a few minutes to complete the surveys and share your thoughts.
🔗 Compact: https://forms.office.com/r/Z9NKcyAmyV
🔗 PFE Policy: https://forms.office.com/r/xQGpEdQTQD
Thank you for partnering with us to support our students!
Notice to Community – School Closure Administrative Transfers:
Following the January 13, 2025 approval of the closure of the high school portion (grades 9 through 12) of the Youngsville Middle/High School (YMHS), the district offered resident students of the western attendance area that are enrolled at the school during the 2024/25 school year AND will enroll in grade 9, 10, 11, or 12 in the 2025/26 school year with the opportunity to apply for a transfer – 2025 school reconfiguration to attend Warren Area High School. The application period will remain open until March 31, 2025.
The district has received inquiries from families that are residents of the eastern attendance area (Sheffield) to attend the northern attendance area (Eisenhower). The district is extending an opportunity for resident students of the eastern attendance area that are enrolled at the school during the 2024/25 school year AND will enroll in grades 9, 10, 11, or 12 in the 2025/26 school year with the opportunity to apply for an administrative transfer in accordance with established procedures. The application period will remain open until March 31, 2025.
Again, this is a transfer under normal district policy and procedures but will be included as an administrative transfer until March 31st due to school closure.
If you are interested or need more information about the process, please contact the registrar’s office or the Director of Pupil Services, Dr. Patricia Hawley-Mead at meadp@wcsdpa.org
The district will adhere to established PIAA regulations related to transfers and participation in regular season and eligibility for post-season athletic participation. In the case of administrative transfers as a result of school reconfiguration, the district will request a PIAA waiver for all transfers resulting from the Sheffield Area Middle High School 9-12th grade and Youngsville Middle High School 9-12th grade school closures. The application period closes Monday, March 31, 2025 @ 4p.m.