me ————— Sunday, November 1, 2009 THE DALLAS POST PAGE 3 Dallas High School ranks 32nd in state in PSSA test scores By REBECCA BRIA rbria@timesleader.com Dallas High School has learned that its 2009 Pennsyl- vania System of School Assess- @®: (PSSA) 1l1th-grade sci- ce scores ranked 32 out of 501 school districts in Pennsyl- vania, reports Principal Jeffrey Shaffer. According to Shaffer, science was added to the PSSAs just two years ago. Sixty-three per- cent of the Dallas students ‘Obviously, it's something we're very proud of. It's a testimony to the fruits of our labor. It's the re- sult of the work of a lot of people.” scored advanced or proficient in the science assessment, up from 48 percent the first year of the test. And, while 63 percent may seem low, the number still placed the district in the 93.8 percentile. “Obviously, it’s something we're very proud of,” Shaffer said. “It’s a testimony to the fruits of our labor. It’s the result of the work of a lot of people.” Shaffer says 92 percent of Jeffrey Shaffer Dallas High School principal 11th-graders scored advanced and proficient in 2009. In read- ing, the scores rose from 69 percent to 79 percent advanced or proficient in the past two years. In math, 56 percent of the students scored advanced or proficient, Shaffer says. He be- lieves that score is not reflec- tive of the school’s high scores on Advanced Placement (AP) Calculus tests and the Scholas- tic Aptitude Test (SAT). Shaffer says Dallas had the third highest math and reading scores on the SATs out of 37 lo- cal schools. According to Shaffer, 37 stu- dents took the AP Calculus test in 2009. Of those students, 16 scored a five (the highest score) and eight students scored a four. Twenty-two stu- dents took the test in 2008, of which eight scored a five and eight scored a four. School officials look at what material is being assessed and what they are required to teach and adjust the curriculum as necessary in an effort to im- prove scores, Shaffer says. “We’re happy with our math in SATs and AP and we're put- ting a lot of work into trying to get up the PSSAs,” Shaffer said. Miliauskas 1s Towson band leader John Miliauskas III, son of John and Dorothy Miliauskas of Dallas, is the director of the Towson University Tiger Marching Band which will per- form in the 83rd Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. The parade will be televised at 9 a.m. on Thursday, Nov. 26, on NBC. Miliauskas is the Associate Director of Bands and Director of the Tiger Marching Band at Towson University located in Towson, Md. He now resides in Glen Rock, PA with his wife, Sarah, and their 18-month-old daughter, Ava. His father, John Miliauskas . of Dallas, was a legendary band director for the award- winning Lake-Lehman Black Knights Marching Band for 36 years prior to his retirement. After graduating from Lake- Lehman, John Miliauskas III at- tended Penn State University where he played mellophone in the Penn State Blue Band. Dur- ing this same time period, he also performed with the Gar- field Cadets Drum and Bugle Corps from Garfield, New Jer- sey. He left Penn State to contin- ue his marching experiences at West Chester University, serv- ing as drum major for three years while earning his Bache- lor of Science degree in Music Education. He also served as John Miliauskas lll, a gradu- ate of Lake-Lehman High School, is director of the Towson University Tiger Marching Band. drum major for the Reading Buccaneers Drum and Bugle Corps. Since graduating from West Chester University, Miliauskas moved on to gain numerous ac- complishments as a drill de- signer and public school band director. In 2004, he earned a Masters of Music in Music Edu- cation with a performance op- tion in conducting from West Chester University and ‘then immediately began his current The 2009 Macy's Thanks- giving Day Parade will be television at 9 a.m. on Thursday, Nov. 26, on NBC. position with Towson Universi- ty. Since his first year in taking the position at Towson, the marching band program has grown from approximately 75 participants to more than triple that size. All 230 members, in- cluding color guard performers and drum majors, will march in the Macy’s Parade. The 2009 version of the pa- rade will mark the third time Miliauskas has led a band in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Pa- rade. He previously led the West Chester University Marching Band as drum major in the 1986 Macy’s parade, as well as the Red Land High School Marching Band as pro- gram coordinator in the 1998 parade. The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade has a long history dating back to 1924 when the first parade was held in New York City. The parade, with its vibrant costumes, bands, floats and live animals borrowed from the Central Park Zoo, was such a success that Macy’s de- clared it would become an an- nual event. SCOUTS PLAN FLAG-RAISING CEREMONY Boy Scout Troop 336, Centermoreland, will hold a flag-raising ceremony at 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, Nov 8, at the Honor Wall, intersection of Route 292 and Creamery Road in Centermo- reland, to replace the American flag with a new one. The Scouts will donate the new flag and raise it in observance of Veterans Day. Northmoreland Township supervisors granted approv- al for the Scouts to replace the American flag with a new one. From left, are Boy Scout Troop 336 Scoutmaster William Shaw and Eagle Scout Tristan Bethel. By EILEEN GODIN... Dallas Post Correspondent { } What has tails wagging all over the Back Mountain? The opening of Whiting’s Pet Supplies ends a seven-year stretch of no pet stores in the Back Mountain. Kingston Township Zoning Of- ficer Bill Eck confirmed the last pet store in the Shavertown area was a small section in the back of McCrory’s, a five and dime store located in the Shavertown Shop- ping Center. Whiting’s Pet Supplies is locat- ed off Route 309 next to Sheetz gas and convenience store. Own- ers Carol Whiting and her hus- band, Donn, started the family business in Duryea in 1998. “We tried for six years to get a location out here but there was nothing to rent at the time,” Car- ol said. “We are very happy here. The traffic light makes it easy for people to come in and out.” Typical furry creatures like hamsters, birds and mice, are available for purchase. Then there are the 1500 gallons of fish of all colors and sizes, fresh water and salt. Whiting said her store manager Mark Purdy has 30 years of experience working with aquariums and reptiles. And yes, scaly reptiles like lizards and snakes are available, too. Whiting said the store special- izes in providing the species ap- propriate food to meet the ani- Th 8 ae CHARLOTTE BARTIZEK PHOTOS/ FOR THE DALLAS POST Whiting's Pet Supplies, a new store with many fresh and salt water tanks, has opened in Shaver- town. Shown here, from left, are Carol Whiting, Deborah Shafer and Nefertete. Back Mountain has pet store again Donn Whiting stands in front of fish tanks at his newly-opened pet supplies store in Shavertown. mals’ nutritional needs. “They are born knowing how to eat,” she said. “It may be more expensive for the food but it will be cheaper in the long run, less vet bills.” So what’s the buzz about town on the new pet store? Business neighbor, Amy Pryor, manager of Curves, thinks it’s great to have a pet store nearby. “They are very nice people. I'm glad to see the store fronts filling up,” she said. “It’s great that more people are coming through now.” Shift manager at Sheetz Lisa Megni, of Avoca, said the conve- nience store receives a lot of phone calls of people asking the name of the pet store is. “They just put their sign up not too long ago,” Megni said. “I hope they do well. Melissa Chamberlain, a teach- er at Trucksville Early Childhood Education Center, said the new pet store is really convenient for her. “We use to have to travel into Wilkes-Barre to get a dollar’s worth of crickets to feed the class pets,” she said “Now, we can go just down the road.” The Whitings are thrilled to be part of the Back Mountain com- munity and intend to grow with it, planning to offer a self-serve dog wash area. “You could come, wash your dog and we will clean up the mess,” Carol Whiting said. Other future plans are to offer speakers on nutritional health for pets and seminars on grooming. PEOPLE BRIEFS Roos has deployed Air Force Staff Sgt. Donald C. Roos has deployed overseas to a orward operating base in sup- rt of Operation Iraqi Free- dom. A munitions systems special- ist with six years of military service, Roos is normally as- signed to the 49th Maintenance Squadron, Holloman Air Force Base, Alamogordo, N.M. He is the son of Nancy Ward of Dallas, and Donald Roos of Wilkes-Barre The sergeant graduated in 2000 from the Wyoming Area Secondary Center and received an associate degree in 2008 kom the Community College of the Air Force, Alamogordo, N.M. Spaciano graduates from King's College Shavertown resident Melissa Spaciano received her master’s of education degree from King’s College at recent summer com- mencement exercises. Considine is service award recipient Wyoming Seminary senior Allison Considine of Dallas received the 2009 Alumni Ser- vice Award during Homecoming in recognition of her leadership and service to the Wyoming Seminary community. Considine is two of eight seniors nominated for the award, given during halftime of the homecoming football game. Other Back Mountain residents nominated are Kelsey Gross- man, of Shavertown; and Nicho- las Strzeletz, of Dallas. Considine, daughter of Jack and Tricia Considine, is a Levi Sprague Fellow, student govern- ment president and vice presi- dent of the senior class. She is a member of the Wyoming Semi- nary Chorale and the select Madrigal Singers and is active in the Wyoming Seminary Players and the Dance Company. She also is a member of Peer Group and the Orientation Committee. In the community, she is a volunteer at the Riverview Ridge] Dergorial Care. Home and St. Therese’s Catholic Church. Yanik graduates from Army ROTC John P. Yanik, son of Glenn G. and Marianne Yanik, of Dor- chester Drive, Dallas, has gradu- ated from the Army ROTC (Reserve Officer Training Corps) Leader Development and Assessment Course, also known as “Operation Warrior Forge,” at Fort Lewis, Tacoma, Wash. The 32 days of training pro- vide the best possible profes- sional training and evaluation for all cadets in the aspects of military life, administration and logistical support Yanik is a 2005 graduate of Dallas Seige rHigh$ School, Krywicki, Sullivan recognized by College Board Catherine Sullivan, a 2009 graduate of Lake-Lehman High School, has been recognized by the College Board as a Scholar of Distinction. A student at the Rochester Institute of Technology, Sullivan has earned this prestigious recognition based on her per- formance on the Advanced Placement Exams she took last spring. Dr. Krywicki named society president William Krywicki M.D., FAAOS, of Shavertown, a Geisinger Wyoming Valley Med- ical Center orthopedic surgeon, was recently elected president of the Hughston Orthopaedic Society. Trained in the Hughston style of medicine, Dr. Krywicki serves as chief of orthopedics for Geis- inger Health System and direc- tor of sports medicine at Geis- inger Wyoming Valley. Dr. Krywicki completed fel- lowship training in sports med- icine at the Hughston Clinic in 1983. McSwegin graduates from Boston University Sarah M. McSwegin, of Dal- las, received a master of social Work in Social Work from Bos- ton University in Sepierther. i I i oi e—— FE
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