2018 Newsletter Articles

Digital Media Produces Rover TV

Justin Parson, the new digital media and English teacher at Brockway Area High School received new technology for his class in the summer. The technology was provided by the Brockway Educational Foundation here at Brockway.

“We got a new Tricaster in the summer from the Brockway Educational Foundation,” said Parson. “A Tricaster takes signal from the camera and transmits it. Also, it’s like a virtual studio, and provides us cool opportunities with the green screen.”

Parson has been teaching the digital media class for two years, but it was started by his predecessor. He does weekly broadcasts and hopes to have his students make a mini documentary.

In the digital media class, the students use the cameras, adjust and use the lights, and run the microphones to broadcast on Rover TV. This year, the journalism class will write stories and scripts, while his students will be working with recording the video. The journalism class will also provide on screen anchors.

“My students’ favorite thing to do in the class is mess around in front of the green screen,” said Parson. “We can put almost anything on the screen behind the students.”

Parson and the students now post Week in Review videos to Rover TV’s You Tube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8fLi_N6053AQyPFFlcE8JA?

-Ashley Keith (’19)

Picture above: Mr. Parson in his studio.

Pictures above: The laser engraver and a horse engraved on a block of wood.

Grant Leads to Laser Printer

Through a grant provided by Senator Joe Scarnati’s office, Brockway Area Junior-Senior High School wood shop teacher Jon Barrow was able to purchase a laser engraver.

“It was originally purchased for the guitar building class, to add intricate designs to the guitars, but I plan to allow students to use it for many more things, such as projects done in metal and wood shop classes,” said Barrow.

The Epilog Fusion M2 is able to engrave intricate designs into a multitude of materials, such as wood, metal, and even paper. It is also able to burn materials in order to create unique designs.

A computer software called Corel Draw enables the engraver to transfer the designs from a computer screen to a surface of any kind.

“The engraver is also used to teach students to use the software,” Barrow said. “The engraver does what the computer tells it to.”

Barrow is also open to the possibility of using the engraver to make items that can be sold as fundraisers, such as keychains and magnets. The engraver could also be used to make plaques to be given as awards.

Although students have not had much of an opportunity to test out the new technology, Brockway junior Virginia Snyder is anxious to get working on it.

“I’m looking forward to seeing what materials can be used, and how much detail can be put into designs,” he said.

The engraver has already been tested on glass and wood. Now Barrow and his students need to fine-tune the equipment and their skills with the technology.

- Kiersten Voccola (’19)

Foundation Helps Provide Guitar-Building Class

Mr. John Barrow, a wood shop teacher at Brockway, thought it would be a good idea if he could have high school kids to build and customize their own guitars.

“I thought it would be fun,” he said. “We go through the basic design process and students work on making, stringing, and decorating a real guitar.”

The students pay $90 for the class, but the Foundation covers the rest of the costs. Students work on guitar bodies from maple, cherry, and poplar wood. Other than using paints to make the guitar, students can now use the laser engraver to add designs.

-Lewis Painter (’21)

Picture above: Dakota Malmgren holds a guitar he made in the shop class.

Pictue below: Mr. Barrow (left) with his guitar-making class.

The Periodic Table on the Ceiling!

Mr. Matt Oknefski’s goal with his classroom’s ceiling tiles was to complete the periodic table of the elements. Instead of a boring table of the elements, however, he had his students make it colorful and unique.

“I let the kids pick which element they wanted to paint,” Oknefski said. “The art has to, somehow, be related to the element that the students are painting. If someone needs help making something fit, I help them the best that I can.”

Oknefski chose the periodic table because it fits with his science classes. He grades the artwork based off a rubric looking at format, design, and spelling.

“This allows students to take ownership of the room,” Oknefski said. “They help put their artwork on the ceiling.”

The project has been going on for years, and Oknefski has learned what works well as a tile. Students can also replace past tiles, but the new tile has to be better than the one before.

“If more than one person picks the same element, I have them sketch a rough draft, and whichever is better is the one I pick to go on the ceiling,” Oknefski said. “I have come up with about 35% of all the backgrounds.”

Since the table has been completed, students in his classroom no longer have to look at the boring periodic table in the backs of the planning books. Instead, they can look up and see a colorful, unique, and student-driven table complete with element names, atomic numbers, and symbols.

-Natalee Mooney (‘21)

Pictures above: Ray Ann Clark finishes the Back to the Future tile. Then, tiles from Mr. O's ceiling.

9th Grade Takes Easter to Highland View

Brockway’s ninth grade students made Easter baskets for the elderly at Highland View Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center to make sure these residents were not forgotten.

“It’s important that the kids see beyond themselves and realize the need to give back to the community that has provided so much for them,” explained history teacher Erin Schiafone.

Helen McBride gave Mrs. Schiafone and her students a list of every resident’s first name and suggestions for a personalized basket. Some of the suggestions were socks, magazines, adult coloring books, lotion, and more.

“Through a discussion with them, we came up with the Easter basket project,” Schiafone said. “The residents were thrilled. It really gave a sense of happiness to everyone involved.”

-Hailey Roberto (’21)

Photo: The 9th Graders with their Easter Baskets.

Elementary School See "Wonder"

The recent movie adaptation of R. J. Palacio’s Wonder, which tells the story of a young boy with facial deformities going to a new school and struggling to find acceptance, hit at the right time for elementary students to go to the theater to see it.

“Since kindness is a big theme here this year, there couldn't have been a more perfect year for Wonder to come to theaters,” Elementary Principal Candace Patricelli said.

Wonder is a regular text in fifth grade. Teacher Andrea Oknefski came up with the idea of taking students to the theater. Four teachers, the principal, and 80 fifth graders went to see it.

“They were so well behaved at the theater,” Oknefski said. “They were very respectful and did a great job.”

-Emily N. Sickeri (’19)

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