The Wheel 40.1 Summer 2023

ISSUE 40.1 SUMMER 2023

the

Small School, Big Dreams

BOARD OF TRUSTEES 2022–2023

CONTENTS 1 A Letter from the Head of School 2 Arrivals & Departures 6 2022-2023: A Year in Review 10 A Day in the Life 12 Faculty Profile: Brandon Snyder 14 Facility Upgrades 15 Community Updates 19 Spring Musical 20 A Lasting Legacy 23 Glimpse of Graduation 29 What Students Love about Valley On the Cover: Jada Pope, left, and Georgia Barbera, right, collaborate to combine different substances to find evidence for chemical reactions. During this introduction to chemistry in 8th-grade science, the students further explore the chemical reaction rates and notice the chemical versus physical matter changes of solids and liquids as they experiment. At Valley, we stimulate students’ curiosity and nurture a lifelong love of learning.

Catharine M. Cathey ’81, President Ralph J. Artuso ’71, Vice President Paul A. Hannah, Treasurer Lisa R. Frederick ’87, Secretary Ryan S. Busch ’98, M.D. Nathaniel D. DeRose ’97, Esq. Eric E. Elek, C.F.P. Patrick F. Koch ’96 John McConnell Edward J. Morgan Jessica L. Shirey ’96 Michael F. Szwerc, M.D. Stephanie A. Van Norman Anthony P. Williams, Ed.D. Jonathan P. Strecker, Ed.D., Ex Officio

CONTRIBUTORS Jessica Barbera Debbie Broker Katelyn Bruzda Joanne Copeland Jennifer Fretts Brian Jinks Denise Matheson Debbie Mewherter Jenna Menz Cindy Palmer Carole Paterson Sara Paterson, Editor Michelle Smith Brandon Snyder Candy Springer Jonathan Strecker Kelly Vallely Valley School Students, Faculty, Staff, & Alumni Jessi Yates

PHOTOGRAPHY Jordan Good, Lovelight Photography Bailey Noel, Latrobe Bulletin Valley School Faculty, Staff, Families, & Alumni

PRINTING Unity Printing

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© 2023 Valley School of Ligonier

A LETTER FROM THE HEAD OF SCHOOL

Dear Valley School Community, In an increasingly disconnected and divided world, Valley School of Ligonier faculty and staff pride themselves on fostering a connection with our beloved families. We know that our greatest success will be achieved through our collective wisdom, wellness, integrity, and community. While some might consider this obvious, many rarely appreciate the impact. For those of us in this community, I feel confident in saying, “We Do,” and while we continuously reflect on our work, our foundations are strong and our values are solidified.

Those who consider all the positives, resulting from this deep connection between our families and the school, quickly realize the benefits to students’ well-being, increased academic performance, enhanced individualized support, and heightened trust and rapport leading to a collaborative, communicative place of learning, flourishing, and whole-child growth.

One of the most challenging tasks in life is creating an environment that develops the human mind and soul. Yet every day I work alongside faculty, staff, students, and parents who unrelentingly believe in Valley’s mission, vision, and core values and will accept nothing less than excellence and exceptionality.

Now with The Wheel in hand, you are participating in our communication matrix. We hope this annual document provides you with a small, but inspiring, window into what Valley School has become. Please take a moment to flip through these pages to see many of this year’s greatest success stories.

As another way of communicating with our community, we launched a new website in November 2022. The families of Valley now have a more secure and personalized myValley family portal. With added double authentication, the family portal can now be used to make tuition payments, provide grade-level resource boards, revise personal profile information, and, in the future, update student medical records.

The Alumni Spotlight highlights the success of our graduated Valley students and the events that keep Valley alumni in touch with one another. Visitors to the new website will experience a sleek, uniform design for an easier navigation when exploring the website on mobile devices. Please visit www.valleyschoolofligonier.org to see these updates for yourself and access new content as the school year opens for the new academic year.

Last but not least, we have one more exciting announcement to share with our community. We have recently been voted first place in the Private School category of “Best of Westmoreland County 2023.” We are very proud to be considered the Best Private School in our county and the Laurel Highlands region. We continue to live out the Valley School core value of Building Community by being a positive contributor in Rector and our surrounding communities.

In conclusion, we hope whether you are an alum of Valley School, former parent, current Valley family, or grandparent, you will stay connected through our many opportunities. We enjoy hearing about your many life achievements, and we would love for you to share them with us. Please reach out by phone, email, or in person. Who knows? Maybe you will be a featured page on our website, online social media presence, or even in next year’s issue of The Wheel!

“One of the most challenging tasks in life is creating an environment that develops the human mind and soul.”

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Dr. Jonathan P. Strecker Head of School

Scan with your smartphone to link directly to our updated website.

SUMMER 2023

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ARRIVALS & DEPARTURES

Trustees

WELCOME Mrs. Jennifer T. Welty, P’26, P’29, will join the Valley School of Ligonier Board of Trustees. Jennifer is married to Douglas J. Welty, Esq, and they are the proud parents of Kate and Daniel. Jennifer earned her B.S. and M.Ed. in Elementary Education from Duquesne University. She has been a teacher for 21 years and has spent most of her career working with Gifted and Talented students. As the K-12 gifted teacher for Derry Area School District, Jen designed and implemented a cohesive Gifted Education program for the district that includes teacher training, identifying and enriching students’ academic strengths and interests, and providing real-world experiences outside of the classroom. Jen brings to Valley School a wealth of experience in college and career planning, which she begins in 8th-grade, with the goal of acceptance and financial support at colleges that best fit her students’ academic achievements, abilities, and future plans. Many of her high school graduates have gone on to study as first-generation college students at Ivy League and other prestigious universities. Jennifer enjoys running, playing tennis, and downhill skiing with her family.

Faculty & Staff

WELCOME

Due to increasing enrollment in our Lower School, we are growing from our roots with the addition of new faculty and staff. We’re so excited to see how our community continues to flourish with these new individuals as part of Valley School.

Lakeisha Bearer Kindergarten Teacher, 2022-23 School Year Mrs. Lakeisha Bearer, a local to the area, knew from a young age that she wanted to be a teacher. She graduated from California University of Pennsylvania in 2012 before moving to Fairfax County, VA to teach third grade.

After two years, she moved home to her new husband and became a preschool teacher in Ligonier. With a hunger to learn, Lakeisha earned a Master’s Degree in Early Childhood Education just as she began her public-school journey at Westmont Hilltop School District in 2018. There, she taught first- and secondgrade before discovering her love for kindergarten. Ready for a change, she decided to leap into a new journey at Valley School in 2022.

Along her professional path, Lakeisha created a family of 5 with her husband, Alex. Together, they have three children: Evelyn (a rising second-grader), Maxine (a rising kindergartener), & Bennett (2). They recently moved into their forever home in Stahlstown, just a few minutes from both of their parents’ farms, and are excited about the many adventures Valley School will hold.

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Jolene Cummins Grade 2 Teacher, 2022-23 School Year Ms. Jolene Cummins knew Valley School was a perfect fit for her the first time she walked down the winding path to the front door. A Mount Pleasant native, she moved from rural Virginia to the Ligonier area to join the Valley School team as a second-grade teacher. Her parents were both school teachers, so after raising her three children, she naturally gravitated towards education. Over the course of ten years at Verna Montessori School, she gained valuable experience teaching first-, second-, and third-grade students and deepened her knowledge of the whole-child approach to teaching.

Jolene’s love for flowers has her in her garden whenever possible. She is so grateful for Valley School’s natural surroundings, and look forward to opportunities to connect our curriculum with outdoor learning.

Renee Moore Upper School Technology Teacher, 2022-23 School Year Mrs. Renee Moore arrives at Valley School from teaching in the Tyrone Area School District for the last 20 years. After studying early childhood and elementary education at Clarion University, she furthered her education with a Master’s in early childhood literacy at Wilkes University. After teaching preschool through 2nd-grade for the majority of her teaching career, during the 2019-2020

school year, she pivoted to teaching technology, which made her a perfect fit for the Upper School Technology Teacher here at Valley School. She is looking forward to growing as a teacher and challenging her students to embrace the ever-evolving technology in our world. One of the highlights of Mrs. Moore’s mornings on campus is to walk past the wheel.

In her free time, Renee enjoys spending time with her family, including her husband, two grown children, and her stepdaughter, and exploring and hiking in the beautiful Laurel Highlands. She also enjoys reading suspense novels on her Kindle and crafting handmade gifts with her Cricut.

Moira Smith Lower School Science Teacher, 2022-23 School Year Mrs. Moira Smith grew up in Ligonier and her most cherished childhood memories include time spent outdoors. Time spent stomping in streams, “rescuing” caterpillars and earthworms, and enjoying summer camp at Powdermill Nature Reserve led to West Virginia camping adventures, college biology courses, and eventually, environmental education as an adult.

After living and teaching in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, Moira ventured towards teaching indoors at Landmark School in Manchester, Massachusetts. There she earned a Master’s degree in Special Education, and developed an understanding of how children with dyslexia learn and thrive.

Moira then shifted to Brookwood School, which happens to be right next door to Landmark! She dove into many facets of education there, including special education, 2nd- and 3rdgrade general education, and school administration.

Terri Stewart School Counselor, 2022-23 School Year Mrs. Terri Stewart grew up in the outskirts of Houston, TX. After graduating from Brenham High School, she joined the US Marine Corp as a radio communications operator. Upon completing her military obligations, she discovered her passion for teaching.

Terri earned her Associate of Arts and Bachelor of Science degrees from Campbell University and her teaching certification and Master of Science (Counseling) degree from University of Houston, Clear Lake.

Terri worked as an elementary and junior high teacher in Texas before she became a school counselor. The transition was her response to the hardships regional families faced in the aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina and Ike. Terri joined Valley School as a school counselor in 2022, and relishes the opportunity to help students and their families overcome challenges.

During the summer months and weekends, Terri enjoys kayaking, canoeing, camping, reading, and otherwise enjoying the outdoors. She spends time with her friends, family, and grandchildren when they come to visit her from Houston.

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Sara Paterson Director of Marketing & Communications, April 2023 Mrs. Sara Paterson moved to Ligonier with her husband and son in March 2020. She arrived at Valley School after working in marketing at a local Ligonier Valley non-profit. Sara has considered herself a lifelong learner; she is usually reading two to three books at one time. Prior to her work in non-profit, her corporate career has been growing health and wellness brands, so she closely aligned with the Valley School Core Values.

Sara is excited to grow brand awareness and share the unique educational experience that we offer our students at Valley School to the Laurel Highlands region and beyond through the Director of Marketing & Communications role.

In her free time, Sara enjoys playing tennis, walking, and spending time with her family.

Brian Moore Director of Development, June 2023 Mr. Brian Moore is a familiar face to the Valley School community. He taught social studies at Westmont Hilltop High School for 30 years and has two Master’s degrees in teaching and public policy from the University of Pittsburgh. As a past parent to Sydney Moore ’19, he returned to the school as a substitute teacher last school year.

Brian is looking forward to furthering the work of Valley School through the Advancement office in his new role as Director of Development. He has seen the personalized attention and hands-on teaching experience truly mold Valley students into good humans, as he saw the transformation first-hand with his daughter. His hobbies include cycling, hiking, and spending as much time as possible outdoors.

Mary Mehala Head of Finance and Operations, July 2023 Ms. Mary Mehala comes to Valley in the midst of a highly successful career in independent education.

For the past four years, she has served as Director of Finance and Operations at Greene Street Friends School in Philadelphia.

Mary’s transition to Valley School is the result of a fortunate confluence of life events. She was introduced to our School last year through her work as a member of our PAIS accreditation committee. Over the course of her visit, she was struck by the strength and poignancy of our Core Values, most especially Cultivating Wellness, which she sees as a critical proactive, holistic, and lifelong endeavor. When her two daughters graduated

from college last year, Mary found herself in a moment of opportunity, and reached out about the upcoming vacancy in our business office. Her professional and academic background (BA in International Business Administration from the American University of Paris and MBA from Strayer University) make her a perfect fit for Valley School.

Mary has expressed that she is in a wonderful place in the arc of her personal and professional life. With many experiences and lessons behind her, she looks forward to a new chapter of personal development and fulfillment—as well as professional evolution. Mary is a lover of the arts—written, performing, and culinary—and is inspired in her creative pursuits by nature. She is excited to take advantage of the Laurel Highlands’ extensive trail systems, participate in regional theater, and become an active member of our school and local community.

Denise Matheson Athletics and Advancement Support, August 2023 Growing up in a military family, relocations were an inevitable part of Mrs. Denise Matheson’s life.

She learned from an early age to embrace the life of a tourist. Travel basketball teams and study abroad experiences propelled Denise into a life of adventure. After wrapping up her collegiate basketball career, she married her college sweetheart, Tyler, and moved to Andalucia, Spain, to pursue a career in education.

Back on U.S. soil, Denise embarked on a basketball coaching career at The College of Idaho. Three of her five children were born in the off-season and learned to dunk a basketball before they could crawl. In 2017, Denise and Tyler welcomed the last two members of their team, identical twin girls, and motherhood took precedence over coaching. Valley School welcomed the three oldest Matheson children to the school in 2020. This school year, Mrs. Denise Matheson will be working with the Advancement Team and Athletics at Valley School while her youngest children attend kindergarten.

Taylor Allison Grade 1 Teacher, 2023-24 School Year Ms. Taylor Allison graduated from Saint Vincent College in May 2022 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Early Childhood Education. She minored in Disability Studies and Children Studies and is certified in Early Childhood Education PreK-4 and Special Education K-12.

Professionally, Taylor traveled to the United Kingdom to study the education system abroad. She also completed her student teaching in first grade at Fort Allen Elementary School and 9-12 Autistic Support at Hempfield Area High School.

Taylor was new to Valley School in 2022 as a classroom aide and was thrilled to be working in her hometown. Ms. Allison will have her own classroom in the 2023-24 school year as a first-grade teacher. Her favorite thing about Valley School is the sense of community and the large support system that is

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present in the school. Outside of school, Taylor enjoys traveling, reading, and doing yoga.

Rachel Bankaci Lower School Classroom Aide, 2023-24 School Year Mrs. Rachel Bankaci joins us with a background in secondary social studies education and higher education. She spent this past year as a familiar face as a substitute for all grades, and she will be joining the faculty as a Lower School Classroom Aide this school year.

She enjoys spending time with her husband, Serdar, and their children, Lilly and Kaan, who both attend Valley School. In her free time, Rachel is an avid runner and a certified RRCA running coach.

Jenna Menz Kindergarten Teacher, 2023-24 School Year Mrs. Jenna Menz, a Saint Mary’s College (IN) graduate, comes to us with 12 years of teaching experience at the elementary grade levels, both as a classroom teacher and a special educator. She holds a degree in Elementary Education, a Reading Specialist Certificate of Advanced Study (University of Pittsburgh), and a Master of Science in Curriculum and Instruction (Saint Vincent College). In her free time, Jenna enjoys spending quality time with her family of four: her husband, Jeremy, and her two kids, Finn (4 years) and Emma (10 months). They enjoy rooting for Notre Dame football, visiting parks, building puzzles, blowing bubbles, and cooking out. She prefers to be outside, even tackling new landscaping projects alongside her dad.

Robin Wilkinson Artist in Residence, 2023-24 School Year Mrs. Robin Wilkinson will be our Artist in Residence. She graduated from Washington and Jefferson College with a Bachelor’s degree in Art and a Master’s degree in Art Education from Carlow College. Robin began her teaching career and coached the girls’ Varsity basketball team at Valley School of Ligonier. She left Valley to raise her children and now that both are in college, she’s excited to be returning to teach second grade and Upper School art.

When she’s not at school teaching, she is in her home studio teaching private lessons, working on her own artwork, or preparing for one of her upcoming art shows.

WE’LL MISS YOU Sandi Fryer Kindergarten Teacher, Retired June 2022 Over her 27 years at Valley School, Mrs. Sandi Fryer taught hundreds of children, the majority for whom she was their very first teacher.

Sandi always knew the value of- and opportunity in- that reality. She went above and beyond to put into place the foundation upon which her students would live lives full of curious wonder, love of learning, and fearless adventuring. Sandi herself is a lifelong learner and explorer. An avid traveler with scuba certification and a taste for world cuisine, she epitomizes the notion of adventurous spirit. Add to that her love for her students and believe that teaching is a profession one should embody fully, and you have a teacher who generously enriched her students’ learning with passion, creativity, and bravery.

Kindergarten is a vital early childhood experience- one that should teach children that school is an exciting and fun place, filled with people who will care for them and guide them lovingly. We thank Sandi for her many years of creating those essential educational foundations here for the children at Valley School.

Karen Koza Librarian, Retired June 2022 Mrs. Karen Koza worked in education for 48 years. The last 33 years were at Valley School, where she first taught 5th-grade, and then, since 2012, served as our librarian. Karen’s work with students revealed that her commitment to supporting the Valley School mission was more than just a matter of doing her job. Inspiring students to live lives of “moral behavior, seeking wisdom, and doing good works for others” was who she is and what she believes in.

As one of the only faculty who worked regularly with every grade level and every student, Karen knew her Valley School students exceptionally well. She had a special talent for seeing them as individuals, and valuing them for their unique gifts- and challenges. Teaching her students that mistakes can be employed as opportunities for growth, she helped children to think through their decision making, and see the importance of the learning process. Countless alumni and families are grateful for Karen’s dedication to helping her students realize their full potential.

Jessica Barbera Director of Marketing & Communications Jessica Barbera served as the inaugural Director of Marketing & Communications at Valley School since 2018. She was instrumental in professionalizing marketing and communications at the school. During

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her time here, Jessica undertook many initiatives. Highlights include a more focused approach to enhancing brand awareness throughout the Laurel Highlands and supporting the mission of the school by assisting in the generation of Development and Admissions materials. She worked diligently to design and launch our new website in Fall 2023. She is a skilled writer whose work elevated the voice of the school.

We wish Jessica the very best in her future professional career.

We thank her for contributing to the Valley School community.

Michelle Smith Director of Development We bid a fond farewell to Michelle Smith, who has served as Valley School’s Director of Development for the past four years. During her tenure at Valley School, Michelle worked diligently to increase the number of giving opportunities, including the endowed scholarships (the Green and Gold Endowed Scholarship Fund and the Prosser Mellon Scholarship). Michelle also boosted the total amount of funds raised for Valley School by expanding the EITC program to include individuals and businesses and consistently growing Valley Fund. She helped to grow fundraising events at Valley School, including the Gala and Sporting Clays shoot, along with launching the Venture Forth capital campaign.

Michelle’s dedication to Valley School and its mission has ensured the financial resources necessary to offer exceptional education opportunities and experiences to our students, and by extension, their families. We wish Michelle all the best as she departs Valley School and express our thanks for her many contributions to our community.

Tammy Kline Business Manager, Retired June 2023 As Valley School says farewell to Mrs. Tammy Kline, who has been our Business Manager for 21 years, we cannot help but feel a bittersweet mix of emotions. We’re so happy for you and all the exciting new opportunities that retirement will offer you. Valley School will deeply miss your presence and the invaluable contributions you have made to our school.

Throughout Tammy’s time at Valley, she has consistently demonstrated exceptional dedication, passion, and expertise in her work with guiding many families through the financial aid process. Her commitment to excellence has set a high standard for all of us; Tammy’s positive impact will continue to resonate long after her departure.

Beyond Tammy’s professional accomplishments at the school, it is her warm, approachable nature that our community will remember most fondly. Tammy’s genuine kindness, contagious thoughtfulness, and willingness to go the extra mile have made Valley a better and more enjoyable school for all of us.

A YEAR IN AUGUST What a gift it was to see the joy and excitement in the faces of our students and their respective parents as we welcomed them back on August 29 for the start of the 2022-23 school year.

Valley hosted Mount Lebanon, North Allegheny, Rockwood, Mount Pleasant, Pine Richland, and Westmont Hilltop schools on September 17 for our 2022 Fall Tournament, showcasing our boys’ soccer and girls’ field hockey teams. As Coach Rohrer says, “Iron sharpens iron.”

Valley School launched our inaugural Founders’ Day in September 2021 to honor the legacy of our founders, Constance Prosser Mellon and Richard King Mellon. This past September, we recognized the generosity of local philanthropist, Paul G. Benedum, Jr. Mr. Benedum visited us for Chapel to share his Foundation’s vision of providing superior educational opportunities and making a positive difference in others’ lives.

SEPTEMBER

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We held the 18th Annual Friends of Valley School of Ligonier Golf Tournament, presented by BNY Mellon, at Laurel Valley Golf Club on September 22.

On September 30, Valley School celebrated the life of alumnus Srinvasa Prasad Gutti ‘96 (affectionately known as “Vasu”), who passed away in May of 2004. In a ceremony which commemorates Vasu’s unparalleled passion for South Asian performing arts, Dr. Strecker announced the dedication of our auditorium stage—now renamed the Vasu Gutti Performing Arts Stage—and unveiled Vasu’s portrait and plaque.

REVIEW OCTOBER A dedicated and creative group of 7th- and 8th-graders took part in the 63rd annual Fort Ligonier Days parade by building a float to illustrate the theme of this year’s festivities“Honoring Historical Traditions.”

In November, Valley School alumni joined current and past faculty for a festive fall Alumni Brunch catered by our local farmto-table favorite, The Pickled Chef. Over 50 guests attended, bringing their updates, memories, and stories to share! Alumni, save the date for our next brunch, scheduled for Saturday, November 18, 2023.

NOVEMBER

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DECEMBER Our 5th-graders and their parents gathered for their first formal social dance off-campus at DeNunzio’s Italian Chophouse at Arnold Palmer Regional Airport.

Our talented 5th- and 6th-grade classes took to the Vasu Gutti Performing Arts Stage for the Valley School Winter Concert, a twopart production featuring a festive orchestra repertoire and a debut musical performance, A Year with Frog and Toad.

The annual Carol Sing tradition was held on the Friday before Winter Break. In front of the beautifully decorated Christmas tree on the playground, instrumental musicians first played some festive holiday tunes, and then came the caroling, using the same song sheets from over the years. Per tradition, the Carol Sing ended with a peaceful group rendition of “Silent Night” as the send-off for the holiday season.

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Valley School was honored to host a ceremony for Ian Fox ’20 and Noah Lawson ’20, who have been appointed to the United States Military Academy at West Point. At the acceptance ceremony, Noah and Ian each addressed the audience, thanking their families and friends for unwavering support, looking ahead with confidence, and reflecting back with gratitude.

FEBRUARY 2023

As part of 4th grade’s ELA “Informational Masterpiece,” each student was required to find facts about an animal, write a report, work with a partner to write a skit, create a sponsorship product and poem, memorize their lines, and create a puppet. Our 4th-graders then presented their annual puppet show to parents and lower school classmates.

MARCH

APRIL We held our annual Auction & Art Show on April 22 at Fort Ligonier.

Guests gathered at the Fort’s Center for History Education, enjoying delicious cuisine and cocktails along with vibrant conversations surrounding the students’ beautiful artwork.

All students in grades K-8 participate in experiential learning through field trips to get to know each other better, make connections with new people, and learn in an authentic environment. The 8th-graders traveled to Costa Rica for eight days to embrace the culture and use the target language, Spanish, which they studied since kindergarten. During their expedition, students helped do research on dolphins and dart frogs, learned about ancient traditions and the importance of native communities like the Terrabas, hiked in the rainforest and in the cloud forest at 10,000 feet, canoed in the Pacific Ocean, ziplined, and even milked cows by hand. The students’ community service project abroad included trail maintenance on the Seelye Ranch by moving over two tons of dirt and rocks by hand.

We celebrated the return of Grandfriends Day on May 5, hosting over 200 special guests including grandparents and loved ones from near and far. The day is an opportunity for Valley School children to share—and maybe even show off—their school to some of their favorite people.

MAY

On Sports Day, Valley School Green and Gold teams faced off against one another in potato sack races, three-legged derbies, water balloon tosses, tug-o-war challenges, wet sponge relays, giant ball battles, and other classic games. The day included shrieks, cheers, and giggles galore! Every student plays, and every spectator loves it.

The end of each school year marked the beginning of a new chapter for several groups of students.

Here, the 4th-graders said good-bye to Lower School and were enthusiastically welcomed to Upper School as rising 5thgraders. In addition, eighteen 8th-graders departed Valley School for their next chapters as part of graduation on June 1. We wish the graduates the best of luck in their future educational journeys!

JUNE

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A DAY IN THE LIFE

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FACULTY SPOTLIGHT

Exploring the World with Mr. Brandon Snyder ’08

By Sara Paterson

Mr. Snyder has recognized Valley School as a home away from home since 2000, when he enrolled as a fourth grader. Fortunate to have both of his parents working on campus, he spent his early learning years acknowledging his teachers and peers as if they were part of his extended family. Building this trust within the Valley community, coupled with an excitement for learning and the inherent natural beauty of the school environment, captivated Mr. Snyder’s mind and heart and propelled him into the world of teaching.

At the young age of 11, Mr. Snyder decided that he was going to be a teacher. He credits Mr. Ron Nordstrom, his sixthgrade science teacher, with introducing him to biology and demonstrating the possibilities of life through the lens of a faculty member at Valley School—a dream that he realized soon after an exciting childhood. The guidance provided by his teachers at Valley, years of attending Powder Mill Nature Camp, and various travel opportunities led Mr. Snyder to pursue a Bachelor’s of Science in Biology and a Secondary Education certificate at Saint Vincent College.

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Naturally, he was welcomed back to his alma mater after graduating from college in 2015. Following in the footsteps of Mr. Nordstrom, his former teacher turned mentor and friend, Mr. Snyder immersed himself in teaching the diverse science curriculum offered at Valley School. He discovered a passion for teaching physical and Earth science in addition to his primary expertise of cellular biology.

One of the many continuing education opportunities that Mr. Snyder attended was the American Wilderness Leadership School in Jackson Hole, Wyoming with Ms. Carole Paterson, his co-teacher in the Valley science department. He has also been to National Science Teaching Association (NSTA) conferences in Los Angeles, Baltimore, and Chicago. These learning experiences have encouraged Mr. Snyder to keep an engaged and open mind for teaching his students, allowing him to keep ahead of the science teaching trends, resources, and standards. He has high standards that he expects of his students and relishes in the opportunity to prepare his students for high school and beyond. One of the biggest challenges for STEM teachers today is to prepare students for jobs that do

not yet exist. Mr. Snyder reiterates to his students that the goal of learning in science class is not to memorize and know concepts. He prepares his students to ask the right questions and further develop their science and engineering critical thinking skills by stretching their minds and encouraging them to enable a growth mindset when solving problems.

Spain, Ireland, Caribbean Islands, Ecuador, Chicago, Washington, D.C., and Wyoming is a condensed list of destinations where Mr. Snyder has capitalized on the

opportunity to expand his knowledge through travel. He is a self-proclaimed “Professional Development Fanatic” and reverently described by his co-workers in the same light. Ms. Carole Paterson affirms, “Mr. Snyder is my person at school, the one whom I can refer and defer to. He is brilliant, levelheaded, and exudes a passion for enriching our students’ lives.”

Mr. Snyder has the students doing and living out the science subjects, not just learning the concepts of Upper School science. Instead of reading what happens if a species dies in an ecosystem in a textbook, they can use inquiry-based learning to figure out why it happens. Specifically, Mr. Snyder teaches the students what they can do if orangutans were to go extinct in Indonesia, what would be the implications for our entire world. As mentioned previously, he teaches them to follow the scientific method to develop their questioning and analytical skills. He wants his students to ask the important questions, design the experiments, find reliable factual sources, and develop argumentation from the information they learn from the experiments. For example, instead of memorizing the concepts of how solar eclipses or moon phases, students are learning it using models in the classroom.

One of his long-term educational plans is for his students to start a science research project in sixth-grade and finalize the project as part of their eighth-grade year. Mr. Snyder makes the science concepts as rooted in actual observable phenomena that the students can relate to as possible.

Rather than memorizing the equation for photosynthesis, the students are creating the experiments where they observe the requirements for a plant to grow and how the resources of sun, light, and soil being used as the plant grows in the classroom.

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Mr. Snyder also understands the importance of taking care of the resources in our world. His favorite animal is coral, and if he wasn’t a science teacher, he would want to work on coral restoration and genetically engineering or cultivating coral that are more open to increasing ocean temperatures. He reminds his students that the world’s oceans are getting more acidic, and he teaches practical ways to limit each student’s impact on our environment, including eliminating single-use plastic bottles and drinking from a reusable water bottle.

Growing up near a stream in Laurel Mountain Borough, going to Powder Mill Nature Reserve for summer camp, and going to school at Valley with Linn Run flowing right through campus cultivated in Mr. Snyder a love of water and all the diverse creatures that live in all bodies of water. This passion for studying bodies of water made him yearn to learn more about the ecosystems in our world’s oceans. Traveling to Wallops Island, Virginia on a field trip as a Valley student was eye-opening. While in Virginia, he developed an excitement about coastal ecology and marine ecosystems. This interest led to his study abroad experience through a marine biology class at Saint Vincent College. He was on a boat for a month in the Dutch Antilles in the Caribbean. While there he went scuba diving every day and studied the coral reef and the various challenges impacting its health.

Mr. Snyder’s favorite part about his job and working at Valley School are the access to fresh water ecosystems. He is grateful to have the beautiful Linn Run right by his classroom.

He thoroughly enjoys being immersed in the habitat, water chemistry, biodiversity, and overall health of the stream. He reminds his students daily about the importance of protecting our world while exploring new corners of the Earth to experience others’ perspectives.

A different way that Mr. Snyder seeks wisdom is through acting. During his time at Valley, Ms. Laura Varga taught him the subjects of English and theatre as a sixth-grader. She inspired his love of the theater and acting. Some of his favorite shows in which to act include Guys and Dolls, Annie, and You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown. Mr. Snyder has been acting since he was ten years old, and he is still very active in local theater productions.

Mr. Snyder has a thirst for knowledge by traveling and learning about other cultures, continuously keeping up with the latest scientific research, and expressing himself through theater.

His favorite things to teach in the subject of science include the human body and health and understanding how our body works helps us to take care of it. As previously mentioned, Mr. Snyder enjoys teaching about ecosystems, explaining to his students how understanding how they are interconnected helps us develop a mindfulness about how our human actions affect the entire planet Earth. As a lifelong learner, he brings his educational and life experiences to the classroom to teach the students at Valley how to explore the possibilities and wonders of their world.

Facility Upgrades In the summer of 2022, Valley School maintenance staff and contractors worked hard to remodel eight classrooms, creating larger classroom spaces for our students and faculty.

The spaces that were completely transformed included three Science labs, two Technology labs, a new kindergarten classroom, the Lower School Spanish classroom, and a 5th-grade classroom. Several Fine Arts classrooms received a fresh coat of paint and other updates to bring elements of nature into the indoor spaces. The employee lounge space was also updated, and two employee offices were added adjoining the lounge.

“The modernized Science & Technology lab spaces allow us to move STEM learning forward in the midst of ever-evolving 21stcentury technology.”

—Brandon Snyder, Upper School Science Teacher

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COMMUNITY UPDATES

Alumni

Alumni and friends, we love keeping in touch with you!

Zoe (Burgoon) Barley ’52 remembers the students in the Class of 1952: four boys and two girls. Peter Messer was the headmaster. The total enrollment was small enough that it felt like one large family. A decision could be made on a fine spring day to take the whole Upper School off on a hike through the woods. Some students came on the train from Latrobe. The bus she caught in Ligonier stopped at the train station to pick them up. Zoe recalls, “Valley was a wonderful educational experience after two challenging schools in the previous year. I have such fond memories of the school.”

Guten Tag! Capri Cable ‘14 is currently living on a U.S. Military Base in Grafenwoehr, Germany (about three hours from the Alps) and working as a verifying official for the U.S. government.

She lives with her fiancé, Colton Roe, who is an active duty First Lieutenant in the U.S. Army stationed in Germany and currently training in Senegal, Africa. He is a part of the 173rd Airborne Brigade jumping out of planes while Capri works at her office watching him out the window.

The couple has visited fourteen new European countries. They loved Luxembourg, Slovakia, and Croatia, but the Italian in Capri has adored being a six-hour drive from beautiful Venice.

They are loving their time overseas, soaking up all the food and wine Europe has to offer; though they miss their friends and family in the States, they never want to leave.

Please send your updates and photos to: advancement@valleyschoolofligonier.org

language. Capri wishes the best to the Valley community and her fellow alums.

Capri Cable and fiancé, Colton Roe, at most recent Military Ball

On August 27, 2022, Will Castelli ’05 married his long-time partner, Eric Zindorf at a 1960s summer camp in Northeastern Pennsylvania. Two years ago during the height of COVID, Eric and Will moved to a small farm near Honesdale, PA and now have a Dalmatian, a calico cat, and a tractor.

Eric is an artist, and Will is a Director at ISSEY MIYAKE USA overseeing its retail and marketing departments with frequent travel to Tokyo and Paris. The couple keeps a studio apartment in New York City, and Will commutes weekly between NY and PA.

Señora’s Seanz’s Spanish class and Magistra Miller’s Latin class helped so much with learning the German

Left, Eric Zindorf & Right, Will Castelli

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Anna (Berndtson) Coor ’53 is a retired teacher. In her retirement she enjoys volunteering at The Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix, AZ. She loved her years as a student at Valley School and looks back on those years of her life very fondly.

Anna Coor

Richmond Curtiss ‘77 appeared on the TV show “Master Minds” on the Game Show Network (GSN) on February 9, 2023. Anyone who has GSN as part of their TV provider package or has access through some other platform should be able to pull it up through their platform or on the GSN website. Richmond’s episode was #4034.

Cece Daniele ’18 is currently attending Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) in Worcester, Massachusetts studying Mechanical Engineering with a concentration in Mechanical Design.

She joined a sorority on campus, Alpha Gamma Delta. The sorority participates in volunteer work for their chosen philanthropy, which is “fighting hunger.”

Being a sorority member has allowed Cece to make a lot of connections on and off campus. Cece is also the President of the Underwater Hockey

Club. She has officially accepted an internship in Waltham, Massachusetts (about 20 minutes outside of Boston) with DPR Construction, where she will be a Project Engineer Intern.

Doug Jamison ’68 earned his Private Glider Pilot license last fall.

Doug Jamison (R) shaking the FAA Examiner’s hand after passing the pilot license exam.

Cece unicycling over the fountain at WPI (a valued campus tradition).

Hunter Mellon ’16 graduated from Georgetown University with a B.A. in Government and a B.A. in Theology & Religious Studies. He will be attending Harvard Law School in the fall of 2023.

Chloe Pohland ’16 graduated in May 2023 with a Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing with a Medical Spanish Minor Summa Cum Laude from Seton Hill University. She received the Sullivan Award for a 4.0 GPA and the first nursing leadership excellence award.

Last August, her boyfriend of five years became her fiancé. Chloe and Connor will be married in summer 2024 at Oak Lodge. This summer she will begin her first nursing job in the medical surgical ICU at UPMC Mercy in Pittsburgh. She is also in the process of chartering Sigma Theta Tau nursing honor society at Seton Hill University. She is very excited for the road ahead, with her next career goal to pursue a CCRN (critical care nursing certification).

Abby Doperak ’19 has transferred from University of Pittsburgh-Johnstown to study at the University of Tennessee for the upcoming 2023 fall semester.

She will study journalism and electronic media.

Maggi Durkan ‘20 graduated from St. Andrew’s School in Boca Raton, FL on Saturday, May 20, 2023. She will be attending High Point University in the Fall.

Hunter Mellon

Chloe Pohland and her fiancé, Connor Touhey

Dick Kneedler ’57 recently celebrated his 80th birthday with friends and family, including his wife of 56 years, Suzette, son, daughter, and four grandchildren.

Jack Durkan ‘22, Maggi Durkan ‘20, Kristin Durkan, and Tom Durkan

Wendy Hager ’80 will retire on June 15, 2023 from Greater Latrobe School District after 21 years as a Senior High School Counselor and 4 years at Laurel Valley Middle/High School.

She is looking forward to volunteering, traveling, skiing midweek, and working part-time in the hospitality industry.

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L TO R- granddaughter Kenzie Kneedler, grandson Samuel Kneedler, daughter Rebecca Kneedler, daughter-in-law Kristin Kneedler, Dick Kneedler, wife Suzette Kneedler, & son Eric Kneedler

WHERE TO NEXT?

Class of 2020 Ethan Banks

University of Pittsburgh, Frederick Honors College

Beatty Cathey Wake Forest University / Cornell University Sterling Cathey Georgetown University Maggi Durkan High Point University Lilley Fiedler Texas Christian University Ian Fox United States Military Academy at West Point Jude Gardner Duquesne University Sofia Goldblatt University of Pittsburgh

Emma Herrington Washington & Jefferson College Krishna Lakkimsetty Exploring future servicelearning and career experience opportunities Noah Lawson United States Military Academy at West Point Madeline Manges Pennsylvania State University Aiden Mellon University of Wisconsin at Madison Nea Mentor Undecided university in Germany Travis Skovira Indiana University of Pennsylvania We wish these alumni all the best in their studies!

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Faculty, Staff, and Friends Jeff and Sharon Snyder’s daughter, Brooke (Snyder) Tutino ’11, was married on January 8, 2022 to Alex Tutino. The couple now resides in their new home in Ligonier.

Brooke & Alex Tutino

On December 11, 2022, Valley School’s Learning Specialist Hannah Earhart was engaged to Mark Lichanec of Ford City, PA. While they love camping, riding Jeep trails, attending antique engine shows, and being outdoors in general, Mark proposed on a cozy Sunday morning while inside decorating the Christmas tree. The couple will be married on June 22, 2024 in Cadogan, PA.

Mark Lichanec & Hannah Earhart

Support Valley School through Pennsylvania’s Educational Improvement Tax Credit Program.

The Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) Program is a state-run program that provides companies or individuals with a state tax credit for making a contribution to a non-profit Scholarship Organization such as Valley School of Ligonier. All contributions through EITC are used exclusively for financial aid at Valley School.

For more information regarding Valley School and the EITC program, contact Brian Moore, Director of Development, at 724.238.6652 or bmoore@valleyschoolofligonier.org.

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The Copeland family is excited to share that our extended Valley School community has expanded with the arrival of Nohr Oliver McIlroy, the first child of Jessica (Copeland ) McIlroy ‘03 and her husband, Killian. Along with her responsibilities as a senior manager of visual merchandising for La Senza in Columbus, Jessica is finding motherhood to be an amazing adventure!

Joanne Copeland enjoys spending time as a loving “Nana” to her new grandchild and looks forward to monthly weekend trips to Ohio to snuggle up and read the classic bedtime story, Goodnight Moon!

Jessica (Copeland) McIlroy, Nohr McIlroy, Joanne Copeland

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SPRING MUSICAL

Who lives in a pineapple under the sea?!

by Denise Matheson Lights, camera, ACTION! The stakes were higher than ever in this dynamic stage musical, as SpongeBob and all of Bikini Bottom faced the annihilation of their undersea world.

Chaos erupted. Lives hung in the balance.

And just when all hope seemed lost, a most unexpected hero rose up and took center stage. This award-winning musical, based on the beloved animated series, demonstrated how the power of optimism really can save the world!

The SpongeBob Musical was performed live on-stage for the first time at Valley

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School on March 10 - 11, 2023. The stunning, all-singing, all-dancing, energetic stage show was co-directed by musical phenom, Mr. Brian Jinks, and ingenious mastermind, Ms. Jessi Yates. Mrs. Debbie Broker, Valley musical co-founder and Music Director extraordinaire, continued her vital role in this, her 26th year of productions.

Our incredibly talented 7th- and 8thgrade performers diligently rehearsed for the entire second trimester— memorizing clever lines, well-known songs, and original choreography.

Simultaneously, the stage crew and costume designers honed in on the

details behind the scenes - creating and designing everything from the vibrant stage sets to props to hand-sewn costumes. Mrs. Debbie Mewherter, Mr. Brandon Snyder, and Mrs. Kelly Vallely assisted with props, costuming, and set construction and design.

The neon backdrop, catchy tunes and heart-warming message of the power of friendship left a cheerful impression on our Valley School family and friends. The Music and Fine Arts departments wish to give a big THANK YOU to everyone in the Valley School community who contributed to the success of the The SpongeBob Musical performance!

A Lasting Legacy

By Sara Paterson

When Skip Wissinger’s family moved to the Ligonier Valley area, his dad was working on a local research farm run by the Pennsylvania State University in Rector. After seeing the educational options available to their children, Skip’s parents decided to send he and his younger brother, Gordon, to Valley School of Ligonier.

Skip started at Valley in second grade. His favorite teacher was Mr. Malcolm Tweedy, and he had a close relationship with Mr. Peter Messer, the first Headmaster of Valley School. Over time, the Wissinger family became close

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friends with both the Tweedy and Messer families. Skip has fond childhood memories of playing in the Messers’ yard, as if the yard were a secondary playground for him. Skip recalls that one of his earliest childhood friends was Colin Messer, Mr. Messer’s son.

Skip’s other memories at Valley include the wonderful school lunches served family style that have been provided year after year in the Dining Hall. He laughed when he recalled, “I didn’t truly appreciate the school lunch menu. One of my favorite lunches was chili served

ALUMNI PROFILE

over a serving of mashed potatoes.” Another favorite memory was Latin class. He liked Latin because there was a certain satisfaction in translating Latin into English and getting it right, even though, “Maybe I didn’t get it right the first time, every time. I enjoyed the preciseness of those translation assignments. Another of my favorite subjects to study was ceramics as part of art class. I appreciated the opportunity to work hands-on with clay, by creating a bowl, waiting for it to be fired in the kiln, glazing it, and then using the bowl at home.”

Like many other students at the school, he most enjoyed playing sports. His favorite sport was soccer. While Skip feels that there are advantages to individual sports, he muses that many things in life involve working in a group setting- in your school projects from elementary through college education, in your chosen career, and in settings where you serve your community. He believes the foundational attributes that students acquire by participating in team sports is essential to success in life.

When he later came back to campus for a visit, he was happy to see that Sports Class is such an integral part of daily life at Valley.

After Skip completed the eighth grade at Valley, Penn State closed the research farm in Rector, and his father was offered a job to work at a state park in north central Pennsylvania. Their family lived on the state park grounds while he and his brother continued their educational journey at Dubois Area High School. He secured his first job at the age of 15, working at another local state park in Pennsylvania.

As he worked at the park and reflected on his environmental surroundings growing up in Rector and going to school at Valley, Skip realized his interest in natural resource management had germinated early on in life. Growing up and living in a rural, wooded area, he had a natural curiosity to learn more about forestry, which is what he decided to study at West Virginia University.

The summer before his senior year, Skip worked for the National Park Service at Shenandoah National Park in Virginia. He graduated college that December, and two weeks after college, he had a job offer to work full-time in forestry management at Shenandoah National Park. He worked in the National Parks system for over 30 years.

Skip and his wife, Kath, met while working together at Shenandoah National Park, so it holds a special place in their lives. The Shenandoah and Blue Ridge Mountains have always seemed like home to the couple, who currently reside within the Shenandoah Mountains in southern Virginia.

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When Skip and Kath returned to Valley’s campus for a recent visit, he was amazed at the world-class educational experience that the students are receiving. Kath was a teacher at a private school in Virginia for 18 years, so the couple has first-hand observations about the upstanding young citizens that private schools can produce. The couple witnessed the “leaders of tomorrow” who are current students at Valley School.

During and after his visit, Skip reflected further on the foundation he received at the school. He mentioned, “It was not just an academic education that my brother and I were taught. The integrity of folks who graduated from Valley was a reminder to me of what I really learned inside and outside of the classroom. Our family experienced a tight-knit family atmosphere who cared for each individual and family over our years at Valley. Kath and I still felt that strong sense of community when we visited. We were glad that the community component is thriving and growing for generations to come. We witnessed the distinct presence of character development in the children attending the school. Each student we encountered made eye contact with us and spoke respectfully with us.” Although the Valley Core Values were not written down when Skip attended Valley, it was obvious to he and Kath that the values instilled in Gordon and Skip were and still are a rich part of the whole-child educational experience at Valley.

In gratitude, Skip has generously established the Green and Gold Scholarship Fund, an endowed scholarship that will support a student or students in need of financial aid each school year. When asked why he wanted to create a lasting legacy through the Green and Gold Fund, Skip reflected, “I remembered that the values with which I have lived my life were instilled in me through the foundational education I received at Valley School of Ligonier. I decided it was time to give back to my roots.

My parents could not have afforded to send us to Valley School if our family hadn’t received financial aid. When I think about an endowment that keeps giving year after year, in perpetuity, I am proud to be a founding member of the Green and Gold Endowed Scholarship Fund. I would encourage my fellow classmates and alumni to consider giving back to the place where they received their roots as well.” Alumni interested in contributing to the Green and Gold Fund Scholarship can contact Brian Moore, Director of Development, at 724.238.5028 or bmoore@valleyschoolofligonier.org.

MERIT AWARDS AND SCHOLARSHIPS AT VALLEY SCHOOL

By Michelle Smith

Valley School was founded by Constance Prosser Mellon and General Richard King Mellon, with a vision that it would be ‘a happy, nurturing school, a place where children would build their academic skills – and, just as importantly, learn how to become responsible humane adults.’ Over the course of Valley School’s history, these two concepts have been carefully stewarded by the incredible people involved in the school – educators, trustees, volunteers, staff, donors, and parents. The pursuit of academic excellence intertwined with the core values of building community, embracing integrity, seeking wisdom, and cultivating wellness is the foundation of the holistic education at Valley School. Recognizing and awarding those students who go above and beyond expectations is a tradition.

The first recorded awards, The School Prize and The Headmaster’s Awards, were not monetary, but rather symbolic and given to those students who excelled in overall academics or in a particular class. In the early years of Valley School, eighth grade graduates received books as part of the awards. For example, the top English student was given “Oxford Book of American Verse”; the student who excelled in French received a copy of “Cassel French Dictionary”; the best Science student was gifted a “Concise Science Encyclopedia;” and so on. The School Prize, which continues today, was established in 1948, the year of our first graduating class. This award goes to the top student, taking into consideration the rigor of their academic program and the grades earned. Throughout the years, awards have been revised and added, holding closely to the tradition of past years while also evolving to recognize the successes of our students.

In 1981, The Founder’s Award was established in memory of Constance Prosser Mellon. This award goes to the graduating student who most closely displays those qualities that Mrs. Mellon embodied herself – consideration of others, contribution to his or her class and the School, character, citizenship, and integrity. The Founder’s Award is considered the most prestigious award at Valley School.

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In 1985, Valley School’s first merit scholarship was started – The Helen McGarrah Fleming Scholarship. This scholarship is awarded to a rising 6th-grade student for the duration of their years at Valley School. Applicants are required to take a competitive examination in reading, writing, and mathematics, resulting in finalists who then sit for a verbal interview with a chosen committee. The Alex G. McKenna Science Award was set up in 1997, awarding a boy and a girl in rising 8th-grade with a scholarship based on their work in the life or physical sciences.

The Peter C. Messer Scholarship, created in the early 2000s, honors our founding headmaster who served Valley School for thirty-two years. While Mr. Messer highly valued academic achievement, it was his concern with the formation of strong moral character in students and the importance of contribution to one’s school that have shaped this award. This scholarship is given to a boy and girl in rising 8th-grade.

This year, The Prosser Mellon Scholarship was established.

This scholarship commemorates Mr. Prosser Mellon, Valley School of Ligonier alumnus, past father, grandfather, and friend. Mr. Mellon served as both President of the Board and Chairman of the Board at Valley School and as a graduate of the class of ’56, Mr. Mellon was the recipient of the Headmaster’s Award in French. In his honor, rising 8th-grade students are required to submit an essay and make an oral presentation testifying to their comprehension and embodiment of the Valley School Core Values. The winner is selected by a panel of faculty, staff, and friends of Valley School based on the combined essay and presentation scores.

We are so thankful to the individuals, organizations, and foundations that have supported Valley School through the establishment of our merit awards and scholarships. And, we are very proud of past, present, and future recipients.

Scan this with your smartphone to learn more about Supporting Valley School.

GRADUATION 2023

CONGRATULATIONS, 2023 Valley School of Ligonier Graduates!

L to R: First row- Alana Poponick, Brooklyn Springer, Kate Habershaw, Emma Spahn, Jalie Smith, Julia Vittone, Caitlin Vallely, Georgia Barbera, Jada Pope. Second row- Warren Agostoni, Dylan Shallenberger, Peter Barton, Owen Smith, Miles Smith, Daniel Moriarty, Daniel Harper, Nigel Morris, Keller Farabaugh

We wish our 8th-grade graduates much success as they continue their education in high school!

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Warren Agostoni

Greater Latrobe High School

Alana Poponick

Georgia Barbera

Ligonier Valley High School

Dylan Shallenberger Connellsville Area High School

Peter Barton

Hempfield Area High School

Jalie Smith

Ligonier Valley High School

Keller Farabaugh

Bishop McCort Catholic High School

Miles Smith

Ligonier Valley High School

Kate Habershaw

The Ellis School

Owen Smith

Ligonier Valley High School

Daniel Harper

Johnstown Christian School

Emma Spahn

The Ellis School

Daniel Moriarty

The Kiski School

Brooklyn Springer

The Ellis School

Nigel Morris

Greater Latrobe High School

Caitlin Vallely

Mount Lebanon High School

Jada Pope

Ligonier Valley High School

Julia Vittone

Bishop McCort Catholic High School

VA L L E Y S C H O O L O F L I G O N I E R

Greater Latrobe High School

Awards Scholarship Award Recipients

Literary Prizes

Peter C. Messer Scholarship Award

These awards, sponsored and judged by the Valley School Literary Society, are given to Upper School students for a superior poem, piece of short fiction, or a work of creative non-fiction.

Congratulations, Lex Hamerski & Genevieve O’Gara

Congratulations to the Literary Prize winners: Georgia Barbera, 8th grade, for her non-fiction piece, My Rock Solid Shell; Dylan Shallenberger, 8th grade, for his non-fiction piece, The Path of Life; Genevieve O’Gara, 7th grade, for her fiction piece, A Girl, Her Horse, and Her Unknown Voice; Elle Smith, 5th grade, for her fiction piece, Snowy’s Plan; Tommy Crary, 6th grade, for his poem, Path of the Waterfalls; and Julia Vittone, 8th grade, for her poem, Inevitable Change.

Sports Prizes

Prosser Mellon Scholarship Award Congratulations, Easton Fretts

Helen McGarrah Fleming Scholarship Award Congratulations, Max Juliussen

Girls’ MVP Lacrosse Julia Vittone & Kate Habershaw

Boys’ MVP Lacrosse Keegan Solominsky & Warren Agostoni

Girls’ MVP Basketball Jada Pope & Emma Spahn

Boys’ MVP Basketball Warren Agostoni & Dylan Shallenberger

MVP Field Hockey Kate Habershaw

MVP Soccer Keller Farabaugh & Dylan Shallenberger

Deeded Sports Awards

Alex G. McKenna Science Award Congratulations, Jana Smith & Keegan Solominsky

David Spencer Hackett Memorial Soccer Cup Warren Agostoni

Charles S. MacDonald Field Hockey Award Brooklyn Springer

Robin L. Kennedy Lacrosse Award Emma Spahn

Larry Clements Lacrosse Award Nigel Morris

Girls’ Athlete of the Year Kate Habershaw

Boys’ Athlete of the Year Warren Agostoni

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GRADUATION 2023 Founder’s Award The Founder’s Award is given to students whose consideration of others, effort, contributions in their class and school, character, citizenship, and integrity have made them a valuable member of the Valley School community.

Congratulations, Emma Spahn!

Rosemary Smith Community Service Award This award honors the memory of Rosemary Smith, beloved former Head of Lower School, whose life was one of service to others. With it, we celebrate those students in the graduating class who have accomplished 50 or more hours of community service.

Warren Agostoni

Alana Poponick

Georgia Barbera

Dylan Shallenberger

Keller Farabaugh

Brooklyn Springer

Daniel Harper

Jada Pope

Barbara R. Mannion Art Prize

Algebra I Prize

The Barbara R. Mannion Art Prize is given in loving memory of Barbara Mannion, art instructor at Valley School from 1978 to 1990. The prize is awarded to students who value and encourage the talents of fellow students and who share their creativity and love of art with others.

Shared By: Emma Spahn & Dylan Shallenberger

Geometry Prize Winner: Miles Smith Certificate of Merit: Julia Vittone

Larry Hutzell History Prize Winner: Julia Vittone Certificate of Merit: Dylan Shallenberger

Spanish Prize

Biology/Science Prize Winner: Julia Vittone Certificate of Merit: Miles Smith

English Prize Winner: Julia Vittone Certificate of Merit: Miles Smith

Technology Prize Winner: Jada Pope Certificate of Merit: Emma Spahn

Music Prize Winner: Dylan Shallenberger

VA L L E Y S C H O O L O F L I G O N I E R

The School Prize is awarded by the faculty to the top student in each graduating class.

Congratulations, Julia Vittone!

Academic Prizes

Winner: Jada Pope Certificate of Merit: Dylan Shallenberger

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School Prize

Winner: Daniel Moriarty Certificate of Merit: Caitlin Vallely

Theater Arts Prize The Theater Arts Prize is presented to the student who has made significant contributions to dramatic productions throughout his/her years in the Upper School. This award recognizes the student as an inspiration and role model to others in his/her display of a positive attitude, cooperation, sense of responsibility, and dedication to the entire process of theatrical productions at Valley School.

Winner: Julia Vittone

8th GRADE MEMORIES

The Valley School of Ligonier boys’ lacrosse team finished their season with a 5-0 record. Coach Croley and Coach Rohrer were extremely pleased with the effort, heart, and determination of this group of young men. They came to practice each day with excitement, encouragement for one another, and a growth mindset on how to maximize their opportunities to grow together as a community.

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The team’s season was characterized by rock-solid goal tending and tough defense, only conceding ten total goals in five games. Throughout the season they improved their game recognition and lacrosse IQ, enabling them to secure victories in clutch situations during several close games.

Congratulations to all the members of the boys’ lacrosse team! We are very proud of your hard work and undefeated season! Go Owls!

Permanent Art Collection This year, Alana Poponick’s watercolor painting, Cloud Forest, was selected to become the 2022-2023 addition to the Valley School Permanent Art Collection.

Selected artworks are chosen by a committee of administration, faculty, and staff members. Artists remain anonymous during the process. This year, sixty student art entries were submitted for consideration, and it was a very close race between the top three artists in the Class of 2023. We can be very proud of the effort that every young artist puts forth in hopes of winning this award!

Alana’s work will join over twenty works in the Permanent Art Collection. Congratulations, Alana!

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We know that our current parents, alumni, and alumni parents are among our best ambassadors. If you know someone who might be interested in Valley School, please reach out to our Admissions Team. We are excited to meet your family, friends, neighbors, and colleagues whose children would make a wonderful addition to the Valley School community!

Please contact: Katelyn Bruzda, Director of Admissions 724.238.5016 kbruzda@valleyschoolofligonier.org

I love Valley School of BEHIND THE SCREENS Ligonier because …

By Denise Santia, School Counselor

There’s someone always willing to help!

It has a big playground, streams, and kindness.

I learned how to play field hockey and lacrosse. This was exciting because I got to try something I’ve never done before.

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I learn how to work with others and accept their ideas.

All the nice teachers, and the lunches are SO GOOD!!

I love all the Big & Little activities.

The Living Wax Museum because it was a fun, interactive learning experience.

Everyone is so loving and openhanded.

I will never forget Valley.

The wonderful field trips.

I taught myself to never give up.

NONPROFIT ORG. U. S. POSTAGE PAID GREENSBURG, PA PERMIT NO. 1234

PO Box 616 Ligonier, Pennsylvania 15658-0616 valleyschoolofligonier.org

Valley School Mission: “In an environment that is safe, challenging, nurturing, and disciplined, Valley School provides a balanced and strong program of study for a diverse group of children. Our goal is to stimulate in each young person lifelong habits of moral behavior, seeking wisdom, and doing good works for others.”

Ruth Barton, Lower School Technology Teacher and Director of Educational Technologies, encourages 2nd-graders as they explore STEM concepts with the simple Lego robotics machines in our new Technology lab.

After you have read this issue of The Wheel, please consider its carbon footprint and pass along this publication to a family who may be interested in attending or learning more about Valley School of Ligonier. We thank you for being a proud ambassador of our school community!

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