WINTER 2002

New Name for Middle School PLUS Another Honor

It’s official – the Lewisburg Area Middle School is now named The Donald H. Eichhorn Middle School. Dr. Eichhorn served superintendent of Lewisburg schools during the 1980’s. He is known as the father of the middle school movement in Pennsylvania. In April 2000, the middle school was awarded the Eichhorn Award by the Pa. Middle School Association as the Outstanding Middle School.

The middle school has also been named a Blue Ribbon School by the U.S. Department of Education. Only 172 secondary schools on the country have been designated for the award. The process began in 1994-95 with a checklist of criteria needed in order to gain the status. The school had to achieve an excellent rating in all of the criteria areas. The criteria includes a clear vision for education, policies and practices ensuring a safe school, a challenging curriculum, family involvement and helping all students reach high standards. Reports from teachers, parents, students, support personnel and administrators were included in the final application submitted.

A Shared Story

Catherine Young Platusich ’65

Years ago, in the late ice age, when I was still Cathy, and not Catherine, 11^th grade English class with Mrs. Ames was one of the most enjoyable classes.

It was an afternoon class in which we sat in alphabetical order and I was in the last row. I had decided, after a week of try-outs, that nothing was going to show up on the blackboard that I wouldn’t be able to see and so hadn’t claimed blindness and been switched to a front row seat. English was easy for me so there was really no reason to pay too close attention and so I had fallen into a habit of scrunching down behind the much taller classmate with impeccable posture who sat directly in front of me. I spent many enjoyable afternoons gently drifting, appreciating Mrs. Ames theatrics, and appreciating my good luck in having a last name at the end of the alphabet… until on afternoon when I was rudely brought back to earth by Mrs. Ames saying, “Something, something, something Cathy?” and looking directly at me.

I was looking into the face of disaster; those glasses of Mrs. Ames evidently did enable her to see the back row… but as I was doing a rather awkward crash and burn re-entry, the student with the beautiful posture in front of me, Kathy Sagun, was going into cardiac arrest – and sputtering. Since Kathy’s favorite subject was never English, and she was high panic, Mrs. Ames took pity on her and called on Bobby Odell, who was waving frantically over to our left. When we were both breathing normally again, I leaned forward and said, “She wanted me, Kathy” and then I scrunched back down again. I spent a little more time staying alert the rest of the year and there were no more repeat disasters, at least this type. But that’s another story…

Editors note – wouldn’t it be fun to hear more stories from Cathy?????

School Board Presents Diplomas

Several area veterans received their diplomas at a school board meeting since the printing of our last newsletter: Richard Thomas ’47, Kenneth Mook ’47, John Mabus ’40, Rebecca Mabus received her diploma for her late husband Donald ’42, and Kenneth Royer (son), Helen Royer (wife), and Betty Dreese ‘ 43 (sister) who received the diploma for the late Robert Royer ’42.

This presentation is part of Operation Recognition, which makes sure veterans who didn’t graduate receive their diplomas.

To The Class of 1951

We are sad to inform you of the deaths of three of our members: Hazel Swinehart Wolfgang died 8/7/02, Ronnie Derr died 9/4/02 after a battle with throat cancer, and Bob Millward died 10/16/02 after suffering a massive heart attack in April.