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Greetings!
This summer, we asked district employees what they love about their jobs and shared their inspiring answers in our annual welcome-back video for faculty and staff. In the video, State High kitchen leader Nina Troyan said the school community feels like a family and that she’s ‘in it to win it with all of you.’
That moving statement became my message this year to our employees. But we are only part of the school district — the rest are you: students, parents, families, and neighbors. Together, we make this a special place to learn, grow, and thrive.
In this newsletter, you'll find numerous examples of being in it to win it. You’ll read about our incredible teachers, whose work recently earned national attention — the latest rankings from Niche.com placed them among the top 1.1 percent in the U.S. That includes exceptional faculty like State High art teacher Austin Van Allen, who is inspiring students in unique and innovative ways.
And we always strive to be better, learning new skills to bring to our classrooms. At our recent in-service day, we heard some of the latest research in areas like math education and retention strategies and bullying prevention from nationally recognized experts.
Elsewhere, the new Park Forest Middle School project is progressing, with the Board of Directors recently approving the 90% plans for the building. This is truly an exciting time to be a part of SCASD and I’m happy our entire community is committed to our students each and every day.
Curtis Johnson, Superintendent of Schools
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A+ for the Teachers
Telling us what we already know, State College Area School District’s teachers are among the best in the nation, according to the latest Niche.com rankings. The popular school ranking site placed SCASD teachers in the top 1.1% among all districts in the country and the top 2% in the state. Continue Reading
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Seeing Differently
Senior Tanner Cohagan has a story in his head, a graphic novel featuring original superheroes, the kind of book he’d want to read himself. But for Cohagan, who is blind, drawing his heroes on paper presents a unique challenge. Now, thanks to a drawing class he is taking this fall, he is learning to create art through touch, imagination, and persistence. Continue Reading
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PFMS 90% Review
Above is the footprint of the proposed new Park Forest Middle School. The Board of Directors recently approved 90% design documents, meaning plans are nearly complete, with only minor revisions expected before final approval and going out to bid. Right now, we are on track for students to begin school in the new building in the fall of 2028.
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Energized to Learn
The students were off, but learning didn’t stop in the State College Area School District during the district's October in-service day. Teachers and staff participated in a wide range of professional development sessions, highlighted by nationally recognized experts who presented the latest research in their fields. Continue Reading
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Math Champ Times Two
Way back in the 2022-2023 school year, Taylor Swift had just started her Eras Tour; the Chiefs won their first of back-to-back Super Bowls; and Suhnjun Choi, then a sixth grader at Park Forest Middle School, got a math question wrong. Choi went on to do something extraordinary, earning perfect scores the next two years as a seventh and eighth grader at the Pennsylvania Math League competition, netting him top honors in the state. Continue Reading
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Jennifer Evans, State High English teacher and former girls track and field coach, has been inducted into the Centre County Sports Hall of Fame!
Evans coached track and field from 2005-2022 and was honored for her exceptional tenure as coach.
Additionally, State High alum Willie Morse was also inducted, recognized for his outstanding basketball career.
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Congratulations to Hope Palm, who began her new role as assistant principal for the SCASD Virtual Academy on Oct. 20.
Prior to joining the district, Palm worked as principal at Mount Union Area Junior High School in Huntington County, and before that she was assistant principal at Mount Union junior and senior high schools. The SCASD Board of Directors approved her hire on Aug. 18, 2025. Learn More
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Safety First for LifeLink Students
Flames flared at the LifeLink PSU apartments, but firefighters were already on hand to show SCASD students exactly what to do. Students along with their families and coaches took part in a recent fire training exercise outside the district’s LifeLink apartment. Continue Reading
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United Against Bullying!
Oct. 22 was Unity Day, an annual event during National Bullying Prevention Month that promotes kindness, acceptance, and inclusion. Orange is the signature color of anti-bullying initiatives, and throughout the district, people wore orange to show their support.
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Eliminating the Mental Health Stigma Among Student Athletes
Morgan’s Message is a student-led club for student athletes’ mental health. The club aims to help normalize talking about mental health and make it have equal importance to physical health.
“A lot of the times, athletes, you know, they’re supposed to be the strong kids. They’re not supposed to have mental health issues, but it’s quite literally the opposite. There’s so much stress and there’s so much, so many things that are running through your mind. And I think that it [Morgan’s Message] builds a place where people can come,” Reagan Dare said. Continue Reading
By Emma Bigger, staff writer for the State High Lion's Digest student newspaper
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State High Thespians Present: Clue
It’s a dark and stormy night, and you’ve been invited to a very unusual dinner party. Each of the guests has an alias, the butler offers a variety of weapons, and the host is, well, dead. So whodunit? Join the iconic oddballs known as Scarlet, Plum, White, Green, Peacock, and Mustard as they race to find the murderer in Boddy Manor before the body count stacks up. Based on the cult classic film and the popular board game, Clue is a madcap comedy that will keep you guessing until the final twist.
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Special Education Paraprofessional Job Fair
We are looking to immediately fill numerous open special education paraprofessional positions. If you love working with students, we’re looking for you! All members of the community are invited to attend our open job fair on Nov. 5. We are seeking over 20 new paraprofessionals to join our team. Learn More
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