The school graduated 76 in all with Spencer Riley and Izabella Friel leading the way as the valedictorian and salutatorian.
Rocky Grove High School moved it's graduation indoors to the school's auditorium. Though the weather turned out nice in the evening the rain soaked old soccer field at Valley Grove Elementary School was not ideal for the 2024 commencement ceremony.
The school graduated 76 in all with Spencer Riley and Izabella Friel leading the way as the valedictorian and salutatorian.
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And we are so lucky to have it right in our back yard. This story was written by Jill Harry, who was among the six writers for this cycle of Red Eye Theatre.
Local jazz/blues guitarist Max Schang and Mercyhurst University professor and saxophone virtuoso Dr. Scott Meier joined the Franklin High School jazz band players Tuesday for a night of music.
The band more than held their own with the professional players, treating a few hundred people to a free concert in the high school's auditorium. Another music department show will feature the Madrigal singers performing at St. Joseph's church in Oil City at 7 p.m. May 23. The show is also free to the public. Franklin High School Black Knight Band kicked off the night with some Offenbach and ended it with the Lone Ranger. In between they rocked some Beethoven and showed some serious layers of sounds with Mendelssohn's "Fingal's Cave."
The concert, which is one of four spring offerings by the Franklin music department showcased a lot of what band director Steve Johnston referred to as intellectual and timeless music. Franklin community member Wendy Thompson left the auditorium saying "that revved us up." They have an elementary/junior high band permanence next Tuesday and a show choir, stage band show on the May 16. They conclude with the high school jazz festival on Tuesday May 21 that will feature local blues and jazz guitarist Max Schang and Dr. Scott Meier from Mercyhurst University as guest soloists. All shows start at 7 p.m. As her alma mater is about to close its doors, Venango Catholic graduate Allison Lineman was awarded the Sister Angelica Cummings Senior Art Award for Creative Excellence this past week at Mercyhurst University. The award is given to the top art student at the college. Lineman achieved a 4.0 at the school and was credited for her determination and work ethic as graphics design major. Art department chair Heather Denning, left and Dean of the School of Arts Jodi Staniunas-Hopper presented the Venango Catholic alum the award this Thursday at a celebration of the seniors in the art and communications departments. It is one of the most prestigious awards at Mercyhurst and she joins an elite group of artists who have excelled the arts at the school.
Fountain Park was flush with flowers as spring has fully arrived in Franklin with the first day of 23rd annual May Garden Mart. The colorful combination of vendors filled the park and spilled onto 12th Street where the city's Curb Market kicked off its 2024 season. The festival, which is organized by the Franklin Gardeners Association, continues from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. today (May 5). Among all the flower, gardening, land care and food vendors, the garden association will is holding a raffle to raise funds for their efforts to beautify the city. Association projects include offering colorful planted pots to local businesses, the House and Garden tour, the Gateway Garden at the Franklin Fire Station, the planters along the bike trail, and the Outdoor Learning Center at Central Elementary School.
Rocky Grove Junior High and High School music department showed off all the hard work they have put in this year improving their instruments whether it was their voice or a baritone sax.
Many more photos can be viewed here: sayerrich.zenfolio.com/p914231779 It'll be Hawaiian shirts and sparkling leis this Sunday at the Barrow-Civic Theatre as local youth singing group HOLeY Jeans takes audience member on a Tropical Vacation.
With island based gospels, a hint of Reggae and an urging to "Don't Worry, Be Happy" these young singers will give it their all to entertain. This event is the group's major fundraiser for the year. It kicks off at 3 p.m. Sunday (April 14) . Tickets are $10/$13 and they can be purchased online ahead of time at https://barrowtheatre.my.salesforce-sites.com/ticket#/events/a0STN000003rwP72AI
It slowly gets a little darker, perhaps a tad yellow-ish and then it's almost like your dad shut the lights off when its time for you to go to bed. The temperature drops a bit and you wait to see if the moon will continue on its journey and give you back your daylight and warmth. Photographers tried all sorts of things from testing their phone's zooming capabilities through the protective cardboard-rimmed glasses to the heavy duty pros with expensive tripods, cameras and filters. The slightly overcast day actually helped as there is no better filter than the clouds. Erie and northwestern Pennsylvania had a ton of visitors from southern areas so traffic was a tad heavier getting around if you didn't know alternative routes. But overall traffic flowed, even if slow at times. The area is expected to be in line for another total eclipse in this century, but not until 2099. If you caught the bug, and want to know when the next total eclipse is happening so you can plan ahead, Alaska will have one in 2033. Or in 2044 you can hit the edges of the Dakotas and Montana or venture into Canada or Greenland at the eclipse take a weird ram horn curve up north. If those seem a tad too difficult to navigate, In 2045 another will start in Califonia and end in Florida crossing portions of 12 states. According to a CBS News report there are eight total eclipse expected to hit the U.S. in the 21st century. In a 2020 National Geographic report, there were three Americans, Glenn Schneider, Jay Pasachoff and John Beattie held the world record for observinf 35 total eclipses. The moon's shadow moves across the earth at 1,000 miles per hour. The sun is 400 times larger than the moon but is also 400 times farther way. The word eclipse is derived fro the Greek, ekleipsis, which means abandonment. Eclipses do not happen on Mercury or Venus because they have no moons. It is estimated that only one in 10,000 people on earth will see a total eclipse in their lifetime.
For 94 years Franklin Area High School has taken a unique approach to their spring talent show - The Musical Broadcast is entirely performed live with no backing tracks at all. In fact, a dance performance this year almost didn't make it in when the dancers, Ella Bodien and Quinlan Karns wanted to use a specific song that the show's band director Steve Johnston just didn't have the time to arrange. But when they approached him with the idea of fellow student Madolyn Williams singing the song as chorale teacher Sarah Gilbert played accompaniment on piano, it was a go. The show features all live music and skits performed by the students and includes performance by the cheerleading squads and the marching band Silks and Knightettes. The concert and jazz bands are responsible for all the orchestrated music. The two-day show is a fundraiser for the music program. The curtain goes up at 7 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. Tickets are only $5.
Audition Announcement: ![]() Auditions are being held for " The SpongeBob Musical" from 2:30 - 4:30 p.m. on April 13 and from 6 to 8 p.m. on April 14 in the Barrow - Civic Theatre's Little Theatre. The show will directed by Janene Michael with musical director Andrea Fenske. More information: Go to barrowtheatre.org/auditions/ The show dates are June 21, 22, 28, and 29 at 7:30 p.m. and June 23 and 30 at 2 p.m. Tickets: call the box office at 814-437-3440 from 10 a.m to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday or online at https://barrowtheatre.my.salesforce-sites.com/ticket/. I took on the role of teaching photography again recently. It was two classes on photojournalism. Though this might seem straightforwad it has presented as anything but.
"Meatball surgery? I grew up watching MASH and the doctore knew their taks was to save lives. Hawkeye refered to it as meatball surgery. I've taken that approach to my time behind the lens. What we do is important, but wedo it for that short term gain sometimes. In surgery it is important to save lives.... in photography it is important to inform or to gain you attention to know the information. I made this picture today covering something for our local college. There is nother extraordinary about the image other than it took a bit of know-how to make it. In the photojournalism glass I'm teaxhing there were no prerequisites and therefor no way to properly evaluate someones ability to know the proper way to make a picture to convey the meaning the are witnessing. Meatball surgery- or high end know to get the job done? I love my job. Franklin Easter week staple loaded Fountain Park with thousands of colored eggs and hundreds of kiddies in search of some sweet treats and more. Soon each weekend will be filled with downtown family friendly events as the summer events season kicks off with May Mart.
The Franklin Area School District released a video announcement about a plan to move the sixth-graders from their Central, Sandycreek and Victory elementary classrooms to the junior-senior high building starting next year.
Superintendent Eugene Thomas presented the plan in a shareable video available on the district's website and YouTube channel. The district also issued a press release that outlines the plan. This change will affect 142 students currently enrolled in fifth grade in the three schools. There are currently eight sixth-grade teachers. Thomas said that the number of teachers who move to the junior high school is still being determined based on final numbers and any special needs considerations. Some of the primary reasons given for the change include:
"This move was announced and made in the best interest of students, the staff, and parents well ahead of time to allow for a smooth transition. We value and welcome input and feedback regarding the implementation of this plan. The initial proposed plan details include:
Thomas said the change will open space up in the elementary schools and allow them to create more programs for Franklin students that will keep the education initiatives in the district and not be outsourced. He noted that Victory has pre-k students aged 3 and 4, but the students at Central and Sandycreek are currently attending pre-school at other locations, including Child Development Centers. "Franklin Area School District has the expertise and ability to offer more services in an efficient and effective manner which, in the long term, will benefit all students in all grade levels," Thomas said. Next steps include:
The district is accepting feedback on the plan. "Please communicate your ideas and/or student-centered concerns to your building principals either through email or by calling them. For additional information, please watch the video link on the District website at www.fasd.k12.pa.us," Thomas said through the press release and in the video.
![]() “Good King Wenceslas,” an original musical play by local composer and playwright John Krumich, will premiere this weekend at the Barrow-Civic Theatre. Krumich first wrote the production under the title “Saint Wenceslas” to be performed by his student ensemble in Virginia. When the retired music teacher and his wife Amy relocated to Cooksburg, he started attending shows at the Barrow-Civic Theatre. The quality of the theater productions and local talent here drew his interest back to his composition and script. “Then I decided to really make it something that could be done by a community theater,” he said. As part of that effort, he wrote additional music and improved the script. He also reached out to his sister Beth Orris, also a retired music teacher and the head of the Venango Chorus, who connected him with people in the area associated with music and theatre productions so he could workshop the concept and strengthen the storytelling. More photos here: sayerrich.zenfolio.com/p562951421
More photos here: sayerrich.zenfolio.com/p562951421
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