On Friday, the elementary school hosted its annual Fall Festival. During this event, students in the Art Club, Student Council, and National Honor Society volunteered at the event. Students from the Art Club painted faces, while students from Student Council and National Honor Society managed the games. Students enjoyed being able to help with this because it allowed them to make memories with others in their school community. Student Council advisor Miss Stine believes helping with this event is important because "The three pillars of Student Council are spirit, social, and service, so it is important for Student Council to serve others in our school community."
Contributors: Brooke Knorr, Kylee Henry, and Karlene Wiehe, Journalism Staff Members
Contributors: Brooke Knorr, Kylee Henry, and Karlene Wiehe, Journalism Staff Members
Ben Gehret reached a major milestone last night, scoring his 50th career goal in dramatic fashion to lead Southern Columbia to a thrilling 2-1 victory over Warrior Run. The historic goal came on a go-ahead penalty kick late in the second half. With the win, the Tigers improved their season record to 9-4-1, continuing their strong push toward postseason play. Congratulations to Ben on this incredible achievement and to the entire team for a hard-fought victory! 🐅⚽
Our 5th graders kicked off the school year with a fantastic celebration in recognition of their outstanding SOCO Stars behavior! Every student earned this reward by consistently showing self-control, tolerance, academic integrity, resilience, and shine throughout the month of September. We celebrated with classic backyard games, delicious cookies, and refreshing apple cider. It was a great afternoon filled with laughter, fun, and delicious snacks shared among friends!
A proud moment for one of our talented students, Grace Victory! 🎨
Her artwork was featured in the High School Art Department’s booth at the Bloomsburg Fair, where it caught the eye of a local community member. He reached out shortly afterward to inquire about purchasing the piece—and the rest is history! We love seeing our students’ creativity recognized and celebrated beyond the classroom.
Her artwork was featured in the High School Art Department’s booth at the Bloomsburg Fair, where it caught the eye of a local community member. He reached out shortly afterward to inquire about purchasing the piece—and the rest is history! We love seeing our students’ creativity recognized and celebrated beyond the classroom.
Students in Miss Benfer’s STEM class completed an exciting Ferris Wheel STEM kit project! 🎡 During this hands-on activity, students learned how to wire a battery and motor to make their Ferris wheels spin—one of the most challenging and rewarding parts of the build. They worked carefully to connect the electrical components correctly, practicing patience and problem-solving along the way. In just two class periods, students combined engineering, design, and teamwork to bring their mini-Ferris wheel to life. This project helped them see how electric circuits power real-world machines while having fun creating their own moving designs!
On Friday, Mr. Johnston’s Speech and Debate class was tasked with rehearsing a scene from a funny movie, show, or speech, and then presenting it in front of the class. Three people went per day and were graded based on how accurate they were, their movements, their facial expressions, and tone of voice. This exercise was to help students get in front of people and confidently perform without fear of embarrassment. The three students who performed on Friday were as follows: Johnny Barnette, who performed Gollum’s scene from The Lord of the Rings, Dillen Brassard, who performed the final courtroom scene from Liar Liar, and Mara Turner, who performed an argument scene from The Breakfast Club.
Contributor: Emily Valencik, Journalism Staff Member
Contributor: Emily Valencik, Journalism Staff Member
❄️ 3rd and 4th Grade: You're Invited to the Snowball Dance! ❄️
The Class of 2027 is excited to host a fun-filled evening for all 3rd and 4th graders! Join us for music, dancing, snacks, wintery fun, and more at the Snowball Dance!
🗓 Date: Friday, December 12, 2025
📍 Location: Old Gym at the High School
🕕 Time: 6:00 – 8:00 PM
Get ready to dress your best and dance the night away! Permission slips and more information will be sent home next week, so please keep an eye out!
✨ Please RSVP by November 14! "
The Class of 2027 is excited to host a fun-filled evening for all 3rd and 4th graders! Join us for music, dancing, snacks, wintery fun, and more at the Snowball Dance!
🗓 Date: Friday, December 12, 2025
📍 Location: Old Gym at the High School
🕕 Time: 6:00 – 8:00 PM
Get ready to dress your best and dance the night away! Permission slips and more information will be sent home next week, so please keep an eye out!
✨ Please RSVP by November 14! "
This morning, Mr. Deljanovan’s Sports Performance class welcomed Mr. Dave Fegley as a guest speaker. Along with teaching 6th grade math at Southern Columbia, Mr. Fegley has a strong background in sports media. He writes for the Press Enterprise, News-Item, and PA Football News, broadcasts for the Black Diamond Sports Network, and serves as President of the Southern Columbia Area Athletic Hall of Fame.
During his visit, Mr. Fegley shared stories from his experiences covering high school sports. He talked about the importance of being prepared, telling meaningful stories, and staying honest in journalism. Students learned how media can highlight athletes and teams, and how it influences how people view sports. They asked great questions and were clearly interested in the different careers connected to sports writing, broadcasting, and promotion.
Mr. Fegley’s presentation helped students see how what they learn in class connects to real-world opportunities, and it inspired many to think about future careers in sports media.
During his visit, Mr. Fegley shared stories from his experiences covering high school sports. He talked about the importance of being prepared, telling meaningful stories, and staying honest in journalism. Students learned how media can highlight athletes and teams, and how it influences how people view sports. They asked great questions and were clearly interested in the different careers connected to sports writing, broadcasting, and promotion.
Mr. Fegley’s presentation helped students see how what they learn in class connects to real-world opportunities, and it inspired many to think about future careers in sports media.
This week, all Kindergarten classes enjoyed an autumn adventure at Rohrbach's Farm Market! Students explored the pumpkin patch, took a scenic hayride through the fields, and discovered fun facts about pumpkins and how they grow. 🎃🍂
Bus 9 will be running 15 minutes late this morning, 10/3/25
FBLA members, business students, and gifted students in grades 5–8 attended a presentation by Reese Houseknecht, a Southern Columbia alum. Reese shared his incredible journey in entrepreneurship and coding, beginning with creating games during his time at SCA, being recruited by Function of Beauty, and working on hologram technology. To date, Reese has launched 14 businesses and applied coding to both business and personal ventures, ranging from robot dogs to roller coasters. Thank you, Reese, for inspiring our students with your experiences!
Students in the CSO STEM Club participated in a two-day training at Bucknell University this week. Katelyn Brecht, Ryan Maciejewski, Declan McGinley, and Isabella Miller spent time fine-turning their problem-solving skills and started to develop their Action Plan for this upcoming school year.
After five intense weeks of drills, strategy sessions, and conditioning, Mr. Deljanovan’s Sports Performance class was ready to put their soccer skills to the ultimate test last week. Their opponents? The seasoned and spirited Girls Soccer Team, known for their teamwork and tenacity.
But Mr. Del’s class wasn’t rattled by the girls. They grouped quickly, and what followed was a masterclass in offensive play. Ethan, with lightning speed and clinical finishing, netted four goals, slicing through defenders like a pro. Jace added three goals of his own, showing off his control and powerful shots. Kailee, demonstrating finesse and field awareness, scored two impressive goals, rounding out the class’s dominant performance.
Despite the scoreline—9 to 1 in favor of Mr. Del’s class—the game was filled with laughter, sportsmanship, and mutual respect. Both teams celebrated great plays, encouraged each other, and enjoyed the thrill of competition.
As the final whistle blew, players from both sides high fived and posed for group photos, proud of their effort and excited about how far they’d come. It was more than just a game, it was a celebration of growth, teamwork, and the joy of sport.
Contributor: Maddison Yost, Print/Digital Media Intern
But Mr. Del’s class wasn’t rattled by the girls. They grouped quickly, and what followed was a masterclass in offensive play. Ethan, with lightning speed and clinical finishing, netted four goals, slicing through defenders like a pro. Jace added three goals of his own, showing off his control and powerful shots. Kailee, demonstrating finesse and field awareness, scored two impressive goals, rounding out the class’s dominant performance.
Despite the scoreline—9 to 1 in favor of Mr. Del’s class—the game was filled with laughter, sportsmanship, and mutual respect. Both teams celebrated great plays, encouraged each other, and enjoyed the thrill of competition.
As the final whistle blew, players from both sides high fived and posed for group photos, proud of their effort and excited about how far they’d come. It was more than just a game, it was a celebration of growth, teamwork, and the joy of sport.
Contributor: Maddison Yost, Print/Digital Media Intern
Middle School Gifted students took part in an exciting egg drop competition yesterday. Students were allowed to use virtually any materials inside and outside of their shoeboxes to protect their eggs. After dropping their boxes from the stadium, they put their designs to the ultimate test—by stomping on them!
Thanks to their creativity and scientific reasoning, five students’ eggs survived all five rounds: Finnegan Hartranft, Anthony Lengyel, Emma Maciejewski, Ryan Maciejewski, and Silas Victory. Finn also earned the award for Best Decorated Egg and Box.
This engaging activity was led by Gifted teacher Mrs. Long. 🥚
Thanks to their creativity and scientific reasoning, five students’ eggs survived all five rounds: Finnegan Hartranft, Anthony Lengyel, Emma Maciejewski, Ryan Maciejewski, and Silas Victory. Finn also earned the award for Best Decorated Egg and Box.
This engaging activity was led by Gifted teacher Mrs. Long. 🥚
Yesterday, Southern Columbia staff and students proudly wore their support for Mental Health Awareness Day. 💛🖤 Together, we stand for kindness, understanding, and the power of community.
Landon Ponchak wrote a letter to "The Stuttering Foundation" last spring. He shared the strategies he uses to communicate effectively while engaging in some of his favorite activities. His letter was included and published in the Fall magazine this month. Great job, Landon!
Congratulations to the September SoCo STARS of the month in 7th Grade: Ella Ferrance (Geography), Aubrey Pukavage (Math), Olivia Condron (Science), and Titan Powell (ELA)!
🎉 6th Grade Students of the Month! 🎉
Southern Columbia Middle School is proud to recognize our outstanding 6th graders who have gone above and beyond in their classes this month! 🐾💛🖤
👏 Leah Mensch – Nominated by Mr. Fegley for Math
📚 Cecilia Kreiger – Nominated by Mrs. Powell for ELA
🔬 Charles Babb – Nominated by Mr. Kaseman for Science
🌍 Korra Caligiuri – Nominated by Mr. Visnosky for Social Studies
Your hard work, positive attitude, and commitment to learning make Southern Columbia proud! Keep shining, Tigers!
Southern Columbia Middle School is proud to recognize our outstanding 6th graders who have gone above and beyond in their classes this month! 🐾💛🖤
👏 Leah Mensch – Nominated by Mr. Fegley for Math
📚 Cecilia Kreiger – Nominated by Mrs. Powell for ELA
🔬 Charles Babb – Nominated by Mr. Kaseman for Science
🌍 Korra Caligiuri – Nominated by Mr. Visnosky for Social Studies
Your hard work, positive attitude, and commitment to learning make Southern Columbia proud! Keep shining, Tigers!
Nancy Harvey, our Higher Education Access Partner at Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency (PHEAA), is hosting a Regional Financial Aid Night webinar on October 20, 2025, at 6:00 PM for students and families. Please find the information flyer attached for the webinar.
Should you have any questions, regarding the financial aid process, please feel free to contact Nancy directly at:
Nancy Harvey
Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency
Higher Education Access Partner
Mobile: 717.956.8285
Email: Nancy.Harvey@PHEAA.org
Web: PHEAA.org
Should you have any questions, regarding the financial aid process, please feel free to contact Nancy directly at:
Nancy Harvey
Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency
Higher Education Access Partner
Mobile: 717.956.8285
Email: Nancy.Harvey@PHEAA.org
Web: PHEAA.org
Our Kindergarten students welcomed their grandparents into the school yesterday morning, and it was a special time for everyone involved! We’re so grateful to all the grandparents who came out to spend time with us. Your love and support make a lasting impact, and it was wonderful to see the joy on our students’ faces.
