Mechanicsburg Area School District

🎤 On Saturday, Elmwood Academy was honored to host the Pennsylvania Music Educators Association District 7 Elementary Song Fest, a choral festival that welcomed more than 240 talented student musicians from across Eastern Pennsylvania (including several of our very own Wildcats). An estimated 1,000 family members, friends, and supporters filled our auditorium to listen to the beautiful performance. 📸 Photos courtesy Alice Broadway, music teacher at Elmwood Academy. #WildcatPride

🎉🐾 TINY BUT MIGHTY // On Friday, our littlest learners got a special treat — their very own pep rally! It’s not often our youngest Wildcats get to experience the energy and excitement of a traditional pep rally, but they sure brought their A-game for this spirited all-school event! Complete with cheers, pom poms, our Wildcat mascot, and a spirit tunnel to kick off the morning, these little ones showed BIG school pride. 🤍 Seeing their smiles and enthusiasm was pure magic. 📸 Special thanks to staff at Kindergarten Academy for sharing photos. #WildcatPride #GoMechanicsburg

📣🎉 Our wildcats at Kindergarten Academy are excited for today’s all-school celebration pep rally. Go, Wildcats! 📸 Photos courtesy Principal Riley Baer. #WildcatPride

🪲🔍 IT'S AN INSECT MUSEUM // First-grade Wildcats at Northside Elementary School transformed into entomologists this week! After researching and writing detailed informational reports on insects, they brought their learning to life by creating incredible insect models. To share what they learned, they hosted their very own Insect Museum, welcoming 2nd and 3rd-grade friends to explore the exhibits and learn all about the bugs they've been studying. It was a buzzing success — filled with curiosity, creativity, and collaboration! 📸 Special thanks to first-grade teachers Mrs. Groff, Mrs. Macfarlan, Mrs. Huffman, and Ms. McDonnel for the photos. #WildcatPride #WildcatTradition #WildcatExcellence

📚 LET'S READ // Throughout the month, our elementary classrooms welcomed some very special guests in celebration of Read Across America Week! From community leaders to staff members and volunteers to family members, mystery readers brought stories to life and helped spark a love of reading in our Wildcats. ❤️ Thank you to everyone who took the time to share a story — your words made a difference, and your presence made it even more memorable! 📸 Photos courtesy Elmwood Academy teacher Heather Strock and Upper Allen teachers Melissa Gotthard-Shumate, Karol Maloney, and Kaitlynn Dolan. #WildcatPride

Special thanks to Agent Mitchell from the Pennsylvania Attorney General's office for presenting to our Wildcats at Elmwood Academy recently about making smart decisions when online. 📸 Photo courtesy Elmwood Assistant Principal Keith Shively. #WildcatPride

🐾 WE'VE GOT WILDCAT SPIRIT // Today marked our very first #WildcatWednesday, and our staff showed up in style! From t-shirts and sweatshirts to maroon and steel suits and shoes, the halls were full of Wildcat pride. 💙 It’s all about celebrating who we are and the incredible community we’re proud to be part of. 📸 Special thanks to our staff from across the district for proudly sharing these photos. Be sure to check our official social media channels (FB and IG @MASDwildcats) for more photos. #WildcatPride

🎼 SHE'S AN AWARD-WINNING COMPOSER // It's Music in Our Schools Month, and the perfect time to spotlight Mechanicsburg Middle School's Claire Reitnour who recently earned outstanding honors in the Pennsylvania Music Educators Association's state Composition Program. Claire wrote a beautiful movement for a piano concerto with orchestral accompaniment. 👏 Let's celebrate and congratulate Claire! Photo shared courtesy Patrick Murphy, MMS General Music and Choral Director.

LET'S CELEBRATE OUR STEP ACADEMY GRADS // We were honored to attend a special ceremony recently to celebrate our MASH Wildcats who graduated from the STEP program at HACC, Central Pennsylvania's Community College. HACC’s Set Goals, Take Action, Expect Great Things and Put in the Work (STEP) Academy prepares students for college and careers. The STEP Academy provides students with 140 hours of college and career readiness and exploration that will last a lifetime - including an OSHA safety certification, CPR certification and the National Career Readiness Certificate. Thanks to generous donations from the Justamere Foundation through the HACC Foundation, our Wildcats jointed students from Steelton-Highspire Jr./Sr. High School to participate in, and graduate from, the STEP Academy earlier this year. Please help us celebrate our STEP Academy grads. 📸 Special thanks to our friends at HACC, Central Pennsylvania's Community College for the photo.

🎨 AN ART-TASTIC EVENING // Creativity was in full swing as our young Wildcats and their families came together recently for an evening of hands-on art activities. Imaginations ran wild and masterpieces were made. 🖌️ A big thank you to everyone who joined in the fun—your creativity and enthusiasm made the night one to remember. And a special shoutout to everyone involved in organizing this fun-filled evening for our Wildcat community. 📸 Photos shared courtesy of staff from across the district.

We recently sent a team of Wildcats to the Council for Exceptional Children conference, where they had an opportunity to continue to learn and grow while also connecting with other educators and advocates. From innovative strategies to meaningful collaboration, our team brought back new insights that will allow us to continue meeting the needs of all our Wildcats. 📸 Photo courtesy Mark Miller, Assistant Supervisor of Special Education. #WildcatPride

🎉 WE'VE GOT LOTS OF REASONS TO CELEBRATE // We’re honored to share that two of our Wildcat programs were recently recognized with the Exemplary Program award from the Shippensburg University School Study Council. 🏅 Mechanicsburg Middle School’s MMS Plus Program was honored for providing students with additional supports to help them succeed—while fostering a sense of belonging and strengthening the home/school connection. 🐾 The District’s Facility Dog Program was also recognized for integrating four-legged team members into our schools to support the well-being of both students and staff. 📸 Pictured left to right with Facility Dog Carson: Jaime Bott, Supervisor of Special Education (Facility Dog Program); Jess Long, School Social Worker (MMS Plus Program); Superintendent Andy Bitz; Board President Mr. John Rupp; and MMS Principal Joel Yohn (MMS Plus Program). #WildcatPride #WildcatExcellence