Hempfield School District

Hempfield High School’s Performing Arts Center will be transformed into a magical garden on Friday March 5, Saturday March 6, and Sunday March 7 when the music department presents the annual spring musical, “The Secret Garden.”  Based on the popular children’s novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett, with book and lyrics by Marsha Norman, and music by Lucy Simon, the musical relates a dramatic tale of family relationships, ghosts, love, and the magical mystery of renewal symbolized by the garden.  The Secret Garden is under the musical direction of Dr. Alan Mudrick, with stage direction and choreography by Ms. Pat Kautter.  The production features a cast of forty students with an all-student pit orchestra of forty students and over twenty students working behind the scenes on the stage crew.  Curtain time for the Friday and Saturday evening shows is 7:30 p.m. and the Sunday matinee begins at 2:30 p.m.  Reserved tickets cost $5.00 for students and senior citizens, and $10.00 for adults. During the week of the production tickets will be on sale during lunch periods in the Student Commons, and on Wednesday evening March 3rd in the PAC lobby from 6:30 - 8:30 p.m.  Any remaining tickets be available for sale in the PAC ticket booth starting 1 hour before each performance.

On Thursday evening, January 28, students from Hempfield elementary schools and middle schools competed in the annual district Spelling Bee. There were 32 contestants who had been chosen through preliminary contests in their schools. As winners in those competitions, the students moved on to represent their schools in the district bee.  Dr. Cheryl Laub, retired principal of Centerville Elementary School, organized the spelling bee for Hempfield School District. Mr. Alan Shuss, a former middle school English teacher, was the pronouncer. Students were gradually eliminated until there were eight finalists for the next level of competition which is a written spelling test. Four alternates were also chosen. Congratulations to all spelling bee participants for capturing a spot in the Hempfield Spelling Bee. Best of luck to the winners of the Spelling Bee as they go on to compete with other students from other schools in Lancaster County.

Recently six students signed letters of intent to compete athletically at the collegiate level.  For more information on this story, please refer to our athletics blog.

Centerville Middle School held its 25th Annual Science Fair at CMS on Saturday, January 30.  Nearly 200 students participated in the event that was supervised by Centerville Middle School science teachers.  Ribbons were awarded for the top 3 places and honorable mention.  Landisville Middle School held the Annual Science Fair in their building over the weekend of January 30th as well.  Approximately 100 students prepared projects, which were evaluated by judges from the community.  The winners of both the CMS and LMS science fairs will be competing at the North Museum Science and Engineering Fair March 23 - 25 at F&M College.  For a complete list of winners from both schools, please refer to this Science Fair Results PDF.

School directors contribute many volunteer public service hours to school-related duties and responsibilities. January is School Director Recognition Month. The theme this year is “Educating for success, Inspiring Excellence.” There are 4,500 school directors serving Pennsylvania’s 500 public schools. All boards have nine members who are elected for a 4 year term. Bill Jimenez is the president of the Hempfield School Board, and Diane Gerlach is the vice president. The Board meets the first and second Tuesdays of each month in the auditorium of the Administration building at 200 Church Street in Landisville. The meetings are open to the public.

Alumni were invited back to help honor graduates who were inducted into the Hempfield Athletic Hall of Fame. The athletes were recognized for their outstanding contributions to Hempfield School District athletics, and for bringing recognition, honor, distinction, and excellence to the district and its athletic program. This year, the Hall of Fame recognized Donald Emich (1955), Jason Kepner (1992), Troy Millhouse (2001), Peter Toole (1997), Jennifer Windstein Womble (2001), Bobby Young (1989), and the 1976 boys cross-country team.  For more information, be sure to check out the Hempfield Athletic Hall of Fame. 

HHS winter sports fans may notice a significant improvement in the new bleachers in Buchanan Gymnasium this year. The new bleachers have rails on all aisles to make it easier for people to go up and down. There are no large gaps through which children might fall and there is access for those with physical handicaps.  All in all the installation of the new bleachers addressed significant safety concerns expressed by many community members and Hempfield sports fans alike. We hope that you will put our new bleachers to good use as you come out to support our winter sports, such as the mens’ basketball team featured below.  [Basketball shots taken by Jim Hess.]

Students and staff in Hempfield’s schools have been busy throughout the month of December with concerts, plays and other activities. The photos posted are just a sampling of all of the many events which went on during the last two-three weeks. From making gingerbread houses to performances of the “Christmas Carol” to caroling in the administrative office and concerts in virtually every elementary school, students enthusiastically participated in the sights and sound of the season.

The HHS Anchor Club decorated trees in the school commons and is asking students and staff to contribute gifts to be placed under each tree. Each class has a tree and the tree with the most gifts under it will will a prize for the sponsoring class. After Friday, December 18, the trees and the gifts under the trees will be given to  needy families in the Hempfield area. For more information contact Rita Nutter at HHS.

Students in Mrs. Buckwalter’s baking and pastry class at Hempfield High School have been creating buildings and other structures from gingerbread. These creations will be on display in downtown Lancaster for First Friday in the Lancaster County Convention Center at Penn Square. A ballot box will be provided for contributions to the Four Diamonds Fund. Balloting is officially open between 5:30 and 9:00 p.m. Additionally, students obtained business sponsors for some of their projects and constructed buildings in gingerbread to “advertise” the businesses. The project combined culinary skills and business skills as well.