Chase Hnat, 10, of Newton Township, and his brother Blake, 8, hold Yardzee dice.
Ben Freda | For Abington Journal
Mia King, 5, of Clarks Summit, in the lead of a potato sack race with her father Shane and brother Cooper, 7.
Ben Freda | For Abington Journal
Mario Emiliani, principal of Clarks Summit Elementary School, gets dunked many times at the carnival.
Ben Freda | For Abington Journal
Abington Heights’ mock trial team who earned the state title in March 2022. From left, are Hannah Siddiqui, Zachary Riggall, Carly Regan, JT Healey, Jack Cowgill, William Newton, Noor Rutty, Aidan Lam, Dane Huggler, Madeline Herold, Michael Cummins and Faith Bennett.
Ben Freda | For Abington Journal
Drum majors Jordan Molitoris and Sydney Degnon conduct the Abington Heights Marching Band.
Ben Freda | For Abington Journal
The Abington Heights Marching Band with Miss Comet Kathryn Agentovich (second from left in front).
Ben Freda | For Abington Journal
CLARKS SUMMIT — Abington Heights High School is prepared for yet another school year as classes resume this week. But not before having it’s annual Back to School Carnival on Friday, Sept. 2, from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. The National Honor Society (NHS) organized an afternoon filled with outdoor games, vendors, a bounce house, and music as a way of giving back to the community. “Every year, the Abington Heights Back to School Carnival brings together the community with games, entertainment, and food options,” said NHS officer Alex Duffy. “We as part of NHS are excited to continue the legacy of promoting an exciting experience for all who attend the carnival.”
“It’s good because anyone can come,” Bath said about the carnival. “A lot of families can come and have fun.”
Mario Emiliani, principal of Clarks Summit Elementary School, was one of the dunk tank targets. “It’s all about the community coming out celebrating with families,” he said. “It’s a great way to kick off the school year.”
The Abington Heights’ wrestling team introduced themselves to the attendees. The team recently became District II “AAA” Champions of the 2021-22 school year. “It was a good run, said head coach Greg Theony. “Hopefully, they can do it again.”
Also present at the carnival was Spread the Word Inclusion, a promotion of Unified Sports at Abington Heights High School. “It’s a pairing of students with special needs and typical students,” said coach Krista Carey, who gets to see both of her daughters (one with Down’s syndrome) play together. The teams of Unified Sports play bocce in the winter and track and field in the spring. Both types of students must share the field each game. “We want to encourage people to be more inclusive,” said Carey. The Abington Heights’ Marching Band performed at the carnival before their first home game against Wilkes Barre Area High School. The Marching Band is getting a new logo this year. Like every game, apparel and 50/50 raffle tickets were sold at the carnival. Kathryn Agentovich became Miss Comet for the 2022-23 school year. She performs with the marching band and helps with the Abington Heights Booster Club when needed. “I proud to be a leader of the student body,” she said. “It’s an honor to be the position of Miss Comet.”
There are also two new drum majors this year — Sydney Degnon and Jordan Molitoris. Sydney plays the piccolo as her band instrument. “I’m so excited to be playing and conducting this year ‘s marching band,” she said. Jordan also plays the saxophone for the marching band. “I’m looking forward to the school year,” he said. “I’m scared of how fast it’s going to go by.”
Band director Michael Lesnesky is glad that the numbers of band members went up from 38 to 54. “Because of that, we’re trying some more challenging music,” he said. “I’m fully excited but more comfortable now that it’s my second year.”
Christopher Shaffer, who has been the district’s superintendent since January 2022, credited the students for planning the Back to School Carnival by meeting weekly since June. “It’s a great way to introduce the community to the students and the different types of organizations and opportunities that we have,” he said. “Our focus is school community. The way to build school community is to provide opportunities for our students and adults to interact and learn more about each other.”
Before becoming Abington Heights’ superintendent, Christopher was the deputy chief for curriculum instruction and assessment and a high school principal for Roxborough High School in Philadelphia. He has seen Abington Heights High School accomplish a lot in the eight months he’s been superintendent. He mentioned that the school district developed an English language arts curriculum, a 12th-grade mathematics curriculum, and a student/superintendent advisory council in every school. The district developed a new website and surveyed community students and teachers for improvement. It has monthly-dsted discussions about areas of strength and growth related to academics. It also developed job descriptions and revised school board policies. “I’m proud of our students, families, and teachers for the work they have done over the past year,” said Shaffer. “We’ll continue to do it as we focus on our students.”
The Abington Heights Band Boosters will hold a craft fair at Abington Heights High School on Saturday, Sept. 17 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The Abington Heights Marching Band will be performing. Businesses and food trucks are welcome. Raffles and food will be available for purchase. For an application to become a vendor, email AHBBCraftShow22@gmail.com.
