Penn‑Trafford honors students of the month and staff who performed life‑saving Heimlich maneuver

The Penn‑Trafford School District board opened its March 2 meeting by honoring students of the month from across grade levels and recognizing a staff member for a life‑saving action.

Doctor Harris introduced the monthly recognitions and called forward honorees: Massey Mueller, a fifth grader at Harrison Park described by school staff as academically strong, compassionate and active in softball; Molly Kessler, an eighth grader at Penn Middle School praised for strong academics, extracurricular participation and leadership; and Grant Alexander, a high school junior recognized for AP/honors coursework, leadership and broad extracurricular involvement including state‑level marching band achievement. Presenters described each student’s accomplishments and noted district activities tied to their schools (book fairs, concerts, BizTown field trips and the spring musical).

In the same portion of the meeting the board recognized Leslie O’Connell for performing the Heimlich maneuver on a student on Feb. 6. Doctor Harris and the child’s father, Brian Klein (identified in the record as the board’s vice president), thanked O’Connell for responding quickly and applying trained skills to clear the student’s airway; board members called the action “life‑saving” and planned a photo opportunity with the staff member and the students of the month.

The meeting’s recognition segment also included updates from student representatives and school staff about upcoming events, national awards for the district’s student‑run PTTV newscast and ongoing club fundraisers. Board members used the recognition time to highlight the connection between extracurricular programs and the district budget discussion later in the meeting.

Next steps: a photo op and formal presentation of certificates were scheduled after the meeting; staff said information about upcoming events would be posted on the district website.