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Upper Allen student ambassadors present leadership program; board recognizes athletes as resident warns on classroom screen time
Summary
Upper Allen Elementary students presented a student-ambassador leadership program to the Mechanicsburg board; the district recognized winter athletes including an inaugural high‑school bowling team and a Mid‑Penn girls basketball champion class. In public comment, educator Kim Shank urged a district audit of classroom digital platforms and more paper-based instruction.
Elisha Eric, introduced as the principal of Upper Allen Elementary, told the Mechanicsburg Area School District board she has spent her first months at the school building relationships and highlighted classroom activities that illustrate that work.
"I have loved the past few months," Elisha Eric said as she described spirit days, Read Across America visits and classroom connections that she said have helped students feel included.
Mrs. Hatfield, Upper Allen’s school counselor, described the school’s student ambassador program and introduced third‑grade ambassadors Leah, Carson, Logan and Grace. The students explained that ambassadors meet monthly, learn leadership lessons, represent their classrooms and report back during morning meetings. Logan summarized the program: "We are students who are empowered to make a difference and inspired to lead," he said.
Board members were invited to take part in a short classroom exercise and praised the program for teaching leadership and community service; ambassadors described projects including food‑drive collections and classroom presentations.
The board then recognized winter athletics. Mr. Bahanec introduced the school’s bowling team — seniors Parker Risser, Gabe Diarka, Adam Bond, captain Jackson Coy and others — noting the team won two sanctioned team tournaments and made regional play. Jackson Coy said he qualified in regional singles competition and finished third. Mr. Bahanec also noted that Coy has committed to bowl at Cumberland University.
The girls basketball team was honored for winning the Mid‑Penn Championship for the first time in school history and for a senior class record of 85 varsity wins across four years. Seniors were recognized with destinations or next steps: Natalie Barbegallo (Liberty University), Lauren Niedo (attending Saint Joseph’s and playing soccer), and Jordan Mosca (plans to pursue a career as a dental hygienist).
During the meeting’s second public‑comment period, Kim Shank of Upper Allen Township — an educator and parent — urged the board to audit every digital platform the district uses, restore more paper‑based instructional time K–12, and invest in teacher‑centered professional development rather than vendor platform training. She cited researcher Jared Cooney Horvath and said, "EdTech is not working," asking the board to consider a book study and formal review.
Board members thanked Shank for raising instructional concerns; no immediate action was taken at the meeting but the request was noted.
What’s next: principals and program leads will continue to report program outcomes; athletic recognitions are ceremonial and do not change scheduling or funding at this meeting. The public comment raises an instructional‑technology question that the board or administration could choose to follow up on in a future meeting or study.
