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PJAS STATE MEETING

We are incredibly proud of the outstanding group of Lakeview students who attended and presented their research at the Pennsylvania Junior Academy of Science (PJAS) State Meeting held at Penn State University from May 17–19. Representing Lakeview with excellence were:
 
 Juniors: Levi Haines, Ethan Johnson, and Vivian Martin
 Freshmen: Quinten Becki and Jonathan Frey
 8th Graders: Cylas Fry-Stutzman and Emma Tomeo
 7th Grader: Penn Brocklehurst
 
Each of these students earned the opportunity to compete at the state level after receiving First Place Awards at the regional PJAS competition held in February at Slippery Rock University. Their hard work, dedication, and commitment to scientific research truly paid off!
 
At the state competition, Levi Haines, Ethan Johnson, Vivian Martin, Quinten Becki, Jonathan Frey, Cylas Fry-Stutzman, and Emma Tomeo all earned First Place Awards, while Penn Brocklehurst earned an impressive Second Place Award.
 
A special congratulations goes to Levi Haines, who achieved the incredible honor of receiving a perfect score on his presentation! 

We would also like to recognize our junior presenters—Levi, Ethan, and Vivian—as PJAS Perseverance Award Winners, an honor earned by students who have presented research at the state meeting for at least four years. An extra shoutout to Ethan Johnson, who has now presented his research at the state level for an amazing five years!

WALLOPS ISLAND 

What an incredible week our Lakeview 6th graders had during their annual trip to Wallops Island and the Chincoteague Bay Field Station! 🌊🦀🦑

This amazing hands-on learning experience immersed students in coastal ecology and marine science through unforgettable activities and lessons. Students explored the marsh ecosystem, learning about the plants and animals that thrive in this unique habitat and the important role marshes play in protecting our environment. During our intertidal zone exploration, students investigated marine life up close while learning how organisms adapt to changing tides and conditions.

Our students also enjoyed a research boat cruise, where they participated in scientific investigations and learned more about the bay ecosystem from field station educators. A favorite hands-on experience for many was the squid dissection, where students explored anatomy and adaptations while gaining a deeper understanding of marine organisms.

Adventures continued as students explored the coastal dunes, learning about erosion, native species, and how dunes protect shorelines. One of the most memorable experiences was our nighttime hike, where students discovered nocturnal adaptations and experienced the beauty and sounds of nature after dark.

Of course, learning was balanced with some fun traditions too! On our free evening, we enjoyed a delicious seafood dinner followed by ice cream, making wonderful memories together outside of our educational experiences.

This truly was an amazing experience, and I am so proud of our students for embracing every opportunity with curiosity, enthusiasm, and positive attitudes.

A very special thank you to the Lakeview Academic Boosters for continuing to provide this incredible opportunity for our 6th graders each year. We are also deeply grateful to everyone who supported the annual Daffins Easter Candy fundraiser, which helps make this trip possible for our students.

 

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STATE K'NEX STEM CHALLENGE COMPETITION

Lakeview was proudly represented at the State K’Nex/STEM Design Competition on Friday, May 8 at the PA Farm Show Complex in Harrisburg by our outstanding 4th grade team of David Creekpaum, Reed Shearer, and Cooper Wygant!

 

KOMATSU FLUID POWER ACTION CHALLENGE

Today, three of our Lakeview students—Penn Brocklehurst, Cylas Fry-Stutzman, and Gavin McNally—competed in the Komatsu Fluid Power Action Challenge held at the former Venango Campus of Clarion University in Oil City.

Their journey began back in March when they attended a workshop to receive their building kit and learn the expectations for designing a hydraulic-powered machine. Over the past seven weeks, they fully embraced the engineering design process—planning, building, testing, and refining—while carefully documenting their work in detailed engineering journals.

At today’s competition, 25 teams were challenged to put their preparation to the test. Each team received a brand new kit and had just four hours to reconstruct their machine using only their notes and journals. While they worked, their journals were evaluated by a panel of judges. Once time was up, teams had two minutes on the competition board to complete a series of tasks using their hydraulic systems.

Although our Lakeview team did not bring home an award this year, their dedication and perseverance were evident every step of the way. These young men invested countless hours into their project, including evenings and even a few Saturday mornings. Their commitment, problem-solving, and teamwork made us incredibly proud.

This nationwide event, locally sponsored by Joy Manufacturing in Franklin, provides an outstanding opportunity for students to apply real-world engineering skills—and our team represented Lakeview with excellence.

 

NATIONAL ACADEMIC GAMES TOURNAMENT

Eight Lakeview Academic Game Students competed at the National Tournament in Charlotte, NC from April 24-27 against some of the toughest competition from around the country. Our eight competitors were Anderson Becki, Quinten Becki, Griffin Brocklehurst, Penn Brocklehurst, Jonathan Frey, Cylas Fry-Stutzman, Cole Kudiak, and Tanner Powers.  Everyone did a fantastic job with many bringing home medals and trophies.  Tanner helped his team secure the National Championship in Elementary OnSets.  Griffin earned a 10th place finish in Elementary Presidents which helped his team take 3rd place. His Theme team also placed 7th.   Penn had a strong showing with three 4th place team finishes in the games of Presidents, Propaganda, and Theme while also earning an 8th place as an individual in Theme. Cylas earned a nearly perfect score in Equations earning him a 6th place individual medal.  Cole achieved a 6th place individual medal in Current Events which helped his team earn the 2nd place team finish.  Cole's Presidents team also scored a 3rd place team finish.  We are very proud of all of these students for representing Lakeview so well. 

CREEK CONNECTIONS SCIENCE SYMPOSIUM

On Friday April 17, our 6th and 7th grade students had the opportunity to participate in the Creek Connections Science Symposium at YMCA Camp Kon-O-Kwee Spencer. It was a beautiful day.

It was meaningful to spend the day surrounded by curious, hardworking students. Our group proudly displayed their projects. Their dedication, growth, and confidence truly shined, and it was just as exciting to see the incredible work of students from other schools as well.

The keynote speakers from Three Rivers Waterkeeper were engaging and informative, helping students better understand the importance of protecting our local waterways. The afternoon activities provided a fun, hands-on way to continue learning and connecting with one another.

I am so proud of each and every one of these students—not only for their hard work and accomplishments, but for the positivity, resilience, and kindness they brought to the day.

  

  

  

CHILDREN'S CHOICE AWARDS

On April 16th our gifted students Grades 3-5 celebrated a love of books and reading by attending the Children's Choice Awards in Pittsburgh.  These students had the task of reading 8 newly published books in 2025 over the course of this school year and then voting on which was their favorite book.  The winner, Library Girl, was announced after an exciting morning of activities.  Students were inspired by author, Ally Russell, as she shared her journey to becoming a published author.  Each student received a signed copy of one of Ms. Russell's novels after having the chance to ask her questions.  Students also competed in a Battle of the Books competition as well as have the pleasure of being entertained by singing duo, Josh and Gab!  It was such a fun day! 

  

EXTREME LEADERSHIP

On April 8th our Lakeview Extreme Leadership students joined peers from across the Midwestern IU #4 to present their service-based projects to a panel of superintendents and fellow student leaders. This incredible experience is the culmination of months of hard work, collaboration, and dedication.

Since September, students have participated in three on-site workdays at the IU—but their commitment didn’t stop there. Countless hours of planning, communicating, and refining their ideas have led to today’s outstanding presentations focused on making a positive impact within their schools and communities.

We are especially proud of Lakeview’s team—Senior Delainee Snyder and Junior Ethan Johnson—who designed a meaningful initiative to boost student involvement at the high school level. Their project? A High School Activities Fair for incoming 9th graders this May!

Their goal is simple yet powerful: increase student participation by connecting 8th grade students with the many clubs, organizations, and sports available at the high school level. Every high school activity has been invited to create a display and interact with students, helping them discover where they belong before they even step into high school.

This thoughtful and proactive approach addresses a real need—reversing the decline in student involvement—and empowers younger students to get connected early.
The Extreme Leadership Program continues to be an invaluable opportunity provided by the IU, helping students grow as leaders while making a lasting difference in their communities.

 

K'NEX ENGINEERING COMPETITION

Our 4th and 5th graders competed at the Regional K'Nex Engineering Competition held at Laurel High School on March 27.  Each team worked for many months preparing for the competition.  We are proud to announce that the 4th Grade team, "THE RENEWABLE REVOLUTION," won first place and qualified for the State Competition to be held in May.  Our 5th Grade team, "KELP CURRENT," won second place and won the poster contest. We are so proud of both of these teams! 

WILD INVESTIGATIONS AT THE PITTSBURGH ZOO AND AQUARIUM 

Our third, fourth, and fifth graders enjoyed a day at the Pittsburgh Zoo for the Wild Investigations program.  The day was sponsored by Midwestern Intermediate Unit #4.  Our students attended with other gifted students from MIU #4 schools.  It was a great day of learning along with seeing many animals!  

STATE ACADEMIC GAMES TOURNAMENT:

Seventeen Lakeview students competed at the Academic Games State Tournament held at Grove City College on March 2 and March 4, and they delivered an outstanding performance across multiple events.

Four Lakeview students earned Undefeated Champion honors in the game of LinguiSHTIKS: Tanner Powers, Cole Kudiak, Quinten Becki, and Anderson Kaltenbaugh.

The Junior Division team of Cole Kudiak, Quinten Becki, Jacob Barcheck, and Jon Frey also had an incredible showing, earning First Place in the State.

In the game of Equations, Jacob Barcheck and Cylas Fry-Stutzman both finished as Undefeated Champions. Jacob added to his impressive performance by also earning Undefeated Champion in On-Sets. With these victories, along with his team’s first-place finish, Jacob has qualified for the National Tournament.

The Brocklehurst brothers, Penn and Griffin, dominated in the games of Propaganda and Presidents, each earning Undefeated Champion honors. Penn achieved the second-highest score in his division in Presidents, while Griffin earned the top score in the Elementary Division.

We are incredibly proud of all 17 Lakeview students who represented our school with dedication, teamwork, and academic excellence.

Next up, several of these outstanding students will represent Lakeview at the Academic Games National Tournament in Charlotte, North Carolina this April.

Congratulations to our students on an amazing performance!

        

      

 

PJAS:

Ten students prepared and presented PJAS (Pennsylvania Junior Academy of Science) projects at the Region 9 Meeting held at Slippery Rock University on Saturday, February 21.  Eight students received a first place award and will advance to the state meeting in May at Penn State Main Campus. 

First Place Award Winners: Penn Brocklehurst, Cylas Fry-Stutzman, Emma Tomeo, Quinten Becki, Jonathan Frey, Ethan Johnson, Levi Haines, and Vivian Martin

Perfect Scores: Penn Brocklehurst and Quinten Becki

Directors Award: Penn Brocklehurst

SRU Special $100 Awards: Cylas Fry-Stutzman (Math) and Quinten Becki (Physics) 

Congratulations to all of our dedicated scientists for their months of hard work and bravery to present their projects!

 

MOCK TRIAL:

The verdict is finally in!  The Mock Trial team tied with Meadville, but unfortunately the tie-breaker did not go in our favor.  The team was victorious against Cathedral Prep.  We needed two victories to go the District Play-Offs, so sadly our season has come to an end.  We are so proud of each student's contributions!  Best of luck to our only senior, Seth Phillips! 

 

FLL LEGO ROBOTICS:

Congratulations to our FLL Lego Robotics Team for earning the Judges' Award at the State Competition held in Hershey, PA on February 14!  The team earned their the chance to compete at states due to their performance at the Regional Competition on February 7 at Penn State Behrend. Team members include: Anderson Becki, Penn Brocklehurst, Colt Hood, Sawyer McAllister, Gavin McNally, Tanner Powers, Emma Zahniser, and Mentor Coach Nevin McNally.  

ACADEMIC GAMES: 

We finished the regular Academic Games Season with Theme and Current Events.  The Theme this year was Norse Mythology and we had two undefeated winners!  The Brocklehurst Brothers, Penn and Griffin,  both earned another victory!  In Current Events, Cole Kudiak  earned an undefeated victory! 

In Equations play, we had three brand new undefeated winners and two new National Qualifiers!  Congratulations to Reed Shearer, Colt Hood , and Jacob Barcheck on  earning an undefeated victory and to Anderson and Quinten Becki on earning their second undefeated victory of the year to punch their ticket to the National Academic Games!  

 

SCIENCE BOWL: 

The team of Anderson Becki, Kate Soldatova, and Emma Tomeo earned a third place finish at the 2026 Science Bowl held at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History on February 6!