News

Volunteer opportunities

Page 2

AG Life

Inside

Peter Pan preparations

Opinion Page 2 Sports Page 3 AG Life Page 4

Page 4

The Devil’s Herald

Avon Grove High School, West Grove, Pa.

AG COMMUNITY

Friday, October 30, 2015

Volume 17 Issue 2

HOMECOMING 2015

New homeless Avon Grove comes shelter alive at homecoming focuses on festivities keeping families close By McKenna Farrell Staff Writer

By Katie Malone Staff Writer

Family Promise, a national non-profit organization, established a local affiliate in Southern Chester County with a focus on keeping families together as they search for a permanent home. Thirteen host congregations in the area work together to provide families a place to sleep and keep up with personal hygiene. Families are also fed and provided with social workers and psychiatric care as needed. Family Promise looks for families who are “really motivated to change their circumstances,” as Executive Director Sue Minarchi said. Some of the more local congregations include Assumption BVM, the Christian Life Center, Avon Grove Church of the Nazarene, and Cornerstone Presbyterian Church. Vice President of the Board, Annalie Korengel, is proud of their religious diversity, “Interfaith and multifaith stuff is really import-

-Photo by Katie Malone The open house was located in West Grove at Assumption BVM’s Convent. ant to me so I love that churches are working together and I’d love to see when we get mosques and synagogues in the Southern Chester County area for us to reach out for their support as well.” After two years of hard work from the entire Board, Annalie Korengel went on to describe how it felt to see it all come together, SEE FAMILY PROMISE PAGE 6

October 9 began the most festive week at Avon Grove: Spirit Week. Spirit Week began with Pajama Day on Monday. Students wore comfortable clothes to show their school spirit. Some students went all out with full body onesies, slippers, blankets, and stuffed animals. Tuesday was Blackout Day. The students wore all black clothing complete with eye black. Wednesday was Class Pride Day. Students showed pride for their classes by wearing their class color. Seniors dressed in blue, juniors dressed in green, sophomores wore orange, and freshmen wore yellow. The day began with the Senior Parade around the outside of the school. Soon after, for the first time, a competition between the freshmen and sophomores was held. Later in the day, the competition between the juniors and seniors determined which class had the most spirit. The week continued with USA Pride Day on Thursday. Students wore red, white, and blue to show spirit for the United States. The final day of the week was Avon Grove Pride Day. Students wore maroon and gold colors or

-Photo by McKenna Farrell Nate Jones carries the ball for an Avon Grove first down. Avon Grove spirit wear. At the end of the day, the pep rally encouraged the students to support the sports teams, and come out to the homecoming festivities the next day. On Saturday morning, the Red Devil 5K, in support of the girls and boys cross country teams, began at 8:30a.m. Runners finished the race in the stadium. After the 5K, the booths for many clubs opened at 9:00a.m. School clubs set up booths with different activities in order to raise

money for the club. The goal is to “raise as much money as possible for prom and to represent our class positively and to have fun,” said junior class officer Brian Armstrong. Organizations such as the Avon Grove Cancer Society, SADD, German Club, MDS, ACTO, girls cross country, boys lacrosse, sophomore class, junior class, Global Citizens in Action, and more brought awareness to their groups. SEE HOMECOMING PAGE 6

HIGH SCHOOL LIFE

Class Pride Day creates stronger student connections By Cassie Billig Staff Writer

Class Pride Day underwent many changes this year that immensely affected the students, faculty, and school. Administration decided on separating each class so that different grades would not run into each other throughout the day, which was meant to control vandalism, and they did not allow students to carry around backpacks throughout the day. Administration was able to take charge and gain the respect of its students more than ever. “A committee was formed that came in and asked how we could capitalize on the positives and work at eliminating some of the negatives. That group was made up of some students, staff members, and parents,” explained Avon Grove High School Principal Mr. DeShong, as he commented about the recent changes. “I think the changes were good. It decreased the amount of vandalism throughout the school and vandalism on students as compared to previous years,” Ms. Kravel, a science teacher, replied.

But she also agreed that over time, the event has the potential to become something great that will have a better impact on its students. Mr. DeShong believes that the event has the potential to become something great. He does not “want any student leaving here with a negative experience from high school, and let alone one thing making their whole entire high school experience negative. “I feel like everyone has a right to feel safe and comfortable at school everyday and if we allow things to happen that don’t allow students to feel safe and comfortable, we need to look at how we can make the experience better for everybody,” said DeShong. “I absolutely love the amount of pride that students displayed that day. This is the third high school I’ve worked in, and I did not see that level of pride, at any point in time, in any of those schools, so I think that it was phenomenal,” Mr. DeShong continued. The current seniors in the high school have experienced every SEE CLASS PRIDE PAGE 6

Seniors and juniors participate in the final round of tug-of-war to win the competition.

-Photo by Cassie Billig

OPINION / NEWS PAGE 2

The Devil’s Herald

AG COMMUNITY

Community supports carnival By Cheyenne Lauesen Staff Writer

The annual Penn London Elementary School Carnival was held on Friday, October 16 this year. Volunteers of all ages rounded up to help out the PTA and kids from every grade came out to take part in the fun. The carnival isn’t a fundraiser, but a way to come together with members of the Avon Grove community. All costs are covered by food sales, but any extra money goes towards paying for school field trips and assemblies for PLE students. It has been noted, that since the carnival began, the attendance has increased every year. This year over 800 community mem-

AG COMMUNITY

bers attended. The carnival included a disc jockey and a fire truck showed up to hand out plastic fire helmets to the kids. They also had free hayrides, which “went along with the season’s festive feel,” said high school student A.J. German. Some of the games and events included a blow-up obstacle course, sandy candy, a flip the frog type game, and a duck-picking game. The kids were able to get their faces painted and a balloon mak-Photo courtesy of Marielle Eagles er was there to make the kids bal- The carnival included a hay ride. loon animals. executed and the kids seemed to “It was a kid’s wildest dream,” really enjoy the whole night.” said high school student Danielle The carnival allows Avon Grove Fineza. community members to come toFineza, who worked the duck gether one night a year to have pond game, stated that the carni- fun and to support the school. val “was a lot of fun” for the volunteers. “The carnival was very well

New EMV cards bring change to cash register By Carli Hunter Staff Writer

As of October 1, 2015, consumers are going to see a change in the way they pay at the register. New EMV cards are now becoming common, and not everyone is taking it as smoothly as hoped. You may find yourself asking the question, ”What are EMV cards?” Well, you aren’t alone. At the beginning of 2014, you may have taken notice to a slight difference on the top left of your card as a miniature computer chip is now built in. These new cards require a certain card acceptor, which changed from the traditional swipe, to where you now insert, or “dip” your card in a machine that reads all your personal data on your chip, and from there allows the charges to your bank account. Unfortunately for some businesses, this requires them to update their computer systems in or-

der to be compliant with the new chip, which may mean purchasing a completely new computer system. Businesses were informed earlier this year and had until October 1, 2015 to begin preparations for the switch. You can see the changes affecting local businesses, such as Corner Cafe, Dairy Queen, and Candy for all Occasions, all located in the Shoppes at Jenner’s Village. “We’re still ironing out some problems associated with the switch,” Sue Ford, owner of Candy for all Occasions, explained. ”We just got the new system last week.” “The whole point of getting this new system was so that the customers never have to hand over their credit card. It acts as a safeguard,” said Jane Morrissey, owner and manager of the Corner Cafe. However, with such a hefty change on the horizon, one would hope to be more aware of the shift.

Opinion

But both business owners and consumers alike, feel uninformed and quite confused when introduced to the futuristic change. “Personally, I felt the change shoved upon me. I know that it will make using the register slower, knowing the customers are going to have to become used to not handing over their card anymore,” said Paul Barr owner and manager of Dairy Queen. Similarly Morrissey said, “The customers have no idea what the chip is for. Some people, when they get their cards, don’t even know they need a pin.” The shift is clearly creating some confusion, but the company distributing the cards, Open Edge Global Payments, claims that it should take approximately five years for the new cards to completely saturate the US, and for the consumers to be accustomed to the change.

Opinion content in The Devil’s Herald expresses the singular view of the writer. The Devil’s Herald invites letters to the editor. Please email Mr. Gregory ([email protected]).

Making the best of your lunch break in school Lunch is great. You can talk to friends, try to cram for that test you forgot about, and most importantly, you can eat. It’s a refreshing break from classes. But there can be a couple of small issues that can take away from this refreshing break in the day. The cafeteria during lunch is a busy place. People are talking, chairs are everywhere, and the ground is like a minefield of dropped food and spilled milk. I don’t know about you, but I’m not exactly the biggest fan of stepping in piles of ketchup. Here are a couple of dos and don’ts of how to act in the cafeteria. Do: Push in your chairs when the

bell rings. It’s pretty hard already to walk between the narrow aisles between the tables, and when there’s chairs strewn across the floor, it’s basically impossible. Don’t: Yell at your friends across the cafeteria. “It’s distracting,” said junior Emme Page. Do: Throw away your trash before you leave. The janitors work hard every day to keep our school clean, and having to crouch down to pick up plastic bags and pizza crusts just makes their job harder. Don’t: Throw food at people. Sure, food fights look fun in movies, but in real life they just result in ruined clothes, disappointment, and consequences. “Once I got hit by a goldfish by some people sitting behind me,” said sophomore Gabby Pino, “It hurts my feelings! Why waste a perfectly good goldfish?”

AG offers volunteer opportunities By Daniela Morales Sanchez Senior Editor

Need volunteering hours? Want to impress colleges? Avon Grove gives students a plethora of opportunities to stick out. Walking into the guidance office, there is a board on the left filled with signs for students looking to work, babysit, and volunteer. Some of the many places one can volunteer are: The Bridge at the Nazarene Church, Jenner’s Pond in Jennersville, and The Kennett Area Senior Center. One of the clubs at the Avon Grove High School, the Humanitarian Club, works with the Bridge on many occasions. The club provides the community with the opportunity to receive flu shots, Thanksgiving baskets, and Christmas baskets are all important drives that AG is heavily involved in. “It was an excellent experience being able to give back to the community. The people there including the other volunteers were very welcoming and simply nice to be around,” said senior Lani Santos, who has volunteered at The Bridge multiple times. The Bridge is a clothing and food pantry that is open every Tuesday from 6:00p.m. to 8:00p.m. It is hosted at the basement of the Nazarene Church. Jenner’s Pond is a retirement community where one can volunteer. The duties vary but senior Jen Gaspar had a more hands-on experience. “I was basically tech support, fixing the computers and teaching the residents how to use them. I met a lot of interesting people, but overall I learned how important patience is and how important helping others is.” She explained how she volunteered during the summer, and

-Photo by Daniela Morales The guidance office posts volunteer opportunities on its bulletin board. how easy the process was for her. “It’s an easy way of achieving your goal of the amount of volunteering hours you want to complete. The time goes by fast and the people there are very supportive,” Gaspar said. “It’s a very comfortable environment.” It could be hard for someone to go out and find something new, but it could always lead to new and better opportunities. The Kennett Area Senior Center is a place where anyone can volunteer, morning or afternoon, and has different jobs for students. The roles vary from serving meals to teaching classes. “I read the poster in the guidance office about this place. It sounds interesting and it seems like a really nice place to go volunteer. My friends and I are planning on going one of these weekends,” senior Maddi Reamer explained. Among these three places there are many other opportunities students can get involved in. There are a few clubs like the National Honor Society where it is a requirement to have volunteering hours, and there are many colleges that are interested in applicants who make a difference in their community.

AG CLUBS

CAFETERIA ETIQUETTE

By Helen Sibol Staff Writer

HIGH SCHOOL LIFE

Friday, October 30, 2015

Do: Try to buy lunch as quickly as possible. I know the area where you can buy lunch is crowded and hard to walk through, but you can do your part to keep the level of congestion down. Don’t: Be that person who holds up the line by spending five minutes trying to decide if you want chips or ice cream. Try to get in and out as quickly as possible, so we can all have as much time to enjoy our food. Don’t: Blast your music for everyone to hear. I’m sure you have a great taste in music, but it can be pretty distracting to other students. Also, it’s pretty loud in the cafeteria, it’s probably easier to hear your music with headphones anyway. The cafeteria can be a chaotic place, but we shouldn’t let that get in the way of our lunch.

Model UN club debates at Temple By Liam Blakey Staff Writer

The Model UN club visited Temple University on October 17. Model UN is a club that discusses current issues that are going on around the world. The idea is to emulate the real United Nations. Each student takes on a country and one side of an argument. Personifying these countries, the members of the UN club debate about problems affecting them and how to solve them. “[The club is] getting the kids to think in a different way, from the perspective of a country which has a different view than the United States,” said advisor Ms. Cahill. At Temple University, students formed committees and debated for the topic they were assigned to. Temple plans all year for the conference and provided a pro-

fessional atmosphere with moderators for each group that outlined the procedures and rules. Many students from Avon Grove won awards, as Jesse Orozco was honored with the Golden Gavel Award. Orozco participated in the Star Wars Galactic Civil War Conference. He commanded the debate floor and also received some honorable mentions from the chair, who runs the committees. The award he received was for swaying the general flow of the floor and working well with people who had differing opinions. It was a simple golden gavel. He found the visit to Temple, “overall a very good beginner conference,” and enjoyed the discussions. In addition to the conference at Temple University, Model UN hopes to fundraise enough money to go to a similar conference in New York City later this year. Until then, the unending debates continue in room 504.

This Week in Sports

Today

Football v. Downingtown West

November 6

Football v. Bishop Shanahan

November 13 November 16 Football at Chichester

Winter Sports practice begins

For more information visit http://avongrove.digitalsports.com/

Herald Sports

Friday, October 30, 2015

FOOTBALL

Page 3

Doubt diminishes for football team By Sean Goodwin Staff Writer

It has been a tough couple of years for the Avon Grove football team as they had a 20 game losing streak heading into the season. The Red Devils started the 2015 campaign with a resounding 42-7 win against Kennett. It was the team’s first win since 2013 against Kennett. “Everything negative from friends, family, reporters, and everything else was just motivation to work even harder so we could go out and end the streak the way we did,” said starting center Dylan Curtis. The second game of the season came against the Oxford Hornets and ended in a 21-7 victory for AG. The team was off to a 2-0 start for the first time since 2010. “The feeling amongst us was really positive. We knew we were a good team and finally got to show it. At the same time, we had to get focused on the fact that

FIELD HOCKEY

we were entering the meat of our schedule and not all games would be like the first two,” said starting lineman Spencer Wallace. After three consecutive losses to Unionville, Downingtown East and West Chester East, the Red Devils hosted Octorara for the homecoming game. The Red Devils handled Octorara on both sides of the ball and had a convincing 48-0 win. Quarterback Shane McLaughlin threw for 127 yards and a touchdown on the afternoon. The team was 3-3 entering their bout with West Chester Henderson on October 16. They beat Henderson 35-14 to improve their record to 4-3. Nate Jones finished with 2 touchdowns and 297 rushing yards. When asked about Nate’s incredible season, Wallace proclaimed, “He has been running amazingly this season. For a kid with a lot of talent, it is great that the whole area can now see what we witness everyday.” It has definitely been a different season for the team as they

are performing at a high level. “Last year we were young and all our playmakers were first year starters. This is our second year in the system and almost every starter returned this year. We spent a lot of time in the weight room and on the practice field in the spring and summer and we just play better as a team,” explained Curtis. The team finishes the season -Photo by McKenna Farrell against Downingtown West The football team warming up before their game against Octorara. (tonight), Bishop ent meaning to it and can help The season is far from over and Shanahan (November 6), and us achieve our goals. For me the team remains focused on the Chichester (November 13). personally it is the game against tasks ahead. When asked which game he Shanahan because it our last “Our goal for the rest of the is looking forward to the most, home game and it’s Senior Night. season is to fight every game,” Wallace answered “Every game It would be a huge win for us.” said Curtis. because each one has a differ-

Spirits soar as field hockey defeats Oxford By Shannon Oakes Staff Writer

Smack! Kellie Munro slams the small, yellow rubber ball into the back of Oxford’s black wooden goal with enormous force. The home crowd erupts in a frenzy of cheers, and the Avon Grove players swarm the field like bees, high-fiving, shouting, and cheering. Sticks smack as players congratulate one another, smiling and giddy. The Red Devils field hockey team had an exciting finish on Tuesday, October 13 against Oxford High School. After the Devils conceded a goal to Oxford in the second minute, they fought back to tie it up with a goal by senior captain Abigail Pinto in the twelfth minute. But the Hornets weren’t ready to give in that quickly. A minute later, Oxford scored, giving them the a 2-1 lead. The Red Devils called a timeout in the 25th minute, and with 26 seconds remaining in the first half, junior Caroline McCulley scored to tie the game. However, McCulley’s rough play earned her a green card in the 39th minute, resulting in a five minute penalty. This wasn’t a setback for the Devils. Four minutes later, Lexie Dixon found the back of the goal, giving Avon Grove the 3-2 lead. McCulley’s card wasn’t the end of the penalties for Avon Grove. In the 45th minute, a green card for Abigail Pinto earned her a five minute out-of-game penalty. The win looked near for the Devils, and the Hornets called a timeout with just five minutes remaining in the game.

SPORTS

Managers complete the team

Girls volleyball players explain the importance of team managers By Lauren Davis Staff Writer

-Photo by Shannon Oakes Returning AG field hockey players came to support the seniors for their game against Oxford on October 20. However, a minute later, Oxford scored to tie the game, sending it to overtime. As the teams met to discuss their game plan, the Devils decided to try a different tactic. “We decided to put more defenders in and less forwards because we knew that they were a fast team,” said Ellie Grove, senior captain. “We had a higher forward who pushed farther into the circle so that we could utilize our long hits.” The scoreboard was set for fifteen minutes, and the whistle blew. A few AG defensive breakdowns almost ended the game, but goalie Sarah Fitzsimons backed up her team with several game-changing saves. With just four minutes remaining in the first overtime half, the Devils worked the ball down the field. A final pass beat Oxford’s last defender, and junior Kellie

Munro found herself with the ball in front of the goal, with only the Hornet’s goalie to beat. Munro winded up and smacked the ball into the back of the goal, giving Avon Grove a 4-3 win. However, Munro didn’t take the credit for herself. “Strong communication and passes helped the team work together to score and stop Oxford,” she said. Avon Grove believed the win was a result of the quick transitions from defense to offense, giving the team quick counter attacks. Nevertheless, both players agreed that the win was a team effort. “The whole team and I felt on top of the world,” Munro said.

What completes a team? Is it cooperation? A positive attitude? The person who is willing to put their all into improving the team? New to Avon Grove, Gianna Taylor, a junior, wanted to get involved and make friends. Taylor visited Ms. Robtison, the director of athletics and student activities. “I asked her if there was anything available to be a manager,

everything is organized by collecting and counting the volleyballs. By doing this, the coaches can focus on doing their job. “They’re good. They’re helpful. They’re cool,” Charlton said, describing the managers. The girls volleyball managers include Gianna Taylor, Mike Neils and Hunter Clark. “It’s really inviting, all the girls are really nice,” Taylor responded when asked about the girls volleyball team, “It’s fun to interact with different people.” “It was a lot of fun. I learned a lot more about playing the game and working with the team. You get to

“It just worked really well and I loved it. It’s not a chore,” said Jillian Boyer. and she said I can be manager for volleyball,” explained Taylor. A typical volleyball practice includes a ten minute run to warm up, serve and receive drills, and volleying. A manager helps out in this process. “It’s less work for us,” explained volleyball player Lilly Charlton. “They can go in and help out and fill up empty positions. During the games they keep stats.” As manager, roles include clean up and set up. They make sure

see it from a whole new perspective,” said Jillian Boyer, describing her experience as the boys volleyball manager. “It just worked really well and I loved it. It’s not a chore,” said Boyer. “I definitely feel like I got to experience more leadership, helping out more.” Taylor said, reflecting on her experience. “Just go for it if you want to do it. You’ll end up liking it. It’s really fun,” said Taylor.

Upcoming Events

Friday, October 30, 2015

FALL PLAY

Turn Back the Clocks

Election Day Tuesday, November 3

Sunday, November 1

2nd Marking Fall Play Thursday, November 12 Period Starts Saturday, November 14 Thursday, November 5

AG Life

RENOVATIONS

Page 4

Preparation for Peter Pan TV studio nears takes flight completion, livestream is a hit By Helen Sibol Staff Writer

The cast of Peter Pan rehearses in the auditorium after school. means the director, Mrs. Judge, By tells us where to go onstage, and Lauren Patel a few weeks after that we have to Staff Writer have all of our lines memorized and we start running through it,” Although everyone sees the acsaid senior Maddie Pratt who will tion onstage, most of what hapbe playing Captain Hook. pens for school plays occurs “Right now we’re on open behind the scenes, after school, book, meaning we’re allowed to and on weekends. Students of have our scripts with us during all grades are currently putting in rehearsals,” said junior cast memtheir all at rehearsals to ensure ber Charis Latshaw, who will be that Avon Grove’s production of playing the role of Mrs. Darling. Peter Pan will be nothing short of “Next week we switch to closed magical. book, meaning we can’t have our Currently, cast members are atscripts while practicing.” tending after school practices on It’s not just the actors that Tuesdays and Thursdays, during have hard work cut out for them. which they drill scenes over and Although they won’t be attending over again to make sure they the after school rehearsals until are unforgettable and will appear tech week in November, the stage flawless onstage. crew has been hard at work. “First we start blocking, which

-Photo by Lauren Patel “We build sets and platforms, paint anything needed, and make props for the cast,” said senior crew member Jen Gaspar. “Also, this year we have to keep track of all the little kids also participating in the play, and of course do lights and sound starting during tech week.” “[Tech week] is really hectic for cast and crew because we’re here until ten o’ clock every night of the week,” said Pratt. She also said that this year’s fall play is a little different than usual, but in an exciting way, because there are all female leads. Students will be able to witness the magic for themselves for a total of four shows, taking place November 12 to 14.

AG COMMUNITY

Red Rose Inn set for new beginning By Gabby Pino Staff Writer

After the dirt and dust has cleared away, the Red Rose Inn is ready for refurbishment. The Inn started its renovation this past July. Extensions off the main building were torn down, leaving only the original brick building. The intended plans for the Inn are to make it into a Penn Township community building. The township plans on restoring the Red Rose Inn to its former historic glory. With the changes came some negative response. “I thought it [the Red Rose Inn] was really pretty with the porch and stuff,” said sophomore Julia Cornell. “Now it just looks messy.” Despite some negative feedback to the demolition, the township guarantees the demo was the way to go. “Again, had the township not taken the steps it has to acquire the building, it probably would have fallen down. This path ensures that the Red Rose Inn will continue as a community centerpiece for generations to come,” Penn Township said in a recent

Avon Grove High School is going digital, starting with the livestream and the new and improved TV studio. Located in the library, the new TV studio is almost here. The advanced woodshop students are hard at work constructing the wall, coming in three periods a day. The new studio should be closed off around Thanksgiving, according to Mr. Jones, the tech crew and TV studio advisor. However, he is unsure of when the studio will actually be up and running. Until the wall is built, the TV studio will be on a standstill. While they wait for this new studio to be built, they are working on many educational videos for the school, such as public service announcements, technical education videos, and introductory videos for the district’s schools. And while they work on their renovations, the tech crew is also working on another project. The Avon Grove livestream. “The livestream is a way for students, parents and distant family members to watch the events at our school,” said Jake Zebley, a member of the tech crew. “Whether it’s a football game or the Holiday Holla, you can watch AG sports and events on almost every device, anywhere you can connect to the Internet.” The livestream is available on the Avon Grove High School website front page, and also the district site. It’s called AGTV and their slogan is “Student Given, Student Driven.” It took almost a year to develop it from a concept into an actual program. The students behind it work hard to get these productions up

and running. There are usually about ten people in the crew for one game. Setting up to broadcast a Friday night football game takes the crew roughly two hours, and after they finish it takes them almost an hour to clean up. They have a lot of gear, including multiple microphones, four cameras, and graphics. After the livestream, the broadcasts become videos on demand, and can be watched at anytime. Currently, videos on demand include the homecoming football game, homecoming parade, the boys soccer game versus Rustin, and other events. The objective of the livestream is to broadcast as many sports as possible. They also are working on ways to broadcast from inside the gym, for indoor sports in the winter. The livestream has been really successful, as the broadcasts are getting a lot of views. Football games get roughly 500 views, including after the game. These numbers are expected to rise as the year goes on. Within minutes of posting the homecoming game, the video had already gotten nine views. It is also doing a very good job connecting families. “We are providing a service that reaches beyond the district,” said Mr. Jones. There have been families watching from as far away as Kansas City and Guatemala, who tune in to see their relatives in these school events. The livestream is connecting families and students, and is providing the Avon Grove community with a way to go back to events that, if they had been unable to attend, they can now see in vivid detail as if they were there.

-Photo by Gabby Pino Penn Township, current owners of the property, demolished extensions of the Red Rose Inn. The inn was opened in 1740 and was a cultural hotspot for travelers between Philadelphia and Baltimore. According to the Penn Township website, William Penn leased the property for one red rose per year. Facebook comment. Its use as a community center is only one of the many forms the Inn has had over its 300-year history. The building has also been used as a polling place, post office, Sunday school, hotel, and restaurant. Along with building renovations, the township also intends to work on the intersection directly in front of the Inn. “Purchasing the property provided the Board of Supervisors the opportunity to not only save our

building, but put us in a position to negotiate with the Commonwealth to improve the intersection which has been a thorn in our side for years,” Penn Township Board Chairman Curtis Mason said in the most recent issue of the Penn Township newsletter. The Red Rose Inn’s history began in 1740. The building acted as somewhat of a crossroads for settlers travelling down Baltimore Pike, making the building a cultural hotspot. From 1825 to 2007, the inn was a restaurant.

-Photo by Helen Sibol Brett Ianucci (left), Jake Zebley (center), and Mark Bright (right) check the monitors as they setup to broadcast the football game on October 16. The AG livestream started with a broadcast of the homecoming parade and football game, and they have continued to stream other events including a boys soccer game versus Rustin. Viewers can watch the events live or on demand from anywhere in the world as long as they have Internet access.

SPORTS / NEWS PAGE 5

Friday, October 30, 2015

The Devil’s Herald

SPORTS

Juke and spike your way to a new sport By Vincent Garguilo Staff Writer

Switching a sport can be difficult. There is a possibility of one hating the sport he/she switches to and wanting to go back. Then it might be too late if one would want to switch back. Or maybe one will be happy with his/her decision and it will work out. Spencer Wallace and Ethan Iaia both had to experi-

ence this change and fortunately it worked for them. Wallace is now a football player. He decided to switch from basketball to football because he felt he was better at football and basketball wasn’t as fun. Wallace plays both offensive and defensive line for the Red Devils. Wallace has been playing all of his three years in high school so far and doesn’t plan to stop, saying that he enjoys play-

ing football and his family will keep supporting him as long as he is happy. He loves the game, stating that it is more of a team sport than basketball is. In football both the offense and defense must work together to succeed, while in basketball you can score points without passing the ball. For Iaia, he decided to switch to volleyball after saying that he was just getting bored of baseball.

Iaia plays for the high school volleyball team in the spring. Just like Wallace, Iaia’s family is supporting this decision all the way and Iaia said he will continue with volleyball this year. He has only been on the team for one year when he tried out sophomore year and was double shirted, which means he was on both varsity and junior varsity. He is happy with this decision, stating that he feels that volleyball

is more of a team sport because the team must work together to stop the ball from hitting the court. In baseball you must work together on defense, but once you get to the offense it is all about who hits the ball. Switching can go both ways – it could work out or it can backfire. It is a tough decision, but with support and heart, one can achieve success in a sport that he/she would like to play.

PENN LONDON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

AG to implement more work, more play with full-day K By Emily Lytle Staff Writer

There is a place in time where sitting criss-cross applesauce was not only a suggestion but an obligation, where you learned that boys have cooties and eating your fruits and vegetables will make you grow strong, where you discovered that If You Give a Mouse a Cookie he will always ask for a glass of milk. That place, of course, is kindergarten. Assistant Superintendent of the Avon Grove School District, Dr. Sharp, also explained that kindergarten can often be a child’s first introduction to a school environment and structured play. Through her experience as an elementary school teacher and principal, she has developed an understanding and appreciation for the importance of the foundational years in a child’s education. “The research is clear–the stronger the program at an early age, the more likely children are to be successful throughout their school,” Dr. Sharp explained. She went on to state that research has proven that there are certain benchmarks. For example, the American Educational Research Association released a study stating that if a student cannot read on grade level by third grade, he or she is four times as less likely to graduate by age nineteen. Dr. Sharp has supported and helped lead the progression towards full-day kindergarten at Penn London Elementary (P.L.E.) in order to promote early academic achievement. However, the first goal for the kindergarten department was creating full-time positions for all of the kindergarten teachers. When Superintendent Dr. Marchese came in two years ago, he and Dr. Sharp began having conversations about the structure of the kindergarten and the problems it presented. “In a typical half-day kindergarten program, one teacher would teach two sections: an AM and a PM. That wasn’t the case here at Avon Grove,” Dr. Sharp said. Instead, there were twelve teachers that worked part-time teaching twelve different half day sections Because of this structure, the school district faced many challenges; one of which was securing teachers who were willing to work for part-time. Another burden was the expense of hiring and training new teachers when many of those teachers later accepted full-time jobs in other grades at P.L.E. Scheduling professional development opportunities also became a challenge. “It was difficult to find a com-

mon time period for our morning and afternoon kindergarten teachers to collaborate with one another during the school day,” as Dr. Sharp explained. Currently, all kindergarten teachers are working full-time to avoid any negative impact from these obstacles. According to kindergarten teacher Mrs. Carol Whelan, one of the best benefits of full-time teaching is the ability to meet and plan together everyday. The sharing of information between the six teachers has not only allowed each teacher to become the best she can be, but they also have built a stronger bond. “The six of us have really come together and are very close now. I think we work together as a really good team, all of us,” Whelan said. To help them with this transition, paraprofessionals are swooping into classrooms to ensure that each student receives the amount of attention necessary for his or her success. These aids are able “to provide that extra boost of instruction for those kids that need just a little more help,” Whelan explained. While she is instructing whole groups, the paraprofessional can monitor the room and work individually with students–even if it’s as simple as encouraging students when they’re doing well. “It’s like having two teachers in the room at the same time,” said

visory responsibilities as a big change heads for Penn London: full-day kindergarten (FDK). On Thursday, October 8, the Full Day Kindergarten Strategic Action Team (a team of staff led by the Director of Elementary Teaching and Learning, Dr. Reynolds) presented their plan to the Avon Grove School District Board of School Directors. This presentation covered the intentions, the research behind it all, and the details of how this goal will be accomplished (it can be found on the school’s website). To create this strategic plan, the team used a co-lab structure, which was a series of discussions between representatives and administration to develop a vision for the future of the district. These discussions took place in August and September 2014. With the help of an outside consultant, parents, business partners, administrators, teachers, members of clergy, board members, and high school students, a democratic dialogue was used to develop this vision and identify possible barriers. The high school students included alumni Kim Tena, Jazmin Cordova, and Damian Kuthoore, as well as current senior Pierce English. Dr. Sharp emphasized that each representative was valued and given an equal vote amidst the various stakeholder groups. Similar to the adoption of full-

-Photo by Emily Lytle Mrs. Carol Whelan poses in front of her “Fundation Learning Targets” at Penn London Elementary School. Whelan. Through Title I, a federal program that provides funding so local school districts can best assist disadvantaged students, the paraprofessionals also reinforce “concepts of print and early emergent reading skills with children,” Dr. Sharp added. The paraprofessionals, now used mostly in academic programming, will adopt new super-

time teachers and paraprofessionals, the goal behind FDK centers itself in providing the best foundational support possible for the students. Dr. Sharp described a benefit of an extended school day for kindergarten students is the increased opportunity to provide at-risk students with additional supports and interventions so that they can meet the end of the year

-Photo by Emily Lytle Penn London Elementry School prepares for a big change. achievement benchmarks. “A full-day of kindergarten made all students better off, while also closing the literacy achievement gap between Hispanic and non-Hispanic students by 70 percent,” author for EdCentral, CJ Libassi noted. Dr. Sharp also supported FDK as a key to the successful matriculation of students through the Avon Grove schools; a part of the administration’s vision is to help students grow and achieve success through the school district from kindergarten to graduation. “Full-day kindergarten can afford children the academic learning time needed to prepare for mastery of primary-grade reading and math skills. In doing so, such programs help circumvent subsequent needs for remediation or grade retention,” stated a policy brief by West Ed. Another rationale to implementing FDK is the reduction of expenses to charter schools because the school district pays for the tuition of the many students drawn to the full-day kindergarten program at Avon Grove Charter. If more students enroll at P.L.E., than the school district can save money. “So, it helps the children because they’re here all day. It helps the parents because [the children are] here all day, and then it helps retain teachers because the teachers are in full-time employment,” Mrs. Carol Whelan summarized. However, when the school board follows the finances of this plan, they will also notice some challenges. With a full-day structure, they will need to hire twice as many kindergarten teachers, cancel the midday bus runs and possibly add more buses (though Dr. Sharp noted the insignificance of this addition), and provide students with lunch and recess for the first time. Furthermore, they must create space for the projected increase in students and the six extra classrooms needed to teach twelve sessions for a full-day. To do this, the Strategic Action Team has developed two potential options depending on projected enrollments: one provides classrooms within P.L.E. and the other utilizes

modular classrooms, or portables. “We’re getting ready to do surveys of our parents in our district, parents of preschool aged students that live in our community and charter school parents to begin to determine potential enrollment projections,” explained Dr. Sharp. She also recognized that modular classrooms will more than likely be an aspect of year two if not established in the beginning. Just like the administration who must work to prepare financially and physically, the teachers must be prepared, as well. “The district has sponsored for a group of us to be attending workshops about how to go about making this change,” said Whelan. On Friday, October 16 the kindergarten teachers, as well as other staff, attended their first workshop at the Chester County Intermediate Unit, where they discussed ways to learn about the implementation of FDK. “Some of the ideas we came up with, for example, was going to schools that have a successful all-day programs,” explained Whelan. It’s essential to note that these workshops are not only between members of the Avon Grove School District, but several different districts, all with different core goals, meeting to learn from each other. They have developed a new level of communication and preparation. They also noted the importance of communicating within the school with the first grade teachers on what kindergarten skills their students are missing. “It’s an exciting adventure right now,” as Whelan put it. Although this is a work in progress, the goal is to cut the red ribbons of Full-Day Kindergarten for next school year (2016-2017). The Strategic Action Team will meet with the school board again on Thursday, November 12, and all updated information can be found under Strategic Plan and Committee of the Whole Meetings (the first School Board meeting of every month) on the district’s website.

NEWS PAGE 6

The Devil’s Herald

HOMECOMING 2015

School spirit shines through during homecoming festivities

The junior class emulates the game of Twister for their homecoming float. HOMECOMING FROM PAGE 1 “[We want to] get the school involved, bring up school and morale, and fundraise for prom,” said sophomore class officer Alex Day. At 11:00a.m., the parade began. Floats began from the Avon Grove Charter School and marched into the Avon Grove High School parking lot. The parade consisted of floats from each class in the high school, various sports, the 1492 club, the homecoming court, the PTA, the grand marshal, performances from the band and color guard, and a tribute to the local heros of West Grove. This year’s theme was boardgames. Seniors created a Candy Land float, juniors had a Twister float, sophomores made a Monopoly float, and freshmen created a Battleship float. Floats were made entirely by the class officers, and were received with a positive response from the audience for the child-

HIGH SCHOOL LIFE

hood creativity they used. After the conclusion of the parade, Director of Athletics and Student Activities Ms. Robtison, Student Council President Emma Daly, Avon Grove High School Pincipal Mr. DeShong, and the newly named Grand Marshal Mr. Alexander gave speeches addressing the homecoming festivities. Emma Daly spoke about Mr. Alexander leaving as the principal of Avon Grove from the perspective of a student. She expressed with pride that Mr. Alexander was named the Grand Marshal of 2015. Next, Mr. Alexander himself spoke. He showed gratitude for being named grand marshal. He remarked that Avon Grove was a touching school with a positive attitude and school spirit. “Avon Grove has heart. I do bleed maroon and gold,” said Mr. Alexander during his speech. This season the Avon Grove football team has broken their losing streak, but had not claimed a

-Photo by McKenna Farrell home victory in three seasons. In one of the opening downs of the game, junior running back Nate Jones ran the ball to score the first touchdown of the game against Octorara. The game continued to progress in favor of the Red Devils, as they led 28-0 at halftime. The Avon Grove band and color guard gave a standout “Heartbeat” performance during half time. Complete with the sound of a heart on the field and movement, there was always something for the crowd to look at. After halftime the football team scored 20 more points to shutout Octorara 48-0. Homecoming week marks one of the biggest weeks at Avon Grove. Students get excited and show their spirit for being part of this community. Overall, there were hundreds of smiles from students, parents, and faculty from October 5-10.

New rules result in class cooperation CLASS PRIDE FROM PAGE 1

year of Class Pride Day differently because more rules were enforced and changes were made. “From freshman year to senior year, we have been able to see progression with the amount of force administration has taken to try and control the vandalism and other issues. It seems like all of the students still had fun even though there were more rules than ever before,” senior Nick Cardile stated. Many other seniors also agreed with Cardile, including Senior Class President Chris Arencibia who claimed that this year was the “best year ever in regards to disciplinary actions,” because of the fact that there were few issues compared to recent years. This year, a freshmen and sophomore competition was introduced as the underclassmen engaged in fun, sporting-like activities in the gym. The freshmen started out

strong, but then quickly lost control of the lead. The sophomores proved themselves to the younger class, winning the competition 171-59. Freshman Tate Billings’ opinion on the freshman-sophomore games was that it was “really cool because we’re going to be the first class to participate in the competition every year. Plus it was great to stand with your friends and cheer on all of your other classmates.” Sophomore Katie Lengel disagreed stating, “I think that they were fun, but at the same time I think it took away the privileges for the junior and senior competition. It’s one of those things that everyone looks forward to as an underclassmen, but now I’ve experienced it and it won’t be as special for me later on.” According to Mr. DeShong, there were mixed reviews on this event, stating, “I think that the majority of the freshmen and sophomores loved it because they were

involved in something. Some of the feedback I got from juniors and seniors was either that they didn’t mind they had a competition or that it should be something that is earned throughout high school.” In the junior and senior competition, seniors respectively beat the junior class 150-113. The juniors held their own for awhile, but seniors finished the games on top. “Since the day is all about having class pride, I liked that all of the classes had more activities and participated in a special day,” said Kravel. The common theme of Class Pride Day is to be proud of your peers and support your class. “Based on most of my conversations with others, I feel as if there were many improvements. The classes were really able to be together and be enthusiastic,” Mr. DeShong stated, proving that the point of Class Pride Day is to enjoy and support the class a person is in.

AG COMMUNITY

Friday, October 30, 2015

Family Promise seeks to aid homeless FAMILY PROMISE FROM PAGE 1

“It’s just amazing. I feel like I did when I gave birth to my kids. It’s just that euphoric ‘oh my gosh we did it’ kind of thing.” There are currently no shelters in this area that focus on this specific mission that affects almost 500 students from local high schools every day. All over Chester County, the price of shelter is “far above national average,” says the Family Promise of Southern Chester County website. Family Promise aims to keep the entire family together as they search for a permanent home. This organization does not want to simply alleviate temporary hardship, but also provide them with comprehensive support systems to ensure long lasting stability. At their open house earlier this month, Board Member Ann-Louise Jeffery said “the biggest thing we want people to be aware of is the need.” Other Board members agreed that homeless families are an underserved sector of this community. Sue Minarchi is intrinsically motivated by her desire to give back to the community, “when I heard

how big the problem was I wanted to be involved.” Dave Haradon, the Board’s current president, also said that he felt compelled to be involved after seeing how the homeless lived. Their open house also included many influential public figures. Senator Andy Dinniman spoke about his personal faith in the program, and County Commissioner Kathi Cozzone gave official recognition to Family Promise of Chester County. Family Promise also graciously accepts compassionate volunteers to interact with the families by serving meals, helping with homework, and other miscellaneous aid. “This area has the kind of compassion to pull this off,” said former Avon Grove librarian Orval Foraker. He went on to say, “when I retired I knew this was something I’d be involved in.” Those interested in volunteering or working more with Family Promise can email Sue Minarchi at [email protected] to get involved. Donations are also greatly appreciated.

-Photo by Katie Malone The board members go over their roles in Family Promise. From left to right: Kevin McLean, John Kriza, Deb Schmittle, Dave Haradon, Annalie Korengel, Bill Carl, and Ann-Louise Jeffery.

News Briefs

Mars can be reached through asteroid mining

On Monday, October 19, scientists revealed that Mars could possibly be travelled to using asteroids. According to scientists, Mars could take up to six months to travel each way, and astronauts would have to make necessary stops to refuel and obtain resources. ~By Shannon Oakes

Halloween hype: Asteroid to soar past Earth on Halloween An asteroid, now named 2015 TB145, was discovered on October 10 at University of Hawaii. Some find the date to be an eerie coincidence, but scientists and astrology enthusiasts will be preparing to watch the asteroid on October 31 around 11:14 am. 2015 TB145 is no threat to planet Earth and is between 525 feet to 2,000 feet in size.This event will allow scientists to study the physical properties of asteroids. 2015 TB145 will be visible through telescopes, but only in the Northern Hemisphere. This is Earth’s closest encounter to an asteroid since 2006. Scientist predict the next time this will occur is August 2027. ~By Lauren Davis

Facebook initiates investigation of cancer cases near St. Louis

Residents of North County, Missouri, connected on Facebook to piece together a cancer outbreak in their neighborhood. The group created a map that showed more than 2,700 instances of cancers, autoimmune disorders, and brain and thyroid tumors. Tens of thousands of barrels of nuclear waste from St. Louis’s Mallinckrodt Chemical Company had contaminated the soil near Coldwater Creek, a body of water that runs through the towns. ~By Emily Lytle