Livewire

The student news site of Altoona Area Junior High School
  • December 20Click here for today's announcements!
  • December 19Click here for today's announcements!
  • December 19Breakfast Dec. 20 - Pancakes with Bacon with a choice of fruit and milk.
  • December 19Lunch- Holiday Meal, Baked Chicken, Roll, Mashed Potatoes, Gravy, Cookie, Steamed Corn, Choice of Fruit, Choice of Milk
  • December 18Click here for today's announcements!
  • December 17Breakfast Dec. 18-Pancake Wrapped Breakfast on a Stick with a choice of fruit and milk.
  • December 17Lunch - Chicken Fajita Wrap with Baked Beans, Steamed Corn, and Choice of Fruit and Milk
  • December 17Click here for today's announcements!
  • December 16Breakfast for Dec. 17 Egg & Cheese Biscuit Sandwich with a choice of fruit and milk.
  • December 16Breakfast 12/16- Apple or Cherry Strudel, with a choice of Fruit & Milk

Livewire

Livewire
Ella Heverly

Ella Heverly, Reporter

Hi! My name is Ella, and I am in 8th grade. I am honored to be on the news writing team! I hope to work with you and am looking forward to writing stories for our school website, Livewire! I found writing to be fun, and I am here now! In my free time I like to read, spend time with my friends and watch movies. I am a part of the Blair Regional YMCA swim team and am looking to join track. I am so excited to help our website and write stories for you to read and enjoy!

All content by Ella Heverly

Retiring Teachers!

Ella Heverly, Reporter
May 15, 2024
Last days. Christine Knott-Hallinan plans to retire at the end of this year bringing sadness to students and teachers. She loved to meet sweet and interesting kids.

Christine Knott-Hallinan

Ella Heverly, Reporter
May 15, 2024
Teaching concludes. Tom Saylor smiles as he thinks of all the fun he has had teaching eighth graders. He will exit the junior high on May 30, 2024.

Tom Saylor

Ella Heverly, Reporter
May 15, 2024
Farewell! Jim O'Donnell poses for the last at his desk he won't be sitting at next year. He loved to teach students from his advanced perspective of an elder.

Jim O’Donnell

Ella Heverly, Reporter
May 15, 2024
Goodbye! Donna Kling leaves many inspired students and smiles at how well she has done with her career. She taught so many students she can't even count!

Donna Kling

Ella Heverly, Reporter
May 15, 2024
Take care! Sixth grade math teacher Annetta Conway is just another person out of the faculty who is retiring. She has worked at the district for a total of 27 years.

Annetta Conway

Ella Heverly, Reporter
May 15, 2024
Sad smiles. Main principal Lori Mangan will no longer be located in the main office as of 2024. She has decided to retire after her long, hard-working time here.

Lori Mangan

Ella Heverly, Reporter
May 15, 2024
Keeping up with the Lions!

Keeping up with the Lions!

Ella Heverly, Reporter
May 13, 2024
Keeping up with the Lions!

Keeping up with the Lions!

Ella Heverly, Reporter
May 6, 2024
Strike! A new bowling club has been presented to our school, and students are encouraged to join! The director and math teacher, Christopher Strawmier is excited to teach kids how to excel in bowling. Strawmier said, “I love the sport of bowling and have done it for 50 years. Since I am a teacher and have a ton of bowling experience, I thought, Why not start a Bowling Club?”

Bowling Club!

Ella Heverly, Reporter
April 29, 2024
Keeping Up With the Lions!

Keeping Up With the Lions!

Ella Heverly, Reporter
April 22, 2024
Licari Boutique up and running! Licari is located in the Walmart Plaza and is just beginning to get its feet off of the ground. They are planning to put a sign up outside and have the public know just where to get the best aesthetic shirts, dresses and much more accessories!

Licari Boutique ready to be seen!

Ella Heverly, Reporter
April 2, 2024
Synergy

“ 'Coraline' because it is a classic and I like the little hidden details inside of it," said eighth grader Carmen Serrano.

Running circles! For the new season of track, athletes started practicing on Monday, March 4. The new coaches can be seen coaching up their athletes.

News Brief: New Track Coaches!

Ella heverly, Reporter
March 13, 2024
LTD Academy girls smile big! The level six team, right here in Altoona, is very excited to score big in all of their apparatuses in the Philadelphia Convention Center. They chose to dress up as softball players for their pink outfit of choice.

Pink Gymnastics Meet

Ella Heverly, Reporter
March 4, 2024
Rosey, stainless steel! Delicate and bright colored Stanleys stand out as the love holiday approaches. They were sold at Target until they were sold out just a few hours after their arrival.

Valentine’s Day Stanleys take the spotlight!

Ella Heverly, Reporter
February 27, 2024
Chocolates galore! The smell of sweetness and love in the air this Valentine's Day is glorious. Candy grams were so popular last year, and they have vanished just days away from February 14! The chocolate smell is not as strong from last year.

News Brief: Candy Grams Gone!

Ella Heverly, Reporter
February 26, 2024
Eighth grader Abigail Grimminger said,"I would say to go ice skating because it is very fun and I feel like Valentine's day is a romantic holiday to do that."

[Photo] If you could create your own unique tradition for Valentine’s Day, what would it be?

February 20, 2024
Trending music takes the spotlight! Music fills the air with Spotify's catchy rhythm of many different tunes throughout the year.

News brief: Spotify Wrap!

Ella Heverly, Reporter
February 5, 2024

Splashing Fun at Kalahari Resorts!

Ella Heverly, Reporter
January 31, 2024
New Hunger Games movie steals the spotlight! Head on over to the theaters, grab yourself some popcorn and settle down to watch this amazing action movie!

“The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes”

Ella Heverly, Reporter
January 30, 2024
" I want to try and run more so when it gets warm out I am going to go on daily runs." - Izzie Benjamin 8th grade

[Photo] What’s your New Year Resolution?

January 18, 2024
Eighth grade science teacher Paul Neatrour is seen here back in his successful university days of playing baseball. He is still very proud of his accomplishment to this day. Neatrour said,“I was voted into the Hall of Fame because of my four years of successful baseball playing at Mansfield University.”

Famous Teacher Hiding in Plain Sight!

Ella Heverly, Reporter
December 21, 2023
Book shopping spree! Eighth graders Addison Carles and Mia Ingram are shopping for many books and some fun bookmarks too! The library staff worked hard around this time of the year scanning items and helping their customers shop for just the right book. Carles said,“I think the book fair is a good experience for good people who don’t read and also people who do to get more books.”

News brief: Library Book Fair Supports Us!

Ella Heverly, Reporter
December 15, 2023
Sixth grader Malia Smith, said "Lagoona Splash, because I went a couple years ago and I had a lot of fun on the many waterslides."

[Photo] What is on the Top of Your Wish List?

December 11, 2023
Still gleaming! The Mountain Lion glistens in the sunlight as the sun sets on Nov. 26. It still stands proud on the hill looking down on the schools. The lion is located only a short walking distance from the Altoona Area Public Library. According to, "The Bronze Lion," "The Mountain Lion was placed there in 1972, by the builder Heinz Warneke."

The Mystery of the Mountain Lion Mascot

Ella Heverly, Reporter
December 4, 2023
Eighth graders from front to back, Orval Flack, Leviathan Bollman, Mayah Bower, Brenna Walters and many others sing to “Jingle Bells (Sort Of)” directed by Chorus teacher Jessica Connell. The voices of students in harmony fill the colorful room just a few weeks before their performance.

News brief: Chorus Christmas Concert

Ella Heverly, Reporter
November 30, 2023
Monstrous mummy mansion! This house on Third Ave. is definitely ready for Halloween on Oct. 31! The clown and skeletons activated as I snapped, a picture of the spirit going on the week of Trick-or-Treat.

Scary Spooky Houses!!

Ella Heverly, Reporter
October 26, 2023
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