Around Town (and school)

Santa Pics

Around Town

Leechburg vs Ford City

Volleyball Senior Night

Senior Farewell

Relive the excitement of the last home football game of the season on “Senior Farewell Night” when all senior football players and managers, band members and cheerleaders were honored for their participation in their respective activities.

Spirit Days

17 Spirit Days. . . 372 LAHS Students. . . 1 Blue Devil Football Season. Throughout the entire high school, and even in the elementary building, it wasn’t difficult to find students sporting their craziest attire on any given spirit day. If you missed out or if you want to enjoy the experience again, catch a glimpse of the 2011 Football Season Spirit Days in these slide show highlights!

What was your best or worst Halloween costume?

This video shares several LHS students memories about their past Halloween costumes.

9/11 Memories

Where were you when 9/11 happened? Here is our video on where some of our teachers were and what they were doing.

Homecoming night 2011

Here are a few photos from the night of Homecoming 2011.

Homecoming 2011 slideshow

Take a look at some of the pictures from the 2011 Homecoming assembly.

Homecoming 2011

Check on each court member to read her info page.

Graduation 2011

Here are some pictures from behind the scenes of the graduating class of 2011.

School news we missed this year!

Check out some of the news that happened in Leechburg that may not have made the front page.

Photos in Search of Captions

Cleaning out of files at the end of the school year, TrottyVeck staff members realized this year we shot hundreds of photos, (really probably thousands if we count all the really bad out-of-focus ones we deleted). This coming school year, the TrottyVeck staff will be introducing a new feature called “Caption Action.” The pictures in this feature will be photos we liked but just didn’t have use for in any other stories or slide shows. So to help our readers practice creating captions for some of the funnier photos we shot this year, we put together this slideshow to provide some examples of what you’ll see when the school year starts. If you’re inspired by these photos this summer, send your captions to us via the “comments” link at the bottom of this slideshow. Just make sure you include your full name and the number of the photo you are suggesting a caption for. You can send in as many captions for as many photos as you like. And you don’t have to be an LAHS student to enter! If we receive (school-appropriate) captions for these photos, we will publish them in September.

"Where's Ethan?"

Looking for something to pass the time as you’re waiting for the last day of school or wasting time inside on a hot summer day? Try to find Class of 2011 grad Ethan Vigna in each of the photos of this slideshow created by his best buddy Garrett Miller.

Leechburg Pickers

American Pickers gone Leechburg.

Eat Your Art Out

Check out highlights from April’s “Eat Your Art Out” show. It may just inspire you to try your hand at some foodscapes for your summer get-togethers.

Leechburg baseball plays at PNC Park

This year the baseball team had the opportunity to play at PNC Park on May 2 @ 3pm vs. Avonworth. Check out the pictures to victory.

NHS Induction Ceremony

The Leechburg National Honor Society added 15 students to its membership this spring during the annual induction ceremony. The NHS chapter also celebrated its 70th anniversary this year as a member of the National Honor Society of Secondary Schools. New NHS members are seniors Nicole Brecht, Amanda Knispel and Ralph Mell and juniors Matt Grantz, Ben Kalmar, Rachel Klingensmith, Paula McCorkle, Andrew McDermott, Mary Miskinis, Simone Moore, Angela Olshansky, Dan Rzewnicki, Jessica Smith, Emily Steininger and Natalie Sulava. NHS members must achieve a 91 percent or above grade average in all major subjects, score an above average on the character evaluation from faculty members and show proof of leadership and service. The new members join last year’s class of 14 inductees.

2011 Prom Preview

Prom fashions for 2011 took center stage in February as a sellout crowd enjoyed varsity and junior varsity cheerleaders modeling both long and short gowns. Three senior boys volunteered as escorts, showing off the newest in tuxes for the prom season. The cheerleaders and the cheerleading boosters sponsored the “Prom Preview” to raise funds for the organization. Local formalwear businesses supplied gowns, tuxedos and flowers while audience members won prizes and bid on the Chinese auction. Check out the slideshow for a recap of some fashions that might be found at Leechburg’s Prom this year on April 29.

Winter Dances

Check out pictures from the Senior High Snowball dance and the Junior High Valentines Dance

Winter Senior Farewell

Take a look at the pictures from this winters senior farewell

New digital slideshow class

Check out these photos from the first semester digital photography classes.

Enjoying a Mallorca feast

Before the holiday break, Tricia Shank’s Spanish IV and V students experienced a Spanish meal at Mallorca, a restaurant located in Pittsburgh. All enjoyed their choices of traditional Spanish food, along with the presence of serious “camereros.”  

Photos and text by TrottyVeck Staffer Tabetha Ward

Birth of the banners

If you’ve attended a Leechburg basketball game this season or a volleyball game last fall, chances are you’ve seen the banners of your favorite players hanging up in the gymnasium. Created by graphic designer Patricia McCorkle, banners begin as a rough sketch and turn into a team collage. This slideshow gives a sneak peek of how one simple idea transforms into one big banner.

Photos and text by TrottyVeck Staffer Melinda McCorkle

Duct taped for donations

In an effort to raise money for the Leechburg Food Bank, students used nearly 18 rolls of duct tape, including gorilla and decorative duct tape, to suspend Principal Matt Kruluts and technology teacher Kris Kulick from the gymnasium’s walls. For each dollar or food item donated, students added a piece of duct tape to either Kruluts or Kulick. Several teachers also volunteered to take a pie to the face (and back of the head) to add to the TGIT – Thank Goodness It’s Thanksgiving – festivities. The Student Council’s donation to the Leechburg Food Bank totaled $200 with about 150 food items donated.

Autumn in Leechburg

Remarks about Leechburg usually don’t include praise about how “pretty” the borough is. Former steel mill centers like Leechburg – now old, rugged and gray – usually aren’t pretty. But exploration around the ‘Burg reveals some scenic places just outside the center of this little town. And now, especially in the fall when leaves change, everything glows in the warmth of autumn hues.

Senior farewell

Last first day of school, last Homecoming, last Tom Diaz nature presentation, last Thanksgiving lunch, last Christmas break, last Snowball, last....  Seniors seem to always be marking the last time something is happening and Senior Farewell is no different. In fact, for seniors the day commemorates the last home football game of the year, the last home marching band performance, the last time cheering in front of the hometown crowd at Veterans Field, the last time a senior will don that uniform for LAHS. Oct. 29 was Senior Farewell Day, the end of the last Spirit Week, the last “Dress Up” day, the last pep assembly to honors senior golfers, volleyball players, cheerleaders, football players and band members.

Spirit and Senior Week

Five fun chances for students to unravel their true Blue Devil Spirit every day, Senior Farewell Spirit Week turned out the inner hams in many participants. Spirit Week ran from Oct. 25- 29 with Monday as College Attire Day, Tuesday as Tie Dye/Wear Pink Day, Wednesday as Hat/Wear Red Day, Thursday as Crazy Sock Day and Friday as Costume Day. The variety and creativity exhibited by some students made it difficult for cheer coaches Jeanine DeCapite, Debra Young and Jessica Doverspike to choose the “best  dressed” for each day. Also included in Spirit Week this year was Red Ribbon Week, a part of SADD’s campaign against drugs and alcohol and “Wear Pink” to heighten breast cancer awareness. 

Senior band members

After Senior Dawn Bowman designed T-shirts for the seniors in marching band and each purchased a personalized shirt, she decided to capture the memory in a slide show. Bowman’s design logo on the shirt front says “Leechburg Marching Band” with “Seniors” superimposed in front. Each senior’s name is on the right sleeve with “Seniors 2011” on the left. Drill numbers, position on the field during shows, fill the backs of the shirts. Bowman photographed each senior in two poses and asked all to recount a favorite memory of the 2010 marching season and a change they would have made to marching band this year.

Art Club's annual haunted house

Wicked clowns, thirsty vampires, bloody murders and things that go bump in the night aren’t just found in scary movies. The Art Club’s annual haunted house featured those and other Halloween horrors creating a frightening experience which netted the group $500 in its three-day production. Art Club sponsor and high school art teacher Shayle Prorok along with Art Club members created the masterpiece of mayhem in just three days of hard work after school before opening for the public. This slideshow takes a look at what happens behind the scenes when students prepare for the annual haunted house experience.

Homecoming Expose

Check on each court member to read her info page.

We've got spirit

Cheering, wearing western gear, dressing in island attire for Hawaiian Day, playing in the band, acting like a “Zoo” member and dressing in blue and white are just a few of the ways students and some teachers show their spirit. This slide show recaps some expressions of school spirit that we’ve captured the first two months of school.

Homecoming 2010

From the morning assembly to the announcement of the winner, this slide show chronicles events of Homecoming Day 2010. Check out the day’s special moments for Homecoming Queen Minday Suman and the Homecoming Court: Anne Brady, Kiersten Horrell, Sabrina Jones, Katie Kasanicky and Maura Pasko.

Mid season football '10

Check out some of the action from mid season football 2010.

Anti-bullying carnival kick-off

If you didn’t get to the Anti-Bullying Carnival Kick-off or if you didn’t get enough time there to explore all the booths, check out this slide show to find out some of what you have missed. If you did make it to the carnival, perhaps you will find yourself in some of the photos either working at a booth or enjoying yourself at some of the attractions.

Carnival Photo Booth

Step right up to the TrottyVeck Photo Booth where we asked anyone who wanted a picture taken to spin the wheel (to determine an attitude), strike the pose, and get a kiss (courtesy of Hershey’s, of course). In this slide show from the Anti-Bullying Carnival Kick-off are some of photo booth “posers,” many of whom had so much fun they became repeat customers.  

Marching Band Summer Camp 2010

Marching band camp is a summer ritual that begins with music practices inside twice a week in July until band camp starts outdoor drills for 10 days. Band member practice twice a day from 7:50 a.m. to noon, then again from 5:50 p.m. to 9 p.m., just escaping the worst heat of the hot summer days.

Summer Vacation

From backyard swimming pools to the beaches of Puerto Rico, students and teachers happily spent their summer vacations far away from the rigors of Leechburg High School. Check out some summer vacation photos they shared with the TrottyVeck.