Elementary School

The majority of students who grew up in the valley went to one of three schools: Rebersburg Elementary, Penns Valley Elementary, or Centre Hall Elementary. Each school had unique characteristics and goals that would transition into the cumulative Penns Valley Intermediate School in 5th and 6th grade, and even further into Penns Valley Junior Senior High School. Personally, one of my favorite memories in elementary school was building Terrariums in Mrs. Homan’s fourth-grade class. We learned about controlled ecosystems in an up-close environment. The elementary milestone provided many nurturing moments for every youth in the valley.

Intermediate School

Intermediate school brings all three elementary schools together in one building. New friend groups form, and kids are introduced to even more kids. Classes get a little more difficult, and students have the opportunity to try new things. School lunches even get a little better. As opposed to elementary school, intermediate school gave more flexibility with teachers. Students would have the chance to experience different learning styles and get taught by multiple teachers per day. Tazer Ronk reflects, “I enjoyed having teachers who specialized in their specific subject. I felt like they were able to give more time to (…) their field and better educate us, as that is what we needed as we got older and started more complex subjects”.

Junior/Senior High School

This is where it really starts to get fun. Students moved to the Junior/Senior High School building and were offered new classes, schedule building, advanced teachers, and more flexibility. The lunch was even better now! The School Nutrition Association offers statistics on school lunches at schoolnutrition.org.  Students would finish their career at Penns Valley Junior/Senior High School in five years. At first, it was daunting for many. But after the first week, the layout of the building would be nearly memorized, and the connections began being made. The Class of 2026 is concluding their time at Penns Valley and is moving on to the next chapter of their individual lives.