School News

To help female chess players in her native Botswana, Lehigh University graduate student Besa Masaiti established a chess tournament there — the Besa Masaiti WIM Norm Chess Championship.

Five Lehigh Valley schools have rifle teams that compete in the Northeast Pennsylvania Rifle League. Says one student: “We want to get more people involved and show it’s totally safe. Sometimes, our sport gets a bad rap because of what’s going on (in the world).”

Parkland School District Social Worker Diane Irish has begun hosting office hours for the Parkland REACH Village, a gathering space and community hub of information for anyone who lives in the district.

The Allentown School Board approved updates to programs that add new language and career training options for students. Some of the changes are the result of a survey of more than 1,800 high school students and focus groups, officials said.

Allentown City Council approved a 10-year lease that will see the college pay $15,000 in rent each year and invest up to $4 million in the stadium.

Officials from the Allentown school district spoke with hesitant optimism about the benefits the state's new spending plan could bring to the district.

Away from the fields and courts used by thousands of student-athletes, some Lehigh Valley schools for decades have maintained rifle teams. The Northeast Pennsylvania Rifle League is made up of 11 teams including the Lehigh Valley's Emmaus, Freedom, Liberty, Salisbury and Southern Lehigh high schools.

Students, who college officials said are a demographic experiencing an "epidemic" of mental health issues, say they're excited for the new space and see its potential.

Hundreds gathered Tuesday night in Dieruff’s cafeteria for a community forum on the proposal to overhaul Andre Reed Park in Allentown's East Side.

The Nitschmann Middle School Lions softball team and Calypso Elementary could soon be able to use the softball field at 11th Avenue and Spring Street in West Bethlehem.

Medical students across the country found out where they are headed for their residencies on Match Day on Friday. For the first time, St. Luke’s Katz School of Medicine held a ceremony in Bethlehem along with partner school Temple University in Philadelphia.

Amber Hikes, who got their start as a social justice advocate in Philadelphia, is the ACLU's deputy executive director for strategy and culture. Their appearance will take place on March 26.

The 2nd annual Parkland Community Resource Fair & Health Symposium will be held 9 a.m. to noon Saturday in the Parkland High School cafeteria.

The event, put on by St. Luke's University Health Network and the Foundation for the Bethlehem Area School District, featured some striking auction items, as well as live music.

Early budget discussions among the East Penn School Board show expenses are projected to significantly increase in the next five school years.

The Bethlehem Area School District alerted parents Monday morning that East Hills Middle School would be dismissing students at 10 a.m.

Penn State University and Moravian University have gone the digital route. Lehigh University is considering such a move, officials say.

Considered by friends and colleagues a staple of the Lehigh Valley theater scene, 60-year-old Bill Mutimer died earlier this week. Tributes are pouring in from former students and local theater aficionados.

Five local women spoke about how they overcame bullying and racism in the workplace during an International Women's Day program at Ben Franklin TechVentures.

Three elementary schools in the Lehigh Valley hosted Lehigh Valley Reads events, underscoring the importance of grade-level literacy by third grade.

Sally R. Campbell was a longtime Bethlehem Area School District teacher who chaired the English department at Liberty High School. She volunteered as a judge until recently and wrote many of the questions for the PBS39 quiz show "Scholastic Scrimmage."

In a race against the clock, tech students from six schools solve an obstacle course of mechanical problems. The most effective mechanic wins a new GMC truck for their school.