Oswayo Valley Elementary School - Shinglehouse, PA

Oswayo Valley Elementary School, named after the Oswayo Creek that runs through the district and empties into the Allegany River, is situated in the heart of the Pennsylvania Wilds. A small, rural school of approximately 3,300 residents and only 200 students, the elementary school is the center of the community. Family involvement and history is the key to our students' success. We, as a school and community, work together and take great pride to ensure that all students are successful and prepared for the future. Our families and community reinforce the emphasis placed on academic success and rigor.

The terrain surrounding us draws thousands of visitors throughout the year for its hunting, fishing, and other wildlife and nature-based opportunities. Oswayo Valley Elementary's mountain surroundings and wildlife ecology provides us with the unique opportunity to focus not only on academic success, but also the real-world application of those skills. Our students not only learn reading, writing, math, and science skills, but put those skills to use out in the local and surrounding community with an on-site apple orchard, educational visits to local working farms, fish hatcheries, manufacturing facilities, and trips to state parks and wildlife centers. This combination of academic and real-world education creates future citizens that are ready for the world at large, no matter where their path might lead them.

As a rural school surrounded by mountains with limited cellular capabilities in some areas, the switch to virtual instruction due to the pandemic was a difficult one. However, with the patience of our families, dedication of our students, the perseverance of our teachers, and the generosity of local businesses, our staff was able to conquer the obstacles and provide meaningful instruction through a variety of learning platforms. Our school and community truly lived up to the statement "Inspiring, Developing, and Empowering Lifelong Learners to Enrich the World!"