Mars Area Elementary School is remembering student Elliana Boatwright, who unexpectedly passed away shortly after graduating from third grade the end of the 2018-2019 School Year.

“The library was her first stop when she got off the bus (every day),” said Krista Goodzinsky, library/media studies teacher, noting that Elliana loved to talk about Harry Potter. In Elliana’s memory, the school’s library has dedicated a framed Harry Potter poster, along with a plaque, created by technology education students at Mars Area High School, with the words: “An avid reader, who loved Harry Potter.”

Students in the high school’s Manufacturing Technology 3 and 4 classes also designed and built two kid-sized adirondack chairs and a small table to accompany the poster and plaque.

“The students came up with the idea,” said Shawn Haywiser, Mars Area High School technology education teacher, adding that, when the students learned about the purpose of the plaque, they wanted to do more. “They worked as a class to come up with a set of plans that would work for that (elementary-aged) students.”

Leading the project were seniors Ryan Barber, Declan Delong, Ian Ditson, Bradley Kuchta, James Macri, Alec McEwen and Kyle Snyder; and, juniors Conner Kasten, Nicholas Porter and Alexander Swentkowsky. The students used a variety of woodworking equipment, including a CNC machine and laser engraver, to design and build the furniture.

The chairs, table, plaque and poster are all on display in Mars Area Elementary School’s library along side a picture of Elliana. For more information, call (724) 625-3161.