Homepage
Related Photos
Discussion
Sixth-grader designs winning Web page
At age 12, Daniel Philibin already has designed professional quality Web sites.
Philibin took first place for the Web design he created for his father’s mortgage company – The Jeff Philibin Mortgage Group – at the state Department of Education’s middle-school computer fair awards ceremony Thursday in Harrisburg.
Nearly 150 pupils participated in the statewide computer competition, testing their skills in Web page and graphic design, digital movie-making and desktop publishing skills.
Philibin, a sixth-grader at St. Benedict Catholic School in Johnstown, said in his free time he reads computer tutorials to learn new techniques.
“I started designing Web sites a few years ago,” he said. “You have to have a lot of patience because it takes a while.”
Philibin said his father needed an Internet site for his business and figured it would be a good opportunity to work on a design that could be entered into the competition.
Participants in the second annual computer fair included sixth-, seventh- and eighth-graders who qualified for the state competition after battling at school district and regional levels.
More than 700 pupils participated in the competition at some level before the best projects were chosen for the final competition.
Philibin said that, when designing the site, he used Adobe Photo Shop software to draw up his plan.
For the competition, he had a posterboard and essay to show the process he went through during the design process.
Jerene Philibin said her son has always taken an interest in computer-aided design.
“If it’s what he is interested in, he gives it his all,” she said Thursday. “He’s been doing this kind of thing for years.”
Philibin said she was very proud of her son’s accomplishment.
Daniel was awarded a $50 gift certificate to an electronics boutique.
Jennifer Heinrichs, the computer instructor at St. Benedict, said Daniel has advanced computer skills for his age.
“He’s doing this in sixth grade, so what will he be doing in eighth grade or as a junior?” she wondered. “I’m learning as I go.”
She said Daniel created the Web site on his own time after school.
Heinrichs said the budding prodigy keeps her on her toes learning the newest information.
“Technology is the wave of the future,” she said.
She said Daniel is a humble child but he should be proud of his award.
“He gets excited about the stuff he does but he never brags,” Heinrichs said. “He’s the type of student that every teacher wants.”
The only other winning pupil in the region was Ron Miller of the Frazer School District in Fayette County. He won first place in multimedia for an interactive solar system.
Secretary of Education Jerry Zahorchak said the competition allowed middle-school pupils to show their talents.
“These students possess the kind of technology skills and talents that all students must master before graduating and entering the global economy,” Zahorchak said.
In addition to the winning Web site, Philibin also has designed discoverjohnstown.org and ferndalebaseball.com.
Colleen Freyvogel can be reached at 53205955 or cfreyvogel@tribdem.com.
- Local News
-
-
‘Reunion time’: Cambria City fest draws tens of thousands
Monsignor Raymond Balta of St. Mary’s Byzantine Catholic Church on Power Street prounounced this year’s Cambria City Ethnic Festival successful on Sunday evening shortly before the 22nd annual event drew to a close.
-
Cambria officials threatened
An inmate at the State Correctional Institution-Cresson has been charged with making written threats against several elected officials, including Judge Patrick Kiniry, District Attorney Kelly Callihan and District Judge Charity Nileski.
-
Milder winter in store, weather experts say
With recollections of last year’s record snowfall, blowing winds and closed roads still fresh in the minds of many Cambria and Somerset county residents, weather prognosticators are promising improvements for the upcoming winter of 2010-2011.
-
MICHELE M. BENDER | School’s first day can be hard on everybody
I don’t remember my first “first day of school.” There are, after all, 13 “firsts” between kindergarten and senior year.
-
Person of the week: Comfort food
Rita DeMarco has a good recipe for helping people.
First she looks for the needs of others then mixes the ingredients – food and other caring souls.
-
‘Reunion time’: Cambria City fest draws tens of thousands
- Sports
-
Penn State receiver Brett Beckett, right, celebrates with Derek Moye (6) after scoring on a second-quarter pass from quarterback Robert Bolden in an NCAA college football game against Youngstown State in State College, Pa., Saturday, Sept. 4, 2010. Penn State won 44-14. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)
-
PSU shifts focus to Alabama
The game Penn State fans have circled on their calendars for years is almost here.
After manhandling FCS school Youngstown State, the level of competition increases dramatically in Week 2 for the 19th-ranked Nittany Lions with a visit to No. 1 Alabama. -
Top-ranked Tide turn to youngsters
Alabama took advantage of an opening rout to get plenty of youngsters on the field.
The top-ranked Crimson Tide’s top tackler in Saturday night’s 48-3 route of San Jose State was freshman linebacker C.J. Mosely. The leading rusher was redshirt freshman Eddie Lacy. Both the kicker and punter were freshmen.
And coach Nick Saban says he had other freshmen ready to go, including No. 3 quarterback Phillip Sims. -
Statue honors Maz
Bill Mazeroski, an elite fielder who made it to the Hall of Fame because of his many Gold Gloves and one big swing, now has a bronze statue honoring that most memorable moment.
Four of Mazeroski’s 1960 Pirates teammates tugged away a protective cover Sunday to unveil a 14-foot, 2,000-pound statue depicting the second baseman, the only player to end a World Series Game 7 with a home run. -
Zimmerman, Marquis beat Bucs
The Washington Nationals are all but certain to finish last in the National League East. After taking on the Pittsburgh Pirates, they realize how much worse it could be.
Ryan Zimmerman drove in four runs, Adam Dunn homered and Jason Marquis won his second in a row after previously going winless all season as the Nationals beat the Pirates 8-1 in a matchup of last-place clubs Sunday. -
Sports briefs — 9/6/10
The Altoona Curve’s Matt Walbeck has been named the Eastern League Manager of the Year after guiding the team to a playoff spot.
-
PSU shifts focus to Alabama
- Features
-
-
Play time | Richland students embark on initial full season of shows
A new era is about to unfold as organizers of Richland High School’s Performing Arts Center announce the school’s first performing arts season. The student-produced season will include such shows as “Bone Chiller!” “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat,” “The Nifty Fifties” and “A Tribute to Broadway.”
- In book of life, you can't read last chapter first | RALPH COUEY
- Religion in brief | Congregation to note pastor's anniversary
-
Play time | Richland students embark on initial full season of shows
- Lifestyles
-
-
Resentments unleashed
The second season for (un)apologetic productions opens with “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?”
- Religion in Brief
- On the record
-
Resentments unleashed
- Multimedia
-
-
'Church was the center of all things'
Michael Makuch’s father came to America with $36 and a few clothes. Carol Kaniuk’s grandmother liked to say she had “the dress on her back.”
- 'They are a people without a country'
- Pysanky eggs | Works of art carry messages of faith
-
