School News – April 9
Dilan Gangopadhyay of Venetia was awarded Carnegie Science Award and also won first place, Physical Science, Junior Division, for his project “Disinfecting Dangerous Drinking Water” at the Carnegie Science Center’s 75th Pittsburgh Regional Science & Engineering Fair. He also received the 2014 Surgeon General’s Special Science Award, was nominated for the Broadcom MASTERS Competition, and received sponsor awards from FedEx Ground, United States Steel Corporation, Allegheny County Health Department and National Association of Corrosion Engineers.
The following awards were received in the Peters Township School District:
• Middle school teacher Matt Cheran has been named this year’s recipient of the Dr. Howard Jack Outstanding Public Educator award from the Washington County Community Foundation. Cheran will receive a $1,000 grant as part of this award to support a district program of his choosing. He was nominated for this award by a Peters Township parent.
• High school senior Casey Kirwan has been named a distinguished finalist in the Prudential Spirit of Community Awards. Casey is among only 234 students from across the nation to be recognized for their outstanding volunteer service. Casey has raised $8,000 for Autism Speaks and the high school’s support programs for students with autism by organizing an annual walk and sale.
• Two high school student artists recently presented their work at the Art Institute of Pittsburgh, with junior Juliet Majestic earning a first place award in the underclassman category for her acrylic painting submission. She received a full scholarship for AIP’s pre-college summer session. Senior Jesse Borne and teacher Marquerite Kazalas also presented watercolor landscapes at the event.
• Three high school students were honored as finalists in the Penn State Essay contest sponsored by the University’s Program in Writing and Rhetoric. Matt Gummersbach, Tyler Mattes and Nicholas Roberts were selected out of 75 entries from many of the best student writers across the state. The contest charged students with the question, “Based on your own experience, what book has helped you develop emotional or ethical life skills?” They then had to plan, draft and revise their essay in only one hour. These outstanding writers will be recognized at a luncheon at Penn State later this month.
• High school senior Max Lindsay has been named a finalist in the National Merit Scholarship Program. Max is among an elite group of nearly 15,000 students nationwide to earn this honor and will now be included in the scholarship awards competition. The students are evaluated based on their academic record, information about the school’s curricula and grading system, two sets of test scores, a written recommendation, information about the student’s activities and leadership and a personal essay.
• Peters Township’s youngest history enthusiasts made their presence known at the regional competition of the National History Day contest, known as NHD-Pittsburgh. Seventeen students from Peters Township Middle and High schools competed among more than 400 students across the region. Entries this year focused on the theme of “Rights and Responsibilities in History.” Nine Peters Township students returned from NHD-Pittsburgh with medals, and in some cases cash awards and have earned a spot in the national competition. First Place award winners included Nick Larimer and Ryan Williams, 11th grade, Senior Group Documentary, Entry Title: RES OMNIUM COMMUNES: When is There Not a Right of Sovereingty?; Sydney Hannah, Angela Roberts and Shreya Sharma, ninth grade, Senior Group Website, Entry Title: Pioneer to a Medical Career: Dr. Elizabeth Blackwell; and Mekhela Santebennur and Shruthi Shivkumar, eighth grade, Junior Group Performance, Entry Title: Women’s Rights: Striving to Achieve Equality. Second Place Award winner was Alex Franco, 11th grade, Senior Individual Performance, Entry Title: American Trusts: The Presidents, The Tycoons and the Muckraker. Third Place award winner was Delaney Wehn, 11th grade, Senior Historical Paper, Entry Title: A Sobering Realization: American Prohibition.
Upper St. Clair School District has received the following grants:
• Safe Schools Initiative Targeted Grant in the amount of $23,570 from the Pennsylvania Department of Education’s Office for Safe Schools for the 2013-14 school year. The grant will be used for Crisis Emergency Planning and Emergency Management Training.
• Pittsburgh Penguins Foundation’s “Tablets in Education” program, an innovative educational program that uses the latest in tablet technology to motivate students to learn in an atmosphere that is both fun and informational. As part of the program, the district will be receiving 20 Kindle Fire XDs, 20 sky blue shock covers and a charging cart. The “Tablets in Education” program will be implemented at one of the District’s elementary schools during this school year. The Kindle tablets will be utilized to enhance teaching and learning throughout all curricular areas to develop 21st century skills, engage students, and customize instruction.
• USCSD’s electronic newsletter, eBLAST, is one of four publications in the state to receive an Award of Excellence (the highest rating) in the Electronic Newsletter category of the 2013 Pennsylvania School Public Relations Association’s (PenSPRA) “Excellence in Education Communication” contest. In addition, the school district’s website, along with five other school districts, received an Award of Honor in the website category. “I commend Paul Fox, editor, and Mary Ann Stabile, executive assistant to the superintendent, (eBLAST) and Ray Berrott, director of technology, and Doreen Leech, technology support coordinator, (website) for their work and leadership of these platforms,” said Dr. Patrick T. O’Toole, superintendent of schools.
• USC’s Board of School Directors was selected to receive the Tri-State Area School Study Council’s 2013-2014 D. Richard Wynn Distinguished School Board Award. The D. Richard Wynn Award recognizes school boards for addressing important issues that directly improved schooling for students during the 2011 through 2013 school years. The USCSD School Board has supported development of innovative educational programs, which customize student learning; the training of administrators, teachers and students to become better leaders; the enhancement of safety and security initiatives; and the comprehensive addressing of difficult budgets through revenue generation and strategic spending cuts.