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School News – May 7

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Washington County Parks will offer a homeschool outdoor classroom for ages 5-11, May 8 at Shelter 2, Mingo Creek Park. Sessions begin at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. Learn to avoid poison ivy, ticks, mosquitos and stinging nettle. No fee. To register, call 724-228-6867.

Joel Skelley, son of Terry and Holly Skelley of Scott Township and a sixth grade student at Our Lady of Grace School, Scott Township, competed as a semifinalst in the 2014 Pennsylvania State Geographic Bee held April 4 in Harrisburg.

Joel went nine rounds without an incorrect answer before being eliminated.

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.

Aviana Gutierrez of Scott Township, a student in the Chartiers Valley School District, received an honorable mention at the Pittsburgh Regional Science & Engineering Fair held March 28 at Heinz Field. Aviana’s project was titled “Bubble-rama (an insight to the effects of heat on bubble integrity).”

Bethel Park High School senior Erin McMahon has been selected as the recipient of the 2014 Delta Epsilon Phi Kathe Wilson Memorial Scholarship.

As a recipient of the scholarship, Erin will receive round-trip air transportation to Germany this summer, to live with a German family in their home, attend classes at a German secondary school, and participate in excursions to places of cultural and historical significance. The scholarship is valued at $3,700.

She is a German V student, a four-year member of the Delta Epsilon Phi German National Honor Society and the President of the Bethel Park High School German Club.

Hannah Foster, a student in the Peters Township School District, received an honorable mention along with a $100 prize for her submission in the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board’s first Alcohol Education Public Service Announcement Video Contest for high school/middle school students.

Students were asked to create a positive, “no-use,” 30-second message that would discourage their peers from drinking alcohol. Entries were judged on their message, creativity and technical ability by a diverse panel, including law enforcement professionals, local TV and radio personalities, PLCB staff members, parents and other students.

To view the videos, visit http://www.lcb.state.pa.us/PLCB/Education/Announcements/contests/index.htm.

Peters Township School District announced that 111 students were inducted into the PTHS National Honor Society. Inductees must have a cumulative weighted grade point average of 3.8 or higher. The National Honor Society is organized at PTHS under the leadership of teachers Debbie Kendrick and Angela Berger, and 2014 inductees include: Adam Alavi, Ethan Anderson, Nora Barczak, Samuel Barnes, Sara Bartczak, Stephanie Bell, Samantha Berry, Stephanie Bittel, Benjamin Brandt, Amanda Briegel, Rachel Brott, Matthias Campion, Grace Casper, Markella Cervenak, Samantha Chaudhari, Sarah Chaudhari, Marlee Chlystek, Cassandra Clark, Kelsey Collins, Rachel Corrigan, Rachel Cowler, Caroline Curran, Jacob Dachille, Sienna Dalessandro, Kellin Daley, Kelly Dasta, Matthew Dekman, John Delaney, Vincent DeRienzo, Lauren DiCello, Kara Ehrenberger, Rylen Faloni, Bailey Fink, Hannah Fiscus, Emily Fornof, Lillian Fornof, Dimitrios Gagianas, Ian Gautschi, Vincenzo Giovannitti, Chloe Grzyb, Casey Gudenburr, Matthew Gummersbach, Collin Gurtner, Sarah Heeter, Angela Heisinger, John Held, Megan Hixon, Sean Hixon, Kyle Johnson, Madison Kerr, William Ketyer, Elise King, Nicholas Kirsch, Nicole Kittelberger, Sara Komer, Daniel Krajovic, Angela Krak, Anthony LaRosa, Samuel Lindsay, Sabrina Liu, Megan Luksik, Stephanie Luniewski, William Lusk, Maria Lyle, Michael Magiske, Allison Magyar, Isabelle Maher, Hanna Marcinak, Addison Marry, Philip Mary, Matthew Massucci, Brady McCall, Graham McConnell, Lane Mitchell, Mark Mizikar, Meghan Morris, Kayley Morrow, Kenneth Nix, Anthony Oliva, Natalie Olivo, Logan Ondos, Andrew Parker, Caitlin Pendergast, Georgia Pilling, Kylie Pollack, Ryan Ponchione, Rebecca Ralston, Natalie Rihmland, Kelly Sala, Katerina Sankow, Connor Schmidt, Connor Schwartz, Peter Selinsky, Varun Sharma, Courtney Smore, Brianna Spalaris, Abigail Strennen, Katelyn Stricker, Abigail Szymanski, Lauren Tamilia, Nicholas Thomas, Erica Thompson, Samuel Verner, Nicole Wall, Maggie Watson, Madison Weimer, Dylan Weyers, Anna Wisniewski, Nicholas Wolk, Sebastian Yocca and Anna Zuloaga.

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.

• 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.

• Matt Gummersbach, Tyler Mattes and Nicholas Roberts were honored as finalists in the Penn State Essay contest sponsored by the University’s Program in Writing and Rhetoric. 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.

• Peters Township’s youngest history enthusiasts made their presence known at the regional competition of the National History Day contest. 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.

• 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 “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.

• 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.

The NAMM Foundation recognizes the Mt. Lebanon School District for its outstanding commitment to music education with a Best Communities for Music Education (BCME) designation. Mt. Lebanon joins 376 districts across the country to receive the prestigious distinction in 2014. This is the seventh year in a row that the Mt. Lebanon School District has received this honor.

In its 15th year, Best Communities for Music Education affirms school districts that have demonstrated exceptional efforts toward maintaining music education as part of the schools’ core curriculum.

“Music education is a key component in a Mt. Lebanon education,” said Superintendent Timothy Steinhauer. “The fine and performing arts are an integral part of educating the whole child and have always been valued and supported in this district. This award recognizes the efforts of our teachers, administration and school board to maintain our commitment to music education in our schools”

Bethel Park High School junior Steven Davis finished in Fourth Place on the Westinghouse Science Honors Institute’s Voluntary End of Program Exam and earned $500 for his efforts.

Steven scored a 96.28 out of a possible 110 points on the exam.

The Westinghouse Science Honors Institute recently completed 57 years of operation in 2014. The Institute provides a forum for talented high school juniors to gain exposure to the latest advances in science, technology and engineering.

This year, 600 high school juniors participated in a series of 11 lectures on a diverse range of topics, including nuclear power production, how exercise impacts the brain, stem cells, robotics, bioengineering, the science of crime scenes, parasitic worms and anatomic ACL Reconstruction, presented by area professionals from local companies and universities.

The students also had the opportunity to tour the Penn State Radiation Science and Engineering Center’s Breazeale Nuclear Reactor.

Additionally, Steven and 14 other Bethel Park High School juniors received Certificates from Westinghouse for successfully completing the program. They are: Amrita Beaudine, Colton Blair, Bryce Carter, Aaron Coplan, Jake Eichenlaub, Lauren Hensler, Emily Kukan, Tayler McGurk-Mannarino, Brendan Moorhead, Jordan Myers, Keith Powell, Mackenzie Stark, Vincent Tavoletti and Harrison Zelt.

Bethel Park High School Physics Teacher Lee Cristofano coordinates the program for the school district.

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