School news: Week of June 22
Kindergarten registration
St. Elizabeth Elementary School, Castle Shannon, is accepting registrations for half-day and full-day kindergarten. Before and after school care is available. For more information, call the school office at 412-881-2958 or email ljarosh@st-elizabeth.org.
Scholarship recipients
The Italian-American Cultural & Heritage Society of Washington County has announced this year’s scholarship winners, and four are from the South Hills. With this year’s awards, the organization will have given out 180 scholarships to Washington County residents since 1992.
The scholarships, $3,000 each, are awarded through application of criteria that includes: a one page essay expressing their insights as a member of an Italian-American family; high academic achievement with at least a 3.5 QPA in a rigorous college-bound curriculum; participation and evidence of leadership in co-curricular activities; and a strong recommendation by a school staff member or official.
Local scholarship winners include:
• Vincent Reed DeRienzo, Peters Township High School, has maintained a 4.47 GPA while enrolled in a rigorous program of studies that includes honor classes in English, Biology, Chemistry, World Cultures, Physics, Spanish IV and Economics, as well as AP courses in European History, Calculus AB, Physics, Spanish Language, English Language and Composition, United States History and Chemistry. Vincent has received many honors associated with his participation in the Forensics Speech and Debate Club, and is also active in the Photography Club and Dramafest. He serves as a Student Ambassador, ACE Mentorship, Lead Alter Server, Vacation Bible School Aide, and Elementary School Class Helper. He has had the opportunity to participate in the Architecture Sketching Workshop at Carnegie Mellon University, which enabled him to also serve an Architecture Internship and Apprenticeship. Vincent is the son of Dante and Mary DeRienzo of Peters Township.
• Domenic Vincent Ennace, Canon-McMillan High School, ranks in the top 10 percent of his graduating class with a 4.23 GPA while completing a challenging course of studies that include Honors English, PA Science, U.S. History 9, Biology, Honors Geometry, U.S. History 10, Chemistry, Pre-Calculus, Spanish IV, World History, Contemporary American Democracy and Physics, as well as AP Courses in Computer Science, Calculus AB and Psychology. Domenic is a member of the National Honor Society and Spanish Honor Society. He demonstrates his leadership ability as a lead C-M mentor, football team captain and basketball team captain. He serves the community as a youth basketball coach and Work Camp volunteer. Domenic is the son of Vincent and Diane Filipponi Eannace of North Strabane Township.
• Jayde Eileen Morgan, Bishop Canevin High School, is in the top 4 percent of her graduating class and maintains a 4.88 GPA while being enrolled in a stringent academic program that includes Honor Classes in English, Modern World, Algebra I, Biology, American History, U.S. History, Geometry, Chemistry, Spanish 3, World Literature, Trigonometry, Physics, Calculus AB, as well as AP Classes in U.S. History, Spanish 4, Statistics, Chemistry, English and European History. She is member of the softball and volleyball teams, as well as the World Language Club, Drama Club, FBLA, concert choir, school play cast, yearbook staff and National Honor Society. She also participates in Junior Achievement, Crusaders for Life and Circle of Friends as a class officer. Jayde also is a hospital volunteer, camp counselor and does parish work. Jayde is the daughter of Bruce and Felicia Filipponi Morgan of Canton Township.
• Maria Teresa Stopenski, Canon-McMillan High School, is an AP Scholar who ranks within the top 3 percent of her class with a 4.33 GPA, while enrolled in challenging honors classes that include English, PA Science, U.S. History, Biology, Geometry, Chemistry, Pre-Calculus, Spanish IV, Physics, Contemporary American Democracy, as well as AP Courses in Statistics, World History, American History, Calculus AB and Spanish. Maria is a member of the Spanish Club, Math League, concert band, SEC Club, National Honor Society and Spanish Honor Society. Maria serves as captain of the Flag Corps and is a lead C-M mentor. She is the daughter of David Julian and Lucia Scandale Stopenski of Canonsburg.
BP students recognized
Four Bethel Park High School students have been recognized for outstanding achievement on the National Latin Exams.
Junior Madeline Goldsworthy-Seddon earned a Silver Medal on the Latin I Exam. Junior Courtney Manns earned a Magna Cum Laude Certificate on the Latin IV Exam. Sophomore Joseph Wright earned a Cum Laude Certificate on the Latin III Exam, and freshman Ariana Guerra earned a Cum Laude Certificate on the Latin II Exam. They are taught by Bethel Park High School Latin teacher Ellen Conrad.
Latin Honor Society
Sixteen Bethel Park High School students were inducted into the National Latin Honor Society. To be eligible for induction, students must maintain a 90 percent average in Latin classes for at least two years at the high school level and demonstrate personal integrity.
Inducted this year were juniors Ken Barnhart, Lily Farmerie, Courtney Manns, Courtney Maslanka, Michelle Raymond, Heather Walker and Joanna White.
Also inducted were sophomores Nathan Cassano, Emily Cowser, Paige Davidson, Alex DiPrampero, Elizabeth Hartnett, Alex Keplar, Korey Patterson, Brianna Shannon and Joe Wright.
Receiving Senior Honor Cords were Julia Angotti, Emily Augustine, David Erzen, Jeremy Huwe, Carolyn Vona and Joey Weston.
The students are taught by Bethel Park High School Latin teacher Ellen Conrad.
Summer research
(PIC) Bethel Park High School sophomore Angela Burns is one of 20 area high school students who successfully applied and has been accepted to participate as a summer intern in the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute’s Summer Academy, which will be held June 13-Aug. 5.
Angela will be working for eight weeks this summer in the Drug Discovery, Systems and Computational Biology Lab alongside Pitt researchers, conducting hands-on, cutting-edge cancer research.
The program is designed to provide career preparatory experiences to highly motivated high school students who are pursuing higher education and careers in STEM fields, especially research and medicine.
In addition to her work in the lab, Angela will also receive instruction, tour facilities, participate in journal clubs and attend presentations by professionals in the field.
Angela participated in a week-long biology lab at Bethel Park High School this school year, coordinated by Bethel Park High School Biology teacher Barbara Eisel and conducted by University of Pittsburgh researchers, to determine if genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are present in snack foods. Coincidentally, she will be working this summer in the UPCI lab with David Boone, Assistant Professor of Biomedical Informatics at the University of Pittsburgh’s School of Medicine, who led the lab exercise at the high school.
The application process for the summer program included three essays, a resume and transcripts. For participating in the program, students will also receive a $2,400 stipend and will be required to give a 10-minute oral presentation at the end of the program about their findings.
Angela is taught by BP science teachers Monica Graziani and Charleen Kondrot.
Wilderness Leadership
(PIC) Bethel Park High School senior Bailey Lawrence received a full sponsorship from the Pittsburgh Chapter of the Safari Club International and will be one of 30 students across the country who will attend the American Wilderness Leadership School, set for June 29-July 5 in Jackson Hole, Wy.
AWLS is an outdoor instructional program for students and educators that focuses on conservation and natural resource management, in addition to leadership training. The program includes overnight camping in the Grand Tetons, white water rafting on the Snake River and field trips to Yellowstone National Park.
She was recommended for this program by Bethel Park High School science teachers Jason Mickey and Jeff Johns, who participated in the program in 2015.
Art Merit Award
(PIC) Helen Reynolds, a senior at Mt. Lebanon High School, was the 2016 recipient of the $2,500 American Foreign Service Association (AFSA) Art Merit Award, due to her superb painting and drawing visual art submissions.
The daughter of an American diplomat, Helen attended schools in South Africa, Russia and Canada prior to moving to Mt. Lebanon in 2014 upon her father’s retirement.
The AFSA Merit Award Program was established in 1976, and later expanded in 1996 to offer Art Merit Awards as well. The awards recognize the many accomplishments of the Foreign Service high school seniors. A total of 117 applicants competed for 22 2016 AFSA Merit Awards, including four Art Merit Awards. In 2015/2016 AFSA was able to provide $263,000 in college assistance to children of the Foreign Service.
Helen will continue studying visual arts and design at Carnegie Mellon University this fall.
National Merit Scholarship
(PIC) Upper St. Clair High School senior Yein Christina Park has been named a National Merit $2,500 Scholarship recipient – one of only 2,500 in the country.
Winners are named in every state based on the state’s percentage of the nation’s graduating high school seniors. Students entered the scholarship competition by completing the PSAT, the National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test, during their junior year.
Christina will be attending Harvard University this fall and plans to double major in microbiology and math.
Writing contest winner
Caitlyn Bostaph, a fifth-grade student at Neil Armstrong Middle School, was one of the 10 winners in StoryWorks Magazine’s “Mountain of Fire” writing contest.
The students in Melinda Romito’s classroom read the story, “Mountain of Fire,” about Mount St. Helens from StoryWorks Magazine, and the writing prompt at the end of the story asked the students to pretend they were park rangers assigned with writing a letter to potential visitors to the park, warning them of the dangers of this dangerous and unpredictable volcano.
As one of the 10 winners selected by StoryWorks, Caitlyn received a congratulatory letter and a copy of the book, “Volcano.”
MAC Grants program
In recognition of National Teacher Appreciation Week, McDonald’s restaurants are launching the 22nd annual MAC Grants program to help area middle school teachers Make Activities Count for their students.
The MAC Grants program provides financial support so teachers can bring hands-on tools into the classroom to engage their students in innovative ways. Since the program’s inception in 1994, McDonald’s restaurants have awarded close to $1.5 million dollars to local teachers.
Fifth-, sixth-, seventh- and eighth-grade teachers may apply for grants of up to $500 for interesting and educational projects.
Teachers in Greater Pittsburgh area can now apply for a 2016 MAC Grant at www.macgrants.com. Applications must be submitted, along with a W-9 form, by Aug. 1, 2016. A limited number of grant recipients will be chosen on or before Sept. 15, 2016.
German NHS inductees
Sixteen students were inducted into the Bethel Park High School Chapter of the Delta Epsilon Phi German National Honor Society.
Inducted in 2016 were senior Macie McKitrick; juniors Jonathan Lucchitti and Joshua Sholder; sophomores Brody Flowers, Bailey Sims and Brooke Worrall; and freshmen Mason Bussard, Will Coplan, Sonja Hebestreit, Rachel Holt, Alyssa Iampietro, Abigail Kauric, Katelyn Marcovecchio, Eve Rosemeier, Holly Troesch and Evan Welsh.
Delta Epsilon Phi members must maintain a minimum 3.6 GPA in German and a minimum 3.0 GPA in all other courses, and must record at least one unweighted “A” grade and no grades of “C” or lower during any three-semester span. Additionally, they must be committed to the study of German at Bethel Park High School through graduation, and must demonstrate good character and academic integrity.
The students are taught by Bethel Park High School German teacher Christopher Tobias.
Summer study scholarship
(PIC) Bethel Park High School senior Julia Angotti was selected to receive the Bethel Park High School German Club’s Summer Study Scholarship, and will have the opportunity to study German for one week at the Millersville University Summer German Camp in July.
Julia was selected to receive the scholarship due to her outstanding level of participation in the German Club’s activities, as well as her strong commitment to the Bethel Park High School German Program over the past two years.
She is taught by Bethel Park High School German teacher Christopher Tobias.
French Honor Society
Thirty-four students were inducted into the Bethel Park High School Societe Honoraire de Francais (French Honor Society).
Newly inducted members include French V students Soulammite Sokou; French III students Alyssa Bradley, Casey Bruchwalski, Roman Dudowski and Colby Reid.
Also included were French II Honors students Joseph Bilski, Cameron Carroll, Kyleigh Flood, Sarah Fulton, Christopher Garland, Connor Heath, Zachary Janus, Kalie Kuss, Jillian Loeffelbein, Anthony Lucchitti, William Martin-Farmer, Morgan Saunders, Cameron Sillman, Vanessa Vargo, Kara Wentz and Jenelle Wu.
Additionally, French II students Alexander Duguid, Brayden, Frankert, Lori Gatz, Regan Gray, Nicholas Guimond, Samantha Huwe, Alexa Junazski, Andrew Lepri, Blake McGee, Sarah Pellis, Savannah Savarese, Anna Tarbert and Josh Ye were inducted.
Honor cords were presented to French V seniors Karissa Coffield, Danielle Hinish, Morgan Hirsh, Madison Jonas, Megan Kennedy, Carolyn Kerr, Samantha Mack, Macie McKitrick, Zachary Sedor-Schiffhauer, Ashley Wentz and French IV students Adella Antkowiak, Abigail Hartzell and Emily Williams.
Pins were presented to those members who were previously inducted and have maintained the requirement for membership. Receiving a pin were returning French IV students Katherine Bustamante, Erin Cavrak, Abigail Collavo, Cameron Happe, Sarah Kauffman, Autumn Laird, Ryan Lynch, Sydney Misak, Sarah Shaheen, Katelyn Turoski, Kevin Yost and Alexandria Zallo.
Also receiving pins were French III students Kayla Armstrong, Jason Cook, Ryan Cook, Leah DeJohn, Nicole Dembiczak, Rachel Grant, Nicole Habjan, Chelsea Hallman, Rachel Hankin, Casey Mack, Madison Newman, Jacob Opie, Haley Radcliffe, Sarah Russell, Jessica Scarlett, Adriane Slater, Keira Teagardner and David Zahniser.
To be eligible for membership, students must maintain a 90 percent average in French for four consecutive nine-week periods.
The students are taught by Bethel Park High School French teachers Tracy McCoy and Rachael Smith.
SHASDA award
Bethel Park High School seniors Ronald Schiller and Carolyn Vona received the SHASDA Award from the South Hills Area School Districts Association at a reception held at the Hilton Southpointe.
Every SHASDA member school is able to recognize two seniors who have overcome obstacles in their lives to succeed not only in school, but also in life.
BP music awards
The Bethel Park High School Music Department earned 26 awards during its Spring Music Trip to the Festivals of Music in Chicago, Ill., including 10 First Place Awards, 10 Superior Ratings, five Best Overall Awards and one Outstanding Award.
First Place Awards and Superior Ratings were earned by the Top 21 Mixed Choir, Top 21 Jazz Choir, Symphonic Orchestra, Symphonic Band, Concert Band, Jazz Ensemble, Percussion Ensemble, Bethettes, Majorettes and Drum Line.
Earning Best Overall Awards in their respective categories were the Top 21 Mixed Choir, Top 21 Jazz Choir, Symphonic Orchestra, Symphonic Band and Jazz Ensemble.
The Saxophone Section earned the Outstanding Jazz Section Award.
(PIC) Biology Olympiad
Upper St. Clair High School freshman Sam Ding scored among the top 10 percent in the nation in the USA Biology Olympiad – qualifying him to complete the two-hour test for the semifinals.
The USA Biology Olympiad is the premier high school biology competition in which nearly 10,000 students from throughout the nation compete each year to earn the opportunity to represent the United States in the International Biology Olympiad.
Following two rounds of exams, 20 finalists compete in the national finals for one of only four spots on Team USA. The International Biology Olympiad, set for July 16-24 in Hanoi, Vietnam, features teams from more than 60 countries.
In addition to Sam, five other Upper St. Clair High School students completed the 50-minute exam covering a wide range of biology topics including plant and animal anatomy and physiology, cell biology, genetics and evolution, and ecology. Participants included juniors Aditi Chattopadhyaya and Yash Lohoti; as well as sophomores Kevin Chen, Steve Cheung and Jag Gummadi.
“Students found the exam process very challenging yet were very excited to participate in this opportunity,” Lynn Kistler, high school science teacher, said.
(PIX) Chemistry contest
Upper St. Clair High School sophomore Kevin Chen recently earned first place in the Pittsburgh Annual Secondary School Chemistry Contest, sponsored by the Pittsburgh Section of the American Chemical Society. Kevin, who receives chemistry instruction from Dr. Dominic Frollini, competed in the first-year chemistry, large schools category.
Kevin and other contest winners were honored at the organization’s annual awards dinner on May 23, at Duquesne University.
Scholarship recipient
Alexandra Laverty, an eighth-grade student at Saint Anne School in Castle Shannon, was awarded the Cardinal Donald Wuerl Scholarship from Junior Achievement of Western Pennsylvania. The scholarship is worth $3,000 and is awarded to eighth-grade students in Western Pennsylvania who are currently attending a Catholic grade school within the dioceses of Altoona/Johnstown, Erie, Greensburg or Pittsburgh and will be entering a Catholic high school within the dioceses in 2016. Recipients were recommended by their school, must have received at least two Junior Achievement classroom programs at a Catholic grade school, and had to submit an essay answering the question: “How has Junior Achievement influenced your life in your diocesan school?”
Alexandra was honored with her family at the Junior Achievement 2016 Diocesan Award and Scholarship Presentation Luncheon held at the LeMont Restaurant May 24. She will be attending Seton-LaSalle Catholic High School in the fall.
USC accomplishments
Seven Upper St. Clair High School students participated in the recent Covestro Pittsburgh Regional Science and Engineering Fair – earning multiple recognitions including three first place finishes. Representing Upper St. Clair were sophomores Kriti Shah, Alex Brufsky and Sahil Doshi; and juniors Vedant Parekh, Vashisth Parekh, Connor Byrnes and Mahima Reddy.
Sahil Doshi’s project, “Phase Field Modeling of Dendritic Growth,” earned first place in the Senior Physics category. Sahil also won sponsor awards from Eaton Corporation, Innovation Works and United States Steel as well as the Perseverance Award-Associate Scientist
Vedant Parekh’s project, titled “Breathing Battery,” earned first place in the Senior Earth/Space/Environment category. The project also won affiliate awards from the American Meteorological Society and the ASU Walton Sustainability Solutions Initiatives as well as sponsor awards from the Pittsburgh Coal Mining Institute of America and the Society for Mining, Metallurgy & Exploration. Vedant was also recognized with the Perseverance Award-Associate Scientist.
Vashisth Parekh, who was recognized with the Perseverance Award-Associate Scientist, earned first place in the Senior Chemistry Division with a project titled “eBatt: A Printable Battery.” In addition, he won sponsor awards from Alcoa Technical Center, American Chemical Society, CMU Leonard Gelfand Center for Service Learning and Outreach, Chemical Association of Pittsburgh, Duquesne University Bayer School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, and United States Steel as well as scholarship awards from Carnegie Mellon University, Chemical Association of Pittsburgh, Indiana University of Pennsylvania, La Roche College and St. Francis University. Vashisth and his teacher sponsor, Ms. Lynn Kistler, have been invited to attend the Society of Analytical Chemists of Pittsburgh/American Chemical Society Annual Awards Dinner on May 23, at Duquesne University.
Mahima Reddy earned a scholarship award from Indiana University of Pennsylvania and the Perseverance Award-Associate Scientist for her project, “Determining if T-bet Overexpression Induces Immune Factors In Vitro.”
Kriti Shah, who collaborated with Alex Brufsky, earned the Perseverance Award-Associate Scientist for her project “ULuminate–Human Light Bulb.”
Connor Byrnes earned a scholarship award from the Duquesne University Summer Undergraduate Research Program as well as an affiliate award from the Stockholm Junior Water Prize/Water Environment Federation. Connor’s project was titled “StreamDuino.”
Now in its 77th year, the Covestro Pittsburgh Regional Science and Engineering Fair competition invites students in grades 6-12 to submit research projects in various fields of science, mathematics and engineering. The event was held April 1-2 at Heinz Field. More than 1,200 students from more than 100 schools in Pennsylvania and one county in Maryland competed for more $1 million in cash prizes and scholarships.
Full-tuition scholarship
Seton Hill University of Greensburg awarded Amelia Heastings of Bethel Park with a full-tuition scholarship for four years to study theatre design and technology at the University.
Amelia is a senior at Bethel Park High School. She is the daughter of Jim Heastings and AnneMarie Leyden Hastings and is a member of St. Thomas More Parish in Bethel Park. Amelia plans to major in theatre design and technology in the Division of Visual and Performing Arts at Seton Hill.
Odyssey of the Mind
A team of Upper St. Clair seventh-graders recently finished third among 60 teams at the Odyssey of the Mind World Finals at Iowa State University. The Fort Couch Middle School students competed in the division two Classics Problem.
Team members include Victoria Cuba, Brianna Lin, Joseph Markovitz, Max Murtough, Sammie Seewald, Constantine Tripodes and Eric Wang. The students were coached by Laura Murtough, Stacey Seewald and Meridith Markovitz.
The division two team of seventh-graders from Fort Couch Middle School solved the Classics Problem “Aesop Gone Viral.” The team retold the tale of one of Aesop’s fables and then made it and the moral go viral in a time period before continuous electricity was discovered. Their performance included a narrator, an artistic representation of the moral and a character that makes a wrong conclusion about the moral.
In total, more than 800 teams from around the world participated in the World Finals – including another team of Fort Couch Middle School students. The team, coached by Rachel Lowden and Beatrice Conte, includes Vivek Babu, Christina Conte, Jacob Conte, Yash Jajoo, Gracie Lowden, Maggie Lowden and Isabella Putorti.
This division two team solved the vehicle problem, “No-Cycle Recyle.” Team members built, rode on and drove a recycling vehicle that traveled without pedaling for propulsion. The vehicle picked up and repurposed discarded items, then delivered them to places to be re-used. Along the way, the vehicle made an unplanned stop to perform a random act of kindness.
Both Fort Couch teams earned the opportunity to compete in the World Finals by earning top marks at the Pennsylvania State Odyssey of the Mind Tournament in April and the Western Pennsylvania Regional Odyssey of the Mind competition in March.
Pittsburgh Data Jam
A team of Upper St. Clair High School students recently finished among the top five in the Pittsburgh Data Jam. Team members included Aditi Chattopadhyaya, Kevin Chen, Mary Lucas, Yash Lohoti, Pramod Narayanan, Mahima Reddy and Kriti Shah. The Pittsburgh Data Jam introduces Pittsburgh area high school students to big data and data analytics. The event offered students the opportunity to participate in a data analysis competition, data analysis exercises, data visualization tools, field visits to big data companies in Pittsburgh and seminars with data scientists.
The Upper St. Clair team collected and analyzed data to answer the question, “Does Natural Gas Production Correlate with Drinking Water Contamination Levels?” Students processed water quality data from Pittsburgh, Washington, and Butler from a 20-year period and found slight increases in some contaminates, yet none were above the legal limits.
Students presented their findings to a panel of Pittsburgh Data Jam judges on April 22, 2016, in the University of Pittsburgh’s Cathedral of Learning. As part of the Data Jam program, Aditi, Mary and Mahima visited IBM Watson in Squirrel Hill, UPMC Enterprises in Bakery Square, and Management Science Associates in East Liberty. Students were accompanied by Ms. Lynn Kistler, high school science teacher and science department curriculum leader.
Top of the Shop Award
Two Bethel Park High School students received the Top of the Shop Award for the Second Semester of the 2015-2016 school year from the Steel Center for Career and Technical Education. Receiving these awards were senior Chi-Anne Ofsonka, a student in the Baking/Pastry Chef Program, and junior Jeremy Symsek, a student in the Carpentry Program. To receive this award, students must demonstrate outstanding conduct, attendance, course work proficiency and professionalism. Earning the Top of the Shop Award for the second semester of the 2015-2016 school year are, from left: Chi-Anne Ofsonka and Jeremy Symsek.
Outstanding seniors
Two Bethel Park High School seniors received the Outstanding Senior Award from the Steel Center for Career and Technical Education for the work they did in their respective programs. Receiving the awards were Santino Dalessandro, a student in the Diesel Mechanics Program, and Chi-Anne Ofsonka, a student in the Baking/Pastry Chef Program. They were recognized at a ceremony held at Steel Center.
Technical awards
The Rotary Club of Upper St. Clair-Bethel Park presented Technology Excellence Awards to four Bethel Park High School students who have excelled in technology education classes offered at Bethel Park High School. Receiving the awards were juniors Steven Sell, a student in the Manufacturing and Production class, and Jessica Viehman, a student in the Principles of Engineering class; and sophomores Evan Aronhalt, a student in the Introduction to Engineering and Design class, and Noah Gearhart, a student in the Materials Production class. They were nominated for these awards by Bethel Park High School Technology Education Teachers William Wells, Art Smock, John Oluszak and Brad Kszastowski. The awards were presented at a dinner held at St. Clair Country Club.
State math competition
Three Upper St. Clair Middle School students recently qualified to compete in the first ever Pennsylvania statewide Challenge 24 math competition on June 15 in Harrisburg. Sixth-grader Daniel Wang and eighth-grader Braden Yates won their respective grade divisions and seventh-grader Christian Chiu was a finalist at the countywide tournament, sponsored by the Allegheny Intermediate Unit.
The countywide Challenge 24 tournament, open to students in grades 5 through 8, was held on May 26, at the Galleria in Mt. Lebanon. Each Allegheny County school could send a maximum of two students per grade to compete in the math contest.
Competing for Boyce were fifth-graders Qadir Khan and Keshav Narasimhan, and sixth-graders Danny Martin and Daniel Wang. Fort Couch seventh-graders included Christian Chiu and Jay Patel and eighth-graders Devan Ekbote and Braden Yates.
After two preliminary rounds, one with single digits cards and the next with double digits, Keshav, Danny, Daniel, Christian, Devan, Jay and Braden moved on to the semifinals played with variable cards. Only three students from each division were allowed to compete in the final round that featured extremely complex “double variable” cards.
Math Olympiad
An Upper St. Clair sixth-grader scored among the top 2 percent in the nation in the Math Olympiad. Milan Giroux, who attends Boyce Middle School, received a gold pin in recognition of his achievement.
Also earning national recognition were Delaynie McMillan and Nitish Sharma, who were recognized with silver pins for scoring in the top 10 percent in the country.
The Boyce Middle School Math Olympiad Club is a parent-led initiative that is open to sixth-grade students. The club provides weekly math enrichment opportunities to 24 students.
In addition, 16 students were awarded Math Olympiad embroidered patches for scoring in the top 30 percent. Those students include: Scott Cheung, Shrishti Chhajlani, Varun Damarla, Linus Friedman, Ammar Kethavath, Sarina Krishnaswamy, Esha Lahoti, Ethan Neal, Daniel Paulick, Sambhav Saggi, Sam Scalzo, Aishwarya Sinha, Nivedha Suresh, Arunprakash Vasudevan, Isaac Yap and Eliana Zahalsky.
In total, 19 of the 24 Boyce Middle School Math Olympiad Club earned national recognition. Students were recognized at a recent breakfast banquet/awards ceremony.
Math Olympiad is an international organization with more than 120,000 students participating in 31 countries – including 100,000 students from 5,000 teams throughout the United States.
(PIC) Poem published
An Upper St. Clair High School junior can now add published author to her list of accomplishments. Mahima Reddy’s poem, titled “Monsoon Season,” was published in the May 2016 issue of Teen Ink magazine.
Although this marks the first time Mahima’s work has been published in the print magazine, her original works have been included on Teen Ink’s website. Her previous writings including a book review of “Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World” by Jack Weatherford and a science fiction short story titled “Evolving a Competition.”
Teacher receives stipend
Independence Middle School German teacher Michael Stang received the Quadrille Stipend from the American Association of Teachers of German to attend the Fortbildungskursus for non-native teachers of German as a Foreign Language at Heidelberg University.
Stang will be studying in Heidelberg, Germany, Aug. 1-26, taking courses that will further enhance his ability to teach German as a foreign language.
Stang has been teaching in the Bethel Park School District since the 2014-2015 school year.
Speech competition
(PIC) Upper St. Clair High School senior Saraj Quinto finished seventh in the nation in the Dramatic Performer category of the National Catholic Forensic League Grand Nationals in Sacramento, Calif.
Saraj, captain of the speech and debate team, along with 25 other Upper St. Clair High School students, qualified to participate in the event, which was held May 28-29.
Qualifying in debate were the Public Forum teams Hunter Lantzman and Caleb Troughtzmantz as well as Anvi Kumar and Harshini Sakhthivel (who were unable to attend the competition after being added from the alternate list). Three Policy Debate teams also qualified, the first ever to represent USC in the event, Jacob Lantzman and Yash Lahoti; Spencer Miller and Eva Schenker; and Meghan Joon and Mallika Matharu. Finally, all four Upper St. Clair Lincoln-Douglas debaters qualified for nationals: Amna Amin, Neale Misquitta, Ariana Chiu and Raahema Durrani.
Raahema, a junior, went 5-0 in preliminary rounds becoming the first Upper St. Clair debater ever to do so at a national tournament and ended up placing 17th nationally.
Qualifying in speech were Declamation competitor Rita Beauchamp; Extemporaneous speakers Chase Miller, Justin Brandwein, Thomas Mologne and Roderick Smith; Oral Interpers Laura Lapham and Hannah Sanner; Original Orators Tana Mahajan and Krisha Monpara, and Dramatic Performers Saraj Quinto, Erin Graham, and Katherine Starr.
Study abroad scholarship
Anthony Abinanti, a member of the Upper St. Clair High School class of 2016, was recently awarded a National Security Language Initiative for Youth scholarship for 2016-17. Anthony will study Chinese in Taiwan for the year.
Anthony, who has a passion for learning foreign languages and international relations, is one of only approximately 600 competitively selected students from across the United States who will receive a scholarship to study Arabic, Chinese, Hindi, Korean, Persian, Russian or Turkish overseas this year. While in Taiwan, Anthony will receive formal instruction and informal language practice in an immersion environment.
This marks the third opportunity for Anthony to participate in an international immersion experience. He earned a similar NSLI-Y scholarship last year to study in Xiamen, China, during the summer of 2015. During the summer of 2014, Anthony spent one month in Salamanca, Spain, through a Spanish scholarship with the Oxbridge Academic Programs.
Applications for 2017-18 NSLI-Y programs are expected to be available at www.nsliforyouth.org in the early fall. For information about U.S. Department of State-sponsored exchange programs visit exchanges.state.gov.
U.S. Military Academy appointment
Senator Casey announced that Bethel Park student Sara Amato has received an appointment to the United States Military Academy. Sen. Casey nominated Sara to attend the Air Force as part of the class of 2020.
“Our service academies provide students with an unparalleled learning experience and receiving an appointment is an honor for any student,” said Senator Casey. “Sara has distinguished herself in the classroom and in her community and I am confident that she will represent our great Commonwealth with dignity and honor. I extend my congratulations to Sara and her family for this outstanding accomplishment.”
Scholarship awarded
Rev. Robert M. Miller, pastor of St. Benedict the Abbot Church in McMurray, and Gregory Adams, president of Ben’s Men’s Club, presented a $1,000 scholarship award to Peters Township seniors Colleen Bench, Andrew Byrne, Lauren DiCello, Bailey Fink and Matthew Waigand at the senior Mass on May 22. The award recognizes the exceptional participation these students displayed in school, citizenship and parish activities.
Perseverance Scholarship
Tony Zuback awarded the $1,000 Rose Zuback Perseverance Scholarship to Peters Township senior Andrea Meyers at the senior Mass on May 22. This scholarship fund was created in memory of Rose Zuback, a Catholic woman who exemplified love, humility and perseverance throughout her life.
German exam awards
Twenty Bethel Park High School Honors and Advanced Placement German students earned six Gold Awards, four Silver Awards and five Bronze Awards on the 2016 American Association of Teachers of German National Exams, while five additional students were recognized for noteworthy achievement on the exams.
Earning Gold Medals on the Level 4 Exam were senior Jack Brownfield, who finished in Second Place out of the 109 students in Western Pennsylvania and West Virginia, scoring in the 99th percentile; junior Brendan Troesch, who finished in Third Place with a score in the 95th percentile; senior Corinne Hebestreit, who finished in Fifth Place in the 94th percentile; senior Thomas Weber, Sixth Place with a score in the 91st percentile; senior Joe Wasko, Eighth Place, with a score in the 90th percentile, and senior Grant Wilson, Tenth Place with a score in the 90th percentile.
As a result of their scores, Jack, Brendan, Joe, Thomas and Grant are now eligible to apply for scholarships to travel and study in Germany this summer. Corinne is not eligible because she received the scholarship last year.
Silver Award winners (80th percentile nationally or higher) were senior Natalie Lalama and junior Ethan Tabler on the Level 4 Exam; and sophomores Emily Clarvit and Noah Voskamp on the Level 3 Exam.
Bronze Award winners (70th percentile nationally or higher) were juniors Ryan Pfab and Jen Klara on the Level 4 Exam; and sophomores Evan Aronhalt, Jacob Cunningham and Connor Robinette on the Level 3 Exam.
Also recognized for their high achievements on the Exams (60th percentile or higher) were senior Ashley Slade and juniors Jeff Hoffman, Steven Carte and Jonathan Lucchitti on the Level 4 Exam; and sophomore Brooke Worrall on the Level 3 Exam.
The students are taught by Bethel Park High School German teacher Christopher Tobias.