School news: Week of Oct. 19
USCSD Open Mike
The Upper St. Clair Parent Teacher Council will host its semiannual Open Mike at 7 p.m. Nov. 9 in the Boyce Middle School auditorium. Superintendent of Schools Dr. Patrick T. O’Toole as well as a team of administrators will be on hand to discuss topics of interest, which typically include capital improvement projects, the budget and financial challenges facing the school district, programs and initiatives, and more. RSVP online from the district’s website or contact Dr. Daphna Gans, Open Mike committee chairperson, at daphnagans@gmail.com. The next PTC Open Mike event will be held in the spring.
USC National Merit
Thirteen Upper St. Clair High School seniors were recently recognized as Commended Students in the 2017 National Merit Scholarship Program. Thomas Bednarz, Michael Besser, Amatheon Bohan, Michael Camburn, Mackenzie Damon, Raahema Durrani, Aaron Fultineer, Abigail Happ, Philip Hoffman, Shayan Jalali, Yash Lahoti, Allie Ryave and Yang Zhang scored in the top 5 percent of more than 1.6 million students who completed the 2015 PSAT, the National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test.
BP AP SCHOLARS
Twenty-five Bethel Park High School students were named AP Scholars by the College Board, to recognize those students who have demonstrated college level achievement through Advanced Placement Courses and Exams.
Sean McClaine, a 2016 Bethel Park High School graduate who currently attends Boston University, was named a National AP Scholar by receiving an average score of at least 4 on all AP Exams taken, with scores of 4 or higher on eight or more of the exams.
Four students were named AP Scholars with Distinction for receiving an average score of at least 3.5 on all AP Exams taken, with scores of 3 or higher on five or more of these exams. Bethel Park’s AP Scholars with Distinction are 2016 graduates Jack Brownfield (Georgetown University), Zachary Kraska (Temple University) and McClaine, as well as senior Rachel McClaine.
Four students were named AP Scholars with Honor for receiving an average score of at least 3.25 on all AP Exams taken, with scores of 3 or higher on four or more of these exams. They are 2016 graduates David Erzen (Marietta College) and Macie McKitrick (American University) and seniors Kyle Coplan and Kevin Yost.
Seventeen students were named AP Scholars for receiving scores of 3 or higher on three or more AP Exams. They are 2016 graduates Adella Antkowiak (University of Pittsburgh), William dePoutiloff (Case Western Reserve University), Ryan Gillece (University of Massachusetts at Amherst), Morgan Hirsh (Kent State University), Joshua Kimes (University of Pittsburgh), Natalie Lalama (George Washington University), Derek Miller (University of Pittsburgh), Thomas Weber (Ohio State University), Joseph Weston (Pennsylvania State University) and Trey Williams (Pennsylvania State University).
Also named AP Scholars were seniors Hannah Hutton, Elizabeth Jensen, Delaney Lacey, Courtney Manns, Megan McClary, Jessica Viehman and Natalia Young.
Bethel Park High School currently offers 18 Advanced Placement Courses.
BP apprenticeship programs
Fourteen Bethel Park High School students successfully applied and have been selected to participate in apprenticeship programs sponsored by the Allegheny Intermediate Unit.
Participating in programs this school year will be seniors Erin Cavrak (Advertising) and Sarah Kaufman (International Affairs); juniors Jason Biernesser (Biotechnology), Jacob Cunningham (Chemical Engineering), Grace Evans (Architecture), Christopher Futrell (Animation), Kathryn Kimes (Sports Medicine), Patrick McCall (Acting), Jacob Opie (Animation), Gavin Wagenheim (Architecture) and Connor Wholey (Chemical Engineering).
Also participating in Apprenticeship Programs are sophomores Eliza Albenze (Sports Medicine), Rachel Holt (Marine Biology) and Emma Petrick (International Affairs).
The Allegheny Intermediate Unit’s Apprenticeship Program consists of a half-day or day-long learning experience per month over a six- or seven-month period during the school year, when students meet and work with local professionals.
Educator of the Year
South Fayette School District announced that Diane Lally has been named the 2016 Pennsylvania Art Education Association Outstanding Middle Level Art Educator of the Year. She received her award Oct. 8 at the PAEA Annual Convention in Philadelphia.
Lally has been a visual arts educator at South Fayette Middle School for 14 years. She has enriched student learning by collaborating with the Carnegie and Warhol Museums and most recently with Carnegie Mellon University where she participated in a program of professional development and robotics training that she integrated into her art curriculum. She is also sponsor of the district’s National Junior Art Honor Society, an active member of the Arts Education Collaborative, and has co-authored the curriculum guide “21st Century Visual Arts Curriculum Project K-12.” Lally was also selected from 700 applicants to participate in the National Endowment of the Humanities Summer Institute on Renaissance Humanism in Florence, Italy.
In addition, Lally serves the South Fayette Township School District as a member of the Strategic Visioning and Planning Steering Committee.
Science Honors Institute
Seventeen Bethel Park High School juniors were selected to participate in the 2016-2017 Westinghouse Science Honors Institute.
Participating in this year’s program will be Kayla Armstrong, Evan Aronhalt, Ryan Cook, Emily Cowser, Brad DeFranc, Noah Gearhart, Nicole Habjan, Rachel Hankin, Avery Hill, Michael Lincoln, Max McKitrick, Danika Moody, Matthew Nestler, Brianna Shannon, Hannah Tower, Lindsay Waldbaum and Joseph Wright.
These students will attend a 12-lecture series, held October through March at Gateway Middle School on selected topics in science and engineering, delivered by local professionals.
Some of the lecture topics this year include nuclear power production, FBI forensic investigations, stem cells, bio-engineering and robot development. Students will also have the opportunity to tour the Breazeale Nuclear Reactor at Penn State.
Students who are interested in this program must go through an application process that includes recommendations from science teachers, high academic standing in science and the humanities and a demonstrated interest in science.
The students are taught at Bethel Park High School by science teachers Lee Cristofano, Barbara Eisel, Cassandra Haught, Dawn Ogilvie, Alicia Pacek and Clyde Qualk.