School News: Week of April 5
Breanna McCann
Lindsay Crowley
Rachel Skilone
Mason Kernan
Curt Leonard
Carly DeCock
Full scholarship awarded
Breanna McCann, a senior at South Fayette High School, has been awarded a full-tuition scholarship valued at more than $130,000 in Saint Vincent College’s 36th annual Wimmer Scholarship Competition. She has been accepted into the Political Science Department of Saint Vincent College’s Alex G. McKenna School of Business, Economics and Government. Her future plans are to pursue a master’s degree and work in foreign service or as a diplomat. McCann has been active in Student Government and is serving as executive president this year of the organization, winning the Meritorious Leadership Award for programs and service provided to the high school. She is the daughter of Sean and Kimberly McCann of McDonald.
Math contest
Mason Kernan, a fifth-grader at Neil Armstrong Middle School in the Bethel Park School District, finished in Second Place in the Allegheny County Sumdog Contest, which ran Feb. 10-16. Sumdog is a Common Core-aligned math website that presents math concepts through the use of online games. Mason competed against 897 students from 18 Allegheny County elementary and middle schools.
TOP Teacher semi-finalist
Franklin Elementary School Third Grade Teacher Lindsay Crowley has been named one of 33 Semifinalists for the 2018 Pennsylvania Teacher of the Year. She is now in consideration to be named one of the 12 Finalists who will be honored by the Pennsylvania Department of Education later this year. Crowley has been teaching for 11 years, the past 10 in the Bethel Park School District. She began her career as a Foreign Language Teacher at Neil Armstrong Middle School. For the past six years, she has taught third grade at Franklin Elementary School. She joins eight other Bethel Park teachers who have been recognized in this program since 2008.
BP teacher recognized
Neil Armstrong Middle School Band Director Rachel Skilone has been selected to receive the Pennsylvania Music Educators Association’s District One Citation of Excellence, an annual award given to one music teacher in each of the PMEA Districts. District One includes all school districts in Allegheny, Washington, Westmoreland, Greene and Fayette counties.
At Neil Armstrong, Skilone directs the Fifth- and Sixth-Grade Bands. She also directs the after-school weekly Sixth-Grade Jazz Band and organizes community-based music events for her students, including Woodwind, Brass and Percussion Days.
Skilone is an active member of PMEA, currently serving as the District One Music Fest coordinator. “Rachel has set high expectations for her bands and also creates strong bonds with each of her students,” explained Bethel Park Fourth- and Fifth-Grade Band teacher Jeff Knell.
President’s Volunteer Service Award
An Upper St. Clair High School senior earned national recognition for his exemplary service to the community. Curt Leonard has been named a President’s Volunteer Service Award winner.
“Curt’s commitment and service to our community are commendable and indicative of his character, leadership skills and initiative,” Dr. Louis Angelo, principal, said.
Curt was nominated by the Upper St. Clair High School Counseling Department in recognition of his volunteer service. The award, which recognizes Americans of all ages who have volunteered significant amounts of time to serve their communities, was granted by The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards program.
By obtaining and verifying the GPS coordinates of more than 400 hydrants, Curt was able to provide the Upper St. Clair Volunteer Fire Department with an electronic database that locates the nearest hydrants while crews are en route to a fire or emergency. Using the updated electronic database, first responders can reduce response times and save lives.
“Through this project, I learned how to instruct people on how to do a specific task; I had to show them the procedures for correctly recording coordinates and ensuring their accuracy,” Curt said.
All-Eastern Honors Choir
Upper St. Clair High School senior Carly DeCock has been selected to perform in the All-Eastern Honors Treble Choir. Carly, a soprano 2, joins more than 800 of the most musically talented high school students in the eastern United States who will perform in the 2017 National Association for Music Education All-Eastern Honors Ensembles.
With assistance from her music teacher, Lorraine Milovac, Carly will prepare challenging music that will be performed under the leadership of prominent conductors during this biennial event. Students will spend three days rehearsing with one of five conductors during the Eastern Division Conference of the National Association for Music Education.
The All-Eastern Honors Ensembles – consisting of a concert band, symphony orchestra, mixed chorus, treble voice chorus and jazz ensemble – are organized by members of the National Association for Music Education.
Each of the state music educators associations within the Eastern Division oversee the selection process in its respective state during the spring and early fall of the year before the event and compile ranked lists of recommended juniors and seniors for consideration.
The 2017 NAfME All-Eastern Honors Ensembles will perform for an audience of thousands on April 7 and 8, in the Adrian Phillips Ballroom in Historic Boardwalk Hall, and the Atlantic City Convention Center.