School News: Week of May 19
Bethel Park High School students named Top of the Shop: from left, Sam Delancey, Kara Maerkle, Monica Forte and Joshua Guffey.
Front, from left, are Bethel Park spelling bee winners Michael Blessing, Magnolia Cavagnaro and Sam Bell. In back are Janet O’Rourke, Bethel Park School District assistant to the superintendent, and Rotary club spelling bee coordinator Bonnie Pierce.
From left are Corey Waseman, Vanetta Belgrade, Rachel Yannayon and Sam Delancey. Not pictured are Randy DiPasquale and Anthony Klase.
Aicha Bellaoucha
Harley Robinson
Bethel Park
n Four Bethel Park High School students were named Top of the Shop for the first semester of the 2018-19 school year by the Steel Center for Career and Technical Education.
Receiving the awards were seniors Joshua Guffey (Carpentry) and Kara Maerkle (Cosmetology), as well as junior Samuel Delancey (Building Trades) and sophomore Monica Forte (Cosmetology).
The awards are given to those students who demonstrate outstanding conduct, work ethic, attendance and course work proficiency.
n Memorial Elementary School third grader Michael Blessing was the winner of the seventh annual Bethel Park Third Grade Spelling Bee, sponsored by the Rotary Club of Bethel Park-Upper St. Clair.
Michael outspelled 40 other Bethel Park third-grade students to win a $250 Amazon gift card. Finishing second was William Penn’s Magnolia Cavagnaro, and Sam Bell of Franklin took third.
The Rotary club each year presents every Bethel Park Third Grader with a copy of A Student’s Dictionary to keep and use throughout their school years.
n Six Bethel Park High School students earned the Extra Effort Award from the Steel Center for Career and Technical Education for the third quarter of the 2018-19 school year.
Receiving the awards were seniors Anthony Klase (Diesel Technology), Corey Waseman (Electrical Construction) and Rachel Yannayon (Health Assistant); junior Sam Delancey (Building Trades) and sophomores Vanetta Belgrade (Cosmetology) and Randy DiPasquale (Carpentry).
The awards are given to those students who demonstrate outstanding attitude, work ethic, attendance and dependability.
Upper St. Clair
n Two Upper St. Clair High School students have been selected to participate in the Student Leader program, sponsored by Bank of America.
Senior Aicha Bellaoucha and junior Harley Robinson will complete an eight-week paid internship at a local nonprofit organization and attend a weeklong Student Leaders Summit in Washington, D.C., this summer.
Aicha and Harley will be interning at the Sarah Heinz House. The students will work approximately 35 hours per week and learn first-hand about the needs of the community and the critical role nonprofits play. In addition, they will gain civic, social and business leadership skills.
The students also will attend the Student Leaders Summit July 8-13, 2019, in Washington, D.C. to learn how government, business and the nonprofit sector work together to address critical community needs.
This summer marks the first year that the program has operated in Pittsburgh.
Aicha plans to study elementary and special education at Indiana University of Pennsylvania. She is one of four Pittsburgh-area seniors to earn a $10,000 scholarship through EQT Corporation’s ASPIRE (Area Students Participating in Rewarding Education) mentorship and scholarship program. ASPIRE is a two-year program for high school junior and senior students that assists them in fulfilling their higher education goals through supportive, professional mentorships with EQT employees.