P
CMSD PAYING IT FORWARD
aying it forward – the good things that we learn should be passed along to the next person, to the next
generation. At Canon-McMillan School District, teachers and students alike, sometimes without really
knowing it, do just that. Three recent incidents demonstrated how teachers and students learn from each
other and give to others who they will never meet. Look at these stories about Locks of Love, blankets for an
orphanage, and Babe Ruth memorabilia donated to Senator John Heinz History Center.
Locks of Love at South Central Elementary
anon-Mac
C ANO N- MAC SC HO OL D IS TR IC T N e ws
B
eautiful hair can change the look
of a girl – or change her outlook.
At South Central Elementary School,
music teacher Deanna Alchier proposed
an event that brought young girls the
chance to help other children by donating their own hair.
Locks of Love is a public, non-profit
organization that provides hairpieces to
financially disadvantaged children in
the U.S. and Canada under age 21 who
suffer from long-term medical hair loss.
This helps the affected children regain
their self-esteem and self-confidence.
Mrs. Alchier had donated four times
before and joining her this time were
Wylandville Principal Nina Unitas, two
mothers and nine girls in grades 1-4
from South Central.
“I hoped that the children would
learn through this opportunity that making a difference in others’ lives doesn’t
have to cost money,” said Mrs. Alchier.
The event immediately followed
South Central’s annual holiday singalong led by Mrs. Alchier.
The girls and women chose who
would wield the scissors on their hair.
Hairstylists from Elliven Spa and Baretta’s Hair Designers then took over and
gave their shorter hair a new “do.”
Bethany Romeo and her 7-year-old
daughter Gilliana, a second-grader at
South Central, decided to give Locks
of Love a try together. Gilliana’s blond
hair fell down past her waist at the start
of the day. She chose her teacher, Mrs.
Kriste Sisul, for the job. Gilliana cut
her mother’s hair. Gilliana donated 11
inches of hair and Mrs. Romeo donated
12 inches of her light brown hair. Gilliana has no sisters, but her four brothers
barely recognized her with short hair.
Gilliana said it best, “My hair will
grow back very quickly, but a sick
child’s will not. It is temporary for us,
but not for someone else.”
Fourth-grader Delaney Gallagher
had no trouble deciding to join in, but
her situation was a bit different.
46 Canon-Mac
In January 2013, Delaney lost
her mother. Although her father, Ed
Gallagher, admitted that he did his
best at doing her hair in the morning,
Delaney didn’t feel quite that way.
“She came to me one day and
said she had no one around to do her
hair,” said her then-third-grade teacher Stacy Duvall. “I said I would be
willing to do her hair, and her father
agreed that would be a good idea.
“That night my husband and I went
out and bought lots of hair accessories
and kept them in a bin in my classroom
so Delaney could pick out what she
wanted to wear each day. I bought feathers when they were in fashion and even
added special things for St. Patrick’s
Day,” said the teacher. She occasionally let Mrs. Duvall try something new
with her hair. One day Delaney sported
a ponytail and the next maybe a French
braid. Sometimes she just wanted to
talk.
When Delaney learned of the Locks
of Love event she told her father that she
wanted to help the children who couldn’t
grow hair. When she told Mrs. Duvall
that she was planning to be one of the
girls on stage that day being part of
Locks of Love, the teacher cried. Then
Delaney said she wanted Mrs. Duvall
to be the one to cut her hair. On the day
of the event, Mrs. Duvall made the required cuts and Delaney turned around
and said “thank you” to her teacher, who
again found tears running down her own
cheeks.
Photo by Primetime Shots
“I was excited and nervous,” said
Delaney. “I did it because other people
can’t grow hair, but when I get it cut,
I can grow it again.” Ten inches of her
flowing brown hair was donated. “This
makes me feel good and it makes my
Dad proud of me.
“This is the shortest my hair has ever
been and I can do it myself now. I really
like it short,” said Delaney.
“Mrs. Duvall has developed a real
friendship with Delaney. She is a very
special woman and teacher,” said Mr.
Gallagher.
Delaney and the others in her thirdgrade class were invited to Mrs. Duvall’s
wedding last summer. Mr. and Mrs.
Duvall attend some of Delaney’s CanonMcMillan basketball games, and even
went to lunch with Delaney and her dad.
The bond that began with the simple
act of brushing hair, continued with
a long-term friendship and an act of
kindness for a child who will some day
feel more confident wearing a hairpiece
made from Delaney’s hair.
Music teacher Deanna Alchier donated 14 inches of hair.
Blankets for a Mexican Orphanage
S
Top, Barbara Menchaca and Jorge Escobar-Cisneros; Middle, Mary Jebaraj and Ethan Nguyen;
Bottom, Ricky Joshva and Armin Rejeaie.
tudents from around the world who
attend South Central Elementary
School’s English as a Second Language
(ESL) class showed their concern for
others with a special project helping
children in a Mexican orphanage.
Mrs. Kimberly Chuey’s eight ESL
students are in grades kindergarten
through fourth grade and come from
India, Iran, Mexico and Vietnam.
They used fleece to make blankets
for the Bethel Orphanage in San Luis,
Mexico. Also making blankets for the
project were Mrs. Chuey’s students’ pen
pals – the fourth-grade students of Mrs.
Jennifer Ealy at Claysville Elementary
School in the McGuffey School District.
Mrs. Ealy is the teacher of Mrs.
Chuey’s 9-year-old daughter, Jenna. In
September, Jenna asked her mother to
speak to her class at Claysville when
they were studying immigration. The
fourth-graders were so interested in
the ESL program that Mrs. Chuey
approached Mrs. Ealy with the idea
of the two classes becoming pen pals.
Since then, the students have exchanged
several letters, cards and drawings. The
program has allowed the South Central
students to practice their English and
the Claysville students to learn about
children from other countries.
The two classes were able to watch
each other’s progress in blanket making
when they Skyped between the two
schools, and by dismissal time, the
students had completed a total of nine
blankets.
Mrs. Chuey’s daughter, Katie, a
2013 graduate of Canon-McMillan High
School and freshman at Indiana University of Pennsylvania, hand-delivered
the blankets to the orphanage during a
mission trip to Mexico in January.
The pen pals will continue to write
to each other throughout the school year,
and the South Central ESL students will
travel to Claysville in the spring to meet
their pen pals.
Parents have told both Mrs. Chuey
and Mrs. Ealy how pleased they were
with the children working on this
project, and the teachers are considering more joint projects due to the great
success this year.
Canon-Mac | Spring 2014 | icmags.com 47
C AN ON - MAC SC HOOL DI STRI C T N e ws
Photo by Primetime Shots
Previous page: Left to right, front - Jonathan
Gough, Alayna Healy, Riley Joseph, Itzel Diaz,
Gilliana Romeo, Delaney Gallagher, Lindy Spear,
Avery Amorose, Marissa Lauze, Grace Gaal;
back - Erin Stankus (1st-grade teacher), Allison
Cummings (1st-grade teacher), Kriste Sisul (2ndgrade teacher), Stacy Duvall (3rd-grade teacher),
Joanna McCullough (guidance counselor), Ashley
Thompson (owner, Elliven Spa), Valeria Martinez;
Top Left: Delaney Gallagher, Stacy Duvall (3rdgrade teacher);
Top right: Music teacher Deanna Alchier with
Jonathan Gough, who cut her hair.
Donating at least 10 inches of
hair each were:
Fourth-graders - Itzel Diaz, Delaney Gallagher, Riley Joseph, and
Lindy Spear; third-graders - Grace
Gaal and Marissa Lauze;
second-graders - Avery Amorose
and Gilliana Romeo;
first-grader Alayna Healy;
mothers Bethany Romeo (Gilliana’s
mom) and Melanie Trainum (mother
of two South Central boys – Jake,
fourth-grader, and Caleb, thirdgrader); and Wylandville Elementary School Principal Nina Unitas.
Music teacher Deanna Alchier, who
organized the event, donated 14
inches of her hair, bringing her total
donations since 1999 to almost 60
inches. Since the event, two additional first-graders at South Central,
inspired by what they saw, decided
to donate their hair to Locks of
Love.
Canon-Mac
CMSD PAYING IT FORWARD
CMSD PAYING IT FORWARD
CMHS Student Donates
Babe Ruth Memorabilia
anon-Mac
C ANO N- MAC SC HO OL D IS TR IC T N e ws
B
ernard Singer was a long-time
instructor in the Canon-McMillan
School District teaching electronics and
shop, and also technology education.
Although he and his wife Marguerite never had children of their own,
they were very giving in many ways to
young people. They were generous to
both California University of Pennsylvania and Carlow University. And they
shared themselves with Mr. Singer’s
students, his colleagues on the faculty
of Canon-McMillan High School, and
sometimes, even their families.
One such student was Vincent Crider, a member of the Class of 1966. It all
started when “As a student, I wandered
into electric shop class and he told me,
‘If you can build this electric motor, you
can get into my class,’ ” remembered
Mr. Crider of his first meeting with his
teacher.
Eventually Mr. Crider worked for
Westinghouse, RCA, Bell Atlantic and
retired from Motorola in 2005 after 19
years of service.
“At Bernie’s request, I would speak
to and teach new electronic technologies to his classes when I was in town,”
said Mr. Crider.
Mr. Crider and his wife Connie
never gave birth to their own children,
but they had a very loving family that
included a daughter, Katherine, known
as Kate, adopted from China when she
was 20 months old. Mr. and Mrs. Singer
were Kate’s godparents. “They were really more like grandparents,” says Kate.
When the Criders decided to adopt
Kate, the Singers were very supportive,
although the Criders were not young
parents-to-be. When the Criders traveled to China to adopt little Kate, the
Singers were at the Pittsburgh airport to
see them off and then to welcome them
back with their new daughter.
“Bernie told me that we were not
too old to become parents, and they
weren’t too old to become godparents,”
said Mr. Crider. “We were closer than
family.”
That was the beginning of a long relationship between the Singers and what
would become the Crider family.
So it wasn’t a great surprise when
Mr. Singer gave some of his proud
48 Canon-Mac
possessions to Mr. Crider for safekeeping to be given to Kate when she was
older.
They were items that had belonged
to Mr. Singer’s older brother, Norman.
Norman Singer was a great baseball
fan and was especially fond of his idol
Babe Ruth. On a farm near East McKeesport, Norman was bedridden due to
a punctured lung suffered playing flag
football that would eventually be a fatal
injury.
On May 25, 1935. Babe Ruth was
playing his last game at Pittsburgh’s
Forbes Field in which the Bambino hit
three homeruns. The Singers’ mother
got a letter to Babe Ruth requesting an
autographed baseball for her ill son.
Not only did Ruth sign his name on the
“sweet spot” before he headed out to
the field that day, but Bill Benswanger
(Pittsburgh Pirates president and chief
executive) and Pie Traynor (Pittsburgh
Pirates outstanding third baseman and
manager) had the Pirates sign a ball and
sent it to Norman from the team.
Those two baseballs became
Bernard Singer’s possessions when
his brother died in 1940 at age 20. But
as Mr. Singer grew older and Kate
Crider became so important to him, he
decided to give them to her, along with
Norman’s scrapbooks of drawings of
his idols and autographs from baseball
players, football players and entertainers.
Mr. Singer was able to give those
items to Kate when she was 10,
shortly before Mrs. Singer passed
away. The items were well cared
for, but Kate had to decide what
should become of these treasured
items.
The Criders took the items to the
Heinz History Center in the summer of 2012 for authentication. Kate
decided the items that Norman Singer
and then Bernard Singer found so valuable would be better placed at the Heinz
Center for other people to see and enjoy.
“I knew who Babe Ruth was and
as soon as I got the baseballs, I thought
about the Pittsburgh history center,”
said Kate. “The baseballs belong in
a museum because I don’t need the
continued on next page
Above: Bernard and Marguerite Singer
Below: from left – Kate, Vincent and Connie
Crider.
Photos from the Heinz History Center of the Norman
Singer news article and his Babe Ruth baseball.
Top right, left to right: Taylor
Handyside, Savannah Nealon
Bottom left, left to right: Jasmine
Davis, Briana Thompson
Bottom right, left to right: Isabella Gorisek, Lacey Chappell
G
irls’ Night Out at
Canonsburg Middle
School returned Dec. 4,
2013. This event, open to all
CMS 7th- and 8th-grade
girls, promotes friendship,
confidence, and feeling
good about themselves.
Adolescence is a
time of many changes and a time when
teens are faced with
many difficult decisions. It is a time
of uncertainty and
can be extremely
difficult for many girls.
The goal of this program is to empower
girls to be comfortable with who they
are, to make new friends, and spend time
together in a healthy setting with positive
role models.
The 100 girls who attended had the
opportunity to participate in five 30-min-
ute sessions. The girls enjoyed dinner
together, and door prizes were awarded.
This year GNO had almost 50 door
prizes! At the end of the evening, every
girl received a goodie bag to take home.
Eighteen CMS faculty and staff
members worked diligently to make this
event a success. The fun began right
after school and ended promptly at 7 p.m.
Staff members who volunteered on
the project included: Amy Barbarino,
Melissa Cashell, Melissa DalBon, Jill
Dennick, Mary Gidas, Lori Hedderman,
Emily Joyce, Marcie Killmeyer, Stephanie Kubik, Holly Leary, Tina Miller,
Sheila Mitchell, Pam Moniodes, Lauren
Paddick, Lauren Petras, Tara Utchel,
Susan Vulcano, and Jennifer Wherry.
Community members and staff who
donated monetarily or with items for
goodie bags and door prizes included:
Lisa Allen (Washington & Jefferson
College), Kelly Bellan & Mt. Lebanon
Dermatology, Amanda Severns Campbell, Clore Printing, CMS Student Coun-
cil and sponsor Adam Manion, Mary
Connors & Salon 50, Missy DalBon,
Jill Dennick, Tricia Fee, Gina Gorisek,
Lori Hedderman, Marcella Heidenrich
& Salon 980, Ann Hodges, Stephanie
Kubik, Melanie Lucchino & PNC Bank,
Theodore & Darlene Mathis, Melodie
McClendon, Tina Miller, Tami Oldaker,
Pittsburgh Steelers, Tracey Platt, Peggy
Pinto, Sarris Candies, Ashley Saxon,
Melissa Schad & The Nutrition Group,
Kristen SeCaur, Dr. Doug Shields, Lucinda Sworcheck, Lisa Takash and Susan
Vulcano.
continued from last page
interested in math, science, civics, and of
course, history.
“I find it nice to think that I had something that a museum could use,” added
Kate. “The museum was happy that we
had all the documentation and they were
honored that we were giving all of this to
them.”
According to Emily Ruby, curator at
the Heinz History Center, the items are
not yet on display. “I do not know when
they will, although most likely it will be
when we re-launch the sports museum,
which still might be a few years down the
road.
“We are so pleased that this important
collection came to the History Center and
that this heartwarming story and the life
of Norman Singer will be preserved for
generations to come. It is stories like this
that make history come alive for future
generations.”
money. They are more valuable in a museum where people will be able to know
the story behind them.”
“They are part of Pittsburgh history
and since the Heinz Center is part of the
Smithsonian, it is a good place for them,”
said Mr. Crider.
Kate is a majorette and an outstanding
varsity tennis player on Canon-McMillan
High School’s tennis team and is very
Planning for next year’s event has
begun. If you or your employer
would consider donating a door
prize, donating items that can be
used to fill goodie bags, or have
questions regarding the event,
please contact Lori Hedderman,
Canonsburg Middle School counselor at 724-745-9030.
Canon-Mac | Spring 2014 | icmags.com 49
C AN ON - MAC SC HOOL DI STRI C T N e ws
Top left, left to right: Sierra
Nichols, Grace Pinto, Jessica
Fortunato
Canon-Mac
We’re
Back!
Girls
Night Out
CMS - Nationally Recognized A Top Middle School
anon-Mac
C ANO N- MAC SC HO OL D IS TR IC T N e ws
C
anonsburg Middle School continues to prove it is among the best
middle schools in the state and is being
honored again as an exemplary middle
grades school in Pennsylvania.
Three years ago it was named among
the Pennsylvania Don Eichhorn Schools:
“Schools to Watch” (PA STW), and one
of the National Schools to Watch after
rigorous evaluation, it was recently redesignated. The evaluation takes place
every three years. About 340 schools
across the country have been named
Schools to Watch.
According to CMS principal, Dr.
Greg Taranto, “CMS is proud to have
received this designation for the second
time. It demonstrates our dedication to
growth and constant improvement to the
Canon-McMillan community.”
Canon-McMillan Superintendent
Michael Daniels added, “We are so
proud of Dr. Taranto (CMS principal)
and assistant principal, Mr. (Kenneth)
Schrag, for their efforts to constantly
improve all aspects of the Canonsburg
Middle School. They truly exemplify
the characteristics of effective school
leaders as evidenced through this honorable ‘Schools to Watch’ re-designation.
They, along with the entire Canonsburg
Middle School community including the
students, their parents, faculty and staff,
are to be congratulated.”
CMS, along with seven other schools
will be recognized at the Pennsylvania
Association for Middle Level Education
State Conference in State College on
February 23.
Presentations at the state conference
will be made by CMS faculty members:
Mr. Kenneth Schrag, assistant principal;
Ms. Melissa Cashell, social studies teacher; and Ms. Lauren Paddick, English
teacher.
“I have had the privilege to observe
the positive outcomes at the Canonsburg
Middle School over the past four years,”
said Mr. Paul Scarmazzi, CMSD School
Board president. “Dr. Taranto and Mr.
Schrag approach educating children and
working with their team in a holistic
manner that is inspirational to me. The
School Board is so proud of this re-designation but it comes as no surprise based
on the exceptionally strong leadership at
CMS.”
This re-designation is part of a
recognition program developed by the
National Forum to Accelerate MiddleGrades Reform. In partnership with the
50 Canon-Mac
Pennsylvania Department of Education, the Pennsylvania Association for
Middle Level Education, Duquesne
University, Edinboro University, Shippensburg University and Horace Mann
Service Corporation, the Pennsylvania
“Schools to Watch” team announced that
eight schools have met the strict STW
critera – two schools were re-designated
after three years, including Canonsburg
Middle School and Seneca Valley Middle
School in Harmony; two more re-designated after six years – Boyce Middle
School and Fort Couch Middle School,
both in Upper St. Clair; and four schools
for the first time: E.T. Richardson Middle
School in Spring; Kane Area Middle
School in Kane; Northley Middle School,
Aston; and Schuylkill Valley Middle
School, Leesport.
The four schools recognized for the
first time join 29 other Pennsylvania
middle-grades schools recognized previously.
State leaders selected each school
for it’s academic excellence, its responsiveness to the needs and interests of
young adolescents, and its commitment
to helping all students achieve at high
levels. In addition each school has strong
leadership, teachers who work together
to improve curriculum and instruction,
and a commitment to assessment and
accountability to bring about continuous
improvement.
Dr. John Harrison, past president of
the National Forum said, “We congratulate these schools for being places that
do great things for all of their students.
These schools demonstrate that high-performing middle grades schools are places
that focus on academic growth and
achievement. They are also places that
recognize the importance of meeting the
needs of all of their students and ensure
that every child has access to a rigorous,
high-quality education.”
Linda Hopping, Chair, as well as
other members of the National Forum
Schools to Watch Oversight Committee,
explain that selection was based on a
written application that required schools
to show how they met criteria developed
by the National Forum. Schools that
appeared to meet the criteria were then
visited by state teams, which observed
classrooms, interviewed administrators, teachers, students, and parents, and
looked at achievement data, suspension
rates, quality of lessons, and student
work. Schools are recognized for a three-
Eighth-grade science class studying density
year period, and at the end of three years
must demonstrate progress on specific
goals in order to be re-designated. Unlike
the Blue Ribbon recognition program,
“Schools to Watch” requires schools not
only to identify strengths, but also to
focus on areas for continuous improvement; thus the three-year re-designation.
Launched in 1999, Schools to Watch
began as a national program to identify
middle-grades schools across the country
that were meeting or exceeding 37 criteria developed by the National Forum.
The Forum developed a website (http://
schoolstowatch.org) that features online
tours of schools, as well as detailed
information about the selection criteria
used in the recognition program. There
are now 19 states across the country,
which have trained Schools to Watch
State Teams, with more than 340 schools
recognized.
“We are pleased that our Schools to
Watch program has shown that schools
can meet high academic expectations
while preserving a commitment of
healthy development and equity for
all students,” said Dr. Deborah Kasak,
National Forum Executive Director.
“These Schools to Watch are indeed
special,” they make education so exciting
that students and teachers don’t want to
miss a day. These schools have proven
that it is possible to overcome barriers to
achieving excellence, and any middlelevel school in any state can truly learn
from their examples.”
CANON-McMILLAN
SCHOOL DISTRICT
CAFETERIA SUBSTITUTES
NO EXPERIENCE NECESSARY!
Work during regular school hours.
Great job for semi-retirees or
stay at home moms/dads!
CALL: 724-746-1040 for more information
Or apply at: Administration Building
1 North Jefferson Avenue, Canonsburg
O
n Christmas Eve, a young boy lies
in bed listening hard for the bells of
Santa’s sleigh, which he has been told by a
friend does not exist. Later that night, he is
startled, not by the sound of bells, but by a
very different sound. He looks out his window and is astounded to see a giant steam
engine parked in front of his house! The
conductor invites him aboard the train, The
Polar Express, which is filled with children
on their way to the North Pole. So begins
this wondrous journey, not only for the boy
in the story, but also for your children.
On Dec. 19, the second-grade students at
First Street Elementary School were invited
on a dream-like journey to the North Pole.
The students wore their pajamas to school.
In the morning, they worked on some educational holiday activities. After lunch, they
gathered together to watch the movie, “The
Polar Express.” They were served hot cocoa
“as thick and rich as melted chocolate bars”
and chocolate chip cookies. They received a
gold ticket and a souvenir bell. It was a magical experience for all.
S
tudents in Mrs. Ashley Sharpnack’s and Mrs. Aimee Eismont’s classes at Cecil Elementary
School traveled on the Polar Express
to experience the various traditions
celebrated all around the world. Besides learning about their traditions,
the students also created a craft and
sang traditional songs to go along
with the country they visited.
The students began in America
talking about the familiar traditions of leaving milk and cookies
for Santa and decorating a pine tree
with lights and ornaments.
Next stop on their trip was Australia. Santa’s reindeer get to take
a break while six kangaroos pull
his sleigh to deliver the presents.
They didn’t stay long because it is
summer there and it is hot. During
Christmas, families eat their Christmas dinner on the sandy beaches.
Off to Japan! Christmas is more
for grown-ups and considered a
romantic holiday in Japan. They
learned about the paper craft of origami, and made their own origami
candy canes.
In Liberia, Africa and Mexico,
their traditions are similar with
carols being sung as families walk
through the streets. The students
searched high and low on the
Christmas tree for a pickle ornament
while in Germany. One of the last
stops, Brazil, ended the trip with
fireworks.
The students made their final
stop right in their very own school
where they celebrated the last day
before break with pajamas and
watching the “The Polar Express”
movie where they celebrated the
true spirit of Christmas.
Keep up-to-date on news about
Canon-McMillan School District!
Go online to:
www.cmsd.k12.pa.us
Click on: District
Click on: CM News
Click on: Highlights
You’ll find more stories and
photos about the work
going on in CMSD.
Check it often!
Canon-Mac | Spring 2014 | icmags.com 51
C AN ON - MAC SC HOOL DI STRI C T N e ws
May the Bell Still
Ring for all Who
Truly Believe
Top left, pictured at Pajama Day in Mrs. Sharpnack’s and Mrs. Eismont’s classes are, from left:
front row - Joseph Serafino, Landon Holley, Baylee McMillan; seated - Colin McKain, Logan Johnston, Lola Taylor, Kendall Brownlee, Sydney Zdilla, Emma Johnston, Alyse Heirendt, McKenna
Smith; kneeling: Evelyn Leasure, Justice Brown, Noah Griffith, Zach Johnson, Adasyn Yoest,
Emma Bridge, Cassandra Carson, Ian Bailey, Jacob Drazick, Logan Marshall; standing: Hunter
Jordan, Carter McGowan, Brenda Krut, Victoria Bartuccio, Aiden Campbell, Sydney Dawson,
Sahara Miller, Nick Berbach, and Anthony Styperk; back row (standing against the chalkboard) Matthew Spalding, Dennis Fleeher, Alexander Shank, Brianna Stonemark, and Brooke Nagy.
Top right, making Japanese origami candy canes are Mrs. Sharpnack’s students, Alyse Heirendt,
left, and Emma Johnston.
Bottom left, working on “Polar Express” activities in their pajamas are, clockwise beginning at
front on right: Madelyn Barch, Delaney Nunley, William Fenimore, Gwyneth Vogt, Maadhav Muthukumar.
Canon-Mac
Cecil Elementary’s Christmas Around the World