Upper St. Clair
SCHOOL DISTRICT
Monthly Digital School District Newsletter
May/June 2013
School District Receives Magna Award for
Student Leadership Academy
The Upper St. Clair School District has been selected
as a first place winner in the 19th annual Magna Awards
program sponsored by the National School Boards
Association (NSBA) American School Board Journal (ASBJ).
“The Magna Awards showcase the great work going
on in local school districts across the country to increase
student achievement and success,” said Thomas J.
Gentzel, Executive Director of NSBA. “This year’s Magna
Awards recipients are national models from which school
leaders can learn.”
The School District is being honored in the under 5,000
enrollment category for its Student Leadership Academy
which helps students understand how they can change
the world through their leadership. The academy develops the leadership skills of students in grades four
through twelve. Each student develops a personal leadership plan and writes goals. High school students also
create an organizational plan, which identifies a globally focused, service-oriented project. Academy students
have shown marked improvement in personal goal attainment and leadership development and an increased
sense of responsibility to the global society.
Upper St. Clair’s Magna Award was highlighted in a
special section of the May issue of ASBJ and was formally recognized at the Best Practices for School Leaders
Luncheon at NSBA’s Annual Conference in April.
The Magna Awards recognize districts across the country for outstanding programs that advance student learning
and encourage community involvement in schools. Upper
St. Clair was one of fifteen schools to receive a first place
award this year. ASBJ initiated the Magna Awards in 1995
to recognize school boards for taking bold and innovative
steps to improve their educational programs. An independent panel of school board members, administrators, and
other educators selected the winners from nearly 300
submissions.
“I commend Assistant Superintendent Dr. Sharon
Suritsky and Mr. Lou Angelo, High School Associate
Principal, who initially developed the Student Leadership Program, as well as all of our leaders and trainers of
the High School, Middle School and Elementary School
Leadership Programs,” stated Dr. Patrick T. O’Toole,
Superintendent of Schools.
Mr. Lou Angelo, High School Associate Principal, Dr. Sharon
Suritsky, Assistant Superintendent, and Dr. Patrick O’Toole,
Superintendent of Schools, proudly display the Magna Award.
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Connecting with Dr. O...
As we wind down the current school year and prepare
for our upcoming 2013-14 school year, I have much information to share with you about exciting events that have
occurred. I hope that our students and their families have
had a productive school year and wish everyone a safe
and fun summer vacation.
engages learners and has the
potential to improve student
achievement.
Thanks Mary and Ben for
a job well done!
As you read through the information below, click on the
links provided for expanded information on each topic.
Connection Link:
http://www.uscsd.k12.pa.us/Page/6447
High School Students Inducted into National Honor
Society— The Induction Ceremony of the National Honor
Society, Upper St. Clair Chapter, was held on Tuesday,
April 30, where 149 students were inducted. The National
Honor Society is the nation’s premier organization established to recognize outstanding high school students who
have demonstrated excellence in the areas of Scholarship,
Leadership, Service and Character. Congratulations to all
of our inductees into the National Honor Society for 2013.
Commencement Address at Clarion University—
I was very fortunate to have been chosen to deliver the
Commencement Address to Clarion University graduates
on Saturday, May 18. In my address, “Leadership, Learning, and Opportunity,” I encouraged graduates to seek
the opportunities that come through personal leadership
and learning, as evidenced through my own career.
I graduated from Clarion University in 1979 where my
family has an extensive history, dating back to my grandmother. My grandmother (Mary Schierberl 1909), parents
(the late Michael J. ’51 and Mary C. O’Toole ’48) and two
siblings (Michael J. O’Toole, Jr. ’76 and Erin M. Brannon
’86) are Clarion alumni.
Connection Link:
http://www.uscsd.k12.pa.us/Page/6410
USC High School Ranked as One of America’s Best
High Schools by Newsweek— Newsweek and The Daily
Beast analyzed data from thousands of high schools to
find the country’s high schools that best prepare students
for college. Upper St. Clair High School was given the
ranking of 189 out of 2,000.
The following link will take you to an article from
Clarion University’s website entitled, “Alumnus, 2012
Superintendent of the Year is Clarion commencement
speaker.” http://www.clarion.edu/405333/
Connection Link:
http://www.uscsd.k12.pa.us/Page/6448
I congratulate our students for their outstanding performance. Once again, our ranking demonstrates the
USC community’s commitment to delivering excellence
in education.
Student Board Representative Megan Adamo
Recognized by School Board— At its meeting on May 28,
the Board of School Directors recognized High School
senior Megan Adamo for serving as the Student Board
Representative for the 2012-13 school year. Megan was
chosen to serve in this role because she exhibited personal integrity and a willingness to assume the responsibility as a representative of the entire student body.
Connection Link:
http://www.uscsd.k12.pa.us/Page/6411
Boyce Students Present The Innovative Customized
Classroom— Boyce Middle School students Mary
Groninger and Ben Nelson, along with their teachers, Mrs.
Kristin Cilli and Mr. Matt Henderson, presented at the
Creativity and Innovation Fair of the Forum for Western
Pennsylvania School Superintendents on Wednesday,
May 1.
Megan did an exemplary job while she served in her
role as Student School Board Representative. In addition to serving in this very important position, Megan is a
member of the National Honor Society and will be attending Amherst College in the fall. She is a volunteer for many
activities and events, including the Invisible Children Club
which raises awareness and funds for Sudanese refugees. Megan is also an accomplished tennis player and
received the Middle States Sportsmanship Award.
During their presentation entitled, “The Innovative
Customized Classroom: 21st Century Learning,” the
group shared an instructional delivery model that can be
replicated, which uses both practical and innovative ways
in which 21st century skills can be implemented into everyday instruction and ways that technology can be used
to facilitate and customize learning. They also explained
how the student-centered learning environment highly
Connection Link:
http://www.uscsd.k12.pa.us/Page/6452
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including Biology, Chemistry, Engineering and Robotics.
Participation in the Robotics or Engineering focus can be
counted toward the International Baccalaureate Middle
Years Program technology elective requirement. Last
year’s STEM Academy “Panic at the Point!” consisted of
a workshop that simulated an explosive attack at Point
State Park on fireworks night. I offer special thanks to
Dr. Michael Ghilani, High School Principal, for his leadership of this summer offering for our students.
Retirees Recognized by Board of School Directors— The
following six professional staff members were recognized by
the Board of School Directors at their meeting on May 28.
Robin Forgerson-Pleta, Eisenhower Resource Teacher
Anna Marie Glowaski, Boyce Art Teacher
Robin Shoup, Fort Couch Librarian
Barbara Starr, Streams Elementary Teacher
Kimberly Watt, High School Mathematics Teacher
Patricia Zapp, High School Resource Teacher
Summer Student Leadership Academies Continue—
Summer Student Leadership Academies will again be offered to our students entering grades 4-12. These oneweek summer workshops offer students exposure to
leadership concepts and practices. Students identify their
leadership strengths and learn how these skills can be
used to make them successful in all stages of life.
Connection Link:
http://www.uscsd.k12.pa.us/Page/6451
At their June 10 meeting, the Board of School Directors recognized the following staff members:
Karen Brown, Boyce Principal
Paul Fox, Curriculum Leader Fine & Performing Arts/
Music Teacher
Maryann Kress, Eisenhower Technical Instructional Aide
Gail O’Hara, Boyce/Baker School Nurse
Barbara Peresie, Library Department Chair/Eisenhower
Librarian
Hedy Pitcairn, Boyce Head Secretary
Neelaveni Sankar, Eisenhower Elementary Teacher
Michele Scureman, Curriculum Leader Fine & Performing
Arts/Eisenhower Art Teacher
Barbara Williams, Curriculum Leader Elementary
Science/Baker Elementary Teacher
Susan Bosco, Central Office Confidential Secretary
(Pupil Personnel)
Eileen Dobbins, Fort Couch Teacher Aide
Sondra Fetter, Boyce Teacher Aide
Dara Georges, Central Office Accountant (Payroll)
Anne Johnston, Streams Special Education Teacher
Elizabeth Williard, High School Teacher Aide
The Student Leadership Academy began in the summer of 2010 with twenty students entering grades 9-12. In
2011, the Student Leadership Academies were expanded
to students entering grades 4-8, and nearly 300 students
from grades 4-12 participated in the summer of 2012.
The Upper St. Clair School District was selected as a
first place winner in the 19th Annual Magna Awards Program sponsored by the National School Boards Association’s (NSBA) American School Board Journal (ASBJ). I
commend Assistant Superintendent, Dr. Sharon Suritsky,
and Mr. Lou Angelo, High School Associate Principal, who
initially developed the Student Leadership Program, as
well as all of our leaders and trainers of the High School,
Middle School and Elementary School Leadership Programs. Please be sure to read the cover page article of
this month’s issue of e-BLAST entitled, “School District
Receives Magna Award from National School Boards Association for Student Leadership Academy.”
Connection Link:
http://www.uscsd.k12.pa.us/Page/6465
Connection Link:
http://www.uscsd.k12.pa.us/Page/6454
And finally, the Board of School Directors recognized the
following staff members at their meeting on June 18:
Carolyn Idler, Baker Physical Education Teacher
Zoltan Toth, Fort Couch Guidance Counselor
Congratulations to Amy Pfender, New Boyce Middle
School Principal for Upcoming School Year— Please
join me in congratulating Mrs. Amy Pfender for being promoted to Boyce Middle School Principal effective July 1.
Mrs. Pfender is currently the Middle School Assistant
Principal (Grades 5-8) and was appointed to that position in March, 2012. Her employment with the School
District began in August, 2005, when she was elected
as a Special Education Teacher at Boyce Middle School.
She assumed the position of Elementary Special Education Department Chairperson in the 2009-10 school year
followed by her election as Special Education Curriculum
Leader in the 2010-11 school year. Mrs. Pfender is very
prepared to lead our outstanding middle school.
Connection Link:
http://www.uscsd.k12.pa.us/Page/6482
I thank each of our retirees for their many years of dedication and service to the School District and the students
and wish them well in their retirement.
Summer STEM Academy Offered to Students Entering Grades 9 through 12— During the week of June 24,
the high school will be offering their second Science,
Technology, Engineering & Mathematics (STEM) Academy when they offer “Does Energy Matter?” to students
entering grades 9-12 next school year. Students select
from one of the areas of focus in this hands-on program,
Connection Link:
http://www.uscsd.k12.pa.us/Page/6449
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“Back to School Online” and Beginning of 2013-14
School Year Mailings— A mailing will be sent home at
the beginning of August that will include this year’s Infosnap “Snapcode,” student schedules, and class placements for each of our students. Information regarding bus
routes and bus stops will be mailed home on a postcard
by August 20.
High School Annual Awards Program— The Annual
High School Awards Program was held on May 21 where
students were recognized for receiving awards and scholarships. Photographs were taken of the student awardees
along with the presenter of the award. Watch for a posting
on our District’s website homepage later this summer that
will include more information about the Awards Program
and the photographs taken so that we can further recognize our students for their accomplishments.
Big Changes Ahead for USCSD Student Directory—
The USCSD Student Directory, which has been of great
benefit to our community for several years in a print version, is transitioning to a new user-friendly smartphone/
mobile device app and web-based directory. The app includes GPS driving directions and the ability to filter students by class, as well as the capability to email, text or
call parents directly from the app. The PTAs and PTSO
will offer meetings in the fall to demonstrate the app. I offer my special thanks and appreciation to our PTAs/PTSO
for transitioning to this electronic means for our USCSD
Student Directory.
Beginning of Year Information for 2013-14— Please
note that the first student day for the 2013-14 school year
is on Monday, August 26. The Adopted 2013-14 School
Calendar is on the District’s website homepage at http://
www.uscsd.k12.pa.us/cms/lib02/PA01000033/Centricity/Domain/1/2013-14SchoolCalendar.pdf
Reminder to Register and/or Update Your Subscriptions for eAlerts— I encourage you to continue to visit
the District’s website for up-to-date information and to
register and/or update your subscriptions for eAlerts in
order to receive email notifications from the District when
important news items are posted on our website. Remember that if your child moves to a new school building or changes teachers, your eAlert subscriptions should
be updated so that you receive the appropriate eAlerts
for your child. Please note that once you’ve registered,
you will only have to update your subscriptions in coming
years.
Kim Anderson “Teammate Spotlight”
Please join me in recognizing Kim Anderson for
being chosen as our “Teammate Spotlight” for
May/June.
Kim has worked in the High School Nutrition
Center since 2005. She works part-time as a
School District nutrition center worker and
part-time for Aramark in the High School
Nutrition Center office doing accounting.
When you talk to Kim, you realize how much
she enjoys the students and working in the nutrition center. She commented, “I enjoy working here so much and the kids are awesome!”
Whenever I visit the nutrition center, I can always be assured that Kim will be at the cash
register to greet me with a smile!
Kim lives in Upper St. Clair with her husband, Andy, of thirty years. She has four children (Brian, age 27;
Maureen, age 25; Elise, age 22; and Joe, age 19). Kim’s career working in the nutrition center and her duties as wife
and mother are her main focus and what give her the most joy in life.
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NASA “Blasts-Off” with an
Inspirational Program at Boyce
“That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for
mankind.” This quote from astronaut Neil Armstrong has
evoked feelings of pride, excitement, and wonder for
Americans for over 40 years. There’s a “certain something” when one speaks of space exploration and NASA
in particular.
The children were prepared by their science teachers
prior to the presentation, learning concepts such as absolute zero, facts about the JWST, libration points, and
Kelvin temperatures. Carly Abraham, a student in fifth
grade, stated, “The NASA people seemed like real people. Working for NASA doesn’t seem impossible for me.
Perhaps one day I will be a NASA scientist.”
On April 16, to enhance the study of their Space Unit,
the students from Boyce Middle School had the opportunity to hear and speak with a NASA official, an astronaut, and a NASA scientist. Mr. Geoff Yoder presented
in the Boyce Theater and discussed his leadership role
and the science behind the James Webb Telescope (the
successor to the Hubble Telescope) which is scheduled
to launch in 2018. An international collaboration between NASA, the European Space Agency (ESA), and the
Canadian Space Agency (CSA), the Webb is considered
the world’s next-generation space observatory, the most
powerful telescope ever built. Mr. Geoff Yoder is serving
as the Webb’s Program Director.
The event, organized by Boyce teacher Ms. Dawn
Yoder, proved to be both educational and inspirational.
Mr. Geoff Yoder said of his visit to Boyce, “I was overwhelmed by the attention, curiosity, enthusiasm, and
preparedness of the students.” Dr. Smith said, “I was delighted to see how many students knew about the Hubble
Space Telescope and its discoveries. I know NASA’s future will be in good hands when people from schools such
as Boyce come to work there some day.” Who knows?
This program may have created the desire for a student
in USC to pursue a career as a NASA scientist, engineer,
artist or administrator.
Via Skype, the fifth grade students had the opportunity
to hear Dr. Eric Smith, the JWST Deputy Program Director
and Program Scientist, discuss the telescope’s capabilities and NASA’s mission concerning the JWST. The students were also engaged when they had the opportunity
to hear first-hand astronaut experiences by Mr. Leland
Melvin and watch a real space shuttle launch, also via
Skype. Currently serving as Associate Administrator for
Education for NASA, Mr. Melvin was an astronaut who
had over 500+ hours in space. His message for the students was that “you can do and be anything and with a
good foundation in math and science, anything is
possible.”
➊
1) Mr. Geoff Yoder spoke about NASA’s Webb
Telescope, which, once launched and fully
operational, will provide images of the very first
galaxies ever formed and will be able to explore
planets around distant stars.
2) Britta Wheeler, Amanda McFerran, and Chloe
Perkins (left to right) were attentive and showed
that they were enjoying the NASA program.
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“The Inquiry Exhibition” Showcases the
Primary Years Program
After significant planning, hard work, and diligence
for the past several months, fourth grade Primary Years
Program (PYP) students at Streams Elementary School
presented “The Inquiry Exhibition” on Friday, May 3.
Streams students were required to participate in a collaborative, transdisciplinary inquiry process that involves
them in identifying, investigating, and offering solutions
to real-life issues or problems. They researched organizations focused on helping others, the environment,
and animals, to name a few. They were excited to share
their work with their families, peers, and members of the
community.
The PYP exhibition of the International Baccalaureate
represents a significant event in the life of a PYP school
and student, combining the essential elements of the PYP
and sharing them with the whole school community. As a
culminating experience, it is an opportunity for students
to exhibit the attributes of the student profile that have
been developing throughout their years in the program.
This is an annual event. Next year it will be held on
STAR night in the spring as well as the following day for
the rest of the school. Family members will be invited to
come to either or both exhibits.
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1) Spencer Allen-Johnson shared his PowerPoint presentation about the
Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank with Colin McCarthy.
2) Averi Elsbury and Kendall Green listen to Emily Rocco’s presentation
about The National Wildlife Federation. As students of all grade
levels walked through the exhibition, they had the opportunity to hear
presentations and to ask the 4th grade presenters questions. Drew
Conwell discusses the Mario Lemieux Foundation with Christopher
Blass and Aidan Gaussa (3) and Liam Holleran (4).
5) Peyton Culp informs Jessica Mueller and Elizabeth Delo about the
World Wildlife Fund.
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Biology Students Engage in
Environmental Projects
The high school Academic Biology classes
of teachers Ms. Monica Erwin and Ms. Laura
Carlino participated in the Fairchild Challenge
through Phipps Conservatory this year. The
Fairchild Challenge fosters interest in the environment by encouraging students to:
• APPRECIATE the beauty and value of
nature,
• DEVELOP critical-thinking skills,
• UNDERSTAND the need for biodiversity
and conservation,
• TAP community resources,
• BECOME actively engaged citizens,
• RECOGNIZE that individuals make the
difference.
In 2008, the Phipps Conservatory became
a satellite partner for this multidisciplinary,
standards-based, environmental education
program designed and initiated at the Fairchild
Tropical and Botanic Garden in Miami, Florida.
The contest encourages high school students to
investigate, devise imaginative and effective responses, and take action at many levels on environmental issues through a menu of Challenges. Each Challenge option is designed to appeal
to a broad range of students with varying interests and abilities by incorporating visual, literary
and performing arts, research, and community
action.
The following USC students earned special recognitions:
• Leah Day placed 3rd for her colored pencil drawing of a flower
and its pollinator.
• Jula Herold won 2nd place for the Frisbee logo contest.
• Thea Contis received a 3rd place ranking for the Frisbee logo
contest.
• Ben Rieker placed 3rd for his movie review of Dirt: The Movie.
In addition to these individual awards, the classes were presented with the Fairchild Challenge Award for earning more than 900
points. The science students were also awarded 3rd place overall
in the challenge and presented $250 to support an environmental
project.
Beaming with pride, Leah Day, Thea Contis, Jula Herold, and Ben Rieker
(left to right) hold their Fairchild Challenge Award.
Boyce Students “Turning Green”
Boyce Middle School students Lexi Feldman and Lauren DeShields were
awarded the first annual Boyce Green Leadership Award at the school’s Deer
Valley assembly on June 7. The students were honored for their leadership
throughout the entire year, as well as their passion for promoting positive
environmental awareness.
Lexi Feldman (left) and Lauren DeShields (right)
proudly display their Boyce Green Leadership Awards.
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Artists Display Recent Achievements, Awards,
and Mastery of 21st Century Learning
At the evening awards presentation held on Wednesday, May 29, in the high school LGI, Ms. Smigel reminded
the parents that, “Art classes help to develop 21st century
learning skills that our students need to be successful in
other areas in life, such as creativity, flexibility, problemsolving, divergent thinking, planning, and development.
These students’ pieces show just how much effort is put
into a successful work of art, and highlights the craftsmanship they have learned throughout their classes.”
With submissions from the Painting and Drawing, 3D
Art, Ceramics, and IB Visual Arts classes of more than
250 student participants, the Annual Spring Exhibit is
a culmination of the entire school year’s worth of artwork. The exhibit epitomizes how each student took an
idea and developed and implemented a plan to create a
uniquely individual and personally relevant piece of new
expression.
Taught by high school art teachers Ms. Robyn Smigel
and Ms. Estelle Luck, the following students won special
awards and recognitions which were presented by President of the Upper St. Clair League for the Arts, Vi Laux:
She added, “They are always so proud to see their
work in the exhibit, and it’s a wonderful way to celebrate
the fantastic and diverse artistic talent we have here at
USCHS.”
Best of Show: Acrylic painting by Sydney Hellman
Highest Honors - Ceramics: Rebecca Van Ryzin
Highest Honors - 2-D: Hayden Bernhard and
Meg Haggerty
Scholarship Winners:
• Anna M. Smith Award: Mary Kate Kauffelt and Hana
Hueser
• William R. Shaffalo Award: Mary Kate Kauffelt
• League for the Arts Award: Anna Rosati and Mary
Kate Kauffelt
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➍
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1) Announced on May 29, surprised but proud USCHS artists Mary Kate Kauffelt (left) and Hana
Hueser won the Anna M. Smith Scholarship, each receiving $841. Vi Laux presented Anna
Rosati (2) and Mary Kate Kauffelt (3) each with $500 Upper St. Clair League for the Arts
Scholarships.
4) The William R. Shaffalo Award of $537 was given to Mary Kate Kauffelt. Representative
winning art included Sydney Hellman’s “Best of Show” painting (5), Hayden Bernhard’s
“Highest Honor” pencil drawing (6), Meg Haggerty’s “Highest Honor” cutaway design (7), and
Rebecca Van Ryzin’s ceramic bowl (8).
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Boyce Writers Are Lauded for
Outstanding Poetry
Twenty-one Boyce students recently won the Creative
Communications poetry contest, an annual literary competition held for students in grades 4-6 in Pennsylvania.
Sponsored by Boyce teacher Ms. Julie Mauder, they are
Meghan Baldwin, Angela Belack, Olivia Debski, Lauren
DeShields, Trey Getner, Sammy Koller, Jessie Kuhar, Erin
Lang, Ethan Mann, Lindsay Moskal, Nick Mudry, Duy
Nguyen, Collin Poerstel, Morgan Ragaller, Alec Saluga,
Katie Weber, and Jessie Weryha. Two-time published poets for this year are Reilly Ford, Abby McCardle, and Cam
Scott. Nidhish Yarlagadda, a student of teacher Deborah
Spada, entered his winning poem independently. For this
distinction, their poems get published in “A Celebration of
Poets” hardback book.
“The fact that you have numerous students accepted
makes a strong statement about your school… The list of
your students that have been accepted to be published
represents a lot of talent, hard work, and dedication…
In judging thousands of poems, our judges have found
that the single most important factor in creating a quality poem is the quality of the instruction. We have found
that schools with excellent language arts programs have
a much higher percentage of their students’ writing accepted.” The letter went on to say that fewer than 50% of
the poems submitted were selected for publication.
Believe it or not, musician and songwriter Taylor Swift
was a Top Ten Winner in the Creative Communications
contest when she was in 5th grade.
The award announcement letter sent to Ms. Mauder
provided more detail about the philosophy, criteria, and
statistics concerning the contest:
Boyce also earned a Creative Communications
“Poetic Achievement Award,” the honor given to the top
10% of the schools who entered the contest, and qualifying Boyce to apply for one of $250 Language Arts Grants.
SPRING 2013 CONTEST
W������ A���������� A����
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Presented to
1) Will these writers become famous future poets? Boyce students
Boyce Middle School
whose works were commended and will be featured in the anthology,
“A Celebration of Poets,” include (front row from left to right) Lauren
This award is given to schools whose students’ entries
DeShields, Duy Nguyen, Alec Saluga, Sammy Koller, Angela Belack,
Jessie Kuhar, Morgan Ragaller, Ethan Mann, and Jessie Weryha; (back
in the poetry contest were of exceptionally high merit.
row) Olivia Debski (with sponsor Ms. Julie Mauder standing directly
behind her), Lindsay Moskal, Reilly Ford, Abby McCardie, Nick Mudry,
Trey Getner, Cam Scott, Erin Lang, Katie Weber, and Nidhish Yarlagadda.
2) Thanks to the efforts of Ms. Mauder’s students, Boyce earned a “Writing Achievement Award” certificate now on
display in the school’s front trophy case.
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High School Media Department “Highlighted”
at TVT Ceremony
The Upper St. Clair High School video media department attended the 20th Annual TVT (Teacher of Video and Television) Awards on Tuesday, April 30. Eleven
USC students participated in the competition at Robert
Morris University. With over 30 schools from western
Pennsylvania entering videos in the ceremony, USC won
awards in the categories of Commercials, Broadcast
News, and Stop Motion/Animation.
TVT is an organization comprised of individuals who
share a passion for teaching
media. Founded in 1991, the
organization now has members in more than five states.
Its goal is to provide a forum
where those who teach tele➋ vision and video at the secondary level can network and
exchange ideas and resources. Organization members
also share technical resources, information and expertise.

1) Celebrating with their awards are (left to right) video/media
club members Taylor Johnston, Jared Houy, John Buckholt,
Connor Pyles, Sam Connors, Chad Beisner, Ryan Harding,
and Lexi Kennell.
2) Two TVT plaques are displayed behind the window of the
entrance of the high school media classroom.
Congratulations and BRAVOs go to all of the media student participants and sponsor/teacher Mr. Keith Froelich!
Community Foundation Announces
Logo Contest
Calling all artists! Seeking a change to its official logo, the Community
Foundation of Upper St. Clair (CFUSC) is sponsoring a contest awarding an
iPad with retina display or an iPad Mini as the first and second place prizes.
This contest is open to all residents of Upper St. Clair; student entries are
specifically encouraged.
Organized by residents concerned
about the future of USC, the Community
Foundation of Upper St. Clair is one
of a growing number of municipal
foundations across the United States.
The CFUSC’s goal is to augment the
many advantages to living in Upper
St. Clair by providing financial support
for special programs and projects
that are not funded by tax dollars.
Interested participants for the logo contest must REGISTER by Saturday,
June 29, with the deadline of Thursday, July 4, to SUBMIT their design. To enter
the contest, go to the Community Foundation of USC website for the contest
rules - www.cfusc.org.
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Students Focus on the Consequences and to
“Think Before You Drink”
A mock car accident was staged for the students of
Upper St. Clair High School on May 20 during lunch mods
as a pre-prom activity. Directed by school counselor
Dr. Bill Rullo, the event was organized by the Natural
Helpers Program, a peer-to-peer support-based program
that has been active at the high school for the past 28
years. The Upper St. Clair Township Police, the Upper St.
Clair Volunteer Fire Department, and the Tri-Community
EMS participated along with several high school students
from the theater class to create a “real life” scenario of an
alcohol-related crash. The staged car crash was designed
to encourage students to think about the decisions and
consequences that will help them to make right choices
for themselves.
Another wrecked car, an example from a real DUI fatal
accident, was placed in front of the entrance to the high
school arts lobby, and remained on the campus during
the week of May 20 as an additional reminder for the students to make good choices for themselves.
➊
Then, on May 21, eighteen Natural Helpers representatives sponsored the “Tolling Bell” activity. According to
national statistics, approximately every 22 minutes someone dies from a “drinking and driving-related accident.”
A “tolling bell” sound was substituted for the mod bells
ringing every 25 minutes. For each simulation, a designated Natural Helper put on a black t-shirt re-enacting
another alcohol-related death, after which “the victim”
did not speak for the rest of the school day. A tombstone
of the mock deaths was placed on the wall outside the
Nutrition Center.
Lastly, the Arrive Alive Tour from UNITE visited Upper
St. Clair High School on May 31. Organized by Ms. Kristie
Dawson, Ms. Corrin Lowry, and Ms. Sheila Lloyd, the
Allegheny County Bar Association brought the Arrive Alive
Tour to Upper St. Clair with the hopes of reducing the
high number of fatal crashes among teens. UNITE used
a high-tech simulator, an impact video, and a number of
other resources to educate students about the dangers
of drunk driving and texting while driving. The volunteer
drivers were allowed to control the gas and brake pedals along with a 3-D head set in order to experience, in
a controlled environment, the potential consequences of
alcohol-impaired and distracted driving.
➍
➌
➋
(1)and (2): The remains of a real DUI automobile accident which caused
two fatalities were parked in front of the arts entrance to the high school.
Mock tombstones (3) and the official Natural Helper t-shirt (4) for the
“Tolling Bell” activity were grim reminders of the frequency of alcoholrelated deaths, and that students should make careful choices for
themselves, especially as prom and graduation party time approach.
(5)Lining up to try the Arrive Alive Tour program, USC student drivers
later said they struggled to keep control of their vehicle in a high-tech
simulation of driving while distracted or impaired.
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
Middle School
Mathematicians Win Contest
The 2013 Mathematics Council of Western
Pennsylvania First Year Algebra /Integrated Math II
Contest was held on Saturday, April 13, at Baldwin
High School. Open to all students who are currently
enrolled in Algebra I or Integrated Math II, the preliminary round of the competition consisted of sixty
questions to be completed in 90 minutes, and included student participants from the counties of
Allegheny, Beaver, Butler, Lawrence, Washington,
Greene, Westmoreland, and Fayette. When the top
twenty-five students in Allegheny County were announced, fifteen of them were from Upper St. Clair!
Sam Ding, a sixth grader from Boyce Middle School
placed first, Raahema Durrani, an eighth grader from
Fort Couch Middle School placed second, and Abbie Wagner, a seventh grader, also from Fort Couch,
placed third. Also included in the Top 25 were the
following students: Vashisth Parekh, Spencer Miller,
James Khor, Ariana Chiu, Taim Aizooky, Jack de la
Parra, Dina Leyzarovich, Amna Amin, Andrew Rocks,
Abby Matheny, Vedant Parekh, and Suneel Banerjee.
All twenty-five of these students were eligible to
compete at Derry Area Middle School on Saturday,
May 11. This final round consisted of only ten questions, and points were awarded not only for the correct answer, but for showing all the steps leading to
the answer. Upper St. Clair is proud to announce
➊
1) Sam Ding (third place)
and Dina Leyzarovich (first
place) display their winning
Pennsylvania Council of
Teachers of Mathematics
math awards.
2) Raahema Durrani earned
a second place plaque
in the final round of the
Algebra/Integrated Math II
competition.
➋
that all of the winners in this final round were from Upper
St. Clair! The Helen B. Malter Memorial Prize, a plaque and
$100 were awarded to Dina Leyzarovich, a sixth grader from
Boyce, who earned first place overall. Eighth grader Raahema
Durrani took second place, earning $75. Placing third was
sixth grader, Sam Ding, who was awarded $50. The prizes
were made possible through a grant from the Pennsylvania
Council of Teachers of Mathematics.
High School Football Coach
Jim Render Receives Special
Recognition
Head Football Coach Mr. Jim
Render will be receiving a Lifetime
Achievement Award from the Lou
Holtz/Upper Ohio Valley Hall of Fame
at their Annual Induction Event on
Monday, June 24.
The Lou Holtz/Upper Ohio
Valley Hall of Fame was established to showcase individuals and
Head Football Coach Jim Render has
364 career wins at Upper St. Clair.
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communities throughout the region
stretching from Western Beaver
County in Pennsylvania to Wheeling,
West Virginia, for their outstanding
contributions in commerce, medicine,
politics, sports, entertainment and
community enrichment.
Congratulations, Coach Render!
The “Curtain Closes” on a
Busy USC Performing Arts Season!
➊
Celebrating the musical achievement of more than
1,700 Upper St. Clair students in grades 4-12, numerous
“spring finales” were presented to the public. Providing
opportunities for talent exploration, development of selfexpression, leadership, self-confidence/poise, and “teamwork,” and the “customized learning” of 21st Century skills
such as collaboration, critical thinking, creativity,
and communications, all school buildings scheduled experiences in band, strings, choral, and
musicals.
In addition to the more than 50 public events
held at all schools this year, the high school Performing Arts students also performed with the
Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, River City Brass Band,
Pittsburgh Civic Orchestra, internationally-famous sopranist Giorgi Fumanti, in the Cherry Blossom Parade, and at
the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C. Next year, the high school
music department, comprised of the concert and jazz
➍
➋
➌
bands, choirs, strings, and “The Pride of Upper St. Clair”
marching band, is planning a trip to Orlando, Florida, to
participate in music workshops, adjudications, Disney
concerts, and a parade.
Subject to administrative review, the proposed
2013-14 Fine and Performing Arts calendar is posted online at http://www.uscsd.k12.pa.us/Page/522,
and a hard copy listing is available on the first link of
http://www.uscsd.k12.pa.us//Domain/81.
➎
1) The USCHS Jazz Ensemble,
directed by Mr. Frank
Eisenreich, played at the Tri-State Superintendent Banquet at the
Edgewood Country Club on March 21.
2) The Pennsylvania Music Educators Association All-State Chorus concert
on April 20 in Erie had a record-breaking six representative singers from
USCHS choirs.
3) With almost no room to spare on the high school stage, Ms. Paula
Scandrol directed “hundreds” of elementary string players in their annual
concert on May 14.
4) Members of the Men’s Ensemble spontaneously “break out into song”
during their choir senior awards banquet at the Crowne Plaza on May 31.
5) High School Orchestra Concertmaster Brenna Presutti and her mother
Kaye practice for their performance of the Mozart Violin Concerto in G, the featured
solo at the String-a-thon Concert.
6) Under the direction of teacher Mr. Craig Madge, percussion players from the Boyce
Band prepare for their spring concert on June 3.
7) Boyce students are coached in new marching skills and songs by music teacher
Ms. Jennifer Schetley during the annual Civil War Day festivities held on May 31.
8) Hearing strands of the ever-popular “Pomp and Circumstance” processional, Maestro
Don Pickell rehearses one of his bands for the senior graduation ceremony on June 13.
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➏
➐
➑
Pen Pals Share USC and Spanish Life Experiences
At Fort Couch Middle School, Teams 2 and 3 Spanish
students were given the opportunity to communicate
with a pen pal from the third grade attending a private
school in Salinas, a coastal town in Asturias, Spain. When
Señora Leskovich retired from Baker Elementary School,
she transferred the pen pal program to Fort Couch, and
Señora Montgomery received it with much enthusiasm.
This program further reinforces the World Language
goal of promoting global learning and cultural awareness.
“I think that the pen pal exchange supports the students’
need to be culturally aware,” said one Fort Couch student. “I now know about student life in Salinas, Spain,
and I would like to visit there someday.”
“The students were so excited to open their letters
and presents,” said Señora Montgomery. “They learned
so much about the Spanish culture from the letters,
postcards, soccer cards, books, and games that they
received.”
Fort Couch students wrote correspondence telling
their pen pal about life in Pittsburgh. The students sent
little gifts with their letters to the Manuel Alvarez Iglesias
School in Salinas. A few weeks later, Señora gave everyone their gifts and return letters. The process repeated
itself throughout the school year.
➊
Fort Couch Spanish students participating as pen pals are
(left to right) Emma Bisch, Melanie Mantel, Kate Groninger,
and Jack de la Parra.
Baker’s Fourth Graders Are
“All Wound Up”
Baker Elementary teacher Erik Wiesemann and
members of the fourth grade “All Wound Up YoYo Club” raised over $2,000 for Operation Second
Chance (OSC)! OSC is an organization that serves
wounded and ill combat veterans returning from overseas. Money was raised by students who contributed
$30 each for a seven-week instructional yo-yo club.
All Wound Up teamed up with YoYoFactory in Arizona
to create custom OSC yo-yos featuring their logo.
YoYoFactory generously sold them to All Wound Up
at cost and let the club sell them at retail to increase
the donation.
Knowing how much the students enjoyed participating in the All Wound Up Yo Yo Club, Mr.
Wiesemann received approval from Superintendent
Dr. O’Toole to have yo-yos made with the District tagline and to have them placed in a basket which was
presented to the homeroom collecting the most during a food drive. And now, the District tagline yo-yos
are being included in the All Wound Up Yo-Yo Club’s
fundraising efforts!
➋
1) The official Baker elementary yo-yo displays the District’s
tagline - Customizing Learning, Nurturing Potential...Delivering
Excellence.
2) Fourth grade students are proud members of the All Wound Up
Yo-Yo Club.
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High School and Fort Couch Student
Scientists Research and Showcase
Winning Projects
Several Upper St. Clair High School students attended the Pittsburgh Regional Science and Engineering Fair
(PRSEF) at Heinz Field on April 5-6. Sponsored by Dr. Colin Syme, HS Biology teacher, these USC participants
earned numerous award recognitions:
Brinda Doshi
Gender Behavior Analysis
Award
Type
American Psychological
Association
Chatham University
Clarion University
Perseverance Award Honorary Scientist
Waynesburg University
Affiliate
Gaurav Bhushan
Surface Tension of Water
and Lipid Hydrophobic
Behavior
Award
Scholarship
Scholarship
Perseverance
Scholarship
➊
Type
Society for Analytical Chemists Sponsor
of Pittsburgh
Dilanka Dharmasena
Ram Jet Power
Award
Type
The Aviation Foundation
Sponsor
Eva Roy
Epigenetic Difference in
Lung Cancers
Award
Type
Society for In Vitro Biology
Affiliate
Brendan Campbell
Focusing Wireless Signals
Award
Type
Perseverance Award Associate Scientist
Perseverance
➋
Two of the five PRSEF winners from USCHS, Gaurav
Bhushan (1) and Dilanka Dharmasena (2), standing with
Superintendent Dr. Patrick O’Toole (left), HS Science
Curriculum Leader Ms. Lynn Kistler, and HS Principal Dr.
Michael Ghilani, were presented certificates of achievement
during the high school awards ceremony.
In addition, congratulations go to the following Fort Couch students for their participation in PRSEF under the
direction of Fort Couch teacher Ms. Connie Gibson: Alex Brufsky, Kevin Chen, Connor Byrnes, Sahil Doshi, Vashisth
Parekh, Vedant Parekh, Neale Misquitta, Jr., Pramod Narayanan, Keshav Reddy, and Aditi Chattopadhyay.
Sponsored overall by the Carnegie Science Center, the PRSEF competition is open to all students in grades
6-12 from twenty-three counties in western Pennsylvania and three counties in West Virginia and Garrett County,
Maryland. In 2014, the Pittsburgh Regional Science and Engineering Fair (PRSEF) will celebrate its 75th year of open
competition of research projects in the fields of science, mathematics and engineering on March 28 (competition
day) and March 29 (awards ceremony) at Heinz Field.
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Boyce Students “Calculate, Deduce, and Resolve”
at PML
Solving problems can be fun… or at least that is
what teachers think at Boyce Middle School. In April,
seventy-one Boyce students signed up to solve a lot of
tough problems to prepare for the 2012-2013 Annual
Mathematics League (PML) Contest. Sponsored by the
Pennsylvania Mathematics League, this contest gives
young mathematicians thirty tough problems to solve
in 30 minutes. Calculators may be used, but the human
brain is really a better tool for this type of non-routine
problem. For example - the largest perimeter a rectangle
made of 100 2x2 squares can have is……?
Participants were provided with as many practice tests
as they requested prior to the test date. On the test date,
each participant earned a small prize and a sweet treat,
rewards for their efforts. Once the tests were scored, trophies, medals, and gift certificates were awarded to the
top scorers as they had their fifteen “seconds of fame” on
the Boyce Television Network.
Honors were awarded in two categories. Among students studying fifth grade math the winners were:
• A four-way tie for Third Place: Julia Brubach,
AJ Daley, Basir Khan and Lily Shi
• Second Place: Nick Kalra
• First Place: Aleksa Rodic
From the students studying sixth grade math, the
winners were:
• Third Place: Avaneesh Rade
• Second Place: Chand Vadalia
• A two-way tie for First Place: Jason Choi and
Jack Clark
It is worth noting that on the front of each test, the Math
League points out that “few students score as high as 24
points (80%) correct. Students with half that, 12 points,
should be commended.” According to this standard, over
90% of the Boyce participants earned a commendation!
➋
➊
1) Studying fifth grade math and recognized by PML were
Boyce mathematicians (left to right) Aleksa Rodic, Nick
Kalra, AJ Daley, Julia Brubach, Basir Khan and Lily Shi.
2) Boyce “math brains” Jason Choi, Avaneesh Rade, Chand
Vanalia, and Jack Clark earned the top PML awards for
solving sixth grade math problems.
3) All PML participants celebrated their accomplishments on
Boyce TV.
➌
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Future Problem-Solvers Return from State Bowl
Students from Fort Couch Middle School and Upper
St. Clair High School represented the School District with
excellence at the Future Problem Solving State Bowl in
Camp Hill, PA, on April 12 and 13. Future Problem Solving,
developed by Dr. E. Paul Torrance, is a problem solving
method that engages critical and creative thinking skills,
develops a vision for the future, and encourages collaboration. Fort Couch and USCHS teams competed in a
qualifying problem
earlier this year
that earned them
the
opportunity
to compete at the
state level.
This year’s future scene dealt with the problems, and
solutions, associated with “ocean soup” — the presence
of plastic waste in global oceans. Upper St. Clair High
School team members Gaurav Bhushan, Michael Nastac,
Misha Rameswarapu, and Steven Wagner successfully
competed to win second place in the 7th-9th grade division! Also competing in the 7th-9th grade division were
Fort Couch team members Tommy Bednarz, Sahil Doshi,
Kriti Shah, and Mythri Sundar. Team coaches were teachers Pat Palazzolo, Connie Gibson, and Tim Wagner.
➊
1) Members of the Fort Couch Future Problem Solving
team are (left to right) Tim Wagner (sponsor), Kriti Shah,
Mythri Sundar, Tommy Bednarz, and Sahil Doshi.
2) High School team members showing off their second
place medals are (left to right): Michael Nastac, Pat
Palazzolo (sponsor), Misha Rameswarapu, Steven
Wagner, and Gaurav Bhushan.
➋
Fort Couch Student Receives
National Award in “Reflections”
“Reflections” is a theme-based arts contest sponsored
by the National PTA. This year’s theme was “The Magic
of a Moment.” Student entries progress through the local,
council, region 3, state and then national level of judging.
This year, USC had three students win at the state level,
with two of them going to the national competition. For the
first time in recent history, Upper St. Clair had a national
winner! Joseph Lapham, seventh grader at Fort Couch,
won second place for his photograph in the Special Artist
category. Congratulations to all who participated!
The National PTA Reflections Program is PTA’s cornerstone arts program. It was developed in 1969 by
Colorado’s PTA President Mary Lou Anderson to encourage students to explore their talents and express
themselves. Since then, the Reflections Program has inspired millions of students to reflect on a specific theme
and create original artwork. Each year, students in Grades
Pre-K through 12 are recognized for bringing the theme to
life through dance choreography, film production, literature, musical composition, photography and visual arts.
17
“Challenge 24” Students Bring In Great Results!
In March, Fort Couch and Boyce
Middle Schools each held their own
school-wide “24” Competition to determine the top students for each
grade level. Challenge 24 is a unique
math card game where players compete to be the first to make “24” with
four numbers. The top students for each grade were:
Fifth - Braden Yates, Devon Ekbote, and Zachary Smith
Sixth - Brooke Christiansen, Meghan Joon, and
Vikram Reddy
Seventh - Sahil Doshi and Theja Duvvuru
Eighth - Arushi Kewalramani, Amna Amin,
and Siddarth Aduri
These students competed at the Regional 24 Competition held at the Jefferson Hills Municipal Center on
April 26. Their enthusiasm and dedication paid off as the
students represented Upper St. Clair with pride. Devon
Ekbote eagerly played two rounds of single and doubledigit cards and earned a silver medal after making it in
the top four of the 4/5 grade bracket. For 6th grade, both
Brooke and Meghan earned spots in the final four. After
the final round, which involved challenging variable cards
and a quad card, Brooke earned a shiny silver medal and
Meghan’s outstanding play landed her the gold medal of
the 6th grade.
In the 7th and 8th grade bracket, Sahil, Theja, and Arushi
ambitiously played two rounds of integer and double digit
cards and all three of them placed into the final four. After
their final round involving strenuous variable cards and a
quad card, their rapid arithmetic skills earned Theja and
Arushi each a silver medal and Sahil the gold medal in the
final four!
Siddarth stepped up to compete in the platinum round,
where the “24” patterns can include exponent operations
in addition to the four main operations. Sid battled his
competitors fiercely and earned the silver medal in the
platinum round.
While the top four of each grade bracket competed
for their medals, the rest of the students competed for
table medals of their own. Braden, Zach, and Vikram each
earned their own table medal while playing an extra round
of double-digit cards. All the students competed diligently
and left with their heads held high.
➊
➋
1) Top math performers in the school-wide Tournament 24
competition are (back row, left to right) Theja Duvvuru,
Amna Amin, Arushi Kewalramani, Siddarth Aduri, and
Sahil Doshi, (front row) Zachary Smith, Vikram Reddy,
Devon Ekbote, Braden Yates, Brooke Christiansen, and
Meghan Joon.
2) Taking a break during the final round of the seventh
and eighth grade bracket of Challenge 24 are Arushi
Kewalramani, Theja Duvvuru, and Sahil Doshi.
3) Celebrating their achievements afterwards at Steak n’
Shake are Zachary Smith, Devon Ekbote, Braden Yates,
Brooke Christiansen, and Meghan Joon.
➌
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Top Prize Is Awarded at Cultural
Communications Alliance International
Marketing Competition
High school students Christian Kelly, Nate Novak, Ryan
Walsh, and Meredith McDonough were commended for
winning the top prize at the Cultural Communications Alliance 2013 International Marketing Competition. The USC
team beat six other schools in the business interscholastic competition which was held at the College of Business
Administration at the University of Pittsburgh on Tuesday,
April 30. Working on their extracurricular project since November, the marketing campaign presented by our high
school team was considered to be of “graduate-school
caliber.” Professors from the University of Pittsburgh and
employees from the Bayer Corporation judged the competition. North Allegheny won second place, followed by
Franklin Regional in third.
The Cultural Communications Alliance (CCA) works
with Pittsburgh area high school teachers to introduce international business concepts to their students using an
international case competition. Students had to research
and develop a marketing plan for Bayer’s “One-a-Day
Teen Advantage” vitamins. The target market was Chile.
High School Students Earn the Top Spots at
FBLA Competition
On April 15-17, sixteen Upper St.
Clair High School students traveled to
Hershey, to participate in the 62nd Annual
Pennsylvania Future Business Leaders of
America (FBLA) State Leadership Conference. These students qualified for the
State Leadership Conference based on
their performance at the Regional Leadership Conference in December of 2012. At
the conference, students competed in objective and performance events, attended
seminars and workshops, and networked
with over 3,500 students, advisers, and
professionals.
Upper St. Clair students performed exceedingly well. Thirteen of the students
who attended the conference placed in
the top ten in their selected competition!
Student participants included:
• Kevin Monpara and Brian Tsui Global Business - 4th place
• Dom D’Amico and JP Schrott Network Design - 6th place
• Joe Ardolino, Seshu Kamineni, and
Akash Monpara - e-Business 8th place
USC’s finest “future business leaders” include front row (left to right) Lauren
Schoeppner, Luke Walker, Hannah Harris, Krupa Golakiya, Jasma Mody, and
Gabby Granato, and back row Joe Ardolino, Robbie Mertz, Dom D’Amico, JP
Schrott, Connor Mielcusny, Luke Gaetano, Akash Monpara, Brian Tsui, Seshu
Kamineni, and Kevin Monpara.
• Krupa Golakiya and Jasma Mody - Business Plan - 9th place
• Hannah Harris, Gabby Granato, Connor Mielcusny, and
Luke Walker - Parliamentary Procedure - 9th place
• Luke Gaetano, Robbie Mertz, and Lauren Schoeppner Management Decision Making
19
High School Students to Attend
National Forensics Competition
Over Memorial Day weekend, the High School
Forensics Team traveled to Philadelphia for the Catholic
Forensics League Grand Nationals, the penultimate competition of the season which included thousands of students from around the country.
Qualifying, but non-advancing Panthers included Seniors Catherine Wertz, Madison Chafin, Kylee Banton,
and Qinglan Huang; Juniors JP Miller, Jordan Ryan, Brenna Carse, George Sun, Mandy Seiner, and Mary Gen San-
ner, who won a ballot from the national champion; and
Freshman Saraj Quinto. Senior Trudel Pare and Junior Eva
Roy advanced to the top 48 in the nation in Oratory and
Oral Interpretation, respectively. Junior Younos Manfoud,
who did not originally qualify for the tournament, achieved
the highest national placing of any USC student with a 6th
place in Lincoln Douglas Debate.
All competitors are congratulated and wished good
luck at NFL Nationals in June!
Baker Elementary Students Recognize
“Better Hearing and Speech Month”
In honor of May being “Better Hearing
and Speech Month,” Baker Elementary
School classes had the opportunity to
participate in special lessons conducted
by Ms. Monica Harmon, the Speech Language Pathologist at Baker. These lessons
taught students about the dangers of loud
noises and how/when we can protect our
hearing. They also had the opportunity
to learn about American Sign Language,
using the ASL alphabet, and how to sign
several simple phrases for everyday communication. For participating in these special lessons, classes were entered into a
drawing for a special BHSM prize. All students had a “blast” learning about how to
protect their ears and how to use ASL!
Winners of the drawing, Mrs. Petrarca’s 4th grade class, pose with
Ms. Harmon and their prizes, a water bottle and chapstick, and spell
the word “Baker” using sign language.
Commendations to Students and Staff!
Monthly commendations are archived online on
the USCSD home page under “Headlines.”
For your convenience, click here to view these
commendations.
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