- 05/28: Freshman Awards
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05/28: HS Choral Concert
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06/01: BUG Awards, Forbes and Penn Hebron
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06/01: HS Student-Athlete Recruitment Info Program
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06/01: Senior Reception
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06/02: BUG Awards, Dible and Washington
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06/02: Penn Hebron Field Day
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06/02: School Board Workshop/Voting Mtg.
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06/03: Washington 3rd Grade Picnic
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06/03: Dible Meet the Author Day
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06/04: Dible Field Day
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06/05: Washington Care Team Spaghetti Dinner Fundraiser
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06/06: PHBPA Car Wash
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06/08: Forbes Field Day
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06/08: Forbes K Graduation
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06/08: Washington Recognition Day
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06/08: Baccalaureate
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06/10: Washington Field Day
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06/10: Penn Hebron 5th Grade Picnic
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06/10: Dible Recognition Ceremony
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06/11: Forbes Awards Ceremony
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06/11: Final Student Day
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06/11: Commencement
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06/12: Final Teacher Day
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06/12: Commencement Rain Day
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06/14: PHBPA Car Wash
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06/25: School Board Meeting
To view additional events, click here.
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PTSA Pride Signs
The PTSA is selling signs that can be proudly displayed in your yard to honor your Class of 2009 Senior. For just $10.00, you can purchase a colorful sign that shows your graduate just how proud you are of him/her. Encourage aunts, uncles, and grandparents to purchase signs. Let's show the community how proud we are of the Class of 2009. Look for PTSA volunteers to purchase signs at all senior events. |
Classrooms for the Future Spotlight Event
On May 19th, Classrooms for the Future (CFF) teaching staff provided brief demonstrations of sample CFF technology components and lessons from 9:00 AM until 3:00 PM in the athletic office lobby area of the Penn Hills Senior High School. The CFF Spotlight event was adjacent to the polling area in the high school gymnasium at the rear of the building and offered voters a chance to see the technology used in our school in action. |
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A Good Catch
 Starting May 26th, Dible staff began a program to "catch" Dible students making smart choices and rewarding them for it!
Each time a student gets "caught" being good by a staff member, he/she will be entered into a drawing for 1 of 2 new bikes or 1 of 2 new scooters (with helmets, of course!).
The winners will be chosen and presented with their prizes at Dible's June 10th Recognition Ceremony at 2:00 p.m.
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Featured Article
 Summer feeding will be held at Linton June 15th-August 7th (breakfast 8:00-9:00 a.m. and lunch 11:30-1:00 p.m.) The Senior High will sponsor basketball camp June 15th (one week) and football camp (August 17th-27th). From the 17th-21st, breakfast, lunch, and dinner will be served. The week of August 24th-27th, only breakfast (7:00-8:00 a.m.) and lunch (11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.) will be served. Dible Elementary will be open for pre-K through 3rd grade tutoring July 13th-31st (3 weeks). Breakfast (8:15-9:15 a.m.) and lunch (11:30 a.m.-1:00 p.m.) will be served. In addition, Free and Reduced Applications cannot be completed by parent/guardians until after July 1st in order to count for the upcoming school year (2009-2010). For more information, visit the Food Services section of our website. |
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Municipal Events
Events subject to change. For additional info on meeting dates and times, call 412-798-2103. |
Crime Prevention E-Mail Access
The Penn Hills Police Department wants to provide the public with current information regarding criminal activity in Penn Hills. Anyone interested in receiving this information should send his/her e-mail address and home address to Crimeprevention@PennHills.org. The public is also encouraged to forward any information they may have regarding criminal or suspicious activity in their neighborhoods. By working together, we can create a safe and prosperous community in which to raise a family and conduct business. |
Newsletter created by:
Teresita K. Kolenchak
Public Relations/Web Design Coordinator Penn Hills School District
Previous editions of Penn Hills Pride are always available here. | |
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New Senior High School; No Tax Increase
On May 20th, a closed informational and real estate session was held with the Board to discuss plans for the District's future physical configuration. The discussion included plans for a new senior high school, renovations at Linton Middle School, and a new elementary building either at Linton or attached to the existing Dible Elementary building.
As outlined in last month's Penn Hills Pride, the District has proposed a budget that calls for no increase in the real estate tax millage rate. "On behalf of the school board," Board President Joseph E. Bailey said, "We would like to thank the public for their input and continued support as we strive to again make this the best District in the county/country. We have worked tirelessly on this plan along with administration and the community and are confident that these changes are necessary as we work to revitalize our District. We are proud of our accomplishments and look forward to the growth potential over the next several years."
Bailey went on to say that the high school is dated, to say the least, and he believed that the children of Penn Hills need to have all that the District can offer to guarantee their future success. "We are willing to do what is necessary to ensure that success," he added. He emphasized that the plan being considered by the Board includes no increase in sight for the taxpayers and will not be funded by them.
A final plan will be presented to the public at the June 2nd meeting in the Linton auditorium. For more information, click here. |
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Student-Athlete Recruitment Informational Program Monday, June 1st, at 7:00 p.m. in the High School Auditorium, Athletic Director John Peterman has organized a program regarding the recruitment of high school student-athletes for college. Peterman has purchased the rights to collegiate recruiting software that will assist in the marketing of Penn Hills. A representative of the software company will be available to speak about the use of the software program. In addition, Peterman has invited the head of recruiting compliance from the University of Pittsburgh to speak about the rules and regulations of the recruiting process--what schools are permitted to do and not do, what athletes and parents are permitted to do and not do, and what athletes and parents should be doing.
There will also be former Penn Hills student-athletes who will speak about their experiences with recruiting. This information is not limited to Division 1 candidates. All collegiate divisions, including NAIA, will be discussed. This informational session is open to athletes and their parents in Grades 8-11. Attendance would be beneficial for any student looking to continue his/her career at the collegiate level. |
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Linton Battle of the Classes Crowns Winner
 It was a tough battle as students and teachers went head-to-head in a variety of competitions on April 30th so that a new winner could be crowned for the annual Battle of the Classes. Stamina, coordination, and the ability to stop laughing long enough to finish the contest were the required skills as participants ran in a hula hoop relay, performed in a dress-in-a-dress relay, shot baskets, spun around a bat, and much more, ending it all with a traditional pie eating contest. At the final tally, it was the 9th graders who were the victors and took home this year's trophy, besting their teachers.
For more photos from the event, click here. |
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Penn Hebron Student Accepted to C-Mites Program
Penn Hebron Elementary Academy 5th Grader Maia Williams has been selected to participate in the Carnegie Mellon Institute for Talented Elementary and Secondary Students (C-MITES) Summer Program at Carnegie Mellon University. Maia will attend the Solar System Astronomy class from June 22-26, 2009.  In this astronomy course, students will use a variety of resources to research the solar system and each of its members, including the latest planetary discoveries. They will create a multimedia presentation on a solar system member of their choice, using the Starry Night™ software, video cameras, PalmZire handhelds, PowerPoint, Internet, and other tools to explore the planetary neighborhood. Other activities include launching a rocket, creating a planet, and tracking and exploring the planets. Nightly outdoor observations will be assigned for homework. The C-MITES Program provides challenging courses for gifted students who are interested in exploring concepts and applications at a high level and fast pace. Classes emphasize hands-on learning and are offered in the mathematics, sciences, and humanities. Activities include games, experiments, debates, art projects, group presentations, and scavenger hunts. Students benefit both academically and socially from participation in the program. Students are eligible who are in 3rd-8th grade as of April 2009, complete an application, provide one teacher recommendation, and have taken an above-level test or are in the gifted program at school or have scored at the 95th percentile or above on a standardized test. | |
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District Students Honored as Outstanding
At a special awards dinner on April 30th, several District students were recognized as Trib Total Media 2009 Outstanding Young Citizens. Three of our students were among the ten awarded gold medals based on their academic accomplishments and community work. A total of 94 students representing 16 schools were nominated. Of the 61 students recognized as Outstanding, 13 were from Penn Hills:
- Senior Bill Fabrizi
- Junior Mike Ferraco (Gold Medal Recipient)
- Senior Courtney Greenway
- Junior Christopher Mannella (Gold Medal Recipient)
- Junior Cory Lynn McGowan
- Senior Daron Morford
- Senior Kimberly Phillips
- Senior Melissa Rust
- Senior Kevin Sparks
- Sophomore Erica Stevens
- Senior Rob Strauss
- Senior David Walden
- Junior DeJour Young (Gold Medal Recipient)
To read more about the event and the students, click here. |
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Featured Student - Wayne Phelps
 Linton 9th Grader Wayne Phelps is considered outstanding by 8th Grade Language Arts Teacher Christine Majewski, who calls him one of the most helpful young men at the school.
An avid skateboarder, Wayne gets along with every teacher, is always willing to help any student or teacher, donates his time to activities such as The Earth Day Project and JROTC, and represents his school well on the football field, she explained. She added that he "is one of the best students and young men I know."
Ms. Majewski said that she had Wayne as a student last year and found him to be wonderful. In the classroom, Wayne is continually named to the honor roll and was nominated by a teacher last year to work at the Fort Pitt Museum over the past summer. He never complains, is always respectful, and works well with anyone. She said that his personality makes him very likable and his maturity is evident by the respect of his peers.
Wayne maintains a commendably strong and positive record, she explained, both behaviorally and academically. "He is a great asset to Linton Middle School and a wonderful kid," she stated.
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NJROTC Unit Recognized as Distinguished
The Penn Hills Cadets have achieved recognition as an NJROTC Distinguished Unit for the 2008-2009 School Year, marking it in the top 30 percent of all Navy JROTC Units. The Penn Hills unit was the only one of five Pennsylvania schools so honored, which is a direct result of the hard work and dedicated effort the cadets put forth throughout the year. It represents an improvement over the Unit Achievement designation earned for the last school year. Some of the highlights leading to the Distinguished Unit honor include:
- Beginning the year with 40 newly minted cadets participating in the 7th cadet-run Summer Orientation Camp.
- Providing escorts at Open Houses for Linton and the Senior High School.
- Participating in 11 community special events such as Light up Night and craft fairs.
- Presenting the National Colors 28 times at varying venues, from sporting events to scholarship presentations.
- Competing in 4 military precision drill meets; tied for overall 1st place, took overall 1st place, and placed 6th in the Area 4 Regional Drill Competition meet; hosted the District's very first Big Red Invitational Drill Meet this year.
- Competing in 2 academic competitions; for the 3rd year in a row, achieved a national ranking, this year finishing impressively in the top 6 percent (99th of 1,595 teams) in the annual NJROTC national test.
- Conducting over 1,200 hours of service to school and community thus far this year, equating to 150 8-hour days this school year that our cadets were involved in positive service to the school and community.
- Participating in 1 national, 1 postal, and 1 shoulder-to-shoulder marksmanship competition.
In addition, an outstanding 1/3 of all cadets and over 62 percent of the cadet staff were on Honor Roll or High Honor Roll during the first three 9-week grading periods this year. Six are members of the National Honor Society. The Sword Team performed sword arches for 10 distinguished guest visits (state senators) and special events, such as Homecoming, Military Ball, Veteran's Day Parade, Annual Military Inspection, and Graduation. The unit also had a very successful Annual Military Inspection in January, achieving the highest grades possible in all categories. A remarkable 83 percent of the cadets participated in some form of after-school or sponsored activity offered by NJROTC. The Penn Hills cadets continue to demonstrate the Navy core values of honor, courage, and commitment. With their performance and the District's continuing support, the Penn Hills NJROTC program continues to be a valuable demonstration of the excellent education and opportunities for success available in the Penn Hills School District. Their success is a reflection of a school and community effort. |
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Volleyball Team Loses and Wins
Facing No. 2 seeded North Allegheny on May 22nd, the No. 1 seeded Penn Hills boys' volleyball team had its toughest loss of the season. The team lost three matches to hand North Allegheny the WPIAL title. The Penn Hills boys had gone into the championship match with a 12-0 regular season record. It was the team's first WPIAL postseason appearance since 1996.
On May 26th, the team faced Schenley in the 1st round of the PIAA Section AAA Tournament. They were victorious in a 3-0 victory and advance to the quarterfinals at Penn State University which begin on Friday, May 29th. |
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Dible Holds End-of-the-Year Bash
With a Western theme that included cowboys and cowgirls, Dible Elementary School held its end-of-the-year celebration on May 27th. Despite stormy weather, a nice turnout was on hand for stories, square dancing, and a special performance by two cast members from the Senior High School musical "Oklahoma!" Festivities included raffles, food, games, and a special collection of food and clothing for those community members in need.
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Two Juniors Recognized as Women in Science
At the 21st Annual Women in Science Day event held May 14, 2009, at Seton Hill University, two Penn Hills juniors were recognized with scholarships.
DeJour Young was recognized for outstanding achievement in chemistry, and Leah Weiss was recognized for outstanding achievement in mathematics. Both students received a certificate and a 4-year scholarship to Seton Hill in the amount of $15,000 per year, totaling $60,000 each. DeJour was nominated by Teacher Deana Foley and Leah by Teacher Carol Morris.
In addition to being honored at the awards luncheon, the students and their parents attended a keynote address by Janice Kenneson, D.O., a physician with Marianne Family Practice Associates in Shippenville, on staff at Clarion Hospital, and school physician for Clarion Area School District. |
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Cadet Receives Scholarship
 The late Rear Admiral Eliot M. Senn, U.S. Navy (Retired) bequeathed a portion of his estate to the Department of the Navy to establish a memorial fund to recognize outstanding high school students who have demonstrated their interest in naval subjects. This grant funds the Joseph C. Gilliam Academic Achievement Award in honor of former NJROTC leader and patron Joseph C. Gilliam. In recognition of his exemplary achievements, this year's $1,000 scholarship winner was Penn Hills Cadet Gabriel Torres. His Citation from the Navy reads: "The highest individual academic award is bestowed upon you in recognition of your superior scholastic achievement. Not only have you excelled in your high school curriculum, but you have also been an outstanding cadet. You have the distinction of having been chosen from among outstanding cadets nationwide. You are a credit to Penn Hills High School, to your NJROTC Unit, and to the navy Junior ROTC program. I commend you for your exceptional scholarship" (Dr. J.D. Smith, NJROTC Program Manager). Cadet Torres was only 1 of 11 cadets chosen nationwide from thousands of competitors. "I am honored that Penn Hills NJROTC has once again, through Cadet Torres' hard work, received recognition for academic excellence," Commander Robert Morabito stated. |
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Johns Hopkins Recognizes Linton Students
In the recent Johns Hopkins University Center for Talented Youth 2009 Report, the following 7th and 8th grade Penn Hills students were recognized: 7th GradeMaia Davis - SAT Reading Score of 630; earned High Honors from Johns Hopkins University (to qualify for High Honors, a student must score at least 550 on the SAT Reading Section [mean score was 502, well above college-bound seniors]); combined score of 1100 (out of 1600) Zeleena Kearney - SAT Math Score of 590; earned High Honors from Johns Hopkins University (to qualify for High Honors, a student must score at least 550 on the SAT Math Section [mean score was 515, well above college-bound seniors])
8th Grade
Nicholas Page - SAT Reading Score of 510; earned Distinction from Johns Hopkins University (to qualify for Distinction, a student must score at or above mean of college-bound seniors)
Gavin Davis - SAT Reading Score of 570 and SAT Math Score of 530; earned Distinction from Johns Hopkins University (to qualify for Distinction, a student must score at or above mean of college-bound seniors); combined score of 1100 (out of 1600)
Suzane Nanthavong - Combined SAT Reading and Math score of 1010 (out of 1600)
Tucker Curran - SAT Reading Score of 520 (mean college score for college-bound seniors was 502)
Christian Donnelly - ACT Score of 23 (mean ACT score for college-bound seniors was 21) |
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PHAME Event a Success
The Penn Hills Arts and Music Education (PHAME) Foundation spring gala was held on May 8th at the Churchill Valley Country Club. The evening was a huge success, enjoyed by all in attendance, and included induction of the first members into the Penn Hills Hall of Fame. These inductees were Sam Pugliano, member of the Broadcasters Hall of Fame, National Cleveland-Style Polka Hall of Fame, and United Musicians Polka Association of Pennsylvania; Charlie Apple, well-known radio host and DJ for over 40 years in the Tri-State area; and Kevin Peter Hall, basketball standout at 7' 2.5", who received a scholarship to George Washington University and went on to an acting career as the title character in "Predator" and Harry in "Harry and the Hendersons," among others, before his untimely death in 1991.
The evening was filled with hands-on opportunities to experience the arts through music, drama, visual arts, and dance. Vickie Horn was the winner of the trip to Paris, and Gabriel Torres was the first PHAME scholarship recipient (given to a senior pursuing a career in the arts).
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Two Athletes Receive Scholarships
 On May 18th at Edgewood Country Club, two Penn Hills seniors were awarded scholarships from the East Boros Hall of Fame. Annie Gula--swimming, track, and tennis--and Nick Buban--football and basketball--each received a $1,000 scholarship from the organization. The East Boros Hall of Fame is a branch of the Western PA Sports Hall of Fame, which is a branch of the Pennsylvania Hall of Fame. Each year, East Boros holds a golf outing, with the proceeds funding scholarships for deserving students. Over the past six years, the organization has awarded $20,000 in scholarships. Each school within the area served by East Boros is asked to submit worthy students. These schools include Woodland Hills, Wilkinsburg, Penn Hills, Gateway, Plum, Riverview, and Franklin Regional. A committee made up of Bob Ford, Dick Misenhelter, and others reviewed the applications and selected the winners. | |
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Coming in the next edition of Penn Hills Pride, a wrap-up of the school year and a look forward to Fall 2009. All this and more in the next edition of Penn Hills Pride. | |
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