The District has received notification of a teachers' strike beginning February 4th.  For details and updates on the strike, visit the Breaking News section of the website.

The Cabaret, Chocolate, and Roses event began four years ago when the choir programs were looking for an event to help raise money for senior scholarships. "It's no secret that we have some extremely stellar students in the music program," Choral Teacher Kayla Lorey said, "and the Choral Parents Association of Penn Hills (CPAPH) has traditionally awarded scholarships to one or two seniors to continue their education." Prior to that year, the CPAPH had sponsored a spaghetti dinner.  With the popularity of the event dwindling, the group knew they needed to come up with something new. Lorey said they came up with the idea in January, and it was ready to roll by February.

The event was christened Cabaret, Chocolate, and Roses because it is an evening of Broadway solo singing concluding with a chocolate buffet. It is held each year around Valentine's Day and so roses play a part in the decorating for this evening of music, romance, and fun.

Lorey said the event is something that the students in the choirs get excited about from the beginning of the school year.  Any student is welcome to sing a solo or with a small group, and they begin to choose what they will sing starting in September. Students from Grades 10-12 sing, providing an opportunity to hear many different songs and styles of music and see how students can grow from the beginning of their high school experience to the end of it.

The other exciting part of the evening is the chocolate buffet following the performance. Donations are received from many local businesses, including Eat N' Park, Fudgie Wudgie, CiCi's Pizza, Sam's Club, and Boscov's, as well as many choral parents. "The whole lobby of the auditorium is filled with chocolate and desserts," Lorey explained, adding, "It's a fun way to end the evening!"

Proceeds from the event go to the CPAPH senior scholarship fund. The event has increased every year, and Lorey said they have been able to award two $500 scholarships to choral seniors. "The more we are able to make from the event," she said, "the more scholarships we can award."

Tickets can be preordered but are always available at the door. Cost is $10 for adults and $6 for students and seniors.  The event will be held on Friday, February 19th, beginning at 7 p.m.  This is a change from the original date of February 12th.  Anyone with questions, wanting tickets, or who would like to donate to the event should contact Kala Lorey at klorey@phsd.k12.pa.us.

The Penn Hills Boys' Varsity Soccer Team will be holding its annual indoor soccer tournament at the Fralic Center on Saturday, March 6th.  The event begins at 8:00 a.m.  The tournament fee is $150 per team, and teams will be taken on a first-come, first-registered basis.  For more information on the event and a registration form, click here.  Deadline for registration is February 17th.

Involved in a number of activities throughout the District, Senior Carrie Blazina serves as club editor for the Key Club, captain of the Hometown High Q team, co-editor of Penn Points, and co-captain of a high school team for the Westmoreland Interscholastic Reading Competition.  She also participates in French Club, Drama Club, Senior Class Play, and National Honor Society and will be appearing in the spring musical, Thoroughly Modern Millie.  In addition, she plays softball with the Penn Hills Girls' Softball Association in the summer.
 
When asked about the achievements that got her nominated, Carrie responded that "I'd like to think that leading our Hometown High Q team to its first victory in at least the last three years and getting into the playoffs is an accomplishment!"  She also received a number of Freshman Awards for citizenship and academics and maintains close to a 4.0 grade average.  Of the many activities she is involved in, she said she will remember her time in the musicals more than anything else. She met many people that she became friends with, and a lot of their inside jokes and backstage antics are things she will always remember. In addition, she really feels that being in Key Club has helped the community in a small way, "even if we only see the results occasionally or get thanked every once in a while."
 
Carrie's future plans include continuing her education, majoring in print journalism.  Her first choice of a college is the University of Maryland.  While she awaits word from that institution, she has already been accepted at Robert Morris University.  She credits much of her academic success to how well her parents prepared her for school and showed her how important it was to get a good education so she could be happy when she grew up. For example, almost every summer when she was younger, she went to really fun summer camps that she enjoyed but that were also educational and beneficial, such as camps through C-MITES and the Carnegie Science Center.

Her advice to other students is to know how important it is to help out the District and themselves by passing all of their standardized tests. "They have to remember what a mistake it is to blow those off," she explained, "because, if we continue to not meet these standards, more and more of the classes and programs they like will get cut." She went on to say that "it's a shame that the students who do pass their tests could miss out on a real school experience because some people don't want to take these tests seriously."  She also wants students to know that it's really important to get involved with school activities.  She advises them not to overdo it but that it can be really fun and useful to be in a club.   And, while she admits that it may sound a little cheesy, she said she has always tried her hardest while in Penn Hills to do positive things that help both her and other people but always trying to have fun along the way.

Carrie said that, in her experience at Penn Hills, she has seen that the District tends to have a bad reputation among the other schools and in the area in general. She pointed out that, "if you just scratch the surface a bit, there are many smart, talented, accomplished students at Penn Hills Senior High, and I hope in the future that this is more recognized and celebrated throughout the community."

This year at Forbes Elementary, the Nutrition Group invited Santa to breakfast.  He distributed large coloring pages and crayons to each of the students.  Several parents joined in the fun of this festive event.  Forbes Elementary Principal Kristin Brown invited her staff to help Santa distribute the coloring pages.   The PTA was very supportive and assisted the students with filling out raffle tickets and getting posters ready.  Santa pulled tickets for three cordless AM/FM head sets before heading back to the North Pole.  The students were very excited about participating in this special day and winning the cool prizes.
 
The Blast Off to the Holiday Break started on December 9th and continued every day through December 22nd.  This was the countdown of the final 10 days before the holiday break.  The first day started off at each school throughout the District with ten winners per lunch period, and the winners received a baked bag of chips.  The second day had nine winners per lunch period, and the winners received a fruit snack.  Each day continued with winners and a variety of healthy snacks through the last day, which ended with one winner per lunch period.  These winners all received a bag of healthy snacks.  Winners were determined by receiving a lucky tray during lunch periods.  It was an exciting event for the students.

In January, the Board approved agreements with the State to participate in the Race to the Top Program, with the Senior High School being designated as a "turnaround school."  Race to the Top is a $4.35 billion competitive grant opportunity from the U.S. Department of Education (USDE) to encourage and reward states that are implementing reforms in the four core areas described in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).  These are:
 
1.      Enhancing standards and assessments
2.      Creating and using data to improve instruction
3.      Increasing effectiveness of teachers and leaders
4.      Turning around struggling schools.
 
In addition to agreeing to implement all required activities for participating districts, districts with turnaround schools must also agree to implement all required activities targeted specifically to turnaround schools. In particular, districts with turnaround schools must agree to select and implement one of the four school intervention models in each of its turnaround schools.
 
To view the presentation made at the January Board meeting, click here.  Additional information on Race to the Top can be found here.

January 27th and 28th saw the distribution of Bring Up Grades (BUG) Awards to elementary students at Dible, Forbes, Washington, and Penn Hebron. Begun by the Kiwanis, the BUG Program recognizes students who raise their grades to an acceptable level and then continue to either maintain or improve those grades from one grading period to the next.  Students received certificates, pencils, and magnets.

The Annual PTA/PTO Volleyball Night will be held on Friday, February 26th.  Doors open at 6:00 p.m., with warm-up at 6:00 p.m. and tournament play beginning at 6:30.  Admission is $2.00 for adults and $1.00 for students.  All elementary students must be accompanied by an adult.  Food and refreshments will be sold and a Chinese Auction and 50/50 raffle held.  All proceeds from the event benefit the PTA/PTO Council Scholarship Fund.  Last year's trophy was taken by a team from the Senior High School.
 
Scholarships will be awarded to students at the annual Scholarship Awards Night on May 11, 2010.

On January 23rd, the 16th Annual Linton Science Fair was held and awards were presented to students in Grades 6-9.  The event showcased projects in which students employed the scientific method to form hypotheses and draw conclusions.  Project topics included astronomy, biology, health, medicine, chemistry, math, computers, meteorology, and physics.  Prizes donated by the school's Parent Teacher Association (PTA) and Pennsylvania Association for Gifted Education (PAGE) included savings bonds, trophies, medals, and ribbons.  Trophy and special award winners will have the opportunity to advance to the Pittsburgh Regional Science and Engineering Fair in March.
 
6th Grade
1st Place:  Jenna MacBeth - "Equality of Light?"
2nd Place:  Elizabeth Boody - "So You Think Your Hands Are Clean?"
3rd Place:  Brianna McCue - "Point and Pop" 
Most Creative:   Norman (Andy) Oswalt - "Feed Your Mind"
 
7th Grade
1st Place:  Andre Kuminoski - "Bacterial Barrage"
2nd Place:  Jesse Hong - "Rain Affects pH of the Streams of Penn Hills"
3rd Place:  Justin Dumm - "Bubbling Up by Growing Yeast" (also received Most Creative)
Best of Show, Junior Division:  Aleena Gula - "Sun Spectacular"

8th Grade
1st Place:  Ryan Bunyaratapan - "Sugar, You Save Me" (also received Most Creative)
2nd Place:  Joshua Pittman - "Going, Going Gone!"
3rd Place:  Clay Harrison - "Rechargeable vs Alkaline:  Which Battery Supplies More Power?"
 
9th Grade
1st Place:  Christian Donnelly - "Never Mind the Optics...Listen for a Change"
2nd Place:  Peter Gula - "The Blind Side" (also received Most Creative)
3rd Place:  Heather Catley - "A Sticky Situation"
Best of Show, Senior Division:  Dan Orsen - "The Golden Scale"

 

For a complete list of winners, click here.  Additional photos from the event are available here.

The District has a limited number of spaces available in its Title I 2010-2011 All-Day Preschool Program.  This preschool is for 3 and 4 year olds that are Penn Hills residents.
 
The program, which receives Federal Title I funding, will screen children and interview parents in May to determine which children would benefit most.    
 
The preschool program is held all day (8:30 a.m. until 2:30 p.m.), Monday through Friday, currently at Washington and Dible Elementary Schools.  To be eligible for next fall, children must turn age 3 by September 1st and must be toilet trained.
 
Certified teachers provide developmentally appropriate curriculum, socialization opportunities, motor activities, language enrichment, and parent participation opportunities to preschoolers in the program.
 
Parents must provide transportation.  Parents must also agree to participate four times each month by attending classes with their children, arranging in-school conferences, attending PTA meetings, attending daytime group parenting sessions with our family specialist, or participating in activities with their children at home or at school.
 
To schedule a screening appointment, call 412-793-7000, extension 279, by Monday, May 3rd.  Screenings will be held on Monday, May 24; Tuesday, May 25; Wednesday, May 26; Thursday, May 27; and Monday, June 1, 2010.