On October 20th and 21st, students from Linton Middle School had the opportunity to see, touch, and talk to living history.  The students interviewed veterans at Seneca Place for the Library of Congress Veterans History Project.  Once completed, two of the interviews will be sent to the Library of Congress, where they will be digitized and catalogued.  Within a few months, people around the country will be able to learn about the wartime experiences of Seneca Place veterans by watching the interviews and viewing associated web pages.  In addition, a video presentation including all of the interviews will be produced for a Veterans Day event to be held at the Seneca Place facility.

 

21st Century Teaching and Learning Integration Coach Brian Brown, who videotaped and helped coach the students during the interviews, said this project is typically recommended for high school and above.  "This is a tremendous accomplishment and experience for our middle school students," he explained.  Those taking part in the project, along with Mr. Brown, included Alan Bilsky, Francis Ferragonio, Amanda Power, Linda Knaus, and Bob Patterson.

 

Linton got involved in the project after Curriculum Secretary Linda Knaus received a phone call from Deanne Thomas, activity director at Seneca Village.  Ms. Knaus said that Ms. Thomas has always done a beautiful program for the veterans on Veterans Day, and, "this year, she wanted to do something special."  She asked Ms. Knaus if students would be willing to come and interview the veterans.

 

"I thought it was a wonderful project," Ms. Knaus, so she brought it to the attention of Mr. Patterson and some social studies teachers.  They all agreed that it was a great idea, she explained.  Mr. Brown was asked to videotape the interviews, and he told them about the government project.  If a 30-minute interview was done with specific questions, these tapes would be housed in the Library of Congress.  Nineteen interviews were completed, although not all were at the 30-minute level.

 

The teachers selected the students to participate.  Those involved met as a group about a week before the interviews.  Students were assigned a veteran to interview and a biography.  They then formulated questions based on what they had read about their veteran.  The students responded positively to the opportunity to do the interviews and were excited to interact with the veterans.  Some of the students had an interest in history while others just appeared to be caught up in the opportunity to talk to someone who had experienced so much, rather than just reading about it in a book.  Based upon the feedback received from the students, Mr. Brown said, "I think they got a lot out of the experience."

According to the teachers, the students truly enjoyed their time with both the ladies and gentlemen.  In fact, Ms. Knaus said that a couple of the students asked Ms. Thomas if they could volunteer their time to come and talk to the residents again.  The students ate lunch with the veterans after the interviews were completed.  After lunch, one sixth grader, showing just how special our Linton students are, stood up to shake the veteran's hand and then thanked him for his service.

 

For more information on the Veterans History Project, click here.  Additional photos from the visit to Seneca Place can be found here.

On October 14th, Senior High School students representing various sports and activities boarded the Big Red Bus (actually a big yellow bus) to visit students at Forbes Elementary and Linton Middle School to share a large dose of school spirit.  Elementary students at Forbes were awestruck at the sight of the older students they have admired from afar and clamored to have their photos taken with them.  One football player was heard to say how much smaller the hallways at Forbes seemed than in his day.  At Linton, where it was tie-dye day, the high school students went from table to table while the PTA encouraged the middle school students to sign posters.  It seemed clear that both the younger and older students enjoyed the opportunity to interact with each other.  For additional photos from the event, visit the Forbes and Linton photo galleries.

During the first week of November, each school building in the District will have the opportunity to experience an anti-bullying assembly presented by Jim Jordan.  An author, professional speaker, and entertainer, Mr. Jordan has been entertaining children and adults for the past 20 years.  Utilizing just a touch of magic and audience participation, Mr. Jordan will demonstrate how to build a solid foundation of character education in order to put an end to bullying in our schools. For more information on the program, click here.

On October 21^st, a special celebration called "Lights on After School" was held at Linton Middle School as part of the District's "Magic in the Middle" 21st Century Program.  The event was held in collaboration with Communities in Schools, lead partner, and the State Department of Education and After School Alliance and included:

• Viewing presentations illustrating why the "Magic in the Middle" After School Program is so needed
• Meeting teacher/aides who work with the students in the "Magic in the Middle" After School Program
• Meeting the service providers/partners who are making a difference in the lives of the District's children
• Creating special items for parents to have as a keepsake of the event.

The celebration was a huge success and well attended by parents.  Attendees also included school board members, Representative Tony DeLuca, and Sharon Price from Senator Jay Costa's office.  This event, one of over 7,500 similar events nationwide, was part of the Afterschool Alliance's effort to raise awareness about the importance of quality afterschool programming. It was an exciting chance to learn more about the programs taking place in the community and it a singular opportunity this year to show support for America's youth.  Afterschool programming plays a significant role in the Penn Hills community.  For example:

• 26% of Pennsylvania's K-12 children are left unsupervised after school (America After 3 PM, 2009)
• The hours between 3 and 6 pm show the highest instance of juvenile crime and experimentation with drugs, alcohol, cigarettes, and sex (Fight Crime: Invest in Kids, 2002)
• 32% of Pennsylvania's children not in an afterschool program would attend, were one available (America After 3 PM, 2009).

Professional Development Coordinator Stefanie Raspotnik said the wonderful turnout by parents and the community "sent a strong message that we support and value Penn Hills youth and recognize the important role that afterschool programming plays in the growth and development of our Penn Hills children."