Commemorative t-shirts are now being sold to remember the elementary buildings that will soon be closing and help to raise funds for new playground equipment for the new elementary school.  It is a way to remember the past while helping to provide for the future.  Orders are due by March 10th and can be turned in to the main office of any school building.  Order yours now!  A printable form can be found by clicking here.

Meanwhile, the 9th Grade Academy Program is also selling t-shirts.  Proceeds benefit the program and orders are due in by March 14th.  They can be sent to the attention of Mr. Christopher Horne at the Senior High School or dropped off at the Senior High School Main Office.  For a printable order form, click here.

The Big Read started as a pilot project in 2006 and, to date, more than 1,000 grants have been awarded.

The CCAC One College... One Community Initiative was awarded one of the grants, and the Senior High is honored to be a partner in this year's program. The 2014 series will focus on author Tim O'Brien's The Things They Carried, a powerful collection of stories about the Vietnam War written from the soldier's perspective. The kickoff event was held in March at Soldiers & Sailors and featured guest speaker Jan Scruggs, founder and president of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund.

When Dr. Barbara Evans, Associate Dean of Academic Affairs at CCAC, learned of the District's interest in participating, she encouraged us to partner with CCAC by incorporating the book into a class and hosting an event at our school. Students in our new Library Science Course and our library assistants will be participating in this event at our high school library in March. This is a great opportunity for us to showcase our students, awesome library, beautiful building, and Penn Hills Community. Due to limited space, this will be a closed event.

At the event, we will honor Captain Edward Dice, a local veteran and Penn Hills graduate who is the son of Biology Teacher Claire Dice.  As our guest speaker, he will share his war experiences in a PowerPoint presentation and address the themes in the book.

CCAC provided marketing materials and books for all of our students and invited them to attend events and compete for student contests in the areas of poetry, essay, art, and project categories.

"Dr. Evans is extremely pleased with our approach," Librarian Dorothy Coleman explained, "and plans to attend and film segments of our event to show at the closing ceremony in April at Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Hall."

Forbes Second Grader Caroline McDevitt recently took second place for her t-shirt design in the Grades 1-5 Division of the 2014 Million T-Shirt March Against Bullying national contest.  The contest received over 500 entries in three divisions.  For placing second, Forbes received a voucher for 50 free t-shirts printed with her design.  Caroline was also recognized at the February School Board meeting.

The Million T-Shirt March will be held May 1st and is designed to bring attention to the issue of bullying and raise funds for anti-bullying programs through the sale of t-shirts to be worn on the day of the march by all participants.

Gifted Coordinator Melissa Tamburrino said she got involved with the contest because this is an important issue.  Every Wednesday, students participate in Wipe-Out Wednesday, where they discuss bullying, she explained.  All gifted students in Grades K-4 had a chance to participate. They worked with her in pull-out gifted intervention to create a t-shirt rough draft.  The final draft was sent home to complete and then sent back to her.  The finalists and winners were judged and chosen by Olweus Bullying Prevention Program staff and/or representatives from partner organizations.

Caroline came up with her final idea after first thinking it should be a clock that would say, "It is time to stop bullying."  She never thought she would do as well as she did in the contest.  The project was important to her for the philosophical reason of wanting to stop bullying and the practical reason of wanting to win an IPad mini (Caroline said this with a smile).

"This was a great experience for the kids," Mrs. Tamburrino said, adding, "I am so proud of Caroline.  She is a great role model!"  For more information on the event, visit www.themilliontshirtmarch.org.

First Row L-R (Forbes 2nd grade gifted):  Winner Caroline McDevitt, Madeline Didomenico Second Row L-R (Forbes 3rd grade gifted):  Braeden Mechesney,  David Van Ryn, Mariah Lomax, Rebecca Frey Third Row L-R:  Gifted Coordinator Melissa Tamburrino, Principal Kristin Brown, 2nd Grade Teacher Jamie Harris

The 2014 Hall of Fame banquet will be held at Green Oaks Country Club on Friday, April 25th.  The committee has an outstanding class of inductees this year, including:

• Fred Chirieleison
• Barry Church
• Anthony Morelli
• Ben Pierce
• Ken Pizzica
• Shelly Prisuta
• John Tate
• 1990 Girls Basketball Team
• 1968 Fitness Team

Save the date and come out to honor the inductees and see some old friends.  Tickets for the event are $35.00 and can be obtained via the Hall of Fame website at www.pennhillssportshof.com or by contacting Mr. Dan Garofalo at Linton Middle School.  Anyone interested in purchasing space in the Hall of Fame Program to send a congratulatory message to one of the inductees can click here for the form.  Visit the Hall of Fame website for more information.

School Board Member Jennifer Burgess-Johnson recently attended a conference in Washington sponsored by the National School Board Association (NSBA).  As an attendee, she was required to bring district-specific data to present about the issues boards face due to restrictions placed on school board governance, No Child Left Behind (NCLB), and funding issues.  The conference was well attended, with more than 700 School Board Directors present.

The Pennsylvania delegation totaled 36 members, including past and current Pennsylvania School Board Association (PSBA) presidents and officers.   There were only two delegates representing Southwestern and Western Pennsylvania--Joe Tomarello from Plum Boro and Mrs. Burgess-Johnson.

One lesson learned from the program is that we must create and maintain working relationships with our legislative representatives, Mrs. Burgess-Johnson stated.  It is not enough to know who they are--they must know who we are.  They must hear from us on a monthly basis to continue the conversation on the need for fully funded public education to take center stage as part of the foundation for good citizenship.

The NSBA now has three celebrities who endorse the advocacy efforts.  Montel Williams, Sal Khan of Khan Academy, and Earvin Magic Johnson.  The NSBA advocacy resource StandUp4Publicschools.org went live in February and is accessible for use in district social media platforms.

Keynote speakers Bob Woodward and Rev. Bernice King were completely opposite in their positions on the Public School Systems.   Bob Woodward tended to side with a discussion panel of Kevin Chavous from the Washington, DC, City Council and Neal McCluskey from the Cato Think Tank that charter schools are a good form of competition for public schools.  Reverend Bernice King sided with the need for education reform, increased and consistent funding to attract and keep highly qualified teachers, and the continuance of being "maladjusted" to the existence of a public education system that is based on the wealth of the district instead of the across the board excellence in education offered to every American child.

Mrs. Burgess-Johnson and Congressman Doyle

The day on Capitol Hill began with the Pennsylvania delegation having breakfast with Senator Robert Casey in a question and answer session.  At approximately 9:30 am, over 700 delegates stormed the Hill. Mrs. Burgess-Johnson met with Congressman Mike Doyle and his staffer.   The Congressman was not only impressed at the information left for him about the issues facing our district, he was prepared.  He was receptive and attentive and consistently supports public education efforts.  He also looks forward to the opening of our new elementary school in June.  In her role as Federal Relations Network (FRN) advocate, Mrs. Burgess-Johnson will be in constant communication with him and his office on issues, legislation, and the ramifications of decisions made for our district.

In summary, Mrs. Burgess-Johnson said the conference was well worth the trip and put Penn Hills at the table for conversations we have been missing.  In speaking with the Pennsylvania delegates, Penn Hills stood alone as having the largest, most diverse population.   "We would do well to keep our district involved in state, local, and national conversations like this." she said.

The 6th Grade computer/library classes of Mr. Matt Bilinsky and Mrs. Ann Wade at Linton created biographic Photo Stories of influential African Americans in celebration of Black History Month.

Students working on their projects

Students chose an African American they felt had influenced their lives and researched information using books and online databases, including World Book Online.  They collected pictures from Google Images and saved them in a folder they created on their student account. The students then wrote a script they would read when creating the Photo Story.  Using Windows Photo Story 3, they organized their pictures and the researched notes to create a movie about their African American.

On Friday, February 28, the classes had a movie day to eat popcorn and watch the biographies they had created.  Administrators and teachers were invited to view their work and participate in the celebration of Black History Month. "The 6th graders did an outstanding job," Mrs. Wade said, "and learned a lot about African American history."  (additional photos are available in the Linton Photo Gallery)

Five o'clock comes early when you've been up most of the night making 300 pancakes and 20 pounds of Taco meat.  But Mrs. Chrissy Yeager, mother of Cadet Courtney Yeager, arrived at Penn Hills High School at 5 am on Saturday, March 1st, with 300 pancakes and Taco meat to set up the concession stand for the Penn Hills NJROTC Big Red Company's 5th Annual "Big Red Invitational" Drill Meet.  "At one point," Mrs. Yeager explained, "I was so tired that I inadvertently plugged in my toaster and couldn't understand why my griddle wasn't getting hot!"
 

Competition hosts

The drill meet began with the opening ceremony in the gymnasium at 9 am.  Participants included Marine Corps JROTC cadets from Ambridge High School and NJROTC cadets from Euclid High School in Elyria, Ohio; Garfield High School in Akron, Ohio; and James Ford Rhodes High School in Cleveland, Ohio.  Penn Hills freshman Cadet Florie Alicer sang a very moving rendition of the National Anthem as the Penn Hills Color Guard--under the command of Cadet Andrew Johnson, with Cadet Hannah Stawski hoisting the Navy flag and Cadets Lucas Baird and Jaylin Clark as riflemen--presented the National colors.  The competition immediately followed, with the schools vying for recognition in Color Guard, Basic Platoon Drill, Basic Squad Drill, Armed Platoon Drill, Unarmed Exhibition Drill, 1st year Unarmed Squad, 1st year Color Guard, and an Academic competition.

As the host school, the Penn Hills teams competed for score but did not participate in the overall trophy competition.  The closing ceremony saw both armed and unarmed individual knockout competitions, with medals going to the top 10 cadets in each category, and the raffling of six gift baskets that were put together from items donated by cadets, cadet parents, and local Penn Hills corporate benefactors.

Top scorers James Ford Rhodes

Trophies were awarded to the top 3 teams in each category and a single 1st place trophy to the school with the highest combined score on the academic exam.  An overall drill meet champion trophy was also awarded.  Competition was very keen, with cadets from all of the schools demonstrating excellent skills in self-discipline and drill.  James Ford Rhodes NJROTC came away with the overall victory as they finished first in Academics, Armed Platoon Drill, and 1st year Color Guard.  Garfield and Euclid NJROTC units tied for second place overall, while Ambridge finished a close third.

Head Judge for the event was Staff Sergeant Grant Borden from the U.S. Army's recruiting station.  He was assisted by Sergeant Marilyn Harper, U.S. Army, and Penn Hills Cadets Jaylin Clark, Andrew Johnson, Lucas Baird, Hannah Stawski, Courtney Yeager, and Cory Umscheid.  The Big Red Company's Academic Commander, Cadet Zane Conaway, assisted by Cadet Kayla Nieser, administered the 100-question exam for the academic competition.  Cadets Connor Hoffman and Donaven Johnson served as "runners," ensuring that the judges grading sheets made it to Parent Boosters Mrs. Rebecca Gass, Mrs. Denise Schwartz, and Mrs. Cindy Hoffman, who served to tally all the scores.

The booster's concession stand saw a brisk business throughout the event, with Mrs. Lori Theofilis, Mrs. Aeisha Carter, Mrs. Lisa Baird, Mrs. Tonya Lisovich, Mrs. Erin Harrington, Mr. and Mrs. Scott and Peggy Brown, Ms. Yvette Logan, Ms.  Maya Logan, Ms. Stacy Lippert, and Mr. and Mrs. Eric and Kristin Umschied helping Mrs. Yeager.  "The walking tacos did very well," Mrs. Yeager related, adding, "But I don't think I'll ever make pancakes again."

(Additional photos are available in the NJROTC Photo Gallery and video clips are available at One, Two, Three, and Four)

In February, the District held its first kindergarten transition night at Forbes Elementary School.  Parents and students joined teachers and Principal Kristin Brown for "Fun With Math."  The event was for incoming kindergarten students for the Fall of 2014 and was to:

• Build familiarity with the school-aged expectations for learning
• Share resources for parents to use at home to support math readiness
• Help early learners feel comfortable with the transition to kindergarten.

Those looking for information on registering their child for kindergarten (or pre-K) in the 2014-15 school year can click the Hi5! button.  This will take you to instructions, forms, and contact information for the District's Student Registration Department.

In the meantime, you can find helpful tips on getting your child ready for the transition to kindergarten by clicking here.  And, mark your calendars for upcoming events such as: 

• Preschool-to-Kindergarten Transition Night - Fun With Reading, March 19th, 6-7 pm, Washington Elementary
• Preschool-to-Kindergarten Transition Night - Fun With the Arts, April 23rd, 6-7 pm, Penn Hebron Elementary
• Penn Hills Elementary Get Acquainted Event, April 25th, 6:30-8 pm, Linton Middle School
• Kindergarten Orientation, May 8th, Penn Hills Elementary.

And check out our District online calendar for other events that might be of interest to you.  There's always something going on in the District.  Join us!

The Hiram College Board of Trustees has elected Dr. Lori Varlotta (PH'81) as the 22nd president of the institution.  Ms. Varlotta, 50, is the first woman president in Hiram history. She is currently the senior vice president for planning, enrollment management, and student affairs at California State University, Sacramento. She will succeed Tom Chema, who is retiring after 11 years in the position.    

Ms. Varlotta, a Penn Hills graduate, has served as a university administrator for 29 years, including the last 11 at Sacramento State. During her career, she has tackled some of higher education's most pressing issues, such as retention and graduation, planning and budgeting, transparency and accountability, and health and wellness. In her current position, she leads four diverse divisions of the university, including enrollment management, student affairs, student retention and educational equity, and a NCAA Division I athletic program. Among her many accomplishments are bolstering the institution's student retention program, recruiting some of the largest and most diverse classes in Sacramento state history, conceptualizing and overseeing the construction of two LEED-certified buildings, and designing and implementing a comprehensive outcomes-based assessment program that has been replicated at institutions across the country.

"Lori Varlotta is an experienced and accomplished college administrator, and we are delighted to welcome her to our community," said Ken Moore, chairman of the Hiram College Board of Trustees. "She was the unanimous choice of the Board of Trustees and was very favorably received by the faculty, staff, students, and alumni whom she met during the search process. She has a deep commitment to Hiram's nationally respected liberal arts tradition and possesses enormous energy and creativity that will allow her to be a highly effective college president."

Ms. Varlotta has held a variety of leadership positions in higher education and was attracted to Hiram because of its distinctive academic program and commitment to students.

"In my conversations with members of the Hiram community it became apparent to me that the work being done here is transformative, and there is a shared commitment to student success," said Ms. Varlotta. "A lot of institutions say that, but at Hiram there is ample evidence that students can shape their own educational and co-curricular experience. There is a true partnership between Hiram faculty and students, and the results are life-changing. Hiram is opening up the world to students through study abroad and experiential learning opportunities and, in doing so, preparing them to lead in their professions and our world. I'm delighted and honored to join the effort and build on the extraordinary success achieved by the community under President Chema's leadership."

As a member of the Penn Hills Senior High graduating Class of 1981, Ms. Varlotta was a class valedictorian.  Her parents, Anthony J. and Elissa L. Varlotta, still live in the same house where she grew up. Additionally, her three brothers live, work, and raise their families in the greater Pittsburgh area.  Ms. Varlotta earned a bachelor's degree in philosophy from the University of Notre Dame, an interdisciplinary master's degree in Cultural Foundations of Education from Syracuse University, and an interdisciplinary doctorate in Educational Leadership from Miami University (Ohio). She joined California State University, Sacramento, in 2003. Prior positions in her career include dean of student life at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater; assistant vice president for student affairs at the University of San Francisco; director of leadership and service-learning at Miami University (Ohio); director of student activities and college union at the University of Pittsburgh-Bradford; and director of college programs and orientation at Chatham College.  She also worked at Robert Morris College.

Ms. Varlotta will join the Hiram College community in early August.

Project Prom/Project Prom for Gentlemen provides free prom dresses, as well as free or reduced-price tuxedos and accessories, to eligible high school students who wish to attend what is often a highlight of their school social life. The events are operated by the Allegheny County Department of Human Services (DHS) Events and Donations Team.

Students are eligible for free prom attire if they or a member of their household receive food or utility assistance; live in a foster or group home; receive mental health or intellectual disability services; receive treatment for substance disorders; meet guidelines for free or reduced school lunches; or have a caretaker who receives unemployment benefits.

Students can visit the Project Prom webpage to learn how they can participate.

Dates for the Gown Giveaway at the Project Prom Shop on the third floor of Century III Mall in West Mifflin are from 10 am to 4 pm on Saturday, March 15, and from 3 pm to 8 pm from March 17-20.  Project Prom for Gentlemen will be held from 5 pm to 8:30 pm on April 10 at Herberman Center, UPMC Shadyside, for about 100 students.

A public sale of gowns and accessories will be held from 10 am to 4 pm on March 29 for students who are not eligible for free attire. Items are available at a great discount--nothing is more than $25.

High school students seeking to get hands-on experience in broadcast, print, photo, and online journalism are invited to apply to participate in the 31st Annual Frank Bolden Urban Journalism Workshop.

Presented by the Pittsburgh Black Media Federation, the workshop is a free, residential program that will take place Saturday, August 2, through Saturday, August 9, 2014, at Point Park University, Downtown.

High school students who will be juniors or seniors in the 2014-15 school year and seniors graduating this year are invited to apply to participate.

During the workshop, in which media professionals lead an intensive training program, students apply their knowledge to write articles for a professional-quality newspaper, create radio segments and television newscasts, and complete photography and social media projects.

One of the goals of the workshop is to increase the number of African Americans in fields in which they are underrepresented, but students of any ethnicity are welcome to apply.  The workshop also gives students an opportunity to improve their communication skills, and it builds a sense of awareness of diverse communities.

The application form can be accessed by clicking here or may be completed online at www.pbmf.org.

The deadline to submit applications is May 15.  Applications may be e-mailed to Christopher T. Moore at CMoore@WQED.org or mailed to PBMF at the address above.  For more information, email Moore or call him at 412-622-1388 or 800-876-1316.

Founded in 1973, PBMF is a nonprofit organization that advocates for diversity in newsrooms, hosts programs that recognize excellent media coverage of minority communities, and trains young people to enter the media industry.