Earlier this fall, the School Board welcomed two new student representatives for the 2014-15 school year.

Senior Class President and Student Board Member Baylea Anderson is involved in numerous activities, including Student Council, SAAD, Role Models, Student Forum, Future Business Leaders of America, morning announcements, basketball, and volleyball.  She works at McDonalds when not in school.  And, this fall, she was also crowned Homecoming Queen.

Baylea's favorite class is Ceramics because she sees herself as being "very artistic and it helps me clear my thoughts and relax."  She also loves AP Psychology because "it teaches me so many new things every time I come to class, and they're actually interesting facts!"

Baylea's goal as a student board representative is to be able to fulfill the needs of her class and represent her class and school in a well-respected way.

After graduation, Baylea's plans are to go to a 4+ year college to study International Business and Spanish.  The top schools she is looking at are the University of Pittsburgh and Howard University, but she also plans on applying to more colleges so she is able to have options.

One thing about Penn Hills High School that she would want people to know is that there are so many great kids throughout the school. "Multiple students are not recognized for their accomplishments and are not heard," she said, "and I wish every student had a voice to help improve our school as a whole."

Student Council President and Student Board Member Dina Perlic holds many leadership positions at the Senior High School, including Varsity Cheerleading Captain, Rhythmette Captain, and Key Club Vice President.  She is also involved in National Honor Society, French Club, and SADD.

Outside of school, Dina is both an employee and volunteer at UPMC Seneca Hills Village. "I am passionate and enthusiastic in all my endeavors," she said, and that comes through clearly in every monthly report she gives to the Board on activities at the Senior High.

Dina's favorite class is Show Choir.  "I love having the opportunity to sing and dance during my school day," she exclaimed, adding that she looks forward to that class each day and can't wait until the Winter Choir Concert.

Dina's goal as a Student School Board Representative is to "share our student body's successes and positivity with the school board members."  She added that she also hopes "to learn from all the school board members' leadership skills and apply them to how I lead."

As far as her future studies, Dina has narrowed down her list of colleges and is currently in the process of sending in her applications.  She would like to study Chemical Engineering with a minor in Dance.

One thing that Dina would like people to know about the Senior High School and student body is that they are constantly striving to make the school a better and more enjoyable place. "Our creativity and ambition are indeed improving our school's environment," she said, "and we are excited for the future."  If she could change something about the school, she would add dance and Zumba classes in addition to regular physical education.  But, for right now, she is working on creating events to increase spirit and pride in the school.

The Big Read Spirit Day was an engaging, noisy learning event held on October 16 in the High School Cafeteria. The students were intrigued by Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451 and the Banned Books Poster. Many students were shocked to find some of their favorite books, such as Harry Potter and To Kill a Mockingbird on that list. The Library Club created and wore Big Read Buttons, created two posters with information about Ray Bradbury and Fahrenheit 451, made and handed out fliers with a plot summary and biography about him, and presented a movie trailer for the Fahrenheit 451 film.

Over 500 treats as prizes were awarded for participation in educational games, and over 100 "read" tattoos were stamped. Many students also shared their favorite novels, of which The Fault in Our Stars, The Hunger Games, and Harry Potter were the top three.  Library Club members diligently worked through all three of their lunches. The event was filmed by club member Aliyah Thompson, and the footage was used in the closing ceremony by CCAC.  Dr. Evans, CCAC Big Read Project Director, was able to attend the event, interviewing students, firefighters, and Librarian Dorothy Coleman. Dr. Evans was amazed at how confident and articulate the students were in their responses to her questions. "It confirms my belief that if you trust students and engage them, they can deliver," said Mrs. Coleman.

The High School PTSA was able to arrange for two volunteer firefighters to attend the event, arriving in their fire truck from the Mt. Carmel Fire Station. Captain RJ Gallman and Fireman Robert Williams were able to bring along a large amount of their firefighting gear. Mr. Williams demonstrated how to put it on and then so did Library Club Member Taylor Armstrong. The gear weighed over 150 pounds; the difference in time it took between Mr. Williams and Taylor really displayed the amount of training it takes to effectively and quickly equip in the gear.  They shared information about their jobs, along with the benefits that can come with volunteer firefighting. Not only do they volunteer, but they hold regular jobs as 911 dispatchers as well. They spoke of their average day--their shift begins, then they check their equipment, perform basic chores, and clean. They keep up on their education, always continuing to expand their knowledge, especially since there are very long waiting periods throughout the day. However, when the alarm sounds, they drop everything and gear up for whatever emergency rang the alarm. Emergencies vary greatly, from (obviously) fires to medical emergencies (as the fire station staffs paramedics) and even a case of a cat being stuck in a tree!  Other events the firefighters volunteer for include public relations, holiday events, and walk-outs.
 
The firefighters perform a lot of drilling and training so as to always keep vigilant and prepared for dangerous situations. On average, the station receives 30 calls a week and about 700 yearly. Due to the volunteer nature of the work, however, staffing is somewhat difficult for the station. Out of 160 fire departments in all of Allegheny County, only about 7 of them are paid. Although the job doesn't pay, it does provide some terrific benefits. The station can provide on-site living quarters so long as the residents keep the station clean and continue their education in their spare time. Other benefits include a massive amount of volunteering hours, wonderful for applying to postsecondary schools and resumes. Another amazing benefit is the scholarship program with CCAC, where five years of volunteer service gets you a free Associate Degree. Nearly anyone without any major ailment can volunteer, so long as you're in fairly good health. Joining will also help to build your physical condition. If interested in volunteering for the fire department, simply go to your local station and sign up!

Special thanks are given to Principal Eric Kostic, Jane Marra, and MJ Gula from the High School PTSA, and Caroline Marra, a Penn Hills graduate who arranged the firemen's participation.  We expressed our gratitude further by giving the firemen a copy of Fahrenheit 451, a container of Twizzlers, and a "thank-you" card with $50 for pizza. The Fahrenheit 451 movie, starring Oskar Werner, was played on October 31 in the PHSH library. The Big Read Closing Ceremony was held November 5 at the Carnegie Library Lecture Hall in Oakland.

Overall, the Big Read was quite successful, garnered a terrific amount of participation, and raised awareness for how important reading is. The Big Read helped Ray Bradbury's legacy live on into 2014, two years after his passing. A famed quote of his still rings true, especially today where reading is disappointingly falling out of favor with young people, "You don't have to burn books to destroy a culture. Just get people to stop reading them."  (Special thanks to Senior Library Club Member Luke Dymerski, who contributed this article)  (additional photos in the Senior High Photo Gallery)

L-R:  Angelica Jefferson, Bella Mitlo, Leah Robbins, Hunter Taylor

Melissa Tamburrino's gifted 4th graders took second place at the AIU History Bowl on October 30.  The event was held at the Heinz History Center.

Seventy-four teams participated in the event from the Burgettstown Area, Canon-MacMillan, Deer Lakes, Ft. Cherry, McGuffey, McKeesport, Mt. Lebanon, Penn Hills, Riverview, South Allegheny, Uniontown, Upper St. Clair, West Mifflin, and Wilkinsburg School Districts.  Teachers and their students were encouraged to explore the History Center during the event.  Students were challenged to find answers to questions, think and write creatively, and practice problem-solving abilities as they explored the exhibits.

Four activities were designed for students to earn points toward placement in the History Bowl.

Passenger Journal -- Pittsburgh's Lost Steamboat
Students walked through the exhibit and chose five artifacts.  They listed the artifacts with a short description.  Then, they used the five artifacts to create a journal entry of a passenger on board the steamboat.  Teams were able to use the name of a person that was on the steamboat or create a fake passenger.
 
What Is It? - Special Collections
Students interviewed ten objects, asking each the following questions:  What is its name?  What year is it from?  What is the description of the object?  Students received one point for every correct answer.  A total of 3 points per object could be earned for a grand total of 30 points.  No two objects could be from the same decade.
 
Who Am I? - Sports Museum - Scavenger Hunt
Students matched the sports figure to statements and received two points for each correct answer.
 
Heinz by the Numbers
Students toured the Heinz Exhibit and answered questions about the exhibit in numbers.  Students received one point for each correct number.  No calculators were allowed.

Congratulations to Ms. Tamburrino's students on their second place finish!

On October 8, the Penn Hills NJROTC held an award ceremony to start off the year, called Dessert Night. Twenty-five cadets and their families participated in this event.

Dessert Night started with the presentation of our nation's flag and a rousing rendition of the National Anthem sang by Cadet Chelsea Dixon. After the presentation, cadets on color guard, drill team, and sword team demonstrated their unique styles. Parents were then given an explanation of the NJROTC program and our goals for the 2014-2015 school year.

Seven cadets received promotions at the ceremony:

• Cadet Courtney Yeager was promoted to Petty Officer 3rd class
• Cadets Jesse Antonucci, Eric Buckman, and Jake Russell were promoted to Seamen
• Cadets Kendra Gillcrese, Jordan Adams-Morris, and Jesse Zalewski were promoted to Seamen Apprentice.

Cadets also received the following awards:

Community Service Award
Cadet Kaleb Hughson received his 1st award
Cadet Jesse Antonucci received his 2nd award
Cadet Kendra Gillcrese received her 12th award.

Unit Service
Cadet Florie Alicer received her 1st award
Cadet Jarrett Brown received his 6th award.

Cadets who completed a year or more in the NJROTC program received a service star.

To end the night, all parents and cadets were invited to enjoy a variety of delicious desserts, thus making the 14th Annual Penn Hills NJROTC Dessert Night a great success!  (special thanks to Cadet Katarina Shields for contributing this article)  (additional photos available in the NJROTC Photo Gallery)