Bethel Park School District May 2015 Highlights Please enjoy reading about the

outstanding achievements of our students and staff!

BPHS Students Sweep Top Three Spots At Big Data Jam

Three teams of Bethel Park High School students competed at the second annual Big Data Jam and came home with the top three awards of the competition. FIRST PLACE – “The Factors of Economic Success” • Akhil Rajasekar • Aaron Coplan • Adam Musciano • Adam Ackerman • Steven Davis • Tara Nath

SECOND PLACE – “Factors That Influence College Enrollment and Graduation Rates: • Cassidy DeLeo • Maggie Wolf • Harrison Zelt • Noah Friday • Tarush Bahl • Justin Nath

THIRD PLACE – “Academic Performance In High School Vs. Crime Rate” • Wil Dunn • Maura Ellsworth • Sara Amato • Corinne Swogger • Cassie Brown • Abby Hartzell • Nick Marsteller

The students competed against teams from Avonworth, Cornell, Ellis, North Allegheny, South Fayette and

Springdale High Schools.

Seniors Win Computer Programming Contest

Bethel Park High School seniors Adam Ackerman, Aaron Coplan and Adam Musciano captured First Place and $300 in Gannon University’s 2015 Computer Programming Contest, sponsored by the University’s Computer and Information Science Department.

The students won for their 3,600-line program that they wrote in Java to create a multi-player air hockey game.

Competitors were judged on good programming skills, understanding computer algorithms, developing creative graphical-user interfaces and displaying good use of technology.

Congratulations, DECA

Students! Bethel Park High School students Sean McClaine and Carolyn Vona were among the top students at the DECA International Career Development Conference held in Orlando. This year’s conference had over 18,000 students from across the country and several foreign countries competing in several events.

Sean was a Top 10 Finalist and a Top 10 Test Scorer in the Marketing Management Services Competition.

Carolyn was a Top 10 Test Scorer in the Hospitality Services Team Decision Making Event.

Between 150 and 200 students compete in each event.

BPHS senior Tara Nath was elected DECA North Atlantic Region Vice President for the 2015-2016 school year.

Tara

BPHS Students Earn Extra Effort Awards At

Steel Center

Three Bethel Park High School students received the Extra Effort Award from the Steel Center Area Vocational Technical School in recognition of the outstanding work they performed during the fourth quarter of the 2014-2015 school year.

• Jonathan Hammerle – Retail Food Merchandising and Production

• Colin Love – Auto Mechanics

• Cailin Pryor – Cosmetology

The awards are given to those students who demonstrate outstanding attitude, work ethic, attendance and dependability.

Aaron Coplan Earns Gold Medal

Bethel Park High School senior Aaron Coplan was one of 10 students who received a Gold Medal from the Tribune-Review at its South and West Outstanding Young Citizens Banquet.

This event recognized 50 high school seniors and juniors for their academics, school activities, leadership roles and volunteerism.

Aaron is a Student Government Senator, videographer and someone who volunteers his time by serving meals to senior citizens.

Sara Amato Earns $500 On Westinghouse

Science Exam

Bethel Park High School junior Sara Amato earned $200 for finishing in Fourth Place on the Westinghouse Science Honors Institute’s Final Exam.

Sara was one of 213 area high school juniors who took the end-of-course exam, upon completion of the 11-week lecture series that exposed her to the latest concepts in science.

Rotary Presents Technical Awards To Five

BPHS Seniors

Five Bethel Park High School seniors were invited to a dinner at St. Clair Country Club, where they were presented with Technical Awards from the Bethel Park/Upper St. Clair Rotary Club.

These students were chosen by the BPHS Technology Education Staff for outstanding work.

Receiving the awards were Ian Miller, Brandon Maslanka, Raul Toledo, Alex Robert and Jessica Viehman.

Congratulations,

Amrita Beaudine!

Bethel Park High School senior Amrita Beaudine finished in Third Place in Congressman Tim Murphy’s annual 2015 Congressional Art Competition for her acrylic painting titled, “The Cracks Between.”

Amrita’s painting competed against artwork from other high school students in Congressman Murphy’s District.

34 BPHS Students Inducted Into French

National Honor Society

This year 34 Bethel Park High School students were inducted into the French National Honor Society for maintaining an A average in their French classes and at least a B average in all their other courses.

FRENCH II: Brian Malarkey, Lauren Colaizzi, Akhil Rajasekar, Sue Giang, Adriane Slater, Jillian Acker, Kayla Armstrong, Jason Cook, Ryan Cook, Leah Dejohn, Nicole Dembiczak, Rachel Grant, Nicole Habjan, Chelsea Hallman, Rachel Hankin, Casey Mack, Keira McKanna, Justin Meis, Madison Newman, Jacob Opie, Trevor Patterson, Haley Radcliffe, Sarah Russell, Jessica Scarlett, Preston Smith and David Zahniser. FRENCH III: Adella Antkowiak, Devin Stewart, Cassidy Chorba, Angelina DeFelice, Connor Dembiczak, Sarah Kauffman and Mackenzie Reed. FRENCH IV: Colin Shakespeare SENIORS WHO WERE PRESENTED WITH HONOR CORDS: Taylor Andres, Jocelyn Curley, Kristen Kohler, Julianna Leis, Brendan Moorhead and Samantha Jensen.

Forty-four students who were previously inducted received pins for their continuing membership.

Ten Inducted Into German National Honor Society

This year 10 Bethel Park High School German students were inducted into the school’s chapter of the Delta Epsilon Phi German National Honor Society.

Inducted this year were juniors Julia Angotti and Austin Weidner; sophomores Samuel Gobbie and Richard Fedak, and freshmen Evan Aronhalt, Emily Clarvit, Jacob Cunningham, Geoffrey McKain, Elizabeth Murphy and Connor Robinette.

To be eligible for induction students must complete at least three semesters of German and maintain a minimum 3.6 GPA in German courses and a minimum 3.0 GPA in all other courses. They must also demonstrate an ongoing commitment to German study as well as exhibit honesty and integrity in all academic endeavors.

Senior Receives Gold Medal On

National German Exam

Bethel Park High School senior Brian Walsh earned a Gold Medal from the American Association of Teachers of German for his score on the 2015 Level 1 National German Exam.

Brian scored in the 95th percentile nationally and finished in Tenth Place locally among the 156 Western Pennsylvania and West Virginia students who took the exam.

Ben Wallace Named April Rotary Student Of The

Month

BPHS senior Ben Wallace was named the April Bethel Park High School Student of the Month by the Rotary Club of Bethel Park.

Each month during the school year the Rotary Club recognizes an outstanding Bethel Park High School student for his or her contributions to school and/or community.

Ben was recognized for his commitment to student life at Bethel Park High School, specifically his involvement with Student Government, serving as Treasurer and Chairing the Grant Committee. He was also the Captain of the Boys Golf Team the past two years and a member of the National Honor Society.

BPHS Music Department Has Successful Spring Trip

• Marching Band – First Place Award and a Superior Rating • Bethettes – First Place Award and a Superior Rating • Majorettes – First Place Award and a Superior Rating • Drum Line – First Place Award and a Superior Rating • Top 21 Mixed Choir – First Place Award, Superior Rating and named “Best

Overall Concert Choir” • Top 21 Jazz Choir – Second Place and a Superior Rating • Concert Band – Second Place Award and a Superior Rating • Symphonic Band – First Place Award, Superior Rating and the “William D.

Revelli Best Overall Concert Band” Award • Jazz Ensemble – First Place Award, Superior Rating and named “Best Overall

Jazz Ensemble” • Symphonic Orchestra – First Place Award, Excellent Rating and named “Best

Overall Orchestra” • Percussion Ensemble – First Place Award and a Superior Rating • Joe Beaver (Trumpet) – Named Outstanding Jazz Soloist • Joe Serafini – Named Outstanding Vocal Soloist • Saxophone Section – Named Outstanding Jazz Section

The Bethel Park High School Music Department had a successful Spring Music Trip to Virginia Beach, bringing home 29 awards, including 10 Superior Ratings, nine First Place Awards, two Second Place Awards, one Excellent Rating, four Best Overall Awards and three Outstanding Awards.

33 BPHS Student Athletes To Continue Their Athletic Careers

in College The Bethel Park Athletic Department held a reception for the 33 BPHS senior student athletes who will be continuing their athletic careers in college next year:

• Taylor Andres (Softball/W&J) • Corey Augenstein (Baseball/University of Pittsburgh) • Anthony Bomar (Basketball/Chatham) • Shane Burkhart (Track/W&J) • Kaitlin Chess (Basketball/Penn State Behrend) • Joseph Cinello (Baseball/Point Park) • Courtney Conway (Track/Seton Hill) • Jessica Cook (Softball/John Carroll) • Morgan Crawford (Softball/Hampton) • Alyssa Debski (Track/Clemson) • Paul Dunn (Wrestling/Lehigh) • Luke Falvo (Lacrosse/Ohio Northern) • Zachary Forsyth (Baseball/University of Tampa) • Halle Hammer (Soccer/Edinboro) • Katelyn Hancock (Track/Penn State Behrend) • Matthew Kotkiewicz (Soccer/W&J)

• Joseph Mascaro (Basketball/Case Western Reserve) • Mia Mattes (Basketball/Penn State Beaver) • Alexander Minton (Football/Drake) • Christopher Papalia (Football/Dayton) • Isaac Penascino (Diving/Chatham) • Jordan Porzio (Softball/W&J) • Keith Powell (Swimming/Penn State Behrend) • Michael Smith (Track/W&J) • Daniel Spanner (Track/University of Pittsburgh Greensburg) • Alexandra Stevenson (Track/Seton Hill) • Sarah Storino (Volleyball/LaRoche) • Vincent Tavoletti (Swimming/Stevens Institute of Technology • Rebecca Yonek (Swimming/Clarion) • Lindsey Young (Cheerleading/Duquesne) • Caitlin Zeher (Track/W&J) • Harrison Zelt (Lacrosse/Grove City) • Joseph Zufall (Baseball/Lock Haven)

Arts Festival Scheduled For May 30

Bethel Park High School will host its first-ever Arts Festival on Saturday, May 30 from 10 AM to 3 PM. Admission is FREE.

Events include:

• Pottery Wheel Demonstrations

• Digital Arts Demonstrations

• Large Art Installation created by the collective community

• Theater Performances in the Little Theater

• Music Performances in the Auditorium

• Dance Performances in the Auditorium

There will be something for everyone! See you there!

IMS Students Support The Troops

The students on Independence Middle School Team 7C call themselves the “Conquerors” and they have spent time this school year supporting military troops and veterans:

• Supporting a PA Army Troop stationed in Romania

• Supporting Troops in Kuwait and Afghanistan

• Supporting the veterans in the H. John Heinz III Progressive Care Center at the VA Aspinwall Hospital

• Supporting Army Sergeants James Martin and Dan Tyner

• Supporting EOD3 Nicholas Hursky

• Supporting Sailors and Marines stationed on Iwo Jima LDH-7

The students also got to meet several active service men and women and veterans who visited IMS to talk to the students about life in the military.

Fifth Graders Tour Steel Center

Neil Armstrong Middle School students were encouraged to begin planning for their careers with a visit to the Steel Center for Career and Technical Education.

The students had a chance to tour the facility and meet with faculty to learn more about the career preparation programs offered at Steel Center.

After lunch, the students participated in some hands-on activities such as pin-striping a car and learning how to bend sheet metal.

Congratulations, Grace Skalniak!

William Penn Third Grader Grace Skalniak earned a $1,000 United States Savings Bond for winning the Rotary International District 7300 Spelling Bee, held at Seven Springs.

Grace competed against the winners of other Rotary District Bees to capture the title. She was the winner of the Bethel Park Third Grade Spelling Bee, sponsored by the Rotary Club of Bethel Park in January.

Penn Wins Elementary Gifted Challenge Cup

William Penn Gifted Students Carter Kicinski, Clara Moir, Grace Skalniak, Louis Williams, Brandon Mason and Aidan Sullivan were the winners of this year’s Elementary Gifted Challenge Cup Competition.

They competed against gifted students from all five Bethel Park elementary schools in brain-related games such as tangrams, logic puzzles and games like Q-Bitz and Square Up.

Congratulations, Brock Kitterman!

Washington Fourth Grader Brock Kitterman has been chosen to receive the 2015 Blindness Awareness Expo Award for Outstanding Elementary Student from the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry’s Office of Vocational Rehabilitation, Bureau of Blindness and Visual Services, and the Advisory Committee for the Blind of Pennsylvania.

Brock will attend an awards ceremony at the Capitol Rotunda in Harrisburg in June where he will be presented with a certificate of commendation to recognize and acknowledge his achievements.

Third And Fourth Graders Help To Make Cards For

Service Men And Women

Third and Fourth Grade Students at Washington and Penn are helping Independence Middle School eighth grader Tanya Holbert to make 250 cards of encouragement for American service men and women who are stationed overseas.

When she visited the schools, Tanya also brought with her service men to speak to the younger students about what the military does and to thank them for taking time to make the cards.

Students Grow Plants

For Community Garden

Franklin Elementary students are once again helping the Ford Family to make this year’s Bethel Park Community Garden a success!

With the help of the STAND (Standing Together Against Negativity and Discrimination) students at Bethel Park High School, the Franklin students planted seeds to grow tomatoes, green peppers, carrots, cilantro, zucchini, squash, onions, basil, cucumbers, cantaloupes, beets, lettuce and watermelon. They planted the seeds in small peat pots and are tending to them until they are large enough for the students to take to the Community Garden before the school year ends and plant.

Bethel Park Cafeterias Earn 123 Diamond

Awards From The Health Department All Bethel Park School District Cafeterias earned a combined total of 123 Diamond Awards from the Allegheny County Health Department over the course of two inspections this school year.

• Bethel Park High School – 16 Diamonds

• Independence Middle School – 14 Diamonds

• Neil Armstrong Middle School – 19 Diamonds

• Lincoln Elementary School – 16 Diamonds

• Franklin Elementary School – 15 Diamonds

• Memorial Elementary School – 15 Diamonds

• Washington Elementary School – 14 Diamonds

• Penn Elementary School – 14 Diamonds

Diamonds are the highest awards given by the Health Department and are given to those facilities which demonstrate exceptional food handling practices.

Bethel Park Ranked #13 In Western PA By Pittsburgh

Business Times

The Pittsburgh Business Times gave the Bethel Park School District a #13 ranking among the 103 Western Pennsylvania School Districts in its 2015 Guide to Western Pennsylvania Schools. The PBT ranks schools based on their scores over the past three years on the PSSA and Keystone Exams.

• Bethel Park High School Eleventh Grade -- #13 out of 121 schools

• Independence Middle School Eighth Grade – #14 out of 145 schools

• Independence Middle School Seventh Grade -- #17 out of 145 schools

• Neil Armstrong Middle School Sixth Grade – #15 out of 192 schools

• Neil Armstrong Middle School Fifth Grade -- #13 out of 258 schools

• Bethel Park Fourth Grade -- #25

• Bethel Park Third Grade -- #19

• Bethel Park School District -- #50 out of 493 PA School Districts

Bethel Park Ranked Among ‘Best For Your Buck’ In PA

NerdWallet named the Bethel Park School District as the 18th Best School District For Your Buck In Pennsylvania out of 491 school districts.

Data analyzed included standardized test scores, college readiness and class size. School quality was then weighted against affordability metrics to produce a list that isn’t dominated by prohibitively expensive communities.

You can see the list at: http://www.nerdwallet.com/blog/cities/best-school-districts-for-your-buck-pennsylvania-2015/#table.

Bethel Park Presents Four Times

At Google For Education Symposium

Representatives from the Bethel Park School District gave four presentations at the Western Pennsylvania Google Leadership Symposium at Google’s Pittsburgh Offices.

Presenting were Superintendent Nancy Aloi Rose and Director of Technology Ron Reyer (“The BPSD Migration To Google”); Director of Elementary Education Dee Stark and Director of Secondary Education Janet O’Rourke (“Google Apps for Education”); IMS Principal David Muench and IMS Teacher Dylan August (“Ancillary Products such as Hapara and Go Guardian”); and Google Hangouts with Teachers K.D. Meucci, Steve Yost, Kristen Rylander and Samantha Parks to show how Chromebooks and Google Apps have inspired learning in their classrooms.

Over 100 educators from 33 area school districts were in attendance.

The Mission of the Bethel Park School District is to lead an educational partnership with the community, maintaining an environment that challenges all students to reach their potential as lifelong learners and responsible members of

society.

The Bethel Park School

District Where Futures Begin