North Allegheny Schools

News Releases
 

December 14, 2007

NA Senior High Art Students Participate in Memory Project

            The North Allegheny School District (NASD) announces that the North Allegheny Senior High (NASH) art students have joined the Memory Project, a nationwide initiative in which advanced high school art students create original portraits for children living in orphanages around the world. 

            Children who have been abandoned, orphaned, abused, or neglected usually have few personal keepsakes. The purpose of the portraits is to provide them with a special memory of their youth, to honor their heritage and identity, and to help them build a positive self-image.  The project also provides an opportunity for young Americans to open their hearts to children who have endured many hardships, and to promote the value of sharing kindness with others.

            Students receive pictures of children who are waiting for portraits and then work in their art classrooms to create the portraits. Once finished, the Memory Project organization delivers the portraits to the children and the children are then invited to create drawings or write letters to send back to the art students.  In total, the students will make portraits for forty-three children living at an orphanage in Honduras.

            The Memory Project has been featured on national television several times, as well as in major newspapers and magazines throughout the country. The Memory Project is a nonprofit organization based in Madison, Wisconsin.  This is the project’s fourth year of operation, and already more than 10,000 portraits have been produced by high school art students around the country.      

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December 14, 2007

NA Quiz Team Qualifies for National Championships

            The North Allegheny School District (NASD) proudly announces that the North Allegheny Academic Quiz Team has continued its tradition of excellence by qualifying to compete in the National Championships to be held in Chicago, IL.  This qualification comes after two weeks of head-to-head battles with some of the top minds in the region.

            The NASH quiz team competed against 13 other teams from Ohio and Pennsylvania at Carnegie Mellon University's Mellon Bowl.  The team ended the tournament undefeated with a perfect 12-0 record.  Nate Carlin was the #1 scorer overall, averaging 61 points per game. Nimesh Telang was #2, averaging 51 points.  John McElhattan was also recognized for his individual achievement with 22 points per game.  Other members of the team participating at this event were:  Cody McCoy, Lily Xu, Stephen Tjader, Kevin Liu, Danny Zemel, Doug Heckmann and Mike Heckmann.

            The team also competed in a Tournament at the University of Pittsburgh which included nineteen teams from Pennsylvania, Ohio, and West Virginia.  The quiz team finished in second place with a dramatic come-from-behind victory against one of the top teams in the nation.  Nate Carlin was recognized for his individual achievement, finishing the tournament second overall in average points per game.              Other members of the team participating in this event were:  John McElhattan, Stephen Tjader, Michael Sinko and Danny Zemel.

            The NASH Academic Quiz Team Advisor is Mr. Bill Jorden.

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December 14, 2007

NA Middle School Students Place First in PA

            The North Allegheny School District (NASD) proudly announces that twenty Carson Middle School (CMS) students recently earned honors in the 37^th Seventh and Eighth Grade Knowledge Master Open academic competition. 

            Students from practically every state and several countries competed in the December 5^th event in which teams consisting of seventh and eighth grade students used computers to answer 200 challenging questions from all curriculum areas.

            The CMS team, with the exception of the two captains, was picked randomly from all eligible students and had only one practice session prior to the event.  The team scored 1589 of 2,000 possible points, which earned them 1^st Place in Pennsylvania (out of 62) and 8^th place overall (out of 711).

7^th Grade Team Members:

Connor Phillips (Captain), Amanda Adams, Katya Borisov, Matt Caswell, Ben Gibbs, Billy Gingrich, Emma Gross, Ben Sauder, Graham Walker and Ben Ziolkowski.

8^th Grade Team Members:       

Joey Zou (Captain), Jake Adzema, Kaitlyn Campbell, Avanti Gole, Ricky Kotermanski, Kelly Pifer, Jack Plichta, Jake Wessel, Elizabeth Furiga and Mehrgol Tiv.

            The Knowledge Master Open was designed to stimulate enthusiasm for learning and recognition for academic accomplishment.  The contest runs on classroom computers to allow all students the opportunity to compete in a large academic event without the expense of traveling to a central site.  Results of the contest are tabulated into overall, state and enrollment-size rankings by Academic Hallmarks, a Colorado publishing firm that hosts the event.  Contest results and example questions are available at www.greatauk.com. 

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December 12, 2007

NA Senior High Key Club Hosts Benefit Dinner

The North Allegheny School District (NASD) proudly announces that the North Allegheny Senior High (NASH) Key Club is hosting a fundraising event to benefit World Vision, a non-profit organization.  World Vision helps to feed hungry families world-wide.49 North Allegheny students were selected for the Allegheny Valley Honors Band.  Placement on the Honors Band is by audition only.

The fundraising event is a benefit dinner called Empty Bowls.  It will take place on December 13, 2007, with dinner times at 6:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. in the NASH cafeteria.  The evening will consist of a soup and bread dinner and will include various types of musical entertainment performed by North Allegheny students.  The fund-raising activity will consist of an entrance admission ($10 adults, $8 students, $6 kids 12 & under), as well as any donations made at the event.  Tickets will be pre-sold during school hours, as well as at the door.

            For more information on this event or to make a donation (money or food) please contact the Key Club advisors: Jennifer Dietz and Jamey Pirring (teachers at NASH) at 724-934-7200.  Donation checks can be made payable to “NASH Key Club” with Empty Bowls in the memo.

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December 12, 2007

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December 5, 2007

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December 3, 2007

NA Announces Winter Break

The North Allegheny School District (NASD) announces that all schools will be closed for Winter Break from December 24, 2007 through January 1, 2008.  Classes will resume on Wednesday, January 2, 2008.

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December 3, 2007

NA School Board to Meet Twice in December

 The North Allegheny School District (NASD) announces that the Board of School Directors will meet twice in the month of December.

The Board will hold a Reorganization and Work Session meeting on Wednesday, December 5, 2007, and a Regular Meeting on Wednesday, December 12, 2007.  Both meetings will begin at 7:30 p.m. and will be held in the Board Room of the Central Administration Offices, 200 Hillvue Lane, McCandless Township. 

The public is invited to attend all meetings.

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December 3, 2007

(Original Release Date November 15, 2007)

NA Students Selected for Honors Band

Update/Correction: 

Sam McCandlish was notified after the date of this release that an error had been made in scoring.  He was notified with enough notice that he was able to participate as a member of this Honors Jazz Ensemble.

The North Allegheny School District (NASD) proudly announces that eleven North Allegheny Jazz Ensemble high school students were selected by audition for the 2007 PMEA District 1 Honors Jazz Ensemble.  The selected students represent both the Senior High School (NASH) and the Intermediate High School (NAI).

The students from NASH:                                             The Students from NAI:

            Matt Zellers- Trumpet                                                Nick Amoscato- Tenor Sax

            Ian Preston- Trumpet                                                  Chris Rudzinskas- Tenor Sax

            Josh Waynick- Trumpet                                             Sean Vins- Trumpet

            Mike Lorenzo- Trumpet                                             Kelsey Steele- Trombone

            Derek Bluemling- Trombone                                     Brianna Amoscato- Piano

Aldo Kremmel- Drums

            District One includes over 550 school and private music teachers from Allegheny, Fayette, Greene, Washington and Westmoreland counties. An honors string orchestra, honors band ensembles and honors chorus are offered to student-musicians by competitive audition.  

            Pennsylvania Music Educators Association (PMEA) is a service organization for music education in the Commonwealth.  PMEA provides leadership in professional growth and offers special opportunities for musical development to school students.  The mission of PMEA is to advance music education by encouraging excellence in the study, teaching, and making of music. 

            The North Allegheny High School Director of Bands is Mr. Todd Stefan.  For more information, contact 412/369-5445.

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