North Allegheny Schools

News Releases
 

March 26, 2009 

NA Teacher Appointed Judge in Awards Program 

The North Allegheny School District (NASD) is proud to announce that Ms. Janice Spohn, a teacher at Peebles Elementary School, has been appointed to serve as a judge in the Achievement Awards Program for the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE). 

The Achievement Awards Program is an NCTE-sponsored competition designed to honor eleventh-grade students in the United States, Canada, and American schools abroad for excellence in writing.  Each judge evaluates papers submitted in their state.  For more information on NCTE’s Achievement Awards Program, please visit their website at www.ncte.org/about/awards/student/as/107460.htm. 

The National Council of Teachers of English, with 50,000 individual and institutional members worldwide, is dedicated to improving the teaching and learning of English and the language arts at all levels of education.  For more information, please visit www.ncte.org.

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March 25, 2009

NA Students Win Scholastic Keystone Press Awards 

The North Allegheny School District (NASD) is proud to announce that three North Allegheny Senior High (NASH) seniors have been recognized in the 2009 Scholastic Keystone Press Awards Contest.

Sarah Steimer won two awards.  She won a Second Place award in the Public Service category for an article titled “Facebook: A Social-Networking Site Or The Reason You Were Rejected From College?” and a Second Place award in the Personality Profile category for her article titled “Art: The Salvation For Juliette Deeds.”

Jon Stein won a Second Place award in the Review category for his article titled “Twilight: A Movie With Bite.”

Randy Potter received an Honorable Mention in the Cartoon/Graphic Illustration category for his artwork titled “The Auto Industry Crisis Hits The North Pole.”

The Scholastic Keystone Press Awards Contest is sponsored by the Pennsylvania Newspaper Association, whose mission is to advance the interests of Pennsylvania newspapers, promote the importance of a free and independent press and provide a forum for critical and innovative thinking about the future of journalism and the newspaper industry.  The Scholastic Keystone Press Awards reinforce excellence by individuals for providing relevance, integrity and initiative and thereby furthering First Amendment values.  Pennsylvania Newspaper Editors serve as judges for this awards contest. 

For more information on the Pennsylvania Newspaper Association or the Scholastic Keystone Press Awards Contest please contact Ms. Beverly Hendry at 717-703-3003 or beverlyh@pa-news.org.

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March 25, 2009

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March 24, 2009 

NA Students Selected for PMEA All-State Ensembles 

            The North Allegheny School District (NASD) is proud to announce that nine students have been accepted by audition into the Pennsylvania Music Educator’s Association (PMEA) All-State Orchestra, All-State Band and All-State Chorus Ensembles and have been invited to participate in the PMEA All-State Conference in April.  They are: 

All-State Orchestra:      Greg Goodman, Chris Kang, Chris Koter, Ian Preston  and Dasun Wang 

All-State Band: Emily Teare and Evan Swihart 

All-State Chorus:          Kimberly Watson and Kahli Dalbow             

The Pennsylvania Music Educators Association (PMEA) is an affiliate of the 65,000 member Music Educators National Conference (MENC).  PMEA is a service organization dedicated to music education in the Commonwealth.  The membership includes those engaged in music instruction at all levels, from preschool through college and university, and retired educators, as well as those in music industry. 

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March 24, 2009

NA Teams Win First and Second Places in Middle School Science Bowl Regional Competition 

The North Allegheny School District (NASD) is proud to announce that teams of students from Carson Middle School (CMS) won first and second place in the 2009 National Middle School Science Bowl regional competition.   

First place team members are Connor Phillips, Katya Borisov, Jeff Rabinowitz, Eric Hochendoner and Lowell Smith.  As the first place team, these students have won an all-expense-paid trip to compete in the national competition, which will be held in Washington, D.C.

The second place winning team members are Kevin O’Brien, Ben Gibbs, Ben Ziolkowski and Genesis Mlakar.

Teams of students representing three states participated in the event.  There are two competitions in the National Middle School Science Bowl - an academic math and science competition and a model fuel cell car competition.  The academic competition is a fast-paced question-and-answer contest where students answer questions about earth science, physical science, life science, math, and general science. The model fuel cell car competition challenges students to design, build, and race model cars.

For more information about this event please contact Mr. Rich Gebrosky at 412-348-1425.

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March 24, 2009

NA to Host Annual Transition Fair

The North Allegheny School District (NASD) announces that it will be hosting its annual Transition Fair for students with disabilities on Thursday, April 2, 2009, in the North Allegheny Senior High School Cafeteria from 6:00 PM – 8:30 PM.

            The Fair will provide students and their parents/guardians the opportunity to meet with representatives from post-secondary schools, private providers, community and government agencies, and prospective employers. 

            Representatives from more than 40 agencies and schools will be in attendance to answer individual questions. Agencies that will be represented include: The Office of Vocational Rehabilitation, Competitive Employment, the Career Training Academy and Community Options.  Post-secondary schools such as Community College of Allegheny County, Edinboro University, Gannon University, Robert Morris University, ITT, Pittsburgh Institute of Technology, and WYO Tech, as well as the Armed Forces will be represented.    

       The event will provide young adults with valuable information, insight into available services, and appropriate connections needed to help them become independent and successful adults.

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March 24, 2009

NA Teacher Honored by National Forensics League 

            The North Allegheny School District (NASD) is proud to announce that Ms. Sharon Volpe, forensics coach at North Allegheny Senior High School (NASH), will be honored in June by the National Forensics League (NFL) with her 3^rd Diamond Key in recognition of her devotional dedication in training effective leadership skills.

Diamond Keys are granted to coaches on points-based system.  Coaches receive one-tenth of their students’ points.  On attaining a total of 1,500 points, coaches are entitled to wear a diamond-set NFL key or pin; additional diamonds accrue at 3,000, 6,000, 10,000 and each 3,000 points thereafter.  The minimum time for each diamond is five years as an NFL member coach.  Under Ms. Volpe’s instructions, her students earned over 88,850 credit points.  Since the founding of the NFL in 1925, there have been only 504 coaches honored with a 3^rd Diamond Key.

The National Forensics League is a non-partisan, nor for profit educational honor society found in 1925 by Bruno E. Jacob.  Its purpose is to encourage and motivate high school students to participate in and become proficient in the forensic arts: debate, public speaking, and interpretation.  Since its founding, NFL has enrolled over 1,307,458 members in all fifty states, U.S. possessions and several foreign countries.  Currently over 93,000 high school students and over 6,500 high school teachers are active members.

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March 23, 2009

NA to Host Community Seminar 

            The North Allegheny School District (NASD) Student Assistance Program is sponsoring a Drug and Alcohol Prevention Program titled “Communicating with Your Child through the Crossroads of Adolescence” on Wednesday, April 15, 2009, from 7:00 – 9:00 p.m. at Marshall Middle School, 5145 Wexford Run Road, Wexford.   This timely and informative session is open to the community and free of charge. 

            ACT 48 credits will be provided for educational professionals who attend.  For more information, please call the Student Assistance Office at 412-369-5466.   

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March 18, 2009

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March 9, 2009

NA Student Wins Siemens Foundation Award

The North Allegheny School District (NASD) is proud to announce that Katherine Luo, a senior at the North Allegheny Senior High (NASH), has been selected as a winner in the 2008-09 Siemens Awards for Advanced Placement (AP) and will receive a $2,000 college scholarship.  Katherine was selected for this award based on exceptional performance on the AP exams in math and science.  Only one male and one female student in each of the 50 states have been awarded this scholarship.

"Since 1998, the Siemens Foundation has been engaged in honoring excellence among students, teachers and high schools in the areas of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) through a series of innovative programs that span education from grade school through graduate school," says James Whaley, president of the New Jersey-based Siemens Foundation. "Our support of STEM through scholarships, awards and grants in each of the 50 states is an investment in our future and those who will create it," adds Whaley.

For more information on the Siemens Foundation or the 2009 Siemens Awards for Advanced Placement please visit their website at www.siemens-foundation.org or contact Jeniffer Harper-Taylor, Siemens Foundation Press Contact, by phone at 732-603-5884 or by email at Jeniffer.Harper@siemens.com.

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March 9, 2009

NA Student Advances to the Quarter-Final Round of U.S. Physics Olympics Team Selection 

The North Allegheny School District (NASD) is proud to announce that Katherine Luo, a senior at the North Allegheny Senior High (NASH), has advanced to the Quarter-Final round of U.S. Physics Team selection.  Katherine is one of 400 students to advance to this level out of nearly 4,000 students who participated in the Fnet=ma Exam in January. 

The U.S. Physics Olympiad Program is a joint initiative of the American Association of Physics Teachers (AAPT) and the American Institute for Physics (AIP).  The AAPT began this program in 1986 to promote and demonstrate academic excellence.  The International Olympiad is a nine-day competition among pre-university students from more than 80 nations.  This year’s Olympiad, the 40th, will be held in Mérida Yucatán, México, July 11-19, 2009.

The AAPT is responsible for recruiting, selecting and training teams each year to compete in the International Physics Olympiad Competition.  This selection process begins in early January when high schools register their students to participate in the Fnet=ma exam. Each year, approximately 400 top scorers on this first test advance to the quarter-final round of competition. A third exam, student transcripts, and letters of recommendation are used as the basis for selection of the 24 members of the U.S. Physics Team. 

For more information contact Marilyn Gardner, Director of Communications, at mgardner@aapt.org or phone (301) 209-3306.

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March 9, 2009

NA Teacher Recognized by Pennsylvania Middle School Association 

The North Allegheny School District (NASD) is proud to announce that Ms. Colleen Byrnes, a seventh grade English and reading teacher at Ingomar Middle School, was recently recognized by the Pennsylvania Middle School Association (PMSA).  Ms. Byrnes was one of seven teachers in the state who received a Promising Practitioner Award at the PMSA State Professional Development Institute in Harrisburg.

  The Promising Practitioner Award is presented to teachers who are just beginning their middle school careers.  These beginning teachers have made a positive impact on both their school and community.  They incorporate effective middle level practices in their everyday teaching. 

The Pennsylvania Middle School Association is an affiliate of the National Middle School Association, which was established in 1973 and has been a voice for those committed to the educational and developmental needs of young adolescents. It is the only national education association dedicated exclusively to the growth of middle level education.  There are over 30,000 members representing principals, teachers, central office personnel, professors, college students, parents, community leaders, and educational consultants across the United States, Canada, and 46 other countries. 

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March 4, 2009

NA Students Succeed at DECA State Conference 

The North Allegheny School District (NASD) is proud to announce that thirty-two members of North Allegheny’s DECA chapter (An Association of Marketing Students) traveled to Hershey, PA to participate in the 58^th annual State Career Development Conference. At the state conference, students competed in marketing-related events ranging from Market Research to Sports & Entertainment Marketing.

North Allegheny was remarkably successful at this year’s conference, as seven members qualified to compete against more than 12,000 students at the International Career and Development Conference in Anaheim, California.  A.J. Colisimo placed second in the Accounting competition, the team of Margo Bentzel and Amanda Malkowski received a second place award in Retail Market Research, the team of Erica Bernardi and Jane Miner received a third place award for their Public Relations Project, and the team of Shelby Roehre and Piper Foight placed fourth in the Hospitality Services event.  A.J., Piper and Shelby also received medallions for their individual performance in other events.   

Andrea Camut and Tim Zahren were both finalists in their events. Andrea was a finalist in the event of Sports & Entertainment Marketing, and Tim was a finalist in the Transportation/ Logistics event.  Andrea also received a medallion for a top score for her Role Play event.  The team of Tyler Jones and Griffin Sefcik won a medallion for a Top Test Score.

DECA is the only Career and Technical student organization operating to attract young people to careers in business and marketing. There are sixty-two DECA chapters in Pennsylvania, with a total membership greater than three thousand students, alumni, teachers, and business professionals.

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March 4, 2009

NA Student is Finalist in PSU Essay Contest 

The North Allegheny School District (NASD) is proud to announce that Joshua Kaib, a junior at the North Allegheny Senior High (NASH), has been named a finalist in the twenty-seventh annual Essay Contest sponsored by Pennsylvania State University. 

The purpose of this contest is to publicly recognize the best student writers – and their teachers – in Pennsylvania.  Students are asked to write an impromptu essay under a teacher’s supervision in no more that one hour after reading an article.  The topic is intended to test the writer’s ability to think critically and to control a wide range of writing skills.  Experienced teachers of writing from Penn State review the unrevised student papers and identify seventeen finalists and three prizewinners.  More than 150 essays were submitted in this year’s contest. 

Joshua, his parents and one representative from NASH have been invited to an awards luncheon being held on Friday, April 3, 2009, in honor of top twenty students selected.  As a finalist, Joshua will receive a Certificate of Commendation for his achievement.

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March 4, 2009

NA Students Excel in National Tournament

The North Allegheny School District (NASD) is proud to announce several high school students participated in the 35^th Annual Harvard National Forensics Tournament held February 14-16, 2009, on the Harvard University campus in Cambridge, Massachusetts.  More than 3,000 individuals representing 301 schools attended this year’s tournament.

Stacey Chen, a senior at North Allegheny Senior High (NASH), won First Place in the Extemporaneous Speaking competition.  Stacey has advanced to the final round of this tournament for three years in a row, making this year’s victory especially important to her. 

Other North Allegheny students achieved impressive standings in Public Forum debate events.  They were:

• Freshmen Anis Adnani and Kevin Zhang – top 64 in novice Public Forum debate.

• Seniors Doug Kulchar and Kyle Zhu – top 32 in varsity Public Forum debate.

• Senior Bryan Hogg and sophomore Richard Bochicchio – top 64 in varsity Public Forum debate.

The North Allegheny Forensics Coach is Ms. Sharon Volpe.  For more information, please call 412/369-5445.

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March 4, 2009

NA Senior High to Present Beauty and the Beast

The North Allegheny School District (NASD) is proud to announce that students from the North Allegheny Senior High School (NASH) will present Beauty and the Beast on March 11 through March 15, 2009.  All performances will be held in the NASH Auditorium, 10375 Perry Highway, Wexford. 

            NASH students will provide a Senior Citizen Gold Card performance on Tuesday, March 10 at 3:30 p.m. This performance is free to senior citizen residents of the North Allegheny School District who have a Gold Card.  For information about the NASD Gold Card Program, please call 412/369-5445.

            All seating is reserved and tickets are $10 for students and $12 for adults in advance.   Tickets sold at the door are all $12.  Tickets may be purchased in advance by phoning the NASH Box Office at 724/934-7288. 

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March 4, 2009

NA Hosts College Information Meeting

            The North Allegheny School District (NASD) announces that the North Allegheny Senior High School Counseling Department will host a college information evening on Thursday, March 19, 2009, at 7:00 p.m.  The meeting will be held in the NASH auditorium and is open to both parents and students.  The evening is designed to offer suggestions for beginning the college search and application process.

            Admission representatives from Allegheny College, Indiana University at Bloomington, the University of Pittsburgh and the University of Notre Dame will be present.  Parents and students will have the opportunity to hear firsthand what colleges are looking for in applicants.  The program will conclude with a question and answer period.

            For more information, please contact NASH at 724/934-7200.

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March 4, 2009

NA Students Earn Honors at State Meeting 

The North Allegheny School District (NASD) announces that students from North Allegheny Senior High, North Allegheny Intermediate High and Ingomar Middle Schools recently competed at the Pennsylvania Junior Academy of Science (PJAS) regional competition held at Keystone Oaks High School.  Congratulations go to the following students for winning first place awards and moving on to the state level:

Akshaya Arjunan (10^th)            Skanda Koppula (8^th)               Julie Wu (10^th)
Jonya Chen (9^th)                       Edden Rabin (9^th)                     Yijia Zhang (9^th)
Richard Gayler (10^th)                Jay Sehgal (11^th)                       Kevin Zhang (9^th)
                                                 Rona Sun (10^th)

PJAS is a statewide organization of junior and senior high school students designed to stimulate and promote interest in science among its members through the development of research projects and investigations.

Student participants in the PJAS program are encouraged to follow the scientific method to select a project, research the background, formulate a hypothesis, develop an experiment to prove or disprove the hypothesis, and to collect and analyze data from their experiment. The students then prepare a written report and give an oral presentation with audio visuals to their sponsor. Group projects are not permitted.

Students who are selected at the school level then are registered to present their project at the regional meeting. The students at the regional meeting are divided into units of around ten students who are all in the same area of scientific research, such as chemistry. A panel of two or more judges then evaluates the student's project presentation against set criteria. The students can receive a first, second or third award on their project. Each unit can have more than one first award. Students who receive a first award are then eligible to go to the state meeting at Penn State University the third weekend in May.

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March 4, 2009

NA School Board to Meet Twice in March 

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

The Board will hold a Work Session Meeting on Wednesday, March 18, 2009, and their Regular Meeting on Wednesday, March 25, 2009.  Both meetings will be held in the Board Room of the Central Administration Offices, 200 Hillvue Lane, McCandless Township, and will begin at 7:30 p.m.   The public is invited to attend.

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