Fall 2008 Knowledge Master Open
Submitted by:  Ms. Janet Serdy and Ms. Dana Boyd

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. 

North Allegheny Intermediate and Ingomar Middle School students recently earned honors in the Fall 2008 Knowledge Master Open academic competitions.  Students from practically every state and several countries competed in the December 3rd event in which teams answered 200 challenging questions from all curriculum areas.  The NAI team scored 1559 of 2,000 possible points, which earned them 1^st Place in Pennsylvania and 3^rd overall in the Junior High Division.   The IMS team scored 1541 of 2,000 possible points, which earned them 2^nd Place in Pennsylvania in the Middle School Division.   

First Place in Pennsylvania and Third Place in the nation
Brian Boehmke
Griffin Caruso
Anne Erickson
Elizabeth Hartigan
Richard Kotermanski
Dominic LaBella
Martin Majewski
Jacob Plichta
Ford Smith
Joey Zou

Second Place in Pennsylvania

MENC
Submitted by:  Mr. Todd Stefan, Ms. Sarah Lavelle and Mr. Ernie Pontiere 

MENC is the National Association of Music Education and was founded in 1907 with 64 members.  Today's membership has grown to nearly 130,000.  The Association's mission is to advance music education by encouraging the study and making of music by all.  Students are recognized by this organization on a state level by earning placement to All-State Honors Ensembles in band, orchestra, chorus, and jazz band.  The next level of recognition is at geographical divisions.  Pennsylvania is among the 13 states that make up the Eastern Division.  Eligibility of students for the All-Eastern Honors Ensembles is based upon criteria established by the Eastern Division leaders.  Very few schools have even one student representative who qualifies to participate at this level.  It is a great honor that this year North Allegheny has six students who have qualified at the All-Eastern Honors level.  As members of these prestigious ensembles, these students will perform for an audience of thousands on Sunday, March 15, 2009, at the Veterans Memorial Auditorium for the Performing Arts in Providence, Rhode Island. 

MENC All-Eastern Honors Mixed Choir
Maria DeIuliis
Morgan Mihelic 

MENC All-Eastern Honors Orchestra
Brett Freithaler
Andrew Ho
Jeffrey Lin
Sean Radermacher

Montgomery Bell Academy Extemporaneous Speaking Round Robin XI
Submitted by:  Ms. Sharon Volpe 

Each year, Montgomery Bell Academy in Nashville hosts one of the most prestigious tournaments in the country.  Only the top 16 extempors in the country are invited to attend, making it quite an honor to receive this invitation.  Stacey Chen is only the second NA student and eleventh Pennsylvania student to receive an invitation to compete in this event.  Not only was Stacey invited, but she was seeded number one in the country going into the tournament.  After ten rounds of competition, Stacey placed third in the country – missing second place by only one point.

Third Place
Stacey Chen

Teen Ink's  - A monthly magazine distributed nationally
Submitted by:  Ms. Patricia Kramer 

Teen Ink is a national magazine that is devoted entirely to teenage writing and art.  The magazine is distributed in classrooms around the country by English teachers, creative writing teachers, journalism teachers and art teachers.  The magazine offers thoughtful and creative work generated by teens and has the largest distribution of any publication of its kind.  The publication has no staff writers or artists; it depends completely on submissions from teenagers nationwide for content.  The magazine has received hundreds of thousands of submissions from students and has published approximately 25,000 of them since 1989.  Sophomore, Erica Mann, had her review of the soundtrack to “Twilight” published in the January 2009 issue. 

Published
Erica Mann 

56th Presidential Inaugural Parade 

The North Allegheny High School Marching Band was selected to represent the state of Pennsylvania in the 56^th Presidential Inaugural Parade in Washington, D.C., on January 20, 2009. "A New Birth of Freedom" was the theme for the Inauguration to commemorate the 200th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln's birth. The parade took place on Pennsylvania Avenue, starting at the Capitol and ending at the White House.  It was reported that nearly 1,400 applications were received.  The North Allegheny High School Marching Band was the only high school marching band selected from Pennsylvania and one of only 19 marching bands in the entire parade.  It was a tremendous honor and a once in a lifetime opportunity for our students to participate in this historic event.  Mr. Todd Stefan, Director of the Band, and Mr. Steve Baldanzi, Assistant Director, were invited to accept this award on behalf of the band. 

Selected to Represent Pennsylvania
North Allegheny High School Marching Band