1 NORTH ALLEGHENY SCHOOL DISTRICT T iger N ews May 2017 northallegheny.org North Allegheny School District on Facebook @NA_Schools on Twitter Upcoming Events: May 29: No School June 9: Last Day of School Class of 2017 Graduation June 21: Building & Grounds Committee Meeting @ CAO Board Room, 6 p.m. School Board Work Session @ CAO Board Room, 7 p.m. June 28: Budget & Finance Committee Meeting @ CAO Board Room, 6 p.m. School Board Regular Meeting @ CAO Board Room, 7 p.m. NA Gets Active with Second Annual Marathon Challenge The second annual NA Marathon Challenge saw 82 North Allegheny teachers, administrators, staff and school board members running in the 2017 Pittsburgh Marathon on May 7! Sixty-four staff and board members ran the race as part of relay teams with fellow NA colleagues, while 14 individuals ran the half marathon and four ran the full marathon. The relay team representing Ingomar Middle School, Fox and the Hounds, was the fastest relay team from NA with an impressive finish time of 3:13:23. Not only do they claim the NA Marathon Challenge Cup for the second consecutive year, but the team placed fourth out of all 744 coed relay teams in the 2017 Pittsburgh Marathon! Congratulations to IMS relay team members Alexa Fox, Ryan Gabos, Eric Robertson, and Matt Robertson! Hundreds of North Allegheny elementary students also participated in the events during Marathon Weekend through the Kids of STEEL program. On May 6, more than 450 NA elementary students ran the one-mile Kids Marathon and 30 elementary students ran the 5K. The Kids of STEEL program motivates kids to pursue a healthy lifestyle by incorporating exercise and healthy eating habits into their daily routine. Participants choose a training plan based on the race they want to run, and complete a series of physical activity and nutrition goals. Congratulations to the NA Kids of STEEL on achieving their goals! The NA Marathon Challenge and Kids of STEEL are two great examples of the programs that North Allegheny uses to encourage staff and students to get active and embrace healthy lifestyles. Click here to view a segment on KDKA’s Pittsburgh Today Live in which three NA representatives discuss these two programs, the Tiger Strong Live Long employee wellness program, and other health initiatives across the District. Click here to view a video from Education Week that explores the impact of the NA Marathon Challenge.
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N O R T H A L L E G H E N Y S C H O O L D I S T R I C T
Tiger NewsMay 2017
northallegheny.org
North Allegheny School District on Facebook
@NA_Schools on Twitter
Upcoming Events:May 29:
No School
June 9:
Last Day of School
Class of 2017 Graduation
June 21:
Building & Grounds Committee Meeting @ CAO Board Room, 6 p.m.
School Board Work Session @ CAO Board Room, 7 p.m.
School Board Regular Meeting @ CAO Board Room, 7 p.m.
NA Gets Active with Second Annual Marathon ChallengeThe second annual NA Marathon Challenge saw 82 North Allegheny teachers, administrators, staff and school board members running in the 2017 Pittsburgh Marathon on May 7! Sixty-four staff and board members ran the race as part of relay teams with fellow NA colleagues, while 14 individuals ran the half marathon and four ran the full marathon.
The relay team representing Ingomar Middle School, Fox and the Hounds, was the fastest relay team from NA with an impressive finish time of 3:13:23. Not only do they claim the NA Marathon Challenge Cup for the second consecutive year, but the team placed fourth out of all 744 coed relay teams in the 2017 Pittsburgh Marathon! Congratulations to IMS relay team members Alexa Fox, Ryan Gabos, Eric Robertson, and Matt Robertson!
Hundreds of North Allegheny elementary students also participated in the events during Marathon Weekend through the Kids of STEEL program. On May 6, more than 450 NA elementary students ran the one-mile Kids Marathon and 30 elementary students ran the 5K. The Kids of STEEL program motivates kids to pursue a healthy lifestyle by incorporating exercise and healthy eating habits into their daily routine. Participants choose a training plan based on the race they want to run, and complete a series of physical activity and nutrition goals. Congratulations to the NA Kids of STEEL on achieving their goals!
The NA Marathon Challenge and Kids of STEEL are two great examples of the programs that North Allegheny uses to encourage staff and students to get active and embrace healthy lifestyles.
Click here to view a segment on KDKA’s Pittsburgh Today Live in which three NA representatives discuss these two programs, the Tiger Strong Live Long employee wellness program, and other health initiatives across the District. Click here to view a video from Education Week that explores the impact of the NA Marathon Challenge.
N O R T H A L L E G H E N Y S C H O O L D I S T R I C T
www.northallegheny.org
NA Collaborates with Neighboring Districts at Pittsburgh Personalized Learning ConsortiumThis month, North Allegheny participated in the Grable Foundation’s first Pittsburgh Personalized Learning Consortium along with educators from 11 neighboring school districts. This Consortium will facilitate collaboration between some of the most innovative teachers and administrators in our region as they integrate personalized learning into their classrooms, learn from each other’s experiences, and ultimately improve education for all our students.
The goal of personalized learning is to meet the unique needs of each student by tapping into their passions to deliver educational experiences tailored to how they learn best. Personalized learning is focused on and led by the learner—meeting the students where they are and empowering them to make and demonstrate progress in the way that best suits them, facilitated by a range of informed and caring adults and peers. When done well, personalized learning can be transformative—allowing children to unlock their full potential.
This project is supported in part by a grant from the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, a philanthropic organization established by Mark Zuckerberg, founder and CEO of Facebook, and his wife, Dr. Priscilla Chan, a pediatrician and founder of The Primary School in East Palo Alto, California. The mission of the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative is to advance human potential and promote equal opportunity.
Employees Recognized for 25 Years of Service to NAAt the Board of School Directors meeting on May 17, the District recognized and honored the nine employees who are celebrating 25 years of working at North Allegheny.
Congratulations and thank you to:
Lorraine Berkley, TransporationTracy Devlin, MMS
Dominic Gliozzi, NASHCaroline Kopar, IMS
Janet Pisani, IMS
Ernest Pontiere, NASHLisa Pontiere, NAI
Michelle Ware, HESKathy Will, NASH
Meet the NA Family on Facebook!
If you haven’t liked North Allegheny School District on Facebook yet, now is the time to start!
We just launched a new feature called “Meet the NA Family,” in which we highlight staff members from across the District to introduce you to the many wonderful people who impact our students on a daily basis.
Whether it’s your favorite teacher, the secretary at your old elementary school, or somebody you’ve never met, "Meet the NA Family" is your chance to get to know everyone who makes up this great educational community.
Click here to catch up on our "Meet the NA Family" posts, and be sure to like our page so you don't miss out!
N O R T H A L L E G H E N Y S C H O O L D I S T R I C T
May 2017
www.northallegheny.org
JROTC Students Take Educational Trip to HawaiiThe North Allegheny JROTC students recently took advantage of a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity on an educational trip to Hickam Air Force Base and Pearl Harbor Naval Air Station in Hawaii.
The students experienced a low-level flight over all the Hawaiian Islands with a spectacular view from the open tailgate. They also toured the USS Port Royal missile cruiser and visited the USS Arizona. To cap off the trip, the NA Honor Guard performed a very moving formal retreat ceremony.
Students Host Annual Prom for Senior Citizens
On May 12, NASH hosted the annual Senior Citizens Prom for more than 130 senior citizens from our community.
The event was hosted by the NASH Junior Class Council, along with help from members of the Senior Class Council and additional volunteers. It was a fun, successful evening for everyone involved!
Congratulations go out to the evening's Prom King Ralph Leight and Prom Queen Terry Hrach!
BWE Singing Tigers Perform at State ConventionCongratulations to the Bradford Woods Elementary Singing Tigers, who put on an excellent performance at the 2017 Annual Pennsylvania Music Educators Association State Convention last month in Erie.
The Singing Tigers is a treble voice choir comprised of 33 BWE fourth and fifth graders led by Mr. Steven Schmidt. Mrs. Lisa Hoffman was the ensemble's accompanist at the performance in Erie.
The Singing Tigers were the only local elementary vocal ensemble invited to perform at the convention. This talented group has also been asked to perform at other events within North Allegheny and in the Pittsburgh region, including singing the National Anthem at the Pittsburgh Kids Marathon earlier this month.
N O R T H A L L E G H E N Y S C H O O L D I S T R I C T
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May 2017
Students Attend Save the Children Advocacy Summit
In March, NA high school students Maddie Escourt, Hannah Glancy, Nina Ruffolo, and Roshie Xing attended the Save the Children Advocacy Summit in Washington, D.C., through a partnership with the Pittsburgh World Affairs Council. The Summit was focused around the idea that every child deserves a strong start in life, and that students can use their voices to call on our elected leaders to invest in kids.
The students participated in a three-day experience of dynamic sessions, exciting speakers, and meetings with elected leaders. The summit provided a unique opportunity for students to delve deeper into the issues, receive training from leading experts, and act to ensure that matters critical to children’s lives are prioritized by our elected leaders.
Student-Athletes Recognized for Academic AchievementThe North Allegheny Athletic Department recently recognized student-athletes who have distinguished themselves in the 2016-2017 school year through their outstanding classroom achievements. Here are a few highlights from this year:
• Of the 2927 middle and high school students who participated in sports this year, 59% earned a GPA of 3.7 of higher.
• More than 40% of this year’s student-athletes received the Athletic Director’s All-Academic Award for earning a 4.0 GPA or better during their sports season.
• Seventy-three teams received the All-Academic Award for earning a total team GPA of 3.5 of better during their season, and nine teams received the All-Scholar Award for earning a total team GPA between 3.2 and 3.49 during their season.
• Overall, all 82 high school and middle school teams qualified for the Scholar-Athlete Program by earning one of the two team awards.
Seniors Receive WPIAL Student Athlete ScholarshipsCongratulations to Anna Li and Ethan Maenza, who each received $1,000 scholarships from the WPIAL Scholar Athlete Committee.
Anna, a member of the girls tennis team, and Ethan, a member of the football and lacrosse teams, were two of 20 student-athletes presented with this honor, which recognizes students for exceptional performance in academics, athletics, and community service.
Summer Rec is almost here!Summer Rec is almost here!
Click here for information about our Athletic Summer Rec
program for students K-12!
Click here to learn more about the Summer Rec program for
N O R T H A L L E G H E N Y S C H O O L D I S T R I C T
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May 2017
IMS Students Finish 14th at World Festival
Congratulations to Ingomar Middle School students Felipe Bergerman and Owen Prem, who competed on a team with students from other local schools at the First Lego League World Festival in St. Louis last month.
The World Festival featured 108 teams from 45 countries com-peting in three categories: Robot Game, Project, and Core Values. Felipe and Owen's team finished in 14th place worldwide in the Robot Game portion of the competition. The team's project proposed a solution to bat mortality caused by collisions with wind turbines. For the core values category, the team organized six outreach events to spread STEM in the region, training over 100 children and helping 11 boy scouts earn the robot-ics merit badge.
Students Give Winning Presentations at State Science CompetitionThis month, students in the North Allegheny Science Club took part in the state level competition of the Pennsylvania Junior Academy of Science. These students researched and investigated a self-designed project or experiment in the fields of science, technology, and mathematics, and then presented their findings before a panel of judges. Students are judged on scientific research techniques, statistical data analysis, aesthetics of presentation, public speaking and presentation skills, and ability to interact with professionals.
NA Wins 20th Consecutive JCL State ChampionshipThis month, 70 NA students in grades 8-12 competed in the Pennsylvania Junior Classical League State Convention and earned North Allegheny’s 20th consecutive state championship!
Students spent a weekend engaged in academic tests, Certamen (quiz bowl) games, performances of memorized Latin oratory and dramatic inter-pretations, art projects, and track and field events.
NA’s Advanced Level Certamen Team, comprised of Tess Christensen, Heya Lee, Gunasheil Mandava, and Julia Maruca, won second in the state. The Level II Certamen Team, comprised of Jiwoo Chen, Emma Heliger, Christopher Lee, and Steven Pan, won third place in the state. In total, NA students earned 70 academic awards, 48 artistic awards, and 18 athletic awards.
N O R T H A L L E G H E N Y S C H O O L D I S T R I C T
May 2017
www.northallegheny.org
NAI Student Receives Cancer Research OpportunityCongratulations to 10th grader Laurie Song, who was selected as a winner of the Emperor Science Award! This research opportunity is awarded to high school sophomores and juniors across the country who have a passion for science in the field of cancer research. Laurie is one of 100 students selected nationally to be paired with a university-level mentoring scientist to collaborate on an important cancer research project.
This program aims to empower high school students to become the next generation of cancer and health researchers, while working alongside an esteemed scientist on a multi-week cancer research project.
Senior Named Presidential Scholar
Congratulations to NA senior Julie Chen, who has been named a 2017 United States Presidential Scholar by the U.S. Department of Education! She is one of just 161 American high school seniors selected for this prestigious honor. The White House Commission on Presidential Scholars selects scholars annually based on their academic success, artistic excellence, essays, school eval- uations and transcripts, as well as evidence of commu-nity service, leadership, and a demonstrated commitment to high ideals.
The 2017 Presidential Scholars will be honored for their accomplishments this June in Washington, D.C.
NA Takes First Place in High School Programming ContestCongratulations to NA Senior High School students Chris Lee, Steven Lu, Nikhil Behari, and Akshath Jain, whose team won the 29th Annual Invitational High School Programming Contest at St. Bonaventure University on March 24.
During the one-day competition, 18 teams from 13 schools in New York and Pennsylvania were given a set of nine problems, which included challenges such as aggregating weather data and monitoring logins and passwords on a computer system. The NA team solved eight of the nine problems in 616 minutes, earning first place for being the fastest team to complete the most number of problems.
NASH Students Compete at Three Rivers German DayOn March 16, several NA Senior High School German students competed at the Three Rivers German Day at Washington and Jefferson College.
Congratulations to:
Gage Koontz, 1st Place in Drawing
Elspeth Cunningham, 1st place in Handicrafts
Cam Phillips,1st place in Poetry Writing
Amanda Gould, 1st place in Proverb PosterInterpretation
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May 2017
REGISTER TODAY AT NORTHALLEGHENY.ORG/FOUNDATION
Honor Someone Special
Your gift to North Allegheny Foundation can do more than support the students of North Allegheny. It can also serve to honor a teacher, staff member, or loved one.
A donation of $50 honors someone special with their name added on the Someone Special plaque located at the Central Administration Offices. They will also receive a person-alized certificate commemo-rating your gift.
A donation of $2,000 makes possible a bench (pictured below) with an engraved name- plate honoring someone at the school of your choice.
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May 2017
FOR DISTRICT INFORMATION
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North Allegheny School District,200 Hillvue Lane, Pittsburgh, PA
15237 • 412-366-2100
Paid advertisements in District communications and/or on District property do not represent the District’s en-dorsement or approval of the matters or organizations represented in the advertisements. (School Board Policy #2580 - Approved Commercial Advertising.)
Go Behind the Scenes of a Music Video During Remake Learning DaysOn Friday, May 26, NA Senior High School will be hosting a unique opportunity to experience what goes into the production of a music video.
Taking inspiration from the "Take On Me" music video by A-ha, participants will engage in rotoscope animation, a technique in which animators trace over footage, frame by frame, for use in live venues. They will also learn about microphone placement, sound design, video production, livestreaming, and lighting.
Join us for this exciting, hands-on learning opportunity through Remake Learning Days!
Tips for Parents to Be 'Smarter than the Smartphone'While giving your child their own smartphone has its benefits, it also presents risks like cyberbullying, access to inappropriate content, and revealing your child's location to strangers. Read on to learn five ways to be smarter than the smartphone, courtesy of NetSmartz.org:
1. Be a parent and a resource. Establish clear guidelines, including time limits and consequences for inappropriate behavior, but be open so your child will come to you with any problems.
2. Set up password protection. This will keep everyone but you and your child from accessing personal information stored on the phone.
3. Update the operating system. New versions often contain important security fixes.
4. Approve apps before they are downloaded. Make sure you understand their capabilities and approve their content.
5. Understand location services. GPS features are useful when using maps, but you'll want to disable location-tagging when your child posts anything online.
For more information and tips for parents about managing your child's smartphone and social media use, check out the "Good Digital Parenting" section of the Family Online Safety Institute.
