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DONALDSON CELEBRATES READ ACROSS AMERICA
The Donaldson Daily
Staff Writers:
Mia Foster
Emily Saggio
Eva Lutz
Francis Wichryk
Kate Miller
Reese Bielecki
Nathan Gunderson
Tyler Morris
Editor-in-Chief:
Mrs. Nolan
Contributing Editor:
Mrs. Koraido
Freelance Writers:
Erica Prologo
Joseph Pustover
Rachel Mamula
Olivia Norris
Sierra Mangan
Amelia Wheatley
Connor Guira
Ella Chandler
Summer Miller
Kali Burke
Samantha Goldstrohm
Julia Prologo
In this issue:
Volume 2, Issue 1 June 2015
Donaldson Discovers 2
Math 24 Challenge 3
Fun in the Sun 6
Fund Raisers 3
Variety Show 2
Carnegie Science 6
Battle of the Books 4
Field Trips 5
DONALDSON
ELEMENTARY A NATIONAL
BLUE RIBBON
SCHOOL
Mr. Sean Aiken read If I Ran the Zoo
by Dr. Seuss to Mrs. King’s class.
Ms. Kim Basinger read I Am Not
Going to Get Up Today by Dr.
Seuss to students in second grade.
ART FAIR A HUGE SUCCESS By: Rachel Mamula
Pictured below:Rachel Mamula, Ava
Pustover, Emily Saggio, Morgan and
Madison Pichi.
Pictured below: Left: Kylie Holt. Right: Mrs. Rukas and
Gabby Holtz.
Pictured left: Christopher Morri-
son and Madison Hill. Right:
Greyden and Henry Niederriter.
Pictured right: (Left to
right): Cy and Ellie Carothers, Joslyn Graham, and Joi
Wichryk.
This year’s theme of the Donaldson
Art Fair was Blue Ribbon Masterpiece
in honor of Donaldson’s Blue Rib-
bon Award, and it was a huge suc-
cess. The Art Fair was originally
scheduled for Wednesday March 4th;
however, due to poor weather pre-
dictions was rescheduled for Tues-
day March 10th. It was held from
6:00 to 8:00 PM in the Donaldson
Cafeteria and welcomed Donaldson
students, staff, friends, and family.
Some of the proceeds ($552.23)
from the Art Fair went to benefit
Anya Lamar, 4th grade student, for
ongoing costs associated with her
treatments. A special thank you to
the Donaldson PTA for sponsoring
the fair. Some of the crafts included:
scratch art tulips, cupcake banks, heart wreaths, crowns, Egyptian stickers,
underwater seascapes, beaded brace-
lets, Day of the Dead Skeleton stick
puppets, and sand art. “Mollie the
Painter” was available for face painting
at no cost. Displayed throughout the
halls were students art work.1st grade
had an amazing display of flowers,
2nd grade had Jim Dine inspired
hearts, 3rd grade made aerial snow-
men, 4th grade made profile snow-
man paintings, and fifth grade made
c an v a s p a i n t i n g s en t i t l e d
“Pittsburgh Starry Night.” There
was also an art basket raffled off
worth almost $100.00. Tickets
were available to purchase: 1 for
$1.00, 10 for $5.00 or an arm’s
length for $10.00. The winner of
the art basket was Turner Lutz.
At the same time, a book fair was
held in the gym, and pizza and re-
freshments were available for pur-
chase. A special thank you to Mrs.
March and Mrs. Counihan for or-
ganizing this annual event which
also included the Kona Ice Truck!
Suessville Week 2015, aka ‘Read Across
America Week’, is a huge event across
the country to promote reading for
kids and teens. According to Mr.
Aiken, assistant superintendent,”
West Allegheny School District
planned a number of events to cele-
brate, encourage, and support read-
ing throughout our District.” We
would like to thank Mariann Bertoc-
chi and Christina Pratt for organizing
all the events of ‘Read Across America’
throughout the district and commu-
nity. During Suessville week, daily
events occurred from Monday March
2nd – Saturday March 7th. Activities
were held at the WA Elementary
Schools and the Robinson Mall Rotun-
da. Activities at Robinson Mall included
creating art projects, The Lorax, Oh,
the Thinks you can Think, Scrambled
Eggs Supper, and many more including a
treat. The events at Donaldson includ-
ed hat day, red and white day, and slip-
per day. We also ate green eggs and
ham for lunch. Everyone got involved
in the activities and had a great time.
This year, we welcomed two new assistant superintendents, Mr. Aiken and
Ms. Basinger to WA. These individuals have many job responsibilities. We
had the opportunity to have a face to face interview with Mr. Aiken, and a
questionnaire was sent to Ms. Basinger. Mr. Aiken is one of three assistant
superintendents at WA. His job responsibilities include hiring teachers, de-
veloping a safety plan, technology, athletics, building maintenance and securi-
ty, as well as the safety of all the students and staff. Mr. Aiken began as a
teacher, then became a principal, and now is an assistant superintendent. He
likes the fact that we all work together, grow together, and learn together.
Mr. Aiken came from a large family, which helped him learn to get along with
other people. Since he is a middle child, he became the peace maker. Origi-
nally from Pittsburgh, he moved to Virginia for 10 years, before finally moving
back to Pittsburgh, where he now has a golden retriever named Lexi.
WA WELCOMES NEW ASSISTANTS By: Amelia Wheatley and Ella Chandler
Cont. pg 4
MANY ACTIVITIES OFFERED AT DONANLDSON DISCOVERS By: Julia Prologo and Sierra Mangan
Pictured left to right: Kylie Thompson, Emma Yanek, Annie
Constantine, Katlyn Roberts, Navella Hildreth, and Kendal
Ballis.
Critters, Dreaming of Summer, Habi-
tat Happening, Lego Minecraft with
Snapology, Fun with Pottery, Fun with
Feathers, Creative Cooking, Go
Green: Engineering Recycled Racers,
Military Footlocker, Animal Adven-
tures, Physical Fitness, The Great
Outdoors, and Creative Technology.
Donaldson students appreciate all of
the time and effort that it takes to
provide this exciting educational op-
portunity and we would like to thank
the PTA, teachers, and parent volun-
teers who all helped to make this
program a success.
Hopefully, we can look
forward to many more
years of activities at
Donaldson Discovers.
Right; Pictured left to
right: Tori Zanella, Makayla Wright, Aubrey Kubiak, and
Riley Kennedy.
On Thursdays after school in February and March,
Donaldson, and Wilson at Donaldson students had
another four weeks of fun at Donaldson Discovers.
Donaldson Discovers- a PTA sponsored program,
invited presenters from all over the area to provide
additional educational experiences for Donaldson
students. Some of the presenters were from the
Pittsburgh Zoo, the Community Library, the Carne-
gie Museum of Pittsburgh, Snapology, and the Pitts-
burgh Aviary. Several Donaldson teachers were also
presenters and included Mrs. Vestal, Mrs. Taranto,
Mr. DeChico, and Mr. DeMario. There were 15
options to choose from this year including: Super
Physical Fitness Activities including hockey and swimming were also a part of the Donaldson Discovers line-up.
Above: Conrad, the penguin, from the
Pittsburgh Aviary captivates students.
Above: Pictured left to right: John Wineland along with
three ‘Wilson at Donaldson’ students.
PTA SPONSORS VARIETY SHOW IN H.S. AUDITORIUM AND ART CONTEST By: Olivia Norris and Summer Miller
This year, Donaldson students were
eligible to participate in the Donaldson
PTA Variety Show Art Contest. En-
tries for the contest were due on or
before Wednesday, January 7, 2015.
Winning art work was featured on the
Donaldson Variety Show T-shirt or
the program. Winners of the art con-
test received a T-shirt, small prize, and
were recognized at the Variety Show,
which was held on Friday, February 6,
2015. The winners of the contest
were Olivia Norris and Emily Sag-
gio. Olivia’s artwork was recognized
on the front of the program and Emi-
ly’s artwork was recognized on the
front of the T-shirt. Congratulations
to Olivia, Emily, and to all of the stu-
dents who participated in the contest.
On February 6, 2015, teachers and students of
Donaldson participated in the annual Variety Show
sponsored by Donaldson PTA. Many came to
watch the program which was held in the high
school auditorium. Before the actual show began,
there was a slide presentation that highlighted
participating 5th grade students which depicted a “Then and Now” photo.
There were 7 emcees and 29 acts altogether. All students participated in
the Grande Finale dance number. Fifth graders also received a picture
with their parents and a bouquet of flowers. Thank you to all the stu-
dents who participated in the Variety Show and the Donaldson PTA for
making it a wonderful annual event!
DONALDSON MAKES MUSIC
By: Rachel Mamula, Olivia Norris, Summer Miller, Julia Prologo, and Sierra Mangan
DONALDSON STUDENTS TAKE PSSA By: Kate Miller and Reese Bielecki
At Donaldson Elementary School, grades 3rd – 5th took the PSSA’s.
This year, all PSSA’s were based on the Common Core Standards,
unlike last year when they were based of the PA state standards.
Students tested in the morning and were provided with breakfast
before the test began. The 4th and 5th grade students traded lunch
times with the first and some second graders so that there would
be more time in the testing window. The ELA (English and Language
Arts) Session began on April 14th and concluded on April 17th. The
Math Session began on the 20th of April and concluded on the 22nd.
Fourth grade students were also required to take a Science Session.
The Science Session began on the 28th and concluded on the 29th.
Students who were absent on the test days were able to make up
any test section up until the 8th of May. Results for the PSSA’s
should be available sometime in June.
4th grader, Gia
Hart recites the “Pledge of Alle-giance’ during the
Grande Finale per-formance of ‘America the Beauti-
ful’.
Continued pg. 6
On Thursday May 7, 2015 Donaldson Elementary School pre-
formed a musical program entitled “Donaldson Makes Mu-
sic” which was comprised of students in grades 1-4. Parents
and family also attended the 2:00 PM performance which took
place in the Donaldson Gym. The program was organized by
music teachers Mr.Groba, Mrs.Sharlow, Mrs. Mahramas, and
Mr. Hoffman. Students in 1st grade used rhythm sticks and
tambourines to play “Goin’ Over the Sea” and “Yankee Doodle”.
They also danced the Yankee Doodle Folk Dance. 2nd grade
danced and played music to “Hungarian Dance No.5.” They
also performed an illustration of musical form to “Star Wars.”
Following Star Wars, students sang “You’re a Grand Old Flag.”
The 2nd graders used parachutes and flags as props. Third
grade was also a part of “Donaldson Makes Music”.
DONALDSON 4TH GRADERS PARTICIPATE IN MATH 24 By: Katherine Miller and Reese Bielec-
MANY DONALDSON SUPPORTERS
ATTEND TEACHER’S CUP ON FRIDAY THE 13TH
By: Tyler Moss
FUNDRAISERS AT DONALDSON By: Nathan Gunderson
Donaldson School has had many fund raisers this year to raise money for our school and for charity. See the
chart below for some of the details.
24®
Pictured left: Students
representing Dona ldson at the District T o u r n a -ment. Left to r i g h t :
Brayden Lambert DeLaney Evers, Reese-Bielecki, Makynlee Martin, Kate Miller,
and Ella Sekelik.
On Friday March 13th at 7:00
PM, the infamous Teachers
Cup was held in the High
School Gymnasium. The
Teachers Cup was a unique
and fun competition in which
teachers volunteered to com-
pete across the district against
each other. This year some of
the events were dodge ball,
funny goggle basketball, musi-
cal plates and ‘Hungry, Hun-
gry Hippos’ just to name a
few. Many students came to
watch and cheer on their
school and teachers. Admis-
sion for the event was $5. In
addition to the event, various
prizes were
raffled off including bikes and
baskets filled with candy and
toys. Congratulations to the
Middle School who won the
competition and to Wilson
School who won the spirit
award. Thanks to all the teach-
ers who participated. The mon-
ey raised supports teacher pro-
gramming, student scholarships
and community projects
throughout the West Allegheny
school district. A special thank
you to Sgt. John C. Bates for
coordinating this event.
This year, 4th grade students
had the opportunity to partici-
pate in the annual Math 24
Challenge, organized by the
elementary Horizon teachers–
Mr. Dowd, Mr. Hamm and
Mrs. Koraido. Approximately
30 Donaldson students prac-
ticed by attending 4 sessions
in October, and 3 sessions in
March. These sessions deter-
mined the students who
would represent Donaldson
at the Math 24 District Tour-
nament. Thestudents who repre-
sented Donaldson at the district
tournament this year were Ella
Sekelik, Kate Miller, Reese Bielecki,
and Brayden Lambert. The runner-
ups were Makynlee Martin and
Delaney Evers. The district tourna-
ment was held on March 25th in the
Donaldson Cafeteria where all three
elementary schools competed at the
district level. Brayden Lambert won
the gold medal. Ella Sekelik won the
silver medal. Kate Miller won bronze
and Ethan DeBoth, from McKee, took
4th place. These top 4 students partic-
ipated in the regional Math 24 Chal-
lenge Regional Tournament on Thurs-
day, May 29th, which was held at The
Allegheny Intermediate Unit. Brayden
Lambert brought home a silver medal
from this event. It was a great expe-
rience for everyone. Pictured below left to right: Gold Med-alist Brayden Lambert, 4th place winner Ethan DeBoth from McKee,
Bronze Medalist Kate Miller, and
Silver Medalist Ella Sekelik.
FUND RAISER SPONSOR BENEFIT TOTAL
RAISED
Pasta for Pennies Dr. Deirker/Mrs. Tracy Cancer Research $2,243.75
Box Tops P.T.A. Playground Equipment $1,148.26
Denim Day Mrs. Bauer Cancer Society $260
Student Council Mrs. Mangan K9 fund, Library, Act of
Kindness
$2,241
Kona Ice P.T.A PTA $190
Dine and Donate: Kings P.T.A. PTA $83.23
Dine and Donate: B.W.W. P.T.A. PTA $264.04
Dine and Donate: Max & Erma’s P.T.A. PTA $82.44
Mall Coupon Book P.T.A. PTA $410
Dine and Donate: Chipotle P.T.A. PTA $361.03
Market Day P.T.A. P.T.A. $2,119.85
Sarris Candy P.T.A. P.T.A. $6,969.23
5 Below P.T.A. P.T.A. $54
Mrs. Schultz
also raised funds with this wacky ‘do’ to support
our library. (hair by Mrs. J. Ham-ilton and Mrs.
A. Halkias)
STUDENTS PURPLE UP FOR
MILITARY KIDS
By: Kali Burke, Erica Prologo, and Samantha Goldstrom
Across the country, April is the “Month of the Military
Child”, celebrated by Purple Up Day. This year marked the
5th annual Purple Up Day. So on Wednesday, April 15,
2015, Donaldson students and staff wore purple to sup-
port military families. The color purple symbolizes all
branches of the military, as it is the combination of Army
green, Marine red, Coast Guard navy, and Air Force blue.
Purple Up is a visible way to thank youth whose parent or
parents serve in one of the United States Armed Forces.
Purple Up is a great cause, and many students wore purple
to show support for these well deserved, military kids,
On May 15, 2015,
the students at
Donaldson Elemen-
tary School partici-
pated in Track and
Field Day, spon-
sored by Mrs. Ta-
ranto, and included
support from many
staff and parent
volunteers. Track
and Field is a day
where students
spend their day
competing in events much like the
Olympics. The opening ceremony
was held in the gym and all class-
rooms made banners and chose a
team name. The students prepared
for this competition in P.E. by running
relays and sprints. Each student also
had a choice in which events they
wanted to compete. The events were
the 400 meter, 100 meter, the 50
meter, long jump, softball throw,
football throw, and obstacle course.
There was also a half mile, an event
for the fastest boy and girl in each
class. The classes with the most over-
all points were as follows: 3rd grade -
Mrs. Sekelik’s class, 4th grade - Mrs.
Ordich’s class, and 5th grade - Mrs.
Mangan’s class. Each winning class
received a trophy for having the most
points in the grade level. Each student
received a ribbon for placing in each
event. The events concluded with a
Tug a War competition with the fol-
lowing winning classes, Mrs. Sekelik,
Mrs. Ordich and Mrs. Stout. This
Track and Field Day is the last one for
Mrs. Taranto at Donaldson School.
Mrs. Taranto has taught at Donaldson
since it opened, but she is transfer-
ring to the High School. According to
Mrs. Taranto, her favorite part of
Track and Field Day was, ”Watching
the kids get excited and proud of
themselves when they win awards.”
Mrs. Taranto is going to miss, “The
kids and the friendships she has made
LAST TRACK AND
FIELD FOR PE
TEACHER By: Emily Saggio
Mrs. Taranto
emcees her last
Track & Field Day.
Cont. pg 4
‘RED OUT’ DAY AT
DONALDSON
By: Eva Lutz and Mia Foster
6TH ANNUAL ‘BATTLE OF THE BOOKS’ By: Emily Saggio
Students showing off ‘ducky’ lanyards!
First graders are even connected!
I-phones, I-pads, I-pods; Oh my!
Pictured with Mrs. Schultz from left to right: are
Booktrotters Erica Prologo, Sierra Mangan,
Ava Pustover, Morgan Pichi, and Emily Saggio.
On Thursday March 19th, 2015, the fourth and
fifth grade students participated in the 6th annu-
al Battle of the Books sponsored by W.A. Ele-
mentary librarians Mrs. Schultz, Mrs. Medwick,
and Mrs. Denniston. The students began prepa-
ration in November of 2014 by reading from a
list of 10 books. Each team was comprised of 3
-5 students, and had an adult team manager to
quiz them on the books and to hold team
meetings. The books included many different
genres including mysteries, sports, fiction, and
so much more! The students were also al-
lowed to take AR tests on the books they
read. At the competition, the team members
were seated as a group. The announcer read
each question twice. The team had 30 seconds
to confirm the answer and for the team captain
to write the response. The team’s goal was to
get as many points as possible by writing down
the correct responses at the end of the ques-
tions. Scores were counted, and the team with
the highest score of 241 out of 245 won the
battle. The winning team this year was the
Donaldson Booktrotters with Emily Saggio,
Erica Prolgo, Sierra Mangan, Morgan Pichi,
and Ava Pustover as team members. Their
team leader was Tracy Pustover and Lisa
McAlorum. The Battle of the Books is a
great way for students to read, see what
type of book interests them, and learn how
to work as a team!
job is to understand what educators need in
order to be successful, and to provide opportuni-
ties for all educators to continuously learn and
grow. One way we are approaching that is by
working with people in various roles throughout
the district to design systems of evaluation that
are meaningful and growth-oriented. I am also
working to make sure that educators have ac-
cess to the training and resources that they need
to be at their best.
A/E: Have you always been into education? Ms. Basinger: I have wanted to be an educa-
tor since I was a little girl. My grandmother was
an elementary school teacher and my cousins
and I used to play school in her basement all of
the time. I was fortunate to go to great schools
and have great teachers when I was growing up,
and I want to make sure that other children have
those same opportunities and positive experienc-
es with school like I did. A/E: What do you like best about the West
Allegheny School District? Ms. Basinger: There is so much to love about West A! First, everyone has been so warm and
welcoming. Administrators, teachers, students
and families have made me feel at home here
from the very beginning. I also love that there is
such strong school and community pride, and
that the district truly strives for greatness in all
things that they do. A/E: Did you come from a large or small
family, and how did they help you? Ms. Basinger: My immediate family is fairly
small (mom, dad, and older brother); however, I
have a lot of cousins that I grew up very close
with as well. My family has always been there to
support me and encourage me to go after my
dreams. Education was always a priority in my family. Although I was always interested in
sports and other activities, my parents made my
brother and I put academics first. Looking back I
am very grateful for that because my academic
success and commitment to life-long learning
have opened many doors for me over the years.
A/E: What city are you originally from? Ms. Basinger: I was born in Pittsburgh
(Greentree to be specific). I went to Keystone
Oaks School District from Kindergarten through
12th Grade. I went to college at the Universi-
ty of Maryland (very close to Washington,
D.C.) and lived there for about 10 years after
college, but I moved back to Pittsburgh in
2010 to be closer to my family. A/E: Do you have any pets, and if so what
are their names?
Ms. Basinger: I have one dog. Her name is
Zoey. I actually got her from one of my students
12 years ago. Her dog had puppies and she
asked me if I would come visit them and think
about keeping one. I told her I would come and
see them, but that I wasn’t going to take one
home. However, Zoey (the littlest puppy in the
litter) crawled up on my lap and the rest is histo-
ry (I had to keep her). She’s getting old now, but
she still acts like a puppyJ
In early March, Kristin Gergos, a volunteer for
the American Heart Association, presented 3
short video clips to the students at lunch time.
These videos launched the AHA fundraiser by
having a BYOD (Bring Your Own Electronic
Device) at lunch time on March 18, 2015, aka
Red Out Day. Each student who donated could
participate. Donations were accepted on the
morning of the 18th in all three elementary
schools. Each student who donated received a
duck keychain on a lanyard. The total amount
collected for the AHA was $2,670.82. The class
that donated the most was Mrs. Barr’s class,
and was awarded an extra P.E. class.
Cont. Track and Field with the other staff members.” Mrs. Taranto is also excited, but nervous to move on to the High
School. This year’s Track and Field Day was a great way to get exercise, hang out with friends, and
say goodbye to Mrs. Taranto. Pictured below: Classroom Teams and Banners
Cont. Assistants A/E: What is your title, and what are your job
responsibilities?
Ms. Bassinger: I am the Assistant to the Superin-
tendent for Professional Learning and Educator Effec-
tiveness. That is a very long title, but in short, I am
responsible for making sure we have an effective teacher in every classroom, every day. A big part of my
FUN IN THE SUN
By: Kate Miller and Reese Bielecki
This year on the 29th of May, the annual
Fun in the Sun took place. 1st and 2nd
grades participated in this event. Mrs.
Taranto sponsored Fun in the Sun and
many parent volunteers and other teach-
ers also helped. A few events were the
sponge relay, face painting and tattoos.
There were also some games they could
play such as sorry, hungry hippos, and
color collectors. This annual event took
place in the grassy area behind the li-
brary and inside the school.
RETIRED SECRETARY
HONORED By: Mrs. Koraido
Pictured left: Mrs. Virginia Zang, 2015 Friend of Education recipient.
On May 7th, approximately
twenty- five friends, family, staff,
support staff, administrators, and
school board members of West
Alle gheny gathered at Hickory
Heights Country Club to hon-
or former Donaldson secre-
tary, Virginia Zang, the 2015
NEA- PSEA Western Region
Friend of Education recipient.
Continued pg. 6
SPRING IS SEASON FOR EDUCATIONAL
FIELD TRIPS By: Reese Bielecki and Kate Miller
DONALDSON GIRLS PATIPATE IN
NATIONAL PROGRAM By: Sierra Mangan and Julia Prologo
For the third year in a row, the 3rd, 4th, & 5th grade girls at Donaldson
School participated in the national Girls on the Run program. GOTR
began with 13 girls in Charlotte, North Carolina by founder Molly
Barker in 1996. According to the GOTR website, “They envision a
world where every girl knows and activates her limitless potential
and is free to boldly pursue her dreams. They believe that every girl
can embrace who she is, can define who she wants to be, can rise to
any challenge, can change the world. CAN.” This year GOTR began
on February 24th, met two days a week, and trained for a 5K race,
which was held on Sunday, May 17th at Hartwood Acres. Snacks,
water bottles, and T-shirts were provided for all participating girls.
The coaches for this program were Mrs. Sunseri, (5th grade), and
Miss Tissue, (leaning support). During the classes, the girls learned
about being kind to each other and how to stay fit. 5th grader, Ava
Pustover came in first place overall at the Hartwood Acres race.
Front row (left to right): Danielle Slovick, Suzy Wilson, Katelyn Vestal,
Rylie Kennedy, Ava Hamilton, Amara Mangan, Katie Meehan. Second
row: Libby Hitchings, Kate Miller, Kristina Fatigati, Cori Wineland,
Averi Zdinak, Addison Elliott. Third Row: Coach Sunseri, Coach Tis-
sue, Erica Prolongo, Ella Sekelik, Delaney Evers, Kayla Howard, Me-
gan Russo, Kiley Buglak, Julianne Brindle, Macie Wingert, Coach
Greathouse. Fourth row: Kali Burke, Morgan Pichi, Macckenzie Evers, Ava Pustover, Madison Pichi, Sami Goldstrohm, Caroline
Bachowiski, Kyley Thompson, and Coach Brindle.
Pictured left to right. Back row: Mrs. Schultz, Connor Frank, Makyn-
lee Martin, Olivia Hellman, Madison Hill, Mrs. Tracy. 2nd row standing: Brayden Lambert, Aidan Boyce, Caleb Gnoth, Max Psaros, Cameron Connor, Brendan Burke, Julianne Brindle.
Kneeling: Clifford Brindle, Caden Gnoth, Brandon Boyce, Luke Hellman, Julia LaGrosse, Wil Gubba. Sitting: Joseph LaGrosse,
Nathan Athanas, Ryan McMullen, Logan Lambert, Nathan Steele.
FIRST YEAR FOR ‘KIDS OF STEEL’ By: Francis Wichryk
4TH AND 5TH GRADERS DISTRICT WIDE
PRESENT CONCERT By: Amelia Wheatley and Ella Chandler
Grade Sponsor Field Trip
5th 5th Grade Teachers Monkey Kingdom movie
5th Music Department (Peter Pan) Play
5th PTA Heinz Field
5th DARE Bowling
4th PTA Kids Open Penguin Practice
4th PTA PNC Park
3rd PTA Raccoon State Park
2nd PTA Pittsburgh Aviary
1st PTA Children’s Museum
Kindergarten PTA Phipps Garden
Horizons Horizons Outdoor Classroom
Horizons Horizons Carnegie Science Center
Horizons Horizons Kennywood Physics Day
This year, Donaldson students attended many educational field trips. The
table below shows some of the field trips for the 2014-2015 school year.
TAKE YOUR CHILD TO WORK By: Tyler Moss
On April 29th, Donaldson, Wilson, and McKee fourth and fifth graders performed
an amazing spring concert which was presented at the high school auditorium. The
fourth grade performed at 6:30 p.m. and the fifth graders performed at 8:00 p.m.
This year, the fifth grade band selections were “Stepping Out”, “Star Wars”, “Armed
Forces March”, and “Light Em Up”. “Light Em Up” seemed to be the favorite among
the students. The fourth grade band selections were “Ode to Joy”, “This Old Man”,
“Rio Bravo”, and “Let’s Go Band”! In addition to the band, there was also a fifth
grade chorus performance. Their selections included “Sing a Song of Peace”, “Dansi
Na Kuimba”, “Old Dan Tucker”, and “J’entends le Moulin”. Mr. Hoffman and Mr.
Humbert conducted the 5th and 4th grade bands, while Mrs. Sharlow, Mrs. Jack,
and Mrs. Mahramas prepared chorus students at the elementary centers which
included “J’entends le Moulin”, “Sing a Song of Peace,” “Dansi Na Kuimba”,
and “Ole Dan Tucker”. Overall, the concert was a huge success.
WALK-A-THON AT DOALDSON
By: Erica Prologo, Samatha Goldstrom, and Kali Burke
April 23rd was the 22nd annual “Take Your
Child to Work Day”. The theme for this
year was #MPOWR Knowledge + Choices
= Strength. “Take your Child to Work
Day” is an annual event. On this special
day, students were permitted to skip
school to go to their mom or dad’s place
of employment to learn about their job.
According to the official website, “The
program supports career development
by helping students connect school,
the world of work, and their own
future.” The recommended age of participants is between 8 and
18. “Take Your Child to Work Day” is always scheduled for the
4th Thursday of April which helps schools and work places plan
ahead. This year approximately 130 Donaldson students partici-
pated in the program.
Mrs. Schultz takes her children Annaliese
and Liesl to work.
In January of 2015, Donaldson students were invited to participate in the
Kids of Steel (KOS) program, which according to the KOS official website
involves teaching exercise and nutrition. Every Wednesday from 7:45-8:25
AM, January through March, students attended open gym practices. There
were over 120 schools participating in KOS and approximately 6,000 stu-
dents. At the end of the program students were given the choice between
two races, which were both held on May 2nd. The first race was the Toyota
of Pittsburgh Kids One Mile Marathon. The second race was a 5k run for
more advanced runners and sponsored by UPMC Health Plan/ Sports Medi-
cine Pittsburgh. Students weren’t required to participate in the KOS pro-
gram, but they all enjoyed participating in the event.
Donaldson’s new sign. Stop by and check it out!
On Friday May 22, 2015, students, family members, and
teachers were invited to walk for physical fitness and
support the PTA. Donations were accepted on the day of
the Walk-A-Thon, and after walking, each student was
provided with a healthy snack. The PTA gave out awards
with first grader, Nathan Athanas, receiving an award for
the largest overall school donation. Students from each
grade level who made the largest donation were also
awarded a prize. Those students included: Dylan
Stearns-K, Nathan Athanas-1st, Acacia Vergenes-2nd,
Suzy Wilson -3rd, Anya Lamar-4th, and Luke Campbell-
5th. The classroom that collectively had the largest dona-
tion was Mrs. Mackey’s class, and they will get an addi-
tional healthy snack The total amount collected was $
3,705.75. The 5th annual Walk-A-Thon was a great way
to help the PTA and get some exercise at the same time!
CARNEGIE SCIENCE CENTER PRESENTS By: Kali Burke, Erica Prologo,
and Samantha Golstrohm
Nakayla Roberts and Christo-
pher Morrison volunteer for this ‘TP’ experiment with Dr. Phil. It
just blew us and the ‘TP’ away!
Lauren Nikotra and Sarah Miller got
ready for the Track and Field tug-o-war with these inter-locking phone books.
Joshua Cain helps
Dr. Phil with this balloon vacuum exper-iment. No shortage of
‘hot air’ in there!
On Friday March 20, 2015, pre-
senter Dr. Phil from the Carnegie
Science Center came to Don-
aldson to present the Wild by De-
sign program sponsored by Shop
N’ Save and Donaldson PTA. At
the assembly, Dr. Phil taught kids
about science and performed ex-
periments which included a bal-
loon vacuum experiment, a nitro-
gen trashcan experiment, and a
toilet paper aerodynamics experi-
ment. Throughout the assembly,
video presentations complement-
ed Dr. Phil’s program with other
scientists who added explanations
and demonstrations to support
his experiments. From the audi-
ence, students volunteered to
help in the experiments and an-
swered questions. Students loved
the fun and exciting performance.
‘Music’ Cont. They used their recorders, rhythm sticks, and Orff
instruments. Third grade`s musical selections were
“Hot Cross Buns”, “BA Marching Monster”, and
“Sarasponda”. “Sarasponda” is a rhythm stick activity
with a partner. 4th grade preformed “Ode to Joy” and
“Lightly Row”, a recorder duet. For their final number, students sang “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” and played
recorders and boom wackers. Finally at the end of
the performance, every student in grades 1-4 pre-
formed the patriotic number, “America the Beautiful”.
It was a well attended and wonderful performance.
DONALDSON ENJOYS CLO PERFORMANCE By: Emily Saggio
GALILEO Donaldson students sing Grande Finale - ‘America the Beautiful’
by Katherine Lee Bates.
On May 5th, the Pittsburgh Civic
Light Opera (C.L.O) presented a
musical entitled “The Next Gali-
leo,” which was written by Joseph
Domencic. Kindergarten through
5th grade watched this exciting and
educational performance. Don-
aldson P.T.A. sponsored this event
that was a partnership with the
Heinz History Center, the Smith-
sonian Institution, and the William
Randolph Hearst Foundation. The
star of the play was a girl named
Gabriella who loved astronomy,
but was afraid to speak out and ask
questions. Her teacher gave her an
old science book that transported
her magically back in time to Italy,
1609. She became Galileo’s assis-
tant and helped him persevere
through the process of building a
telescope. In the end, Gabriella
learned that you have to be out-
spoken and confident to achieve
your goal. The performance also
taught kids to chase after your
dreams, even if others are against
Actors from the Civic Light Opera presented “The
Next Galileo”, a musical that magically transformed the
characters back in time.
you. The C.L.O. performance was a great play,
and it taught students to never give up.
WAX MUSEUM
By: Eva Lutz (Laura Ingalls Wilder) and Mia Foster (Mia Hamm)
S y d n e y C r o s b y
(Brenden Burke) and
J a c k i e K e n n e d y
(Katelyn Vestal)
welcome visitors to the
3rd Grade Wax Muse-
um sponsored by Mrs.
Augustin, 3rd grade
teacher.
Thomas Jefferson
1743-1826
(Eli Scheider)
Leonardo Divinci
1452-1519
(Dane Partozoti)
Harriet Tubman
1822-1913
(Rylie Kennedy)
Thomas Edison
1847-1931
(Jonah Durnell)
George Patton 1885-194
(Brayden Withrow)
Mother Theresa
1910-1997
(Brooke Goode)
Friend of Ed. Cont. Mrs. Zang was nominated and voted
‘Friend of Education’ by the faculty of the
West Allegheny Education Association for
her tireless work and contribution that
she has made to the West Allegheny
School District over many, many years. A
poem about Mrs. Zang was read by Mrs.
Schultz, Donaldson librarian, who also
presented Mrs. Zang with the award.
Mrs. Zang’s devotion to her job and the
students of both McKee and Donaldson
over the years demonstrates her remark-
able character. Congratulations and thank
you to Mrs. Zang for an honor that is well
deserved.
Our Friend of Education - Virginia
We honor you today,
For you mean so much to us in every way. Our mom at work
Who kept us all from going berserk!
Always a smiling face
Filled with amazing grace. Surrounded by supplies
And willing to hear our moans and cries.
You loved your kids from young to old
And always had a hand we could hold. A shoulder to cry on, a friend in deed.
Willing to help whenever there was a need.
You shared with us our laughter and our tears
Our hopes and our fears
an exhibition of wax dummies,
typically representing famous
people and fictional characters:
wax museum
Plural noun wax museums
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Serving lunch, ordering supplies, painting Miss Piggy on the walls,
Your touch has been felt in all of our halls.
Your ties to the community are too innumerable to measure,
Knowing you has brought us a great deal of pleasure. You help to keep us all from over stressing
We count you as a blessing.
We love you Virginia, you can see it on every face With more of you in the world it would be a better place.