February- School Movers and Shakers

Anchored Christian Academy in Mars, had three-chapter winners for The Daughters of the Revolution annual essay contest submitted by the Kushkushkee Trail chapter of the DAR. Pictured: (far left) Mrs. Ruth Butler, teacher, Ellie Lee, 7th grade winner, Levi Eaton, 8th grade winner, and Caleb Eaton, 6th grade winner. Their entries are now being judged at the state level.

Mars Girls Youth Basketball Association’s Fifth Grade Girls Gold Travel Basketball Team earned first place at Peters Township Basketball Association’s 2024 Aaron Smith Memorial Christmas Classic Tournament, held Dec. 29.

A team of Mars Area Elementary School students competed in the regional VEX Unified Robotics Competition, held Dec. 13 at Woodland Hills High School.  The “Cosmic Coders” team, made up of fourth-graders Gage Crankshaw, Max Devich, Jessica Li, Eleanor McCauley, Gavin Myers and Angelo Navari, earned the “Most Unified Team” award. 

Fox Chapel Area High School sophomore Lilith Bohin was named a winner in the Prime Stage Theatre’s Fifth Annual High School Drama Awards.  Lilith won in the best student costume design and/or fabrication category for Fox Chapel Area High School’s 2024 fall play, “Harvey.”  

Fox Chapel Area High School senior Hannah Parker was awarded an Advanced Placement International Diploma (APID). The APID is a globally recognized certificate awarded to students who display exceptional achievement across a variety of disciplines. Students receiving an APID must score a 3 or higher on 5 or more AP exams.

The plow painted by nine Fox Chapel Area High School students has been named the winner of the “Judges’ Pick” award in the Pittsburgh region of PennDOT’s Paint the Plow contest. Fox Chapel’s design was created by junior Caroline Grimsley.  The other students who worked on the project were Ava deBruyn, Raina Guzman, Nora Kelley, Shayna McDermott, Mira Owens, and Emilia Sutkowski, Emily Kiro and Lillian Salva.  The project was overseen by art teacher Joan Marangoni.

Fox Chapel Area School District students held their 35th annual telethon December 20, and raised $90,228.  The latest total brings the money raised by Fox Chapel Area students and staff to more than $1,278,496 over the last 35 years for various local and regional charities. The telethon raised money for Backpack for Hunger and involved students from all six schools in the Fox Chapel Area School District.

The Fox Chapel Area High School library has been named the 2025 Outstanding Pennsylvania School Library.  The award is given by the Pennsylvania School Librarians Association (PSLA).

The A.W. Beattie Carrer Center in Allegheny County has been awarded an $85,000 grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) through the Career and Technical Centers (CTCs) Competitive Equipment Grants program. The funds will help CTCs provide students with skills and knowledge to gain high-priority occupations through classes and hands-on learning experiences and will lead to the ability to apply academics to the real-world.

The Parkway West Career and Technology Center (CTC) will be receiving two major grants totaling $535,000. These funds will support the center's efforts to enhance educational opportunities and strengthen the local workforce. The first grant, an $85,000 award from the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) through the Career and Technical Centers Competitive Equipment Grants program, will allow Parkway West CTC to update and purchase equipment used in the training of students in career and technical education programs. The second grant, a $450,000 award from the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development’s (DCED) Neighborhood Assistance Program (NAP), will support Parkway West CTC’s expansion of its welding program.

Shortly before the pandemic, the Pennsylvania Turnpike and Pennsylvania Council on the Arts launched a new partnership to bring their Arts in Education program to the PA Turnpike. Now, the two groups are celebrating the completion of the program, which makes student-produced artwork and community pride a focal point at each of the PA’s service plazas. Locally, artwork from Riverview Junior/Senior High School is on display at the Oakmont Service Plaza.