Bethel Park School

DistrictMarch 2010 Highlights

Hometown Hi-Q Team Advances

to Semifinals!• The BPHS Hometown Hi-Q

Team defeated teams from Springdale and Plum High Schools to advance to the Semifinals of KDKA-TV’s Hometown Hi-Q for the second consecutive year.

• Members of the team are seniors Ainesh Ravi (Captain) and Andy Pfeifer and junior Justin Fleischmann.

• Their segment will air on Saturday, May 15.

• Last year the team finished in Second Place overall and are looking to improve their standing this year. Good luck in the Semfinals!

KDKA-TV’s Ken Rice

and Team Sponsor

Mike Bruce

congratulate Justin

Fleischmann, Ainesh

Ravi and Andy Pfeifer

on their playoff round

victory in Hometown

Hi-Q.

Four Named National Merit

Scholarship Finalists• BPHS seniors Paula Amin,

Brian Brady, Robert Collopy and Andrew Pfeifer have been named Finalists by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation in its 2010 Scholarship Program.

• They are among a group of 15,000 high school seniors nationally competing for one of 8,200 National Merit Scholarships to be awarded this spring.

• National Merit Finalists are among the top scorers on the PSAT and have demonstrated outstanding academic achievements, as well as a commitment to their school and community.

(Left to right): Andy

Pfeifer, Brian Brady,

Paula Amin and Rob

Collopy.

Congratulations BPHS Science

Bowl Team!• For the fourth

consecutive year, the BPHS Science Bowl Team defeated all eight teams in the event to win the local Science Bowl competition and advance to the regional competition.

• Members of the Science Bowl Team are Ainesh Ravi, Justin Fleischmann, Jinjing Lee, Trevor Walter and Shankar Athinarayanan.

• At the Regional Competition, the team came in fourth place and earned $200 for the BPHS Science Club.

(Left to right): Trevor Walter,

Shankar Athinarayanan, Ainesh

Ravi, Jinjing Lee and Justin

Fleischmann.

BPHS/IMS Students Win at PJAS• Five BPHS students

earned First Place Awards at the local Pennsylvania Junior Academy of Science and will compete at the State PJAS in May at Penn State — Andy Pfeifer, Ainesh Ravi, Dan Snyder, Shannon Fagan and Katie Michael.

• Three BPHS students and four IMS students earned Second Place: Shankar Athinarayanan, Cameron Jones, Will Ament, Jarrod Cingel, John Counihan, Katerina Kimes and Kristen Kohler.

(Left to right): Andy Pfeifer,

Shannon Fagan, Ainesh Ravi, Katy

Michael and Dan Snyder.

Two BPHS Students Named

Winners at Art Show!• Two BPHS art students were

among the 48 winners at the Visions and Voices Student Art Show at the Pittsburgh Technical Institute.

• Senior Jamie Kern received Third Place in the Fine Art 3D category for her piece, ―Steph.‖

• Sophomore Lizzy Nolin received an Honorable Mention in the Fine Art category for her piece, ―Tiger.‖

• Over 320 students submitted 603 pieces for judging.

• The show runs through the end of March at the Pittsburgh Technical Institute.

Lizzy Nolin and Jamie Kern

German Students Excel on

National Exams• ON THE LEVEL 3 EXAM:

• Sophomore Patrick Scheurell was the top scorer in Western PA.

• Sophomore Trevor Walterplaced Seventh.

• Sophomore John Pike placed Eighth.

• Senior Devin Verner placed 10th.

• ON THE LEVEL 4 EXAM:

• Seniors Thomas Phillips and Brandon Rauch tied with junior Henry Payseure for Fifth Place.

• Senior Jake Lampenfield placed 10th.

• Thomas, Brandon, Henry andJake qualified to compete for a German study/travel scholarship.

(Left to right): Patrick

Scheurell, Henry Payseure,

Thomas Phillips and Jake

Lampenfield.

Congratulations, DECA

Students!• Eight BPHS students

qualified at the DECA State Conference to compete at the DECA International Career and Development Conference in April in Louisville, KY.

• BPHS National Qualifiers are: Liz Creighton, Ashley Gerst, Megan Murray, Melissa Dolan, Billy Dapper, John Meharey, Tom Bailey and Matt Dupree.

• Other State winners were Matt Mace, Emily Smith, Emma Hartzell, Hannah Smouse, Dante Rebelo, Ethan Rupprecht, Meghan Murray and Mark Dolan.

BPHS Students Recognized

for Excellence by Steel Center

• FIRST QUARTER EXTRA EFFORT AWARD WINNERS: Nicholas Fedzen, Maria LoPresti, Marc Fawcett and Corwin Johnson.

• SECOND QUARTER EXTRA EFFORT AWARD WINNERS: Connor Kendall, Carly Klim, Jonathan Mark, Amanda Lovejoy, Bradley Juskowich, Christina Ward, Jason Alouane and Corinne Wilson

• TOP OF THE SHOP AWARD WINNER: Marc Fawcett

• These students were recognized for their outstanding attitude, work ethic, attendance, dependability and professionalism.

NHS Students Collect 800+

Pairs of Shoes• The BPHS Chapter of the

National Honor Society conducted a shoe collection drive to benefit ―Soles to Heal.‖

• Collection boxes were placed in all BPSD schools during February and donations of gently-used shoes were accepted.

• 803 pairs of shoes were donated and given to ―Soles to Heal‖ for distribution to needy families in Western Pennsylvania.

• Coordinating the drive were Emily Eiben, Patrick Emmett, Chris Harkens, Kelsey Metheny and Aineish Ravi.

Pitt’s Mobile Biology Lab

Visits Two BPSD Schools• The University of

Pittsburgh’s Mobile Biology Lab visited Memorial and Bethel Park High School so students could conduct hands-on experiments.

• The Memorial students participated in three experiments with the help of BPHS students: Cameron Jones, Ainesh Ravi, Georgia Ott and Jill Lindberg.

• The BPHS students conducted a multi-day experiment on Natural Selection using two strains of salmonella and salmonella-eating amoeba.

Meet the Memorial Spelling

Bee Winners!• FOURTH GRADE:

• First Place — Cole Stewart

• Second Place –Alexander Noel

• Third Place – Hannah Moore

• THIRD GRADE:

• First Place – Emily Cowser

• Second Place – Alexa Sepesky

• Third Place --- Emma Petrick

(Left to right): Hannah Moore,

Alexander Noel, Cole Stewart,

Emily Cowser, Alexa Sepesky

and Emma Petrick

12 BPHS Vocalists Sang in

Region Chorus• The Pennsylvania Music

Educators Association’s Region Chorus Concert, held in March at Butler High School.

• Sam Albanesi (tenor II)

• George Barr (tenor I)

• David Dickey (tenor I)

• Andrea Groves (soprano I)

• Kevin Harvey (bass I)

• Peter Henkels (tenor I)

• Chelsea Jones (soprano I)

• Marco Pilotta (bass II)

• Julia Ross (soprano I)

• Dan Salera (bass I)

• Erin Sigmund (soprano I)

• Mandy Slowey (soprano I)

(Front row, left to right): Mandy

Slowey, Andrea Groves, Erin

Sigmund, Chelsea Jones and

Julia Ross; (back row, left to

right): Marco Pilotta, David

Dickey, Dan Salera, Peter

Henkels and Sam Albanesi.

Absent: George Barr and Kevin

Harvey,

Congratulations Andrew

Roberts and Dan Salera!• BPHS seniors Andrew

Roberts (trombone) and Dan Salera (French horn) were selected to participate in the PMEA Region Orchestra Concert, which was held in March at DuBois High School.

• They were also selected to play in the upcoming All-State Orchestra Concert, which will take place in April at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center in Pittsburgh.

Andrew Roberts and Dan Salera

Eight BPHS Musicians Play in

Region Band• The PMEA Region

Band Concert will be held March 27 at Waynesburg Central High School.

• Julie Hollis (clarinet)

• Kayla Searles (clarinet)

• Spencer Kun (oboe)

• Sean Poorman (bass clarinet)

• Lauren Hicks (soprano clarinet)

• Ryan Kinzler (tuba)

• Paul Faulkner (flute)

• Jeremy Ferlic (trumpet)

(Front row, left to right): Sean

Poorman, Kayla Searles, Lauren

Hicks and Julie Hollis; (back

row, left to right): Paul Faulkner,

Jeremy Ferlic, Ryan Kinzler and

Spencer Kun.

Four Represent Bethel Park in

the Junior High District Band• The PMEA Junior High

District Band Concert was held in March at Jefferson-Morgan Junior/Senior High School.

• FROM BPHS:

• Bryan Deal (tuba)

• Alex Kiselica (French horn)

• FROM IMS:

• Kevin Fleischmann (oboe)

• Phoebe Gorges (French horn)

(Left to right): Bryan Deal,

Phoebe Gorges and Alex

Kiselica. Absent: Kevin

Fleischmann

Congratulations, Winter

Sports Teams!• Varsity 2AAA Inline Hockey Team– PIRHL Champions

• Varsity 2AA Inline Hockey Team – PIRHL Finalists

• Girls Basketball— WPIAL Semifinalist and qualified for PIAA Playoffs.

• Wrestling – Section Runners Up; Adam Lazenga—Section Champion

• Girls Swimming – Third at WPIALs

• Boys Swimming – Qualified for WPIAL Championships

• Varsity Ice Hockey – Penguin Cup Quarterfinalist

• Indoor Track – Qualified for State Championships

The PIRHL Champion 2AAA

Inline Hockey Team

Music Department Faculty

Honored• BPHS Band Director David

Buetzow will be inducted into the Pennsylvania Music Educators Association’s Hall of Fame in April.

• Mr. Buetzow will also receive the 2010 Pittsburgh Youth Philharmonic Orchestra’s Outstanding Educator Award.

• BPHS Vocal Music Director Todd Kuczawa will receive the PMEA District 1 Citation of Excellence in April.

David Buetzow

(above) and Todd

Kuczawa (below)

Three Teachers Receive Apple

Awards• BPHS Science Teacher

Clyde Qualk

• IMS Special Education Teacher Scott Staranko

• Franklin First Grade Teacher Cheryl Wagner

• Apple Awards are given by the PA Chapter of the National State Teachers of the Year in recognition of their commitment to their students.

Top to bottom: Cheryl

Wagner, Clyde Qualk and

Scott Staranko

Teachers Participate in Mini-

Computer Training• Bethel Park Elementary and

Neil Armstrong Middle School Teachers participated in a Mini-Computer Teacher Training at Franklin to learn how to use the mini computers that were installed in their classrooms.

• In less than a week, students were using the technology for projects such as creating PowerPoint presentations and doing research.

Bethel Park elementary

teachers learned from one

another at the recent Mini-

Computer Teacher Training

at Franklin.

School Cafeterias Receive

Black Diamond Awards• Three Bethel Park school cafeterias

received Black Diamond Awards from the Allegheny County Health Department as part of its recent inspections.

• Washington Elementary – 10 Black Diamonds

• Memorial Elementary – 9 Black Diamonds

• Lincoln Elementary – 8 Black Diamonds

• Black Diamonds are the highest awards bestowed by the ACHD and are given only to those facilities who demonstrate exceptional food handling practices.

School Cafeterias Receive

Black Diamond Awards• Three Bethel Park school cafeterias

received Black Diamond Awards from the Allegheny County Health Department as part of it’s recent inspections.

• Washington Elementary – 10 Black Diamonds

• Memorial Elementary – 9 Black Diamonds

• Lincoln Elementary – 8 Black Diamonds

• Black Diamonds are the highest awards bestowed by the ACHD and are given only to those facilities who demonstrate exceptional food handling practices.

Nominate a BPSD Employee

for an Extra Mile Award!• Which Bethel Park School District

Employee has gone the Extra Mile this school year?

• Nominate him or her for an Extra Mile Award!

• Awards will be presented on Tuesday, June 8 in the Independence Middle School auditorium.

• Nomination forms are available in all Bethel Park schools or can be downloaded/submitted on-line at www.bpsd.org

• Thank you for taking the time to tell us who went the extra mile this school year!

Thank You!

• To Bethel Park resident Chris Adrian, for her generous donation of educational materials, including models of a human skull, brain, heart and a miniature skeleton, which is being used at Neil Armstrong Middle School.

• To Pittsburgh Pirates Ticket Representatives Don and Kathy Waite and the Pittsburgh Pirates for their generous donation of Pirate baseball caps and t-shirts, which are on their way to the Nyadire Mission in Zimbabwe via Christ United Methodist Church.

• Your generosity is greatly appreciated!