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Inside this issue:

Aspiring Geologists 2

High School Musical 4

Founder’s Day Hon-

ors 5

Rachel’s Challenge 6

Career Exploration 7

Community Newsletter of

The New Brighton Area

School District 3225 43rd Street

New Brighton, PA 15066

www.nbasd.org

KDKA-TV’s Westfield Insurance

Hometown High Q

9-12 with alternate members se-

lected. The participants are not al-

lowed to use paper, pencils or calcu-

lators to solve any of the problems.

The show is broken down into five

rounds. Three rounds are competi-

tive, while two are non-competitive.

Most questions come from basic

high school curriculum covering

math, science, geography, literature,

and history. Also included, are gen-

eral information questions on sub-

jects such as sports, music, mythol-

ogy, and art.

The team selected by coach and sci-

ence teacher Matt Stuber was well

prepared and defeated their oppo-

nents Clariton and Valley High

Schools with a

score of 510

points.

They will move

on to compete

in the playoffs

in the spring.

The show originally aired on Febru-

ary 23 and will air again on March 9

at 11 AM and March 19 at 11:30

AM on KDKA-TV.

S aturday mornings usually

bring an opportunity to sleep

in and recover from a busy

week for most high school stu-

dents. However, for New Brigh-

ton’s team of KDKA-TV’s West-

field Insurance Hometown High Q

participants, Saturday, February 16

was their opportunity to prove to

all of the Pittsburgh region that

they were prepared to compete in

and win the local quiz show.

Teams for the show are comprised

of 3 high school students in grades

Pictured from Left to Right: Coach Mr. Matt Stuber, Mitch Vukich,

AJ Vukich, Gabe Greco, Brandon Wilson

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Nothing has such power to broaden the mind as the ability to investigate systematically and truly all that comes under thy observation in life.

Marcus Aurelius

A budding passion has been sparked in a number of 7th grade students in the New

Brighton Middle School. While studying

a great deal of Earth Science, including basic

geological concepts like rock and mineral identi-fication, crystals, and the rock cycle, a group of

students became intrigued by the idea of explor-

ing our local geology. Encouraged and sup-ported by science teacher Anthony Martella,

these students have amassed quite an impressive

collection, “Students this year have been explor-ing New Brighton and coming up with some

amazing finds- pyrite in river shale, large hunks

of crystals, fossils, and other fascinating relics.”

7th Graders as Aspiring Geologists

A group of these budding geologists began searching for and collecting rock

samples from around their homes, at

parks and just about anywhere they

went. They bring these samples into school where they perform a number

experiments with them in order to iden-

tify and study the sample.

Observation is the first step in their

process. The students examine each rock’s texture, color and weight. They

form a hypothesis about the kind of rock

it might be and then use a series of ex-

periments to test the sample. In a safety conscious and controlled environ-

ment, the students break each rock with

a hammer to get a closer look at the crystals inside the rock. Each rock is

compared to a control group of samples

in the science lab. The samples are from all three groups of rocks- igneous,

sedimentary, and metamorphic. The

students also use the Audubon Society

Field Guide to North American Rocks and Minerals, Simon and Schuster’s

Guide to Rocks and Minerals, and a ge-

ologist friend for identification.

Other experiments include using differ-

ent acids to test reaction and a streak

test where they observe the mark of dust the rock makes when rubbed on sand

paper.

These students have certainly taken their science class to a whole new

level. They do not participate in

these activities for credit or extra-

credit, but for the thrill of the hunt and the excitement of the possibili-

ties of beautiful discoveries. They

have learned many fascinating things through discovery rather than text-

books. One of the most interesting is

about the history of our region. The students have found limestone in our

area which only forms under oceans

and coal which only forms under

swamps. This taught the students that 250 million years ago, this re-

gion was under water and perhaps

resembled the Florida Everglades more than the current terrain.

What is most important to their teacher Mr. Martella is that these

students are not only learning sci-

ence, but doing science in their lives

everyday, “There is nothing like a real life learning. Discovering

what’s under your porch is the most

fascinating.”

The students are used to being asked

by their classmates if they have

found anything valuable, and they have, but they respond, “It’s not

about the money. It is about the

beauty.”

Avid rock collectors and scientists Collin

Smith, Tylar Williams, and Mason Rea.

Mr. Martella and a few excited students getting ready

to test some samples. Perhaps their most exciting

discovery is a nine pound piece of rose quartz under

Tylar Williams’ back porch

on 8th Ave in New Brighton.

The picture to the left shows

the piece they found, in the

back, and in the foreground a

normal size piece that might

be found in this area.

Mason Rae cracking open

a rock to examine its

structure.

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The morning of January 22, 2013 was an extremely cold one. Single digit temperatures delayed school on that frigid

Tuesday, creating the perfect atmosphere for a visit from

WTAE meteorologist Ashley Dougherty.

Ashley visited with all of our 7th grade students on that

day, as she (and the WTAE network), agreed to spend an

entire afternoon (from 11 AM until dismissal), speaking with small groups of students in Mr. Martella’s science

classes. This was a unique opportunity for our students, as

station policy is to present a 1 hour assembly for entire schools. The large chunk of time that Ashley devoted to

our school and our community offered youngsters the op-

portunity to discuss, inquire, and interact (in a small group

setting) with a local, female scientist who has successfully earned her way into one of the larger television markets in

our country. The following is a description of Ashley’s

visit from one of our own 7th graders, Kyleigh Murphy.

A Visit with Ashley Daugherty: From a Student’s Perspective

By Kyleigh Murphy

7th Grade NBMS Student On a cold winter morning, Ashley Daugherty came to the New Brighton Middle School to be our first mete-

orologist to publicly speak to our 7th grade. She started working at the age of 13. She told us about her dog, cat, and how she got to the news channel. Ashley started off in high school at Mohawk. She took many

chemistry classes, joined school clubs, and developed a passion for science. Soon, she worked at a news sta-

tion in Wheeling, WV. She worked there for a while until she joined Channel 4 WTAE News. So far, Ashley

has been working at Channel 4 for a year and loves her job. She also told us that she has to wake up at 1:45 A.M. to get to work on time. Quite early for most of us, but not for Ashley, as her profession is one of the

most important jobs for our community.

Learning about More Than Weather

Mr. Martella and Ms. Daugherty

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Page 4

New Brighton Area High School

Presents

The Drowsy Chaperone

March 21, 22, and 23 7 PM

High School Auditorium

Tickets are available at the Administration Office or by calling

(724) 843-1795 Reserved Seats $10

General Admission $8

Students $5

O ne of the most anticipated events of each school year

is the annual high school

musical. This year promises to pro-

vide a night of laughs and high qual-ity performances by a dedicated cast

and crew.

Students, faculty, staff and volun-

teers commit countless hours each

year to produce a the musical. This year’s performance is The Drowsy

Chaperone. This is a tale of The

Man in Chair, played by John Kus-

nir, a mousy, agoraphobic Broad-way fanatic, seeking to cure his

"non-specific sadness", listens to a

recording of a fictional 1928 musi-cal comedy, The Drowsy Chaper-

one. As he listens to this rare re-

cording, he is transported into the musical. The characters appear in

his dingy apartment, and it is trans-

formed into an impressive Broad-

way set with seashell footlights, sparkling furniture, painted back-

drops, and glitzy costumes.

The plot of the show-within-a-show

centers on Janet Van De Graaff,

played by Alyssa Demarco, a show-girl who plans to give up her career

in order to marry an oil tycoon,

Robert Martin, played by Mike Le-

basik. However, Janet is the star of "Feldzieg's Follies", and a lot of

money is riding on her name to sell

the show. Meanwhile, Janet is hav-ing doubts about her groom. Dis-

guising herself as a French woman,

she tempts Robert into kissing her, and a massive misunderstanding

emerges. The ensuing plot incorpo-

rates mistaken identities, dream se-

quences, spit takes, a deus ex ma-china, an unflappable English but-

ler, an absent-minded dowager, a

ditzy chorine, a harried best man, and Janet's "Drowsy" (i.e. "Tipsy")

Chaperone, played by Jenna

Rosenfeld.

Watching from his armchair, Man in

Chair is torn between his desire to

absorb every moment of the show as it unfolds and his need to insert his

personal footnotes and his extensive

-but-trivial knowledge of musical performances and actors, as he fre-

quently brings the audience in and

out of the fantasy. As the show goes on, more of his personal life is re-

vealed through his musings until, as

the record ends, he is left again

alone in his apartment — but still with his record of a long-beloved

show to turn to whenever he's blue.

The concept that the audience is

listening to the musical on an old

LP is used throughout the show. At one point, the record "skips", which

causes the last notes (and dance

steps) of a song to be repeated until

the Man in Chair can bump the turntable. A "power outage" near

the end causes the stage to go dark

in the middle of the big production number.

At the end of the show, the Man in Chair talks about how that even

though the show has its flaws and

drawbacks, it still does what a musi-

cal is supposed to do: it takes you to another world.

We certainly hope you will join us and be transported to “another

world” during one of the produc-

Annual Show Stopper

Page 5 PTA Honors Community Members

Each year, PTAs organize a Founders Day event to celebrate

our legacy, success and power as

a leading voice speaking for all

children. Founders Day promotes an understanding of the shared

vision and legacy of our founders.

It is a reminder of the substantial

role that PTA has played locally,

regionally, and nationally in sup-porting parent involvement and

working on behalf of all children.

New Brighton is fortunate to have

such an involved and dedicated PTA, which represents all the par-

ents and teachers who commit

themselves toward the common goal of maximizing student suc-

cess. Founders Day provides an

opportunity to recognize our hard-working volunteers and commu-

nity partners for their outstanding

service to children. There is no

limit to the amount of positive things that can come from strong

parent-teacher collaboration.

This year, the PTA was proud to

honor Gabe Engel, Western Bea-

ver Elementary School Principal and a resident of Daugherty

Township and Stacey Pasquale,

New Brighton Elementary School Teacher and also a resident of

Daugherty Township. Their

countess efforts to provide oppor-tunities and support to students

and the community is exceptional.

We thank these special individu-als for their time, effort and dedi-

cation as volunteers. Congratula-

tions to Stacey Pasquale and Gabe Engel! Gabe Engel, Western Beaver Elementary School Prin-

cipal and Stacey Pasquale, NB Elementary Teacher

The Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera in partnership with the Senator John Heinz History Center presented We The People The Musical

for students in grades K-8 in February. This outstanding perform-

ance and learning experience was sponsored by the PTA and

brought to the school by Elementary Music Teacher, Ms. Rhonda Ficca.

This musical serves as a fine reminder that the remarkable words written by our forefathers in The Constitution of the United States

of America many years ago are still a living document, part of our

lives each and every day. This educational and inspirational musical masterpiece left all involved not only with a better understanding of

the founding of America but also a stronger appreciation for what

makes this country unique and great today.

The goals of the musical and classroom follow-up activities are to

improve students’ awareness and understanding of the formative

documents of the United Stated federal government and of impor-tant ideas in American government: civil rights and equality.

Thank you to the PTA and Ms. Ficca for this wonderful experience!

History on Stage

The

Musical

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Rachel’s Challenge in Action

M iddle school students par-ticipate in an anti-

bullying and anti-violence

program called Rachel’s Challenge.

Named for the first victim of the Columbine school shooting, Ra-

chel’s Challenge aims to create safer

learning environments for all stu-dents by re-establishing civility and

delivering proactive antidotes to

school violence and bullying. It also trains adults to inspire, equip and

empower students to affect perma-

nent positive change in their schools.

As a part of this program, students in

FOR (Friends of Rachel) Communi-

ties in the school participate and lead various community service and out-

reach events. The 7th grade FOR

Community organized a food drive

and collected 306 items. They de-livered them to Christ Episcopal

Church in New Brighton. Not only

did they collect and deliver the do-nations, but students volunteered

their time helping with the soup

k i t c h e n f o r a d a y .

The 8th grade FOR community con-

ducted a teddy bear drive for Chil-

dren's Hospital for Christmas. They also participated in targeted acts of

kindness in November. They chose

to write thank you notes to the cafe-teria workers, custodians, and main-

tenance staff– valuable service

workers who often go un-thanked

for their hard work and dedication.

It is the hope of all involved in Ra-

chel’s Challenge that this spirit of giving, working together, and re-

spect will become contagious around

the district and community. We can build a safer, more helpful and re-

spectful community together. Thank

you to these students and their teach-

ers for showing us how.

Ms. Kayse Hicks, Alyssa Mattica, Kailee Pavlinich, Melaina Kir-

schmer, Scotti Burnsworth, Gina DeMarco, Aleesha Margetic, Allison

White, Macy Czarnecki, Josh Rimmel, Thomas Cox, Anthony

Morales, Ms. Samantha Dawson

Front: Jazzie Washington and Kennidy Allen

Back: Alivia Thomas, Kennedy McKay, Taryn Bennett, Alexa

Hopkins, Amanda Turnbull, Alyssa Frank, and Sydnee Cox Dre Meades, Michael Tomasi, and Nick Janectic

Clockwise from top: Volun-

teering and donating at the

soup kitchen. Students mak-

ing blankets for cancer pa-

tients. Dropping off the teddy bears collected at Children’s

Hospital of Pittsburgh.

Page 7 Middle School Career Day

Reverend Dave Byers speaks with students on Career

Day about his profession and calling.

Officer Jeff Recker shares his experiences with eager-

to-learn middle school students.

NCAA Football Referee and 1999 graduate of New

Brighton High School, Reggie Smith, speaks to a capti-

vated class.

A special thank you to all of the volunteers who

spoke to classes at the middle school for Career

Day. Students benefit greatly from the experi-

ences of adults who can share openly and hon-

estly about their career choices and the paths

they travelled.

Organized each year by Guidance Counselor

Donna Householder, students are given the op-

portunity to hear from a variety of professionals

from our community who are in various ca-

reers. Understanding the education, daily du-

ties, and passions that led each person to their

chosen career, brings a reality to education that

is more valuable than any textbook.

Think not of yourself as the architect of your career but as the sculptor. Expect to have to do a lot of hard

hammering and chiseling and scraping and polishing.

BC Forbes

Mitch Yanyanin, President

Kent McDermott, Vice-President

Enrico Antonini

Christeen Ceratti

John Ludwig

Gary Rombold

Gretchen Rombold

Melanie Smith

Kim Williams

Non-Profit Organization

U.S. Postage Paid

New Brighton, PA 15066

Permit No. 79

LOCAL POSTAL CUSTOMER

NEW BRIGHTON, PA 15066

New Brighton Area School District

Linda Emert School Board Secretary

Rick Start, Esq.

Solicitor

Marjory Warnes, Ph. D. Director of Pupil Services

Joseph Guarino, Ed.D.

Assistant to the Superintendent

Marydenise Feroce

Business Manager

Robert Lee Administrator for Instructional

Technology and Online Learning

Edward Kasparek

High School Principal

Robert Budacki

High School Assistant Principal

Julian Underwood Middle School Principal

Jason Hall

Elementary School Principal

School Board of Directors

Administration

David C. Pietro, Ed.D.

Notice of Nondiscrimination The New Brighton Area School District will not discriminate in its educational programs, ac-tivities or employment practices based on race, color, national origin, sex, or any other legally protected classification. Announce-ment of this policy is in accordance with state and federal laws, including Title IX of the Edu-cation Amendments of 1972, and Section 503 and 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Employees and participants who have an in-quiry or complaint of harassment or discrimi-nation or who need information about ac-commodations for handicapped persons should contact the Director of Pupil Services at 724.843.1795 extension 331.

The Communicator is a publication of the New Brighton Area School District. Editor is Johanna Guarino. Story ideas, ques-tions or comments should be directed to joguarino@nbsd.k12.pa.us.