Bethel Park School District April 2011 Highlights

Bethel Park School District
May 2014 Highlights
Please enjoy reading about the
outstanding achievements of our students
and staff!
BPHS Students Finish In
Second Place At Big Data
Jam
Five teams of Bethel Park High School students competed at the first-ever Big Data Jam,
with one team finishing in Second Place—Jason Harnack, Stephen Ervard, Dylan
McKenna, Billy Ruschel, Logan Tuite, Liam Wolf and Brock Zekany.
The students did extensive data research and presented their findings on the topic, “The
Correlation between the Return on Investment vs. the Type of Investment” and looked at
eight randomly selected Pittsburgh communities to determine the impact of issues such as
residential property values vs. the number of parks, and property values vs. crime rate, to
name two of their areas of research.
By participating in this event, the BPHS students had an opportunity to visit
several high tech Pittsburgh companies and were mentored by employees at
General Dynamics. BPHS Teachers Lee Cristofano, Jill Simpson, Emily Smoller
and Linda Broderick worked with the students.
Hometown Hi-Q Team
Wins First Round Playoff
Game
The Bethel Park High School Hometown Hi-Q Team—Jarrod Cingel, Hayley Lazzari
and Jack Brownfield—defeated teams from Moon and Keystone Oaks High
School in the First Playoff Round of KDKA TV’s Hometown Hi-Q quiz program, to
advance to the Semifinals against North Allegheny and South Fayette.
The Semifinals will air on Saturday, June 14 at 11 AM and Saturday, June 21 at
11:30 AM on KDKA.
In the first Playoff game, Hayley Lazzari was lauded by the show’s producer for
leaving her team at the end of the show to console an opposing team member at
who was visibly distraught about her team’s loss. The producer said Hayley’s
gesture was “an amazing act of kindness from one student to another.”
BPHS Music Department Has Successful Spring
Trip
The Bethel Park High School Music Department had a successful Spring
Music Trip to Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida, bringing home seven
Superior Ratings, two Excellent Ratings, two Gold Level Awards, three Silver
Level Awards, one Bronze Level Award, two Best Overall Awards and four
Individual Awards.
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Bethettes and Majorettes – Superior Rating, Gold Level Award and Best
Overall Auxiliary Award
Jazz Ensemble – Superior Rating and Gold Level Award
Drum Line – Superior Rating, Silver Level Award and Best Overall Drum Line
Award
Top 21 Choir – Superior Rating and Silver Level Award in the Jazz Choir
event; Superior Rating and Bronze Level Award in the Madrigal Choir event
Symphonic Band – Superior Rating and Silver Level Award
Percussion Ensemble – Superior Rating
Symphonic Orchestra – Excellent Rating
Concert Band – Excellent Rating
Jon Griffith – Outstanding Tenor Sax Solo Award in the Jazz Ensemble event
Mary Hannah Swaney – Outstanding Flute Solo Award in the Symphonic
Band event
Joe Serafini – Outstanding Accompanist Award for Top 21
Michael Krut – Outstanding Accompanist Award for Top 21
BPHS Students Earn
Top Of The Shop
Awards At Steel
Center
Three Bethel Park High School students received the Top of the Shop
Award from the Steel Center Area Vocational Technical School in
recognition of the outstanding work they performed during the second
semester of the 2013-2014 school year.
• Matthew Barnes– Collision Repair and Refinishing
• Santino Dalessandro – Medium Heavy Truck
• Chris Wilson – Carpentry
The awards are given to those students who demonstrate outstanding
conduct, attendance, course proficiency and professionalism.
Eight BPHS Students Earn
Awards At DECA
International Conference
Eight BPHS students competed at the 2014 DECA International Career
Development Conference in Atlanta, Georgia and all students earned
awards.
• Sean McClaine finished among the Top 10 students in the Marketing
Management Event.
• Tara Nath and Amanda Stofesky were Top 20 Finalists in the Sports and
Entertainment Promotion Plan Event and earned the Medallion Award
for giving one of the top presentations.
• Eric Stack (Buying and Merchandising Operations Research), Emma
Bruno and Justin Nath (Marketing Communications Team), and Tasha
George and Carolyn Vona (Hospitality Services Team) earned Awards of
Excellence for finishing among the top 30% of the competitors in their
respective events.
60 BPHS Students
Inducted Into French
National Honor Society
Sixty Bethel Park High School students were inducted into the newly-established French
National Honor Society for maintaining a 90% average in all classes and demonstrating
superior achievement in French.
FRENCH II: Benjamin Bertan, Katherine Bustamante, Erin Cavrak, Abigail Collavo, Kyle Coplan,
Abigail Hartzell, Autumn Laird, Ryan Lynch, Sydney Misak, Jessica Morgan, Rebecca Najdzinski,
Ryan Phelps, Sarah Shaheen, Katelyn Turoski, Emily Williams, Kevin Yost and Alexandria Zallo.
FRENCH III: Katherine Bronco, Karissa Coffield, Emma Davin, Shannon Davis, Marie Dykstra,
Anatasha George, Danielle Hinish, Morgan Hirsh, Amanda Hokaj, Emily Hurey, Nicholas Jeans,
Madison Jonas, Megan Kennedy, Cailey Klink, Samantha Jensen, Carolyn Kerr, Joseph Kowalski,
Samantha Mack, Macie McKitrick, Kayla Molzer, Zackary Sedor-Schiffhauer, Tyler Smith, Alexis
Taylor, Brandon Thorsen, Rachel Wanamaker and Ashley Wentz.
FRENCH IV: Taylor Andres, Kara Cunningham, Jocelyn Curley, Taylor Evans, Lucas Fondelier, Kristen
Kohler, Juliana Leis, Hannah Lucchitti, Brendan Moorhead, Austin Smith and Mackenzie Stark.
FRENCH V: Zachary Enick, Lauren Forsythe, Victoria Jakicic, Emily Mackowiak, Lydia Strickling and
Stephanie Undereiner.
Steven Davis Earns $500
On Westinghouse
Science Exam
Bethel Park High School junior Steven Davis earned
$500 for finishing in Fourth Place on the Westinghouse
Science Honors Institute’s Final Exam.
Steven was one of 600 area juniors selected to
participate in this prestigious program because of his
interest in pursuing a career in science or engineering.
Congratulations, Patrick Gillece and Shelbi
Miller!
Bethel Park High School seniors Patrick Gillece and Shelbi Miller
were selected to receive the SHASDA Award from the South Hills
Area School Districts Association.
Each year SHASDA member high schools nominate two seniors who
have overcome personal obstacles to succeed in school. The
awards were presented at an event held at the Hilton Garden Inn at
Southpointe.
Zac Enick Named April
Rotary Student Of The
Month
BPHS senior Zac Enick was named the April Bethel Park High School Student
of the Month by the Rotary Club of Bethel Park.
Each month during the school year the Rotary Club recognizes an
outstanding Bethel Park High School student for his or her contributions to
school and/or community.
Zac was recognized for his leadership efforts the past three years with the
Student Government Association, culminating in his election as Student
Government President this school year.
Zac also is a member of the BPHS Football Team, Top 21 Choir, French Club
and French National Honor Society.
Adaptive Phys Ed Students Run, Bike and Row
to San Diego!
A group of Bethel Park High School
Adaptive Physical Education students
have been working together since
December to amass 2,500 collective
miles on stationery bicycles, treadmills
and rowing machines to travel the
distance between Bethel Park and San
Diego.
Participating in this endeavor were
Brennan Carrozza, Alexa Danielson,
Ellie McGregor, Hannah Dibble,
Jeremy McDonough and Lucas White.
48 BPHS Student Athletes To
Continue Their Athletic Careers
in College
The Bethel Park Athletic Department held a reception for the 48 BPHS senior
student athletes who will be continuing their athletic careers in college next
year:
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Alyssa Ayres (Softball/CCAC)
Nina Barbano (Tennis/Slippery Rock)
Lindsay Boss (Softball/Edinboro)
Kevin Boyle (Football/Waynesburg)
Michael Brinker (Swimming /St. Vincent)
Allison Brinkhoff (Swimming/Toledo)
Matthew Carr (Football/West Virginia)
Daniel Christenson (Football/Youngstown)
Nicole Coccagno (Lacrosse/Otterbein)
Megan Douds (Swimming/Westminster)
Sean Doyle (Swimming/St. Vincent)
Matthew Dunlap (Football/W&J)
Brenna Erzen (Cheerleading/St. Francis)
Bailey Fertig (Baseball/Waynesburg)
Michael Grimm (Football/Pitt)
Jessica Hirsh (Swimming/Mt. Union)
Jessica Horgan (Soccer/Carlow)
Carmen Jansante (Baseball/LaRoche)
Luke Jansante (Baseball/LaRoche)
Anastasia Kazalas (Volleyball/Loyola)
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Quentin Keibler (Soccer/Eastern)
Danielle Konopelski (Track/Queens or Seton Hill)
Margaret Kovalchick (Track/Edinboro)
Joshua Krafczynski (Basketball/LaRoche)
Emily Mackowiak (Cheerleading/St. Vincent)
Amanda Mafrici (Cheerleading/Thiel)
Megan Marecic (Basketball/Drexel)
Ross Martin (Cross Country/Track/John Carroll)
Jacob Murphy (Football/Merchant Marines)
Elizabeth Neal (Basketball/Point Park)
Mitchel Nordstrom (Baseball/Alderson Broaddus)
Laura Page (Softball/Westminster)
R.J. Pfeuffer (Football/John Carroll)
Victoria Planitzer (Lacrosse/W&J)
Kaileigh Poe (Volleyball/Denison)
Jennifer Rimmel (Softball/Edinboro)
Bill Ruschel (Track/MIT)
Tatiana Ruzzini (Softball and Track/W&J)
Casey Schreiner (Football/Michigan State)
Shannon Sestokas (Dance Team/Akron)
• Samantha Simpson
(Basketball/Carlow)
• Jamie Smith (Softball/W&J)
• Ryan Sosnak (Football/New
Hampshire)
• Mitchell Stahara
(Swimming/Westminster)
• Jacob Svitek
(Baseball/Grove City)
• Allison Vargo (Golf/W&J)
• Cassmire Wisniewski
(Basketball/PA College of
Technology)
• Harper Zimmer
(Basketball/Allegheny)
IMS Students Take Top
Two Awards At Design
Contest
A team of four Independence Middle School eighth graders—
Paige Davidson, Grace Evans, Kathryn Kimes and Casey Mack-won the “Design Lives Here” competition at Inventionland. They
competed against teams from other schools in a series of
engineering and design challenges.
IMS eighth grader Austin Carver won First Place in the Individual
Invention Competition for his waterproof tarp that fits over a
kayak and converts into a tent.
Memorial Receives $500 Grant From Target
Memorial Elementary School received
a $500 grant from Target, which will be
used to purchase books for the school
Library.
The grant is part of Target’s ongoing
efforts to build strong, safe and healthy
communities across the country by
giving five percent of the company’s
profits back to the communities.
Director Of Special Education
Receives LEAF Award
Bethel Park Director of Special Education Lori Sutton received the
2014 LEAF Rowan Award from Leading Education and Advocacy for
Families, Inc., in recognition of her more than 25 years of serving the
special needs community at Bethel Park, and previously with the
Pennsylvania Department of Education and the Western Instructional
Support Center.
Lynne Surrena Receives STEPP
Award
Bethel Park High School and Independence Middle School Speech and
Language Teacher Lynne Surrena was presented the Scott E. Folmer Memorial
Student, Teacher and Exemplary Practice or Partnering (STEPP) Award in the
Teacher category.
The award is given annually to those who provide outstanding support to those
who provide services to children with special needs.
She is the third Bethel Park teacher to receive this award since 2010, joining
retired NAMS Special Education Jean Harrington (2010) and Franklin Speech
and Language Teacher, now BPHS Special Education Teacher Jennifer Kaminski
Yeckel (2012) as a STEPP Award Winning Teacher.
BPHS student Alyssa Perkins received the award in the student category in
2007, and BPHS students Kaitlyn Wagner, Audrey Donnelly and Maggie
Donnelly earned the STEPP student award in 2013.
The Bethel Park School
District
Where Futures Begin
The Mission of the Bethel Park School District is to lead an educational
partnership with the community, maintaining an environment that challenges all
students to reach their potential as lifelong learners and responsible members of
society.