District news

Sunrise Students Observe Women’s History Month (3-31-21)

Mr. Pompilio's 3rd grade Writing Class at Sunrise Estates Elementary School has been working hard during March while celebrating Women's History Month.

“I thought it would be important for my students to celebrate Women's History month so we can remind ourselves of the accomplishments of women throughout the years,” commented Mr. Pompilio. “From Science to Politics, this month gives us a chance to celebrate and reflect on the trailblazing women who lead the way for change.”

Students Remember Mr. Rob (3-25-21)

The students of Penn-Trafford School District were deeply saddened when their beloved bus driver, Rob Monstrola, passed away suddenly on March 10. “Mr. Rob” drove for Harrison Park Elementary, Penn Middle and Penn-Trafford High School during his nine years as a Penn-Trafford driver.

The students of Harrison Park Elementary School honored Mr. Rob on Tuesday 23, 2021 by wearing purple to signify Monstrola’s bus route ‘Purple-19’. They also painted rocks to add to the rock garden located at the entrance of the school.

Penn-Trafford Wraps Up Annual Spring Food Drive (3-24-21)

Penn-Trafford High School’s Community Action Program (CAP) sponsored a district-wide food drive which wrapped up on March 12th. CAP members went school-to-school to pick up all the donations and took them back to the high school where they were sorted, packed and then delivered to local food banks.

The community donated enough food to pack an entire classroom. The food was divided among the district’s Backpacks-to-Go program, Trafford/Level Green Food Pantry, Community Church Food Pantry, and St. Barbara’s Kentucky Project.

“This is overwhelming!” stated CAP Sponsor Mrs. Lisa Popovich. “This is definitely more donated food than we have ever collected for our Spring Food Drive! The students and staff of PT have been so incredibly giving and supportive of those in need.”

Maya Roman and Juliana Paliscak, seniors at Penn-Trafford High School, co-chaired this year’s Food Drive. They would like to thank the administration and staff of the Penn-Trafford School District as well as the PT community for their overwhelming support and participation in this year’s drive.

Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra Comes to Penn-Trafford (3-22-21)

In years past, Penn-Trafford Music teacher Mrs. Andrea Frescura enjoyed taking her second grade students into Pittsburgh for a performance of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. This year, the orchestra hosted a virtual performance instead.

In advance of the virtual field trip, Mrs. Frescura reviewed the four main instrument families with her classes at Harrison Park, Level Green and Sunrise Estates Elementary Schools. They also discussed concert etiquette and proper attire. During her mid-March classes, Mrs. Frescura and her students dressed up as though they were visiting Heinz Hall and sat down for a socially distanced performance.

“Although the students were not able to visit Heinz Hall in person during this time, I hope that they were still able to virtually experience all that the orchestra has to offer,” said Mrs. Frescura.

P.T. Kindness Rocks (3-19-21)

Mrs. Danielle Lebe's first grade class at Sunrise Estates Elementary School made kindness rocks to hide in the community as part of the “PT Rocks” kindness project on Facebook.

The PT Rocks Facebook page lists this description: “The idea is simple: Look for our kindness rocks throughout Penn-Trafford. If you find one, post a picture on this page. Then ‘re-plant’ the rock to share positive messages to others in our community!”

Students Develop Life Skills at Penn-Trafford Coffee Shop (3-17-21)

In addition to their standard school courses, the Life Skills students at Penn-Trafford High School enjoy working in the school’s ‘Coffee for a Cause’ coffee shop where they bake cookies, make coffee, take orders, use the cash register and manage kitchen clean-up. The students are supervised by Life Skills teacher Mrs. Tera Enick and Job Coaches Mrs. Jeanne Rush and Mrs. Linda Loughner. The coffee shop experience helps to build real life skills that will transfer into the workforce; skills from math and communications to working in a commercial kitchen.

Recently, the school’s food service (Aramark) team presented a new option for the coffee shop’s cookies - making the chocolate chip cookie dough from scratch rather than purchasing frozen, pre-formed dough. The Life Skills staff jumped on the opportunity to provide another skill for their students.

Prior to the students entering the kitchen, Mrs. Enick taught a lesson on how to take a recipe that makes 21 cookies and turn it into a recipe that will produce 105 cookies. However, after the first batch, it became apparent that 105 cookies were not enough to keep up with the demand. Students were therefore taught how to double that number to produce over 200 cookies.

Now, the group heads to the school’s kitchen to measure each ingredient, use the commercial mixer and then scoop out each cookie ball to be frozen, bagged and baked during the week. This occurs under the watchful eye of Aramark’s Chef Melissa Milko and the Life Skills staff.

When asked, one coffee shop student stated that even though it is more work, it is fun to use the big mixer and to learn from the Aramark staff. Customers appear to love the taste of the homemade cookies. “We are always looking for ways to introduce new skills to the students,” said Job Coach, Mrs. Loughner, “even if it is more work for all involved.”

The Life Skills department is considering introducing other types of cookies in the future.

Students Complete Listening Glyphs (3-16-21)

Miss Amber Urick’s students at Sunrise Estates Elementary School recently completed a listening glyphs exercise. First, the third graders listened to music from famous songwriters and musicians. They were instructed to pay attention to things such as Lyrics, Instruments, Dynamics, Percussion, Repeating Parts, Speed, Singers, etc. and then color a picture according to a ‘key’.

The class covered the music of Scott Joplin, Michael Jackson, Queen Latifa, Billie Holiday, Will Smith, Whitney Houston, Nat King Cole, Etta James, Louis Armstrong, Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles and Marian Anderson.

Penn-Trafford and DonorsChoose Announce New Partnership (3-10-21)

The Penn-Trafford School District announced today a new partnership with the national nonprofit DonorsChoose to help teachers tap into a network of 4.7 million donors to support classroom projects and more seamlessly align with district strategy and operations.

Teachers in Penn-Trafford School District have raised $114,296 and completed over 322 projects on DonorsChoose. These projects vary from books to laptops and other tools to enhance the learning environment and support student success.

“We are incredibly grateful for our partnership with DonorsChoose, which has provided resources for hundreds of classroom projects within the Penn-Trafford School District,” said Superintendent Dr. Matthew Harris. “The funds raised through DonorsChoose have enabled our teachers to inspire their students with amazing projects, improve their classroom environments, and supplement lessons with hands-on materials. Our students are learning and engaging in new and very creative ways!”

As one of the 120+ members of the DonorsChoose District Partnership Program, Penn-Trafford School District will be able to fully support teachers in the use of the platform, ensure safety and security, and align efforts with the district’s strategic priorities. Penn-Trafford School District will be able to monitor all donated materials, principals will be notified each time a project is funded, and receive early notification when there are new “match” funding opportunities.

“We’re excited to have Penn-Trafford School District as a new member of the DonorsChoose District Partnership Program,” said Charles Best, founder and CEO of DonorsChoose. “Penn-Trafford School District teachers and administrators continue to work hard to make sure students succeed, so far they’ve raised $114,296 towards learning materials from donors across the country. We can’t wait to see how the DonorsChoose community can support these educators even more through our partnership.”

For more information please visit: www.donorschoose.org/penntrafford

French Students Celebrate Mardi Gras (3-4-21)

Mrs. Rizzardi’s French students at Penn-Trafford High School spent February 16th learning about the history and traditions of Mardi Gras, or Fat Tuesday.

In a Carnival-themed classroom, Mrs. Rizzardi shared some cultural traditions of French-speaking areas of the world. The students dined on gumbo, croissants and beignets then they made Covid-style Carnival masks. The class also participated in a bowling game called la pétanque (similar to bocce).

Headphones for Education (3-3-21)

As part of a classroom grant through DonorsChoose (a teacher crowdfunding platform), Mrs. Clare Donnelly of McCullough Elementary School received sixteen HIFI headphones with microphones. These headphones may be used by Mrs. Donnelly’s 2nd grade students while in class, and are very helpful when working on Chromebook lessons.

Basketball Seniors Honor Teachers (3-2-21)

High School winter athletic seasons are coming to a close, and both the Boys and Girls Basketball teams at Penn-Trafford High School honored their graduating seniors during the week of February 22.

The girls team celebrated their Senior Night on Monday at their game against Butler, and the boys team followed on Wednesday at their match with Franklin Regional. Prior to both games, each senior player was announced and joined his/her parents at center court. The players had each selected a ‘Most Influential Teacher’ who also joined the player at half court.

Both teams advanced to the playoffs, giving the seniors precious extra time in their Warrior uniforms.

Seniors being honored shared some words about their most influential teachers:

Brooke Cleland – “Ms. Sutmire was able to help me navigate through the ups and downs of high school, and always encouraged me to be the best version of myself.”

Jada Czesnakowski – “Mr. Campero motivates us to work hard and wants everyone to succeed not only in the classroom, but also in life.”

Kenzie Powell – “Mrs. Popovich truly has the biggest heart and always knows how to brighten my day and put a smile on my face.”

Allie Prady – “I was lucky to have Mrs. Smith two times in high school and she is very supportive of me as a basketball player and as a student.”

Dylan Armstrong – “Mr. Zimmer inspires me to work hard as a student and is guiding me through the next step on my journey to the real world.”

Tyler Campbell – “Mr. Carlisle constantly goes the extra mile for his students and anyone who has seen him teach or interact with his students can tell that he really cares about every single one of us.”

Josh Kapcin – “Thank you, Mr. Gates, for encouraging me, for supporting me, and for caring about me. Thank you for inspiring me to LEARN!”

Silas Koscho – “Mrs. Ramaswamy succeeded at making a challenging subject more interesting and understandable. I am very grateful for her and the positive impact that she has had on my high school experience.”

Jarred Schoffstall – “Thanks, Mr. Schall for all the great conversations. You always have inspirational and encouraging words as my teacher and my volleyball coach.”

Chase Vecchio – “Mr. Kosoglow made the class very fun and meaningful by teaching me lessons I’ll use in college and in my everyday life.”

Penn-Trafford Names March “Students of the Month” (3-1-21)

The Penn-Trafford School Board and Administration are pleased to announce the March 2021 ‘Student of the Month’ selections. Students are selected by their school principals for being exceptional in some way...whether for earning top grades, showing strong leadership, exhibiting kindness, or for some other notable reason.

***

Danielle Miller is a 5th grade student at Level Green Elementary School. Danielle is an excellent student who is always positive, upbeat and kind to others. Her work ethic in the classroom is untouchable and her enthusiasm is contagious. Danielle has a wonderful personality and a great laugh. She enjoys making jokes to make others happy.

Danielle's favorite class is Social Studies. “Danielle has been a fantastic student for me for the past 3 years,” stated Mr. Rinier, her teacher. “She's intelligent, witty, and a very motivated student in Social Studies. She's also very pleasant and helpful in my classroom. She's very deserving of student of the month.”

As for the future, Danielle could see herself getting into teaching or nursing. But for now, she’ll enjoy what she likes doing the most, which is dancing.

“We wish Danielle the best as she moves forward,” commented principal Mr. DiNapoli. “Congratulations on being the student of the month!”

***

Luka Dorosh is a Kindergarten student at Trafford Elementary School. His energy and charisma lead the way. He can not get enough of school. He enjoys math and reading classes, making new friends, and helping others.

Luka’s teacher, Mrs. Meyers states, “Luka is very responsible and is always in a pleasant mood. He is a hard worker and enjoys participating in class. Luka is willing to help his classmates and is respectful to those around him. He’s a pleasure to have in class. Luka continues to grow as both a student and as a young man.”

As for his future, Luka said he has had a blast with all of the snow this winter and would like to become a professional snowboarder.

“Trafford Elementary School is proud to have Luka Dorash as their student of the month,” said principal Mr. DiNapoli.

***

Sarafina Premozic is an 8th grader at Penn Middle School. Since arriving at Penn Middle in 5th grade, Serafina hasn’t hesitated to get involved in extracurricular activities including drama, chorus and band. She absolutely loves to sing and write her own songs. Sarafina's dream is to be a Pediatrician and/or Broadway performer. Her ambitious goals perfectly fit her personality.

Following are some comments from Sarafina's teachers:

“She is a conscientious student, always willing to participate in class. She possesses a positive attitude, a through-the-mask smile and great sense of humor.”

“It is an absolute privilege to teach Serafina. She is a sweet and kind student, is very focused and always seeks help if she doesn't understand. She interacts with her classmates in positive and uplifting ways, and works well with any student she is paired with.”

The school counselor reports, “Sarafina has made several donations to our school's Backpack Program throughout this year. She is a very kind student, always looking for ways to help others in need.”

Mr. Simpson, the principal at PMS, commented “We are proud to have Sarafina Premozic as our March Student of the Month.”

***

Madison Suman is a senior at Penn-Trafford High School. “For many reasons, Madison was a stand-out choice for the student-of-the-month honor,” said Assistant Principal Dr. Amy Horvat. “Throughout this difficult school year, there were activities that students have not been able to experience due to COVID. This did not stop Madison from being involved. She organized and led this year’s virtual NHS induction, several community fundraisers, and the widely publicized ‘You Good?’ campaign for the Active Minds Mental Health Awareness group. She does all of this with the most pleasant smile, so big it is recognized through her mask.”

Here are a few comments from Madison’s teachers:

“Madison is equally adept within the realms of academics, social skills, and leadership. She possesses an outstanding work ethic and personality.”

“She comes into class every day with positive energy and is eager to learn. Madison is truly a student every teacher wishes they had in their class.”

“Her heart is so full of kindness for others. I love that not only does she volunteer through school, but I see her in the community, volunteering for her church as well.”

Madison plans to attend the prestigious Accelerated Physicians Assistant Program at St. Francis University next fall.

Murals Feature Black History Figures (2-26-21)

To celebrate Black History Month, Miss Amber Urick’s 3rd grade students at Sunrise Estates Elementary School created collaborative grid murals of prominent African American figures (Martin Luther King Jr, Rosa Parks, Ruby Bridges, Barack Obama, and Booker T. Washington) and then decorated the school hallways with the finished artwork.

Each mural consisted of 24-30 individual posters which were colored by individual students then pieced together into the large-scale mural to honor these individuals for Black History Month. The project sparked many discussions of the changes our country has made over the years and the many changes left to come.

Students Accept Kindness Challenges (2-24-21)

Penn Middle School hosted a Spirit Week with daily “Kindness Challenge” and clothing themes in February. Each day, students and staff were encouraged to do various challenges involving kindness. Some of the challenges included, "Act like a Warrior" where everyone was encouraged to respect one another while donning their Warrior green and gold colors, and "Neon Nice Note" day where students wore neon clothing and wrote encouraging messages and placed them on their peers’ lockers. Mrs. Wentroble, the school’s guidance counselor and organizer of the event, commented “It was a true delight to see such good brought on by children during a year when so many are struggling.”

Penn Middle School also has a weekly "Caught Being Kind" initiative to recognize student and teacher acts of kindness.

Grant Provides Elementary Classroom Materials (2-22-21)

In Kelly Pratt's 2nd grade class at Harrison Park, students are enjoying the engaging books and activities that were acquired through Donors Choose grants.

Mrs. Pratt has had several grants funded this school year which have enabled her to obtain a multitude of classroom materials such as numerous mentor books to use for read-alouds, a voice amplifier for her classroom and a second computer monitor to assist with remote/live teaching. “The generosity of people has been a wonderful inspiration - especially this year,” says Mrs. Pratt.

DonorsChoose is a non-profit, classroom funding site which provides teachers with a platform to earn donations. Donors to Mrs. Pratt’s projects have included foundations, former students and their families, and fellow teachers.

Act of Kindness in Penn-Trafford Community (2-15-21)

As a community service project, members of the Penn-Trafford High School boys basketball team convened after practice on Saturday, February 13 to shovel snow in the nearby area. The team has adopted a local senior citizen and plans to revisit her walkways and driveway after all future snowstorms.

Level Green Students Swap Valentines (2-12-21)

Mrs. Damaska’s second grade students at Level Green Elementary School created their own Valentine boxes to use in the annual card exchange.

Media and Literacy Class SpreadS Valentine’s Day Cheer (2-11-21)

Students in Mrs. Kathy Kelly-Garris’ Media and Literacy Internship class at Penn-Trafford High School wanted to bring Valentine’s joy to the local community. In one project, they made cards and crafted hearts for the Golden Heights Nursing Home. The students hope that the cards and heart-shaped door decorations brought some happiness to the residents. “It is nice to take time and give back to the community, especially the older generation who shaped our town. One of the main goals of our class is to focus on and support those in our community who need it the most,” said senior Elizabeth Cermak. “This year, it has been slightly challenging because of COVID-19, but we pulled together, and I am proud of everything our class has accomplished so far. Our Valentine’s Day project is one of the many successes that we have had during this tough time!”

In another project, Senior Rebecca Radeshak led her Media Literacy classmates in presenting handmade cards and heart-shaped key chains to cancer patients receiving chemotherapy. The Valentine’s Day cards and keychains were given to the patients receiving treatment at Forbes Radiation Center. Every year for Valentine’s Day these patients would receive gift bags from the radiation staff known as “Hugs From Naan”, and this program would ensure that no patient was left out on Valentine's Day since some did not have family members to celebrate with. “This program has recently been discontinued after the woman who ran it for many years resigned, so I thought I would use this nine-week project to give the cancer patients something to celebrate on Valentine's Day and know that there are people who are thinking about them and supporting them through their treatment,” said Miss Radeshak.

Grant Helps Young Readers (2-10-21)

Ms. Danielle Gordon, a student learning assistant at Sunrise Estates Elementary School, received funds from several DonorsChoose grants to use in her kindergarten classroom.

DonorsChoose is a non-profit, classroom funding site which provides teachers with a platform to raise donations from friends, families, and corporate sponsors.

Ms. Gordon’s grants, titled “Littles Love Literacy,” focused on products to help with phonics, sight-words and reading comprehension skills. Her students are delighted with the new books, literacy games and digital resources.

“I received so many great new resources from these grants,” said Ms. Gordon. “We are excited to use them and grow as readers!”

Science at Sunrise (2-5-21)

First graders at Sunrise Estates Elementary School enjoyed some hands-on science lessons on February 4, 2021. Using STEM kits provided by the Carnegie Science Center and an accompanying virtual presentation, the students enjoyed building skyscrapers and tall buildings, which they then got to destroy at the end of the lesson.

Girl Scouts Collect for Backpack Program (2-3-21)

The Girl Scouts in Junior Troop 28829 and Brownie Troop 16361 had a guest speaker at their January 14th meeting. Troop leaders Trisha Pizzuto, Sarah Heller, and Amy Schulte arranged for Mrs. Lauren Traill, Penn-Trafford School Counselor, to come to their meeting to discuss the Backpacks-To-Go program which Mrs. Traill co-coordinates for the school district.

Mrs. Traill’s presentation helped the scouts earn badges. The Brownies were working on the Philanthropist badge which teaches the girls the difference between needs and wants and the importance of helping others who need assistance obtaining food. The Juniors were working on their Savvy Shopper Badge. Following Mrs. Traill's presentation, the girls were given two weeks to collect food for the Backpacks-To-Go program.

February “Students of the Month” (2-01-21)

The Penn-Trafford School Board and Administration are pleased to announce the February 2021 ‘Student of the Month’ selections. Students are selected by their school principals for being exceptional in some way...whether for earning top grades, showing strong leadership, exhibiting kindness, or for some other notable reason.

101st Day of School Calls for Celebration (1-29-21)

Mrs. Witek's second grade class at Trafford Elementary School celebrated the 101st day of school on Friday, January 29, 2021. The students dressed up like puppies, participated in fun activities, and watched the Disney Classic 101 Dalmatians movie.

Students Are Animal Architects (1-29-21)

After reading a short novel about Animal Architects, Miss Urick’s third grade students at Sunrise Estates Elementary School completed a group activity in which they researched an animal of their choice (including habitat, diet, predators, and physical characteristics). Then, each group designed blueprints to build both the animal and it’s habitat using LEGO STEM kits. Once complete, the groups practiced their measurement skills by measuring both the animal and its structure in height, width, and perimeter. Finally, the students reflected on their work to determine what was most difficult, what worked well, and what they would have done differently during their experience.

Business Class Meets With Billionaire Mark Cuban (1-27-21)

Mark Cuban, the billionaire entrepreneur, Shark Tank personality and owner of the Dallas Mavericks, met in a Google Meet conference with Penn-Trafford High School’s ‘Administration and Management’ students on the morning of January 26.

Teacher Ms. Kim Stefkovich reached out to Mr. Cuban months ago, after brainstorming some outside-the-box lesson plans. Having heard that Mr. Cuban receives between 700 and 1,000 emails daily and knowing his extremely busy schedule, she and her class were amazed and delighted when they received a reply from Cuban himself agreeing to meet with the class.

The topic of the meeting was Leading During a Pandemic. During the hour-long call, Mr. Cuban openly discussed his personal experiences and also fielded questions from the students.

In response to a question by senior Maria Sholtes: “What’s your definition of success”, Mr. Cuban responded, “In terms of having a lot of money... you know money’s good but I know a lot of miserable rich people. So you’ve got to really be on a path where you’re excited about what you do and if you’re excited about going to school, you’re excited about working on your business, you’re excited about learning...then you’re successful and you’re going to stay successful your entire life”.

Senior Nick Dolney asked Mr. Cuban for his advice to young entrepreneurs. “Just go for it,” responded Cuban, “and be willing to learn. The worst thing you can do as a kid is just show up. The worst thing you can do as an adult is just show up.” He went on to emphasize that we can all control our effort, and that “nothing can stop you guys if you put your mind to it.”

The students received some valuable advice from Mr. Cuban and they feel extremely grateful and excited to have had this once in a lifetime opportunity.

First Graders Master Chromebooks (1-25-21)

Ms. Diana Hlavsa’s first grade class at Level Green Elementary School is mastering classroom technology. All students in the Penn-Trafford School District receive a school-issued device, and first grade is when they transition from iPads to Chromebooks. Ms. Hlavsa is pleased by the students’ progress using Google Classroom to navigate the many reading and math activities and assignments.

Students Create Modern Art (1-20-21)

Second grade students in Mrs. Gialloreto’s art class at McCullough Elementary School recently completed a lesson on contemporary artist, Yayoi Kusama. Kusama is best known for her installation art and love of bright colors and polka dots which appear in many of her creations and wearable art. After listening to the children’s book Yayoi Kusama Covered Everything in Dots and Wasn't Sorry by Fausto Gilberti, the students drew trees with a background covered in dots. Choosing a single hue, they colored the dots on their trees and then colored the background creating a positive/negative design.