Wednesday, August 27, 2003

How does a new school year spell change in the West?

Let us count the ways: New computer labs, different courses and textbooks, tighter security guidelines and a budget's worth of infrastructure upgrades and teaching changes aimed at handling enrollment trends.

Here's snapshots of what's new, as compiled by the PG West staff and its correspondents:

Ambridge

Today is the first day of classes for all students.

The district is building a elementary school that's targeted to open at the beginning of the 2004-05 school year.

The Ambridge district has one high school, one junior high and three elementaries. The new school in Harmony will replace the Anthony Wayne Elementary School.

Superintendent Kenneth Voss said it hasn't yet been determined what will be done with the Anthony Wayne building. Meanwhile, youngsters at the elementary school in Economy soon will find new playground areas and equipment available.

In other renovations, new artificial turf has been installed at the high school football field.

For the first time, Ambridge is hiring teachers' aides for all elementary computer labs. In other curriculum-related changes, all junior and senior high school math programs will feature new textbooks, and a new program has been instituted for students who need help studying for state achievement tests.

A resource officer from the Ambridge police department will be stationed daily in the high school. The officer will "assist administration and teachers and walk through the school and converse with students to help ensure a sense of positive security," Voss said.

-- Grace Rishell

Beaver Area

All students will report for classes tomorrow.

Ninth-graders this year will find changes in their math studies, and students at every level will be doing more writing in all subject areas.

Ninth-graders will get a combined curriculum of mathematics that includes trigonometry, probabilities, statistics, problem solving, geometry and algebra. The various math forms will not be separated as in the past, said Superintendent Betty Sue Schaughency.

An additional grade will be brought into the program each year until all four high school levels, freshmen through seniors, are following the integrated system. Calculus will be added senior year.

Schaughency said all students, elementary to seniors, will spend more time writing in all courses in order to help them "think, learn, understand and communicate."

Beaver Area is in the process of building the Dutch Ridge school, an elementary school that is expected to be ready for the 2004-5 year. It will replace the Brighton Township Elementary School.

Schaughency said the Brighton Township building was constructed in the 1950s and was beyond repair. She said it would have been more costly to renovate it than to build a new structure.

-- Grace Rishell

Bishop Canevin

School began Monday for seniors. Juniors returned yesterday, while sophomores head back to the books today and freshmen report tomorrow.

All high school classes will be in session Friday.

A Bishop Canevin spokesman said the school has a new band director, Tammi Nemeth, who replaces Jim Pazur.

-- Grace Rishell

Carlynton

Students returning to classes today will find a number of familiar faces in unfamiliar positions.

Crafton Elementary School Principal Dr. Walter McMillan will begin his tenure as student service principal at the high school. Diane Mooney, former high school co-principal, is now the principal at Crafton Elementary School.

Crafton Elementary School parents are invited to meet and greet Mooney at 9 a.m. tomorrow.

Other faculty changes are: Former Crafton kindergarten teacher Kara Trant is the primary learning support teacher at Carnegie Elementary School; sixth-grade Crafton teacher Nancy Tobin will teach third grade at Carnegie; Crafton fifth-grade teacher Jill Rishell will teach fifth grade at Carnegie.

The district is continuing to receive bids for the air-conditioning contract for the elementary school computer rooms.

All 295 sports team members participated in the first mandatory district drug tests for school athletes and were found to be drug free. Athletic Director Michael McConnell, who also was tested, said that the parents supported the program despite some grumbling about the $26 fee.

Carlynton may have a new elementary report card. The report card is being reviewed and revisions are expected to enable parents to view a breakdown of specific areas and see where their children are succeeding or struggling.

-- Lori Humphreys

Center Area

If you run into a Center Area seventh-grader this year, don't be surprised if he greets you with a "Bonjour," "Hola," or "Guten Tag."

As part of the newly instituted World Language Program, seventh-grade pupils in the district will take nine weeks each of French, Spanish and German, as well as a course called the Phenomenon of Language, Assistant Superintendent and middle school Principal Mike McCullough said. Seventh-graders will also begin a new general music program.

The district is in the process of hiring a Spanish teacher as well as a learning support teacher, and will begin a search during the year for an elementary administrator, McCullough said.

Classes began yesterday with another new wrinkle: Study halls for grades six-12 have been eliminated. Lunch is $2 for middle school and senior high students, and $1.50 for pupils at Todd Lane Elementary School. A $1 breakfast will be available in all buildings.

-- Dan Gigler

Chartiers Valley

School began Monday for the approximately 3,700 students.

Four additional middle school classrooms will be ready for use, as well as a new English As a Second Language room and new high school boys and girls locker rooms.

Among the new teachers are Daniel Budday, a high school technology education instructor; Taryn Briggs, a kindergarten Title I reading teacher at the primary school; and William Douglass and Amanda Burkhart, who will teach the Spanish program that has now expanded to the seventh grade.

Additions to the high school curriculum include an entrepreneurship course, a theater design course and a college-developed engineering principles course for which students may receive college credit.

Other new high school courses are a one-semester Web page design course, a yearlong television and media course and a home economics elective titled Quick and Easy Foods.

-- Carole Gilbert Brown

Cornell

The school's extended day program, initiated at the elementary school last year, will be established this year for students in grades seven-12. Principal Edwin Weischedel explained that by the middle of the first nine-week grading period, students who are not performing at grade-level and need extra learning support will be asked to participate.

The students will stay in school for an extra hour Monday through Thursday to receive additional instruction. "If they use the time well, they can finish the day's homework and be done for the evening," said Weischedel.

Efforts continue to refine enforcement of the school dress code that was adopted last year in an attempt to make it more consistent. A new wrinkle added for the coming school year will be the prohibition of "oversized" pants.

Weischedel said he has explained to parents that baggy-style cargos are allowed but not what he calls "oversized" pants.

The use of uniforms is still being explored. Weischedel said that will be dependent, in part, on how well the current dress code is followed.

Superintendent Dennis Johnson believed that such changes are already having a positive effect. He also reported that the 2002-03 school year state assessment results will be posted on the Cornell Web site during the first week of the new school year.

-- Lynn Shea

Elizabeth Seton

Pupils at Elizabeth Seton were welcomed by new Principal Sarah Tonski on Monday. Full-day classes were to start today.

New this year is an all-day preschool program for 3- and 4-year-olds. The program is from 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Mondays through Fridays.

The entire school was painted and new textbooks ordered. Adele Coyne returned as a first grade teacher. Last year the Sheraden school had to cut a teacher, and Coyne lost her job. Also new is the breakfast program, available from 7:45 to 8:15 a.m.

-- Chris Crytzer

Holy Child

Students in first through eighth grades had half-days on Monday and Tuesday.

Kindergartners report tomorrow, and preschoolers start Tuesday. A half-day kindergarten will be offered, too.

Students in sixth, seventh and eighth grades will receive CD-ROMs instead of books for English and literature.

New teachers at the Catholic school in Bridgeville are Christine Rose, math and religion for grades three through five; Mary Elizabeth Hand, social studies, science and religion for grades six through eight; and Deborah Harrison, kindergarten.

-- Chris Crytzer

Holy Trinity

The science lab and library at this Robinson school were updated this summer. Both were painted. The library got new carpet and new equipment and furniture was installed in the science lab.

Students had a half-day of school on Monday and Tuesday. Today is the first full day of classes for pupils in kindergarten to grade eight.

-- Lynn Shea

Monaca

When school begins today, students in the junior and senior high school will be able to sharpen their computer skills with new equipment. Four computer labs in the junior and senior high schools were retooled with new computers over the summer, Superintendent Michael Thomas said. The existing equipment will be distributed to classrooms throughout the district.

Monaca welcomes a new teacher this year, Robin Sampson, who will teach third grade at the C.J. Mangin Elementary School. She'll be teaching pupils from a new series of math textbooks that the district purchased for this year.

The district is also working to repair the baseball and softball fields for the spring, but in the meantime, minds are already wandering to the football season grudge match game against Rochester, which is played annually for naming rights to the Monaca-Rochester Bridge. Monaca has won the past two years, and is looking for a three-peat, which Thomas said is assured.

"Heck yeah," he said with a laugh. "That's a guarantee."

-- Dan Gigler

Montour

Parents will be offered a new solution this year to hectic schedules: The Western area YMCA will be providing after-school child care beginning this fall at Burkett Elementary.

With only 12 pupils registered districtwide, the YMCA was forced to limit the program to one of the district's three elementary schools. In addition to eight Burkett pupils, four others from Forest Grove and Ingram Elementary are registered so far. Tom Yeager of the YMCA said the program will expand into the other elementary schools if enrollment increases.

The program typically will operate from 3 until 6 p.m. in a school's cafeteria, gymnasium, or multipurpose type room. The cost is $53 per week for full-time care (four-five days week) and $45 per week for part-time care (two-three days week).

-- Lynn Shea

Moon Area

Students returned today and found new teachers, sleeker buses, enhanced curriculum and upgraded facilities. One of the most talked about as football season begins is the best-of-both-worlds field at Moon High School Stadium.

The synthetic surface, which has just been completed, is called A-Turf and it's low maintenance but with plenty of natural-grass feel. It completes a roughly $600,000 project that started earlier this summer and includes a new scoreboard and stadium track.

This year's budget also includes a total of $853,000 for major facility enhancements, such as the installation of air-conditioning systems at Allard and Hyde Elementary schools and ventilation system repairs at Bon Meade Elementary.

Also included are adoptions of a new world language curriculum for grades six through 12 and a new health curriculum for kindergarten through grade 12.

Staffing revisions include full-time teaching positions dedicated to special education and partial German and French positions to support the new programs. The net impact is 3.6 additional teaching positions.

Bus contractor STA of Pa. has replaced seven, smaller and decade-old school buses with new, 72-passenger vehicles. "It will greatly enhance the capabilities of the system as well as increase pupil capacity," said Alan D. Bennett, director of fiscal and school services. Besides all that, he said, "They're just beautiful."

-- by David Guo

Our Lady of Grace

Pupils and parents will enjoy technology improvements at Our Lady of Grace in Scott. The computer lab has been updated with more memory, a rebuilt server and added hard drives.

A monthly principal's line or rap session between Principal Gloria Joswiak and pupils will be established this year.

A new one-hour program for children in grades four-eight will be held each month. Teachers will provide special instructional programs on a rotating basis in fun subjects such as Readers Theater, Memory/Trivia, Stenciling, String Art, Social Dancing, Square Dancing, Origami, Fitness Aerobics, Cold Cooking and Art Perspective.

An extended kindergarten program will be available to pupils in the morning kindergarten class. Pupils had a half-day of school on Monday and Tuesday. Today is the first full day of classes for pupils in kindergarten through grade eight.

-- Lynn Shea

Our Lady of the Sacred Heart

In its first full year in a recently renovated building, Our Lady of the Sacred Heart will welcome its largest ever freshman class on Thursday.

The 100 members of the class represent the largest in that school's history, Assistant Director of Student Development Michael Cerchiaro said, putting enrollment at 325 students.

Seniors reported on Monday, juniors yesterday, sophomores today and freshmen tomorrow. All classes report on Friday.

Prices have not yet been set for lunch, which won't be offered until after the second week of September. The school hired three new teachers. Phil McCarren and Sister Clare Malitz will teach religion at the school, and Michael Schuster will teach math.

-- Dan Gigler

Quigley

Freshmen and sophomores were in session Monday for a half-day of school, while juniors and seniors returned yesterday.

All students were scheduled to be present for classes today.

The school reported some housekeeping over the summer that includes new lighting in the hallways, cafeteria and library, remodeling of lavatories and replacement of part of the roof.

School spokesman, the Rev. David Menegay, said Quigley is rebuilding its award-winning mock trial competition team to replace seniors who have graduated.

-- Grace Rishell

Rhema Christian

Rhema Christian School will start a new service project this year, working with the Adult Resource Center in Coraopolis, a senior citizen center. Pupils will spend a week at the Family Life Camp in Raccoon Township, where they will be dispatched to do repairs and construction on local homes for the elderly. Previously the school did service work for a Habitat for Humanity chapter in West Virginia.

"We wanted to do something more in the community," Principal DeDe Hayes said.

Seventh- and eighth-graders will go on a class trip to Washington, D.C., in the spring.

Today marks the first day for classes at the school, which serves preschoolers though the eighth grade. Enrollment has held steady at about the 270 mark, Hayes said.

-- Dan Gigler

Robinson Township Christian School

Students in kindergarten through grade 12 return to school today, while preschoolers will be off until September at a date to be announced.

All classes will participate in an expanded fine arts program. Elementary pupils will be introduced to musical instruments. High-schoolers will study music appreciation and perform in a musical review.

Also planned are a show based on vignettes from Shakespeare performed by the drama department and a schoolwide Christmas musical. Jane Austen's "Emma" has been chosen as the senior class play.

The school in April will host its annual science and math fair for kindergarten through grade 12. Students will present experiments and results of research projects.

-- Grace Rishell

St. Elizabeth Anne Seton

Full-day classes started Monday for kindergarten through eighth grades at the Carnegie Catholic school.

New preschool teacher Leslie Dominick will welcome the 3- and 4-year-olds after Labor Day. A new computer lab features 15 new computers and Internet access. The school's cafeteria is being air conditioned.

Enrollment at St. Elizabeth Anne Seton remains stable with 110 students in preschool through eighth grades.

-- Chris Crytzer

St. Joseph

Classes for all grades but kindergarten started Monday for pupils at the Catholic school in Coraopolis. Kindergarten classes got under way on Tuesday.

Three-year-olds start preschool on Tuesday. Four-year-olds begin the next day..

New to the school is fifth-grade teacher Tony DiFiore. Barbara Young is the new music teacher.

Two classrooms were recently painted, and Internet access is available in all the classrooms. Enrollment is at 175, up from 160 last year.

-- Chris Crytzer

St. Malachy

Half-day classes began Monday for the Catholic school in Kennedy. Today is the first full day for pupils in all-day kindergarten through eighth grades.

New teachers' aides are Pam Terney and Jackie Mantini. Tammy Green is the new cafeteria manager.

The new preschool time is 8:45 to 11:15 a.m. Three-year-olds attend on Tuesdays and Thursdays and 4-year-olds on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

The nurse's office and art room were painted, the entire school has freshly waxed floors, and the school courtyard was enhanced.

St. Malachy School has 12 new pupils this year.

-- Chris Crytzer

St. Margaret of Scotland

New Principal Kathy Militzer welcomed pupils when this Green Tree school began with half-day classes on Monday and yesterday. Full-day classes begin today.

Militzer, who has served as both a teacher and vice principal at St. Margaret for the past 20 years, replaces Sister Paula Blanc.

Renovations and improvements to the school's gymnasium were also completed over the summer. Parishioners, pupils and parents were invited to a reception on Sunday afternoon to bless the gym and welcome the new principal.

-- Lynn Shea

St. Philip

St. Philip began its 88th year on Monday.

Six new teachers have been hired: Nicole Seitz, half-day kindergarten; Joe Sembrat, seventh grade; Julie Cosentino, Spanish teacher; Teri Mech, sixth grade; Janelle Miller, second grade; and Katy Rodgers, third grade.

A computer lab has been refurbished with a grant from a private donor, whose grandchildren attended St. Philip and whose great-grandchildren currently attend the Crafton Catholic school.

Eighth-grade pupils will participate in a pilot distance-learning project, allowing them to take Spanish lessons from an instructor at Bishop Canevin High School. A new fine arts center, created in the renovated youth hall, will provide for the school's extensive art, music and performing arts program.

Enrollment is up 7 percent vs. last year. There are 380 pupils in kindergarten through eighth grades and approximately 100 preschoolers.

-- Chris Crytzer

St. John of God

Enrollment at St. John of God in Stowe has increased again this year. There are 140 pupils in kindergarten through grade eight, up from 65 students in 1999. Two new aides were hired to accommodate the growth.

The school will field its first soccer team this spring. A school-sponsored soccer camp was attended by 25 pupils during the summer. Pupils had a half-day on Monday and yesterday.

Today is the first full day of classes for kindergarten through grade eight.

-- Lynn Shea

SS Simon & Jude

Students at SS Simon & Jude in Scott enjoyed access to the Internet for the first time when they returned to school for half-day classes Monday and yesterday and a full day today. The school's computers were wired over the summer.

-- Lynn Shea

South Fayette

For the second time in three years, South Fayette is undertaking a major building project to fit its burgeoning student body more comfortably into district facilities.

The first day of classes was Monday for the district's 1,865 students.

Last year, the district opened a new $25 million high school. This year, it will launch an $18 million project to renovate and expand the middle school. Work is expected to begin in a couple of months. Until 27 new classrooms open for business in fall 2004, some middle-schoolers will continue to receive instruction in auxiliary trailers near the main building.

As part of the $18 million project, the stadium will be resurfaced after the football season with artificial turf to provide greater durability and to allow for wider usage.

Enrollment is up by about 60 from last year. The student population has been growing at a 5 percent to 7 percent clip for the past several years.

A half teaching position has been added for kindergarten and a full position for fifth grade. The high school will have new English and social studies teaching positions, as well as a biology teacher-assistant principal split position.

The district is launching a kindergarten through grade three initiative aimed at ensuring that all elementary pupils are reading at grade level by the end of fifth grade.

-- Patrick Ponticel

Sto-Rox

The first day of school for all students will be Tuesday.

A new, full-day kindergarten program is located in the Foster School Building on Russellwood Avenue in McKees Rocks.

Superintendent Anthony Skender said the full-day kindergarten program has been a top priority and will offer a high-quality educational experience to all 5-year-olds. He is excited about the program and cited recent research that indicates that getting children into a classroom setting early increases their knowledge and expands their capacity for learning.

Renovations to the infrastructure of Foster School are complete and the building will be open for the first day of school. All new plumbing, heating and electrical systems have been installed and an elevator added.

The building also will be equipped with state-of-the-art computers and equipment. The project will be completed in 3 1/2 months and was paid for with a $1.2 million grant from the state Department of Education.

--Joyce Brandebura

West Allegheny

West Allegheny School District's approximately 3,200 students will head back to school today.

Expanded math services at the high school results in the addition of two new math teachers. Even though school directors hired six math teachers over the summer months, four were needed to replace those who retired.

Evidence of the math initiative was reflected in last year's increased math test scores. The process begins at the middle school level with the goal to have all students complete Algebra II by graduation.

Technology has also been upgraded throughout the district this year with 496 new computers being added, mainly in the elementary classrooms and for administrative functions.

The telephone system has been enhanced to benefit from the fiber optic cabling installed last year. New software will permit access to student computer activity from teacher workstations.

A new YMCA After School Program will begin this year at all three elementary schools -- Donaldson, McKee and Wilson -- to offer supervised homework sessions, arts and crafts, science and sports initiatives and other activities. The program provides an after-school program for children in afternoon kindergarten through fifth grade until 6 p.m.

The district also has a revised attendance policy in addition to an expanded Web site with a new drug and alcohol abuse information page.

-- Cheryl Cherico

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