Fox Chapel Area High School Marching Band, performing its 2009 program, "One Way Out," recently brought home Class A trophies from their first two Pennsylvania Interscholastic Marching Band Association competitions. The band placed first Sept. 12 at the annual Kiski Area Band Competition and also received class awards for high music and high visual.

The band also took a third-place finish Oct. 3 at the Mars Area Marching Band Competition.

Hampton Middle School has been named top fundraiser in Western Pennsylvania in the Olive Garden's annual Pasta for Pennies program benefiting The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

The school brought in $9,308.14 during a three-week period in which 54,000 students from 94 schools in Western Pennsylvania committed to collecting pocket change to fill collection jars in their classrooms. In all, $158,620 in spare change was collected.

It was the 15th year for the campaign, which has earned a total of $47 million for the society.

Mars Area Elementary School is inviting parents to learn with their children for a day.

Second-grade parents are invited on Nov. 17, third-grade parents on Nov. 18 and fourth-grade parents on Nov. 19.

Parents can sit in the classroom with their child, said Principal Robert Zaccari.

"This definitely does away with 'What did you do in school today?' and the answer being, 'Nothing,' " he said.

• Mars Area Centennial School is putting together a memorial for former Adams police Officer Ed Brooks.

Officer Brooks died Oct. 1. He was the public relations liaison with the school district, and worked with Centennial students in the DARE program.

Centennial Principal Todd Lape said the school has received a photograph of Officer Brooks and will receive a plaque donated by a parent.

"We're going to have a nice little picture and plaque in memory of him and what he did for our kids," Mr. Lape said.

Kevin McKiernan, who has taught social studies at Northgate Middle and High schools for the past seven years, was hired Oct. 21 by West Allegheny School District as high school assistant principal.

Mr. McKiernan, of Ross, also served for four years as the head basketball coach for Northgate's varsity program.

His annual salary at West Allegheny will be $63,894.

The College Board recently announced that a record-number 68 North Hills Senior High School students earned the designation of AP Scholar, including three National AP Scholars. These students, who earned recognition for their exceptional achievement in the college-level Advanced Placement Program, represent an increase of 7 students or 11.5 percent over last year. In May, 255 North Hills students completed 513 AP exams, with 71 percent of them earning scores of 3 or higher, qualifying for college credit.

The school district will host a free, educational seminar for high school athletes and their parents with Mike Tomczak, a former professional football player. The seminar, "College Recruiting Simplified," will give inside tips on how college coaches recruit, including the "five things you need to know" and the "five things you must do."

The program will be presented at 7 p.m. today in the auditorium of Quaker Valley High School, 625 Beaver St., Leetsdale.

• Quaker Valley High School has started a new senior speakers series to provide students who will be entering college or the working world with information on subjects such as careers, health and personal finance. Topics may include understanding laws about apartment and car leases; student rights; health on campus; credit card responsibility and personal banking; career advice; and advances in 21st-century technology.

• Cole W. Camplese, director of education and technology services at Penn State University, will lead a technology summit for the Quaker Valley and Sewickley Academy communities on Nov. 14. "Youth and Technology, Trends and Challenges: The New Social Norm" is free and open to the public. Parents and students in grades six through 12 are invited to learn about the trends in adolescent use of technology and how young people can safely use online technologies.

The program, sponsored by Youth Connect, will be held from 9 a.m. to noon in Rea Auditorium of Sewickley Academy, 315 Academy Ave. in Sewickley.

Kenneth Brennan, of Lancaster, said goodbye to fellow school directors Monday after 14 years on the Seneca Valley school board.

"It's time for me to step aside," Mr. Brennan said. "I'm going to move quickly and quietly into other pursuits."

Mr. Brennan cited business demands and having more time to spent with his family as reasons he did not seek re-election to the board. He will miss the panel's next regular session because of a business trip and will not attend the December reorganization meeting. He represented Lancaster and Forward and served on the Citizens Advisory Board for six years before running for office..

At Monday night's meeting, Mr. Brennan offered his thanks to board members and cited what he saw as critical votes during his tenure.

He talked about the drug testing policies enacted by the school board in 2002. The policy requires the random testing of student athletes, students participating in any extracurricular activities and those requesting permission to drive to school.

"We were at a time where drug testing was working in the workplace, but we weren't holding our students to the same standard," Mr. Brennan said. "We're still a leader in that realm."

• The Association of Fundraising Professionals, Western Pennsylvania Chapter, recently announced Evans City Elementary and Middle Schools as an "Outstanding Youth in Philanthropy" winner in the 2009 National Philanthropy Day Awards. The award will be presented during a National Philanthropy Day celebration Wednesday at the Station Square Sheraton Hotel in Pittsburgh. The Western Pennsylvania Chapter, with more than 300 members, represents 12 Pennsylvania counties and the state of West Virginia.

• The Highmark Foundation has presented Rowan Elementary School a $7,560 Healthy High 5 School Challenge Grant for the 2009-10 school year.

The school is implementing a program titled "Fitness is Fun," slated to include a variety of activities designed to encourage healthy nutritional habits and promote physical activity within the family. Additionally, Rowan will add a cardiovascular education component with the assistance of the American Heart Association.

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