A.W. Beattie Career Center Open House Slated

22,000-square-foot, LEED Gold McIlroy Center for Science & Innovation, which opened in 2018 and houses 10 spacious labs for biology, chemistry and physics; and the 12,000-square-foot Glimcher Tech & Design Hub, which opened in 2019 and houses a fabrication lab, robotics arena, workshop, wet lab, computer labs and more. The school’s challenging college preparatory curriculum emphasizes problem-solving and project-based learning and offers a wide range of college-level electives, including organic chemistry, inorganic chemistry, advanced physics, advanced biology, robotics, mobile app development, artificial intelligence, differential equations, multivariable calculus, fractal geometry and chaos theory. An independent study program allows juniors and seniors to design their own projects for credit, allowing them explore in depth an area of interest beyond curricular offerings.

To learn more about Shady Side Academy Senior School and its STEM offerings, contact the Admissions Office at 412-968-3180 or admissions@shadysideacademy.org to schedule a personal tour. n

By Janice Lane Palko

“O ur upcoming Open House is an excellent opportunity for all students and parents to learn about A.W. Beattie Career Center,” said Eric C. Heasley, executive director, of A. W. Beattie Career Center. The Open House is scheduled for Thursday, March 5, 5:15-8:15 p.m. “It’s also a wonderful opportunity to learn about our newest program, Surgical Science, which is scheduled to commence during the fall 2020 semester.”

Located at 9600 Babcock Boulevard in Allison Park, A.W. Beattie Career Center provides students from nine area school districts—Avonworth, Deer Lakes, Fox Chapel Area , Hampton Township, North Allegheny, North Hills, Northgate, Pine-Richland and Shaler Area--with the opportunities to earn advanced college credits or industry certifications while still in high school that will enhance student’s college and career potential after high school graduation.

A.W. Beattie offers instruction in more than 20 different fields, and some of its most in-demand programs are Culinary Arts; Heating, Ventilation and Air-Conditioning; Health and Nursing Sciences; Robotics Engineering Technology; and Automotive Collision Technology. Students may enroll after completing the ninth grade. “The Career Center continues to grow and provide college and career readiness with articulations and dual enrollment credits at many local technical schools, colleges and universities, including La Roche College, California University, Waynesburg University and CCAC,” said Mr. Heasley. “Many of our students can test for certifications while still attending A.W. Beattie, helping them to ensure immediate employment opportunities, while others can enroll at post-secondary schools with advanced standing.”

Registration forms for students wishing to enroll for A.W. Beattie for fall 2020 are available now in their high school guidance office.

“We invite all students and parents to come and learn about the exceptional programs offered at A.W. Beattie,” said Mr. Heasley.

For more information, on A.W. Beattie Career Center and the Open House, visit the website at: www.beattietech.com or call, (412) 847-1900. n

School Movers & Shakers

Blessed Francis Seelos Last year’s Blessed Francis Seelos Academy third grade students, under the instruction of teacher Kim McCosby, participated in the Crazy Creatures Creative Writing Contest. The book was published and the students, now in fourth grade, received their copies. Nine students had their work published: Jack Davidson, Katie Gunther, Thorben Klueber, J. J. McCabe, Lily Narvett, Spencer Pascarella, Catarina Perri, Darren Riley and Madeline Sell.

North Hills The North Hills High School Wind Ensemble, made up of 48 students in grades 9-12, is one of just 16 bands in the country and the only one from Pennsylvania invited to perform at the Music for All National Festival in Indianapolis, Indiana, March 12-14.

Hampton Hampton High School students Danielle Sutterland and Dakota Batista created an assistive glove for use by Hampton Middle School teacher Bethann Dolan. In 2006, Dolan was diagnosed with transverse myelitis, a rare, sudden-onset neurological disorder that caused inflammation in her spinal cord that left her a quadriplegic. The glove is designed to include a specialized clipboard and pen to help Dolan write. It was demonstrated on Jan. 16. The glove was submitted to SourceAmerica as part of its 2020 Design Challenge.

Seneca Valley Seneca Valley Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps (JROTC) Raider Battalion members placed first at the Western PA JROTC Air Rifle Competition. Additionally, Seneca Valley cadets swept the top three individual scores. Junior Mackenna O’Mara placed first, senior Joshua Thompson came in second and freshman Tyler Landry placed third.

Providence Heights Alpha School (Allison Park) Principal: Margaret Ruefle, M.ED.M.S. (412) 366-4455 www.alphaschool.org

Saint Joseph High School (Natrona Heights) Principal: Beverly K. Kaniecki (724) 224-5552 www.SaintJosephHS.com Vincentian Academy (North Hills) Mrs. Rita Canton (412) 364-1616 www.vincentianacademy.org

Seneca Valley’s debut appearance at the University of Pittsburgh’s Mock Trial Tournament resulted in a third-place finish out of 49 schools from across the state. Team members included - Lizzie Bittner, Nick Folino, Anne Castagnero, Megan Bablak, Nick Hartman, Luke D’Ambrosio, Dawson Morrow, Ella Pologruto, Parker Logue, Kaitlyn Moore and Tori Read.

A new, inclusive sensory room/maker space opened at Seneca Valley Senior High School on Jan. 21. The new Life-Skills classroom was completely designed and created by SV students.

Seneca Valley junior, Elizabeth Salgado, flautist, took first place in the Senior Woodwinds Division in the Music Teachers National Association (MTNA) Young Artist Competition on Nov. 24.

Albert Pimenov, a fifth-grade student at Haine Middle School, was honored as one of the brightest students in the world at a recent international Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth (CTY) awards ceremony.

Fox Chapel Fox Chapel Area School District students held their 30th annual telethon Friday, December 20, and raised more than $45,400. This year’s total brings the money raised by Fox Chapel Area students and staff to more than $900,900 over the last 30 years for various local and regional charities.

Fox Chapel Area High School senior J. Oliver Choo won the Butler County Symphony Orchestra (BCSO) 2020 Young Artist Competition. For the event, J. Oliver, a piano player, prepared a movement of a concerto.

Six Fox Chapel Area High School students were named winners in the inaugural Fox Chapel Area Rotary Invitational High School Speech and Debate Tournament. The Policy Debate teams of Dawson Krisky and Marie Romero won fourth place, and Sonny Hur and Prajval Sreenivas won sixth place. In Student Congress, Patrick Alexander won fourth place, and Adam Whysong won fifth place.

Five Fox Chapel Area High School students placed at the North Allegheny Invitational Forensic Tournament. The Public Forum Debate team of Boomba Nishikawa and Ian Mackey-Piccolo won first place overall. Fifth place went to Rajeev Godse and Sina Shaikh. A sixth place award went to Jackson Romero.

Chinese New Year 2020 – The Year of the Rat

Rothrock’s Kung Fu & Tai Chi

The Rat Year is a year of plenty, bringing opportunity and good prospects. It will be marked by speculation and fluctuations in the prices of commodities and the stock market. Overall, this will be a happier year than most: free from explosive events and wars and with far fewer catastrophes than, say, the years of the Tiger and Dragon.

The charm of the Rat is as universally known and loved as a Walt Disney character. Remarkably easy to get along with, hard-working and thrifty, the rat may be generous only to those he is inordinately fond of. On the surface, the rat person might appear reserved, but this is not so. He is never as quiet as he may look.

People born in the Year of the Rat are noted for their charm and attraction to the opposite sex. They work hard to achieve their goals, acquire possessions and are likely to be perfectionists. They are thrifty with their money and can be easily angered and love to gossip! They are usually very successful, and their ambitions are significant. They are most compatible with people born in the years of the Dragon, Monkey, and Ox.

Here are some recent Rat years of birth: 1948, 1960, 1972, 1984, 1996, 2008, and 2020. n

Four Dorseyville Middle School (DMS) students scored high on the American Mathematics Contest (AMC) 8 exam. Eighth grader Joshua Brown placed first at DMS and scored in the top 5% nationally, also earning him an “Honor Roll” certificate. Additionally, seventh grader Zhana Neumann placed second, eighth grader Dylan Work and seventh grader Jiei Masuda tied for third place.

Mars Area Mars Area High School freshman Gracyn Thatcher will join the TRYPO Young Peoples Orchestra on stage at New York City’s Carnegie Hall for a concert on Tuesday, March 31.

Mars Area Centennial School fifthgrader Marin Raible competed at the National Association of Women’s Gymnastics Judges (NAWGJ)

Gracyn Thatcher

National Judges Cup Gymnastic Championships, held Jan. 10-12 in Santa Clara, Calif.

Mars Area Elementary School fourth-grader Brooklyn Ligda was selected as a winner of the Pittsburgh Penguins Junior Starter Contest.

La Roche University La Roche University celebrated the opening of its renovated Palumbo Science Center on January 10. The new facility will support a growing demand for STEM programming and enrollment in the sciences. The renovated second floor is complete with new

state-of-the-art laboratories, classrooms, common areas and faculty offices that are conducive to the changing nature of STEM education in a more interactive and hands-on environment.

BC3 For the fifth time since 2015, Butler County Community College, serving 24,000 credit and noncredit students in eight western Pennsylvania counties and online, has been ranked as the No. 1 community college in the state by BestColleges.com.