PTC
Baker
SD
PawPrints
... a USC Parent Teacher Council Feature
Eisenhower
Council Suzanne Wynne, President The Parent Teacher Council is honored to continue its service to our community of parents in Upper St. Clair. We are fortunate to live in a community so dedicated to family and quality education. The more I interact with our District’s teachers and administrative staff, the more I realize how safe and supported my children are because of their dedication. Fred Rogers spoke to this when he said, “Anyone who has ever been able to sustain good work has had at least one person—and often many—who believed in him or her. We just don’t get to be competent human beings without a lot of different investments from others.” It is in this spirit that the PTC works with you to provide a variety of District-wide programs. • Communication: The PTC facilitates communication between parents and staff by hosting monthly meetings with Dr. John Rozzo, superintendent of schools, where parents can come and learn about what’s happening in each school and about the District overall. This year, we’ve added an evening meeting on Wednesday, March 6 at 7 p.m. in the Boyce School theater. We also host two Open Mics where families and community members engage with Dr. Rozzo and his team to talk, listen, and receive feedback about issues and concerns surrounding our schools and children. The first Open Mic, which focuses on school safety, is scheduled for Wednesday, November 28 at 7 p.m. in the Boyce Middle School theater. The next Open Mic will take place this coming spring. The PTC also facilitates communication by printing a Districtwide student directory, available in both print format and mobile-app. • Committees: The PTC works to enhance our children’s educational environment by managing the Scripps Spelling Bee and the Arts in USC competition. Our Gifted and Talented Education (GATE), Partners in Education (PIE), Outreach,
Streams
Boyce
Science/Technology/Engineering/ Arts/Mathematics (STEAM), and USC Wellness committees provide programing to support the interests and well-being of students and parents, alike. • Community: One of our most important roles is to support the ongoing work of the District’s six schools’ PTA, PTO, and PTSO organizations. These organizations are made up of volunteers who enrich our children’s school experience at the elementary, middle, and high schools each and every day. For example, during the month of February, the PTC is facilitating a District-wide food drive for South Hills Interfaith Movement (SHIM). The PTC also supports our community by hosting an annual welcome dinner at the start of the school year, welcoming families who are new to the District. On behalf of the PTC, I appreciate and welcome your feedback and look forward to continued dialogue as we work together to meet the needs of our community. If you would like to get involved, contact me at wynne.sl@gmail.com. Together, we will continue creating one of the best places to live… our home, our USC! USCHS PTSO Shannon Gallagher, President Upper St. Clair High School started out the school year in the midst of construction… and now that it’s in full swing, the students, faculty, and parents appear to be making it work! We’ve had an active fall with senior cruise, homecoming, and Coach Render’s 400th win (see article on page 29), and the next few months will be no exception. Our musical students are wrapping up the fall musical and attending the honors ensemble in Orlando, Florida, this November. The spring musical auditions begin December 14, so be on the lookout for the notices regarding meetings. Our Keystone testing begins the second week of January. Make sure your kids
Fort Couch
USCHS
are rested and prepared to maintain the stamina that standardized testing requires. Our students are involved in organizing so many events, fundraisers, and support of their clubs that, more than ever, a parent’s time with the PTSO and PAC is vital. These meetings are where communication between the community and administration thrives. You will also hear from our students as they let us know how they are making an impact within the school and community. Consider joining and attending our meetings. Your input is what makes it work and, in the end, benefits the kids. Fort Couch PTSO Katy Loomis, President As USC looks to the winter months, opportunities abound to get involved at Fort Couch! A favorite annual event, Reach Out will run December 10–21. As Connie Gibson, eighth grade math teacher and student council advisor, explains, “December can often be a hectic time of the year for people and schools. However, here at Fort Couch, we see joy, kindness, and caring hearts around each corner.” During Reach Out, students raise an outstanding amount of money by babysitting, cleaning, helping neighbors, caroling, and completing other volunteer activities. Last year students raised over $19,000! The money raised by Reach Out goes to a variety of charities, including Giant Eagle gift cards distributed to Upper St. Clair community members by the USC Police Department, MS Bike-a-Thon, Hope for Haiti, and an annually-changing student-selected charity. Principal Joe DeMar is “proud of our students for their kindness and generosity!” Running parallel to Reach Out, PTSO sponsors Caught You Being Good, a week-long activity where students earn tickets for showing positive behavior. If a staff member at Fort Couch “catches” a student doing something positive, they give them a slip to submit for entrance into a daily raffle. Last, but not least, is the Cont. on page 32
Winter 2018
UPPER ST. CLAIR TODAY
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