27 minute read
School District Information
Elementary Schools (grades K–4) Middle Schools (grades 5–8)
High School (grades 9–12)
Albert Baker
Dr. Patrick McClintock-Comeaux, principal 2300 Morton Road–412-833-1600, ext. 4000 Erected: 1968, enrollment: 431* School day: 8:15 a.m.–2:45 p.m.
Boyce (grades 5–6)
Dr. Daniel O’Rourke, principal 1500 Boyce Road–412-833-1600, ext. 5000 Erected: 1960, enrollment: 630* School day: 8:35 a.m.–3:15 p.m.
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Mark Miller, principal 100 Warwick Drive–412-833-1600, ext. 8000 Erected: 1960, enrollment: 518* School day: 8:15 a.m.–2:45 p.m.
Fort Couch (grades 7–8)
Erin Peterson, principal 515 Fort Couch Road–412-833-1600, ext. 3000 Erected: 1951, enrollment: 603* School day: 8:30 a.m.–3:20 p.m.
Carl R. Streams
Dr. Lindsay Klousnitzer, principal 1560 Ashlawn Drive–412-833-1600, ext. 6000 Erected: 1966, enrollment: 449* School day: 8:15 a.m.–2:45 p.m.
Upper St. Clair High School
Dr. Timothy Wagner, principal 1825 McLaughlin Run Road 412-833-1600, ext. 2530 Erected: 1960, enrollment: 1288* School day: 7:30 a.m.–2:20 p.m.
Board of School Directors Phillip J. Elias, President Daphna Gans, Vice-President Barbara L. Bolas Kelly P. Hanna Louis P. Mafrice, Jr. Michael R. Mascaro Angela B. Petersen Jennifer A. Schnore Danielle Z. Wetzel
Board of School Directors
The Upper St. Clair Board of School Directors consists of nine elected directors. Board minutes, meeting videos and the list of upcoming meeting dates are available on the District’s website: uscsd.k12.pa.us/ schoolboard. Meetings typically begin at 7 p.m. in the District administration building. For more information regarding meetings, call 412-833-1600, ext. 2218.
Central Office Dr. John T. Rozzo, Superintendent
The Upper St. Clair School District's administrative offices are located on the Upper St. Clair High School campus, adjacent to the stadium. The mailing address is 1775 McLaughlin Run Road, and can be reached at 412-833-1600.
Buses/Transportation
The primary responsibility of the Upper St. Clair School District’s Department of Transportation, located in Cecil Township, is to provide safe, efficient transportation for the 4300 public, private, and special needs students who attend approximately 30 schools within a ten-mile radius of Upper St. Clair.
For more information, contact Jonn Mansfield, Director of Transportation at 412-833-1600, ext. 3450, or jmansfield@uscsd.k12.pa.us.
Cont. from page 49
Food Services
The School District’s six nutrition centers serve thousands of healthy meals each day.
For information, contact Ashley Lindhurst, Food Service Director at 412-833-1600, ext. 2287, or alindhurst@uscsd.k12.pa.us
Technology
The role of the Upper St. Clair School District’s Technology Department is to provide and support the use of resources that enhance the teaching and learning processes, strengthen communication, and improve efficiency of operations.
For more information, contact Ray Berrott, Director of Technology at 412-833-1600, ext. 2059, or rberrott@uscsd.k12.pa.us.
School-Wide Enrichment Program (SWEP) for grades 1–4
Many opportunities are available for elementary level students to explore topics that interest them through SWEP. Mini-assemblies, mentorships, and independent study projects are all part of SWEP.
For more information, contact Mark Miller, supervisor of elementary education, at 412-833-1600, ext. 8000, or mmiller@uscsd.k12.pa.us.
Boosters (Parent Support Groups)
Boosters and parent groups are formed to support various activities and sports teams. For information, call Upper St. Clair High School at 412-833-1600, ext. 2260 (athletics) or ext. 2264 (activities).
Parent Teacher Council Members 2022–2023
Upper St. Clair’s Parent Teacher Council (PTC) for the 2022–2023 school year include Shanna Caplan, president; Zoe Weaver, first vice president; Dr. John Rozzo, second vice president; Jaime Fitzgerald, secretary; Lindsay Beck, treasurer; and Gina Swanson, board advisor. We wish them continued success in providing our District with their help and guidance as they enhance the academic and social experiences for our children.
International Baccalaureate (IB) Program
The Upper St. Clair School District initiated an International Baccalaureate Program in 1998 and now offers this program in grades one through 12. • Primary Years Program Streams (grade1–4):
Lauren Bogus, 412-833-1600, ext. 6038 or lbogus@uscsd.k12.pa.us • Middle Years Program:
Boyce (grade 5–6):
Chrissy Caragein, 412-833-1600, ext. 5067, or ccaragein@uscsd.k12.pa.us
Fort Couch (grade 7–8):
Andrew Bowers, 412-833-1600, ext. 3236, or abowers@uscsd.k12.pa.us
High School (grade 9–10):
Gordon Mathews, 412-833-1600, ext. 2402, or gmathews@uscsd.k12.pa.us • Diploma Program: Tanya Chothani, 412-833-1600, ext. 2644, or tchothani@uscsd.k12.pa.us
Fine and Performing Arts
The Upper St. Clair Band Parents Association is a parent group formed to support the band and orchestra. The Upper St. Clair Choral Boosters is a parent group formed to support the choral groups. For information, call Upper St. Clair High School Fine and Performing Arts Department at 412-833-1600, ext. 2627. Theatre Angels support the USCHS spring musical. Call 412-833-1600, ext. 2530 or ext. 3325 for more information.
Extracurriculars
Sports programs are available at all levels. For information regarding middle school or high school sports, contact athletic director Danny Holzer via email at dholzer@uscsd.k12.pa.us or phone the athletic office at 412-833-1600, ext. 2260. Music programs, including chorus, theater, orchestra, and band, as well as cheerleading and dance, are available at various grade levels. For information regarding high school activities, call activities coordinator Brooke Tarcson at 412-833-1600, ext. 2264, or email at btarcson@uscsd.k12.pa.us. For information regarding elementary and middle school activities, call the respective building’s school principal.
Kennywood Day (a Community-Wide Tradition)
Kennywood Day is a community-wide tradition of fun. Each year all Upper St. Clair residents are invited to participate in a day at Kennywood Park (typically in June). Discounted tickets are available for purchase online prior to the event. Details are posted on the District’s website each spring.
USC eAlerts
Upper St. Clair School District regularly sends news and information via email. Weekly recap emails with the latest news, upcoming events, links to news articles, and more are sent to subscribers. Subscribe to eAlerts on the District’s website (uscsd.k12.pa.us) under Quick Links, shown on the left-hand side.
District Calendar
The USC School District detailed monthly calendar is available online, providing residents with the most up-todate information about events in our Township’s schools. To access the calendar, visit the District website at uscsd.k12.pa.us and click on the “Calendar” tab. In addition to viewing events for the entire District, there is an option to filter by specific school building. See the abbreviated calendar on page 51.
Volunteers in Our Schools (grades K–12)
We are grateful for each parent and community member who contributes to the success of our students. The Child Protective Services Law requires background checks for volunteers in schools. The Upper St. Clair School District safety team manages the volunteer clearance process for the District. Clearances are processed by outside agencies, and it takes time for them to be completed. Prospective volunteers are encouraged to complete the process as soon as possible. Detailed information—including step-by-step directions—is available on the District’s website. If you have questions or concerns about volunteer clearances, call 412-833-1600 , ext. 2121, or email Stacey Liguori, safety coordinator, at sliguori@uscsd.k12.pa.us.
Upper St. Clair School District
Remaining 2022–2023 Calendar Revised
Nov 23–25 No School – Thanksgiving Recess Dec 22 Half Day Early Dismissal Dec 23–31 No School – Winter Recess Jan 2 No School – Winter Recess Jan 16 No School – Teacher In-service Jan 23 No School – Teacher In-service Feb 17 No School – Teacher In-service Feb 20 No School – Teacher In-service Mar 31 No School – Teacher In-service Apr 3–7 No School (Spring Recess) May 11 Elementary STAR Nights Elementary Early Dismissal – 12:45 p.m. May 18 Fort Couch Celebration of Learning Fort Couch Early Dismissal – 1:15 p.m. May 25 Boyce Celebration of Learning Boyce Early Dismissal – 1:15 p.m. May 29 No School – Memorial Day Jun 8 High School Commencement Jun 9 Last Day of School for Students – Half Day Early Dismissal Jun 12 Teacher In-service
(Early dismissals shown in the calendar above are school specific for the listed event.)
USC Kindergarten Registration 2023-2024
Information regarding Kindergarten registration for the 2023–24 school year will be posted on Upper St. Clair School District’s website (uscsd.k12. pa.us) in early 2023. The District operates a half-day Kindergarten program, with the morning program held 8:15–10:55 a.m. and the afternoon program 12:05–2:45 p.m.
Students registering for Kindergarten must be five years of age by September 1, 2023, to be enrolled for the 2023–24 school year. Proof of residency within the USC School District is required for enrollment.
Questions? Contact Terri Lott, registration coordinator, at 412-833-1600, ext. 2283, or via email at tlott@uscsd. k12.pa.us. n
Parent Teacher Council (PTC)
Parent Teacher Council (PTC) is the “umbrella” organization in Upper St. Clair (USC) that provides leadership and coordination for the six parent/teacher organizations in USC.
If you would like to be involved with your child’s parent/teacher organization and get the “big picture,” you are welcome to join! For more information, contact Shanna Caplan, president, at shannacaplan@gmail.com.
Building Level Parent/Teacher Organizations
Each school building has an organization of parents, who together with their teachers, work within the schools to provide extra help, additional programs, and educational and social activities for the children. For information, call your building’s school representative at 412-833-1600.
Baker Elementary School PTA – ext. 4000
Eisenhower Elementary School PTO – ext. 8000
Streams Elementary School PTO – ext. 6000
Boyce Middle School PTO – ext. 5000
Fort Couch Middle School PTSO – ext. 3000
Upper St. Clair High School PTSO – ext. 2236
Gifted and Talented Education (GATE)
GATE is a committee of the PTA Council whose objective is to provide information and support to parents of gifted and academically talented students in the District.
Partners in Education (PIE)
PIE is a group of parents, administrators, and staff formed as a branch of the PTA Council to foster the best educational environment for all exceptional children and to educate and assist parents of exceptional children.
Spelling Bee
The Spelling Bee committee funds and manages the District’s elementary and middle schools Scripps spelling competitions.
STEAM
The STEAM committee works with District staff to develop and manage innovative after-school programs in the areas of science, technology, engineering, arts, and math for the benefit of all students.
Wellness
The Wellness committee is a group of parents, administrators, and staff that promote and support initiatives to raise awareness about the impact of having a healthy mind and body, and encourage the development of both.
The mission of the Youth Steering Committee of Upper St. Clair, with School District and Township representation, is to involve the Upper St. Clair community in providing positive direction and support to our youth and their families.
Twelve distinguished alumni were inducted into the 2022 Upper St. Clair High School’s Halls of Fame and were honored at the annual induction ceremony on October 7. After celebrating during dinner at the high school, the inductees were recognized at the football game where USC battled Bethel Park.
The 2022 Halls of Fame inductees include:
Academics
Douglas Gibson (1982) Natalie Hernandez DePalma (1996) Matthew Lentz (2006) Lisa Volpatti (2009) Academics
Arts
Stacy Chbosky (1991) Stephen Clink (1998) Stephanie Maloney (2006)
Athletics
Kyle Dudzinski (2011) Arts Dakota Conwell (2012) Brian Drechsler (1993) John Mascaro (1985) Robbie Mertz (2015)
Founded in 2000, the Athletics Upper St. Clair Halls of Fame honors those who have distinguished themselves in academics, the arts, or athletics at the high school, collegiate or professional level and who, in so doing, have contributed to the pride and prestige of Upper St. Clair High School. n
Douglas Gibson
Lisa Volpatti
Stephanie Maloney Natalie Hernandez DePalma
Stacy Chbosky
Kyle Dudzinski Matthew Lentz
Stephen Clink
Dakota Conwell
Brian Drechsler John Mascaro Robbie Mertz
Staff Recognized
Six Named 2022-23 Scholars by the College Board
Gordon Mathews has been named assistant principal of Fort Couch Middle School. The school board approved his appointment in August.
An Upper St. Clair graduate, Gordon has served as a school counselor and alumni coordinator at Upper St. Clair High School for the last four years. Throughout his tenure, he has taken a leadership role in the high school’s Peer Tutoring and Leadership Academy programs and currently serves as a coordinator in the district’s International Baccalaureate Middle Years program. In addition, Gordon has been a member of the Upper St. Clair football coaching staff for over seven years.
“Throughout the last several years, Mr. Mathews has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to our Upper St. Clair students. Beyond his important role as school counselor, he has served our students in significant and meaningful ways,” said Dr. John Rozzo, superintendent of schools. “I am confident that our Fort Couch school community will benefit greatly from his leadership and enthusiasm.”
A graduate of Duquesne University, Gordon earned a master’s degree in school counseling. He completed the K-12 Principal Certificate program at University of Pittsburgh. He holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration and management from Washington & Jefferson College.
Gordon resides in Upper St. Clair with his wife, Lauren, and Gordon Mathews their two dogs, Nala and Kiki. He has served as president of the Community Foundation of Upper St. Clair since November 2020.
Gordon fills the vacancy created when former assistant principal Erin Peterson was promoted to principal in June. Joe DeMar, who served as Fort Couch principal for two decades, officially retired in August after nearly 30 years of service to the district. n
This August, the district welcomed newly contracted teachers Anastasia Anthony, special education, Boyce; Hilarie Bauer, school nurse, Boyce; Blaise Cackovic, physics, High School; Linda Connor, librarian, Baker; Frank Cremonese, physical education, Baker; Abbey DiGregorio, physical education, Boyce; Julia Ellis, resource, High School; Kristi Frommeyer, school counselor, High School; Beth Lash, school counselor, High School; Ellie Oxenreiter, special education, Boyce; and Adam Ward, school psychologist.
In addition, the district honored 10 veteran staff members for completing 25 years of service. Honorees include Ray Berrott, director of technology;
Personnel with 25 years of service (l/r): Dr. Sharon Suritsky, Julie Mauder, Steve Levine, Diane Rodi, Ray Berrott, Leslie Densmore, Michelle Zirngibl, Terry Jackson
Leslie Densmore, 1st grade, Baker; Terry Jackson, special education, High School; Tom Kostelic, maintenance foreman, Bus Garage; Steve Levine, 8th grade social studies, Fort Couch; Julie Mauder, 6th grade math, Boyce; Diane Rodi, human resources/benefits coordinator; Scott Roley, custodian, High School; Dr. Sharon Suritsky, assistant/deputy superintendent; and Michelle Zirngibl, special education curriculum leader & SHOP@USC coordinator, High School. n
Six USCHS students have earned recognition as 2022-23 Scholars by the College Board for their academic achievements and outstanding performance on the PSAT.
Junior Lucia Miles was named a National African American Recognition Program Scholar. Seniors Ava Keating, Sarah Robert, Benjamin Rush, and Elisa Tucker, along with junior Grace Atencio were named National Hispanic Recognition Program Scholars. The College Board’s four National Recognition Programs award academic honors to underrepresented students. The four programs include National African American Recognition Program, National Hispanic Recognition Program, National Indigenous Recognition Program, and National Rural and Small-Town Recognition Program. Although the National Recognition Program Scholar is not a scholarship award, students can include this academic honor in their college and scholarship applications.
Grace Atencio Ava Keating Lucia Miles Sarah Robert Benjamin Rush Elisa Tucker
Students who identify as African American/Black, Hispanic/Latinx, Indigenous, or attend high school in a rural area or small town, have a GPA of 3.5 or higher, and have excelled on the PSAT, or earned a score of three or higher on two or more AP Exams may be eligible. n
National Merit Commended Students
Nine Upper St. Clair High School seniors were recently named semifinalists in the 2023 National Merit Scholarship Competition. The following students scored in the top one percent of all juniors completing the PSAT in October 2021: Carter Chui, Jasmine Dietiker, Matthew Earley, Ansh Goyal, Peer Khan, Jason Lu, Phillip Markovitz, Lauren Starr, and Benjamin Wasson. “We are proud of the accomplishments of this year’s National Merit Semifinalists. When considering the many gifts that these students possess, we are also so impressed by the quality of their character,” said Dr. Timothy Wagner, high school principal, said. “Recognizing nine National Merit semifinalists is not only a source of pride for these students and their families, but also reflects positively on our entire school community. We’re pleased to honor the hard work and dedication that each has exhibited in his or her years at USCHS.” Founded in 1955, the National Merit Scholarship Program is an academic competition for recognition and scholarships. Students enter the National Merit Scholarship Program by taking the PSAT—the National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test—during the fall of their junior year. The nationwide pool of semifinalists, approximately 16,000 students, includes the highest-scoring entrants in each state. The number of semifinalists in a state is proportional to the state’s percentage of the national total of graduating seniors. According to the program’s website, “The National Merit Scholarship Program honors individual students who show exceptional academic ability and potential for success in rigorous college studies.” The Upper St. Clair semifinalists can continue in the competition for some 7,250 National Merit Scholarships that will be offered next spring. To be considered for a Merit Scholarship award, semifinalists must submit a detailed scholarship application that highlights academic record, participation in school and community activities, demonstrated leadership abilities, employment, and honors and awards received. National Merit finalists will be named in February 2023, followed by the National Merit scholars in the spring. The program awards three types of National Merit scholarships—2,500 National Merit Scholarships of $2,500, approximately 950 corporate-sponsored Merit scholarships, and 3,800 college-sponsored Merit scholarships. For more information regarding the National Merit Scholarship Program, visit nationalmerit.org. n
Thirteen Upper St. Clair High School seniors were recently named Commended Students in the 2023 National Merit Scholarship Program. Colin Eccher, Morgan Huzjak, Rebecca Lang, Carter McClintockComeaux, Quinton Miller, Keshav Narasimhan, Chase Neponuceno, Patrick Nowak, Mariah Rainier, Lindsay Ross, Evan Sarkett, Daniel Wang, and Henry Zheng are among the 34,000 Commended Students throughout the nation who are being recognized for their exceptional academic promise. Commended Students placed among the top 50,000 students who entered the 2023 competition by taking the 2021 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT) last October. n
Carter Chui Jasmine Dietiker Matthew Earley
Ansh Goyal Peer Khan Jason Lu
Phillip Markovitz Lauren Starr Benjamin Wasson
Colin Eccher Henry Zheng
Morgan Huzjak Rebecca Lang Quinton Miller
Carter Keshav McClintock-Comeaux Narasimhan
The College Board recently announced that 117 Upper St. Clair High School students and recent graduates earned the designation of AP Scholar. These students earned recognition for their exceptional achievement in the college-level Advanced Placement Program during the 2021-22 school year.
“Our AP Scholars have achieved at an exceptionally high level while completing some of the most rigorous coursework available for high school students,” said Dr. Timothy Wagner, high school principal. “And so many of these students are also leaders in other areas of our school, such as in athletics, the arts, and activities. We are incredibly proud that they have challenged themselves academically and have experienced success.”
In May 2022, 348 Upper St. Clair students completed 686 AP exams in 24 subjects—earning a 79 percent pass rate. AP tests are scored 1–5; students must earn a 3 or higher to pass and possibly qualify for college credit.
Sixty students were recognized as AP Scholars with Distinction. To qualify, students must earn an average score of at least 3.5 on all AP exams taken and scores of 3 or higher on five or more of these exams. The list of honorees includes 2022 graduates Benjamin Wasson, William Bacdayan, Jacob Bernstein, Bear Bottonari, Phoebe Chen, Sophie Chen, Scott Cheung, Alyana Childs, Grace Copenhaver, Varun Damarla, Saif Durrani, Linus Friedman, Kathleen Gianni, Andrew Happ, Prapti Kanani, Aubrey Lang, Ethan Leszczynski, Eden Ma, Molly Maher, Luka Misic, Trinity Murphy, Ethan Neal, Daniel Paulick, Victoria Pete, Sriya Rayapureddy, Shana Reddy, Andrew Rosello, Sambhav Saggi, Vidhur Senthil, Ritvik Shah, Sujay Shah, Nitish Sharma, Nikhil Shetty, Zach Sileo, Mia Skeel, Nivedha Suresh, Jeet Sutreja, Alexander Teresi, Aditri Thakur, Hersh Tripathi, Arunprakash Vasudevan, Daniel Wang, Judy Wang, Maddie Wetzel, Andrew White, Shane Williams, Adam Zheng, and Shanning Zhou, and seniors Carter Chui, Jasmine Dietiker, Matthew Earley, Ansh Goyal, Peer Khan, Phillip Markovitz, Carter McClintock-Comeaux, Quinton Miller, Keshav Narasimhan, Patrick Nowak, Cole Super, and Daniel Wang.
Twenty-two Upper St. Clair students earned recognition as AP Scholars with Honor by earning an average score of 3.25 or higher on all AP Exams taken and scores of 3 or higher on four or more of these exams. Upper St. Clair’s AP Scholars with Honor include 2022 graduates George Atencio, Joseph Goldstein, Esha Lahoti, Lilian Leggat, Catalina Marchando, Felipe Curi, Kaelyn Moran, Dev Patel, Eva Rankin, Ethan Rocks, Evan Tefft, and Isaac Yap, and seniors Aashna Banerjee, Sahil Bhalodia, Maura Joyce, Jason Lu, Jack Miller, Chase Neponuceno, Priyanka Palayekar, Maanasa Reddy, Evan Sarkett, and Sophia Song.
Thirty-five students earned the distinction of AP Scholar by earning scores of 3 or higher on three or more exams. AP Scholars include 2022 graduates Saif Bin Hammad, Nathan Garrett, Cadence Golden, Hannah Hardy, Allen Ho, Patrick Hynds, Rameshwarnaik Kethavath, Arika LaGoy, Trevor Lamb, Maggie Lowden, Leah Lund, Andrew Miller, Connor O’Neill, Michael Pellicci, William Perham, Joe Phillips, Ryan Senchyshak, Cole Shegan-Siniawski, Ganesh Sivaramakrishnan, Nolan Thomas, Fiona Wang, Eliana Zahalsky, and Bria Zegarelli, seniors Emily Barrie, Lan de Jong, Andrew Kanj, Rebecca Lang, Edythe McCurrie, Eesha Pande, Mariah Rainier, Tyler Riemer, and Elizabeth Zavadil, and juniors Susan Liu, Anuj Shah, and Lauren Tenney.
The College Board’s Advanced Placement Program offers students the opportunity to take challenging college-level courses while still in high school, and to receive college credit, advanced placement, or both for successful performance on AP Exams. Upper St. Clair High School currently offers 24 AP courses including AP Biology, AP Calculus AB, AP Calculus BC, AP Chemistry, AP Chinese Language, AP Comparative Government & Politics, AP Computer Science A, AP English Language and Composition, AP English Literature and Composition, AP Environmental Science, AP French Language, AP German Language, AP Macroeconomics, AP Microeconomics, AP Music Theory, AP Physics 1, AP Physics C: Mechanics, AP Physics C: Electricity & Magnetism, AP Psychology, AP Spanish Language, AP Statistics, AP U.S. Government & Politics, AP U.S. History, and AP World History.
According to the College Board, AP students are more likely than their peers to complete college within four years and students who take AP exams say it makes them feel more confident and prepared for college. n
Remembering High School—50 Years Later
After being postponed due to Covid, the Upper St. Clair Class of 1971 celebrated their fiftieth reunion on October 1, 2022. The day began with a tour of the high school and the 50 people in attendance were amazed at the many changes at the school since their graduation.
That evening, 150 classmates and guests shared wonderful high school memories at the Alpine Club in South Fayette. n
Students from the class of 1971 who attended USC schools K–12
USC Robotics Gets $10,000 Boost
Tina Vojtko, USCSD Communications Specialist
The Upper St. Clair Robotics Club received a $10,000 grant from the Community Foundation of Upper St. Clair to support FIRST LEGO League Challenge programming at the middle school level.
“A large portion of this grant will go toward purchasing 12 LEGO Education SPIKE Prime kits and expansion sets for Fort Couch Middle School,” said Tracy Smith, teacher and USC Robotics Club sponsor. “It will also cover expenses related to buying the challenge sets for this year’s game, ‘Super Powered,’ registering Fort Couch teams for FLL nationally and locally, assisting in travel expenses to workshops, and much more.”
USC Robotics, which launched in the 2021–22 school year, had an enthusiastic response from students and families. Nearly 300 students in grades 5–12 have already expressed interest in joining the USC Robotics Club for the upcoming school year. Boyce and Fort Couch middle schools have reached enrollment capacity and are maintaining waitlists.
“This is more than double the students from last year,” said Tracy. “With this much interest, we need the proper materials and resources to provide an interactive and hands-on experience for all students.”
The Community Foundation of Upper St. Clair provides financial support for special programs and projects throughout the community that are not otherwise funded by tax dollars. The foundation focuses its support on the arts, health, and STEM. The $10,000 grant qualifies the Community Foundation of Upper St. Clair as a Legacy donor.
“The trustees of the Foundation are certain that this activity will positively impact and enhance the learning and lives of all participants and make a significant impression on the community at large,” said Jennifer Dempsey, board secretary and director of grants for the Community Foundation.
To support its rapid growth, the USC Robotics Club has set a fundraising goal of $40,000. To reach that goal, the program offers several donor recognition levels for the 2022-23 school year including: Legacy—$10,000 and above, School—$5,000, Team—$1,500, and Community—less than $1,500.
“The grant from the Community Foundation of Upper St. Clair gets us a quarter of the funding that we need,” said Tracy. “This is an amazing start!”
Tracy emphasized the importance that partnerships play in offering these types of extracurricular clubs and experiences.
“If you want to change the culture, integrating robotics, technology, and computer science K–12, it takes a movement,” she said. “It is not just financial support. It requires involved parents, mentors, educators, and community to really bring it all together. Organizations are supporting this cause because they recognize the relevance and know that students will develop skills and have experiences that will improve their future.”
The concept of partnership extends to the student level as well. Members of the USC Robotics Club provide community service through the local library and serve as mentors for younger students who share their interest in robotics.
“Already this year our high school robotics teams have been involved in outreach at our local library as well as connecting with our local Odyssey of the Mind students at Ingenuity Camp,” said Tracy. “Our hope is to find ways to connect with our elementary schools as well to bring robotics opportunities to their students. USC Robotics Club hopes to reach our K–12 community in meaningful and exciting ways this school year!”
Three local companies—Alstom, Mascaro Construction, and Thoro.ai—recently pledged their support for the USC Robotics Club. These recent donations bring the total raised to $23,750, nearly 60% of the club’s $40,000 goal for 2022-23.
To date, the 2022–23 donors include the Community Foundation of Upper St. Clair, Alstom, Mascaro Construction, TORC Robotics, DEKA Foundation, and Thoro.ai. For more information about USC Robotics or to donate online, visit uscrobotics.org. n
STEAM TEAM
Tina Vojtko, USCSD Communications Specialist
This past July, Upper St. Clair School District hosted its annual STEAM TEAM camp. Approximately 100 students in kindergarten through grade 4 from Baker, Eisenhower, and Streams elementary schools participated in the week-long adventure, held at Baker school. The STEAM TEAM campers spent the week learning about the science behind an amusement park. The Carnegie Science Center kicked off the week-long camp with the program: Who wants to be an engineer? Throughout the week, students used the engineering design process to create a Log Jammer raft, a rollercoaster, and a solar oven. The junior engineers also participated in many daily team challenges that required collaboration, creativity, and perseverance. Using solar ovens to make s’mores The highlight of the week was Thursday’s trip to Kennywood Park, and the week concluded with a forensics challenge to discover who kidnapped Kennywood’s mascot, Kenny the Kangaroo.
Thanks to Ardolino’s Pizza for their donation of boxes for the solar ovens, Eaton Electric for guest speakers, and USC police officer Eric McAlpine, school police chief Sean Bryson, and Stream’s principal Dr. Lindsay Klousnitzer for helping to solve the kidnapping mystery. n Designing rollercoasters
Some members of the STEAM TEAM at Kennywood
Solving the case of Kenny the Kangaroo’s kidnapping
If a person walks down the athletic hallway in the high school, they will be able to marvel at the vast number of trophies that Upper St. Clair students have proudly won throughout the years. In the 2022–2023 school year, a new group had the potential for the first time ever to take home a trophy to add to the trophy hall. This group was not a sport, but the students involved worked just as hard as any athlete. They practiced long hours in the summer, memorized complicated movements on the field, and entertained crowds numbering in the hundreds each Friday night in the fall. Drum roll please (literally)... it was the Upper St. Clair High School Marching Band.
The Upper St. Clair Marching Band, composed of approximately one hundred students, decided for the first time in its history to participate in competitions. Dr. John Seybert, the director of the band, gave insight into the reason for the change saying, “Our marching arts program strives for continuous improvement each year. Therefore, we decided to enter competitions as an opportunity to advance many aspects of our program.”
These competitions operate like a track or swim meet, where multiple bands come to one football stadium and are evaluated by judges on multiple categories, including music, visual effect, general effect, and performance. The marching band competed in two of these competitions through the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Marching Band Association this year. One competition took place on September 17 at Baldwin High School, and the other on October 15 at Gateway High School. With the exciting addition of band competitions, in addition to the normal halftime and festival performances, changes were made to the band. Dr. Seybert elaborated on changes to the halftime performance, saying, “We revised aspects of our halftime production to enhance our program. For example, the halftime production, “Believe,” is written in four movements (“Don’t Stop Believin’,” “Believer,” “Don’t You Worry ‘Bout a Thing,” and “I’m a Believer”) with music based on the theme. The band’s musical arrangements and marching drill with visuals continue to improve.” Additionally, the auxiliary, made up of what was previously known as the color guard, Pantherettes, and majorettes, got new uniforms and swing flags specifically for the halftime show that added to the exciting elements introduced this season.
A new season with a whole new look can be difficult to tackle, though. Gabbie Deep, a junior squad leader for the auxiliary, had a positive outlook on the season, but still recognized the many challenges faced. When asked about the challenges, she responded, “I felt like this year had definitely been a challenge because we had to focus on a competition perspective, but I was very proud of all the hard work our team has put in. We definitely put in a lot of time to see the best results.” The time Gabbie referred to came in the form of two mandatory practices a week that could lasted up to six hours in total. Still, the band members were excited about the competition overall, despite the time commitment. Raniya Kethavath, a senior flutist, offered an instrumentalist’s perspective into the season, saying, “I think it’s really cool that the USC band competed this year; it opened up space for new opportunities that we never had access to before.”
So, the next time a person walks down the athletic hallway, will there be a marching band trophy? The Upper St. Clair marching band has officially stepped into the arena and represented our community with pride. After all, they are the “Pride of Upper St. Clair.” n
The Pride of Upper St. Clair
Gabbie Deep
Dr. John Seybert directing the band Seniors Sophia Song, Emily Barrie, Raniya Kethavath, Ashvita Saxena, and Maura Joyce Auxiliary members
On September 15, the USCHS marching band placed second in Class AAA and earned the top Visual Performance score in Class AAA at the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Marching Band Association (PIMBA) Festival.
