Good News From Our Schools – Spring Edition

Opportunity Abounds at Allderdice – Carolyn Ludwig, Contributing Writer

Congratulations to both our Girls and Boys Basketball teams for winning the City Championship!! Both teams are heading to PIAA playoffs (beginning in Erie). Both the Girls and Boys Swim Teams are going to WPIAL’s and Wrestling Regional Qualifiers will represent Allderdice in Altoona. Allderdice Fencing extends its undefeated streak.

Sophmore Peyton Klein has been named a finalist for the Prudential Spirit of Community Awards. Peyton is the founder and director of “Global Minds,” an intercultural inclusion program that’s now reaching 350 students at nine schools in the U.S. and Canada.
Allderdice took top honors at the Western PA National History Bee & Bowl Competition. They held an Invitational Quiz Bowl tournament and competed against 21 teams at the Carnegie Mellon Invitational.

The Allderdice Travel Club sponsors trips abroad for students and parents. This Spring Break students will visit France and Italy. Sign-ups for Spring Break 2019 have begun as well to the Galapagos Islands. The Allderdice Travel Club uses the Shirley Kruman Fisher ’42 Fund for Purposeful Student Travel to support students in need who have a desire to travel abroad. Other travel opportunities for students (in the PRC loop) include tours in Paris, London, and Dublin this Spring Break. Planning the tour for two years, participating students study and take part in an online course which earns them each three college credits- a truly wonderful opportunity!

Allderdice’s Spring Musical will be “The Addams Family”, playing April 19-22. Tickets may be purchased at door.

Community Day School Shows Talent and Innovation – Jennifer Bails, CDS Director of Marketing and Communications

The Community Day School spring calendar is always full of both fun and meaningful events, many of which are open to the community.
Middle School students take the stage from March 14-18 to bring to life Disney’s Alice in Wonderland Jr. in a delightful musical adaptation of the classic animated film directed by CDS alum Jessica Savitz. Also, CDS 5th graders participated for the first time in the arts-in-education program Dancing Classrooms Pittsburgh; their impressive ballroom dancing skills will be on display March 20 at the CDS Dancing Classrooms Spectacular.

Please join us for a student-led Yom HaShoah (Holocaust Remembrance Day) commemoration on Thursday, April 12, 2018 from 8:45-9:30 a.m. at the site of the Gary and Nancy Tuckfelt Keeping Tabs: A Holocaust Sculpture on our campus. The outdoor event will include music, prayer, readings, and a candle-lighting service with the theme “The Power of Words” in remembrance of the six million Jewish victims of the Holocaust.

Mark your calendars for the CDS Art Show on Thursday, April 26 from 6-7:30 p.m., where you will experience original and inspired artwork from every student in our school. Each piece selected reflects the art history, problem-solving skills, design principles, and personal creativity the children have used to produce their work throughout the year.

We also hope you’ll stop by CDS on the evening of Wednesday, May 2 for IGNITE In Action, when our building will be transformed into a hands-on discovery museum of robotics, theater, art, creative writing, jewelry-making, game design, engineering, and more. This annual event showcases what our students have learned and accomplished as part of our IGNITE experiential learning program.

Minadeo Gets Creative for Community – Jody Handley, Minadeo PTO President

Heading into spring, Minadeo students have been hard at work contributing to their school and community! They decorated a dragon head, made lanterns, and walked in the Squirrel Hill Lunar New Year Parade on March 4. Only a week before that, the annual Talent Show again wowed audiences with performances ranging from yo-yo tricks to singing, dancing, and playing music.

The next Maker Night/PTO meeting is Wednesday, April 5, and the kids will be decorating for the PSSA tests! Since we have to remove or cover “any materials that may contain content that could be tested,” we’re going to make sure the walls look beautiful. We’ll be decorating butcher paper with flowers, butterflies, and other spring-themed decorations. That evening will also include the slate for next year’s PTO officers, so if you’re interested in running, please contact minadeopto@gmail.com.

The annual Teacher Appreciation Breakfast is Friday, May 11, and elections for 2018-2019 PTO officers are on May 22. The year ends with our annual Family Fun Night on Friday, June 1. Carnival games, music, and dancing entertainment will be provided, along with a silent auction. Family Fun Night will also include the unveiling of new safety posters for the Minadeo playground, designed by the students!

Seven Shady Side Seniors Named National Merit Scholarship Finalists – Jen Roupe, Shady Side Academy Director of Communications

Seven Shady Side Academy seniors were named finalists in the 63rd annual National Merit Scholarship Program. These academically talented students will be considered for 7,500 National Merit Scholarships worth more than $32 million that will be offered this spring. There are approximately 15,000 finalists nationwide. The SSA finalists are:
· Ashvin Dhawan (Hampton)
· Charlotte Everett (Fox Chapel)
· Seungwon “Jackie” Kim (McCandless)
· Maxwell Kurke (Pittsburgh – Squirrel Hill)
· Jeanne Lauer (Fox Chapel)
· Robert Sveda (Pine)
· Justin Yuan (Monroeville)
These students were among 1.6 million high school juniors who entered the 2018 National Merit Scholarship Program by taking the 2016 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT), which served as an initial screen of program entrants. A nationwide pool of 16,000 semifinalists was chosen in September 2017, representing less than one percent of U.S. high school seniors.

To advance to the finalist stage, semifinalists had to demonstrate an outstanding academic record, be endorsed and recommended by a high school official, write an essay, earn SAT scores that confirmed their performance on the qualifying test, and submit a detailed scholarship application including an essay and information about participation and leadership in school and community activities.

Three types of National Merit Scholarships will be offered this spring. Every finalist will compete for one of 2,500 National Merit $2500 Scholarships, awarded on a state representational basis. About 1,000 corporate-sponsored Merit Scholarships will be awarded to finalists who meet the sponsoring organization’s criteria. About 190 colleges will award 4,000 college-sponsored Merit Scholarships to finalists who attend the sponsor institution.

Breaking Ground at St. Edmund’s Academy – Meghan Bollens, St. Edmund’s Academy Director of Institutional Advancement

Founded in 1947, St. Edmund’s Academy is a place where core values and character education are lived in a community of authentic diversity, and where our teachers’ innovative instruction fosters both critical thinking and creativity. With a strong foundation built over 70 years, we look to the future with excitement and optimism. St. Edmund’s Academy has recently launched a $5 million campaign to support three strategic priorities: modernizing facilities for inspiring programs, enhancing programs for 21st century success, and expanding access through endowed scholarships.

Within the next year, St. Edmund’s Academy will undergo a major facility renovation that allows us to implement programmatic enhancements associated with our strategic plan. Through the generous support of our donors and local foundations, our building, schedule, and academic program will be enhanced in ways that best support 21st century learning. During this period of evolution, we remain committed to the time-honored Core Values and Core Academic Program that have been the hallmark of a St. Edmund’s Academy education and will continue to provide children with a life-long foundation of strong personal character and academic preparation.

As part of the planned facility enhancement, an inviting Forbes Avenue façade and lobby atrium will welcome students, faculty, and the community to the Center for Integrated Discovery, a hub of creativity, collaboration, and problem-solving. Within the modernized space, students will blend Core Values and academic skills in service-based, “Signature Experience” projects at each grade level. A renovated athletic facility, expanded engineering and design lab, and newly designed visual and performing arts spaces will emphasize the interconnectedness of children’s learning – physical, emotional, intellectual and aesthetic. Inspired by new space, the expansion of our curriculum extends our commitment to a strong foundation in the core academic disciplines while additional enrichment electives inspire curiosity and individual interest.

St. Edmund’s Academy is collaborating with architectural partner Strada on the transformational design that will positively impact the St. Edmund’s Academy community and improve the aesthetic presence of St. Edmund’s Academy within our Squirrel Hill neighborhood. Construction is projected to begin in early June and continue through the beginning of the academic year. To learn more about the exciting changes underway, visit reachforexcellencesea.com or contact Meghan Bollens at meghanbollens@stedmunds.net or 412.521.1907 x117 for additional information on the campaign and strategic priorities.