Complete Chiropractic Health Reaches Fundraising Milestone
After presenting a check of $10,000 to Make-A-Wish® Greater Pennsylvania and West Virginia earlier this year, Dr. Tony Manes and Dr. Gina Agostino-Manes, along with the staff at Complete Chiropractic Health (CCH), reached a fundraising milestone of $100,000—helping to grant 22 life-changing wishes for local children with critical illness. Over the last six years, its doctors and staff have hosted annual fundraising events like patient appreciation days, summer parking lot picnics, ladies’ nights and the Give Back Movement, in which all new patient appointment fees are donated at the end of the year to local charities, including Make-A-Wish.
Pittsburgh Opera Having First-ever Family Day
On Sat., May 7, the Pittsburgh Opera will host a free family day event from 10 a.m. to noon at the Bitz Opera Factory, Pittsburgh Opera’s headquarters in the Strip District. Family Day will include a musical instrument ‘petting zoo,’ voice lessons, dance/music/choreography demonstrated by Attack Theatre and prop making as a way to expose children, teens and their families to some of the many different components that make up opera. There is no minimum age to attend. Parents/guardians must accompany children younger than high school age. Each family will receive a free goody bag at the end of the event. The day will culminate with Pittsburgh Opera’s free Brown Bag Concert from noon-1 p.m. Family Day registration is limited to 100 participants, including parents; visit https://www.pittsburghopera.org to learn more.
3 Rivers Outdoor Company to Open Outpost Location at Allegheny RiverTrail Park
This summer, 3 Rivers Outdoor Company (3ROC), Pittsburgh’s locally owned outdoor gear store, will open an Outpost location along the Allegheny River at Aspinwall’s Allegheny RiverTrail Park (ARP). Part of 3ROC’s plan for growth supported by their Good Gear Investor Program, the Outpost will serve as the shop’s paddlesports hub, offering kayak and stand up paddleboard rentals, boat and gear sales along with a regular events program including yoga and concerts in the parkspace. Visitors to the Outpost can paddle the Allegheny River and return to the park to lounge in rental hammocks, or gather with family and friends around a private campfire space. Limited services will begin on weekends in May, before a grand opening celebration in the park Memorial Day weekend. For more information, email sarahc@3riversoutdoor.com.
FCAHS Students Selected for PMEA All-State Ensembles
Seven Fox Chapel Area High School students were selected by audition to perform with the prestigious 2022 Pennsylvania Music Educators Association (PMEA) All-State Orchestra, Concert Band, and Chorus. The PMEA All-State ensembles are comprised of the best high school musicians from across Pennsylvania. Senior Samuel Slember (double bass) was selected to play in the All-State Orchestra; juniors Elijah Conklin (French horn) and Lawrence Liu (flute), and sophomore Chloe Kim (clarinet) were selected to play in All-State Concert Band. Seniors Gabrielle Bell (Soprano 2) and Simeon Owens (Tenor 1), and sophomore Micah Shelley (Tenor 2), were selected to sing in All-State Chorus. The All-State Festival was held in conjunction with the PMEA Annual In-Service Conference April 6-9 in Pocono Manor, Pennsylvania.
Colin Stephens Earns $10,000 Scholarship
Fox Chapel Area School District senior Colin Stephens, a second-year student in A.W. Beattie’s Automotive Technology program, recently earned a $10,000 scholarship by placing in the Greater Pittsburgh Automotive Dealers Association/Pennsylvania Automotive Association competition at CCAC West Hills. Participants in the competition took a written test and also completed hands-on skills like measuring bearing clearances, brakes and electrical work. Colin plans to be an automotive technician.
North Hills Chorale Presents Spring Sondheim Concert
The North Hills Chorale will present two spring concerts entitled Sounds of Sondheim: A Tribute Concert. The concerts will be held on Sat., May 14 at 7 p.m. at the First Presbyterian Church of Bakerstown, 5825 Heckert Road, Bakerstown, PA; and Sun., May 15 at 3 p.m. at Memorial Park Church, 8800 Peebles Road, Allison Park, PA. Free-will offerings accepted. Visit https://www.nhchorale.com.
Longvue Acres Garden Club to Hold Perennial Plant Sale
On Sat., May 14 from 9 a.m. to noon, the Longvue Acres Garden Club will hold a CASH ONLY perennial sale at Northmont United Presbyterian Church, 8169 Perry Highway, McCandless. The sale will feature 500+ perennials grown in members’ gardens and donated for the sale. Plant sale proceeds fund monthly educational programs and a variety of charitable gardening, horticultural, and conservation groups. For more info, contact longvueacresgardenclub1950@gmail.com.
Northgate Church’s Free Mega Sports Camp Registration Now Open
Back for its ninth year, Northgate Church Mega Sports Camp is a week of free fun for kids in first through sixth grades. Camp dates are June 20-24, from 6-8:30 p.m. at the church, 238 West View Avenue, Ross. Kids can choose clinics in baseball, basketball, soccer, cheerleading, gymnastics, dodgeball, or art. Upbeat music, playing games, funny skits, singing, and learning Bible stories also are among the activities designed to help children discover their character traits for success in life. Registration is required and space is limited. Register at www.northgatechurch.com/mega or call 412-931-6016.
DMS Students Score High On AMC 8 Math Exam
Five Dorseyville Middle School students in the Fox Chapel Area School District recently scored high on the American Mathematics Competition (AMC) 8 exam. Eighth-graders Chase Hahl and Rodrigo Silva and seventh-grader Nathan Chu tied for first place at DMS and scored in the top 10 percent nationally. Eighth-grader Eloise Johnson won second place, and eighth-grader Alan Jiang won third place in the school.
Let Love Grow: A Foster Care Awareness Event
The Children’s Home of Pittsburgh and Lemieux Family Center is hosting Let Love Grow, an event to spread awareness about foster care. This free outdoor event, to be held from 4-7 p.m. on Thursday, May 19, will include information about foster care as well as door prizes, games, crafts, live music, a free food truck and activities provided by the Children’s Museum and the Carnegie Science Center. The Children’s Home is currently in need of families who are willing to foster children older than age 12 and children of all ages with complex medical needs. The event will be held at 5324 Penn Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15224.
Bradley Page to Exhibit at Back Hall Gallery
Bradley Page, a member of the Cranberry Artists Network and a resident of Butler County, will be exhibiting his work at the Back Hall Gallery during the month of May. An artist’s reception will be held on May 14 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Cranberry Township Municipal Center, 2525 Rochester Road, Cranberry Township, PA. The exhibit runs from
May 2-31.
Beaver Valley Choral Society to Host Music Academy
The Beaver Valley Choral Society and Rochester Area School District have announced the comeback of the Summer Choral and Instrumental Music Academy, which will be held June 13-18, 2022 at Rochester Area High School, 540 Reno Street, Rochester. The Academy will be partnering with Pittsburgh Opera Education, an outreach of Pittsburgh Opera, to introduce students to opera artists, and give them an inside look at opera productions. The curriculum will tie in with other Academy classes, as students also explore the role of music in stage shows and in films. To apply, visit https://www.rasd.org for an application.
FCAHS Students Named All-American Strength And Conditioning Athletes Of The Year
Fox Chapel Area High School seniors David Dering and Lydia Turnquist were recently named 2022 All-American Athlete Strength and Conditioning Athlete of the Year Award recipients in swimming. The honor, given by the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA), recognizes high school and collegiate athletes whose athletic accomplishments reflect their dedication to strength and conditioning. The athletes are also recognized for their academic accomplishments, as well as their integrity as student-athletes. Both students are swimmers on the Fox Chapel Area High School swimming and diving team and were nominated by FCAHS social studies teacher and interscholastic strength and conditioning head coach Brandon Peifer.
FCAHS Unified Robotics Program Expands Inclusion Efforts
Building on its recognition as a Special Olympics Unified Champion School, Fox Chapel Area High School recently added a Unified Robotics program, the first of its kind in the eastern United States. The goal of Unified Robotics is twofold: to expose students with and without disabilities to engineering, programming, and robotics, as well as to foster social inclusion, equity, understanding, and belonging.
Students without disabilities who are members of the high school’s Best Buddies organization work alongside peers with disabilities to design, build, and program their own robots. Each team presents their robots to judges and competes in a tournament-style event for prizes.
Ingomar Garden Club to Hold Plant Sale
The Ingomar Garden Club will be holding its annual fundraising plant sale on Sat., May 21 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the corner of Ingomar Road and 9600 Perry Highway (Rt. 19) in front of the Commodore Perry Plaza and Bruster’s Ice Cream. The event will include perennials, annuals, hanging baskets, herbs, and vegetables plus a flea market. https://www.ingomar-garden-club.com
Greater Pittsburgh Civil War Roundtable Focuses on Northern VA
On Mon., May 16 at 7 p.m., William Connery will present Civil War Northern Virginia 1861 at the Hampton Township Community Center, 1301 McCully Road, Allison Park. The lecture is free and open to the public; masks and social distancing required.
Three Shady Side Academy Students Perform in PMEA All-State Music Ensembles
Three Shady Side Academy Senior School students have reached the highest level a high school musician can achieve by earning places in the Pennsylvania Music Educators Association (PMEA) All-State Festival music ensembles. The students performed with the ensembles at the annual PMEA All-State Festival at Kalahari Resort in the Poconos April 8-9, 2022. The all-state musicians include junior Grant Cummings (Wilkins), clarinet, PMEA All-State Wind Ensemble; junior Hannah Song (O’Hara), viola, PMEA All-State String Orchestra; and sophomore Sophia Jho (McCandless), Harp, PMEA All-State Wind Ensemble. Learn more at https://www.pmea.net/pmeaall-stateinformation/.
DMS Students Rank In PA Math League Contest
Three teams of Dorseyville Middle School students in the Fox Chapel Area School District recently ranked in Allegheny County in the Pennsylvania Math League (PAML) Contest. The team of eighth-graders Michael Costello, Alan Jiang, Steven Li, Chase Hahl, and Rodrigo Silva ranked third in Allegheny County. The team of seventh-graders Nathan Chu, Ella Ettinger, Gosha Pistsov, Ozlem Sayrak, and Daniel Wu also ranked third in the county. The sixth-grade team of Lucas Ahern, Steven Hu, Finn Johnson, Cameron Lapiana, and Kanyapat Wesaratchakit ranked fourth in Allegheny County. Additionally, Rodrigo tied for second place as a top scorer in the county.
FCAHS Students Selected For PMEA Honors Orchestras
Nine Fox Chapel Area High School students were selected to perform with Pennsylvania Music Educators Association (PMEA) honors orchestras. These include seniors Nathaniel Mueller (violin), Samuel Slember (bass), and Anne Yonas (violin); juniors Alexsander Kirby (cello) and Daniel Wang (violin); sophomores Amelia Costello (violin), Gloria Wen (violin), and Bridget Yun (cello); and freshman Anna Delale-O’Connor (violin). Six FCAHS students were selected by application to perform with the 2022 PMEA District 1 Orchestra. These include seniors Andrew Byersdorfer (cello), Jonah Hertzman (oboe), Nathaniel Mueller (violin), and Samuel Slember (bass); junior Alexsander Kirby (cello); and sophomore Jacob Milgrub (cello). Based on his audition, Sam was selected as the principal bass, first chair. He was also selected to perform with the 2022 PMEA Western Region State Orchestra as the principal bass, first chair.
Shaler Garden Club, Library Holding Contest and Tour
Delight your senses and come tour five spectacular gardens at the 14th Annual Shaler Great Gardens Tour on Sunday, July 10, 2022 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sponsored by the Shaler Garden Club, the tour benefits the Shaler North Hills Library. Tickets can be purchased at the Shaler North Hills Library, 1822 Mt. Royal Blvd., Glenshaw, PA 15116, for $15 in advance of the tour and $18 the day of the tour. Tickets are also available online at https://www.shalerlibrary.org. If gardening is your passion, enter the the Shaler Great Local Gardens Contest, sponsored by the Shaler Garden Club and Shaler North Hills Library. Submit five photos of your garden, plus a description of what makes your garden special, by the deadline of July 8, 2022. Prizes will be awarded to the top five gardens chosen. Drop off or mail your entry to Shaler North Hills Library, 1822 Mt. Royal Blvd., Glenshaw, PA 15116; winners will be announced at the Shaler Garden Club Meeting on July 26, 2022. For more information, stop by the library or go to https://www.shalerlibrary.org or http://www.shalergardenclub.com.
DMS Students Place First in State in Stock Market Game
A team of four Dorseyville Middle School (DMS) students in the Fox Chapel Area School District placed first in Pennsylvania and the region in the Stock Market Game. The students are sixth-graders Maddox Chiu, Eliot Meese, Sebastian Rosenmeier, and Matthew Wang. The team had a relative return of 32.16 percent above the performance of the S&P 500 over the time they competed. The Stock Market Game is an online simulation of the global capital markets for students in grades 4-12, and the students participated in the yearlong competition which began in October.
O’Hara Elementary School Multicultural Night
The O’Hara Elementary School annual multicultural night will be held May 6, 2022, from 5:30-8 p.m. The event will include numerous cultural performances, some from O’Hara Elementary students. A wide variety of food will also be available for purchase from vendors from different areas of the world. Additionally, there will also be educational booths, hosted by O’Hara Elementary families, where attendees can learn about various countries. Parents and children of all ages are welcome to attend. The event is being hosted by the elementary world language department and is organized by elementary Spanish teacher Jessica Taylor. Admission to the event is free. For more information, visit https://multiculturalnight.wordpress.com.
Students Place in State FBLA Competition/Six Qualify for Nationals
Ten Fox Chapel Area High School students placed at the 2022 Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) State Leadership Conference. Junior Stephen Santilli and sophomore Joshua Brown won first places, junior Helia Hamidi and sophomore Ava McCaffrey won third places, and senior Paris Wohlgemuth and sophomore Maria Costantino won fourth places. All six of these students qualified to participate in the FBLA National Leadership Conference that will be held June 29-July 2 in Chicago, Illinois. Other state place-winners were senior Sydney Kennedy, junior Zachary Sullivan, sophomore Harry Littwin, and freshman Swati Mylarappa. Additionally, as part of the state leadership conference, six Fox Chapel Area High School students were inducted into the National Business Honor Society. Those students are seniors Katherine Voigt and Paris Wohlgemuth, and juniors Aisling Beresford, Helia Hamidi, Diya Reddy, and Zachary Sullivan. The FCAHS FBLA sponsor is business education teacher Christina Congalton.
Fox Chapel Area Wins 12 Awards in State Communications Contest
The Fox Chapel Area School District won 12 state awards in the 2021 Pennsylvania School Public Relations Association (PenSPRA) Excellence in Education Communications Contest. The district received Awards of Excellence (the highest honor) in the publications category for the spring 2021 IN Fox Chapel Area Community Magazine; in the website & apps category for the Fox Chapel Area School District website; and in the writing category for four messages from the superintendent that appeared in the IN Fox Chapel Area Community Magazines.The district received Awards of Honor (the second highest honor) in the publications category for the summer 2021 IN Fox Chapel Area Community Magazine and the fall 2021 IN Fox Chapel Area Community Magazine; and in the writing category for two stories, “Unified Soccer Team Builds on District’s Inclusion Efforts” and “FCASD Makes Strides on Diversity” that appeared in the IN Fox Chapel Area Community Magazines. The district received Awards of Merit (the third highest honor) in the graphic design category for logos for discoverED, STEAM Camp, the Summer Learning Academy, Teacher Kickoff Day, and the website logo for the 2021-2022 school year; in the publications category for the winter 2021 IN Fox Chapel Area Community Magazine; in the website and apps category for the Fox Chapel Area School District athletics website; in the writing category for “Arts & Music Programs Find New Creativity During Pandemic, Continue to Thrive” that appeared in the IN Fox Chapel Area Community Magazine; and in the COVID-19 and/or crisis management category for a respiratory etiquette infographic. Fox Chapel Area School District’s winning entries were coordinated by Bonnie Berzonski, the district’s coordinator of communications, and Jill Leonard, the district’s community engagement specialist.