< Previous That’s not a typo. We are not only beginning a new year, but a new decade. How different will we be, not just a year from now, but 10 years from now? What we do today to plan and prepare will determine how we look in the future. We are a fortunate town. We have a rich history. We are safe, fiscally sound and experiencing a revitalization in our downtown business district. How do we continue that momentum into the coming years? Through continued hard work, collaboration, investment, and more people stepping forward and getting engaged. Here are some of the initiatives that have already been started in the past few years and that we will continue to see progress in the year ahead: • New Improvements! Repairs and improvements to streets, water lines and downtown parking will all be a focus for our borough council and municipal leadership. The “nuts and bolts” of running a small downtown are not glamorous but are necessary so that we can continue to flourish. I am personally grateful to the men and women on our staff who make this happen. • New Businesses! We are always pleased when new businesses decide to call Coraopolis home and we’ve seen more of this in the past few years than any other time in the last several decades. In the coming year, we will be actively recruiting more retail and restaurants into town as we highlight the best we have to offer, such as more than 14,000 cars passing by each day; easy access to highways, airport and downtown Pittsburgh; a friendly, walkable historic business district; and more. • New Hiking Trails! Last year, the borough partnered with Hollow Oak Land Trust to map out and blaze a series of trails that will connect the bottom of Brook Street with the Cornell school campus and the football field area. The 60-plus acre woodlands that have historically been known as Wildcat Hollow will, for the first time in borough history, feature marked trails for public use. The area is home to an abundance of wildlife, including deer, turkey, owls, fox and the occasional coyote. More information about the official opening will come this spring but many people have already checked out the trails. A special thanks goes out to the volunteers who made this possible and for the leadership of Jeff McCauley from HOLT. • New Conversations and Collaborations! Since becoming your mayor two years ago, I have been meeting with federal, state and county officials. I have also been collaborating with leaders from neighboring communities, our schools, universities, and corporations about the future of Coraopolis. I have talked with hundreds of residents and scores of groups, churches and businesses. Everyone has told me the same thing: “Coraopolis is a great town and we want to be involved!” Many of the ideas that have come out of those meetings will start to take shape this year and you’ll see groundwork being laid that will have a tremendous, positive impact. • New Visitors! As construction continues on the Allegheny Health Network Sports and Health Complex, we must be planning for how Coraopolis prepares. From the Riverhounds website: “Scheduled to be constructed in two phases and entirely completed in 2021, the AHN Montour Health and Sports Medicine Center will be one of the largest of its kind in the country and one of the very few with an onsite medical facility. In addition, this 78-acre complex will be the only one of its kind in western Pennsylvania.” When I asked someone at the Riverhounds what they expected in terms of the number of visitors to the fields on a typical weekend, they replied “literally, between 5,000 and 8,000 people will be there.” As the closest town, we need to be prepared to put out the proverbial welcome mat. • New Leaders! Congratulations to those who have come forward, including our new council members Lucinda Wade, Chad Kraynyk, Eddie Pitassi and George Mihalyi. Congratulations also to our new district magistrate, Michele Santicola, and our new director of economic development and community engagement, Cara Mason, who is working under the Coraopolis Community Development Foundation. These are visionary, dedicated leaders who will join those already in place to chart our courses forward. I am grateful for each person who has had a positive, meaningful impact on Coraopolis, whether it be public or private. You inspire me and encourage each other to be the best friends, neighbors and social influencers. Thanks to those who step forward, work together and lean in with their time, energy, heart and mind. You are the ones I will walk beside. Thank you, Coraopolis, for the privilege of being your friend and mayor. You can always reach me at: Mayor@CoraopolisPA.com. PHOTO BY CHRIS ROLINSON From the Mayor From the Mayor C BY SHAWN REED, MAYOR, CORAOPOLIS BOROUGH 10 • Allegheny West Magazine • Spring 2020 Coraopolis: What will it look like in 2030?lLegislative Update Legislative Update BY STATE REP. ANITA KULIK The start of the New Year brings with it new hopes and promises. Many of us make resolutions and desperately hope to keep them. While the holiday season seems so busy, it is no less busy as we start a New Year and look ahead to all that lies before us. I still use a paper calendar book and there’s something sweet about opening it up at the beginning of the New Year. Last year was an amazing year serving my district. I am so proud that I get to represent these 13 unique municipalities. Each has so much to offer and, together, they make for an exceptional district! So, to everyone in Scott Township, Carnegie, Pennsbury Village, Rosslyn Farms, Kennedy Township, Robinson Township, Coraopolis, Stowe Township, Neville Township, Ben Avon, Emsworth, Ben Avon Heights and Kilbuck - thank you for a wonderful 2019 and I am looking forward to an exceptional 2020! The New Year in Harrisburg also brings new promises. There is always hope that we, as legislators, will be able to look past party lines and work for the good of all Pennsylvanians. As we look toward another politically divided year on the federal level, I look forward to working across the tables with my colleagues to get things done. This past year, state Rep. Natalie Mihalek joined me on Alina’s Law and she and I are continuing the fight to get this bill passed during the 2020 session. On Jan. 14, a rally was held in the Rotunda of the Capitol and dozens of people came from the Pittsburgh area to show their support for the bill and the family of Alina Sheykhet. As well, I am working with state Rep. Jason Ortitay on new animal safety laws and am looking forward to continuing my work with my colleagues from the Allegheny Delegation to keep our county and Western Pennsylvania relevant as we begin work on the state budget. I also will be working to keep my bills on blighted property and landslide assistance moving toward passage. In addition, I am working on my divorce reform bill. January and February begin the state budget process, which is long and will hopefully come in on time and by the June 30 deadline. Priorities for constituents in my district continue to be property tax reform, proper school funding, flood and landslide assistance, and jobs. Infrastructure issues such as our water systems and air quality are growing concerns and will be on my radar in the coming year. I am always grateful to groups like ACCAN and local municipalities for helping to keep me informed. Local community development groups, church groups and other community organizations continue to keep me in the loop on issues affecting those most vulnerable in our district, especially our children and seniors. As I have in the past, I will be out and about in the communities, visiting our seniors and veterans, and talking with teachers, parents and administrators about our schools. I will also be discussing issues with local business owners and taking part in community activities. That said, it is imperative that you, as constituents and citizens of the Commonwealth, stay in touch with me. I am available to meet with anyone wanting an appointment, whether it be at my office, your group location or your business. I look forward to another year of moving our communities forward and building relationships with the good people I represent. Hearing from you is the most important thing to me because it helps me do the job that I have been elected to do. I wish all of you a truly blessed start to 2020 and look forward to all the wonderful things this year has to hold! State Rep. Anita Kulik represents Pennsylvania’s 45th District. Her office is located at 1350 5th Avenue in Coraopolis. She can be reached at (412) 264-4260. Visit her online at www.pahouse.com/ Kulik. A New Year and new opportunities Express knows jobs. Get to know Express. O ces in Robinson & Monaca 412.494.2000 ExpressPros.com Full-time and part-time opportunities in a variety of positions: Administrative, Professional, Industrial, Skilled Labor, Skilled Trades, and Skilled Professional No Fees! Spring 2020 • www.awmagazine.com • 11CAround Your Town Around Your Town Each year on the Saturday closest to Earth Day, volunteers carrying trash bags and wearing fluorescent vests head out to Grand Avenue on Neville Island with the goal of picking up trash along the island’s main thoroughfare. The not-so-random act of kindness takes place as volunteers across the region are heading out to the do same in their own communities. On Neville Island, however, the initiative is one of several such efforts organized by a nearly 30-year-old organization known as Neville Green. Each May, Neville Green volunteers also plant upwards of 3,200 flowers in beds adjacent to the off-ramp from I-79 and the Neville Island welcome sign next to the Coraopolis Bridge. They maintain 32 planters across the island and, in 2018, coordinated a massive project with Tree Pittsburgh and PennDOT that entailed planting 79 trees on PennDOT property adjacent to the I-79 bridge. From 2003 to 2009, the organization also operated a naturalist program to teach area youth about the environment. Around the holidays, Neville Green volunteers place luminaries along Grand Avenue. They’ve also worked on Neville Island Cemetery and, since 2011, awarded scholarships to young people to encourage them to do volunteer work. “Our goal is to enhance the environment by creating green space wherever possible on Neville Island,” says Dorothy Antonelli, president of Neville Green. This spring, the organization will be back at it. On April 25, volunteers will once again fan out to clean up Grand Avenue. Anyone interested in pitching in should visit www.nevillegreen. org. Neville Green supplies the necessary trash bags, gloves and vests, as well as coffee, donuts and water. Neville Township will be providing assistance as well. Antonelli says that, while a dedicated core group of individuals organize Neville Green’s various initiatives, there’s no way it could exist without the Neville Island residents and businesses that support it. Both provide the group not only with financial support but also volunteers. Those island businesses take part in the cleanup day on their own premises as well. Businesses that have contributed to Neville Green’s efforts in the past include FedEx Ground, Carmeuse, Metallico, Neville Aggregates, WK Merriman, XPO Logistics, the Fairmont Fairfield Inn and others. In 1998, the organization received the Three Rivers Environmental Award, sponsored by the Pennsylvania Environmental Council and Duquesne Light Company, for its work with industry. Mary Ann Merriman, president of WK Merriman, says that she’s been impressed with the transformation of the island’s appearance in the years that Neville Green’s efforts have taken place. She and her husband moved their business to Neville Township in 1995 and she attributes the pride that’s been taking place in the appearance of the island - which has long been known as a hub of industry - to the organization. Merriman says her employees regularly pitch in on Neville Green’s efforts and that she personally helps plant flowers in the spring. Now, she even invites customers for lunch on a grassy area overlooking the river on their property. “Neville Green has worked really tenaciously to enhance the island,” says Merriman. “I have been really impressed with what they have accomplished.” Thanks to the support its efforts receive, Neville Green has also enjoyed a rather long existence. In two years, it will turn 30. Antonelli says the organization was started in 1992 by Neville Island resident Eileen Boyd Hutchinson after she moved to the island and saw a need to enhance its residential area. Hutchinson, says Antonelli, was also keen on education and volunteer work, which was what prompted it to start its naturalist and scholarship programs. Now, to be considered for the Eileen Boyd Hutchinson Scholarship, a student must be a graduating senior residing on Neville Island with post-secondary plans. They must also volunteer at least 20 hours and submit an essay about the importance of volunteering. Antonelli says that, in one essay that still stands out to her, a student wrote how volunteering had helped them just as much as those who they were helping. “I think that’s a very good quote because it does help your community,” she says. “The people who get these scholarships, they will continue to volunteer their work to their community.” Anyone who would like to contribute to Neville Green’s efforts, either through volunteer work or a financial donation, should visit www.nevillegreen.org. Information about the Eileen Boyd Hutchinson Scholarship is also posted on the website. STORY BY DOUG HUGHEY Neville Green gearing up for annual spring efforts Some of Neville Green’s projects include planting flowers in a bed adjacent to the I-79 off- ramp (above) and in a rotunda at the intersection of Neville Road and Grand Avenue (below). PHOTOS BY VICTORIA FIEDLER Volunteers help Neville Green, PennDOT and Tree Pittsburgh plant 79 trees on the island near the I-79 bridge. PHOTO SUBMITTED 12 • Allegheny West Magazine • Spring 2020Spring 2020 • www.awmagazine.com • 13Spring 2020 14 • Allegheny West Magazine • Spring 2020 www.cornellsd.org Cornell High School is currently in year two of a computer science initiative that has been well received by students. In addition, Cornell Elementary technology courses have been incorporating computer science lessons for the past few years, resulting in students coding, programming and experimenting with computer science concepts. Incorporating a computer science curriculum in schools has become a national and state policy focus. The demand for computer science professionals is one of the motivating factors, as is the fact that only 35 percent of high schools in the U.S. offer a computer science course. In 2019, Gov. Tom Wolf secured $40 million to strategically invest in education and workforce development through the PAsmart program. One component of this funding includes expanding grants to accelerate learning and professional development in the fast-growing fields of STEM and computer science. Half, or $20 million, of the grants will be awarded - via “targeted” and “advancing” grants - to bring high-quality STEM and computer science education to communities and schools. Cornell High School submitted a strong “targeted” grant proposal that included professional development requirements for both teachers and administrators, as well as money for new technology equipment to revamp an existing computer lab. Faculty and staff were thrilled when it was announced that Cornell High School would be awarded $35,000 for its PAsmart grant proposal. All grant recipients will be required to engage in a comprehensive planning workshop called SCRIPT, a planning tool for computer science education. The workshop took place in late January and the Cornell PAsmart team is excited to begin rolling out year three of computer science in 2020-2021. The Cornell School District is proud to announce that a local arts education organization will be hosting its annual Regional Arts Ed Day at the district campus Monday, Feb. 17. The event will take place on Presidents’ Day, when Cornell students will not be at school, and will attract between 150 to 200 art educators. The Arts Education Collaborative was established in 1998 in order to respond strategically to regional needs and pursue opportunities to provide sustainable solutions to advancing arts education. It has built a rapport and collegiality with area arts educators; cultural, performing, and presenting arts organizations; policy makers; and advocates for the arts. The Arts Education Collaborative supplies professional development to arts educators and develops programs and services that respond to assessed needs for providers of the arts, such as schools, libraries and more. The professional development the organization offers aims to improve the practice and capacity of teachers and instructors. Each program is designed to help meet specific needs while giving access to resources and relationships that support their work. The Regional Arts Ed Day at Cornell will feature local artists, activities and 1Hood Media co-founder and CEO Jasiri X. The day will also include breakout sessions led by artists and educators from across the region who will discuss topics such as self-care for arts educators, adaptive music education, career education, literacy and cultural responsiveness, family engagement, social-emotional learning, and dance and visual arts. The day promises to be a great opportunity to showcase Cornell’s facilities and a great day of learning for local educators who are sharing their passion and love for the arts. High school receives PAsmart grant Cornell to host Arts Education Collaborative FIND CORNELL SCHOOL DISTRICT ON #WeAre CornellSpring 2020 • www.awmagazine.com • 15 #WeAre Cornell Go to: www.cornellsd.org for the latest district news In recent months, Kris Hupp, director of instructional technology and innovation, along with business teacher Meredith Capp and dynamic learning project coach Rachel McVeagh, attended a training series at the Consortium for Public Education on human-centered design. Through a generous grant from the Grable Foundation, these three members of the Cornell community learned how to use LUMA Institute methods to promote collaboration, creativity and productivity, which are all hallmarks of human-centered design. LUMA methods are strategies that help people solve problems through observing the human experience, analyzing challenges and opportunities, and envisioning possibilities for the future. These methods can support groups of adults and/or students who are working to see challenges from different perspectives. They can help them generate new ideas and give people a voice throughout the problem-solving process. As part of the training, participants received $1,000 per district toward the implementation of a new project that could make an impact. In a letter from Cornell administrators to Capp’s business students, administration stated that the class would be given the $1,000 to design and implement a plan that addresses the question, “How might we make Cornell a better place?” To kick off the project, students were invited to a breakfast, during which they learned how to conduct strong student interviews from guest speaker Jess Kaminsky from Carnegie Mellon University’s CREATE Lab. Students then took great care to use LUMA methods to help them design interview questions and methods. After interviewing many stakeholders, they used a LUMA method called “affinity clustering” to analyze interview responses. Overall, students interviewed dozens of their peers, staff and community members. Upon analyzing the responses, students noticed patterns that revealed a few set ideas of initiatives that could enhance the Cornell experience. Students worked in groups to create potential plans that could each address one of the highlighted survey responses. Finally, the students pitched their project ideas to Dr. Aaron Thomas, Cornell superintendent, as well to Hupp and Szokoly. On “pitch day” and the day prior, two program directors from The Consortium for Public Education visited Cornell to work hands-on with students in order to help them prepare so they would feel confident pitching their projects. Administrators selected the school spirit pitch, which led Capp’s students into the second phase of the project. They are now working on increasing school spirit at the junior and senior high schools in ways that will be inclusive, impactful, fun and have longevity. Students are now figuring out the best way to use the money granted to them in order to achieve their goal. They are also considering ways to measure their success. While teaching and learning using HCD methods for the first time has required high levels of planning and reflection, Capp can already see the benefits. Each of her students has had an opportunity to shine and contribute. Students understand that they have the opportunity to make a real difference through an authentic project. The school community is looking forward to seeing the students implement their school spirit project and can’t wait to see the impact it has on the Raiders. Improve Cornell student project High school teacher Meredith Capp and her business students work through the LUMA Design process to identify areas of need at Cornell High School.16 • Allegheny West Magazine • Spring 2020 Go to: www.cornellsd.org for the latest district news The Cornell School District has done a lot of great work over the years with regards to health and wellness, both for students and staff members. Thanks to partnerships with organizations such as Highmark - the district’s health insurance provider - and Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, a number of opportunities have presented themselves. Among those are free services such as physicals, immunizations, eyeglasses, and various wellness challenges for students and staff. Recently, the elementary and high schools further benefited from these partnerships when both schools received $1,000 grants to purchase equipment for student wellness activities. The money will be used to purchase equipment for the elementary and high school physical education departments. The goal is to engage students in meaningful and fun activities that encourage physical movement and overall wellness. Thanks goes out to the Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh for their continued involvement in the health and wellbeing of all students in the Pittsburgh area. Rotary Youth Leadership Awards is the Rotary’s leadership training program that targets students who have completed their junior year in high school and been identified as leaders in their high schools and/or communities. Once selected, students are awarded a full scholarship to attend a weeklong event at La Roche University in McCandless. The program challenges students in the areas of leadership, interpersonal skills, personal reflection, discovery and service-focused application while offering opportunities to create new relationships with other students from Western Pennsylvania. In June of 2019, the Moon Township Rotary sponsored Alexis Borne and Karla Navarro from Cornell and Jimmy Hoover and Mikala Powell from Moon Area. The four students were recently recognized at a Moon Township Rotary Luncheon. Rotary Youth Leadership Awardees named The Moon Township Rotary chose to sponsor Cornell students Alexis Borne and Karla Navarro (pictured at center), as well as Moon Area students Mikala Powell (far left) and Jimmy Hoover (far right), to attend a Rotary Youth Leadership program at La Roche University. Cornell receives new health and wellness grant #WeAre Cornell Community collaborates on another successful gift drive The Cornell community once again worked together to make the district’s annual Angel Tree gift drive a success this past holiday season. Administrators, faculty, school board members, the Coroapolis Borough Police Department and others all played a part in the effort, which has been taking place at the school for the better part of two decades. In the weeks leading up to the holiday break, elementary guidance counselor Greg Paul reached out to the families of students to ask if they wanted to participate. Those that did filled out a form to give shoppers guidance. Cornell teachers and administrators then selected students and volunteered their time to shop for them using a combination of donated funds and their own money. Secretaries Susan Wilkinson and Edie Shoecraft pitched in by collecting gifts in the school office. They also arranged pickups and mapped out delivery routes. Coraopolis police officers assisted by delivering gifts. In all, the effort benefitted 85 children in 57 school families. “We are blessed to have so many ‘angels’ waiting in the wings to help,” said Cornell kindergarten teacher Jackie DelGreco, who once again coordinated the Angel Tree drive this year with high school teacher Kris Reagle. She said some teachers even made last-minute shopping trips to satisfy additions that got in just under the wire. “It could not be done without the team of dedicated faculty and staff who work tirelessly to provide the ‘magic’ of the holidays to our children,” says DelGreco. Part of that collaborative effort this year included working with the Coraopolis Food Pantry, which operates under the Coraopolis Community Development Foundation. Earlier in 2019, the pantry started a weekend snack program for district children. To ensure that children participating in the program would continue to benefit over the holidays, Cornell worked with the CCDF to hold a special distribution day just for Cornell families on the Friday before Christmas. To get the word out about the distribution, Cornell sent fliers home with students. The distribution day attracted many first-time clients to the pantry. Spring 2020 • www.awmagazine.com • 17 For the first time in a number of years, Cornell is producing a musical. The district’s production of “High School Musical Jr” will take place Feb. 28 and 29 at 7 p.m. The one-act show is based on the hit Disney movie “High School Musical,” which itself draws inspiration from William Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet.” In the musical, two high school students from rival social cliques try out for the lead roles in their high school’s musical, creating conflict and drama between their respective social circles. The show is being directed and choreographed by Ryan Collins, who also directed the drama club in two previous plays. Robert Morris University professor Barbara Lfebvre is the show’s music director. Last year, the club performed “The Trial of the Three Little Pigs and the Big Bad Wolf,” a faux courtroom drama featuring characters from the well-known fairy tale. The year prior, students performed “While Shakespeare Slept,” in which Shakespeare’s characters come alive and visit him in a dream. This year, Collins said drama club students wanted to try a musical. With 18 performers and 20 roles to fill, Collins says they’ll need to be a little creative and work hard in the six weeks they have to prepare. Early on in rehearsals, however, he also said he was feeling encouraged. “The kids have already impressed me,” he says. “They’ve done a really nice job and it’s still early in the process.” Prior to directing shows at Cornell, Collins studied theater and film at Robert Morris. He currently teaches theater at Propel Schools. Students at the high school will be building a greenhouse this spring with the help of engineers from Williams Company and funding from an AIU Catalyst STEAM Grant. The greenhouse will be built with sustainability as a focus. Students and teachers are hoping to extend the growing season as long as possible without burning any fossil fuels to heat the greenhouse. Many of the strategies being employed are based on the University of Minnesota’s Deep Winter Gardening research. The greenhouse will be south-facing, with a sloped roof that will be nearly perpendicular to the sun’s rays during the winter months. Students will insulate the perimeter of the foundation below the frost line to help keep warmth from escaping. They are also prototyping a geothermal system that will move air through a series of pipes deep underground. The airflow will be regulated by fans that are controlled using microcontrollers programmed by Cornell students. Over the past several months, students have been prototyping the geothermal system and experimenting with different designs and pipe materials. The greenhouse will be up and running by the end of March and is a great addition to the landscape and educational programming at Cornell. Robert Morris University and Cornell School District continue to have a rewarding partnership and their collaboration is benefiting both institutions. The most recent example of this is Cornell School District partnering with Robert Morris University’s School of Engineering, Mathematics and Science on their grant proposal to the Benedum Foundation. Robert Morris University received a $250,000 grant for their proposal, which is geared toward working with three local high schools to prepare students for workforce areas of tomorrow. This two-year project would concentrate on the advanced and digital manufacturing fields, as well as the healthcare profession to incorporate soft skills, also known as humanics, into the curriculum. Two Cornell High School teachers - Kevin Quigley, who teaches science, and Susan Dunning, who teaches computer science - will initially work with RMU faculty and staff to complete a needs assessment to determine an appropriate planning process. From there, RMU staff will complete learning modules that Quigley and Dunning will implement this spring as part of a pilot process. After receiving feedback and making the appropriate changes, final learning modules will be ready for the 2020-2021 school year that can be incorporated into science and computer science courses. The modules will focus on enhancing the soft skills that students need to prepare for post-secondary options. In addition to creating the modules, RMU faculty will serve as mentors to Quigley and Dunning. They will also serve as guest lecturers for the curriculum. Cornell students will visit RMU’s campus twice next school year as well, which will be a great experience for each aspiring college student. Projects like this make sense, as Cornell and RMU are only separated by a few short miles, and Cornell stakeholders are looking forward to the continued collaboration. Cornell partners with RMU on Benedum grant High-tech greenhouse Cornell to perform “High School Musical Jr” 18 • Allegheny West Magazine • Spring 2020 A new state mandate is requiring school districts to certify high school students in CPR. Cornell High School has been ahead of the curve in this regard for a number of school years. Five years ago, a student went down in gym class. His heart had stopped due to a medical condition that nobody realized he had. The life-saving efforts of transportation director Beth Miles, who has since retired, and school nurse Joyce Petrell kept the student alive. Miles and Petrell both performed CPR for a number of minutes until an ambulance arrived. An AED machine was also used twice to kick-start the student’s heart. The student recovered and his medical condition was addressed. He later graduated from Cornell High School. Since that incident, Cornell has been certifying all ninth grade students in CPR during their health and physical education classes. Recently, in the wake of the new state mandate, the American Heart Association reached out to Cornell to donate six “hands- only” CPR kits that will be used in the ninth grade curriculum. Representatives from the American Heart Association visited Cornell to present the kits and lead a CPR lesson. Students will be certified in CPR at a later date this school year. Also visiting that day was Kristine Sorensen from KDKA and a camera crew to film a story on the CPR kits and to hear about how Cornell has been certifying students in CPR. High school health and physical education teacher Josh Brunner helped lead the lesson and spoke about the importance of knowing the lifesaving techniques. American Heart Association board member Bruce Brenda was also able to observe the CPR lesson. He shared his personal story about having a heart episode and being saved after two individuals performed CPR on him for 20 minutes. This was a great lesson and experience for Cornell students. A special “thank you” goes out to the American Heart Association for donating their time and resources to help improve Cornell. On Jan. 17, a group of students and teachers represented Cornell School District at the 2020 STEAM Showcase held at Nova Place on the North Side. Over 600 people attended the event, including Pennsylvania Secretary of Education Pedro Rivera, Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald and other elected officials, along with philanthropic foundations. In a press release from Gov. Tom Wolf’s office, the event was labeled as “the premier demonstration of STEAM learning in Pennsylvania.” At the event, Cornell was one of two school districts invited to present a live demo to share information about its Ohio River Heritage Project. Cornell High School students Malia McShane-Langston, Zach Kaczmarek and Corey Pulford shared their work on the project and what they learned throughout the process. Malia is working with high school social studies teacher Andrew Erwin to plan for a mural to tell the history of local communities in a walkthrough garden. Zach is working with high school science teacher Tavis Bogue and his science class to prototype a geothermal system for a new greenhouse (see story on previous page for more). Corey Pulford has been working with a team of high school students and director of technology and instruction, Kris Hupp, to plan for the installation of the greenhouse. This was a great opportunity to showcase just one of the projects that is occurring at Cornell and proved to be a wonderful experience for the students as well. STEAM Showcase American Heart Association Donates CPR Kits The United Way has been working with the Pittsburgh Steelers organization to help “tackle” literacy in honor of the NFL’s 100th season and their Huddle for 100 initiative. The Steelers, along with a large group of volunteers, have decorated and packed literacy kits that were distributed to students in grades kindergarten through second grade. Each literacy kit contains a decorated canvas bag, book, Build-A- Bear stuffed bear, crayons, activity pad, bookmark with reading tips, and a 2-1-1 card (a resource helpline for all human services). Cornell Elementary students in grades K through two received a literacy pack and the response from students was simply awesome. Thanks goes out to the United Way and the Pittsburgh Steelers for their generosity and support in promoting early childhood literacy to the region’s students. Literacy packs Students Malia McShane-Langston, Corey Pulford and Zach Kaczmarek attended this year’s STEAM Showcase with teachers Andrew Erwin (far left) and Tavis Bogue (far right).Spring 2020 • www.awmagazine.com • 19 On Jan. 25, the Cornell School District had the pleasure of hosting the 22nd Annual WAMS Honor Band. WAMS (which stands for Western Area Middle School) Band is an annual event that brings together seventh and eighth grade students from several area school districts to participate in a two-day honors band event. During the band’s ensuing concert, musicians perform an array of musical selections. The band was comprised of musicians from seven school districts who joined together to form an ensemble of 87 students playing woodwind, brass and percussion. Participating school districts were Carlynton, Chartiers Valley, Cornell, Montour, Moon Area, South Fayette and West Allegheny. Directors each chose outstanding musicians from their respective schools to perform in the band. Students came to Cornell on Jan. 23 for an all-day rehearsal that lasted seven hours. In that time, they worked with one director from each school on challenging selections to improve their musicianship, quality of sound and sense of working together to create something bigger than themselves. The Cornell School District was able to provide a wonderful facility for the event that was a great success in a history of fantastic WAMS performances. Cornell had nine students participate in the event. They were: This was an outstanding event to host and it was a great showcase for the district. Special thanks goes out to William Lamb, Cornell High School band director, for his efforts in making this event run so smoothly. Cornell elementary students once again represented the district in the Western Pennsylvania FIRST LEGO League this past fall semester. Students in grades four through six competed in several scrimmages throughout the fall and in the league championship at Sewickley Academy in December, where the team finished 37 th out of 51 schools in robot games. At FIRST LEGO League competitions, teams earn points by having a robot complete a challenge. The more difficult the challenge, the more points the team earns. Teams construct both their robots and its environment out of LEGOs. Students then program their robots to complete a challenge within the environment by using a control unit that utilizes a coding language employing colored blocks. Cristy Meinert, who oversaw the club this year and last, says students came in having already learned how to use the necessary programming language in Kristen Bardelli’s class. To prepare for competitions, Cornell students met each Wednesday after school during Cornell’s grant-funded Pride program, which gives teachers the opportunity to develop extra- curricular programs geared toward math and science. Rather than gauge their success by where they finished, Meinert instead challenged students to improve at each scrimmage. She says her students did just that. “My goal for the team is always, ‘Can we earn more points than what we got from the previous competition?’” she says. The theme of this year’s league was “City Shaper” and challenges were geared toward having robots complete functions that would improve city living. Examples included preventing traffic jams and triggering a handicap swing. Students could also develop a solution to a real-world design challenge. Meinert says she challenged her students to come up with a way to prevent trash from polluting streams and rivers. Students came up with a design for a solar-powered street sweeper, though Meinert says students did not have time to get beyond the design phase. Now that the season’s over, Meinert says the club will continue to meet but that members will work on team-building activities. They also intend to invite some third-graders in to see if they would like to get involved. Anyone who does attend, however, better be ready to put their brain to the test in order to solve real engineering problems with robotics. “This isn’t just about playing with LEGOs,” she says. Cornell hosts WAMS Honor Band Members of Cornell’s FIRST LEGO League club constructed this environment (left) and robot (above) that they programmed from parts provided by LEGO. Cornell again represents in FIRST LEGO League Participants in this year’s WAMS Honor Band prepare for their concert at Cornell. Marissa Crowe - Flute Vanessa Geist - Trumpet Emily McCormick - Flute Leah Spencer - Trumpet Kylie Michlovic - Flute Mitchell Engel - Percussion Lauren Shuagis - Tenor Sax Noah Slinde - PercussionNext >