Leslie Savisky stories, Page 2

Sam Gentile was always intrigued by the arts, but his interest really piqued about a decade ago. Following his retirement from the science and engineering field, he began taking classes and workshops with his artist wife, Judith. He didn’t intend to learn rules or techniques; Sam wanted to create artwork...

Nearly 40 technical schools, local unions, college representatives and vendors gathered at Gateway High School on May 7 for the district’s fifth annual Skilled Trades and Career Fair. “The setup is similar to the College Fair held during the first semester,” school counselor Kurt Martin said. “The reps all looked...

About 100 Gateway High School students participated in the Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports celebration recently and enjoyed a petting zoo, games and treats. Faculty has been working with the Allegheny Intermediate Unit to roll out the Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports, or PBIS, program since the covid pandemic. “Essentially,...

Quasics — Gateway High School’s robotics club — is hoping the school board approves $10,000 in annual funding to cover the registration fees for the group’s competitions. Team members Salma Mukhtar, Emma Parrish and Vivian Rader made a presentation and thanked the board at a recent meeting for previous funding,...

Gateway High School Chick-fil-A Leader Academy students recently spent one morning preparing care packages for cancer patients at AHN Cancer Institute Forbes. The cancer center in Monroeville sees 250 patients each week, and the teens wanted to provide tote bags for every patient. Each school year, the high school organization...

As a child, Stacey Pydynkowski didn’t encounter much art in the traditional sense of visiting galleries or museums, but was instead fascinated by the visual imagery in everyday life — especially in nature. “The vibrant flowers in my neighbor’s garden bed in the trailer park I grew up in inspired...

Kassandra Poliziani started organizing school Earth Day projects before she began teaching at Gateway. “This is my sixth year doing the project at Gateway and I previously started it at Blairsville school district,” Poliziani said. The kindergarten teacher begins by picking up paper bags — which are donated by Giant...

Property owners in the Gateway School District will pay more in real estate taxes if the tentative 2025-26 budget is approved. School directors Monday voted to move forward with a $98.6 million spending plan for next school year, a 4.8% increase over this year’s budget. The tentative budget includes a...

Spectrum Charter School has been holding its annual talent show since before special education teacher Lori Yurkovich started working there in 2005. Every year, students showcase their skills by singing, dancing, telling jokes or reading poetry. Some students have unique talents, such as spinning balls, while others will use the...

On the first Thursday of every month, Monroeville Rotary showcases different nonprofits. Rotary’s meeting on April 3 at the Monroeville Public Library hosted Kevin Bode, founder of Knead Community Café in New Kensington. Bode is a financial advisor who spent time overseas doing mission work. He was raised in New...

When Boy Scouts Troop committee leader Kris Cattau approached the Monroeville Lions about possible service projects, Mary Raynak knew just how they could help. Raynak has been a member of the Monroeville Lions Club for 6 years, and is the eyeglass recycling program chairperson. “One of our service projects is...

Gateway High School teacher Shawn Whelan highlighted the district’s collaboration with the United Way’s Champion School Initiative, as well as the backpack program and monthly drive-thru food distribution when she addressed the school board last week. Many of the student volunteers for these activities are InterAct Club and National Honor...

Karen Junge Luce’s “Challenge Accepted” quilt exhibit will be on display in the Monroeville Public Library Gallery Space from March 28 to April 22. The public is invited to a free opening reception from 6 to 8 p.m. March 29. Many of Luce’s quilts will be available for purchase. The...

In his eighth and final year as mayor of Monroeville, Nick Gresock is optimistic about the changes in store for the community’s retail corridor. Gresock discussed some of the recent developments at March’s Monroeville Rotary meeting, held at the community library. Community members praised Gresock for helping to save the...

Andrew Szczerba became interested in building with Lego after “The Lego Movie” was released in 2014. “I bought my first kit at Toys “R” Us,” Szczerba recalled. “It was a trash compactor from ‘The Lego Movie’ set.” A little more than a decade later, the 20-year-old Monroeville resident has about...

Monroeville’s Gateway School Board unanimously approved two property assessment settlement agreements this week. The first was for One Monroeville Center, 3824 Northern Pike. The 10-story building was built in 1984 and has about 101,665 square feet of space. The property owner initiated an assessment appeal for the 2025 tax year,...

For many Gateway students, this spring’s musical, “Once Upon a Mattress,” will be their final high school performance. “It’s been such a blessing to be a part of all of this,” senior Scarlett Davis said. Davis has been part of the high school musical for the past four years. Davis,...

Keegan Parady, a member of Lackawanna District’s Troop 220, earned his Eagle Scout rank in January. For his project, the Pitcairn resident purchased and installed shelving for Gateway High School’s food pantry. The Eagle Scout award is the highest honor available to Boy Scouts of America youth members. Only about...

Monroeville resident Susan Frazier Delaney is no stranger to dressing like well-known historical figures, particularly strong female pioneers. For Black History Month and Women’s History Month, the retired teacher has dressed as the Egyptian queen Nefertiti and American author Phillis Wheatley and given presentations at the Monroeville library, elementary schools...

Monroeville Public Library featured a custom-designed miniature golf course for its annual fundraiser, and this year’s course encompassed both levels of the library — even incorporating the stairs for hole eight. “This year we’ve added even more decorations, including eight large inflatable animals and holes with special themes such as...

Gateway School Board members voted unanimously to replace the surface of the batter’s box and pitching area at the high school athletic field for a total of $11,937. The vote was 9-0 this week to approve the proposal from Shaw Turf. Continuing the discussion that began at a recent study...

The gallery space at Monroeville Public Library will come alive in March with Gateway School District’s K-12 student art show. This annual exhibit celebrates Youth Art Month and is organized by Gateway High School Visual Arts Department Chair Greta Severson. “The art show presents student art from every school in...

National School Counseling Week was Feb. 3 - 7, and this year’s theme was “Helping Students Thrive.” Promoted by the American School Counselor Association, the week highlights the important role counselors play in helping students succeed in school and plan for life after graduation. To mark the week, the Gateway...

Bryan Kiger has been eyeing Monroeville Mall’s former Ulta Beauty store space for a few years now. “This corner anchor location is highly visible with ample free parking,” Kiger said of the 10,000 square-foot space. “It is an ideal location for indoor pickleball courts.” The Monroeville resident, along with co-owner...

Gateway school board will vote next week on a proposal to replace the batter’s box and pitching areas at the high school baseball and softball field at a cost of $11,937. Director Jack Bova voiced concerns that the district recently installed new turf at the field. Bova wanted to know...