News from Shaler Area School District for the week of March 29, 2022

Bernesser to play at Notre Dame College

Shaler Area High School senior Logan Bernesser, a 6’7” offensive tackle, signed his formal commitment to play Division 2 football for Notre Dame College in S. Euclid, Ohio, in February.

Shaler Area teacher semifinalist for 2023 PA Teacher of the Year

Shaler Area High School teacher Abbey Nilson has been named a semifinalist for the 2023 Pennsylvania Teacher of the Year. Nilson was nominated by Greg Mason, head of the science department at Shaler Area High School.

Nilson has taught science in the district for 14 years. Several years ago, she introduced an elective on sustainability. The course was an immediate hit, with more than 70 students enrolling in the first year. The class took students beyond theoretical learning and encouraged them to take action based on what they’d learned.

The National Network of State Teachers of the Year has been recognizing outstanding educators for more than 40 years. Finalists for the award will be announced in late March.

District approves 2022-23 calendar

The Shaler Area School Board approved the 2022-23 school district calendar and official local school district holidays for the 2022-23 school year at the February board meeting.

In a unanimous vote, the upcoming school year will begin with new teacher in-service days on Aug. 17 and 18 and K-12 teacher in-service days on Aug. 19, 22, 23 and 24.

Orientation for grades K, 4, 7, and 9 will be held on Aug. 24 and the first day for all students will be Aug. 25.

The official school holidays for the year will be Nov. 25, Dec. 23 and 26, 2022, and April 7, 2023.

The last day for students will be on June 2, the same day as senior graduation.

Shaler Area hosts STEAM competition

The Shaler Area School District brought together high school students from around the region for a dynamic STEAM competition. Thirty teams from 20 schools participated in the competition. Teams spent weeks fine-tuning designs for lawn dart launchers and then faced off on distance and accuracy.

Surprise challenges put students’ critical thinking and problem-solving skills to the test.

“Collaboration is at the heart of STEAM skills. That is why it is fitting to bring students from around our region together to learn and grow together through this event,” said Shaler Area superintendent Dr. Sean Aiken.

The event showcased that learning can be fun — especially with this year’s 1980s theme.

The event was coordinated by Shaler Area High School’s Paul Stadelman, math department head, and Greg Mason, science department head.

“There is such value in having a good-spirited academic competition among school districts in the area. The students and teachers thrive on the challenge and the opportunity to connect,” Stadelman said.

The collaborative connection is even more valued after the isolation that the pandemic brought. The previous completion was held on March 6, 2020 — one week before schools closed.

“The STEAM competition is a tremendous way for students to collaborate with each other. Interpersonal skills are incredibly important for student development and career readiness. Mr. Stadelman and Mr. Mason have worked diligently to continue this interdisciplinary competition,” said high school principal Dr. Timothy Royall.

“This year, they exceeded our expectations with over 30 individual teams from southwestern Pennsylvania, crossing over five counties.”

A team from Upper St. Clair took the top prize. Gateway School District came in second and Mars Area High School captured third place.

Scavenger hunt

As part of Shaler Area School District’s 50th-anniversary celebration, the Great Big Shaler Area Scavenger Hunt will take place April 8-10. It will allow participants to get to know the four municipalities that make up the district and will showcase the rich variety of parks, businesses and beauty in the district. Register online at sasd.k12.pa.us.

Kindergarden registration

Children who will be age 5 by Aug. 31, 2022, can now register for kindergarten. to register, parents will need two proofs of residency (a deed, lease, current utility bill, driver’s license, property tax bill, of DOT identification card), as well as a copy of the child’s original birth certificate and a current copy of the child’s immunization record, including proof of lead level blood testing. For more information, call 412-492-1200 ext. 8-2813. Or, register online at sasd.k12.pa.us.

National Technical Honor Society

On March 3, A.W. Beattie inducted 68 students into the National Technical Honor Society, including 15 Titans.

To be considered for the honor, A.W. Beattie students must maintain a 3.0 GPA or higher on a 4.0 scale in their home school districts, have at least a 95 percent grade in their CTE program, miss no more than five days of school, be late no more than three times, and have no disciplinary actions. Students will have the opportunity to participate in a community service project after induction and potentially earn scholarships.

“We have about 900 students, and we have 68 on that list to be inducted and they represent the best of their class,” student ethics coordinator and NTHS advisor Scott Scariot said. “I’m proud of them for how hard they work and how they’ve met difficult standards to be nominated by their teacher for induction into NTHS.”

Shaler Area students inducted are:

Brooke Ciak, health and nursing

Anna Comis, pastry arts

Kylie Eagle, veterinary sciences

John Higgins, health and nursing

Nathan Lambert, ad design

Madison Mushnok, Pharmacy

Halle O’Neill, cosmetology

Jordan Palmer, dental careers

Noah Pare, carpentry/building construction

Abby Reis, veterinary sciences

Brayden Sinicki, culinary arts

Dylan Walkowski, carpentry/building construction

Tadan Williams, robotics engineering

Hayden Wightman, ad design

Elyza Wiles, dental careers