Shaler Area School District news for the week of Feb. 28, 2023

Extra Mile Awardees

The Shaler Area School District’s Kim Baysek-Young Extra Mile Award recognizes district employees who have gone above and beyond for Shaler Area students or to contribute to the success of the school district. Members of the community nominated teachers, custodians, administrators and more, celebrating the ways these staff members invested in student well-being. Nominations were received throughout the fall and winter and reviewed by a panel of district stakeholders.

“Together they are united by a commitment to ensure that every student has the resources they need to thrive,” District superintendent Dr. Sean Aiken said of the honorees.

This year’s awardees are:

• Angela Evans, music teacher at Marzolf Primary School. Evans brings enthusiasm and creativity to everything she does. She not only inspires her students, but positively impacts the morale at the school through her work on various committees.
• Julia Igims, special education teacher at Marzolf Primary School. Igims demonstrates compassion and insight in her work with students with special needs. She builds trust and rapport with students and their parents to ensure a collaborative approach for student well being.
• Mike LaGamba, math teacher at Shaler Area Middle School. LaGamba was nominated by a parent of a visually impaired student after he offered to accompany the student and his friends to a rock concert so the student could enjoy a performance by his favorite band. His consistency and humility have made him a beloved teacher.
• Sue McElhinny, administrative assistant in the business office. McElhinny plays an integral role in the functioning of the district. She brings skill and acumen to her work and is passionate about spearheading projects, such as the Backpack Initiative, that benefit families in need.
• Paul Stadelman, math teacher at Shaler Area High School. Stadelman coaches volleyball in addition to his outstanding teaching. Both on the court and in the classroom, he engages in leadership development that cultivates character and equips students to achieve their dreams.
• George Tepshich, music teacher at Shaler Area High School. Tepshich is an innovative teacher as well as the leader of the high school band and marching band. He not only conveys musical concepts, but creates a culture in which students find meaning and belonging.

The award, previously the “Extra Mile Award,” is named in honor of Mrs. Baysek-Young, a beloved third-grade teacher at Reserve Primary School, who passed away early in the 2020–21 school year. During her 22 years with the district, Baysek-Young was an integral part of multiple schoolwide programs and community events and went to incredible lengths to provide students with educational opportunities and experiences. She received the award in 2019 for her unwavering support of students.

High School musical

Shaler Area High School students will perform “Catch Me If You Can: The Musical” March 3-5 and March 10-11 at the high school auditorium. Performances are at 7 p.m. and tickets can be purchased online at showtix4u.com; Monday-Friday from 6:45 a.m.-2:45 p.m. at the high school activities office; or at the auditorium an hour prior to each performance. All tickets are $13-$15 and are reserved seating.

Hack the Ram

Four teens from Shaler Area High School competed in the Hack the Ram coding event. Jordan Geidel, Tyler Lienemann, Alice Yang, and Danielle Berdik attended sessions on coding languages, such as Python and HTML, and then had to complete a project utilizing coding skills.

The team chose to create a simple website that asked users to rate on a scale of 1–5 how they were doing right now. The site then directed them to different mental-health resources to bring tools and positivity to their life.

“Our team had so much fun learning to code and bonding throughout the competition. We went into the day with zero coding experience and came out with a base knowledge in three different coding languages: Python, JavaScript, and HTML,” Jordan said. “The goal was to design a code that could be useful to society and help people, so we decided to create a website that provided suitable resources for focusing on one’s mental health, tailored to how that person was feeling. We ended up winning runner-up and the judges changed the category name to ‘Best Beginner’ to showcase how much we learned in such a short time.”

STEM camp

Shaler Area School District will host a STEM camp for students who have completed grades one through five on June 12-15. Half day and full day options are available, and the camp will take place at Scott Primary School. Activities include coding, science, robotics, baseball science and more. For more information, email Carrie Kelm at kelmc@shalerarea.org.