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SCHOOL
Second Quarter Honor Roll Released for Madonna Catholic Regional School Grade 8 Highest Honors Rebecca Grandinette High Honors Paige Sands Grade 7 Highest Honors Chelsea Sala, Aleah Siwula High Honors Brody Daerr, Amy Petersen, Chloe
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Dr. Michael Ghilani Appointed As West Jefferson Hills Superintendent of Schools
Pordash, Gabriella Serrao, Sophia Startare Grade 6 Highest Honors Gracie Rodriguez High Honors Brenna LaMendola, John Glaneman Honors Blake Eisel, Sarah Glaneman
Dr. Ghilani with the West Jefferson Hills School Board of Directors
Thomas Jefferson High School Senior Named Outstanding Young Citizen Congratulations to Thomas Jefferson HS senior Camryn Ruby for being named a 2017 Trib Total Media Outstanding Young Citizen! Camryn was selected as one of the Elite Top 100 students from around the region and will be recognized at an awards banquet on April 19, 2017. Camryn is very active in community service and has traveled twice to Haiti on mission trips, volunteers for the Food Bank's Produce to People, organized a team to raise money for the Special Olympics Polar Plunge, and has been coaching a Special Olympics team for the last few years. The Trib recognizes the achievements of local high school students such as Camryn with the Outstanding Young Citizen Award. Students are selected based on their exemplary character, academic achievements, leadership and community service.
Dr. Ghilani with West Jefferson Hills School District administrators
Camryn Ruby
Homeschool and After-School Spring Art Classes Offered in Peters Township Art classes will be held in the art room at In His Presence Church in Peters Township. The church is located at 251 Brookwood Rd., Venetia. The classes will meet for a 5-week session on Tuesdays starting March 7 and ending on April 4. Class times are: Tuesdays from 2:30 to 3:45 p.m. and from 4:15 to 5:30 p.m. Children ages 6 and up will be involved in a variety of original art projects using many different mediums and learning concepts of design and color. This session we will focus on learning how to illustrate a children's book. The students will be learning to draw their on characters and make a story to go with it. The cost of the classes is $65 per student which includes all supplies. Instructor Carolyn Lacek has been teaching these art classes for kids for the past 5 years. She is the illustrator of 3 children's books. You can register your child by emailing Carolyn at artencountersstudio@gmail.com by Friday March 3. Please include your student's name, age, and grade. Class sizes are limited to allow for individual attention.
The West Jefferson Hills School Board of Directors appointed Dr. Michael Ghilani as the new superintendent for the West Jefferson Hills School District with a unanimous vote at a special board meeting held on January 31, 2017. Dr. Ghilani is expected to begin his duties as superintendent by April 1, 2017 with a 4-year contract running through June 30, 2021. According to WJH School Board President Mr. Brian Fernandes, “The School Board believes that Dr. Ghilani will be a strong, innovative educational leader of our school system for years to come. As part of the superintendent search process, we engaged the community, staff and stakeholders for their views on the characteristics that they would like to see in our next superintendent, and we are pleased to report that Dr. Ghilani possesses these qualities and more.” In regards to his new role Dr. Ghilani stated, “"I am thrilled to be a part of the West Jefferson Hills School District. I cannot wait to begin working with the students, staff, and community to continue and build upon the long-standing tradition of excellence in academics, athletics, and the arts. I believe that strong relationships, data-driven decision making, and a common vision are key to the success of any district." Dr. Michael Ghilani was previously the Superintendent of the Montour
School District. Prior to that, he was an assistant principal and principal of Upper St. Clair High School for 14 years. During that time, Dr. Ghilani was named the PAESSP Pennsylvania Secondary Principal of the Year in 2013. Dr. Ghilani received a bachelor’s degree from Washington and Jefferson College in Psychology and Education, a master’s degree from the University of Pittsburgh in School Counseling, a doctorate from Duquesne University in Counseling and Supervision, principal certification from Carnegie Mellon University, and a Letter of Eligibility from Gannon University. He serves on Carnegie Science Center’s STEM Advisory Board and under his leadership the Montour High School was named the #3 STEM High School in PA by Shell Oil Company. Dr. Ghilani is also an Adjunct Professor at California University of Pennsylvania where he teaches in the Counselor Education and Administrative Studies programs. On a personal level, Dr. Ghilani has strong ties to our district. His mother, Dorothy Ghilani, taught mathematics for 31 years at TJ High School and he attended preschool in the district. Dr. Ghilani lives in South Fayette with his wife Lauren, a teacher in the Upper St. Clair School District, and their three daughters, Nora, Nina and Natalie.