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SCHOOL NEWS
Thomas Jefferson High School Seniors Achieve National Merit Scholarship Recognition
Pictured are (l-r): Mark Schalles, Jonan Seeley, Courtney Rankin, and Jackie Lamars
Four TJHS Seniors have been recognized by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation for outstanding performance on the 2015 PSAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test - Jacqueline Lamars, Courtney Rankin, Mark Schalles and Jonan Seeley. Jacqueline Lamars and Courtney Rankin have been named as commended students for their exceptional academic promise demonstrated by their outstanding performance on the qualifying PSAT test. Mark Schalles and Jonan Seeley are two of approximately 16,000 semifinalists for the national merit scholarship program and have an opportunity to continue in the national merit scholarship competition.
Catholic Women’s College Club Embraces the Season The members of the Catholic Women's College Club shared the spirits of remembering, thanksgiving, and generosity at their November meeting. Mass was celebrated by the Reverend William Terza, pastor or St. Damien of Molokai in Monongahela, to commemorate all of those who are no longer with us. The women of the club are thankful for 75 years of friendship and fellowship and the time spent for charitable services throughout our community. The club members continue to practice almsgiving by graciously giving monetary donations to Light of Life, Washington City Missions and St. Vincent de Paul. The members also will be visiting local care centers, hospitals and shut-ins in the valley communities for the holiday season. New members are always welcome. The next meeting of the CWCC will be held December 5,2016 at 6 p.m. at the Clarion Hotel on Routes 70 and 51.
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South Park Students Honor Veterans South Park first grade students thanked more than a dozen of our nation’s veterans on Thursday, November 10 during the annual Veterans Day program. The program began with a ceremony in the first grade hall, then students welcomed the veterans into their classrooms. Once inside the classrooms, South Park first grade students students sang patriotic songs and dissing a patriotic song as part of their tributed thank you cards. The special Veterans Day program. day also provided students with the opportunity to ask the veterans questions to learn more about their service to our country. South Park sixth grade social studies classes recently completed a mini-unit on the importance of Veterans Day. Students learned about the origin of Veterans Day and its significance. Students also learned about Arlington National Cemetery and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Sixth graders wrote letters thanking local veterans from the South Park VFW, the VA Hospital of Pittsburgh, the 911th Airlift Wing and the 171st Air Refueling Wing. Students were also asked to shake a veteran’s hand and tell them, “Thank you for your service” when they meet a veteran outside of school.
South Park Teachers and Staff Members Participate in 'Stop the Bleed' Initiative South Park School District teachers and staff are among some of the first in the region to receive training as part of the national Stop the Bleed initiative. The South Park School District and UPMC teamed up to bring the training to South Park on Tuesday, November 8 during a teacher and staff inservice day. The campaign teaches participants how to control life-threatening bleeding. The morning’s training began with a presentation by UPMC surgeon Dr. Raquel Forsythe. Dr. Forsythe stressed that bystanders could be the first to respond to an injured person and outlined the actions anyone can take to save a life before EMS professionals arrive. South Park teachers and staff then worked in small groups with professionals from UPMC and Tri Community South EMS to practice applying a tourniquet and packing a wound with gauze. UPMC is providing bleeding control kits to schools in Western Pennsylvania as part of the Stop the Bleed initiative. The kits include a tourniquet, gauze and other equipment, in addition to guidance on how to provide care to victims. The South Park School District will place those kits near automated external defibrillators at South Park schools.