SD
Eisenhower Teacher Publishes Book
After spending almost 20 years researching his family’s genealogy, Eisenhower teacher Christopher George recently published Day-by-day with the 123d Pennsylvania Volunteers: A Nine-month Civil War Regiment from Allegheny County, a book about what life was like for the common soldier during the Civil War. Chris said while learning about his family history, he became captivated with understanding the context in which his ancestors lived. But when researching his great-great-grandfather, John Armstrong George, who fought during the Civil War and died in 1921, very few family documents or photos documenting his life survived. To gain a better understanding about John Armstrong George’s life experiences, Chris turned to the letters and journals of his grandfather’s contemporaries and stories from Pittsburgh newspapers. “The book gives a sense of what life was like for the common soldier during this dark period of our country’s history,” said Chris. “Many soldiers wrote almost daily, and many were well spoken.”
Streams Awarded Grant Streams Elementary recently received a $1000 Innovative Classroom grant from PPG Industries Foundation in support of a STEAM initiative. The project, spearheaded by the school’s art teacher, Angela Stevenson, and librarian, Stephanie Kellner, will provide additional enrichment in science, technology, engineering, art, and technology (STEAM). “The new resources for our library’s STEAM room integrates a strong art and research component,” Angela said. “Students can check out STEAMer Trunks on those cold inside recess days, and use the STEAM classroom Gavin Morse, Ava Liu, and Nithya Kommineni having fun with the contents to engage in lessons of the STEAMer Trunk that we together have developed to add an extension to their classroom studies.” The PPG Industries Foundation’s Innovative Classroom grants program connects PPG employees in the United States with local public schools to apply for grants up to $1000 for projects that spark students’ interest in science, technology, engineering, and math. Kristin McCrory-Wise, whose son Alexander is in second grade at Streams, is an employee at PPG and served as the project champion throughout the application process. The STEAMer Trunk project is an extension of STEAM initiatives that began during the previous school year in collaboration with the school’s gifted teacher, Mary Quinn. During the 2015–16 school year, Streams received two $1000 grants from PPG Industries Foundation that supported other STEAM initiatives. n 58
UPPER ST. CLAIR TODAY
Spring 2017
Included in the book is a glimpse of what it was like for the families at home, waiting for word about their friends and relatives. Using the local newspapers from that period, Chris attempts to discover how families received news about the location and condition of their loved ones. Chris said, “This book has really come about because others took the time to record and preserve the thoughts and deeds of their lives. The letters, journals, and memoirs that are sadly missing from my family tree have luckily been kept and shared from other family trees.” A graduate of both the University of Cincinnati and the University of Pittsburgh, Chris lives with his wife and three children in South Fayette Chris George Township. n Day-by-day with the 123d Pennsylvania Volunteers: A Nine-month Civil War Regiment from Allegheny County is available on Amazon. Chris George can be reached at cdg123pvi@yahoo.com.
NY Gallery Displays Student’s Artwork A second grader at Streams Elementary has accomplished what many artists only dream of achieving. A piece of Natalie Barefoot’s artwork was on display at A.I.R. Gallery, located in Brooklyn, New York, this past December. “Natalie’s grandmother, Patricia Barefoot, is an artist and was recently made aware of a children’s art exhibit at a gallery in New York in which she has been affiliated,” Elizabeth Barefoot, Natalie’s mom, said. “She submitted a picture that Natalie made in art class last school year when she was in first grade and it was accepted to the show!” The exhibit, titled “It’s Elementary,” featured artwork created by students in kindergarten through fifth grade from New York City schools and throughout the country. Organized by Carolyn Martin and Sylvia Netzer, the exhibition included drawings, paintings, prints, and mixed media. Natalie’s artwork is a colorful piece that featured a hand and forearm along with a border of multicolored hearts. “This art project focused on warm and cool colors. My grandma always said, cold hands, warm hearts,” said Angela Stevenson, Streams Elementary art teacher. “Natalie has such a great heart and is really talented!” According to its website, A.I.R. Gallery (Artists in Residence, Inc.) was established in 1972 as the first not-for-profit, artistdirected and maintained gallery for women artists in the United States. The gallery Natalie Barefoot stands exhibits the work of hundreds of women below her painting before it was sent to A.I.R. artists each year. n Gallery for display