SD
Choral Students Perform with International Soprano
Thanksgiving weekend, 170 choral students from the high schools of Upper St. Clair and North Allegheny performed with international Italian soprano Giorgia Fumanti. The combined choirs accompanied her performances on November 23 at USCHS and November 25 at North Allegheny. Some of Fumanti’s musical selections, both solo and with the choirs, included English-language favorites, including “You Raise Me Up” and “O Holy Night” as well as Italian and Latin pieces, including “Spente Le Stelle,” “Nessun Dorma,” and “O Fortuna.” Giorgia Fumanti has performed all over the world with other renowned singers, including José Carreras, Justin Hayward of The Moody Blues, Greek tenor Mario Frangoulis, Italy’s Zucchero, and Irish tenor John McDermott. Ms. Fumanti has been featured on three PBS
specials and performed at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, 2007 Special Olympics, NHL All-Star Game in Dallas, Texas, and for prominent individuals, including Al Gore and New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg. Ms. Fumanti has released a total of six albums. Her 2007 album “From My Heart,” released in over 20 countries, reached the top 20 on the Billboard Crossover Chart. Pittsburgh-based Vito DiSalvo, Giorgia’s musical director, directed the performances. To prepare, the students practiced for weeks under the direction of their respective choir directors Ernie Pontiere of North Allegheny and Lorraine Milovac of Upper St. Clair. n For more information on Giorgia Fumanti, samples of her music, or clips from her performances, visit www.giorgiafumanti.com or her Facebook page.
News and Opportunities from the USCSD Advancement Office Liz Hall, USCSD Director of Advancement Supporting Innovative Education in USC
The Upper St. Clair School District recently received three generous grants under the Pennsylvania Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) program totaling $26,000. Thermo Fischer Scientific and PJ Dick/Trumbull/Lindy Paving each provided $10,000 through the Community Foundation of Upper St. Clair to support innovative programming in Upper St. Clair School District. Dr. Daniel Pituch, MD, provided $6000 though his medical practice. The $10,000 from Thermo Fischer will support the Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) initiative underway at USCHS, while PJ Dick/Trumbull/Lindy Paving elected to split its investment evenly between USC’s four EITC-approved programs: the innovative elementary science curriculum, the IB program, the STEM initiative at USCHS, and the gifted program. Dr. Pituch’s investment was not designated, but will be spent on one of the four approved educational programs in the District. The Pennsylvania EITC program allows eligible businesses to direct a percentage of their Pennsylvania state taxes to fund innovative educational programming. Any company paying one or more of the following six Pennsylvania state taxes is eligible to participate in the EITC program: Corporate Net Income Tax, Capital Stock Franchise Tax, Bank and Trust Company Shares Tax, Title Insurance Companies Shares Tax, Insurance Premiums Tax, and Mutual Thrift Institutions Tax. Sincere thanks to our friends at Thermo Fisher Scientific, PJ Dick/ Trumbull/Lindy Paving, and Dr. Daniel Pituch for their support of the District!
Signage Available in USCSD Gyms
If you have spent any time in USC’s high school or middle school gyms recently you may have noticed some new signage on the walls. A program was initiated last year to market signage in the large gym at the high school as a way to generate revenue. That program was expanded this year to include the small gym at the high school and gyms at both Boyce and Fort Couch Middle Schools. Purchasing signage in one of our school’s gyms provides interested businesses with marketing access to Upper St. Clair residents and guests while supporting the educational programming of the Upper St. Clair School District. To date, the following businesses have supported this new program: Dollar Bank, Rusmur Floors, Don’s Appliance, Yoga Flow South Hills and UPMC Emergency Medicine, Inc.
Second Annual Gala—a Success!
The second annual “Celebrate Our Schools” gala, sponsored by the Community Foundation of Upper St. Clair in partnership with the Upper St. Clair School District, raised nearly $80,000 for technology investments in our schools and on our fields. This amount is $25,000 more than was raised from the inaugural gala held the previous year. The increase in funds resulted from higher attendance, additional corporate and individual sponsorships, and more significant silent and live auctions. Special thanks go out to Remarkable Roses for donating the gorgeous centerpieces, the local band Moscow Mule for providing its wonderful entertainment gratis, the Community Foundation of Upper St. Clair for its financial contribution to the event, and the dedicated members of the gala planning committee for their time and dedication. The gala sponsors are valued partners of the District and their support was instrumental in the success of this year’s event. Please take a moment to read the list of sponsors found on page 23. The following are highlights from the 2012 “Celebrate Our Schools” gala: • Gala sponsorships generated $45,750, an increase of $8750 over the previous year. • There were 59 gala sponsors this year, including 36 corporate sponsors and 23 individual/family sponsors. • All but five corporate sponsors from last year returned to sponsor the event again this year and 18 new sponsors were secured. • Approximately 275 people attended the gala, an increase of more than 75 over the previous year’s attendance. • The live and silent auctions, coupled with the raffle, raised more than $23,000 in revenue. As the District looks toward the coming year, it hopes to build on the successes of last year’s “Celebrate Our Schools” gala. This year’s gala is planned for Saturday, October 19 and will be held at St. Clair Country Club. n Contact Liz Hall at lhall@uscsd.k12.pa.us or at 412-833-1600, extension 2826, if you would like further information about the EITC program, signage at USC schools, or the 2013 gala event. Spring 2013
UPPER ST. CLAIR TODAY
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