< PreviousCAround Your Town Around Your Town April and May are usually pretty big fundraising months for the Crescent Township VFD. Between its Good Friday fish fry, wing nights, blues nights and a gun bash, the department is able to raise a good portion of its annual operating budget. Its gun bash alone tends to bring in about $30,000, which helps cover an annual payment of about $50,000 it’s been making to pay for an addition the department needed to build in order to accommodate larger equipment. In March, though, all of the department’s upcoming fundraisers got canceled when Gov. Tom Wolf announced a shutdown intended to halt the spread of COVID-19. By the time the shutdown went into effect, however, the department had already purchased enough frozen fish to make 1,100 meals. Instead of trying to store the fish, the department went another route and handed out the dinners for free. They did so in a drive-through format so as to maintain social distancing. With the help of local police, they even delivered meals to seniors. In return, the department asked only for donations. Thanks to the generosity of the public, they turned a profit. “I want to thank our residents,” says department president and assistant chief John Kriger. “They have been very supportive and generous with their donations, both with this and after what we have done with mailings and our Paypal account. It helps. Crescent Township is a really good community.” Using the funds generated from that fish fry, the department held a spaghetti dinner a couple of weeks later with a similar format. Again, cars lined up in the Crescent Township Municipal parking lot to collect dinners and drop off donations. State Rep. Valerie Gaydos volunteered her time to help prepare meals. Though the department’s revenue is still way off from where it usually is, Kriger says locals are doing what they can to help. One family in particular he mentions are the Bosettis, who run Bosetti Hardware in Glenwillard. He says the family donated cleaning products to help the department disinfect its equipment and that the Bosettis also raised $2,200 by selling masks and then donating the proceeds to the department. Ruth Bosetti Klimek says the initiative started when she began sewing masks and donating them to people in the community. When they offered to pay her, she told them to instead donate funds to the Crescent VFD. Klimek then gave some masks to her sister to hand out at the store. When it got out on social media that the store had masks, a huge surge in demand followed. To meet that demand, Ruth and her daughter-in-law, Brooke Klimek, sewed about 600 masks. Ruth says community members even donated materials like fabric and elastic to help. She says that demand for the masks has since died down but that people can still get them by visiting the Moon Connect Facebook page. “They’re phenomenal people,” Kriger says about the Bosetti family. The Bosettis aren’t alone in their efforts. They’re among many people across the area and country who are diverting their talents and resources to help however they can during the COVID-19 pandemic. In Coraopolis, Bella Bambino Cellos started producing hand sanitizer, which has been in short supply since the crisis started. The business donated bottles to local police departments and is now also selling the bottles to the general public at www.bbcello.com. According to the business’ website, they are donating as much hand sanitizer as possible to first responders, healthcare workers and public servants. In Kennedy Township, Ty Miley helped her 91-year-old mother, Sis, assemble about 60 masks toward the start of the crisis. They donated most of the masks to essential workers and friends. Ty says they would have made more but that they ran out of elastic. Sis grew up during the Great Depression, when many people had to make the things they needed themselves. She made her masks out of scraps from past projects, including Halloween costumes, table runners and more. She even made a Dale Earnhardt Jr. mask for her son, Matt. The Mileys operate Pittsburgh’s Pennsylvania Motor Speedway in Imperial. In the West Allegheny community, middle school student Lucca Blumling sewed masks made out of diaper material wrapped in superhero cloth print shortly after her school closed. Blumling made the masks for essential workers such as doctors, nurses, hospital transportation teams, EMS teams, grocery store employees and others. She says she chose superhero prints because the people she was making them for are “the real super heroes!” She says she also wanted to honor her great grandmother, who taught her to sew. “I was inspired to make these masks when I heard of the shortage because I spent most of the month of December in the hospital with my great grandmother after her stroke,” she says. “I witnessed first hand exactly how hard [hospital workers] worked.” Montour High School Student Jocelyn Paulin, who also lives in Kennedy Community members lend talents and resources during crisis STORY BY DOUG HUGHEY PHOTOS SUBMITTED Sis Miley (top) and Jocelyn Paulin (bottom), both of Kennedy Township, sew masks to help protect people in their community. State Rep. Valerie Gaydos (middle) helps Crescent Township VFD chief Dan Muller and assistant chief and president John Kriger hand out spaghetti dinners. 10 • Allegheny West Magazine • May/June 2020CAround Your Town Around Your Town Township, has been sewing masks for local first responders as well. Paulin, who had been spending her weekends working as an assistant sewing instructor at Cut and Sew Studio in East Liberty before the shutdown went into effect, has sewn about 150 masks for frontline workers. She’s made almost 60 masks for Kennedy’s emergency management coordinator to distribute and another 13 for the Stowe Township Police Department. After the governor issued guidance instructing all state residents to wear masks, she sewed another 20 for a company that needed them for its employees. She says she still has plenty of orders to fill and that she’s prioritizing ones for first responders who, like many people, were caught off guard by the surge in demand at the start of the crisis. She’s also worried about her stockpile of materials and likely would have already run out if not for Clearview Federal Credit Union donating 150 shirts to aid her efforts. The shirts were left over from various promotional efforts and are now the primary material that she’s using. Still, she’s worried about running out of other supplies. “I don’t think I’ve ever run out of thread on a spool before starting this project,” she says. She’s also running out of elastic. “It seems it is sold out everywhere,” she says. “It has been difficult to obtain more materials as a whole.” In addition to donating t-shirts to help Jocelyn, Clearview Federal Credit Union donated $8,000 to various food pantries and Meals on Wheels programs around the Pittsburgh area, including to the West Hills Food Pantry, the Archangel Gabriel Food Pantry and the Focus on Renewal Food Pantry. The credit union has also been purchasing thousands of dollars worth of take-out to feed frontline workers and support local restaurants. Clearview has been purchasing gourmet donuts from Peace, Love, and Little Donuts in Robinson and Beaver and sending them to West Hills Rehab in Moon Township, Senior Living at The Willows in Kennedy Township, and Brighton Rehab and UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, both in Beaver. The credit union has also been purchasing pizzas from shops around Pittsburgh and delivering them to area frontline workers. Clearview even donated $1,000 to the organization Off Their Plate, which sends 10 meals to healthcare workers in the Pittsburgh area for every $100 donated. Clearview also donated $10,000 to the The Pittsburgh Foundation’s Emergency Care Fund and, on April 24, credit union employees raised another $3,717 for the Greater Pittsburgh Food Bank. In total, the effort raised $4,357, or enough to purchase 15,000 meals. It was the largest amount ever raised in a single day by Clearview employees. At the same time, in Coraopolis, the Coraopolis Food Pantry continued to operate, with volunteers delivering food curbside. For more on those efforts, see page 8. Clearview FCU employees helped raise $4,357 for the Greater Pittsburgh Food Bank in a single day. It’s just one of a number of community efforts undertaken by the credit union to assist during the COVID-19 pandemic. Express knows jobs. Get to know Express. Oces in Robinson & Monaca 412.494.2000 ExpressPros.com Full-time and part-time opportunities in a variety of positions: Administrative, Professional, Industrial, Skilled Labor, Skilled Trades, and Skilled Professional No Fees! Read and share stories from Allegheny West Magazine! Current and back issues can be read at AWMagazine.com. Copy the URL from individual pages and then share via email and on social media. May/June 2020 • www.awmagazine.com • 1112 • Allegheny West Magazine • May/June 2020y > Learning Curves Learning Curves Michele P. Conti is an estate planning and elder law attorney. Conti attended Allegheny College in Meadville, Oxford University and Duquesne University School of Law. She received her LL.M. in taxation from Villanova University. She can be reached at (724) 784-0239 or michele@contilawpgh.com. BY MICHELE P. CONTI Imagine if you found yourself in a situation where you had become unexpectedly ill. You might not be able to speak for yourself, manage your financial affairs or make medical decisions concerning your wishes. Though scary, this reality is one that many individuals are finding themselves in during the COVID-19 pandemic. We have been interviewed since the virus reared its ugly head and the most popular question asked is: What advice do you have for those who currently do not have any documents in place? At Conti Law, our answer hasn’t changed since the outbreak of coronavirus. Everyone over the age of 18 should have, at the very least, a financial power of attorney, health care power of attorney and living will. Depending on what assets are owned and the individual’s family makeup, a last will and testament may be a good idea, too. Without these documents, we fear that an individual’s family may experience both financial and medical difficulties. Without the appropriate record, your loved ones may be unable to make medical decisions on your behalf in the event that you are unable to communicate your wishes. Bills may go unpaid and bank accounts may be inaccessible without a proper financial power of attorney, not to mention the potential family infighting and strain over your medical care that can result. Without the essential and most basic estate planning documents in place, your family will have to go to court and request the legal authority to make these decisions on your behalf. They’ll also have to access your accounts to manage your financial needs. Normally, this wouldn’t be too big of an issue. However, like businesses, courts either closed or placed serious restrictions on their hours when the shutdown went into place. This could delay the court’s grant of authority and impact your health exponentially. It may also result in the court appointing someone you would not have personally chosen to act on your behalf. Fortunately, with some simple estate planning, you and your loved ones can be protected from these foreseen situations. We recommend drafting a healthcare power of attorney that includes a HIPAA authorization along with a living will appointing a trusted party to act on your behalf as your medical advocate. In a living will, you are able to outline and determine your desired medical treatment and end-of-life wishes, which include such things as CPR, the use of a ventilator, artificial nutrition and hydration, pain medication, donation of your organs, and the performance of an autopsy upon your passing. When creating a financial power of attorney, you assign an agent with the legal authority to access your bank accounts and manage your affairs without court intervention. They have the ability to make deposits, sign checks, pay bills, and sign contracts and agreements on your behalf. They can also access and sell property, among other things. Another consideration for those who have children who are minors is to update or create a last will and testament naming a guardian to take care of your children if you are unable to do so. If you want to create an estate plan that provides you with the peace of mind that your family, assets and medical care will be taken care of in the event you are unable to do so, we are here to help. At Conti Law, we have assisted thousands of clients with formalizing their wishes so that, upon an unexpected illness or death, their families are able to focus on their loved ones rather than a difficult legal process. Power of attorney during the COVID-19 crisis May/June 2020 • www.awmagazine.com • 13Perspectives Perspectives 5 Robinson’s Run Cemetery is a nonprofit, non-denominational cemetery located in South Fayette Township just outside of Oakdale and McDonald. For more information, visit www.RobinsonsRunCemetery.org and see the page at right. Mom’s wishes honored BY DANIEL MORAN Editor’s Note: This article originally appeared in the July 2019 issue of American Cemetery & Cremation, published by Kates- Boylston Publications, and is being shared with permission. Visit www.americancemetery.com to subscribe. It is being reprinted here at the request of Alan Amoroso, board president, Robinson’s Run Cemetery. She stood on the beach with the tall grass blowing in the warm, summer breeze. No movement, no looking up and down the dunes. She would come on Sundays and look out at the water of Lake Michigan. The first time she came, she knocked on Rosie’s door and timidly asked if she could park her car for a few minutes because she needed to walk over the dunes and all the beach parking was full. She held a small cardboard box and looked at Rosie with so much sadness in her eyes that Rosie quickly granted her permission to park. True to her word, she returned within 15 minutes, got in her car and drove off. Rosie didn’t give it much thought, until the young lady came the next week – and the next and the next after that. Each time she politely knocked on the door of the big red house, and each time Rosie let her park there. After over a month of this early Sunday morning ritual, Rosie’s curiosity overcame her inclination to stay out of this woman’s business. It got to the point that she wanted to know what was going on with this stranger who made her weekly trip to the beach. Quietly, Rosie followed “the parker,” as she became known at Rosie’s house, to the sandy path leading from Lake Shore Drive up over the dunes at Miller Beach. As Rosie neared the top of the dune, she could see the top of the woman’s head, and with each step, she could see more and more of her silhouette staring out at the waves. Suddenly, the woman spun around and was almost immediately standing face to face with Rosie. Rosie was somewhat embarrassed, as was the woman. Stuttering, Rosie said, “I’m sorry to seem like I am spying on you. Its just that every Sunday you stop at the house, park your car, and disappear over the ridge and like clockwork, 15 minutes later you return, get in your car and drive away. If it’s not too nosey of me, would you mind telling me why you come here over and over again?” Feeling obligated to respond since Rosie always gave her permission to park every week, the woman sighed and said, “I’ll tell you. Follow me.” They both went over the ridge of the dune and the woman stood silently for what seemed like minutes, but was closer to 30 seconds, before she again spoke. “When I first came to your house in hopes that you would let me park, I was very upset. My mother had just died, and she made me promise that I would cremate her and put her ashes in Lake Michigan. Mom loved the beach, swimming, the sea gulls and even the smell of the water made her happy.” The woman hesitated, wiped away a tear, and continued. “That first time I stopped, I did what Mom wanted, right there.” The young lady pointed to a spot directly in front of her and Rosie. “When I left, I felt so lonely and so alone and filled with mixed emotions. I was so very sad. I did what Mom wanted, but as I drove away, all I could think about was opening the box with her ashes and letting them slide out of the box and realizing, ‘Oh my God, my mother is gone, and I have no place to go visit her or take a flower.’ It hurt, and I still hurt ... all the time.” Rosie put her arms around the woman, who wept. Rosie was a mother and could not imagine how this poor woman must feel, just tossing her mother’s ashes into the water like that. They stood, arm in arm, for a few minutes, and quietly split apart and both turned to the lake and watched as wave after wave broke on the shore. Finally, Rosie turned to the woman and told her to wait there – that she would be right back. Within minutes, Rosie found herself standing once again next to this poor woman- child. “Honey, I brought you this jar. It might help if you were to scoop up some of the water and some of the sand right where you let your mother go. Take the jar with you and put it someplace safe at your home. I am sure there are times besides Sunday mornings that you feel a need to talk to your mother. Let this jar become a symbol of your loving her enough to follow her wishes. Maybe you will feel that you brought just a little of your mom back home to be with you.” At first, there was a strange look in the young lady’s eyes, but within seconds a spark of love, wonder or who knows what lit up her eyes. She thanked Rosie and ran down to the water’s edge. Rosie made it back to her house and sat in her breezeway, looking toward the grassy knoll. A few minutes later, the woman slowly made her way back to her car and gently placed the jar inside on the floor. As she opened the driver’s side door, she glanced toward the house and her eyes met Rosie’s eyes. No words were spoken as none were needed. They both smiled, nodded, and the loving daughter, who carried out her mother’s wishes to be set free in the waters of Lake Michigan, drove away. In telling this story, Rosie mentioned that she never saw the young lady again, but she knew that she would be all right. Mothers just know these things. This story stuck with me. It happened before I was even in this business. It always seemed like a strange practice to me to blow someone’s cremated remains to the wind or drop them in the ocean or scatter them from a plane. Here was a person of flesh and blood and bone who played such an important role in so many lives and when they die, to me at least, it almost seemed like they were just being thrown away. Cremation ... fine. But I think it offers an awful lot of satisfaction and peace of mind to be able to place them in a permanent resting place where you can visit when the urge hits. Since entering the cemetery and funeral business so many years ago, my feelings have been solidified as people express their regrets for not putting mom or dad or son or daughter in a place of honor ... a place to put a flower. • 14 • Allegheny West Magazine • May/June 2020lLegislative Update Legislative Update BY STATE REP. VALERIE GAYDOS State Rep. Valerie Gaydos Coronavirus update With the changes to daily life recommended or ordered in regards to COVID-19, we expect many hardworking families and small businesses to be affected. The legislature is working hard to address some of these issues and we are committed to doing our part in keeping our communities healthy. My staff will be available in our district office during regular, but possibly limited, office hours. We recommend that constituents call ahead to (412) 262-3780 to confirm office hours. For updates on how you can do your part to stay healthy, please visit my website at www.RepGaydos.com and sign up for my weekly emails for the latest information and resources. No family should have to fear for their child’s safety at school. From the moment our children step onto the school bus until they return home at the end of the day, it is the responsibility of our school districts to protect them from harm. That is why I am pleased to announce that four local school districts have received more than $350,000 in state grant funding to improve their security infrastructure and enact safety protocols that will ensure the wellbeing of our area’s children. West Allegheny School District received $40,000 in meritorious grant funding for improvements to the district’s school safety plan, including technological upgrades that may include the purchase of emergency communications equipment or other security-related technology that the school board deems necessary. Avonworth School District received $35,000 in meritorious grant funding that will be used for security planning and the purchase of security-related technology, which may include metal detectors, electronic locksets, deadbolts, trauma kits, theft control devices and more. The details of Avonworth’s security planning and purchase of security-related technology will be based on its safety needs as identified by the school’s board of directors. Moon Area School District received $45,000 in meritorious grant funding to be put toward risk assessment and violence prevention curricula as well as comprehensive school safety plans, specialized staff training programs and expanded access to support services and behavioral health care for students and staff. Quaker Valley School District received $236,450 in meritorious and competitive grants that will be used to implement comprehensive staff training programs in the use of positive behavior supports, de-escalation techniques and appropriate responses to student behavior that may require immediate intervention. Additionally, these funds will be used for the installation of security-related technology and for improvements to the district’s school safety plan. Altogether, these grants total $356,450 in critical funding that local schools can use to immediately ramp up their security efforts. This funding represents an essential investment in the wellbeing and security of our children and will go a long way toward ensuring our schools are safe havens for learning. Funding from these grants was awarded by the School Safety and Security Committee, a 17-member group within the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency. The committee was created as part of Act 44 of 2018, a comprehensive school safety law passed in 2018. Among the committee’s primary duties is the distribution both meritorious and competitive grants. Meritorious grants were awarded to each school that applied for funding, whereas only select schools that applied for competitive grants were chosen. This funding cycle, the committee awarded $18.7 million in meritorious grants across the state, as well as $33.8 million in competitive grants. Local schools receive grants to improve safety State Rep. Valerie Gaydos represents Pennsylvania’s 44th District. Her office is located at 1009 Beaver Grade Road in Moon Township. Subscribe to her emails at www.repgaydos.com and follow her on Facebook: www.Facebook.com/ RepGaydos. 16 • Allegheny West Magazine • May/June 2020lLegislative Update Legislative Update COVID-19 response I am closely monitoring the COVID-19 pandemic and working with county, state, and federal officials to help protect our communities. Updated COVID-19 resources and news can be found at: senatoriovino.com/covid19. Subscribe to my semi-weekly COVID-19 email updates at senatoriovino.com/subscribe. BY STATE SEN. PAM IOVINO Focus on mental health: improving access, reducing stigma Many of our fellow Pennsylvanians face mental health struggles, including depression and anxiety. According to a study from the University of Southern California, approximately one million adult Pennsylvanians struggled with serious psychological distress at least once in 2015. Of those reporting distress, more than 27 percent had an unmet need for mental health care. Of those expressing an unmet need, 42 percent could not afford to seek care. That is why I applaud Governor Tom Wolf’s “Reach Out PA: Your Mental Health Matters” initiative that will study how our Commonwealth can design policies that increase access to treatment and reduce the stigma associated with mental health. With that goal in mind, on Feb. 10 I co-hosted with secretary of health, Dr. Rachel Levine, one of the roundtables being held around the state at Robert Morris University. The focus of this roundtable was a discussion on maternal mental health. We gathered experts in the field to better understand the scope, barriers and treatments for maternal mental health. If left untreated, maternal mental health disorders such as postpartum depression can be devastating for the mother and family and can have long-term health impacts on the child. The good news is that effective treatments are available, and the insight and expertise we heard at the roundtable will support efforts to develop the programs and improve access to help all mothers and their children live happy and healthy lives. Continuing my efforts to address improving mental health in Pennsylvania, I met with Nicole Fedeli, Director of Public Policy and Engagement for UPMC, to discuss the variety of services offered by UPMC Western Behavioral Health, including mental health and substance abuse disorder treatment. I was especially impressed to learn that their resolve Crisis Services Center, free to all residents of Allegheny County, has responded to more than 119,000 requests for mental health intervention. State Sen. Pam Iovino attended a maternal mental health round table at Robert Morris University (top and bottom left) and met with UPMC to discuss mental health resources. Around the district The new year has gotten off to a busy start both in Harrisburg and the 37th Senatorial District. In February, Gov. Tom Wolf presented his budget proposal for the upcoming fiscal year. His proposed budget focuses on some of my top priorities, including education, workforce development and public safety. I also was pleased to see no new taxes in the proposal. As a member of the Senate Committee on Appropriations, I have spent a good amount of time over the past few weeks in Harrisburg for the budget hearings listening to testimony from agency secretaries defending their programs, policies and funding needs in this budget. Over the coming months, I look forward to continuing the work of finalizing the details of the 2020 budget and advocating for investments in the working families, businesses and communities of the 37th Senatorial District. Read on for more of my recent work to benefit our communities and our Commonwealth! Funding school safety improvements at Moon Area and Montour Moon Area School District will receive $45,000 and Montour School District will receive $40,000 in grants to invest in school safety and security. Congratulations to both school districts on their strong applications meriting this competitive grant funding. These grants were part of a $60 million package distributed statewide – a funding package I was proud to support in last year’s budget. Keeping our schools safe is prudent and necessary to ensure they are able to maintain facilities for their important work of educating our students. State Sen. Pam Iovino represents Pennsylvania’s 37th Senatorial District. Her Robinson Township district office is located at 5996 Steubenville Pike and can be reached at (412) 788-2967. Visit her online at www.senatoriovino.com. Follow her on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram at @senatoriovino. Krystal Biotech groundbreaking On Jan. 24, I joined other elected public officials and Krish Krishnan, CEO/chairman of Krystal Biotech, to break ground on Krystal Biotech’s new pharmaceutical manufacturing facility in Findlay Township. The plant is expected to create 225 new jobs after being fully built-out. This groundbreaking is a continuation of the airport area’s economic development under the leadership of Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald, Allegheny County Airport Authority CEO Christina Cassotis, and the Pittsburgh Regional Alliance. It marks a return to our region’s strong and proud manufacturing roots that will bring new opportunity to our economy. State Sen. Pam Iovino May/June 2020 • www.awmagazine.com • 17Your SchoolsYour Schools N St. Philip Catholic School Virtual learning St. Philip students have been continuing to learn through live on- line presentations, posted assignments and special activities since schools shut down March 16. Each class is finding unique ways of staying connected and having fun in these very challenging times. Toward that end, the PTG has initiated Virtual Spirit Weeks. Each day of the week has a theme and an accompanying activity posted on Facebook. Activities have given the school community a chance to involve the whole family by sharing each family’s fun with the rest of the St. Philip community. The first week included days such as Green and White Day, Creativity Day (make something and share it), Pgh Spirit Black and Gold Day, Nature Day (get outside and share what you find), and Spiritual Day. Teachers are also expanding learning with virtual field trips, online recess, birthday parties, sing-a-longs, mystery readers, stuffed animal shows, scavenger hunts and more - all online. Art teacher and librarian Margaret McGaughey created videos of some fun art projects to do at home, such as shaving cream marble paintings and brown paper bag stars. During a Zoom session, second-graders shared their screen with Mystery Doug, who invited students into his home for a live, 20-minute science show. Doug answered kids’ questions about the current situation we’re all dealing with and shared a few fun surprises. Gym teacher Virginia Roth also created videos of online gym classes and led a virtual Easter egg hunt through Greentree Park with a round of jumping jacks, windmills and pushups as each egg was found. Learning about and practicing faith have also been addressed. Children continue to worship at school liturgies via the Internet while St. Philip priests offer Mass from Ascension over the Internet. During Holy Week, St. Philip Pastor Rev. Gizler took students on a virtual field trip to the Vatican, where he spent time studying. Computer classes have also been using videos to help students learn the Stations of the Cross and events of Holy Week. In pre-K’s religion class, students are learning how God made helpers. Students have been making hearts and hanging them on their doors to show all of the helpers how thankful they are for what they do. St. Philip will end the year with virtual graduations in kindergarten and eighth grade. St. Philip eighth-grader Julianna Umalin has been named a Carson Scholar for 2020. She and other Carson Scholars will be honored in virtual ceremony May 9. They will also receive medals and scholarships of $1,000 each. Julianna is among a group of over 4,200 students from across the country who were selected as Carson Scholars. Academic achievements and community service make them stand out as future leaders. Julianna will attend Bishop Canevin High School in the fall. Julianna Umalin The Jaworski children watched the school librarian read a book online. STORIES AND PHOTOS SUBMITTED BY ST. PHILIP CATHOLIC SCHOOL Design Lives Here WQED event Enrichment students worked with the Design Lives Here Project at WQED this school year. Students shared their results with partner schools in the U.S. and India as they completed various engineering challenges aimed at creating inventions to help the environment. The program culminated with a visit to WQED studios, where students completed three more projects by working collaboratively with peers from other schools throughout the Pittsburgh region. Students were challenged to create a shelter from garbage bags and garden posts that could withstand “winds” from a leaf blower; create a paddle boat from a plastic cup and skewers that could move down a channel of water; and fashion a container that could carry as many ping-pong balls as possible down a zip line. Students also presented on their inventions to help the environment. These were videotaped prior to the event. Forensics All Stars The forensics team secured a top five finish at the Southwest PA Forensics League Finals/ All Stars Tournament. Special recognition goes to Lillianna Peterson, who finished first in drama; Sean Kelsh, who finished fifth in drama; and Sophia Muoio, who finished second in prose in the All Stars round. Eighth-grader Eva Lowder received the Mary Fahey trophy in recognition of her dedication to forensics, team leadership and enthusiasm. Pictured are Forensics All Star winners Sean Kelsch, Eva Lowder Lillianna Peterson and Sophia Muoio. Carson Scholar The St. Philip Design Lives Here Team poses for a picture. 18 • Allegheny West Magazine • May/June 2020N Your Schools Your Schools Robinson Township Christian School On March 12, it became clear to Bryan Campbell, Robinson Township Christian School’s principal, that a statewide school closure mandate due to the COVID-19 outbreak was imminent. He thus called for an afterschool meeting with teachers and administrators to discuss distance learning options. Campbell felt that the best approach would be to equip teachers with as many tools as possible but permit them to use whatever approach they felt would be most effective for their students. By March 17, teachers had notified families with individualized instruction for distance learning. Just six days later, on March 18, distance learning began for all K-12 students at RTCS. As a smaller school, RTCS has a teacher-to- student ratio of 1:6, allowing for flexibility in adapting to the unique and individual needs of students. This flexibility helped make the sudden transition to remote learning go quickly and smoothly while keeping the school on schedule. Since implementing distance learning, RTCS teachers have been working tirelessly to provide support to parents and students using the FACTS SIS Learning Management System, which is integrated with Google Classrom. This is a tool designed for remote online learning that allows teachers to post lesson materials and assignments. They can also generate quizzes and are able to receive completed assignments from students. For younger K-5 students, teachers have been sending emails with scanned material packets containing lesson plans, worksheets, quizzes and tests. Students have been directed to send assignments back via email or even text message. Kindergarten teacher Teresa Bailley’s world now looks very different as she spends more time creating lesson plans than actually teaching. “I miss seeing those smiling faces entering my classroom each morning and being able to see on their faces when they understand something or when they read something that they didn’t know they could,” she said. “Now I see most of them on the computer screen a few times a week.” Students in grades six through 12, meanwhile, have access to remote learning options that include teacher blogs, links to online instructional material and videos. Some teachers have even created their own YouTube channels with lessons for students. High school math teacher Jenny Au has created a YouTube channel to continue instructing her students to the very best of her ability. With a click, students can now tune into “Golden Math with Ms. Au,” where they will find lessons similar to what they would be receiving in a traditional classroom setting. “I have been learning lots of new technology right along with my students. Most have adapted really well,” said Au. In times like these, adapting, supporting each other and doing the very best that each can do has been beneficial for everyone. RTCS parent Laurie Schmaus, whose children are in grades two, four and six this year, has been finding the silver lining. “My older children have been able to help their younger siblings in certain subjects and that has been fun to watch,” she says. “The gift of extra family time at home is really a blessing in our usually busy and hurried world and I have been so thankful for the amazing access we have to our teachers.” TOP: Fourth-grader Eliana Schmaus practices her spelling words by using baking materials at home. BOTTOM: Jenny Au has created a YouTube channel to continue teaching her students. RTCS makes swift transition to remote learning STORY AND PHOTOS SUBMITTED BY ROBINSON TOWNSHIP CHRISTIAN SCHOOL May/June 2020 • www.awmagazine.com • 19Next >