< PreviouslLegislative Update Legislative Update BY STATE SEN. PAM IOVINO State Sen. Pam Iovino The COVID-19 pandemic has changed many facets of our lives, including how state government continues to serve Pennsylvanians. Offices, including my own, have been teleworking since March 16. We have been assisting constituents via phone and email with business waiver requests and unemployment compensation claims. We have also been helping them navigate the resources available to small businesses and answering questions about changes to a variety of state programs and policies. In Harrisburg (via Zoom) the state legislature has passed numerous bills to both aid in the COVID-19 response and protect first responders. Below, I have outlined some of the legislation and events I have sponsored over the past few months. Supporting superintendents and municipalities I have convened virtual meetings with local school superintendents and another with area municipal officials to hear directly about their needs and answer questions about work being done in Harrisburg. Hearing about their experiences and concerns was extremely informative for policymaking efforts. In the face of unprecedented circumstances, including financial and technological limitations, superintendents from the 37th Senatorial District’s 16 public school districts are working overtime to meet not only the remote learning needs of students but also their mental health and nutritional needs as well. I have always held great admiration for these educators but I’ve gained an even greater appreciation for their commitment and admiration during this crisis. The next question that we are looking for an answer to is: will our schools reopen in the fall and what does that look like? I am committed to working with our superintendents to ensure the quality education of our children. Our municipal officials are also working overtime to keep their communities served and informed. To that end, all officials were pleased with Act 15 of 2020 (formerly Senate Bill 841) which now allows local governments to conduct remote public meetings. Their number one concern is the loss of revenue due to the pandemic. In a letter to Pennsylvania’s U.S. Congressional delegation from the PA State Senate Democratic caucus, I requested support for federal funding to replace revenue for lost taxes during the pandemic for our local governments. I look forward to remaining an engaged partner with our school districts, school boards and municipalities as we all navigate a path forward in these uncharted waters. Supporting first responders and the National Guard The General Assembly unanimously passed, and Governor Wolf signed, House Bill 1869, which expands the Pennsylvania Heart and Lung Act to provide 100% compensation of income for first responders who are impacted by COVID-19 and are unable to perform their duties. I am extremely pleased to report that the bipartisan legislation included an amendment, which I helped draft, that makes these same benefits available to members of the Pennsylvania National Guard who contract COVID-19 or are subject to quarantine while on state active duty. Our Pennsylvania National Guard members and their families need our support, and I am proud that our Commonwealth is standing with our men and women in uniform during this time of need. 20 • Allegheny West Magazine • June/July 2020 On May 12, the Senate unanimously also passed Senate Bill 1122, which, among other actions, provides $31 million in grants for fire companies and EMS agencies. Timely and flexible-use financial aid for first responders is needed, as the ability of these groups to fundraise and hold other revenue-generating activities during the pandemic has been restricted. The legislation includes an amendment that I introduced which clarifies that Volunteer Firefighter Relief Association funds may be used for expenses related to sanitizing and disinfecting equipment and property during the COVID-19 pandemic, an additional cost that VFDs are incurring. Providing clarity that these are allowable VFRA expenses eliminates any ambiguity and concern of an audit on VFDs in the middle of a pandemic. The unanimous passage of this legislation is a refreshing reminder that the Pennsylvania State Senate can unite in a bipartisan manner to deliver the emergency relief needed all across our Commonwealth during this crisis. The legislation is now before the House Appropriations Committee. Helping businesses weather the storm The temporary shutdown of our economy to prevent the spread of COVID-19 has wreaked havoc on businesses, both large and small. I hear it every day, both from business owners and employees. To confront the most daunting economic challenge of our time, we need to put in place every available option to provide safety nets and recovery tools to support our businesses and our economy. That is why I have introduced bipartisan legislation to avail Pennsylvania business owners with business interruption insurance coverage with an avenue to submit claims during the COVID-19 pandemic. The ability to file and collect on legitimate business interruption claims is an option that insured businesses should have. Unfortunately, ambiguous insurance policy language is currently preventing many Pennsylvania businesses from collecting payment from their insurers. My legislation is designed to benefit businesses with business interruption coverage that contains “civil authority” clauses, which typically allow claims if the government shuts down a business during a natural disaster. Recently, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court has characterized our current situation as a “natural disaster and a catastrophe of massive proportions.” It also clarifies that the presence of COVID-19 in a community constitutes “property damage.” Successful passage and enactment of this legislation would provide an avenue for more businesses to submit claims on their business interruption insurance policies and help prevent them from being forced to close. Additional COVID-19 resources and news can be found on my website at: senatoriovino.com/covid19. Subscribe to receive my weekly email updates at senatoriovino.com/subscribe.lLegislative Update Legislative Update BY STATE REP. VALERIE GAYDOS State Rep. Valerie Gaydos Valerie Gaydos is a member of the state House of Representatives from Pennsylvania’s 44 th Legislative District. She serves on four committees, including Education, Health, Commerce and Liquor Control. Sign up for all future telephone town hall events at www. RepGaydos.com. June/July 2020 • www.awmagazine.com • 21 As a member of the Pennsylvania House Education Committee, I know how important our education system is to the strength of our communities. So, when Secretary of Education Pedro Rivera announced his department is preparing for schools to reopen this fall, I immediately hosted a telephone town hall meeting on the subject of COVID-19 and our state’s process for moving the educational system forward through this crisis. During the call, I was joined by a special guest, House Education Committee Chairman and Special Education Funding Commission Co-Chair Rep. Curt Sonney, whose insights were invaluable in responding to constituent questions. Below, I would like to share some of the most pertinent questions from this meeting and provide answers for those of you who couldn’t join us at that time. Will there be an increase in school taxes with the lack of revenue coming in? I would love to answer this question definitively. However, these decisions are made locally by your district’s school board. As far as funding goes, I can tell you that there will be no loss of state funding due to COVID-19. Schools will continue to be funded despite this pandemic. How are public schools getting online learning to children? We in the Legislature have already taken decisive action to ensure continuity of education. We unanimously voted to pass a law that ensures our kids receive the same quality education at home as they would in the classroom. Here’s what our legislation accomplishes: • Mandates that ALL school districts develop a local plan to continue teaching students during the closure of schools and make their plans available for parents to review. • Ensures teachers continue to be paid, as there will be no loss of state funding due to the health care crisis. • Guarantees that once the current crisis has ended, school buses will be ready to resume transportation service for our students. With what you know now, what is the one change you can say for certain will be different when the schools open in September? We can start with the obvious: the need for increased sanitation procedures and continued social distancing. Beyond that, I would defer to the Secretary’s announcement that the Department of Education would roll out further details on its plan in the coming weeks. One thing is for certain, however: we must ensure that any plan unveiled by the Wolf administration takes into account the particular challenges of containing a virus in close-quarters conditions such as those in our public schools. The protection of our state’s young people remains a top priority. What is the legislature’s plan to reopen the schools? Any future plan to reopen the schools is up to the Department of Education to determine. What we in the Legislature can do is advance legislation requiring the department and other entities to take whatever precautions we deem necessary. We know more about this virus now than we did at the beginning and we will continue to learn more in the coming weeks and months before school starts up again. As that happens, we will continue to take action to ensure that children receive a high-quality education without having to risk their health. What are you looking to put in place for children who receive special education who are not receiving the needed personal services during this shutdown? Recognizing the critical need for these services, the House passed legislation that the governor later signed into law (Act 13 of 2020) to require notice be sent to the parents of all special education students of a plan to ensure students are receiving “free and appropriate public education.” Parents who homeschool have to send in notarized affidavits to their school districts. How do they get that done when notaries are not permitted to be open? The need for notarization is broad across many industries. Not only do homeschooling parents require notarization, but so do many financial transactions such as the purchase of a home or vehicle. Recognizing this, we passed legislation that would expand the presence of e-notary services in the Commonwealth. Additionally, the Department of State recently received a temporary limited suspension of the Pennsylvania statute which requires physical presence of notaries for all notarial acts relating to a statement or signature on a record. I would encourage homeschooling parents to take advantage of e-notary services available during this pandemic. When children do return to school, how will social distancing be maintained? I fully expect the Department of Education to anticipate the challenges associated with maintaining social distancing in a school setting and look forward to seeing a plan in the coming weeks. As always, I will share this information with you, my constituents, as soon as it becomes available.Perspectives 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. • 22 • Allegheny West Magazine • June/July 2020EVERY FRIDAY @7 PM JUNE 5 - SEPTEMBER 4 ON ALLEGHENY COUNTY PARKS FACEBOOK & ALLEGHENY COUNTY YOUTUBE CHANNEL An online music and interview series featuring acoustic performances by local artists, including Chris Jamison from NBC’s “ The Voice”, Scott Blasey of the Clarks, Michael Glabicki of Uprooted, and Clinton Clegg of The Commonheart, in unique county park settings. June/July 2020 • www.awmagazine.com • 25Your SchoolsYour Schools N This past February, when a snowstorm shut down schools across the area, Parkway West Career and Technology students and instructors were still able to complete a day of instruction online. That not only saved PWCTC from having to tack a day on at the end of the school year, but it also gave both students and instructors a chance to get better acquainted with the school’s online platform that it had spent three years setting up through Schoology. At the time, no one knew just how vital that experience would become in just under a month’s time when schools across the state would be shuttered amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. Throughout the rest of the school year, PWCTC students continued learning online by completing coursework, watching video demonstrations posted by teachers and communicating with instructors. About 97 percent of the school’s 900 students across 12 school districts logged on each day to continue their education. In some cases, and particularly for seniors, it helped them earn critical hours needed for licensure so they will be able to get to work as soon as current circumstances allow. “We were pretty fortunate,” says Dr. Darby Copeland, director of PWCTC. “We already had the system built for flex days so, once everything got shut down, it was like, here we go.” By chance, PWCTC’s efforts to set up online learning through Schoology had gotten the trade school state approval for flex days at the start of this past school year. It was one of the first trade schools in the state to get that approval. Flex days allow students to complete work online when they can’t attend or when school is shut down. As schools are now looking ahead to the very real possibility that instruction could shift to online learning this fall, Copeland says PWCTC is in a good position and is now advising other technical schools on how to get up to speed. “It took us three years to build our system out, so now we’re telling them that they’re not going to be able to do it in a week or month,” he says. “We have many schools that are mirroring our system across state. That says a tremendous amount about our staff. Educators everywhere have been handed this horrible circumstance and have been doing the most they can with it.” If schools do remain closed, even those that are up to speed like PWCTC will still be lacking the hands-on learning aspect that makes a technical school education what it is. Copeland says they’re considering scenarios in which students would be able to work on those hands-on components at home and then demonstrate them remotely. He says students might demonstrate their aptitude by video recording themselves and then uploading that video to their instructor, who could then critique and grade their performance. “Like a lot of schools, we have plans A through H and we’re considering every one,” says Copeland. A number of PWCTC instructors say that students responded well to the shift. Veterinary assistant instructor Sue Ezzo says she had one student who went from being a good student to achieving perfection while social studies teacher Scott Bechdel says that students continued to regularly communicate via email and messaging. Automotive technology teacher Joseph McGee says that his attendance stayed at around 85 percent and Huck Hughes says his welding students gained some interesting real- world perspective. “Several freshmen have told me that they will be furthering their career at Parkway after seeing what jobs were considered essential during these trying times,” he says. Construction jobs were among the first to open following the shutdown in Pennsylvania. Cosmetology instructor Marcia Black says she had many students who were logged on early each day while culinary arts teacher Mike Timcheck says students adapted well following the first week of transition. He says students continued to communicate with him and explore post- graduation plans, despite the current circumstances. Diesel technology instructor JR Mangan says that, at first, some of his students were a bit reluctant until a Zoom session sparked their interest. He says the session got them talking, joking around and discussing the projects they were doing at home. Seniors in the cosmetology program at PWCTC may have benefited the most, however, as it allowed them to complete hours they needed after the state board of cosmetology allowed students to earn hours online. “This is a huge deal in the field of cosmetology, and motivates our students to complete Flexible Instruction because they are actually earning credit hours toward Pennsylvania’s license eligibility requirements,” says instructor Caroline Simon. She says staff in the cosmetology department were already trained on the system thanks to the efforts of instructor Barb Fields, who has since retired. “During this challenging time in education, I believe that our school was ahead of the game, because we already had an online infrastructure for distance learning in place, set in motion by the administration,” she says. Parkway West Career and Technology Center STORY BY DOUG HUGHEY How PWCTC’s transition to online learning became a success story ABOVE: Students and instructors at Parkway West Career and Technology Center communicate online during the shutdown. PHOTO SUBMITTED BELOW: Graduating seniors from Parkway West Career and Technology Center could pick up their diplomas via drive-through on May 20. Here, cosmetology instructors Marcia Black and Caroline Simon hand graduating senior Shelby Mallon her diploma. Seniors in the program were among those who benefited most from online learning, as it allowed them to earn critical hours toward their licensure. PHOTO BY DOUG HUGHEY 26 • Allegheny West Magazine • June/July 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 Classroom. 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 June/July 2020 • www.awmagazine.com • 27Your SchoolsYour Schools N Wax museum Fifth-graders researched historically significant individuals and then reenacted them to create their own wax museum figure. Students read books and researched until they had a formalized grasp of what made that person special and why. On May 8, each student dressed up as their character and pretended they were part of a wax museum. The classroom got together on Google Classroom and, when each of their virtual buttons was pushed, they recited an interesting monologue about their chosen figure. Projects included Abraham Lincoln, Amelia Earhart, Walt Disney, Jane Goodall, Misty Copeland, Donald Trump, Thomas Edison, Barack Obama and Martha Washington. Dance-a-thon passes the shield Archangel Gabriel Catholic School families participated in a fundraiser for the school called the Knight-a- Thon over the course of several months. Initially, AGS had planned a dance-a-thon to thank families for their efforts but, when this couldn’t happen due to the shutdown, the event turned virtual. Students instead put together a choreographed dance session in which they each “passed the shield” to the next student. This became a video for all to see. AGS is grateful to all of its fundraisers, volunteers and students for their ability to move forward and do great things. Archangel Gabriel Catholic School Since they were unable to have an in-person dance-a-thon, students put together this virtual one. Students reenacted significant historic figures in this virtual wax museum lesson. STORIES AND PHOTOS SUBMITTED BY ARCHANGEL GABRIEL CATHOLIC SCHOOL First AGS class graduates AGS graduated its first students in May and this fine group is now excited to see what their futures hold. Students stayed strong, both as their schools merged to form their alma mater and as they experienced an unprecedented set of circumstances that shut down schools across the state. Throughout the year, these students immersed themselves in their academics, extra-curriculars, social events and school governance. As students move on to attend high school at Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, Bishop Canevin, Central Catholic, Oakland Catholic, Hopewell, Montour, Moon Area and other high schools, they have left some advice to younger grades. “Get involved in all AGS has to offer”, advises Luke Vittorino. “Don’t take school and seeing your friends every day for granted,” says Joe Hatherly. AGS faculty are grateful for each day they had with students during its first full year of the newly merged school. AGS looks forward to building on the legacy this first class started. Musical cast honored Prior to the shutdown, AGS had been planning to perform “The Little Mermaid Junior” for its annual musical. The school’s cast and crew spent endless hours planning, memorizing, choreographing and learning the performance. The musical was scheduled to hit the stage the second weekend of May. Cast members, however, were recognized on Facebook during the school’s Virtual Musical Week. AGS is grateful for all of the talent and can’t wait to see them on stage once it is time. 28 • Allegheny West Magazine • June/July 2020N Your Schools Your Schools 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 had a theme and an accompanying activity posted on Facebook. Activities gave 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 were also addressed. Children continued to worship at school liturgies via the Internet while St. Philip priests offered 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 used videos to help students learn the Stations of the Cross and events of Holy Week. In pre-K’s religion class, students learned how God made helpers. Students made hearts and hung them on their doors to show all of the helpers how thankful they were for what they do. St. Philip ended 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 were honored in a virtual ceremony May 9. They also received 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. 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. Julianna Umalin June/July 2020 • www.awmagazine.com • 29Next >