< PreviousFall 2021 20 • Allegheny West Magazine • Fall 2021 For the fourth consecutive year, Cornell School District was ranked the #1 Overachieving School District by the Pittsburgh Business Times. In addition to that ranking, the Pittsburgh Business Times ranked Cornell School District the #1 Overachieving School District of the decade! This is a tremendous recognition, and a testament to the hard work of Cornell students and faculty. Cornell School District superintendent, Dr. Aaron Thomas, stated, “I am very happy for our students, our community and our incredibly hardworking staff. When I was the high school principal, I remember how excited we were to get into the top 10 on this list, and to be ranked #1 for the fourth consecutive year is a great recognition. I believe this ranking is a true indicator of where a school district is at, as it takes into account so many factors that impact a district. I think it really is an equity ranking and I am just proud of what we have accomplished over the past decade and we’re looking forward to the next 10 years.” The upcoming school year is shaping up to be another busy and extremely impactful school year. Cornell is hoping for five straight years of this special recognition! Cornell named most Overachieving School District for fourth consecutive year Last school year, the Cornell School District lost a few retired and beloved staff members. One of them will be honored this upcoming school year. Sarah Munger was the first African-American teacher hired by Coraopolis School District, which later became Cornell. Munger was a graduate of Coraopolis High School and a member of the Class of 1947. After graduation, she went on to continue her education at the University of Pittsburgh, earning her bachelor’s degree in elementary education. She was then hired to teach at Manchester Elementary in the Northside of Pittsburgh. Munger eventually found her way back to her home district, when Coraopolis School District hired her in 1961 to teach fifth and sixth grade, as well as remedial reading and the GATE Program for gifted and talented students. Munger also helped form the Cornell Basketball Mothers under Coach Wovchko, which then became the booster club for the basketball team. Munger retired in 1988 but continued to stay very busy. She was a lifelong resident of Coraopolis until she moved to Phoenix, Arizona. Sadly, Munger passed away this past December and will be inducted into the Cornell Wall of Fame this September. Members of Munger’s family will be in town for this honor and plan to attend the Cornell Raider football game that Friday on Sept. 10, where Munger and her family will be honored at halftime. Retired educator Sarah Munger to be honored This portrait depicting Sarah Munger will be hung in the halls at Cornell High School in September.Fall 2021 • www.awmagazine.com • 21 Earlier this summer, Cornell School District’s director of technology and instructional innovation, Dr. Kris Hupp, successfully defended his dissertation, which is titled “The Role of Planned Educational Ecosystems in the Diffusion of Disruptive Innovations for Marginalized Students.” Hupp subsequently earned his doctoral degree from Point Park University. Hupp has been at Cornell since 2000, when he was hired as a high school social studies teacher. During that time, he served as Social Studies Department chair, sponsored Cornell High School Student Council, and oversaw and upgraded CHS-TV broadcasting. Hupp was also instrumental in helping Cornell High School secure a Classrooms for the Future grant, which brought a great deal of technology to Cornell’s classrooms and started a cultural shift in teaching and learning. Hupp then moved into a new role at Cornell, serving as an instructional coach and helping teachers infuse new technology into their classrooms and expand on teacher practice. Hupp later moved into a newly created administrative position, which he holds now as director of technology and instructional innovation. Hupp has written, and been awarded, numerous grants at Cornell - the latest one being a Moonshot Grant in the amount of $70,000 which will go toward a teacher professional development pathways program. Cornell superintendent, Dr. Aaron Thomas, stated, “I am so happy for Dr. Hupp, and feel very fortunate to have him with us at Cornell. Dr. Hupp has been instrumental in helping shift the teaching and learning culture of Cornell, and has had a tremendous impact in the district. Dr. Hupp is thought of very highly in the educational field. He has a great reputation in the area, and his efforts have helped Cornell be recognized as the #1 Overachieving School District for the fourth consecutive year. In addition, Dr. Hupp did an outstanding job with our device employment this year, and his Meta-Mesh project has made a great impact in the community.” Dr. Hupp has been hard at work preparing for the upcoming school year and all of Cornell congratulates him on this great accomplishment. Dr. Hupp earns Ph.D. Kris Hupp The Robert Morris University School of Education and Cornell School District have enjoyed a great partnership over the years. That partnership has continued to grow, due in large part to a number of collaborative endeavors that have benefited both institutions. That will continue this upcoming school year as a select group of Cornell educators learn about, explore and employ mindfulness techniques both personally and potentially in their classrooms. Mindfulness has grown in popularity over the years, and there are a few school districts in the area that have incorporated these techniques in the classroom. Mindfulness entails being aware of what one is feeling and sensing in the moment without interpretation or judgment. Mindfulness techniques involve a variety of breathing strategies, guided imagery and other practices aimed at relaxing the body and mind and helping to reduce stress. Robert Morris University associate professor, Dr. Nathan Taylor, will facilitate the teacher sessions, which will occur before or after school. Mindfulness techniques can then be used with students who are experiencing high emotional and stress states. The objective is to help students be aware of what they are feeling, understand that their emotions are common, and implement strategies to regulate those emotions. Research has shown that mindfulness lowers stress in both adults and younger children. It also improves self-control, attention, resilience and academic performance. Cornell is excited to implement this program and believes that this will benefit both teachers and students. A special thank you goes out to the Grable Foundation for funding this program. The Grable Foundation has been very generous to Cornell School District over the years and awarded Cornell many thousands of dollars in grants. Cornell and RMU receive mindfulness grant The American Association of School Administrators is launching a new initiative called Learning 2025 and Cornell School District will be a participating district along with other districts from around the country. The AASA released a report over the summer months called “The AASA Learning 2025: National Commission on Student-Centered, Equity-Focused Education,” which recommended 11 essential principles for systemic school and school system redesign. AASA was looking for school districts to serve as “demonstration districts” that exemplify, demonstrate and share with colleagues across the country. Cornell won’t be the only western Pennsylvania district involved, as the Grable Foundation is seeking to create a small cohort of western Pennsylvania districts that are like- minded, and can work and collaborate together on improving educational outcomes for students in the coming years. Participating districts have the opportunity to attend two national conferences, where they may be asked to present and possibly be published. They will have the opportunity to highlight their particular school district, and the innovative programs and partnerships that have been established. Cornell is looking forward to being part of this unique and exclusive group, and is also looking forward to the work ahead creating the mission and a vision for this particular initiative. Cornell selected to participate in AASA Group22 • Allegheny West Magazine • Fall 2021 I hope your summer has been a great one, and that you and your family had the opportunity to spend some time together while building great memories. This has been a very busy summer for the Cornell School District, as we have been hard at work preparing for the upcoming school year and hosting various summer programs. We were also extremely hopeful that this terrible pandemic was behind us, but as the summer months go on, and the start of school grows closer, we are dealing with a moving target in terms of recommendations, possible mandates and growing COVID-19 numbers. Please be assured that we’ll adapt our plans when necessary and communicate those changes to our families as soon as we can. We know we aren’t going to make everybody happy with what is going on, but we’ll do our best to balance the health and safety precautions we must follow with trying to get back to a sense of normalcy for our students. We ask that you continue to be understanding and flexible, and we’ll continue to get through this situation. I hope that you find some of the highlights in this edition interesting and informative. This is shaping up to be a great school year, and we have a number of initiatives planned that we have been hard at work preparing. At the heart of these initiatives is a goal of increasing student outcomes and opportunities. We’ll continue to work to ensure our wonderful students are receiving a top- notch education, one that is preparing them for life after high school, and the opportunities that everyone deserves. We were ecstatic to be ranked the #1 Overachieving School District by the Pittsburgh Business Times for the fourth year in a row, an honor that at one time seemed unreachable. However, due to the endless work of many Cornell faculty members, our wonderful students and families, we at Cornell have made it possible to reach great heights. We’ll keep climbing, however, as there is always work to do! I hope you enjoy this edition of Allegheny West Magazine, and we are all looking forward to a great school year! Cornell families and community members: Superintendent’s Message Dr. Aaron Thomas, Superintendent Go to: www.cornellsd.org for the latest district news Student cafeteria workers make an IMPACT. Paid opportunities are available in your cafeteria for students to gain real experience today! Students can work a few extra hours after school in the high school cafeteria in next-day food preparation. Great opportunity for those interested in a culinary career! High school students can complete work-study programs right in the convenience of their own school food service department. Free training provided! Perfect for special needs classes and students who are interested in employment in the food service department for the school day. Reach out to your school’s Food Service Director to discuss more opportunities that are available! 888.272.8106 | TheNutritionGroup.biz | TFA LEARN ABOUT A $5,000 SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITY!Fall 2021 • www.awmagazine.com • 23 Cornell School District has been approached by the Allegheny Intermediate Unit and invited to participate in a grant program funded and awarded by the RK Mellon Foundation that involves five other area school districts. District leaders from Cornell will participate in an 18-month planning and design process facilitated by the Consortium for Public Education in McKeesport. The goal of the work is to develop innovative strategies to meet the needs of all students, especially the most vulnerable children. Three key areas that will be a focus of the working group are improved school design, strengthening family engagement, and building student plans for future college and career readiness. The other districts involved are Greensburg-Salem, Jeannette, Burrell, Woodland Hills and Deer Lakes. This is a great opportunity for Cornell to plan with other like-minded educators and make an impact on further area initiatives. As the planning and coordinating gets underway, updates will be given and pilot programs established. Cornell superintendent, Dr. Aaron Thomas, stated, “We feel very honored to be asked by the AIU and the Consortium for Public Education to participate in this initiative. This is a great way to be involved with future initiatives and our students will be the first ones directly impacted by these programs. We are looking forward to the work ahead.” Cornell participating in RK Mellon grant opportunity Coraopolis community: Come join the fun! Mentor2.0 has begun recruiting for the 2021-2022 school year! Fifty volunteers are needed for the 2021-2022 school year at Cornell High School. Volunteers will have the exclusive opportunity to mentor one student from ninth grade through high school graduation. As a mentor, you will exchange weekly messages with your student and meet with him/her in-person one evening per month (in a group setting at the school). The entire experience will be guided by a structured curriculum promoting high school graduation and post-secondary option readiness. The ultimate goals are to increase high school graduation and post- secondary and/or college enrollment, persistence, and completion. Interested/Want to Learn More? Contact Dolan at ddruger@bbbspgh or (412) 204-1223 The Benedum Foundation has awarded Robert Morris University’s School of Engineering, Mathematics and Science a $120,000 grant that will benefit Cornell High School. Several area high school teachers, including two Cornell teachers, will go through Amazon Web Services cloud computing services training. These teachers will be able to take what they have learned from the training and incorporate it into their own curriculum and classrooms. This training program is a one-to-one program that will begin in the fall and also includes teachers from Trinity Area High School in Washington County; Brooke High School in Wellsburg, West Virginia; and Brashear High School in Pittsburgh. Participating teachers will receive Amazon Web Services Academy certification following the completion of their training. Robert Morris professors will work with the teachers to develop and deliver learning activities during the school year, as well as after school and next summer. Robert Morris University is looking to enhance the region’s workforce by spreading awareness and interest in cloud computing careers, which is one of the fastest growing career fields in the information technology sector. Grant to help Cornell teachers earn Amazon cloud computing certification #WeAre Cornell24 • Allegheny West Magazine • Fall 2021Fall 2021 • www.awmagazine.com • 2526 • Allegheny West Magazine • Fall 2021Fall 2021 • www.awmagazine.com • 2728 • Allegheny West Magazine • Fall 2021 Many people might not realize it, but summer can be a very busy time for educators. There are countless training opportunities that occur and can help prepare teachers for the upcoming school year. This past summer was exceptionally busy for a certain number of Cornell High School teachers who participated in training facilitated by the National Math + Science Initiative. NMSI aims to increase educational opportunities for students by unlocking their potential through STEM-related courses. In addition, NMSI aims to increase AP participation and student achievement in AP courses, which have been shown to have an extremely positive impact on students who enroll in those courses. Students who take AP courses have been shown to be better prepared for post- secondary education and more likely to graduate on time. They also have higher grade point averages in high school and college. Increasing student exposure and opportunities to these challenging courses is what Cornell is striving for, as is changing students’ mindsets that they are talented enough to take these high- level courses. The district has increased AP courses over the past two years, and is looking to continue that expansion in the years to come. A team of seventh through 12th grade teachers participated in “Laying the Foundation” training through NMSI and participated in “College Readiness” training. It was a long 12 days of training, but a great learning opportunity for staff members and school leaders. Participants were also given a great number of resources to use in their classroom. In addition, AP teachers and students will be given a number of support options throughout the coming school year. Next summer, the district is looking to expand on this initiative by having teachers through third grade involved with NMSI. This will allow for vertical teaming discussions and planning. Teachers participating in National Math Science Initiative Fall PRIDE program information The PRIDE program will once again be offered after school starting in the fall. The program is open to students in grades three through eight and runs from 2:30-5:30 p.m. for seventh- and eighth-graders; and from 3:30-6:30 p.m. for students in grades three through six. The PRIDE program operates Monday through Thursday and dinner is included for all students who attend. The PRIDE program has a number of ongoing STEAM learning activities that students enjoy. Students also get a bit of a break from academics and participate in a variety of physical activities. Informational packets will be sent home the first few weeks of school, so be on the lookout for PRIDE registration information. Parents will also be emailed information. Questions may be directed to PRIDE coordinator, Crystal Smith, at (412) 264-5010 x 110. A parent-teacher committee (PTC) is an integral part of an elementary school. The Cornell Elementary PTC is currently looking for parents interested in volunteering to organize and fundraise for student activities and enrichment throughout the school year. The group meets once a month, based on availability, by Zoom, Google Meet, or in person at the school. Meetings are typically held in the evening and run for about an hour. Each year, the PTC organizes and funds the following: a fall festival to welcome students back to a new school year; a science or art night; a Santa shop; and a fun-in-the sun day event. The PTC also organizes other fundraisers that occur throughout the year. Anybody interested in donating time to the committee or even to just one event should contact Jamie Roland at jamt1230@hotmail.com or the Cornell Elementary office for more information. Calling all parents! Volunteers needed for PTCFall 2021 • www.awmagazine.com • 29 Nearly all of the players from last year’s volleyball team will return this season. Last year, when Alexis Hamm began holding practices as the new head coach of the Cornell varsity girls volleyball team, her emphasis was on getting back to fundamentals. This season, she and the team are a bit more ambitious. “This year we’re going to work on coming out stronger and winning games,” says Hamm. “Last year was about going back to basics. This year, we know we can play and compete with other teams.” Prior to Hamm taking over, the team had only won six combined games in its previous two seasons. Though things didn’t improve much last season, Hamm says the team’s progress wasn’t reflected in its 2-8 record. Rather, throughout the season, she wanted to see players get better at their game, and she says they did just that. Along the way, they also built rapport. Now, in Hamm’s second season with the team, she’s hoping to build on that progress and says she feels they’re ready to compete with any team on their schedule. It also doesn’t hurt that the team has six players returning from last season after losing just one senior. “I have a lot of returners, a lot of girls coming back,” she says, “and a lot of girls saying they’re excited to come back.” In addition, the team gained some important depth in the spring after Hamm and her players got aggressive about recruiting underclassmen for open gyms and workouts. Five underclassmen jumped on board and will now have the opportunity to gain vital experience as they’re groomed for future starting roles. Compared to last season, the team is also hoping to benefit from another advantage it didn’t have last year, at least when they’re at home: spectators. Due to COVID-19, the bleachers were empty last season, but Hamm is hoping the return of the home crowd will help her players continue to build confidence. For Hamm, who played Division II volleyball in college and helped her varsity squad at West Allegheny High School reach a state championship, that lack of an audience felt particularly odd. As for her top players, Hamm says she’ll be looking to starting outside hitters Hannah Kaufman and Heidi Stephenson to lead. “Last year my goal was to get everyone on the same page as far as skills,” says Hamm. “They learned the game and how to play. They are more confident in themselves just because of the consistency, and they’ve learned how to compete.” The girls volleyball team kicks off its season against Sto-Rox on Sept. 7 with a home match at 6 p.m. See page 17 for a complete schedule. Earlier this year, Cornell teamed up with Porter’s Pharmacy out of Moon Township to host several COVID-19 vaccination clinics at the school. The district made its auditorium and elementary gymnasium available so pharmacists from Porter’s could vaccinate high-risk community members in a setting that allowed for required social distancing. Numerous community members also volunteered to help move people efficiently through the process. As a result, about 600 high-risk individuals were able to get vaccinated during phase one of Pennsylvania’s COVID-19 vaccine rollout. Hundreds more received vaccinations during phase two at subsequent clinics held at the school in March and April. Eddie DeCaria, owner of Porter’s, says that if it were not for Cornell school personnel reaching out to him and his wife, Bernadette, to arrange that first clinic, the pharmacy would not have been able to vaccinate nearly as many people. DeCaria estimates that, due to space constraints, the pharmacy would only have been able to vaccinate about 5% to 10% of the people that it did. He credits the Cornell School Board; Dr. Aaron Thomas, superintendent; Carla Antoniades, director of pupil services; and numerous volunteers with helping to make the effort so successful. “There were a ton of people in the community helping out, moving people around and checking them in, organizing and doing paperwork, observing to make sure they wouldn’t have a reaction,” he says. “Especially high risk patients - we wouldn’t have been able to do this in the pharmacy.” After being contacted by the district, DeCaria says that he and his wife, who is a physician’s assistant, began identifying people who would be eligible for the shot by combing through the pharmacy’s customer records. They then made phone calls to those individuals to inform them of the clinics and offered to schedule appointments. At the same time, Antionades reached out to district personnel to help identify people in their families and the community who would qualify. “It may seem like a small number compared to some of the larger health systems, but those people were in dire need,” says DeCaria. “There were people who said they hadn’t been out of their house for a year.” In all, Porter’s hosted six clinics at the school from February through April. Porter’s then connected with the Coraopolis Community Development Corporation, the Crescent VFD, VFW Post 402 in Coraopolis and the Mooncrest community to hold additional clinics in other locations and vaccinate hundreds of additional high risk and vulnerable patients. “But really it was Dr. Thomas who gave us the momentum to get going and started putting us in contact with other people in the community,” says DeCaria. “He has the school’s interest at heart and the community. When I thanked Dr. Thomas for all of his help his response was, ‘It is our moral obligation as a school district to help the community.’ Cornell School District is very fortunate to have such a great leader in Dr. Thomas.” Cornell teams with Porter’s to deliver vaccines Volleyball team hopes to build on last season’s progressNext >