< Previousy > Learning Curves Learning Curves Express knows jobs. Get to know Express. O ces 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! Reflections and renewal: a commitment to 2021 BY DEB GRAY, EXPRESS EMPLOYMENT PROFESSIONALS We can all put a “spin” on 2020. I choose to focus on lessons learned, knowing that I am stronger than before the pandemic. I believe the additional “R” that gave me a foundation for resilience throughout 2020 was responsibility. I had responsibility for my business, my team, my family, and myself. Planning was not easy during those early days of the pandemic. Actually, planning continued to be difficult through March and all of April. Being a planner, I am motivated by keeping a list of goals (big and small) and checking them off when they are done. Being busy and juggling many priorities is truly part of who I am, which made that time all the more difficult. Finding my way to lead others through crisis and perpetual change was challenging. It was hard to find the flexibility and adaptability to overcome so many plans gone awry. However, the more I listened, the easier change became. I changed business plans and personal plans with the goal of paving the way for others. I was determined to look at the half-full glass rather than the half-empty glass. Focusing on others made my own disappointments seem less important. I began to find the enjoyment of simple things more satisfying than I had during pre-COVID life. Certainly, the challenges existed, including hospital visits with my mom, a new baby in the family who we could only welcome from afar, medical challenges, and postponed celebrations of family milestones. We have ALL been changed by 2020, so we will likely move along a little differently in the new year - and that’s alright. In a recent sermon at my church, our priest stated what I think 2021 is about: HOPE and PERSEVERANCE. Pope Francis challenges us to live within a “Culture of Care.” I am committed to this by giving others more GRACE in 2021. I wish you a Happy New YOU in 2021! I challenge you to come up with your “word” for the new year if you haven’t already - and I dare you to focus on the possibilities. Deb Gray is the owner of Express Employment Professionals - Pittsburgh West. With offices in Robinson Township and Monaca, the staffing agency serves the Western region of Allegheny County as well as all of Beaver County. Local businesses and job seekers are encouraged to stop by, visit expresspros.com/wpittsburghpa/ or call 412-494-2000. For more about Gray, see her profile in this month’s special section on page 28. Imagine your website working as hard for your business as you do. 412.205.8998 | DDSWebDesign.com Websites that get results. Designed in Pittsburgh Contact us for a free website analysis. Affordable Custom Designs Responsive Sites | Content Management SEO | E-commerce | Hosting | Maintenance 10 • Allegheny West Magazine • Spring 2021lLegislative Update Legislative Update BY STATE REP. ANITA KULIK State Rep. Anita Kulik State Rep. Anita Kulik represents Pennsylvania’s 45th District. Her office is located at 1350 Fifth Avenue in Coraopolis. She can be reached at (412) 264-4260. Visit her online at www.pahouse.com/Kulik. I always look forward to big snows. Most of my friends disagree. They love hot, summery weather. I am more of a cold weather person. So, as far as snowstorms go, I am all in. Granted, I want everyone to be safe. God bless the good people who are out clearing the roads or work with first responder services. What I find encouraging about snowfalls is twofold. First, there’s a certain peace and quiet that comes with snow. It is generally an opportunity to realize that there is not much we can do about being snowed in. We are stuck in the house in a way we accept. We do not tend to argue about being homebound. We cannot go outside and yell at the snow. We make tomato soup and grilled cheese and watch movies. We go outside with kids to build snowmen or ride sleds. We gladly take time out from our busy lives to enjoy each other’s company, or a little peace and quiet. We even, secretly, welcome the opportunity to do so. It not only helps us relax, but also helps those emergency personnel do their job safely when we stay put in a bad weather event. Second, our sense of community seems to shine with a snow event. We check on our family and neighbors. We help with childcare. In my neighborhood, as in so many others, everyone comes out with their plows, blowers and shovels to clear not only their own walks and driveways but also those of their neighbors’. More often than not, a warming libation is shared. I write all of this in light of the very bad year we just “weathered.” The effects of the pandemic will be with us well into 2021 and we must make peace with this. We also have to make peace with our family and friends over any disagreements we may have had over any of the many issues that arose in 2020. We legislators began taking on the business of the Commonwealth on Jan. 5. As we start this new session, many of us have joined the newly formed Bi-Partisan Caucus. Through this endeavor, a good number of Democrats and Republicans from the rank and file have committed to sit together and work to move bills and issues that will address the needs of all Pennsylvanians. While many of us already work together across the aisle, this caucus hopefully will bring more of us to the table to accomplish more. I believe that this is a great step forward and I anticipate good things coming from this movement. We cannot continue with partisanship. I have been fortunate to work with some of my colleagues on the other side of the aisle to address issues that are important. I will be continuing my work with state Rep. Natalie Mihalek to get Alina’s Law passed. I will also continue my work with state Rep. Jason Ortitay on modernizing our animal laws. I received support from both sides on my proposals to address community blight and for relief for small businesses, and I hope we can accomplish these issues to better our communities. Much remains to be done in getting economic relief to our local businesses and those on unemployment, and my colleagues and I have not stopped pushing these issues. The promise from both sides of the aisle, a promise to sincerely work together, will hopefully make for a productive session. God bless us all as we welcome the new year. I hope you and yours stay well. Spring 2021 • www.awmagazine.com • 11Spring 2021 12 • Allegheny West Magazine • Spring 2021 #WeAre Cornell Cornell Families and Community Members: I hope this letter finds you and your family members well. The unique and challenging circumstances that have surrounded this school year are continuing, but we are hopeful that the worst is behind us and that the end of this pandemic is fast approaching! The Cornell School District School Board and administration understand the challenges that our families are facing. We continue to appreciate the flexibility and understanding that our families have shown, and we hope that we can finish the school year with a full, in-person schedule this spring. There is much that needs to play out in the coming weeks and months, but we’ll continue providing all necessary resources to our students and families to ensure our students are receiving the educational opportunities that they deserve. This is a unique year, but our goal and mission remain the same. In addition to a number of important news items, this edition of the Allegheny West Magazine highlights many of the wonderful ways that our teachers are utilizing technology to address distance learning. This is only a snapshot, and I can assure you that all of our teachers are going above and beyond for your children academically, socially and emotionally. We thought this was a nice sample of the innovative strategies and programs that our classroom teachers are implementing. The teachers highlighted in this edition’s Teacher Spotlight columns cover all grade levels in the district. I hope you find these stories about them as enjoyable as I do. As previously stated, the collective efforts of all Cornell stakeholders have been truly inspiring this year. Cornell is a special place, where our students are known on a personal level. Here, they are cared for, challenged and provided with the educational, academic and extra-curricular opportunities they deserve. Thank you for all that you do for your children and, please continue to stay safe and take the necessary safety precautions of washing hands, wearing masks, and social distancing. We Are Cornell. Superintendent’s Message Cornell receives Safe Schools Grant Two years ago, Cornell School District received a $60,000 safety grant that allowed the district to hire retired Allegheny County Detective Jeffrey Korczyk as its student resource officer. Korczyk has since become Cornell’s very own one-man police department, overseeing the safety and security of the building, leading routine safety drills, recommending any policy changes and enjoying getting to know students and staff. Korczyk knows he isn’t here to get kids in trouble. He is a resource, and wants to ensure the safety and security of everyone at Cornell. The Cornell School District is pleased to announce that the district has once again been awarded a $60,000 grant to cover the costs of having a student resource officer for another two years. The district was able to purchase a police car using the grant funds, which will allow Korczyk to be more visible during morning drop-off and afternoon pick-up. Korczyk can now also perform home visits and assist in different ways with the Coraopolis Police Department. This program has been great, and the district is excited to continue it for at least two more years! Dr. Aaron Thomas, Superintendent Dr. Aaron Thomas, Cornell superintendent, is pictured with Jeffrey Korczyk, Cornell’s student resource officer. Spring 2021 • www.awmagazine.com • 13 Teacher Spolight: Susan Dunning uses Desmos to engage math students online Susan Dunning teaches both computer science and math at the high school. She was asked to highlight the work she is doing with a program called Desmos, which she has found useful both to her and her students. Q: As a math teacher, finding ways for students to engage in math activities online is a challenge. How do you assign homework and collect homework on the Internet? A: There are many possibilities, including uploading documents, taking pictures of documents, and scanning documents. This requires many steps and is hard to track. There are programs that allow students to write answers using a stylus or trackpad, but grading these types of assignments can be tricky if the handwriting is messy. Many software programs allow you to insert equations and write math sheets, but very few allow students to easily answer math problems without going to extraordinary measures. While trying to design online learning modules that allow students to easily answer math questions and show work, Cornell came across the Desmos platform. Desmos allows teachers to write questions using typical math symbols without having to take screenshots and it makes the process fairly simple. It also allows students to type math symbols without having to insert them onto the screen. The teacher dashboard allows teachers to see students’ progress in real time. Teachers also have the ability to ask students to explain their answers, which helps with retention levels. Students enjoy Desmos because they no longer have to go through multiple steps to show their work to the teacher. It has made their job easier because homework doesn’t require multiple tech tools. For teachers, there is an interface with Google Classroom that allows easy posting of assignments for teachers. It allows for real time looks at what students are working on and easy grading, since student activity can be seen as a whole or individually. While Desmos is not a perfect tool, it is a preferred tool for completing math assignments. Esports team enters second season, reaches playoffs At one time, it might have been hard to imagine students being encouraged to play video games in school. Yet over the past few years, as esports has evolved into a major multi-billion dollar spectator sport, schools are beginning to encourage students to form teams that compete against each other just like regular sports teams do - except over the Internet. Such has been the case at Cornell High School, where science teacher Tavis Bogue and computer science teacher Susan Dunning have been heading up a club dedicated to the sport. In esports, players compete cooperatively in a video game against teams of other players. Players must work together and communicate effectively to coordinate their efforts and effectively strategize. The club, which is now in its second year, competed last season in the strategy game League of Legends. This year, the club is up to 10 students, six of whom are competing in the Rocket League, which is based on a game that blends elements of racing and soccer. Students face off against other teams in five, best-of-six match games. This season, Cornell was one of 16 teams that advanced to the playoffs. Bogue says the team switched to Rocket League this season because the cross-platform game allowed students to more easily practice and compete remotely during COVID-19. The other four club members are preparing to compete in a Minecraft build competition. “The students have done really well,” says Bogue. “Each student took a turn being team captain and having the responsibility of setting up matches and communicating with the opposing team. Some of the students assumed leadership roles on their own and helped to coach our players who were new to the game. Overall, I think it has been a very positive experience for them.” Bogue says the club got its start a few years ago after some students approached him with the idea. Then, last year, Dunning attended a presentation on coding where the benefits of esports in schools were discussed. Students involved with esports tend to have a higher GPA and demonstrate increased technology fluency. They’ve also shown a higher satisfaction with school, higher math achievement and accelerated language learning. As well, the sport has been shown to foster personal growth and cultivate persistence. Bogue says Dunning knew of his interest in starting the club and thus approached him about the idea. With support provided by the North America Scholastic Esports Federation, Bogue and Dunning were able to get the club started and field a team with six players. Cornell isn’t the only school in the area to field an esports team in recent years. Many other local school districts have also established teams and some have even dedicated special arenas within the schools to them. At the same time, esports has grown into a multi-billion dollar industry with hundreds of millions of spectators. According to Business Insider, esports viewership is expected to reach 454 million by 2023 and by 2018 the sport had attracted $4.5 billion in investments. In 2017, that figure stood at just $490 million. The Cornell esports team defeats Newport in The Rocket League. Susan Dunning14 • Allegheny West Magazine • Spring 2021 Cornell teams with Harvard Business School The Case Method Institute at Harvard Business School, along with Harvard professor David Moss and the Gilder Lehrman Affiliate School Program, have teamed up to provide resources, professional development and mentorship to schools across the country. At Cornell, AP U.S. history teacher Amy Palo is working with the Case Method Institute to bring the effort’s resources to the high school. Teachers were offered a weekend synchronous Zoom training session with Moss, where he described his History of American Democracy course that he teaches at Harvard Business School. Teachers were provided with a full curriculum of “cases,” or prepared documents, about different problems, questions and turning points in American history. They participated in both synchronous and asynchronous professional development training for 32 hours. Teachers were then provided with secure logins for themselves and students to access the cases and discussion questions. Additionally, teachers were assigned a mentor at the Case Method Institute who assists teachers as they implement cases in their curriculum. This program was first launched in 2015. The pilot program aimed to take methods used in Harvard Business Schools to help students train for active citizenship, such as MBA candidates training for leadership. Working together, professors at the university level and secondary teachers can make sure students are prepared for their next step after graduation. The nonprofit program provides curricular materials and ongoing mentorship to hundreds of teachers across the country. It was provided at no cost to Cornell. Palo began implementing some of the cases in her 11th grade classes. One student noted, “At some points I had trouble understanding, but as I read and discussed I got the hang of it.” Another student noted, “I found it difficult, but once I understood I learned a lot.” Palo will continue to take advantage of this great opportunity, and this program will help with the continued enhancement and progress of academic programs Cornell students are offered. High school guidance welcomes new intern The high school guidance office is excited to welcome Heather Merryman, who comes to Cornell as a graduate student from Geneva College. For the past 19 years, Merryman has worked in Iowa with families and children in an international program called Parents as Teachers. This is an in-home child development school readiness program that works with parents on the developmental phases and needs of children. She was also the teen parent advocate in her county. Her work there allowed her to advocate for and assist teen parents in their academic and parental journeys in both school and home settings. Merryman began her graduate work in the school counseling program and was a graduate assistant in the Geneva Student Success Center. In this role, she worked with a variety of students, including those with disabilities and on academic probation. She also aided students in the transition from high school to college academics. Cornell is thrilled to have Merryman at the district this semester and to offer her hands- on experience in the high school. Teacher Spotlight: Meredith Capp helps students access Adobe design apps through Amazon Adobe Creative Cloud is a yearlong course offered to Cornell High School students that is designed to provide them with an introduction to the applications Dreamweaver, Photoshop and Illustrator. High school teacher Meredith Capp has taught the course at Cornell for the past two years and has done an excellent job facilitating it. In the course, students explore professional software by creating and publishing web pages using HTML and CSS. The second part of the course exposes students to basic principles of photo editing, compositing, digital painting, animation and graphic design. This has been a very popular course and students appreciate the creativity and relevance it provides. Each high school student has been fortunate to receive complete access to the entire Adobe Creative Suite in school, but they have not always had remote access. So, Cornell got busy trying to figure out how to ensure that students could retain access even while in a remote learning situation. The solution to this problem has been to provide students in the course with an Amazon Appstream 2.0 account that allows them to access Photoshop and other Adobe applications from any computer, anywhere, anytime. Students can also connect their Google Drive Files to Appstream, which allows them to access all of their data files needed to complete projects. With a combination of Adobe Cloud and Amazon Appstream, students can work seamlessly, whether they are in class or a virtual environment. The course has also cut down on the cost of purchasing expensive individual computers that can handle the enormous amount of data needed by Adobe Creative Cloud applications. As well, it allows for flexibility in student and Capps’s schedules, providing them with extended time to finish projects that otherwise would need to be done in class. Finally, Appstream allows students the opportunity to share their work with friends and family rather than their projects being “stuck” in the computer lab’s computers. Heather Merryman Meredith CappSpring 2021 • www.awmagazine.com • 15 Cornell tech squad update The Cornell Tech Squad is continuing to work through this year, no matter how different things may be! The Tech Squad is a student-led group open to all students in grades 8-12. They utilize technology in creative, student- driven ways to build technology skills. This year, the Tech Squad’s goals are to maintain a sense of connection to one another and the school; build capacity for students to help others with technology; and have fun while learning. Students have recently shared that they enjoy learning new things and being part of a “team.” They say that during the pandemic, in particular, it has been a good outlet for them to have fun and connect with other students. To work within this year’s school schedule, the Tech Squad meets online about every other week. Students join meetings from home so they did not miss any in-person class time. Fully remote learners are also encouraged to participate and join in on meetings that best fit their schedule. At those meetings, students share updates about relevant Tech Squad news and usually play a tech- based game together. They also take some time to socialize. To ramp up learning in a way that fits with their schedule, Tech Squad students have the opportunity to participate in The Tech Squad Virtual Challenge: Adventures in Cyberspace. Students can “play” whenever is convenient for them. They learn new tech skills as they complete challenges, and once they’ve completed all the challenges within one level, they “unlock” the next level. Throughout the Virtual Challenge, students gain proficiency with Google tools, such as Drive and Docs. They also get to be creative by doing things like designing graphics for social media. Of the Virtual Challenge, Tech Squad member Heidi Stephenson says that she likes “that the assignments are always different, and usually things I have never used before, like an app to create our own meme. I like trying out the apps, and I learn so many new things when doing the virtual challenge game.” Another member, Leah Spencer, adds, “I like that we can challenge ourselves even though we are in difficult times, because it shows how much we try and push to succeed.” The Tech Squad has received donations from Google and the Dynamic Learning Project to be used as rewards for completing challenges. The group also had a Donors Choose project, a package of reward items valued at over $600, fulfilled. In addition, Tech Squad sponsor Rachel McVeagh was recently invited to speak to the Google for Education team about how the Tech Squad has shifted to continue operating throughout the pandemic. It was very exciting to share the group’s story on such a platform, and the Google team members were interested to hear about what they were doing during these unique times. Students who are interested in joining the Tech Squad can talk to McVeagh for details, or they can email her at Rmcveagh@ cornellsd.org. Interested students can also ask current members for help getting involved. Teacher Spotlight: Tavis Bogue incorporates Minecraft into science class High school science teacher Tavis Bogue decided to start using the popular video game Minecraft in his science classroom after seeing some of the impressive products students were capable of building in the game. Seeing the potential it had for creating models, Bogue got to thinking about how the game could be incorporated into his classes in a meaningful and educational way. His environmental biology students have now been using Minecraft for the past few school years to build models of different terrestrial and aquatic biomes, and it has worked very well in terms of student engagement. Students are very excited to be able to use the game to create and demonstrate what they have learned. When Bogue learned that Cornell School District would be going one-to-one - meaning each Cornell student would have their own district-distributed device and that Minecraft Education Edition would be available on Chromebooks - he decided to expand on the use of Minecraft as a classroom tool. Bogue built his own dedicated server out of some old parts that he had and set it up in his classroom. This school year, in addition to the biome models, Bogue’s students have used the server to create models of famous chemistry experiments, organic compounds and even the water cycle. Students also built a maze that had to be navigated by correctly answering questions about symbiotic relationships. The most recent project was a chemistry escape room activity, where students had to work together by using problem-solving skills and their knowledge of chemical properties and periodic trends to solve puzzles. Esports team members, who Bogue also oversees, are to compete in a Minecraft Rube Goldberg Machine competition. “Through using Minecraft in my classroom, I have seen increased student engagement and enthusiasm,” he says. “Minecraft provides an opportunity for students to collaborate, problem solve, and create together.” He says students have fun with the projects and look forward to them. He’s also observed higher completion rates compared to formats used for other projects. “It is also fun for me as the teacher to create these projects and learn some new things myself,” he says. Tavis Bogue’s students are using MInecraft to create digital renditions of biomes. This virtual challenge is helping Tech Squad students learn technology skills and gain proficiency with programs. Tavis Bogue16 • Allegheny West Magazine • Spring 2021 High school partnering with CCAC Cornell High School students are anticipated to be eligible for dual enrollment credits from the Community College of Allegheny County starting next school year. Dual enrollment credits mean a high school student can take a class during the normal school day at Cornell for high school credit. They can also receive college credit for the course from CCAC. School and teacher leaders have been hard at work identifying courses that can count toward dual enrollment status. Students will be able to receive college credits as early as ninth grade and continue taking courses throughout their high school careers. Students will have to take the mandatory placement exams at Cornell and complete all the necessary CCAC admission paperwork. As a result, they will be able to familiarize themselves with the CCAC course registration process. Another benefit is that dual enrollment students will be considered college students and receive a college ID, meaning they will be entitled to local store discounts at restaurants, Giant Eagle and movie theaters. By completing tasks in high school, students will be able to eliminate any uncertainty that they may face when they graduate. Building a familiarity with a higher education institution like CCAC is anticipated to have countless benefits for these students. More information will be shared as this program is finalized. It is anticipated that the program will be up and running in time for the 2021-2022 school year. Teacher Spotlight: Amanda Sappie’s students redesign Kennywood Seventh and eighth grade science teacher Amanda Sappie has been coordinating a project with her students that challenges them to create a science-based, imaginary new section at Kennywood Park. The project, which is a culmination of the physical science unit, focuses on all of the major topics discussed throughout, including Newton’s Laws of Motion, types of energy and energy transformations, simple machines, types of forces, and calculating net force. Students’ final product will consist of a park section blueprint, a mood board for theming, a roller coaster, flat ride for their area, and a set of question responses that demonstrate connections to the physical science content. This project was designed as part of Sappie’s participation in the Project-Based Learning book study, and focuses on allowing students to demonstrate a mastery of unit content through creativity and individuality. Sappie adapted the project from last year’s implementation in order to better fit the PBL requirements. She thinks it has been more successful overall in meeting content standards. Students have been engaged and enjoyed the creative side of it. They’ve also been making connections to the science content. Overall, it has allowed for more creativity and exploration than the previous version. Due to COVID-19, Sappie hasn’t been able to carry out every aspect of the project she initially planned. Due to time constraints and social distancing guidelines, students didn’t get to physically build their roller coasters and test them. Fortunately, because of the district’s recent move to 1:1 technology, Sappie has been able to work around some of those issues by replacing them with Chromebook-friendly options. The greatest takeaway for Sappie is the possibility of incorporating project-based learning into her classroom that is not necessarily centered on science content. “The beauty of PBL is that it allows students to make connections to the content through an engaging and individualized approach, where authentic learning feels like exploration, creativity, and self-discovery,” she says. Middle school students sweep Patriots Pen Contest Cornell middle school students swept the top three spots in last year’s Patriots Pen Contest, which is sponsored locally by Keith Holmes VFW Post 402. Abigail Marino took first place, while Logan Von Coller took second and William George Jr. came in third. Winning essays were selected early last year but couldn’t be presented until December due to COVID-19. The Patriots Pen Contest is a national essay-writing contest for middle school students. In their essays, students reflect on what they feel makes America great. The VFW also holds a similar, parallel contest for high school students called Voices of Democracy. Local VFW posts sponsor each contest and decide on winning entries. Those essays are then sent on to their respective district, or countywide, levels. In addition, the Keith Holmes VFW Post 402 awards its winning entries with cash prizes. Voice of Democracy winners also have a chance to advance to the national level to compete for a $30,000 scholarship. At Cornell, seventh grade teacher Megan Harouse made the essay contest part of a class assignment. Keith Holmes VFW Post 402 Commander Mike Blair says this was a great way to encourage participation. “We appreciate the teachers’ interest in the contest and motivating the kids to participate in the program,” he says. Abigail Marino holds a certificate and a check she received for taking first place in last year’s Patriots Pen Contest. Logan Von Coller, pictured here with VFW Post 402 Commander Mike Blair, took second place in last year’s Patriots Pen Contest. William George Jr. (not pictured) took third place. Amanda SappieSpring 2021 • www.awmagazine.com • 17 Teacher Spotlight: Alyson Rinaldi utilizes Google Chromebox Exploration For the past two months, Cornell Elementary sixth grade teacher Alyson Rinaldi has been utilizing a piece of technology called a Google Chromebox. Rinaldi has been tinkering with the Chromebox as an alternative to the operating system currently installed in her interactive Promethean Board display. Initially, Rinaldi was skeptical when Kris Hupp, Cornell’s director of technology and instructional innovation, approached her with the idea to pilot the initiative. However, once she started tinkering with the tool, she found a near seamless transition and experienced more flexibility with it than the old operating system. The days of the dusty chalkboards have passed, and each classroom at Cornell now either has a large television that teachers can wirelessly cast to from their laptop or an interactive Promethean Board display. This allows teachers and students to interact with content that teachers post for students to see. Teachers can display and annotate over text, show different presentations, use different apps that are downloaded, broadcast educational clips, and more. The Promethean Board’s Android-based operating system allows it to operate like a giant smartphone. However, over the past few years, the updates haven’t been compatible with some of the most popular teacher-selected apps. To solve this problem, Rinaldi was asked to experiment with a Chromebox, which allows the Promethean Board to operate like a Chromebook. Teachers can then install and use apps, but their productivity can also come from using websites. The Chromebox is a Google product, so it pairs perfectly with Google Docs, Sheets, Slides and, most importantly, Drive. Rinaldi has found the biggest improvement with using the Chromebox is the ability to plan from home. With the old operating system, she had to be in front of the board to search for and install apps. However, while using Chromebox, everything is on Chrome. She is able to find Chrome extensions and install them from her laptop at home. As well, the apps install much faster than they did on the old operating system. While Rinaldi believes that the Chromebox hasn’t impacted her instruction drastically, she reports it has expedited the process of switching from one item to another. For example, she can have multiple tabs open for morning announcements, math, and documents. Switching between tabs is a simple and time-saving process. With the current half-day rotation schedule, time is a valuable commodity. Rinaldi always leads high-level lessons in her classroom, and that will never change. However, the means by which she provides that high level of instruction will always be changing with the times. Her willingness to ensure that her students have the most up-to-date instructional tools is greatly appreciated. Teacher Spotlight: Morgan Harouse and her living through history project Seventh and eighth grade English teacher Morgan Harouse asked her students to complete a very unique, relevant and meaningful project during the first semester. Given the unique and challenging circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic, Harouse knew she wanted to plan a different type of meaningful personal narrative and project. Harouse had her students research and reflect on the experiences of other teenagers their age from across the country. They also researched past pandemics and epidemics by looking at articles and photographs in the New York Times. By doing so, they were able to identify more similarities than they thought. Students are now working on writing a personal narrative on how to not lose oneself during a pandemic. Students will have project options to complete to supplement the project, including a vlog - such as a personal website or social media account - photo journal, or journal diaries. “I was fortunate enough to be able to collaborate and get feedback on this survival guide for middle school students,” she says. “My hope in planning this project was for students to be highly-engaged along with giving them a creative outlet.” Harouse’s goal is to have the narratives and projects posted to on an online platform to act as a class portfolio. A paper copy will also be made and turned into a class book, which will be surreal to reflect and look back on in the years to come. Harouse is actively participating in a Project-Based Learning book study. Morgan Harouse Alyson Rinaldi Elementary students explore future careers Cornell Elementary students kicked off the new semester by participating in career education activities through the Cornell Elementary Career Education and Work curriculum, which is designed for students in kindergarten through sixth grade. Each classroom has been participating in grade-level, career- based lessons aligned to the PA Career Education and Work standards. The elementary career curriculum is designed to be fun and provide career and educational information, planning, and opportunities for students. Objectives include fostering self-awareness, providing a basic understanding of interests, encouraging cooperation with others, and forging a relationship between school and careers. Students build on their own personal career plan/portfolio during their time at Cornell. This should be a fun and relevant experience for the students, and this work will continue as students enter the high school grades. 18 • Allegheny West Magazine • Spring 2021 Teacher Spotlight: Jackie DelGreco and Tracey Ray use SeeSaw in kindergarten This school year, the kindergarten team of Jackie DelGreco and Tracey Ray knew they were going to need to be prepared to go virtual. They wanted to utilize a platform that was child- and parent- friendly, as well as engaging and easy for teachers to use. They also really wanted to focus on getting quality content to their students in a seamless and easy manner. A few years back, the kindergarten team took an interest in the program Seesaw and immediately felt that it would be a good fit. So, DelGreco and Ray reached out to technology integration coach Rachel McVeagh to discuss and explore the best avenue to implement Seesaw with their students. It took a couple of weeks of screen sharing, navigating and playing, but the kids were able to use it easily. The program is very intuitive and child-friendly. Kristen Bardelli utilized her Tech Ed classes to give students opportunities to play with and use all of the tools that Seesaw provides. One of the best aspects of Seesaw is that it saves each child’s work in a virtual portfolio. Seesaw calls this feature the “journal.” Students submit their work, and teachers can comment on any assignments. With the premium version of the software, teachers can send work that needs to be fixed back to students. A large community of teachers utilize the app, which can be accessed by any mobile smart device, including iPads, or on laptops and desktops. Not only can educators create their own recorded lessons and upload documents, they can also search through thousands of lessons stored on Seesaw’s community page. Earlier this month, the kindergarten team spent time working with the theme of “What can we create with shapes?” Students got the opportunity to create with shapes and then recorded themselves talking about what shapes they used to create their pictures. Seesaw has been a real game changer, not only for the kindergarten team, but also for parents and students. Both teachers have done a great job getting this program up and running. Teacher Spotlight: Lindsay McKee leads elementary cyber program Over the summer months, Cornell administration put multiple plans in place before they knew for sure how COVID-19 would affect schools. District officials wanted to have in-person learning, as it is the best and most desirable approach to student achievement. However, ensuring student and staff safety was, and still remains, the first priority, as does following health and safety recommendations from local, state and national health officials. As the start of the school year drew closer, district officials recognized that everyone had different levels of comfort when it came to in-person programming. Providing a choice for everyone was the best approach. A cyber option was then presented to Cornell families and the district partnered with Accelerate Learning to provide continuity of instruction for families that chose that option. The Elementary Cyber Program is led by long-time Cornell Elementary teacher Lindsay McKee, who is currently overseeing 38 students enrolled in kindergarten through sixth grade. Students participating in the Elementary Cyber Program have seen much success and are preparing to move into the second semester. Backpacks filled with student textbooks, materials and school supplies were distributed to all remote students during the week of Jan. 18 and the program has been a success the first half of the school year. McKee has taught at Cornell Elementary School for the past 21 years. She has taught kindergarten as well as sixth, fifth and third grade. Her experience in multiple grade levels makes her the perfect fit for the cyber program. She lives in Hopewell with her husband, Scott, has five adult children, three sons, and two daughters. Her youngest son, Jake, is in college at Kent State University, where he is studying to be a special education teacher. McKee also has three grandchildren - Slade, Ellie, and Savannah - who are the loves of her life. When she is not spending time with them, she is taking care of all the people in her life, making her famous buffalo chicken dip, redecorating a space in her house, or sitting outside on her swing. The cyber program has been a great academic option for Cornell families. It has also been a creative, flexible option that allows continuity of instruction and learning. McKee’s tireless efforts have made the program a success. If any Cornell family would like more information about the cyber programs in the elementary or high school, they can contact pupil services director Carla Antoniades at (412) 264- 5010 ext. 111. Lindsay McKee Backpacks filled with textbooks, materials and school supplies were distributed to remote students in January. Using SeeSaw, elementary students studying remotely can complete assignments just like they would in class. Jackie DelGreco Tracey RaySpring 2021 • www.awmagazine.com • 19 Teacher Spotlight: Reading specialists Lori Dzielski and Cristy Meinert get creative with remote learning Due to the current half-day, in-person rotation schedule, there are some challenges to making sure Cornell is providing all necessary services for students in a shortened time period. Title I, which calls for additional reading supports for Cornell’s elementary students, was one critical program that had to be adjusted to ensure students were getting the supports they needed. The Title I reading team of Cristy Meinert and Lori Dzielski typically go into classrooms and provide small group instruction, or they have students come to their classrooms in small groups to receive specialized instruction. This school year, a unique solution was needed, so they reached out to the parents of certain students to see if they would be willing to try a virtual intervention. Every parent was supportive and willing to give it a try. Each day, third grade virtual intervention students spend the morning in the school building, go home, and then participate in a 30-minute virtual reading group led by Meinert to get a double dose of the Fundations program. Fundations is an academic reading intervention program that Cornell Elementary has been implementing the past few years in grades K through two. A third grade portion was added last school year. The program addresses all five areas of reading instruction, but Meinert focuses on the systematic phonics and word structure components. Students and teachers have also learned to use technology such as NearPod and JamBoard. They are utilizing this technology to maximize student impact. Watching students troubleshoot technology issues while mastering reading concepts has been amazing. This unique school year has challenged all teachers in different ways, but creative solutions are helping them overcome those challenges. Cristy Meinert Lori Dzielski Teacher Spotlight: Rachel Lubitz, Robin Heigley and Kelly Foster’s first-graders utilizes Seesaw As teachers and students have needed to move away from the traditional classroom setting, the first grade team of Rachel Lubitz, Robin Heigley and Kelly Foster have converted assignments and assessments to a digital platform using Seesaw. This kid-friendly app increases students’ engagement and teachers encourage students to create, reflect, and share their work in an easy way. Students are able to demonstrate their understanding of concepts, take photos of their work, create and record videos, and write and illustrate prompts, all in one place. Seesaw has allowed the first grade team to incorporate technology in a simple way and supports their everyday curriculum. Students are also able to independently complete reading and math activities while teachers can access and review assignments and provide quick feedback. Another great feature allows students to create writing assignments and record themselves reading it. This is a wonderful way to increase student participation and fluency. The first grade team is thankful the district was able to purchase enough iPads for all students, so they can enhance learning through the use of technology. All Cornell Elementary students received their own iPad at the beginning of the year, and all Cornell High School students received their own Chromebooks. The first grade team is a very dynamic group that works very hard to ensure all students are learning and achieving at a high level as they prepare for second grade. Rachel Lubitz Robin Heigley Kelly Foster Rotary donates dictionaries Moon Township Rotarians recently purchased dictionaries for third-graders in the Cornell and Moon Area School Districts as part of the Rotary International Annual Dictionary Project. Though the Moon Rotarians couldn’t make the dictionary presentation in person due to COVID-19 restrictions, Rotarian Donna Belas arranged for Cornell Elementary teachers Casey Thomas and Robin Freiss to distribute the dictionaries to third grade students. These students enjoyed exploring their personal dictionary and searching for fun facts. The dictionary donation has been a staple program in the third grade and Cornell Elementary looks forward to the continued partnership. Cornell third-graders flip through their new dictionaries that were donated by the Moon Township Rotary. Next >