< Previous% New in Town New in Town Widening the spectrum of medical care “By bringing in these new physicians and their expertise, we will be able to help more people receive the care they need, closer to home,” says Dan Battista, administrator of UPMC Outpatient Center in Moon Township and administrative director of the UPMC Center for Advanced Robotics Training. One of the new doctors at the outpatient center is Suresh Mulukutla, MD, chair of Cardiology for UPMC Passavant and director of Analytics-Cardiology for UPMC Heart and Vascular Institute. Housed in the outpatient center, Dr. Mulukutla leads the UPMC Heart and Vascular Institute Moon office, which offers patients comprehensive cardiovascular care, including: • Cardio-Oncology • General cardiology • Interventional cardiology • Women’s heart health As part of UPMC Heart and Vascular Institute’s UPMC Center for Cardio- Oncology, Dr. Mulukutla collaborates with oncologists at the on-site UPMC Hillman Cancer Center to prevent, diagnose, and treat heart and blood vessel issues as they arise in cancer patients and survivors. UPMC Orthopaedic Care also is new at the outpatient center, enabling patients to receive care and specialized expertise from three orthopaedic surgeons: • Mark A. Fye, MD, Orthopaedic Specialists-UPMC, who specializes in spine surgery. • Thomas B. Hughes, Jr., MD, Orthopaedic Specialists- UPMC, a hand and upper extremity expert. • Kenneth L. Urish, MD, The Bone and Joint Center at UPMC Magee-Womens Hospital, who is trained in adult reconstructive orthopaedic surgery. The facility also welcomes Edward K. Heres, MD, a pain management physician with UPMC Pain Medicine, who will treat patients with a variety of chronic pain conditions. Expanding diagnostic and specialty care in Moon Township In an effort to broaden the diagnostic and specialty care accessible to families living in the western suburbs of Pittsburgh, the UPMC Outpatient Center in Moon Township is expanding and welcoming new physicians and services. The UPMC Outpatient Center, located on Coraopolis Heights Road, is introducing five specialists in heart and vascular care, orthopaedics, and pain management. Enhanced diagnostic medical care In addition to these physicians and their expertise, the UPMC Outpatient Center plans to introduce on-site x-ray imaging capabilities in November. “Bringing state-of-the-art imaging equipment and technology to the facility will be a valuable and much-needed addition for both our patients and our physicians,” says Battista. “Not only will patients have the added convenience of UPMC Imaging Services much closer to their homes or offices, but physicians from every department in the outpatient center will be able to utilize the x-ray capabilities, helping to heighten the level of on-site care for our patients.” World-class care, closer to home For residents who live west of the city, the UPMC Outpatient Center not only offers expert care, but also convenience and proximity. “Before, patients’ options were limited. Many living in the area would have to drive to UPMC Passavant or one of our other locations to see a physician,” says Battista. “Now, thanks to expanding services and expertise, patients have the opportunity to receive a wide range of care just down the road from their home or office.” At the UPMC Outpatient Center, patients can receive a wide range of specialty and diagnostic care. Services include: “I think the opportunity to provide more services to the people in this area is wonderful,” says Battista. “Our goal is to meet the needs of the community, and we hope we can continue to do so by broadening care options and expanding services for those living here.” These added services and expertise at the outpatient center are just one way UPMC continues to expand care in the western suburbs of Pittsburgh, providing families in Coraopolis, Moon Township, Robinson Township, and beyond with top-notch care, closer to home. With UPMC Urgent Care and UPMC Centers for Rehab Services in Robinson Township near you, it’s easy to find world-class care that’s close to where you live or work. The UPMC Outpatient Center is located at 1600 Coraopolis Heights Road in Moon Township, just off I-376. Free, on-site parking is available. Find and schedule an appointment at UPMC.com/MoonOPC. This article is sponsored content from UPMC. Suresh Mulukutla, MD, chair of Cardiology for UPMC Passavant and director of Analytics- Cardiology for UPMC Heart and Vascular Institute, is now seeing patients at the UPMC Outpatient Center in Moon Township. The UPMC Outpatient Center in Moon Township is expanding and welcoming new physicians and services. The UPMC Outpatient Center, located on Coraopolis Heights Road, is introducing five specialists who specialize in heart and vascular care, orthopaedics, and pain management. • Cancer care • Heart and vascular • Lab services • Neurosurgery • Obstetrics and gynecology • Orthopaedics • Pediatrics • Physical therapy and rehabilitation • Primary care 10 • Allegheny West Magazine • Winter 2021% New in Town New in Town People go to the gym for lots of different reasons. Some want to lose weight and get in shape. Others, including high school athletes, want to take their athletic skills to the next level. For college and professional athletes, their livelihoods can depend on staying at the top of their game. Not all gyms serve such a wide range of individuals, but that is the concept behind a new training facility coming to the area called D1 Training Pittsburgh West. Located next to Golf Galaxy in Robinson Township, the facility is the latest for the national company, which utilizes proven training methods from top professional athletes and Division 1 coaches to help everyone reach their unique workout goals. It even offers a variety of programs for kids as young as elementary age. “Anyone who has a goal can work out here,” says Michelle Benigni, who is opening the new franchise location. Benigni, who lives in Robinson, says she found out about D1 Training last year while she was stuck at home during the pandemic. Before COVID-19 shut down the country, she had been working as a physical trainer at a gym that eventually closed. “A couple of months into the pandemic, I was really missing my gym and working with my clients,” she says. “So I thought maybe I could open my own gym and find a way to succeed where some other gyms had failed. I started Googling franchise ideas and from the moment I saw D1 Training, I knew it was a fit because it’s the same style of training I like to do.” Prior to becoming a physical trainer, Benigni and her husband started another business that went on to experience plenty of success. Later on, she started to develop a passion for fitness while putting their three daughters - Kelsey, Nicole and Renee - through school at Montour, where all three played sports. Benigni says that one of the aspects that appealed to her about D1 Training was the fact that the gym had programs aimed at a variety of ages, including school-aged athletes. That got her to thinking how much her own daughters could have benefited from the programs. According to Benigni, D1 Training can help student athletes as young as 7 develop athletic skills and healthy fitness habits. Its Rookie program, for instance, helps kids develop core body strength, coordination, balance, agility and technique in a fun and motivating team environment. Its Developmental program for middle school-aged kids helps young athletes continue to improve agility while introducing strength training, advanced running techniques, speed and injury prevention. Its Prep program for high school athletes takes those aspects to the next level with advanced plyometrics and complex strength training. Beyond that, D1 offers a variety of graduate programs for college-level athletes, including personalized one- on-one training, small group training, professional coaching, team training and even on-site training programs. Benigni says D1 also offers its athletic training program to people who don’t play sports. “To us, an athlete is anybody who has a goal and works to get there,” she says. To that end, D1 offers an adult program that involves a high-intensity, 54-minute workout that burns up to 1,000 calories while building strength. “This program is designed using scientifically-based training methods to drive results,” says Benigni. “The holistic training ensures an athletic workout for the entire body while athletic conditioning combined with high tempo metabolic circuits produces a high-calorie burn.” Physical training, however, is only part of what D1 emphasizes. The gym also seeks to build character and has these 12 words stenciled on its walls: respect, determination, fearless, confidence, responsibility, integrity, perseverance, discipline, accountability, honor, selfless and dedication. D1 is also backed by professional athletes, including Payton Manning, Chris Paul, Michael Oher, Tim Tebow and many more. Benigni says that the gym is offering special discounts to those who sign up within the first 60 days of opening. She says she’s looking forward to bringing her passion for fitness to the business, and helping people across the community achieve their athletic goals. For more, visit www.d1training.com/pittsburgh-west. New training facility for all ages opening in Robinson STORY AND PHOTOS SUBMITTED These renderings show how D1 Pittsburgh West will look once the gym is finished. The gym has lots of equipment and plenty of room for workouts. Michelle Benigni, owner of D1 Pittsburgh West, is pictured with Will Bartholomew (left), D1 CEO and founder, and Tyler Dzadovsky (right), D1 Pittsburgh West general manager. Winter 2021 • www.awmagazine.com • 11Winter 2021 12 • Allegheny West Magazine • Winter 2021 High school social studies teacher Amy Palo was recently accepted into the National Constitution Center’s Teacher Advisory Committee. The National Constitution Center was created by congressional charter to be a nonpartisan organization. It is dedicated to increasing awareness and understanding of the U.S. Constitution. While it has a physical location in Philadelphia at a museum, it also offers a number of online resources, including an interactive Constitution; a “drafting table” where students can learn about the process that led to the articles and amendments to the Constitution; and a weekly podcast called “We the People.” Each week, the NCC also hosts Scholar Exchanges, where students, teachers, and even parents can join in on a live, virtual discussion with a scholar hosted by NCC President and CEO Jeffrey Rosen. Topics can range from the branches of government, to landmark court cases, to different parts of the Constitution. So far, AP U.S. history students have participated in the Constitution Day celebration on Sept. 17 and 11th grade students had the option of participating in a “27 Amendments in roughly 27 minutes” exchange Oct. 29. Students noted how much they learned about things like the difficult amendment process, plea bargains, and how application of the amendments has changed over time. One student explained, “the 14th amendment extended many of the rights of the amendments to protect the citizens from state abuses.” Throughout the school year, students will continue to use the resources and engage in scholarly exchanges. Palo will also be able to access training from her role on the Teacher Advisory Council and obtain opportunities to try out new initiatives. Amy Palo joins National Constitution Center advisory committee Dr. Doug Szokoly, high school principal, presents high school AP computer science teacher Susan Dunning with the Microsoft TEALS award. Amy Palo #WeAre Cornell In 2019, Cornell High School offered its first AP computer science course for students. AP courses allow students to earn college credit while they are still in high school by completing a course and an exam. These courses help students understand the demands of college-level work while being supported by teachers from their high school. When preparing to offer the new course, Cornell sought the support of Microsoft’s Technology Education and Literacy in Schools, which is part of Microsoft’s Philanthropies program to build sustainable computer science programs in high schools. TEALS provides professional development for new computer science teachers and pairs them with industry professionals. Cornell High School’s computer science teacher, Susan Dunning, participated in the TEALS program and worked with Jeff Butler, computer scientist for Microsoft. Butler started his day with Dunning’s first period AP computer science class for two school years. Microsoft also matched Butler’s hours with a donation to the school that has been used to purchase robotics and other STEM supplies. This fall, TEALS recognized Dunning and Cornell High School as an alumni school. The award was presented to Dunning by Dr. Doug Szokoly, high school principal, and Dr. Kris Hupp, director of technology and instructional innovation. Susan Dunning receives Microsoft TEALS awardWinter 2021 • www.awmagazine.com • 13 Last spring, Cornell was the only school in Allegheny County and one of just seven organizations in the greater Pittsburgh region to receive a $70,000 Moonshot Grant from Remake Learning to test bold ideas for the future of learning. Cornell’s proposal, named Mapping Professional Learning Pathways for Educational Transformation, is guided by an advisory council consisting of local educational experts, community stakeholders and students. Last spring, teachers in grades three through 12 were offered an initial set of pathways or topics to focus on for the 2021-2022 school year and asked to help refine and change the pathways that were to be offered. The pathways are student-centered, built around specific and unique needs of learners, justice-focused, and long- term. After the pathways were refined and changed based on teacher input, the following pathways were offered: Cornell’s Moonshot Grant takes flight AR/XR: Explore engaging experiences designed for AR and XR with Carnegie Mellon University’s cutting-edge Mixed Reality (XR platforms) toolkit. The Augmented Reality Edge Network Architecture (ARENA) supports real-time mixed reality interaction between multiple users and the physical world. The Augmented Reality Creator and Design Environment (ARCADE) is a tablet-based authoring platform that allows users to create their own augmented reality experiences to deploy via ARENA. The browser- based platform allows experiences to be shared across multiple devices simultaneously, including on Chromebooks. The addition of mixed reality collaborative viewing and creation aims to supplement existing educational content and extend learning in previously unachievable ways. Externship at CMU’s ETC: Two teachers from each building are invited to be part of a new and developing professional series at Carnegie Mellon University’s Entertainment Technology Center (ETC). At the ETC, participants will be challenged to dive into the “creative chaos” of the design process while building skills in collaboration, innovation, engagement and communication. The program blends education goals and professional development with truly unique interactive experiences mixed in along the way. Participants will learn, work and play. Teachers who participate in this pathway will be given clerical time during in-service and half-days to prepare for their absence. Google Certified Educator Training: Develop skills using Google Workspace for Education to better engage students and work towards earning Google for Education Certification. Open Educational Resources: Review, identify, modify, and select teaching, learning, and research materials in any medium - digital or otherwise - that reside in the public domain or have been released under an open license that permits no-cost access, use, adaptation, and redistribution by others with no or limited restrictions. Project-based Learning: PBL pedagogy creates space and opportunity for creative thinking, problem solving, and individualized learning - skills that students need to thrive in education and beyond. PBL educators facilitate brainstorming, research, and feedback strategies that focus on student voice and choice, providing equitable space for all students in the classroom. Youth Voice: Student voice is “the individual and collective perspective and actions of young people within the context of learning and education,” according to Adam Fletcher. In this pathway, teachers will identify ways they’re already scaffolding for student voice. They’ll examine youth-adult relationships in schools and explore new strategies for developing student voice in school together. Cornell teachers have been actively working on their pathways since August and incorporating new strategies. A group of teachers will participate in a focus group with Dr. Maggie Hannana, a learning scientist from Carnegie Mellon University, to learn more from the teachers’ perspective. The advisory council will meet to set goals for the 2022-2023 school year and teachers will help design their learning pathways for the new school year. During the summer months, Cornell School District was approached by the Grable Foundation to participate in the Learning 2025 Initiative sponsored by the American Association of School Administrators. Cornell is one of 90 school districts in the country actively participating in this work. The Learning 2025 initiative is spurred from the release of an AASA report titled “National Commission on Student-Centered, Equity-Focused Education.” The report recommends 11 essential principles for strategic school system redesign. The Grable Foundation asked other western Pennsylvania districts to be involved and created a small cohort of like-minded school districts that can collaborate effectively together to improve educational outcomes for students. Throughout the fall months, Cornell administrators participated in a number of virtual workshops where future-ready education and school system redesign were discussed. Today’s learners are influenced by technology and hyper- connectivity. This all raises the question of how teachers are preparing future workers and leaders to thrive in an ever-changing work force. This work is crucial to addressing that question, and Cornell has thoroughly enjoyed the learning experiences thus far. The work will continue throughout the school year, and administration is hoping to have a chance to highlight the positive work and culture of Cornell School District on a national level. Western Pennsylvania AASA Learning Alliance14 • Allegheny West Magazine • Winter 2021 Superintendent’s Message Dr. Aaron Thomas, Superintendent This past August, a team of volunteers armed with shovels, rakes, paintbrushes and flowers came to the Cornell campus, energized to help the school in a Day of Caring. Volunteers from Williams Company’s Pittsburgh office have committed to supporting the school for several years through a variety of projects as part of the United Way of Southwestern Pennsylvania’s Adopt-a-School Program. In just the past calendar year alone, Williams Company has sent volunteers to erect the district’s greenhouse, hosted a career day event, collected school supplies, and donated food to the Coraopolis Food Pantry. This past Day of Caring event was focused on making the school look great for students and staff returning to a school that was at full capacity for the first time in more than a year. Volunteers focused on sprucing up school entrances, outdoor learning spaces and the elementary playground. New planters were added at various entrances and mums donated by Joe Snodgrass, a Williams Company employee who owns a greenhouse, were planted. Volunteers also weeded and mulched the outdoor learning spaces near the cafeteria entrance. The most significant transformation was at the elementary playground, where the blacktop had recently been resealed. Volunteers painted new lines for basketball, kickball and a wide variety of games for students to play. Volunteers from Williams Company plan to return to Cornell in the future to paint more lines on the blacktop. Williams Company plants seeds for strong school year Cornell Families and Community Members, What a start to the school year we’ve had! It is hard to believe that the first nine weeks are behind us and that we’re now preparing for the winter months that lay just around the corner. The 2021-2022 school year has gotten off to another unbelievable start. Throughout this edition of the Allegheny West Magazine, we are able to highlight some of the amazing work that our outstanding student body is able to produce, as well as the efforts of our hard working and dedicated staff members. A personal highlight for myself was hosting the first Superintendent Appreciation Luncheon for 11 well- deserving students. There are many more Cornell students deserving of this recognition, and I’m looking forward to offering this small gesture of gratitude each month to a different group of students. These are the students who make our profession so enjoyable, and it is my opportunity to say thank you to them. The COVID-19 situation continues to be something we address each day. Our overall numbers continue to remain low, and we don’t have one record of an in-school transmission case. We will continue to ask students to wash and sanitize their hands throughout the day, to wear a face covering, and to maintain at least three feet of distancing while in the classrooms. Our families continue to be extremely supportive and understanding, and we are hopeful that the spring will bring a positive change to this pandemic. It has been a long road, but with vaccines now readily available, it feels like the end is near. To that end, we have hosted a number of vaccination clinics at the school, and we are in talks with Children’s Hospital to host a 5- to 11-year-old vaccination clinic in the future. This would be open to any interested family and we’ll continue to do our part to provide options. I hope the holiday season for you and family is an enjoyable one, and I hope you enjoy reading about some of the great happenings here at Cornell. We sure are proud of what our students have accomplished and the collective efforts of everyone involved with making Cornell such a special place. We are Cornell! These volunteers from Williams Company donated their time to help spruce up the Cornell campus before the start of school. Volunteers from Williams helped paint new lines on the elementary blacktop, weed and mulch. Winter 2021 • www.awmagazine.com • 15 At the end of this past summer, Cornell received notice from the Grable Foundation that a grant application that the district had written and collaborated on with Robert Morris University had been selected for full funding. Teacher volunteers were immediately sought, and 12 teachers representing the elementary and high school agreed to participate in an eight-week mindfulness program facilitated by Dr. Nathan Taylor, an assistant professor of education in the RMU School of Nursing, Education and Human Studies. The sessions started out from a personal experience lens for teachers, and aimed to deepen their understanding of mindfulness practices. Then the sessions moved to focus on the classroom space and how some of these practices could be incorporated into a classroom setting. There were many meaningful discussions that occurred at the sessions, and all participants found the activities and exercises worthwhile. A few teachers are now interested in starting a student group and will be contacting parents to determine the level of interest. The past year-and-a-half has been a trying time for many, and self- awareness and self-regulation has helped alleviate anxiety levels, grief and uneasiness. Cornell is eager to see what develops from this project in the coming months. A special thank you goes out to the Grable Foundation for their support of this project, and to Dr. Taylor for his efforts to coordinate and facilitate the sessions. Mindfulness workshop completed Meta Mesh Wireless Communities (MMWC) is providing cost-free Internet access to users in Coraopolis and Neville Island. In partnership with Cornell, the Every1online program provides Internet access to anyone who needs it. Thanks to a unique sponsorship approach, MMWC is able to provide Internet access without requiring users to pay a monthly bill. Every1online is available to everyone in the Coraopolis and Neville Island area. The only requirement is that homes must be able to connect directly to the local water tower antennas. In other words, they must have a line of sight to the water tower. the total number of connections are limited. Those who are interested can sign up at Meta Mesh’s website at metamesh.org/signup. Every1online went live when MMWC installed high-powered antennas on top of the local CWSA water tower in May of 2021. Since then, they’ve signed up users in Coraopolis and Neville Island. The main Internet connection is transmitted from the top of the Cathedral of Learning. High- powered, long-distance radios connect to “repeater towers” like the Coraopolis water tower. The signal is re-transmitted from the water tower and received by a small radio installed outside each participant’s home or apartment. This receiver connects to a Wi-Fi router in the home to create a fast, secure, and private Wi-Fi network. Meta Mesh provides the receiver, small in-home Wi-Fi router, and ethernet cable at no cost to the end user. The goal is for each household to have 50 Mbps of download capacity and 25 Mbps of upload capacity, which means everyone in the house should be able to participate in online video meetings or instruction at the same time. MMWC was able to make this project a reality through a collaborative and cross-sectional effort between higher education institutions, digital inclusion organizations, and grassroots community groups, including Carnegie Mellon University, the University of Pittsburgh, KINBER and local partners like Cornell. MMWC would like to thank the Cornell School District for being excellent partners through this process. Antennas on the CWSA water tower (above) broadcast to receiving antennas (at left) placed on homes in Coraopolis and Neville Island. Green and yellow areas on the Every1online network map (below) show where the signal is more likely to be received. Every1online provides cost-free Internet to Coraopolis and Neville Island Go to: www.cornellsd.org for the latest district news16 • Allegheny West Magazine • Winter 2021 Last school year, Cornell High School joined the Healthcare Mentor Program in an effort to expose interested students to healthcare-related careers. Robert Morris University School of Nursing, Education and Human Studies coordinates and facilitates these sessions with the goal of enlightening and educating high school students about different career opportunities available in the industry. Each month, interested Cornell High School students join virtually to view presentations and hear from speakers and presenters. Other area high schools involved are Quaker Valley, Seneca Valley, Hampton, Keystone Oaks, West Allegheny, Canon- McMillan, Montour and Boardman in Ohio. Parkway West CTC and Steel City also connect each month. The topics are different each month. In September, the first session focused on the impact of COVID-19 and the future of healthcare. October’s session focused on health services administration and managerial roles. The topics that are planned for the remainder of the year include nursing, nuclear medicine, mental and behavioral health, community health, global health, and health sciences. Everyone involved is hopeful that the school year will conclude with an in-person meeting on the RMU campus. This is a great opportunity to increase Cornell students’ exposure to health career fields, as well as connect them with students from the area who have the same professional interests as them. RMU Healthcare Mentor Program continues The Cornell Tech Squad is off to an excellent start this year. The Tech Squad is made up of a fantastic group of enthusiastic students who are eager to use technology in fun and creative ways. Students choose which projects they work on and meet during study halls or lunch. The Tech Squad is currently open to students in grades eight through 12 and will open up to seventh- graders around February. Students can see sponsor Rachel McVeagh or a student member if they are interested in joining. Current Tech Squad projects include: building students’ Google skills, laser engraving Tech Squad water bottles, creating ways to show appreciation for Cornell teachers, building a fundraiser tracker (with the help of teacher Crystal Smith), and helping students in the elementary STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) class. The Tech Squad also works with Elise Neill’s elementary STEM classes. Neill, who is Cornell’s new elementary STEM teacher, prefers to keep class hands-on for her students. When Tech Squad students are in the room as helpers, she has the opportunity to try more complex activities with students. Tech Squad students are able to work with the elementary students by facilitating small groups and helping get things set up on their iPads and computers. Some things Tech Squad students have recently helped with include making pumpkin traps, Mystery Science skulls, and monster-making. Students have also recently assisted with Snaptricity, which allows younger students to learn about electricity. In the next few weeks, Cornell hopes to see this partnership include the use of Tinkercad and 3D printing. Benefits of this partnership are many. Beyond Neill being able to implement more complex activities, it has been great for the younger students to have some older students as Cornell role models. In addition, the skills Tech Squad students are developing will transfer to a variety of contexts. They are improving their interpersonal skills by practicing explaining things clearly, being patient, and being professional. They are doing a great job representing the Tech Squad. Tech Squad students who have been or will be participating in this partnership include: Samani Allen, Lorayne Bando, Owen Barrett, Sharlyn Barrett, Star Barwell, Max Code, Zoey Connor, Marissa Crowe, Morgan Engel, Bella Jones, Kaylee Kennedy, Hanna Navarro, Ashlea Phillips, Jersei Ramsey, Ashley Rogers, Noah Slinde, Jaison Smith, Leah Spencer, Heidi Stephenson, and Zach Zupke. Tech Squad update Members of the Tech Squad have been helping out in elementary STEM classrooms, which allows the teacher to take on more complicated classroom projects.Winter 2021 • www.awmagazine.com • 17 Cornell School District has extended its existing partnership with Holy Family Services to provide additional services to students. A school-based mental health clinician has been contracted to provide extra support to students in grades K through 12 above and beyond what is already provided by Cornell’s school-based therapist. The new mental health clinician is being utilized to provide supportive counseling to students in need, regardless of whether or not their family has insurance. Supportive counseling may include individual or small group interventions that focus on building interpersonal skills; new coping options; conflict resolution; decision making; wellness planning; and other needs, as identified by the district. The clinician will also work together with the student services department to create positive strategies to help students overcome challenges and link to additional resources while building a bridge to the home and community. Cornell is very pleased with this extended partnership with Holy Family Services, which will help ensure that all Cornell students have the necessary support and services available to them. This is of the utmost importance to all stakeholders. News in Student Services - School-based mental health clinician Cornell loves to hear updates on the wonderful achievements that graduates have accomplished. Recently, two such graduates were able share their experiences with Cornell High School seniors and talk to them about the next stages in their lives. Devin Leitner and Dakota Leonard - both members of the Class of 2013 - recently returned to share their experiences. Leitner, who currently works for the government, earned his Bachelor of Arts Degree in criminology and a Bachelor of Science in computer science while attending Indiana University of Pennsylvania. Speaking to seniors, Leitner urged them to not think they are limited because they come from a small high school and to make the most of their opportunities while at Cornell. He also stressed the importance of goal setting, finding a career field they are passionate about, and not being afraid to set goals and work to achieve those goals. Leonard spoke about some of the very same things, and shared his story about finding inspiration from a professor in college who helped guide his path. Leonard is now a teacher’s assistant at the University of Buffalo and working on his Ph.D. in mathematics. Both of these graduates have made Cornell very proud, and it was great to see them come back to talk to future graduates about what lies ahead for them. Alumni return to speak to seniors Cornell School District superintendent, Dr. Aaron Thomas, is trying a new student recognition program this school year in an effort to spotlight the great work and effort that high school students bring each day. Thomas is holding a monthly Superintendent Appreciation Luncheon to honor these students. Teachers are asked to nominate any student in grades seven through 12 who is going above and beyond in the classroom. These students are not only achieving at a high academic level, but are also hard working, respectful, and leaders in the classroom. Over 54 students were nominated, which made the selection process very challenging. Eventually, 11 students were selected from seventh to 12th grades to attend the first luncheon. Thomas stated, “I was blown away by the responses from the teachers, and reading the rationale for the student nominations was really uplifting. I wish I could have honored all 54 students, but I couldn’t do that the first month unfortunately. I’m sure I’ll have my opportunity in the future.” Each student who was recognized in October was served a special lunch and dessert in the Honors Cafeteria by Thomas and Dr. Kris Hupp, director of technology and instructional innovation. The Nutrition Group, the food provider that Cornell contracts with, made a special lunch of stuffed chicken breast, green beans, potatoes, and a side salad along with a few desserts. At the conclusion, Thomas was able to thank students “for being the type of students who remind us why we got into teaching to begin with, and for motivating us to do what we do.” Afterward, each student received a special certificate, as well as a Cornell personalized aluminum water bottle. Thomas said, “This was just a small way to say thank you to these great students, and we have many more at Cornell. I’m looking forward to doing this each month and I hope they enjoyed it as much as I did.” Congratulations to the following October Superintendent Appreciation winners: seventh-graders Alexa Perez and Jeyri Gonzalez-Medina; eighth-graders MyJoy Cassano, McKenna Griffith and Ayaan (Ashley) Rogers; freshman Yuri Freeman; sophomores Leah Spencer and Luis Romero Ojeda; junior Heidi Stephenson; and seniors Allison Ricketts and Karly DiVito. Cornell launches Superintendent Appreciation Luncheon, October winners recognized Dr. Aaron Thomas, Cornell superintendent, has launched a new program that recognizes exemplary students with a special luncheon. He is pictured with the first cohort of students who were recognized in October.18 • Allegheny West Magazine • Winter 2021 Cornell’s annual homecoming dance returned this year on Oct. 2 following a one-year hiatus. The Student Council sponsored the dance, which attracted a record- breaking 100 students from grades nine through 12. Student Council students worked hard to plan a safe event that was split between the cafeteria for eating and the gym for dancing. Masked-up and socially distanced, students took pictures under a Student-Council-built balloon arch, danced the night away with DJ Mikee Williams, and ate catered hor d’oeuvres until it was time to go home. Two highlights this year were a hot-chocolate bar with all of the toppings and an optional murder-mystery game that took place during the dance. Junior Leif Barwell was the unfortunate victim and junior Sharlyn Barrett the unlikely culprit. A group of a few dozen students worked through three rounds between dancing and snacking to try to find the culprit. Each round included more clues that required the students (in their roles) to give and find new information about each other. Though there was a lot of finger pointing, no one suspected it was Sharlyn’s character all along, which made for an exciting reveal! Leif said, “It was a really unique experience and I’d love to do it again. There were people we might have been friends with, but we all worked together to play the game.” Sharlyn added, “It was hard at the beginning, but we used the clues and it ended up being cool. It was unexpected to find out you were actually the murderer.” It was a successful night, and the Student Council was fortunate to have such great participation in this safe and fun event! Homecoming returns at Cornell LEFT: Neveah Lee was named homecoming queen and MJ Smith named king. ABOVE: Leif Barwell plays the victim in the homecoming dance’s first-ever murder-mystery game while Sharlyn Barrett lurks in the background. Cornell has been working with The Challenge Program to collaborate with local businesses and provide experience and education to students. The Challenge Program is a motivational high school program for students in grades 10, 11 and 12. It helps encourage students to succeed in school and in their future careers. Cornell’s The Challenge Program business partner is ARLANXEO, a world leader in synthetic elastomers located in Robinson Township. Throughout this school year, ARLANXEO has visited Cornell’s classrooms, held an assembly and hosted students at its facilities. TCP encourages all students, regardless of their GPA, to move forward, progress toward a goal, and find something in their school life that they can excel at, improve upon or change. Part of TCP’s mission is to connect businesses and education in hopes of preparing students for what lies beyond the classroom. Partnering a business with a school allows an exchange of information vital to this preparation. In addition to the experience students gain, ARLANXEO is committed to Cornell School District for three years and works with TCP to challenge students to reach high and achieve more in five categories linked to academic and career success. In its first partnership year, ARLANXEO awarded five seniors with $200. This year, five students in grades 10 through 12 will be awarded as well, based on their past and current accomplishments. Cornell teachers were asked to choose the top students in several categories involved in The Challenge Program. Categories include attendance, STEM, community service, academic improvement and academic excellence. Winners were announced during a virtual assembly and students were recognized during the lunch hour with an in-person presentation of checks by the ARLANXEO leadership team. The winners were as follows: Attendence: Tia Battles and Vincente Navarro STEM: Anderson Bando and Lorayne Bando Community Service: Eriyah Goosby and Morgan Engel Academic Improvement: Samani Allen and Elyce Morales Academic Excellence: Heidi Stephenson and Heather Stephenson Challenge Program enters new school yearWinter 2021 • www.awmagazine.com • 19 Allegheny West Magazine once again asked Cornell elementary students to create the cover of its December holiday edition. One submission was chosen for the cover but all of the submissions were excellent, so the rest are printed below. Allegheny West Magazine thanks these fine artists for working so hard on their creations. The artists who created these are (from top left): third-graders Callie Johnson, Henry Willard, Mariana De Souza Martins and Zamira Sanchez; fourth-grader Joel Perez; fifth-grader Ellianna Shugats; and sixth-graders Alycia Farmer, Aubrey Mazza, Darren Jones, Israel Romero Ojeda and Stacy Arevalo. Allegheny West Magazine Holiday Elementary Coloring Contest #WeAre Cornell Go to: www.cornellsd.org for the latest district news Happy Holidays from Allegheny West Magazine!Next >